Arwen Elys Dayton, author of TRAVELER, on tearing out a piece of yourself and sharing it with others

by Jocelyn Rish

TRAVELER is the second book in the Seeker series, and we’re excited to have Arwen Elys Dayton here to chat about it.

Arwen, what did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?

Writing TRAVELER, I discovered that your characters really do have an existence outside of yourself, and the more story you write for them, the more strong-willed and individual they become. When I wrote SEEKER, the first book in the series, it felt like Quin Kincaid listened to me at least some of the time. By the time I wrote TRAVELER, Quin and Shinobu and John (and even Maud) told me how things were going to be. As punishment, I really put them through the wringer in this book. We have to see what they’re made of, right?

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

There’s a chapter in TRAVELER where Shinobu is struggling with a new addiction, and he has to choose between acting on his impulses or helping Quin. It was hard to write, because he doesn’t necessarily make the right decision – and I love Shinobu (and Shinobu loves Quin, that’s a fact), so I hate to see him do the wrong thing. But most of us have had someone in our lives (maybe even ourselves) who did the wrong thing and knew it. It’s never a good feeling.

I like that scene with Shinobu a lot, but if I had to choose a favorite scene in the book, it might be one that takes place in a frozen cave, between a boy named Nott and the rat he’s having a heart-to-heart conversation with.

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

When I do book tours, I’m amazed at how many people, especially kids (but grown-ups too) want to write. Because writing is about communicating something from your own unique point of view, and since each one of us is different from everyone else in at least some small way, the idea of lots and lots of writers means lots of stories from unexpected points of view, lots of stories that show me the world in entirely original ways.

My advice to other writers is to embrace what YOU bring to a story, which I guess is a way of saying embrace yourself. Be willing to tear out a piece of yourself and share it with others. The piece of you doesn’t have to be secret or intimate or embarrassing, though secret, intimate and embarrassing things often make wonderful stories. It can be your love of adventure, or your disike of relatives who overstay their welcome, or your ambivalence about boyfriends who wear old sneakers, or your secret dreams or whatever. I think you get what I’m saying, right? It’s your take on the story, what interests you and inspires you, that will make the story draw the rest of us in.

Also, if there’s something specific you’d like to ask me, you can send me your question. I do a weekly video called 1 QUESTION, 2 MINUTES, in which I answer questions about writing, editing, publishing and all sorts of things. You can check it out on arwendayton.com or on YouTube.

What are you working on now?

Book 3 of the Seeker series! It’s called DISRUPTOR, and I’m excited and terrified about what happens to the characters. Quin, Shinobu, John and Maud have uncovered a larger and larger world in books 1 and 2, and in DISRUPTOR, this world of Seekers comes to a major crossroads and things get a bit wild, and also possibly a little bit romantic and a lot emotional.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Traveler
by Arwen Elys Dayton
Hardcover
Delacorte Press
Released 1/12/2016

For readers of A Game of Thrones and Legend: Traveler, the sequel to Seeker.

Quin Kincaid is a Seeker. Her legacy is an honor, an ancient role passed down for generations. But what she learned on her Oath night changed her world forever.

Quin pledged her life to deception. Her legacy as a Seeker is not noble but savage. Her father, a killer. Her uncle, a liar. Her mother, a casualty. And the boy she once loved is out for vengeance, with her family in his sights.

Yet Quin is not alone. Shinobu, her oldest companion, might now be the only person she can trust. The only one who wants answers as desperately as she does.

But the deeper they dig into the past, the darker things become. There are long-vanished Seeker families, shadowy alliances, and something else: a sinister plan begun generations ago, with the power to destroy them all.

The past is close. And it will destroy them all.

Purchase Traveler at Amazon
Purchase Traveler at IndieBound
View Traveler on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arwen Elys Dayton spends months doing research for her stories. Her explorations have taken her around the world to places like the Great Pyramid (which she explored by flashlight when researching Resurrection), Hong Kong and its many islands, and lots of ruined castles in Scotland. She enjoys creating complete worlds inhabited by characters who charm, frustrate or inspire.

Arwen lives with her husband and their three children on the West Coast of the United States. You can visit her at arwendayton.com and follow @arwenelysdayton on Twitter and Instagram, or reach her by email at arwenelysdayton@gmail.com.
—

Have you had a chance to read TRAVELER yet? Does it seem like your characters have an existence outside of you? Are you writing about what interests and inspires you? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Lisa, Susan, 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: Jan 16, 2016

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

Welcome to Transmedia Mutts

Yellow origami dog on a teal background

Unleash your creative bark!

Shout out to AYAP!

Logo for Adventures in YA Publishing

Thank you to the women who started Adventures in YA Publishing and ran it for years. AYAP and TMM have merged to form Adventures in PUPlishing, and the legacy AYAP posts are now part of TMM. Click here to learn more about the earlier AYAP team.

Click to Join our Facebook Group

Share advice, practice pitching, celebrate successes, and support each other through writing and publishing adventures.

← Previous: Jan Gangsei, author of ZERO DAY, on not being afraid to chuck something and start over Next: Best of AYAP: Choices →

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.

Dog holding a sign that says Pupdates!

Sign up for our newsletter for pupdates and publishing advice