“So many people think that if you're
writing fantasy, it means you can just make everything up as you go. Want to
add a dragon? Add a dragon! Want some magic? Throw it in. But the thing is,
regardless of whether you're dealing with realism or fantasy, every world has
rules. Make sure to establish a natural order.” – V. E. Schwab
Born on July 27, 1987, Victoria
Elizabeth Schwab is perhaps best known for her novel Vicious, her Shades
of Magic series, and for her children's and young adult fiction written as Victoria
Schwab. The daughter of a British
mom and “Beverly Hills” dad, she grew up on both the West Coast and in the Deep
South, a lover of fairytales, folklore “and books that make me wonder if the
world is really as it seems.”
A graduate of Washington University
in St. Louis, she studied everything from Physics to Film to Art History and
English, then held a wide variety of jobs before turning to writing. Not a bad career move.
Her work has received critical
acclaim, been featured by writing magazines and The New York Times alike,
been translated into more than a dozen languages, and been optioned for TV and
Film. She said she loves working in many
different genres and writing for all ages.
“I still get rejections - frequently - and my goal isn't to never fail,
to never be turned down, but simply to succeed more often than I don't,” she
said. “And in order to do that, I have
to constantly put myself out there, to judgment, critique, and rejection.” 
As for writing advice, she noted, “I
think a lot of writers are tempted to add complexity by over-complicating
things, but always remember that most natural rules/laws are, at their core,
simple. Start simple, and build from there, or you risk getting yourself and
your readers tangled.”
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