Author Interviews

Ena Jones Interview and Giveaway for CLAYTON STONE

By on August 15, 2016   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

I’m thrilled to interview author Ena Jones about her middle grade novel, CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE and her newest spy adventure, CLAYTON STONE, FACING OFF.

Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Ena! How did you come up with the idea for Clayton’s stories and how did they change during revisions?

Version 3Hi, Mindy. Thank you so much for having me! I love the Mixed-Up Files website! It’s such a wonderful resource for middle-grade lit lovers.

The idea for Clayton’s story began one day when I was reading a report about a string of kidnappings involving mothers and children. As a mom, the news story was horrifying and I was instantly brought back to an evening when I was in 7th grade. I was listening to the radio when I heard a familiar name, followed by the shocking news that a boy my younger brother rode the school bus with had been murdered.

Even many years later, I can still remember the overwhelming feeling of powerlessness in that moment. I was fearful, angry, sad, and confused. I didn’t know how or why this sort of evil could exist. And the worst thing? There was nothing I could do about it.

Kids have always had to deal with scary situations, but these days it seems we are constantly assaulted with bad news, from large-scale disasters to closer-to-home tragedies. I wanted to create a character in Clayton who, in seemingly impossible situations, would take control and do his best to help, the way all kids wish they could: Empowering them to fix the world, or at least the small pieces of it falling apart around them. And that’s how Clayton Stone was born.

CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE took several years to write. I set the manuscript aside for weeks and months sometimes, letting it gel in the back of my mind, before feeling ready to move on—it seemed to take forever to finish that first draft. When my agent at the time finally read it, she liked it a lot, but suggested that I make the over-arching plot “bigger.” It also took me a loooonnng while to find the right beginning to the story. Although the roots of the broader story remained the same, recently I looked back and counted about 7-8 completely different beginnings! Then, after my editor at Holiday House offered me a contract, we mainly worked on streamlining the weedy bits of plotting that remained from the first drafts.

The other thing that changed was the title. Originally it was CLAYTON STONE, UNDERAGE AND UNDERCOVER. I really liked that title, but Googling the second part would probably not lead to the best websites (I admit, I didn’t try!), so my editor suggested we come up with something else. I believe AT YOUR SERVICE not only ties in with Clayton’s job at the Special Service, but also his sense of duty, Big Stone’s Diner, and the overall theme of “service” in the book. I think about what John F. Kennedy said in his 1961 Inaugural Address: “ . . . ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” To me, this is the underlying charge of so many professionals/professions in the United States—from our police and military forces, to teachers, librarians, and especially parents. When we combine our passion with our sense of duty as we serve our country, our families, our co-workers, and our teammates—fully committing ourselves to the challenges in front of us, in spite of risk and in spite of personal difficulty—that’s what ultimately gives us the most personal satisfaction.

And that’s the person I wanted Clayton to be! 

Wow, thank you for sharing that with us, Ena. Your vision for Clayton definitely shines through. He quickly grows from a seemingly ordinary boy into an incredibly dedicated and empowered person. Why does Clayton decide to go on his first mission, even though he knows it’s extremely dangerous?

On the front end, I’m not sure Clayton would have raised his hand for such a dangerous assignment. For that matter, most of us wouldn’t position ourselves at the forefront of any risky, much less life-threatening, endeavor. But imagine something many of us are afraid of, like a venomous spider or snake—Clayton hates spiders, BTW— and then imagine someone we love comfortably sleeping when suddenly, we notice a brown recluse marching toward them. I’m pretty sure 99.99% of us would find a way to deal with that spider so that it doesn’t hurt our loved one, right?

Well, that’s it. In AT YOUR SERVICE, Clayton’s not going to volunteer to sit next to a crazy person with a gun UNTIL he hears that the bad guy is “starting to seriously kidnap—or murder” people. It’s not an accident that he chooses that moment to stand and move toward the conversation his grandmother is having with the captain. This is when his sense of responsibility begins to kick in. And when he realizes that the president of the United States wouldn’t have called him if it weren’t an urgent situation, he literally and figuratively steps up. “Maybe I should try to help,” he says to his grandmother. Sure, he’s not fully confident he can do the job, but he’s going to try.

It’s the people who “step up” and do their best, despite feeling unprepared and scared out of their wits, who are the true heroes of our world. 

That is so true, and it’s one of the things I admire most about Clayton. I also love all the gadgets you describe during Clayton’s adventures. Which one was Clayton’s favorite?

Clayton’s favorite gadgets are probably the ones he hasn’t been allowed or trained to use yet! If he had to choose one, though, it would be the top-secret miniature drone that looks like a fighter jet.

By the way, everything in the book has a basis in reality. A few years ago I toured a school that combined Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. By looking at insects, etc. at the nano level, scientists are able to develop stronger and more flexible materials for everything from helicopter parts to medical tools to protective fabrics. That tour inspired a few gadgets in the AT YOUR SERVICE story. Technology is only getting better, and I hope Clayton will continue to find creative ways to use many more Special Service gadgets throughout his career. 

I wondered how you came up with so many cool gadgets! I can’t wait to see the creative ways Clayton uses amazing new gadgets in the future.

Clayton has to make so many hard choices. What advice would he give to others facing difficult decisions?

Clayton does make some difficult choices! Mostly, he must decide to continue forward when the easiest and safest thing to do would be to stay still, or even hide. If he knows the right thing, then he feels that he really doesn’t have a choice; he simply must act despite his fear.

So I’m guessing that if Clayton’s best friend, Toby, was facing a difficult decision, Clayton would assure him that it’s okay to be scared when things are tough and seem impossible. But he’d also say that if Toby knows what the right thing is, take a deep breath and do that right thing, even if his heart is racing at Mach 10 speed.

It’s awesome how you mixed so much humor into spy novels. How did you get the right balance of humor and tension?

That’s a very good question and my first reaction is to say that I don’t know! But after a little thought I’d say that in my opinion, no matter how dire a situation is, there’s always a funny way of looking at it.

I don’t write to tell jokes or be funny. Other authors do a much better job of straight humor than I ever could. However, Clayton is a full human being, and as a human being, he is unique in the way he looks at the world, just like any of us. He could do without school and studying, and loves his friends and lacrosse, and really, really hates the fact that he likes a girl he doesn’t want to like. He misses his parents, and his grandfather. And though he loves his grandmother, she drives him a little crazy sometimes.

In life there are just a zillion ways of looking at these situations and when I’m following Clayton throughout his day he sometimes surprises me–and I try to let him. In the end, humor is about sharing a laugh. Clayton shares his humor with me, and I (usually) get the joke because I know him pretty well. My hope is that as a reader gets to know him, too, they become part of our fun. 

How does Clayton think playing lacrosse helped prepare him for Special Service work?

It’s not just lacrosse that prepared him for his work with the Special Service, it’s the people who loved him throughout his life and mentored him along the way, who truly prepared him, especially his grandfather. If Clayton were to answer this question, he’d say that nobody “trained” him, but because his relationships were strong, he learned lessons as he grew up that he would always remember and could apply to all sorts of things. Like lacrosse, or his work for the Special Service, or even his math homework (if he ever chooses to take it that far!).

For instance, I’ve always loved to cook, and I started out in the kitchen beside my grandmother. I could never describe, beyond the basics – like, “My grandmother taught me to make tiropitas,”—what she told me exactly. But over the years, when I find myself struggling with something in the kitchen, her words, and even the way she used her hands to show me a technique, will suddenly come back to me. This is a gift that one generation passes to the next, and I think it’s one of the most important ways to learn. And this is the gift Clayton’s family has given him.

What a great way to describe it! Clayton’s family definitely gave him a lot of gifts, and I love seeing how each of those gifts help him on his secret service assignments.

Do you have any tips to share about writing a spy series?  

Yes! Don’t “set out” to write a spy series, or a series of any sort. Set out to write your one book; the book that must be written by you. For me, the storyline is only one aspect of my books: Clayton helps rescue a mom and her daughter from kidnappers; Clayton goes undercover to protect POTUS’s only son. And yes, these are the nuts and bolts of his adventures. To me, however, the good stuff is the blood running through the pages, or the heart. It’s Clayton’s relationships, and the way he cares about his family, friends, and the reason he feels so strongly about his duty, and whether he’s willing to learn along the way, or not! It’s his sense of humor and his kindness, and the way he can get so exasperated with himself, all in the midst of mayhem.

So, before starting to think “series,” we need to write a manuscript told through the lens of our characters’ point of view, using their vision, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and deepest hopes. We must give them free rein to reveal themselves in their own story, and in their own way. And many revisions later, when that book is done, and we know it’s done, that’s when it’s time to take on the next book.

After reading both of Clayton’s adventures, I’m hooked! I can’t wait to see what this spunky, resourceful spy does in the future. What’s next for Clayton?

I am fleshing out a third CLAYTON story, but it’s not set-in-Stone, so to speak.

I envision a series where every one of Clayton’s assignments will be unique and will have the backdrop of a different theme. For instance, AT YOUR SERVICE explored a family theme and in FACING OFF, I explored politics. For the third, hmmm. I’ll just say this: Clayton continues to surprise me with every page I write, but there might be a tiny clue about his next job at the very end of FACING OFF.

I hope it’s set-in-Stone soon! 🙂 Thank you again for stopping by the Mixed-Up Files to share Clayton with us—and so much great advice. Congrats on having your second Clayton book released. I hope to read many more of his spy adventures in the future.

You can find Ena Jones on her website and Twitter. Check out her latest Kirkus review. Here’s her discussion guide with common core standards.

TWO lucky winners will receive a signed copy of both CLAYTON STONE, AT YOUR SERVICE and CLAYTON STONE, FACING OFF. If a teacher or media specialist wins, Ena would be happy to send up to 30 AT YOUR SERVICE bookmarks, too.

Clayton Stone At Your Service coverWhen the President calls asking him to help catch a kidnapper, thirteen-year-old Clayton’s life is hijacked into the family business his grandmother has worked hard to keep him out of – the secret agent business. Follow Clayton as he navigates the dangerous world of covert operations all while trying to act as if life is normal with his friends and lacrosse teammates at Masters Academy.

 

 

clayton_stone_facing_off_jkt_r

Now that Clayton has proven himself, the president calls on him once again, this time to protect his own son, Kyle, who has been identified as a potential target. Within hours Clayton is a student at the prestigious Sydney Brown School with a new name, new history, new hair, and new eye-color. Join Clayton as he navigates the strange world of politics and intrigue at his new school, all while sticking close to a presidential kid who wants nothing to do with him, and playing for SB’s lacrosse team which is preparing to face-off against his real home team: Masters Academy.

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Winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 23. Good luck, everyone!

*This giveaway is only available in the United States.

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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A Chat With Author Kelly Barnhill

By on August 9, 2016   /   Author Interviews  

Book jacket for The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Some books grab you from the first moment you see their gorgeous cover. Such was the case the first time I saw Kelly Barnhill’s beautiful middle-grade fantasy, The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Anticipation grew even more when Barnhill and her publisher released two prequels to the story last month on Entertainment Weekly (read Part 1 and Part 2 for a taste of Barnhill’s storytelling). So I was delighted to have the opportunity to chat with Kelly and to help her celebrate the release of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Hello Kelly, welcome to From the Mixed-Up Files! Which middle-grade books did you love when you were younger?

A: I wasn’t much of a reader before fifth grade. Like at all. I knew that one should read, and I was very good at pretending to read, but the ability to sink into a page just wasn’t there for me. What I did love was listening. My parents read to us all the time, and I can remember listening to Grimm’s fairy tales, and later C.S. Lewis, and later Tolkien, and later Dickens. I also —thanks to a garage sale purchase of a Fisher Price orange plastic record player — loved checking out books on records from the library. Because, once upon a time, that was a thing. I listened to Treasure Island and Kidnapped and Just So Stories and both Jungle Books. Later, when I started seeking books out on my own, I loved weird things. L. Frank Baum, particularly. And Roald Dahl. And Daniel Pinkwater. And Diana Wynne Jones. And Ursula K. LeGuin. And Andre Norton. You don’t have to scratch my skin very deeply to find the undercurrent of those writers, pulsing in my veins.

Q: Which came first, the story itself or the prequel?

A: Oh, the story. For sure. But one thing that I didn’t realize when I started writing the story was how much Xan’s unremembered history would come to play in the way the action unfolded. There is much that I couldn’t include in the story itself, simply because Xan had chosen not to remember it — because memory is dangerous, as is sorrow. Or so Xan thinks. Anyway, the idea of her as a child in the company of a bunch of irascible magicians and scholars — many of whom do not have her best interests at heart — intrigued me. And so some of the cut pages and a bunch of the notes started swirling around until a story emerged.

Q: Last year, you wrote a novella for adults called The Unlicensed Magician. Can you talk a little bit about the differences between writing for adults and for children? Which do you prefer? Should we expect more adult stories from you in the future?

Writing a novella, I feel, is a bit like the Spanish Inquisition — no one expects it. I have written and published quite a few short stories for grown-ups that have appeared in a variety of journals. I like writing short stories; I like the muscle of it and the precision needed. It’s an entirely different skill set from what is required for a novel. And while I’ve written a few short stories for kids, the vast majority of them have been for adults. I’m not entirely sure why this is. Maybe my “adult fiction voice” is just more narrow than my “children’s fiction voice.” Or something.

When I started “The Unlicensed Magician,” I assumed I was writing a short story. And then 30,000 words poured out over the course of a couple days — just like that. This was a muscle that I didn’t know I had, and when I finished, I was tired and sore and had no idea what to do with the thing. I’m glad it’s found an audience, and that people seem to like it. As far as the intended audience goes — man. I don’t know. I will think and think and think about a story — just the story — and have no idea if it is a kid’s story or an adult’s story or just a weird story that only I would like. I don’t really know that until I’m done. Really, all I think about is the story itself — what the experience is, what the language feels like, what the big ideas are underpinning the whole thing. I don’t think about audience until the very end.

Author Kelly Barnhill

Author Kelly Barnhill

Q: Like you, I attended my first nErDcamp this year. Can you talk a little bit about the experience and what it meant to you as a writer and former teacher?

A: nErDcamp is magic, plain and simple. I have been fighting for so long — first as a teacher and then as a parent — for reading instruction in schools that is humane and empathetic and inspiring and challenging and ultimately joyful. Reading instruction and encouragement that helps young minds to be more than they are through the power of radical empathy in books. And I have found myself thwarted and frustrated at every turn. Coming to nErDcamp felt like coming home. So many joyful teachers! So many joyful book pushers! So many joyful writers and readers and kids! It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.

Q: You teach writing to adults and children and you mentioned on your web site that a big part of that involves “un-teach(ing) what they have already learned.” Can you elaborate on that?

A: When we learn to write, we learn there are rules, and when we actually write, we throw those rules away. So often, my students come to me already stuck in particular boxes of what they think “good” writing is, and is not, and what kind of writer they think they are, and are not. And primarily, I think a lot of kids and adults have learned over the years that their ideas just aren’t good enough. That they don’t have a story to tell. That an idea for a story is something that happens to other people — special people. This is balderdash. All of us are built out of stories. I have to un-teach them the lie in order to teach them the truth.

Q: What books are on your nightstand right now?
A: A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, by V E Schwab. And after that, I have some marvelous Murakami waiting for me. There is something about summer that simply begs for Murakami. After that, I plan to read MR. FOX, by Helen Oyeyemi and a few Diana Wynne Jones books that are due for a re-read.

***

Oh, how I loved A Darker Shade of Magic and so did both of my children (readers, please note that it is technically adult, although I let my 10 & 11 year old read it!). Thanks so much for your time, Kelly, and best of luck with your new book.

THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON releases today from Algonquin Young Readers.

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Interview with Debbie Reed Fischer and Two Great Giveaways

By on July 12, 2016   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

I’m thrilled to interview author Debbie Reed Fischer about her amazing middle grade novel, This Is Not the Abby Show. Thanks for stopping by the Mixed-Up Files on your release day, Debbie!

Headhot in TurquoiseFirst, let me say thank you for inviting me. I’m a Mixed-Up Files subscriber and so happy to be here.

You’re welcome. I enjoy introducing our readers to talented authors like you. I absolutely love This Is Not the Abby Show and was excited to read that Booklist compared it to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries. What was it like seeing a review like that?

Well, first I had to lie down because I don’t take good news very well. And then I felt overwhelming happiness. Years ago, when I came across the first Wimpy Kid book in the bookstore, I stood in in the aisle reading it for about twenty minutes, blown away by the humor, truth, and voice. I thought to myself: ‘This is going to be HUGE.’ I admire Dork Diaries as well. So the comparisons mean a great deal to me. Publishers Weekly compared Abby Show to Jack Gantos’s Joey Pigza books, another series that rocked my world when I read it. I’m very grateful the feedback has been so positive. A teacher who read my book described it as Joey Pigza meets The Breakfast Club for middle grade.

What do you think would appeal to fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries?

I think Abby’s voice, plus the comedy and tragedy of middle school life will appeal to readers. There’s a lot about friendship, family, and how relationships change, especially during the tween years. I hope that strikes a chord. Then there’s the humor. I really believe kids are funnier now than they were back in my middle school and high school days. Their sense of irony is sharper; they seem to be wittier. I notice it at school visits and with my sons’ friends. Maybe it’s because there are so many risk-taking authors now who have raised the bar writing authentic middle grade humor AND serious struggles, like the Hank Zipzer series by Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler. I’m beyond honored to have a seat at the table.

I really feel like I understand ADHD so much better now—especially how it can affect people differently. How did you learn so much about it and weave it into the story in such a natural way?

Thank you. It’s great to read that you understand it better now, because so much is misunderstood about the condition. As far as how I learned about ADHD, my son Sam has ADHD, and I knew many kids with it growing up, both girls and boys. I also taught students with ADHD in middle and high school. While writing the book, I interviewed doctors as well as kids of many ages with ADHD. One interesting way I know about it is because when my son Sam was being diagnosed, a doctor told me that I meet a lot of the criteria for the condition as well. He went so far as to say I’m a textbook case. Another doctor told me the same thing, although I haven’t been formally diagnosed. It’s not uncommon for a parent to have an unofficial diagnosis while their kids are going through the formal testing. ADHD commonly runs in families.

Also, there are many books about boys with ADHD. Where are the girls? There are so many studies coming out now about high percentages of girls who go undiagnosed and slip through school without the medical attention they need. This is a problem. I’m glad articles about girls with ADHD are gaining more national attention and thus raising awareness, but I know it’s a problem first-hand because, like Abby, I had to go to summer school (history and geometry), and like Abby, I was definitely misunderstood – and undiagnosed. All the kids who signed my yearbook in middle school signed it, “Dear Spacey.” I was so spacey I didn’t even know they were calling me spacey.

As far as weaving it naturally into the story, I had to be careful not to be too instructional. I had to remind myself that this is a novel about a girl who just happens to have ADHD while the course of her life is changing. For that reason, I had to omit some ADHD info, or it would have overburdened the novel. As Richard Peck advised at our Florida SCBWI conference, “First, you must entertain. Everything else is secondary.” One way I weave it in is with Abby’s brother’s bar mitzvah. He is preparing for his big day, and she winds up taking energy and focus away from what should be a special time for him. ADHD has an impact on the whole family. I think that aspect of the book will resonate for lots of kids with siblings who have ADHD or other differences.

Wow, thank you for sharing so much of yourself and your journey, Debbie. I’m sorry kids called you ‘Spacey’ when you were in middle school. I really hope your book helps kids and adults (especially the Mr. Finsecker’s of the world) accept and celebrate people for who they are. 

What would Abby like to say to people who meet someone with ADHD?

First, she would ask you to repeat the question because she wasn’t listening to you. There was something more interesting she was listening to in her head. Then she would answer the question as follows: You’ve already met someone with ADHD; that kid who was fascinated by the ants on the sidewalk during the fire drill and didn’t hear when it was time to go back inside? Yeah, that was the one. She would also point out that many people with ADHD are also gifted, known as twice-exceptional, and have very high IQ’s. With the right treatment, an ADHD child can be a straight A student in the most advanced classes. She would want you to know that it’s not only about focus, and it is not an excuse. It is a complex medical condition, and can be an emotional rollercoaster for the person who has it. It’s not fair when kids are labeled “behavior problems” because of a medical condition over which they have little control. What people don’t always understand is that ADHD is chemical, not character.

She would also explain that when a person has ADHD, thoughts are not linear and logical. They fly around rapidly, and often fly out of the person’s mouth before they’ve had a chance to process what they are saying. This is Abby’s biggest problem. The barrage of criticism and punishment from teachers, parents, and peers can lead to her feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness. I’ve seen this play out in real life repeatedly, so I really wanted to write about how that happens, and what it’s like for the person going through it. I hope my readers will have compassion and understand that the struggle is real. I read a Goodreads review of This Is Not the Abby Show from a librarian, and she stated that she had been a “disbeliever” but now is aware of the enormous impact ADHD can have on a student.

That’s wonderful! I love when books are not only funny and entertaining, but really change how people view the world. 

How would Abby describe her perfect friend?

The one thing Abby realizes by the end of the book is that there is no such thing as a perfect friend. She makes plenty of mistakes trying to be a good friend. Abby also realizes there’s no such thing as a perfect sibling or perfect parent. Everyone is flawed. Her journey in this book is a learning curve for everyone. If Abby had to fill out a checklist for a friend, though, I’d say she would request someone who gets her sense of humor, someone who is forgiving, and someone who is there to help her clean up the messes she makes. Abby finds a group of friends who are flawed as well, but somehow, they balance each other out. They have a deep well of empathy, forgiveness and patience for each other. I’m glad you brought up friendship, as the ups and downs of friendships are a key theme in the book.

I love the rough draft and final draft letters Abby writes. It looked like so much fun to have the freedom to write whatever comes into your mind first, then rewrite a letter in a more acceptable way. Do you have a similar exercise for students or other writers?

Well, I guess I do now. Thanks, Mindy! Great idea! I’ve written letters that were never sent, such as to the professor who told me I had a better chance at getting struck by lightning than ever getting published, and to an editor who rejected one of my manuscripts with nothing more than, “THIS IDIOT THINKS SHE CAN WRITE? EVERYONE IN OUR OFFICE IS LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY AS WE TAKE TURNS READING THE WORST PARTS AND BALLING UP THESE PAGES AND SHOOTING THEM INTO THE TRASH!” Okay, this editor didn’t say that. But that is what they meant. I’m pretty sure. And because I have a very active imagination and am also sensitive but not brave, I responded with scathing letters. I just never sent them. They are currently in a secret Swiss bank account. Instead, I sent back polite notes allowing me to take the high road publicly while taking the low road secretly, much like a seventh-grader in detention silently seething while forced to write an apology letter for talking in class. By the way, kids never write what they really think for those mandatory apology letters they have to write in detention. If they did, they would probably be expelled. But hey, it would be worth it because it would be SO funny.

Speaking of funny, I laughed so much while reading your book. Do you have any tips to share about adding humor to a story?

Thanks, I wanted to write a book that didn’t only spotlight the negative aspects of ADHD. I wanted to show the funny situations that can happen when a person has the condition. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves. That’s what gets us through tough times and helps us to deal with life’s challenges.

So I actually have a lot of tips, but you’d have to take one of my workshops for us to really get into it. Here are two top tips. Number one: Eavesdrop and Observe. Eavesdropping is a really helpful tool. I recently observed an elderly woman in a wheelchair arguing with her aide about a health food store that puts spinach on cupcakes. The older lady was outraged. “Spinach should NOT be on a cupcake!” I jotted it down for future use. (So you can’t have it. Sorry.) Humor is everywhere if you pay attention. It’s the little things.  Listening to people order food can have me in hysterics. Little kids say funny things, and so do the elderly. Take note of irony. It’s all around you. Moms who let their kids jump off public benches in the mall like chimpanzees while they push their dog sedately in a stroller. I live for that kind of thing. I love people who talk back to the movie screen. The things around you that others find annoying and want to tune out should be your source. I say TUNE IN to the absurdity, and there lies the humor! My second tip is to make sure the humor is authentic to the character’s age and personality. Writing humor for kids is tricky because what they find funny at 12 isn’t the same thing they find funny at 16. When you write for tweens and teens, you’re not just a writer, you’re an impersonator. And you have to be believable because if you’re not coming across as an authentic tween/teen, it’s obvious. That’s one of the challenges of writing for kids, and why I respect truly funny books. I wish there was more critical recognition for funny books, because they have to have everything a serious book has, PLUS be funny. Humor should be taken more seriously. Seriously.

How did This Is Not the Abby Show change as you revised it?

Throw Pages on Floor Like Mad Scientistrevising chapters on floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This went through A LOT of version. It was originally titled Inappropriate Giggling, then Smartmouth, and was submitted as a YA. Several editors expressed interest in it. YAY, right? Not so fast. The catch was that they wanted to see it revised as a middle grade book before they would seriously consider it. At the time, I’d only thought of myself as a YA writer, and although I’ve always enjoyed reading middle grade books, I knew I’d have to take out the book’s romance plot, much of the rest of the plot, and some characters. Plus, capturing MG voice authentically isn’t something I take lightly. It seemed too daunting, so I shelved Abby Show for a couple of years. But Abby’s character stayed in my mind. Deep inside, I felt a great sense of purpose in writing Abby’s journey. So I started revising, but my first attempts weren’t working. I felt defeated and unmotivated. I even questioned if I should keep writing. One day, while walking my dog, I slipped and fell hard on a broken sidewalk. I broke my arm and shoulder and only had the use of one hand for several months. As crazy as it sounds, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Being unable to write made me want to write more than ever before. I made up my mind to take This Is Not the Abby Show off the shelf, and jumped back into writing with gusto–throwing each revised page like a mad scientist. With a broken arm, I rewrote a lot of the book with one hand. I give a lot of credit to my agent, Steven Chudney, who gave me great suggestions on that first draft. After it was sold to Random House/ Delacorte, credit goes to my editor, Rebecca Weston, for pushing me to dig deeper and keep rewriting until I got it right. After several drafts over about six months, the humor flowed, the plot flowed, and so did the new characters. I’ll be donating my stack of old drafts to the Hipple collection of Young Adult Literature at University of South Florida.

Congratulations on your amazing new middle grade novel, Debbie. Thanks for celebrating your release day with us, all your great advice, and two generous giveaways. 

You can find Debbie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  Teachers and librarians can contact Debbie via her website to request an Educator’s Guide for This Is Not the Abby Show. 

Great news! Debbie has generously donated TWO amazing giveaways. Enter the Rafflecopter widgets below for a chance to win:  

  1. A signed copy of This Is Not the Abby Show. If a teacher or librarian wins this, Debbie would be happy to send up to 30 bookmarks, too!

Cover photo Abby ShowAbby is twice exceptional—she is gifted in math and science, and she has ADHD. Normally, she has everything pretty-much-sorta-kinda under control. But when Abby makes one HUGE mistake that leads to “The Night That Ruined My Life,” or “TNTRML,” she lands in summer school.
Abby thinks the other summer school kids are going to be total weirdos. And what with her parents’ new rules, plus all the fuss over her brother’s bar mitzvah, her life is turning into a complete disaster.
But as Abby learns to communicate better and finds friends who love her for who she is, she discovers that her biggest weaknesses could be her greatest assets.
Hilarious and heartwarming, This Is Not the Abby Show is for everyone who knows that standing out is way more fun than blending in.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

  1. A critique of up to 10 pages of a middle grade or young adult novel. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, July 19th. Good luck, everyone!

*Anyone can win the 10 page critique, but the signed book is only available in the United States or Canada.

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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