This week YA author Ashley Amber took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Ashley Amber is the author of the YA book The Flip Side of Sad. (See YEM’s interview with Ashley Amber here.) See highlights from the takeover below.
Hello, hello! I'm author Ashley Amber and I'm taking over Young Entertainment Magazine's Twitter! Let's talk everything writing, my future LGBTQ novel and my debut novelette The Flip Side of Sad! #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I wrote my first picture book when I was 9, but I didn't quite discover the talent and love for it until I was 14! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/fRNAv3K6Lq
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Oh my goodness, I guess my favorite thing is finding ways to make it unique. Adding in little details that only my story will have. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ySYGKApaaZ
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Hahaha not weird, Wes! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/P4AAzQfL3o
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
My debut novelette The Flip Side of Sad came out in March! Here's a little about it:#YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/5u9OIBf0t8
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
The hardest part was revising it after finding the 10-year-old original story on my computer. I cringed through 16-year-old me's writing abilities to turn it into the novelette it is today! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ERUR0fuIbM
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I absolutely hate naming characters. Some characters' names came instantly, while others took long searches through name websites to find.
The name James Letta (from The Flip Side of Sad) was originally a placeholder, but I ended up liking it the more I wrote! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/yHFp22QIkG
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Yes and no! The main character in my future LGBTQ novel has a lot of similar personality traits to me, and another character who comes along in the book series has a storyline almost entirely based on something I experienced! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/tTRGkAm344
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Being a huge fan of music and artists and having so much knowledge of the music industry, I wanted to write about what artists really go through when you think their lives are perfect once they've made it. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/XwLW2LwLwS
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I know YEM followers have a strong love of #DCOM's, and I like to say my novelette is "A Christmas Carol meets Teen Beach Movie." Who else wishes they made a Teen Beach 3?! 😩 #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I wanted the book cover for The Flip Side of Sad to represent New York City, while also having a noticeable sprinkle of music. I chose the font because it reminded me of Broadway, although Broadway is never once mentioned in the book! 😅 #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/EreORO8mB5
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I'm glad I'm not alone here! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/lUjElGgqQS
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
A beginning for sure. That's what I've been struggling the most at with my manuscript recently. Opening pages need to pull the reader in and can be tough to perfect!
Any fellow authors have opening page advice?#YAauthorTakeover #WritingCommunity https://t.co/fy4fgKiBip
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
It actually didn't take too long, maybe just a couple of days to get a draft out. It took quite a few rewrites to make it publishing-ready though! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ctEuxK6qML
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Eeee thank you! I'm sticking with that consistency for the sequel… #YAauthorTakeover #spoileralert https://t.co/H80rlTM1aG
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
There's more magic….. possibly a new song from James….. and a Ferris wheel 🎡 #TFSOS2 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/KRrC3QRLN6
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
YES. I think The Flip Side of Sad would make a great short film, and I may even already have a dream cast in mind… 👀 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/urHxBtBX4N
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I also fully plan on selling the film rights to my LGBTQ novel/book series… but it has to get published first! 😅 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/urHxBtBX4N
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
As an author who has both self-published and currently querying a book, you can #askmeanything about the two processes! They're entirely different, yet have the same end goal. #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
The more I wrote The Flip Side of Sad, the more in love I fell with James Letta. I loved both creating him and learning about him. He's the spunkiest sweetheart 💘 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/IR84lD9kBO
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
The book I'm querying is an #LGBTQ+ novel centered around two young men and their journey to a relationship and fighting for equality in their small-minded town… and like The Flip Side of Sad, also features music! 🎵 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/8mnUO3S6El
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Although I've never written a trivia book, I'd say a decent length would be 100-200 pages. Aside from simply stating trivia facts, you could include trivia games in the book to really make the reader feel involved. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/uNk225VM9h
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Remember when I said James is a spunky sweetheart? Well, in the case of the book I'm querying, one main character has the spunk while the other main character has the sweet! #YAauthorTakeover #LGBTQ https://t.co/FDJcHA2Ysp
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
You are so welcome, Wes! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/AxkWxRlhog
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Once you start writing, don't stop. Just. Keep. Writing. Like Dory, but writing. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ag7RJCVFsz pic.twitter.com/4M42BNVS1L
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Same! You can't be a sarcastic writer without having sarcastic characters. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/x1wYPogx6I
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I keep going back to Red, White and Royal Blue by @casey_mcquiston – I absolutely love the concept of that story and I've realized Casey and I actually have similar writing styles! #YAauthorTakeover #LGBTQauthor https://t.co/Oo3ZKqlsZC
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Yes, except this one isn't a singer! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/M8gthqt316
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Okay, we can't have a #YAauthorTakeover during #PrideMonth without talking LGBTQ books and characters! 🏳🌈
I've written characters who are every color of the rainbow. Drop your questions about writing #LGBTQ+ stories and characters! ⬇
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
🎹 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/DsvGVsNfH5
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I can already tell this answer is going to be a two-parter.
The inspiration came from watching an #LGBTQ storyline on a tv show that I believe the writers handled terribly. So, I decided to write my own 😎 I took everything I thought they did wrong and decided to do it right🌈 https://t.co/uBtjo57Vl9
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
What it means to me… I can't even express how much I love this story & these characters & how much I believe in it. It's been a long journey writing it, & it's going to be a long journey to publishing it, but I cannot wait for the day the world gets to read it #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/uBtjo57Vl9
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I absolutely♥this question. Strangely I think writing about a character accepting themselves can be tougher if you're a writer who's experienced those feelings of uncertainty or internalized homophobia before. Trudging up old feelings, but for a greater purpose #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ZzshVWyBfM
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
There's a flamboyant bff who I can already see being a reader favorite… some Irish accents… and a character I based solely off @rickspringfield. #YAauthorTakeover #BookTwitter https://t.co/qVvp69NMqq
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
😍 @rickspringfield 😍 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/PUzBNUEzQM pic.twitter.com/8bjpLX0t4E
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
The cliche answer is how relieving it is to write about bad experiences, even if it means giving them to characters you love. A good chunk of what my #LGBTQ characters go through are things I personally witnessed or heard- whether it was directed at me or others #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/JDQsNsZPBV
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I have two:
1. James felt like his least favorite billionaire when he said, “So, you’re fired.”
2. James took a deep breath, having to remind the devil on his shoulder that he wouldn't be where he was without this man.#YAauthorTakeover #bookquote https://t.co/U8vZJNIo70
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
1000% 💗 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/xmrEGdyBbL
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I know YEM followers love love love Love, Victor – did you know my future LGBTQ novel tackles all the good and the bad about coming out, much like Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda? #YAauthorTakeover #LoveVictor
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Making it unique… not doing what's been done a million times with #LGBTQ stories. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/IXx2XICwY0
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Honestly, sometimes I'm not sure. Sometimes, I feel like my novel can be the next big thing, sometimes I feel like it's nowhere near good enough 😅 But like I said, I believe in it far too much, so I have to stick with the former 💪 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/TB1MOi6GrV
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I cannot and will not ever choose a favorite between the sweet and spunky ones… but as for books, my #LGBTQ+ novel will always win 🏳🌈 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/n7TRPkEkaq
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
What's currently on your #TBR? For me, it's #OneLastStop by the stellar @casey_mcquiston 🌈 #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
I almost said before, but it was technically after! I wrote the original story of The Flip Side of Sad in 2010, and I didn't start writing the LGBTQ novel until 2013. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/474NcpKs6r
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
If you go searching through the web, you'll find them, but I'd rather you wait and see 😉 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/4kgd32QGcp
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Dancing + making Disney magic are both huge passions I fully plan on pursuing again one day! ✨ #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ny8rZHCCcD
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Considering I had a friend refer to The Flip Side of Sad as a "teeny tiny book," I'd say the LGBTQ novel is much, much longer. 😂 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/W0U1KOVeLY
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Omg I love this question. I don't believe either appear in the LGBTQ novel I'm querying, but both pop up throughout the entire book series! #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ChmrkXcM4r
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Besides querying my novel, I have a lot more #LGBTQ writing on the way! I recently announced I'll have a poem about the journey to asexuality featured in Collective Humanity by @CT_Publishing in 2023, plus a #wlw flash fiction in their upcoming romance ebook! #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Indeed, I do 👀 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/dAG5X5LJ70
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Asexuality is definitely not represented enough, so I wanted to change that. Aside from my poems on asexuality, I do have an asexual character that I'm excited for everyone to meet in an upcoming queer publication… details coming soon! 💜 #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/ekOo45zknA
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
3 minutes left of this #YAauthorTakeover! Final comments, questions, thoughts, feelings?
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Raise your hand if you want to see more asexual representation in books! 🙋♀️ #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/sUBtsJwr7x
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
Musical. #YAauthorTakeover https://t.co/c1jtbF2fIL
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
That's a wrap on this #YAauthorTakeover! Thank you so much for having me, YEM! And thank you to everyone who asked such great questions! You can follow me @AshleyAmberAuth + find more about me & my writing here https://t.co/9aFQHgPMqN
Have a wonderful night & #HappyPrideMonth!🌈
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 3, 2021
