I think that my love of reading originated from The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. There was a brand new copy in our 1st grade homeschool curriculum box and I read and reread the book half a dozen times. The once new copy with the fresh pages and crisp ink of the font turned (very quickly) to a wrinkled book with smudged ink, folded pages, and a torn spine.
Quickly after that my love for writing was established when I read The Landry News by Andrew Clements. My desire for words stemmed from that book. At the age of 13 I decided that I wanted to write a book. Little did I know everything that goes into the making of a book. 6 months later I had a terrible draft of a terrible storyline and I have no idea how on earth something so hideous could’ve ever come from me. But, ashamedly, it did.
I found myself really wondering if I would ever be able to write professionally, given what I had just written. But, with a little practice and hard work (and lots of confusion) I was able to polish my writing skills a little bit. Though I still think that what I write is only deserving of a paper shredder, it’s not as bad as it once was.
All that to say, A Student’s Guide: 10 Easy Steps to Writing & Publishing would’ve been perfect for the 13 year old version of myself who knew nothing about writing (or grammar or English or anything relating to the world of words, for that matter). I would’ve been able to avoid a couple nightmares and a heck of a time revising. Throughout her book, Rachel talks about each of her ten steps, in which she makes clear points and gives clear examples to help with the various stages of writing, such as plotting, writing, revising, publishing, and everything in between!
From brainstorming to holding your book in published form (*squeals*), Rachel covers it all in her new (and first non-fiction) book A Student’s Guide: 10 Easy Steps to Writing & Publishing. For writers of all ages and at all different skill levels, this book is a must-read.
Copies of this book will be made available for purchase (via www.amazon.com) by the end of April!
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Rachel Rittenhouse is a homeschooled graduate, author of the Woodsmall Sisters Series. She’s been writing as long as she can remember. But started taking her writing seriously as she struggled to find wholesome books worth reading. Finding Faith, her first book, started as a homeschool project but quickly turned into an independently published book in April of 2014. She resides in Pennsylvania with her parents and siblings where she enjoys playing instruments, spending time with friends and family, and babysitting some of the sweetest little kids.
Rachel can be contacted via social media (Facebook: Rachel E Rittenhouse, author; Twitter: @AuthorRachel17; Email: [email protected]; Website: www.rachelrittenhouse.com) and you can sign up for her bi-monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the new and exciting things happening in Rachel’s writing career (www.rachelrittenhouse.com).