Veronica Roth, author of the bestselling book “Divergent,” and Illinois author Erica O’Rourke invited select Bradley students to join them in an Authors-in-Conversation event Sept. 11.
Students from selected classes were able to submit questions to ask the authors, and student moderators then presented them at the event.
“[It was] a guided conversation about their experiences using questions from actual students,” senior English major Liz Cachey said.
During the event, O’Rourke gave advice to young adult writers.
“Read a lot, read widely and read critically,” she said. “Examine what works for you and what doesn’t and why.”
Roth also shared words of wisdom that helped her in the writing process.
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil’,” she said. “The real art of writing happens in the revision process.”
According to Roth, a lot of young writers get defensive when their work is edited.
“The only way you’ll get better is when people tell you there’s something wrong,” she said.
As president of the International English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta, Cachey was in charge of sending invitations for the event. Those invites included five classes, Sigma Tau Delta members, the English Club and faculty and staff.
“Roth is a person who is not comfortable presenting to huge groups, so part of convincing her to come to Bradley was a promise that the event would be more intimate,” Cachey said.
Cachey also said it made the experience better knowing the 26-year-old Roth is not much older than the typical college student.
“Knowing she’s not a hotshot author who is comfortable and confident in front of huge groups of people gives me comfort because it reminds me that introverts can make a difference, too,” Cachey said.
According to Cachey, McBee Orzulak was able to contact Roth through a web of personal connections.
“She worked really hard to make this happen, and she deserves all the credit in the world,” Cachey said. “It started off as trying to get a speaker just for her young adult literature class, and it grew into what it is now.”
