Ari Goelman, author of THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT, on thinking he’d figured out how to write a novel

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Ari Goelman join us to chat about his latest novel, THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT.

Ari, what book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

While I was writing THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT, I thought quite a bit about FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON — it’s an old science fiction story (turned novel) published well before I was born, which tells the story of a person with a cognitive disability who is treated and turns into a super genius. While it is a very different kind of novel than THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT, Lauren’s journey obviously resonates with the journey of the hero at the center of the novel.

How long did you work on THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT?

Honestly, hard to say. THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT was a pretty fast book for me to write. On the other hand, it was years between the time I started and the time I finished. (It was a very busy period of my life, between raising children, working a day job, and writing.) All told, it probably took quite a bit less than a year to actually write a first draft of THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT. Writing it went so smoothly, that at the time I really thought I had figured out how to write a novel. Now I’m not so sure. Sad face.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT?

Ha. So much. When I was writing it, I had no idea how timely THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT would feel when it came out. It’s a book about the importance of political truths and lies, and the twin dangers of naivete and mindless paranoia. In this current political climate, I hope that readers walk away questioning the facts they think they know and thinking hard about how to assess the truth for themselves.

How long or hard was your road to publication? How many books did you write before this one, and how many never got published?

Um. Pretty hard? I wrote two books, published one (my first book THE PATH OF NAMES, a middle grade fantasy about summer camp and ghosts), wrote another three books, and then THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT. Along the way, I also wrote dozens of short stories, about two dozen of which I managed to get published. (Details at: https://arigoelman.com/where-to-find-my-short-stories/).

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

I find it works best to mix it up. That said, I find I’m generally at my most productive if I work at a coffee shop or library with my ear buds in, listening to music with no words.

What are you working on now?

I have my next YA novel with my agent, Molly Ker Hawn, awaiting revisions, and I’m about halfway through a very rough draft of the next one. Both of them are YA fantasies set in Vancouver, but otherwise very different from one another.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Innocence Treatment
by Ari Goelman
Hardcover
Roaring Brook Press
Released 10/17/2017

You may believe the government protects you, but only one girl knows how they use you.

Lauren has a disorder that makes her believe everything her friends tell her–and she believes everyone is her friend. Her innocence puts her at constant risk, so when she gets the opportunity to have an operation to correct her condition, she seizes it. But after the surgery, Lauren is changed. Is she a paranoid lunatic with violent tendencies? Or a clear-eyed observer of the world who does what needs to be done?

Told in journal entries and therapy session transcripts, The Innocence Treatment is a collection of Lauren’s papers, annotated by her sister long after the events of the novel. A compelling YA debut thriller that is part speculative fiction and part shocking tell-all of genetic engineering and government secrets, Lauren’s story is ultimately an electrifying, propulsive, and spine-tingling read.

Purchase The Innocence Treatment at Amazon
Purchase The Innocence Treatment at IndieBound
View The Innocence Treatment on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ari Goelman is the award-winning author of novels for children and young adults. His debut novel, The Path of Names, won the Chocolate Lily Award (2014) and was shortlisted for the YA Sunburst Award (2014), the B.C. Book Prize Award (2014) and the Diamond Willow Award (2014). He has also published more than a dozen short stories in such publications as Strange Horizons, Talebones, and Daily Science Fiction. He is a past winner of the Writers of the Future competition, and a graduate of the Clarion West writers workshop. Ari earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Urban Studies. He has worked as a teacher, a writer, a researcher, an urban planner, a camp counselor, a stay-at-home father, and a host of other jobs. These days, in addition to writing fiction, he teaches research methods at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his family.

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Have you had a chance to read THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT yet?

How long does it take you to write a first draft?

And how long do you spend polishing?

Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Charlotte, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Erin, Martina, 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: Oct 21, 2017

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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