Nicola and David Yoon, New York Times bestselling authors, visited MS Venture to speak to students about their jobs as writers, May 16. They spoke about their processes for writing books, as well as their general experiences as authors.
David Yoon said his writing process is a “road trip and it’s really foggy. You know you’re eventually gonna end up, in, you know, like San Francisco.” In agreement, Nicola Yoon said, “I don’t always know the end of some of my novels.”
Nicola Yoon, a bestselling author, is best known for writing young adult novels. Her first novel, Everything, Everything, is centered around a girl with a rare illness who falls in love for the first time, and the book was later turned into a movie. David Yoon, another young adult author, wrote the New York Times bestseller Frankly in Love, which is about the family and relationship dynamics of a Korean American teenager. Together, Nicola and David Yoon co-founded Joy Revolution, a publishing imprint dedicated to publishing young adult romance novels starring people of color.
When asked about their writing process for different books, both Yoons described the grueling process of trashing ideas, rewriting, and starting over.
“There’s not really a faster way,” said David Yoon. “I’ve even had to trash 90,000 words—about 400–500 pages—and start over. The drafting process is a really important part of the learning and it’s a fun process.”
“Writing is rewriting. The only reason I have a career is because I am good at rewriting. It’s not because I’m good at first drafts. I could revise for a hundred years,” said Nicola Yoon. “I’m so excited when I have a first draft so I can fix it. I can fix anything, you know.”
As authors, the Yoons spend most of their time during the day sitting down, thinking and writing. Nicola Yoon’s upcoming novel, One of Our Kind, is her first piece of adult fiction. One of Our Kind is set to be released on July 29, 2025.
“If you write nothing, it’s still something as long as you’re there, sitting down, and you get hit with inspiration. It’s just important to be engaged with it… But also, your brain needs to rest. You need to refill the well. It’s bad to think about [the story] all the time, actually,” said Nicola Yoon.
Aside from their dedicated roles as authors, Nicola and David Yoon co-founded Joy Revolution, a publishing imprint dedicated to publishing young adult romance novels starring people of color. They hope that Joy Imprint books will become a place for young adults to be seen in different parts of their identities, and that readers will find a sense of belonging from their books.
To conclude the event, Nicola Yoon and David Yoon gave away bags of two books they’ve written. The winners were decided through a raffle.
