Amy Fellner Dominy, author of DIE FOR YOU, on writing not being one-size-fits-all

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re thrilled to have Amy Fellner Dominy with us to share more about her latest novel DIE FOR YOU.

Amy, how long did you work on DIE FOR YOU?

I started DIE FOR YOU on July 2nd, 2014. It’s crazy that I remember the day—it never works that way for me—but this time I had a very clear image of the characters and a scene to start the book. (A scene I ended up cutting!) I finished it in December and spent about three months rewriting it. It went to my editor in February 2015. She loved it…and then proceeded to have me do three full revisions! 🙂 Every round of fixes made the book stronger (and my hair grayer) until finally, it was finished around August. So a little more than a year, altogether.

What do you hope readers will take away from DIE FOR YOU?

First, I hope they’ll say things like

Holy crud!

Why did he…

How did she…

I never thought…

Then, I hope readers will think about their own relationships—friendships and romantic ones. Are the people they spend time with supportive and caring? Is it an equal give-and-take? Or do they feel like they’re walking on eggshells just to keep the peace? I hope readers come away from this story understanding that love should lift you up, not pull you down. And that it’s okay to love yourself.

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

I write from a bagel shop near my house. I like to get away from home and all the distractions. I don’t listen to music, but I do sometimes listen to an App on my phone called Brainwaves. The idea is that it puts you into the right frequency for creative thinking. The program I listen to plays for 30 minutes and it feels like the time flies by. So maybe it does help with concentration. The important thing for each writer is to find the thing that works for them personally. Writing is definitely not a one-size-fits-all!

What are you working on now?

I’ve got a picture book coming from Disney next September. It’s called COOKIESAURUS REX and it’s the first of a two-book deal. I’m partnering with another writer on the project, Nate Evans, and I love the collaboration. Right now, we’re working on edits for the second book: A COOKIESAURUS CHRISTMAS. Working on picture books is so crazy different from novels. Revisions are much quicker and easier, as you’d expect, but every single word has to be exactly right. It’s been fun to say the least.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Die for You
by Amy Fellner Dominy
Hardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 11/8/2016

Not everything is as perfect as it seems in this dark romance by A Matter of Heart author, Amy Dominy.

Theirs was the perfect love story.

After Emma Lorde’s parents’ divorce forces her to move halfway across the state of Arizona to live with her father, Emma must face her senior year in a new school knowing absolutely no one.

Then she meets Dillon Hobbs and something just clicks.

Dillon introduces Emma to friends she can call her own. He provides a refuge from the chaos of her past and the security of a commitment that he promises will last forever. And because circumstances of her messy life forced Emma to put aside her dream of pursuing archaeology, Dillon creates a blueprint for a future together.

He saves her, over and over, by loving her more than she thought anyone ever would.

But just when everything seems picture-perfect, Emma is offered an opportunity that will upend the future they’ve planned. Uncertainty grows, and fear spirals into something darker.

Now Dillon is the one who needs saving.

But how much do you sacrifice for the one you love? What if saving Dillon means losing herself?

Purchase Die for You at Amazon
Purchase Die for You at IndieBound
View Die for You on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Fellner Dominy is the award-winning author of novels for teens and tweens including A MATTER OF HEART, an ALA Top 10 Sports Book for Youth; OyMG, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, and AUDITION & SUBTRACTION, a Bank Street College ‘Best Coming of Age’ novel. Next up: DIE FOR YOU, a dark romance for teens out 11/8/16.

And coming in 2017 from Disney, Amy’s first picture book, COOKIESAURUS REX, with writing partner Nate Evans.

—

Have you had a chance to read DIE FOR YOU yet? Have you tried the Brainwaves app? What is the thing that helps you write? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Michelle, Laura, and Kristin

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: Nov 12, 2016

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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