What I learned from bestselling author Jason Reynolds

One of the most inspiring figures I’ve ever interviewed is Jason Reynolds: a prolific writer whose award-winning work has made him America’s ambassador for young people’s literature.

We met one winter while he was touring schools, prisons, and libraries across the UK. He spoke to me about what it really means to be a writer – and did so in the tone of a supportive friend. (Reynolds seems to have this effect on everyone.) Here’s the advice he shared…

It’s healthy to have insecurities. They can push us towards doing more and being better. Hearing that there was no room for “brown faces” in the literary canon became Reynolds’ driving force. Having a chip on his shoulder helped will him toward success.

Bet on yourself. Reynolds started off by self-publishing, which taught him that no one is going to invest in you more than you are in yourself. When you show others that you’re not willing to fail, that level of belief is contagious.

Don’t fear creative blocks. The best writing usually comes when you’re struggling to produce anything. It’s only when you re-read it later that you realize how good it is. Those inspirational bursts when it all seems effortless, on the other hand, usually get cut in the edit.

It’s normal to doubt yourself. Early on in Reynold’s career, an editor told him that the moment you lose self-doubt, you’re finished. It has to burn inside you like a fire. If you’re too confident, the writing will fall flat.

Pain can be funny. I asked Reynolds about the risk of making characters too intense. He said that what’s dead serious or neurotic to us is often hilarious to someone else. When your writing evokes a full human being (and not just a caricature) levity finds its way in.

Embrace your inner weirdo. Eccentricities add color to our perception of the world. Without that, everything becomes homogeneous. Irreverence is the only way culture can move forward.

Trust your gut. The most important guidance Reynolds ever received was from his first editor, who told him that intuition would take him further than education ever would.

Reynolds inscribed my copy of his book For Every One with the words: “Cian, be great!” But what really stuck with me was his final piece of advice: “Remember that the most valuable thing you’ll ever own, the most expensive thing you’ll ever have, is your story.”