Today, I’m thrilled to host this post written by the author of Every Reason We Shouldn’t, Sara Fujimura.

Her young adult contemporary romance novel was released on March 3, 2020 and is published by Tor Teen. This post is part of her Blog Tour hosted by FFBC Tour.

Now, let me introduce you to Sara Fujimura, and don’t forget to enter the US giveaway for a chance to win your very own copy! A book excerpt is also available.

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Typical Writing Day

It depends. Right now, I am on a tight deadline with Tor Teen doing revisions for my next YA contemporary novel, FAKING REALITY, so I am writing 6-7 days a week. I can only do that for short stretches at a time before I get burned out.

During non-crunch time, I write 4-5 days a week and shoot for 2000+ new words each writing session. Authors wear a bunch of different hats, especially if you are an indie or hybrid author. Not only do you need to work on the book that is under contract, but you need other ideas coming down the pike to work on during downtimes.

You need to carve out time to promote your current or upcoming book but also your backlist a little bit too. COVID19 wiped out all of my spring and summer (and now possibly fall) events as well as both of my summer trips to visit family members in Japan and Scotland.

The good news: I have more time at home to keep all the plates spinning. The bad news: Because I can’t do in-person events, which always boosts sales, I spend a lot of time and mental energy on new marketing ideas.

When I start to feel overwhelmed by the business end of being an author, I remind myself that the best thing I can do for my career is to write another book. I love a good Canva promo as much as the next author, but I’ve heard it said many times now, “Frontlist sells the backlist.” So, if you have to choose between creation and promotion, pick creation.

The Story Behind the Story

All of my books are rooted in fact, even the fantasy project I was working on earlier this year. Readers tell me they enjoy being able to step inside my books. For example, you can go to a Chunichi Dragons professional baseball game in Nagoya, Japan like Sky and Ryouhei do in TANABATA WISH. Or, you can go down to the 9^th Street Market in Philadelphia’s Little Italy to have gelato like Virginia and Marco do in BREATHE.

The ice rink in EVERY REASON WE SHOULDN’T, Ice Dreams, is a figment of my imagination, but it is very loosely based on where I like to ice skate (poorly, but I digress). I went to Ability360 Sport and Fitness Center in downtown Phoenix to watch a roller derby bout so I could write authentically about it.

I like to do “method writing” whenever I can, but I also do other types of research. I interviewed hard-core skaters, including former Olympic German pairs figure skater Mirko Goolsbey. I also watched tons of skating videos and read Olympic short track speed skater Apolo Ohno’s autobiography ZERO REGRETS.

There is one part in the book I talk about a lot. It is when a teenaged Apolo almost walked away from skating all together because his raw talent was no longer enough. Just like Olivia in ERWS, Ohno wondered if his dream was over or if he should push on to see if he could make it to the Olympics one day.

Spoiler Alert: Ohno has 8 Olympic medals. I think he made the right choice. Want to know where Olivia and Jonah’s signature move came from? YA author and figure skater Katie Van Ark [THE BOY NEXT DOOR]. She helped me understand life in Skatelandia at a much deeper level.

If you follow romance author Courtney Milan on Twitter, then you know that she is a figure skating superfan. Ms. Milan was so generous with her time and ridiculous depth of knowledge of figure skating. She helped me fine-tune ERWS’s skating. She pointed out little things (like the original skating costume I had Olivia in) that non-skaters wouldn’t notice but would stick out like a sore thumb to serious skaters.

The biggest compliment I get from readers is when they presume that I come from a figure skating background. 

From writing to publishing – Top tips for young writers

I know it sounds too simple but write, write, write, and then write some more. Don’t cram yourself into one box either. Experiment with all kinds of storytelling. If your novel is stuck, try writing a short screenplay or pen lyrics to a song or even create an elaborate D&D campaign.

Switch genres. Switch points of view. Switch from past to present tense.

Watch movies and TV shows and then break them down into plot points. One of my favorite books is Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT. Though it was written for aspiring screenwriters, I find it helpful—especially doing a “Beat Sheet” on new ideas—for novel writing too. Do NaNoWriMo or do your own version where you try to finish writing a whole novel or at least 50K words of it, in one month.

Writers get so caught up in making the first chapter perfect that their perfectionism keeps them from ever finishing the book! Find like-minded writer friends who will support you on your journey but also push you to the next level. Somebody who loves every word you write is good for your ego, but it doesn’t make you a better writer.

Conversely, giving and receiving constructive criticism is an art form. You don’t have to change everything someone else suggests, but if you hear similar comments from multiple people, then maybe it’s time to be honest with yourself and find a new solution. Once your manuscript is solid—after you’ve done numerous revisions—then you can look for an agent and/or editor.

The best place to find them is at writing-related conferences. I’ve been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for over twenty years now. They always have a ton of great faculty members at their national and regional events. If you can’t afford that right now (or, you know, COVID19. Ugh!), following #MSWL (Manuscript Wish List) on Twitter is a great way to find the perfect agent for you.

One caveat: Not all agents are created equal. Please do your homework before accepting representation. A bad agent is far worse for your career than having no agent.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SARA FUJIMURA, FOR THIS VERY INSIGHTFUL ANSWERS I’M SURE EVERY ONE WILL APPRECIATE! I CERTAINLY DO.

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Warning: Contains family expectations, delightful banter, great romantic tension, skating (all kinds!), Korean pastries, and all the feels.

Fifteen-year-old, biracial figure skater Olivia Kennedy’s Olympic dreams have ended. She’s bitter, but enjoying life as a regular teenager instead of an athlete… until Jonah Choi starts training at her family’s struggling rink. Jonah’s driven, talented, going for the Olympics in speed skating, completely annoying… and totally gorgeous. Between teasing Jonah, helping her best friend try out for roller derby, figuring out life as a normal teen and keeping the family business running, Olivia’s got her hands full. But will rivalry bring her closer to Jonah, or drive them apart?

Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimura is a charming multicultural romance perfect for the many fans of Jenny Han and Rainbow Rowell.

BOOK DETAILS

• Author: Sara Fujimura
• Publisher: Tor Teen
• Release Date: March 3, 2020
• Book Length: 334 pages
• Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports, Romance

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Excerpt-Every-reason-We-Shouldnt

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About the Author – Sara Fujimura

SARA FUJIMURA is an award-winning young adult author and creative writing teacher. She is the American half of her Japanese-American family, and has written about Japanese culture and raising bicultural children for such magazines as Appleseeds, Learning Through History, East West, and Mothering, as well as travel-related articles for To Japan With Love. Her self-published young adult novels include Tanabata Wish and Breathe. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and children.

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US GIVEAWAY – Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimura

PRIZE: Win a copy of THE BONE THIEF by Breeana Shields (US/CAN Only)

STARTS: May 27, 2020 – ENDS: June 10, 2020

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