In a packed church on 8th & Brazos, I — and a couple hundred more readers — braved the evening storm to see Leigh Bardugo, author of multiple YA books (like my favorite duology Six of Croxs and Crooked Kingdom) and debuting her first adult novel this month, Ninth House.
I haven’t been to many author events before, something I’ve already lamented and committed to rectifying, and I was so glad I took myself downtown to this one. Leigh spoke briefly about Ninth House before opening it up to Q&A for the majority of her hour. I love hearing authors talk about writing and their creative process: the intention, the mess. She had a few pretty powerful inspirational monologues tucked into her Q&A about revision and voice and I lapped it up.
I found her just as lyrical and funny and dark as her books would suggest. Reading her work (I’m currently reading her first series that I previously skipped over) and hearing her speak inspires me to keep working on my own writing. To polish and revise and let it evolve. It’s unjust, she told the church, that what we see of the writing process is only the finish book. It gives us a warped idea of what it means to do this great, painful thing of writing a book.
After the Q&A I waited alone in my pew for close to an hour to be called for the book signing line, listening to my audiobook and then remembering I could read fanfiction on my phone, but committed to playing out the evening. I walked away with signed copies of Ninth House and Six of Crows and the memory of how I’m a little in love with Leigh in her black lipstick.
With Love,
Natalie