Aminah Mae Safi, author of NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, on writing rules being like The Pirate Code

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Aminah Mae Safi stop by to chat about her debut novel, NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?

I love my opening scene. In the first ten pages, Lulu stumbles out of a hall closet, re-arranges her clothes, and knocks a guy into a pool. When I wrote it, I remember thinking, “Who is ever going to want to publish this?” I’d written a Muslim American teen girl who made a lot of questionable choices. I’d never seen her in fiction. At the time, I couldn’t imagine people would want to see her. For me, that scene reminds me that I’ve been so lucky to be able to publish this story with all of Lulu’s messy traits fully in tact.

How long did you work on NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?

Oh boy. Seven years from when I started Not The Girls You’re Looking For to my pub date. I kept telling myself I would shelve it and work on something else, but I just couldn’t quit this book. It was the book seventeen year old me needed and, on some level, I just couldn’t stop working until this book was out in the world for her. There was one point where I put the manuscript down for a couple of years to work on some scripts, but I still came back to it in the end.

What did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?

That writing rules are like The Pirate Code— they’re more like guidelines. Know what they are but also know when they aren’t serving you. Take what works for you and use those to your best advantage.

What do you hope readers will take away from NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?

That everyone has a story. That everyone you know is fighting a battle you know nothing about, including the people you love the most. That you can recover from your screw ups and make amends.

Was there an AHA! moment along your road to publication where something suddenly sank in and you felt you had the key to writing a novel? What was it?

Honestly if somebody knows this please forward the information to me immediately.

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

All of the above! Libraries are fantastic free spaces and are great when I need a fresh, quiet place to work. I meet writer friends in coffee shops around LA when I need someone to hold me accountable. I also have a two monitor set up at home for when I need to buckle down and edit. Other than that, sometimes music, sometimes tea, sometimes Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries on in the background while I work. Some days, the work is easy, and I don’t need any external cues to get into that headspace. Other days, I’ve got to use every tool in my kit to get through a scene.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a story about two girls from opposites sides of the social scale as they fall in love while making a film project during their senior year. It’s got enemies to lovers, some pretty great best friends, and it’s set in LA. It’s set to be released next summer— I can’t wait for everyone to meet Sana and Rachel!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Not the Girls You’re Looking For
by Aminah Mae Safi
Hardcover
Feiwel & Friends
Released 6/19/2018

Lulu Saad doesn’t need your advice, thank you very much. She’s got her three best friends and nothing can stop her from conquering the known world. Sure, for half a minute she thought she’d nearly drowned a cute guy at a party, but he was totally faking it. And fine, yes, she caused a scene during Ramadan. It’s all under control. Ish.

Except maybe this time she’s done a little more damage than she realizes. And if Lulu can’t find her way out of this mess soon, she’ll have to do more than repair friendships, family alliances, and wet clothing. She’ll have to go looking for herself.

Purchase Not the Girls You’re Looking For at Amazon
Purchase Not the Girls You’re Looking For at IndieBound
View Not the Girls You’re Looking For on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aminah Mae Safi is a Muslim-American writer who explores art, fiction, feminism, and film. She loves Sofia Coppola movies, Bollywood endings, and the Fast and Furious franchise. She’s the winner of the We Need Diverse Books short story contest. Originally raised in Texas, she now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her partner, a cat bent on world domination, and another cat who’s just here for the snacks. NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR is her first novel.

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Have you had a chance to read NOT THE GIRLS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR yet? Are you writing the book you needed as a teen? Why kind of external cues do you need to get into the writing headspace? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Charlotte, Anisaa, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, Emily, and Lori Ann

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: Jun 23, 2018

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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