Have you ever read a book and wondered, what is the story behind the individual who wrote this? Many are unaware, but the books that we get lost in have a history—they may have been rejected, and those who penned them may have been on the brink of giving up. That is why I decided to compile a list of female authors and their backgrounds, to inspire young female writers who have hopes of one day being published. I want to acknowledge that there are a ton of amazing authors, and because they are not on this list does not diminish their awesomeness, these are just a few examples. Enjoy!
1. Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot is well known for her series "The Princess Diaries," which we may also know due to the novel-based movie starring Ann Hathaway that came out in 2000. She has authored more books than you can count including "The Avalon High" series, which was also converted to the big screen as a Disney Channel original film. Meg Cabot grew up in Indiana and attended the University of Indiana, and get this—she never intended to be a published author. She had studied art in college, graduating with a degree in fine arts. But she had always enjoyed writing and finally decided to take her stories to the next level. She faced a ton of rejection when submitting her work to a variety of publishing companies. Even after getting her first book published, she hit dead end after dead end when trying to get her infamous book "The Princess Diaries" published, until it finally was, and became a New York Times Best Seller and hit movie. Long story short, Meg Cabot is the perfect example of why aspiring authors should not give up, because sooner or later, a publisher might just love your book!
2. Ann Brashares
Some of you might know this name because this is the woman who authored "The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants" series! Ann Brashers grew up in Chevy Chase Maryland, (Marylanders represent!) and she attended Barnard College where she studied philosophy. Upon receiving her bachelor’s degree, she got a job as an editor before becoming the author of a book series that was soon transformed into a the popular movie. Just like Meg Cabot she did not go to school for writing, but instead, found her niche later on.
3. Sara Shepard
Known for her popular book series, such as "Pretty Little Liars" and "The Lying Game" that inspired two TV series on ABC Family (now Freeform). Growing up, she always loved writing stories and creating characters, but was unaware as to whether or not she would ever turn her passion for writing into a successful career. The setting of the "Pretty Little Liars" series was inspired by her hometown in PA, which just goes to show that sometimes, the best stories are taken from personal experience. She attended Brooklyn College and after receiving her bachelor’s degree, went back and got her Master's Degree in creative writing. She worked as a freelance/ghostwriter for magazines before going on to become a published author.
4. Cassandra Clare
Author of "The Mortal Instruments" series. Although being an American citizen, Cassandra Clare was born in Iran and grew up traveling around the world before settling in Los Angeles with her parents for high school. After attending college, she worked for a number of entertainment magazines, and it wasn’t until she got a job working at a children’s book store that she realized how much she really loved to write, and how much she wanted to write a book. Thus her career as a fiction writer began.
5. Sarah Dessen
Author of 12 realistic fiction books, the most recent being "Saint Anything" which was published in 2015. Sarah Dessen was born in Illinois and was a bit rebellious as a teenager. Some events that occurred during her teen years can be seen to correlate with plot details in her first novel, "That Summer," which was published in 1996. A fun fact: Her books "That Summer" and "Someone Like You" inspired the movie "How To Deal" in 2003. Growing up she loved writing stories, and although she dropped out of Greensboro College, she later attended University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and got a degree in creative writing. She did not find immediate success with her writing, and worked as a waitress until getting her first novel published. Sarah Dessen is the perfect example of a writer who did not give up on her dream of become a published author, but instead made ends meet while still working towards her goal.
