Arwen Elys Dayton, author of STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL, on discomfort being the stepping stones to a story

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Arwen Elys Dayton swing by to share more about her latest novel, STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL.

Arwen, what was your inspiration for writing STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL?

We are at a frontier in medicine and biology. Since the DNA editing tool known as CRISPR became widely known, in about 2012, there has been an exponential increase in the ability to change the genetic code—in humans as well as other species. Beyond CRISPR, there are tremendous advances in other areas, such as growing human-compatible organs in pigs, building organs from scratch in the lab, and selecting the exact right embryo to become your future child.

The first priority for all of these technologies will of course be to fight disease and prevent suffering. There are thousands of inherited disorders cause by a mutation in a single gene. If you could use a tool like CRISPR to fix that gene, shouldn’t you? And likewise, if we could edit our own immune cells to turn them into cancer-fighting super-warriors, shouldn’t we? Almost everyone would agree that we should. But genetically removing disease from the human species opens the door to other changes that are more difficult to categorize. If we could make our children less prone to accumulating plaque in their arteries, for example, would that be combating an illness or would it be a sort of unnatural enhancement? What about determining height? Eye color? Intelligence? There are some groups of people, in remote parts of the world, who live very long lives on average. If we took a few of their genes and added them to our children’s DNA, would we be warding off the “disease” of aging, or would we be fundamentally altering the characteristics of the next generation?

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful was a way for me to explore these questions through intimate, emotional stories that made me both enchanted with and also slightly terrified by what may await us in the decades to come. More enchanted than terrified, I think—because I am an optimistic person.

In the book, there are semi-identical twins who are both dying of organ failure. When one falls into a vegetative state, the decision is made to harvest the healthy tissue from her organs to rebuild her brother’s and give him a chance at life. It is an understandable decision, but that doesn’t make it any easier to live with. Later on, there is a boy who was modified, when he was only an embryo in a petri dish, to increase his intelligence—with unexpected results. What happens to a “designer baby” whose design doesn’t work out? Beneath the personal are medical issues that become political and even religious debates. What if governments cannot agree on which human alterations should be allowed? Should a country, given the technological capability to do so, have a right to forcibly modify its convicts, for example, turning them into half-machine, worker-slaves for the duration of their prison sentence? What is the line between human and no-longer-human, and when are we in danger of crossing it?

These conundrums were my inspiration and they lie at the heart of Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful.

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

My writing ritual is mostly about being uncomfortable. I have to be willing to be uncomfortable for a while if I’m ever going to get started on a new book.

When starting on a new story, I’m usually quite excited about what I want to write, but I haven’t figured out how to write it. That leap from zero to one appears to be infinite, and while I’m still at zero I feel ill at ease, restless, fidgety. Honestly I’d rather do anything else than sit in front of a computer or a blank pad of paper.

And the world is full of amazing distractions. As but two examples, did you know there are videos of people grooming baby owls with Q-tips and also endless streams TV shows you can watch at any time of day and for as long as you want on something called Netflix? Of course you did. These things are like drugs custom made to remove any hint of mental discomfort or boredom.

But…for me, at least, discomfort and boredom are the stepping stones to a story. If I can simply live with those feelings, and with a blank page, for a few hours, a story will begin to appear. And once I’m actually writing, things are easier. I start to enjoy myself.

Until the next time, of course.

What do you hope readers will take away from STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL?

The future of the human species is being created right now, in university research labs and biotech companies all over the world. I hope Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful allows you to experience what that future may be like—beautiful, sad, frightening, and hopeful—through the eyes of young people living in it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
by Arwen Elys Dayton
Hardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 12/4/2018

The future is curious.

This novel in six parts is a look at the unlimited possibilities of biotech advances and the ethical quandaries they will provoke. Dayton shows us a near and distant future in which we will eradicate disease, extend our lifespans, and reshape the human body. The results can be heavenly—saving the life of your dying child; and horrific—the ability to modify convicts into robot slaves. Deeply thoughtful, poignant, horrifying, and action-packed, this novel is groundbreaking in both form and substance. Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful examines how far we will go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen, and what it means to be human at all.

STRONGER

Today our bodies define us. We color our hair; tattoo our skin; pierce our ears, brows, noses. We lift weights, run miles, break records. We are flesh and blood and bone.

FASTER

Tomorrow has different rules. The future is no longer about who we are–it’s about who we want to be. If you can dream it, you can be it. Science will make us smarter, healthier, flawless in every way. Our future is boundless.

MORE BEAUTIFUL

This is a story that begins tomorrow. It’s a story about us. It’s a story about who comes after us. And it’s a story about perfection. Because perfection has a way of getting ugly.

Purchase Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful at Amazon
Purchase Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful at IndieBound
View Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arwen Elys Dayton’s new novel is Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, out on December 4, 2018. She is the best-selling author of the Egyptian sci-fi thriller Resurrection and the near-future Seeker Series. She spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid at Giza, Hong Kong, and the Baltic Sea, as well as down many scientific rabbit holes. Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on West Coast of the United States. You can visit her and learn more about her books at arwenelysdayton.com and follow @arwenelysdayton on Instagram and Facebook.

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Have you had a chance to read STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL yet? Do you need to be uncomfortable to start writing? Are you now going to look up videos of people grooming baby owls with Q-tips? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, and Kelly

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: Dec 7, 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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