This week YA author Julia Watts took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Julia Watts is the author of Needlework. (See YEM’s interview of Julia Watts here.) See highlights from the takeover below.
Hey, y'all! This is Julia Watts, author of the new YA novel Needlework, just released by Three Rooms Press, doing a Twitter takeover! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
I've always written, so I don't think I ever made a decision to "become" a writer! My parents have some really embarrassing notebooks filled with my crayon-illustrated handwritten stories starting from when I was eight. #YaauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Needlework is about a teen boy growing up gay in rural Kentucky, living with his fundamentalist Christian grandmother and trying to help his mom, who struggles with opioid addiction. It's about identity and family and hope. #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Kody in Needlework is my first time writing from a teen boy's point of view, so that makes him special to me. Kody has a huge heart, and he's innocent, but he's insightful, too. He is also, to his credit, a huge Dolly Parton fan. #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
I grew up queer in rural Appalachia, so representing Appalachian LGBTQ+ people was and is important to me. Also, there are special struggles those of us who grew up in the Bible Belt have, and I wanted to make readers in that situation feel less alone. #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
I think my novel Needlework is about acceptance but also about healing the pain and the prejudices of one's personal and regional history. #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Current reading: Right now I'm loving Colson Whitehead's "Harlem Shuffle." Recent YA faves are Malinda Lo's "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" and Kelly Ann Jacobson's "Tink and Wendy." #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Writing process: I write the entire first draft by hand. Then I revise as I type it into my laptop. There's one more revision after, and then I show the novel to a few trusted readers and revise again according to their feedback. #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Anybody out there with YA writing aspirations? I'm more than happy to answer questions. One of my favorite things about being an author is supporting aspiring authors! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Some readers have commented that there's lots of food in my novels. Maybe because food is so central to Appalachian culture. Also, when I'm reading a novel and characters are having a meal, I feel cheated if I don't know what they ate! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the way it brings out people's imaginations. I grew up in a Victorian house that looked a lot like the Addams family's. We never got trick or treaters because kids thought it was too spooky! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Two essentials to have nearby while I'm writing: a mug of Earl Grey tea and pets! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Some of the most important people to my reading and writing life have been teachers and librarians. As a country, we don't show them the respect and appreciation that they deserve! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
I have lived in Appalachia all my life. When I was young, I thought being LGBTQ+ meant you had to leave the region, but now I'm proud to be a lifelong queer Appalachian. #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
One of my favorite things about contemporary LGBTQ YA novels is that they're not all about coming out like earlier novels are. They can be about anything but feature characters who happen to be LGBTQ. This feels like liberation! #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
Thanks to YE for giving me the chance to talk about my novel Needlework, writing, and some random stuff as well. It's been a pleasure. Happy reading, everyone! #YAauthorTakeover #ThreeRoomsPress #jwattswriter
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) October 28, 2021
