Instructor Wisdom from Talia Tucker

Instructor Wisdom from Talia Tucker

Talia Tucker lives and writes in New Jersey. She has a BA in communication from Rutgers University and an MA in liberal studies from Loyola University Maryland. She loves mindless comedies and twisty slow-burn dramas, both of which inspire her writing, as does her connection to her Korean and Jamaican communities.

 As an author of young adult romance, she is best known for her debut novel, Rules for Rule Breaking, published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House, released on March 19, 2024. Her follow up novel, Solo Stan, will be released June 10, 2025.

Talia shares her thoughts on writing “unputdownable” romance as well as her personal writing practice.

 Read on!

  1. Are there specific writing techniques or story beats that make your books “unputdownable” that you’d recommend to other writers? 
    It’s often said that every story has already been told—especially in a genre like romance, which is somewhat formulaic. For me, the thing that can really set a story apart is strong characterization so that you genuinely want to root for the two people falling in love. I adore a good slow burn and enjoy building relationships between two characters with full, rich lives—lives that started long before the first page of the book.I tend to gravitate toward morally gray, complex, and messy characters who are just trying their best. I also love characters who make poor decisions and then grow by dealing with the consequences of those decisions. Therefore, many of my characters are flawed but well-meaning.Other things that seal the deal for me, turning a readable book into an unputdownable one, are elements like banter, chemistry, and well-developed side characters with desires, plots, and idiosyncrasies of their own.
  1. You write Romance for the YA reader. What differences do you think there are from your books to writing romance for adults?
    There are definitely some differences between writing young adult and adult romance. With adult romance, you have a bit more freedom in terms of content and themes, and you can go beyond a fade-to-black if you choose. You can also start with a character who has a lot more baggage and knows what they want—or don’t want—in a partner and in life.With young adult, yes, you are telling a love story, but it’s from the perspective of someone who probably hasn’t experienced love before. You’re writing a lot of firsts—first crushes, first kisses, first time being asked out—as well as other experiences typical of a teenager’s life, like the first time disobeying parents, sneaking out, failing a test, lying, driving, or really anything. With young adult, everything is brand new; it’s cringy, awkward, and cute, but also dreadful and soul-crushing all at once because emotions are so big at that age. It’s sort of baked into the genre that you include some coming-of-age themes and side plots that speak to young readers beyond just experiencing their first love as well—things like going to college, issues with friends, conflicts with parents, and all the little messy things that come with being a teenager.
  1. Tell us a little bit about your personal writing practice. Are you a morning writer or do you write later in the day? Do you have “a room of your own” or do you prefer writing in public spaces? Is there anything else you’d like to share? 
    I don’t have a set routine or any actionable advice for maintaining a writing flow. When I’m drafting, I like to write by dictation—I’ll usually pace around my room and talk to myself. Later, I’ll clean up the dictation while sitting in bed, surrounded by my cats. For big, sweeping revisions or structural changes, I prefer working at home in quiet solitude. However, when it comes to more focused tasks, like copy edits, I often head to the public library or a café to avoid distractions like my phone or TV.As for the times I write, I tend to start late, around 7:00 or 10:00 PM, and keep going until I’m too tired to continue. Sometimes that’s 10:00 PM, and other times it’s 5:00 AM. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and jot it down in my notes app. Other times, I’ll dictate a note to myself if I get an idea while driving. Or I’ve also been known to stop mid-conversation with a friend to quickly type out a paragraph on my phone. I know some people thrive on having a structured writing schedule, but I work much better without the pressure of one. The only important thing is that you write, no matter when or how chaotic the process might be.