Jade Young, Author and Perfectionist
Jade Young is a New Adult Fiction Author, who truly loves the author sister and brotherhood community. She will soon become a part of that public arena when she debuts her first novel, but we will discuss her exciting project later in the article. Right now, let’s get to know this remarkable young lady who can be found relaxing in a Starbucks, curled up with a good book or working on blog posts, with a green tea latte sitting next to her.
Jade, who is just 25 years old, has a very impressive blog site. She was not asked to elaborate about her website or her love for helping the indie author community, but if you are an aspiring writer, I encourage you to visit her website. There, you will find all you need to know to take your idea and turn it into a book. She even offers free consultations and paid services for your needs.
Young is a book lover and as a writer, she understands the complexity that it takes to turn a thought into published work. For that reason, she has a real respect for Indie/Self-Published authors, who she says, “Inspires me the most.” Jade, doesn’t give the mundane answer for the question, “Who’s your favorite author?” Indie Authors are her favorite, she says. “They're remarkable in the way that they give their time, energy, resources, and money to publish their amazing works of art. I look at all the time and effort that Kristen Martin, Megan Tennant, and Katie Cross have put into their book(s) and it motivates me to get in the game and give it my all.”
Young would love to make writing and copyediting a full-time career and at the pace she’s going, that may very well happen. Meanwhile, she’s employed as a medical biller/coder agent. She makes time to write in the mornings and on weekends at a cafe or bookstore, places she says helps her to get her best work done.
Young was asked when she decided to become a writer. Her words explain it best.
“I've been writing since I was 8 years old. I remember in fourth grade, we had a class project where we actually wrote and illustrated our own books. The books were then sent off and bounded into a hard-cover book. I can't describe the happiness and joy I felt when I held my book in my hands and read it to the class. Since that time and beyond, I decided to branch out on my own and seriously write my own novel. “So, to answer your questions. I guess, I've always been a writer.”
In her mid-20s, Jade still enjoys reading YA, but she says she’s ready for writers to talk about that challenging time between young adulthood and adulthood. The time frame where you're an adult, but you're still figuring out your life. This specific forum is one of the latest literary genres that’s called, New Adult Fiction, and at her age, she’s the perfect soul to raise its topic in her debut novel that’s slated to release sometime next year.
Jade is pretty excited about the debut of her new book and is playing around with two titles: "The Art of Adulting" or "Quarter-Life Crisis." Each sounds quite juicy and ready to be picked.
Interviewer: Give us an insight into the main character of your latest book. What does he/she do, that is so special?
Young: For my current WIP, my MC is a feisty, stubborn, procrastinator. She's trying to make it in a new city, with a new job, and she doesn't want to let on, especially to her family, that she's drowning in life and needs help. I have yet to name her but I'm pulling off experiences in my own life as I write her that I'm sure other YA will be able to relate to.
Young’s main female character has a hint of several inspirational qualities. Imagine Anne Hathaway’s role of Andrea (Andy) in the Devil Wears Prada, who was easily swayed into a world that wasn’t right for her, but in the end, she had the strength to choose her own path. Combine those qualities with a character who’s headstrong, independent, and a real go-getter. However, she also has vulnerabilities that she hides away and “overcompensates” for with dangerous actions. In a matter of months, Young’s female main character will be named and written throughout the pages of her new novel and will bring about a new meaning for the “Strong Female” character.
To create her characters, Young does not just sit at the computer and start typing away, oh no, that’s nowhere near her style. She is so calculating with her writing that she calls herself a “…plotter to the core” and says, “A ton!” of research has to take place before she begins writing. “I need an extensive outline, world map, and character sketch. As I write, I'm constantly using Google and other search engines to make sure what I'm describing comes across as realistic and relatable.” She keeps all of her work organized and in order with a software called Scrivener; it’s where her research, outline, and novel are all in one place.
While creating a story, Young gets her ideas from the world that surrounds her. Her mind can instantly become inspired while sitting in a coffee shop, walking through a bookstore, busy at work, or standing beneath the flow of warm water while in the shower. When an idea comes to her, she instantly stops and writes it down. “I think our best ideas come when we least expect them to,” she says.
A perfectionist, Young says the hardest thing about writing to her is being just that, a perfectionist. She struggles with “just writing”
and throughout the process, she doesn’t edit. When she stops and reads over her written work, she says her first draft “…sucks.” Other authors or aspiring authors may feel this way as well, and for this issue, Young offers a little encouragement that helps boost her confidence. "It doesn't have to be right, it just has to be written. Your first draft doesn't have to be perfect; with the help of a good editor and some rewrites, anything can be made perfect. Instead, focus on writing and letting the words flow from your head and your heart, to the page in front of you.”
One would wonder how someone as strategic as Young would suffer from writer’s block. And it’s not that she’s not a victim of it, but it’s her applied solutions that loosen her from its stubborn grip. She says this about writer’s block, “Take inspiration from the world around you. Read a book, listen to your favorite song, or go out with some friends. I guarantee you someone will say something, or you will see something, that will get your creative juices flowing. And always ask what-if and why. Some ideas start out small and insignificant, but grow as you keep asking questions and expounding on what you know.”
When Jade’s not busy with employment, blogging or breathing life into her characters, she enjoys movies, books, and painting. She loves to travel and has been to Mexico and Canada and next year, she is destined for Europe. She loves interacting with friends in the deaf community and although she herself is not deaf, she has friends that are, so she took the time to learn the language over five years ago, and says, “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
As Young continues to build her new story, each day she becomes more excited about the big world that her story must face once published. But she is comforted by the words of Asha Dornfest: "I think new writers are too worried that it has all been said before. Sure it has, but not by you." Young says that quote really motivates her to feel confident “…in my own writing.”
Look out writing community, another New Adult Fiction author will be joining your community and to the sister and brotherhood of the author’s society, reach out and embrace our newest sister, Jade Young. To get to know her more and to visit her website, read below to do so.
