For urban fantasy novelists Melissa Marr and Jennifer Lynn Barnes, there is no right or wrong way to become an author.
On Monday, Marr and Barnes held a question and answer session in the University Center Poplar room for University of Memphis students interested in becoming writers.
"It was great to see people passionate about their work," said Erica Chambers, a junior communications major who attended with her children's literature class.
According to Marr, becoming an author was not always at the forefront of her to-do list. Marr taught at the university level in literature and gender studies, and even bartended, before she sat down and wrote her first young-adult novel, "Wicked Lovely," which became a New York Times best-selling series.
"There is no clear, distinct way to do this. You don't have to know anyone in this business to write," Marr said. "At no point are you going to be as good or as bad as your critics say you are."
Barnes wrote her first novel her senior year of high school. She called it her "practice book." Then, she wrote "Golden" the summer after her freshman year at the age of 19. A sequel titled "Platinum" was later published.
"I match everyday concepts and fantastical ones, until I find two that fit together," Barnes said.
Barnes graduated from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science and is currently working on her Ph.D.
"If you love something - and I love both writing and science a lot - you find time for it whenever you can. Many of my books have been written finding a hour or two in the evening when I can write, even if it means sleeping an hour or two less," Barnes said.
Neither Marr nor Barnes ever took a creative writing class.
They first met six years ago in an online writing community. They are currently on a six city, 10-day tour with 18 authors called The Smart Chicks Kick It Tour. The tour began last September.
"Several strong, female protagonist authors came together wanting to organize and fund their own author tour," Marr said.
The tour is for the readers and the authors to meet each other and interact. Memphis was selected as the launch site for the tour because of the funding the city received from local publication Justine Magazine, a "national lifestyle magazine for teen girls." Several of the authors have novels that are included in Justine's online book club.
The tour includes school visits, morning television appearances and press conferences. The tour officially begins at Hutchison School today at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
