Ellen Hopkins, Jay Asher, Kate DiCamillo, Chuck Palahnuik and many other well-known authors made appearances at last weekend’s Texas Book Festival.

The Texas Book Festival offered an array of events, from panel discussions to children’s crafts. Lines for authors such as Kate DiCamillo and Paula Deen could be seen wrapping around book-signing tents.

Ellen Hopkins, author of “Crank” and “Glass,” gave some useful advice to aspiring writers.

“To read a lot and to read lots of different kinds of books, not just things you like because…fantasy builds story differently than contemporary,” Hopkins said. “Experiment and try different things…so you can find where you belong as a writer and be an observer.”

Jennifer Niven, who wrote “Velva Jean Learns to Drive” and “Velva Jean Learns to Fly,” also had words to lend to aspiring authors.

“First and foremost write…you have to read and you have to write,” she said. “Write something you feel very strongly about…you can’t think about it from outside of ‘Oh I’ll write this [so I can make money].’ You have to write from the inside out.”

“Thirteen Reasons Why” author, Jay Asher, also had words of wisdom to add.

“The best suggestion I could ever give an author would be to join a critique group because then you’re getting feedback from what people are getting out of your book,” Asher said. “What’s really important, if you’re trying to get published…is listening to what they’re [the people critiquing you] getting out of it.”

While waiting in line for an autograph from Kate DiCamillo, festival-goer and teacher Roseanne Crandall shared how DiCamillo’s work has touched her life.

“My children have read her [DiCamillo’s] books,” she said. “I taught 3rd and 4th grade last year…and one class finished “Because of Winn-Dixie”…and they all applauded.”

As the day came to an end on Sunday, authors could be seen talking with the readers that had travelled sometimes hours to see them. Volunteers from all areas of the Texas Book Festival told stories to one another about the authors they’d met, and children ran from tent to tent, ready to read their newly signed books.