Carlie Sorosiak, a new writing professor at SCAD Atlanta, spoke at the Ivy Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Her visit was somewhat different than what students normally encounter at an author reading. Every attendee heard a snippet from her book “Wild Blue Wonder,” but also learned about her process and the publishing world.
After the reading, Sorosiak explained how she got into writing and what life was like once she began her graduate program at Oxford University. As a student, she frequently changed majors and schools. It wasn’t until graduate school that she finally realized writing is what she wanted to do.
Sorosiak is a very inspiring speaker. While she speaks, it’s easy to tell she is passionate about what she does — both in writing and teaching. One thing she touched on was being at different stages in your creative career than other people in your life. She was in a graduate class with less than 10 students, and explained that each person in the room was in a different area of their career at the time. Sorosiak also made sure to say that didn’t mean anyone’s writing ability was below another person’s, it just meant some people finished their novels earlier, or they met the correct agent and publisher.
“Having the opportunity to have Professor Sorosiak open up about her work, process and the potential opportunities was an eye opener,” said second-year writing student Manav Chordia. “Coming from her perspective of young adult (YA), a genre that isn’t given the credit it deserves, made it clear that opportunities lie where we can see them.”
Unlike previous speakers, Sorosiak focused more on audience questions. Many students asked about the publishing process and her own writing process. Questions were answered that students didn’t even know they had. For instance, Sorosiak advised if you are going to speak about the potential publishing of a book with an agent and publisher, have an idea to pitch for a second book. Second-year writing student Kelly Quintana said, “It was very helpful to have her perspective as a young YA author who is still publishing work and knows the industry that we will be going into.”
“Write what you want to read,” Sorosiak said. She understands that some people will enjoy her book, and some won’t. She acknowledged that, yes, writing and other forms of art are difficult, but worth it if you’re passionate.
Sorosiak’s writing is primarily young adult fiction. She is currently working on her third book, a middle-grade novel told from the perspective of a dog. Her published novels include “Wild Blue Wonder” and “If Birds Fly Back.” You can read more about them on Sorosiak’s website.
