Interview with Olivia Smit: Reading Advice for YA Authors

Young Adult author Olivia Smit just released her newest contemporary, Hearing Lies. She’s also is in my crit group, and she’s fellow book lover! I had to ask her a few bookish questions and get her advice for YA writers about reading.

I’ve heard some authors say they avoid reading books too similar to their own out of fear they may inadvertently copy style. I can see how that could be a problem for some, but I don’t seem to have that issue. For me, the greatest pitfall of reading a good book is that it distracts me and keeps me from working on my own novels!

What are some of the things you watch out for when reading that could adversely affect your writing?

This is an excellent question! I think for me, it’s most important not to play the comparison game. I’m not worried about copying other authors. Like you, it just hasn’t been a problem for me. But it is easy to get discouraged when I read something brilliant.

Sometimes I think, “I will never write like this,” or “My book will never sell this well.” But that mindset is damaging and unproductive. It doesn’t help anyone. I try to turn the comparison game into something that will inspire me instead. When I read something excellent, I like to ask myself why it inspires me the way it does.

That is great advice!

Do you think authors should read outside their genre? Or stick with only reading the genre they write?

I think outside of the necessary demands of a book-related career, authors should feel free to read what they enjoy in their spare time. For me at least, putting too many “should-read” books on my TBR is the fastest way to make me NOT want to read … which in turn affects my writing ability.

But is there value in reading outside your genre? Absolutely. When you step outside of the genre you’re used to, your brain starts absorbing new information, new plotlines, and new tropes.

There’s always the chance that your favourite genre might not be the one you write in! I actually enjoy reading contemporary and fantasy in equal measure, but I haven’t written anything fantasy-related since I was in elementary school. Maybe someday, but for now, I gobble fantasy novels up in my spare time.

Do you have a favorite classic novel? Do you think reading classics is still relevant for authors today?

If The Chronicles of Narnia count as classics, they’re an easy win! If not, I really like Anne of Green Gables, Watership Down, The Blue Castle, North and South, and The Three Musketeers.

I think stories are stories. There are brilliant classic novels and it would be a true tragedy to refuse to read them simply because they weren’t published in the last 50 years. Similarly, there are gorgeous works of art being written today, and it would be a shame to turn up your nose at them simply because they are too modern. I’m a little passionate about this! For me—and for many people—reading is a hobby and a joy. I think people should be free to read what they want while being encouraged, occasionally, to try something new.

In your books, your main character, Skylar, gets a job at the library. Why did you choose the library as part of your setting? Do you have any favorite memories of the library?

I used to visit the library weekly, if not more often, when I was a child, and I frequently checked out 10-15 books at once. I sometimes had to use my chin to carry them to the counter! I’d start reading while I waited for my family to finish, read in the car on the way home, and not look up again except to eat dinner until bedtime. I still have a habit of checking out 5+ books at once, even though I have less reading time than I used to.

Part of the reason I set so much of Seeing Voices and Hearing Lies inside a library is because of how much I love libraries! But I also do have experience working there. I shelved books at my childhood library while I was in high school, and I thought it would make a fun summer job for Skylar, too.

Thank you, Olivia!

Olivia Smit loves baking, visiting small towns, and writing stories that face hard truth with hope and encouragement. Olivia has an Honours Specialization in Creative Writing, English Language, and Literature. She lives in Canada with her husband and their dog, Cassiopeia. You can also find her on Instagram and Twitter. Her website is oliviasmit.ca.

Columnist Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.