3xA MA: Becky Wallace

I've always felt so grateful to the authors that take the time to connect with me through social media. In my mind, I'd always thought they were on an unattainable level. In this event, I want to get to know the authors; to see them for the people they are and not just as creators of your favorite book.

Note: For each post, links are left to the author's social media. If you know an author whose book has affected you [in my event or just in general,] please use one of those links and leave a nice message to them! Something as simple as "I'm such a huge fan of your work" can go a long way - you'd be surprised.
For a full definition, the author schedule [and a fabulous opening giveaway,] click here.

Becky Wallace is the debut author of The Storyspinner, which came out yesterday! All the squealing! Don't forget to leave her a nice message because a) her book sounds awesome and b) this post really touched my heart. As a teenager surrounded by labels, I really related to this post and I'm so glad she write it.

I was that girl in high school. The one who did all of things. Head cheerleader: check. Student body officer: check. Dance team: check. Honor Society: check. You either hated me or you loved me, but very few people had feelings in the middle.

I was also very much not that girl. While my friends went out after football games and partied, I was working on my AP History project on a hand-me-down computer. I was science student of the quarter. I was the girl you came to if you missed chemistry and needed notes, but not the one you asked over to your house to watch a movie.

On the surface, I was every cheerleader stereotype—bubbly, loud, ditzy, with too many boyfriends. Underneath, I was uncomfortable in my own skin; unsure which me I was supposed to be…which me I wanted to be. And worst of all, which version was going to get me somewhere else. Not because where I grew up was bad (a little rough, but full of good people), but because I didn’t feel like Spastic Becky and Nerdy Becky could occupy the same space.

I was wrong.

It took me a long time to learn that all people are more than the sum of their labels. Everyone has backstory. Everyone has a reason for putting on the façade they show in public.

It’s also the most important lesson I learned as a writer. Characters who look like one thing on the surface (a pretty, talented Performer girl) are so much more interesting when they’re really something else (a fiercely protective older sister who will do anything for her family). When characters have depth, when they’re relatable, readers find something that will propel them through the story.

And if you can find commonality with a fictional character, I hope you’ll look for it in the panhandler, the soldier, and the scary dude with the neck tattoo.

We’re all so much more than we seem.


Wow. When I read it, I found it so inspiring and wonderful. Guys, this is what the event is all about. Becky, you just made me <3 you more which I thought was impossible! *claps*

Enter the giveaway below! 
Thanks for checking out my blog and remember:  Be kind to one another. - Ellen

Becky's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

In second grade, Becky Wallace had to sit in the corner because she refused to write anything besides princess stories and fairy tales (and because she talked too much). Her time in isolation gave her plenty of opportunities to dream up the fantasy worlds she's been dabbling with ever since. She was lucky enough to find her own, real-life prince charming. They have four munchkins and live in a happy little town outside Houston, Texas.

 

Thanks so much to Becky for donating a signed copy of The Storyspinner. I'm so jealous of all of you because I can't enter! Trust me, you don't want to miss this.

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