Bria Quinlan’s close friend loves to tell people she’s like a puppy: Cheerful, inquisitive, and willing to jump into things with both feet. Also, she likes to be fed at regular intervals and play outside daily.
It didn’t surprise anyone when Bria started writing YA Rom Coms… after all, her life is a walking sitcom (minus the commercials). Plus, secretly she’s still 16 (although her license says something different). Finally putting those English Literature and Creative Writing degrees and Copy Editing cert to work, Bria’s excited to get her quirky stories on the page to share with the world (or at least a segment of it).
She’s represented by the awesomely amazing Lauren Macleod of the Clan…. Oh, wait. Of Strothman Agency.
Bria writes Romantic Comedies for teens that take hard topics and make you laugh through your tears. You can contact her at briaquinlan@aol.com OR twitter @briaquinlan
A proud Golden Heart Finalist, she’s focusing on writing stories that make you laugh, make you cry and remind you that life is an adventure not to be ignored.
Now that Secret Girlfriend and Secret Life are done, Bria is working her butt off at the fantasy and two more contemporary YAs. Her hands may never be idle but they’re creating their own playground!
Luv YA 
hello bria,
just dropped in to check out your blog.
hope all is well…
peace.
Thanks! Welcome to my new home 🙂
Hi, Bria!
Thanks for the nice mention about my Publishing in the 21st Century piece. It’s much appreciated.
Come visit the blog again. I have something new about once a week.
Richard Curtis
You don’t have to reply (idm if you don’t) but do you hav any tips for the fellow YA author? (im just wannabe and my stories arn’t that good bt room 4 improvment i guess)
That’s THE question, isn’t it 🙂
I think, read read read write write write is the BEST and worst advice I’ve been given.
READ: What you write. That sound obvious, but I mean so you know what’s being done, what’s being done well, what you do and how to do it better, what not to do, and not to reinvent the wheel.
READ: What you don’t write. I bow down to Mary Stewart. The woman is genius and my desire to write in tight, subtle prose (that not everyone likes or “gets” because they’re too busy reading “quickly”) comes from her. BUT I don’t write suspense or romantic suspense – but if I could just write like Ms. Stewart *sigh*
Read what you love, take notes! sticky pages, have a “great lines” note book – have a “what not to do” notebook lol
Remember when you would say (or still say *sigh*) “when I’m a mom, I’ll never….” do that with your writing too!
Find people to write with — online or in person. Classes, workshops, writing chapters, a critique partner, an online partner – anything that keeps you grounded when you’re high and uplifts you on the more than frequent lows
Read about craft — I have a lot of writer friends that are proud of never having studied craft. I disagree with this view – I’m not saying “follow the rules” – you’ll NEVER hear me say that lol — but it’s like sports: If you don’t know the rules, you don’t know how to break them *wink*
Learn the mechanics – this is SO easy and SO hard. People judge you on how you dress…. When my hair was streaked blue in college, yeah, people made a judgement call on my abilities as an intelligent woman so the streaks had to go to get a “real” job….. Grammar and formatting are to your manuscript what my hair was to my job search. Don’t give people an excuse to not take you seriously.
Rip books apart – LITERALLY – I have a few books that blow me away and I’ve bought myself an extra copy to mark up, mark pages, scribble notes in, circle page numbers etc – STUDY literature
OK, that’s the quick and dirty off the top of my head…. I’d love to hear what you’re writing and how you’re doing it! Let me know 🙂
good luck
bria
Lol haha yeh i’m too much o a goody good to break any rules. I write sort of… YA kinda stuff. I’ve written a story (and thanks to my great computer crash i hav to begin again using the part’s i’ve printed out) thats got a child-like scene (elves, magic etc) but a sort of plot suited best for 11-15 years olds.
Alot of authors do different parts at the story at different times, i do now but not for my other one. and i just got to say yes, it gets confusing but yes, it helps LOL.
I pefer my new idea… *sigh* but i hav to finish my first story 1st. Lol.
ThNKZ SO much for your tips. I’m 13 and hardly organized but i love to write, and your tips should help. LOL
HEY! Am I one of those amazing people you’ve met? ; )
Oops!
I meant Hi Bria, Not “Brian”
-Steve
Haven’t seen you around much (same as you haven’t seen me around, probably). Hope you are working your butt off. 😀 Take care of yourself…
Aww thanks – yeah I haven’t been around as much. Too many computer issues eating up computer time – hope you’re well!
Bria, I always love it when i read a bio and it makes me laugh. I like the website. Clean and simple. I’ve been thinking…thinking…thinking about what I wanted to do for a website and visiting fellow GH’ers to see what people have. I like yours, very straight forward. All the Best! Sheryl
Thanks so much Sheryl! I’ve been thinking about doing a full site, but for now I love my little blog!