March is Women’s History Month which means bringing to light just some of the amazing things women have accomplished in history! However, I think it’s also important to acknowledge women who are making history as we speak. Female authors were once scarce and frowned upon, so much to the point that many of the books we learn about in class today were published under pseudonyms. Today, female authors are increasingly embraced and in celebration of this, I want to share three of my favorites who have published books within the past 10 years that have inspired many young women, including myself.
Kristin Hannah
Born in California, Kristin Hannah went to school at the University of Washington where she pursued her major in communications, and attended law school. She is a lawyer turned writer who actually wrote her first book the same year her mother was diagnosed and passed away from cancer. This book was sadly never published, but her most successful book, titled The Nightingale has been translated into a total of 43 other languages!
In an interview, Kristin Hannah was asked how she recommends young writers get started in their careers, to which she responded saying, “the ones who make it, keep writing no matter what. When life is tough, they write; when the kids are sick, they write; when rejections pile up, they write.”
Women have struggled to have their work taken seriously for years. And despite Hannah’s answer being an acknowledgment of this struggle still being an issue today, her words are meant to inspire young female authors. She encourages them to continue persevering through this struggle to get their words out and into the world.
Victoria Aveyard
Currently living and writing in Los Angeles, Victoria Aveyard is a New York Times best selling author for her hit series Red Queen. She has a BFA in Film and Television from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, which is why she works as both a novelist and screenwriter.
According to her website, her first and most successful series, Red Queen, has been translated into a total of 41 other languages with more to come. As for her more recent work, she has stuck with her fantastical talents and created another fantasy based series. Realm Breaker has been doing well for itself, and she is currently working on the third installation for that series.
When Victoria Aveyard was asked in an interview about tips for aspiring writers, she responded in a way that was different from other authors. Instead of giving the broader answer to continually practice writing, she gets into the specifics of what one should learn through this practice. “Figure out your weaknesses. Play to your strengths. Know what you’re good at… figure out what audience you want to write for and how you want to do it.” She then goes on to talk about how writing is personal and requires life to be created. In other words, Aveyard is encouraging young female writers to use writing as a therapeutic way to work through all of our emotions.
Colleen Hoover
Founder of the charity book subscription service, The Bookworm Box, Colleen Hoover has been present in the literary world for years now. She wrote her first book, Slammed, in 2012, but has been receiving more attention today for her book published in 2015 titled, It Ends With Us.
She mostly works in romance but has been able to include a multitude of sub-genres within these novels. Specifically, It Ends With Us, despite being labeled a romance book, still brings up the psychological effects that occur with familial abuse, both directly and indirectly.
Colleen Hoover was once asked in an interview about how young people should go about getting into a career in writing to which she said, “Write the book you want to read.” So just as Victoria Aveyard has said, Colleen Hoover also encourages that the book you are writing be one that personally inspires you. Write for yourself, not for the people who expect a certain action from you.
These three female authors are inspirations for this new generation of young writers. Their books are not only entertaining, but also address some of the issues that surround our society today. So, make sure to take some time out of this month to acknowledge and support these women who put their all into sharing their stories with us.