The Walled City is a cut-throat world of gangs, drug-dealers and warlords and every day is a struggle to survive.
The Walled City is a dark YA thriller set within the walls of a lawless slum city where Jin Ling searches for her lost sister and Dai struggles to complete an impossible mission.A fantasy setting inspired by Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong, Ryan's novel has a rich authenticity and an intense atmosphere, and its pace will enthral the reader from the very first page.
Disguised as a boy, Jin Ling searches for her missing sister, Mei Yee, who was sold into the brothels of the Walled City. She relies on her speed and cunning but how long will her luck hold?
When a mysterious boy, Dai, requests her help with a dangerous mission Jin Ling's inclined to say no - this is a world where no one can be trusted - but the mission offers her a vital chance to see inside the brothel where her sister may be being held.
Jin Ling and Dai join forces, but will either of them survive the mission? Is Mei Yee still alive? And how will any of them ever escape the stifling city walls?
Intrigued yet? If so, here's Ryan Graudin herself with her top writing tips! Whenever I get the chance to interview/meet/speak to authors, this is probably one of the first things I ask them. I know that a lot of people find the various tips and advice authors give (because everyone has different ideas) very confusing and a little too much, but I find it extremely helpful and I hope you do too!
Ryan's Top Writing Tips
Read a lot.
Reading is one of the best ways to learn plot structure, character development and voice. When I was in school for creative writing every single one of my teachers would preface an assignment with a classic short story. We’d read the pieces as a class, examine what the author was trying to do, and set to work mimicking it in short stories of our own. This is what novelists do on a much wider scale. If you don’t read widely and well, your writing will suffer for it.
Write every day.
I know this sounds overwhelming, but consistent actions create habit. Just as exercising is easier when you condition yourself to do it every day, so is writing! It’s important to keep your creative muscles limber. Some days you might write pages upon pages, others just a few words. Both are okay! Even the days with few words add up quickly.
Persistence is key.
The most successful writers aren’t necessarily the most talented. But they’re always the most stubborn. Finishing a book takes hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours of work. Only stubborn, unrelenting souls make it to the end of the first draft. Sending out query letters to find a literary agent, going on submission to editors at publishing houses, going through round after round after round of revisions… It’s the writers who never give up who end up with a book on the shelves.
Refill the well.
As an artist it’s just as important to consume as it is to produce. Creativity is a limited commodity. Some days chapters worth of words will flow from my mind onto the pages. Other days, writing just a few sentences feels like pulling teeth. When I find myself faced with the latter, I write what I can and then step away to an activity that lets my mind relax. Reading, listening to music, binge watching seasons of Doctor Who are just a few of the things I turn to when my writing life feels stretched thin.
Thank you so much Ryan for being on Delightful Book Reviews, and thank you Fierce Fiction for allowing me to be part of this blog tour! <3
Check out Ryan Graudin here on her BEAUTIFUL website: http://www.ryangraudin.com
If you would like to buy Walled City, you can do so here: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ryan-graudin/the-walled-city/9780316405058/
A review of The Walled City will be coming soon!
Until next time :)
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