Alexandra Sirowy, author of THE CREEPING, on writing what captivates you

by Jocelyn Rish

THE CREEPING is the debut novel from Alexandra Sirowy, and we’re excited to have her stop by to chat about writing.

Alexandra, what’s your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?

I’m not one for ritual of place. I wrote my first novel, THE CREEPING, sitting in bed, on the couch, at the dining room table, and in the yard staring up at the trees. I began my second novel while staying along the Puget Sound (where A CROOKED LIKENESS takes place) and the remainder in my home office in Northern California. As long as I’m writing somewhere that I can read aloud, I can make it work. I was a theater kid and a fortunate and lasting side effect of this is that I read aloud and with the cadence of the speaker, as though performing, whenever I’m writing. I say this is fortunate because it’s be a vital part of my process writing realistic dialogue and teasing out the motivations of characters. If I can embody them in a fleeting moment by getting into character, I can see what they want or need more clearly.

What is particularly vital about my writing schedule is that it’s regular and disciplined. I get up early and “go” to work. Some days I read an hour here and there to refresh myself, others it doesn’t occur to me to take a breather. I believe in writing my way through any blockage or issues.

I also have habits while I’m in the thick of a novel. When I’m really engaged in the process I go running in the early evening. There’s something about being out at dusk and out of breath that knocks thoughts around in my head. I often solve problems this way. Depending on the mood of the pages I’m working on, I listen to music – often the same song or several on repeat.

What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?

Write the book you lose yourself in. I know I’m creating a compelling character or story if I’m swept away even while I’m writing. And I think that the advice write what captivates you goes hand in hand with this. It’s difficult to lose yourself in a manuscript unless it challenges and fascinates you.

And also, read, read, read. I studied political science as a graduate student and didn’t earn an MFA. I didn’t take creative writing as an undergraduate; I was entrenched in international relations and regional studies. And while I’m not advocating this path for writers, if you haven’t been formally trained (and even if you have been), it makes sense to seek out opportunities of honing your craft on your own. To me, reading is one of the most important things I do to improve my craft.

What are you working on now?

My second YA thriller will be out from Simon & Schuster BFYR the summer of 2016. It’s titled A CROOKED LIKENESS and takes place in a small island town in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll be sharing a bit more about the plot along with the book cover early this fall. For now I’ll say that A CROOKED LIKENESS is about love, blood, and murder.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Creeping
by Alexandra Sirowy
Hardcover
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Released 8/18/2015

Twelve years ago Stella and Jeanie vanished while picking strawberries. Stella returned minutes later, with no memory of what happened. Jeanie was never seen or heard from again.

Now Stella is seventeen, and she’s over it. She’s the lucky one who survived, and sure, the case is still cloaked in mystery—and it’s her small town’s ugly legacy—but Stella is focused on the coming summer. She’s got a great best friend, a hookup with an irresistibly crooked smile, and two months of beach days stretching out before her.

Then along comes a corpse, a little girl who washes up in an ancient cemetery after a mudslide, and who has red hair just like Jeanie did. Suddenly memories of that haunting day begin to return, and when Stella discovers that other red-headed girls have gone missing as well, she begins to suspect that something sinister is at work.

And before the summer ends, Stella will learn the hard way that if you hunt for monsters, you will find them.

Purchase The Creeping at Amazon
Purchase The Creeping at IndieBound
View The Creeping on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Sirowy was born in Northern California and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended a women’s college as an undergraduate and has a graduate degree in International Studies. She lives in Northern California with her husband. Visit her at alexandrasirowy.com.

Have you had a chance to read THE CREEPING yet? Do you have a regular and disciplined writing schedule? Are you writing a book you lose yourself in?

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Lisa, Susan, Jen, Sam, Lindsey, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa

Jocelyn Rish

Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who loves researching weird and wonderful animals and sharing what she learns. Her debut was BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, about ten animals that do weird things with their butts. Her latest book is BATTLE OF THE BRAINS, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities. When she’s not writing, she tutors kids to help them discover the magic of reading. Jocelyn has won numerous awards for her short stories, screenplays, films, and novels and lives in South Carolina with her adorable dog. Find out more at www.jocelynrish.com.

Post @ Jocelyn Rish and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Aug 22, 2015

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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