Brenda Drake, author of ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS, on writing scenes that crushed her heart

by Jocelyn Rish

ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS is the third book in the Library Jumpers series, and we’re beyond thrilled to have Brenda Drake with us to share more about it. Not only does Brenda do amazing things in the book community through Pitch Wars, Pitch Madness, and #PitMad, but she’s also one of the mentors in our First Five Pages Writing Workshop. Thanks for everything you do, Brenda!

Brenda, what was your inspiration for writing ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS?

My inspiration for ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS began with the first book in the Library Jumpers series. It was a coffee table book of the most beautiful libraries in the world. I came across it in a bookstore and thought it would be wonderful if I could jump to each of the amazing libraries featured in the book. Then I started imagining a battle in one of the libraries. I immediately bought the book, went home, and started drafting THIEF OF LIES.

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?

It was really hard to write a scene with Gia and Nick. It crushed my heart. I had tears dropping off my nose. I’m proud of that scene, but I had others that I was equally proud at how they turned out. Some broke my heart and others made my heart soar.

How long did you work on ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS?

ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS took longer to write than GUARDIAN OF SECRETS. It’s hard for me to know how long THIEF OF LIES took to write, since it was on submission for a while and I kept revising it. ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS took me four months to write the first draft and several weeks to revise. Then I had two rounds of edits with my publisher, copyedits, and proofs. I’d say it took a year to get it ready for publication.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on ANALISE RISING. It was pitched as The Da Vinci Code meets American Gods, about a teenage girl with the power to raise the dead who finds herself drawn into the middle of a battle between gods—and into the heart of a teenage boy who is as mischievous as he is handsome. It’s targeted to release in January 2019. The final book in my Fated series, SEEKING FATE, will release this June.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Assassin of Truths
by Brenda Drake
Hardcover
Entangled
Released 2/6/2018

The gateways linking the great libraries of the world don’t require a library card, but they do harbor incredible dangers.

And it’s not your normal bump-in-the-night kind. The threats Gia Kearns faces are the kind with sharp teeth and knifelike claws. Not to mention there’s an evil wizard trying to use his magical abilities to take her down. Because she has the keys to end his devious plan. That is, once she figures out what to do with them.?

With the handsome, cocky, and maybe-perfect-for-her Bastien by her side, Gia travels through the beautiful wizard havens and Mystik covens to gather the answers she seeks. The journey is harrowing, and it pits Gia against someone she loves. But there’s only one way to destroy her enemies—if she can uncover it before they catch up to her.

Because sometimes facing our demons is the only way out.

Purchase Assassin of Truths at Amazon
Purchase Assassin of Truths at IndieBound
View Assassin of Truths on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1), Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2), Touching Fate (Fated Series #1), and Cursing Fate (Fated Series #2). She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. She hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter pitch parties on the hashtag, #PitMad. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

—

Have you had a chance to read ASSASSIN OF TRUTHS yet? Have you participated in any of Brenda’s contests? Have they helped you get an agent? Have you had a story inspired by a coffee table book? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Anisaa, Charlotte, 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: Feb 11, 2018

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: Gloria Chao, author of AMERICAN PANDA, on giving a voice to underrepresented experiences Next: New Releases 02/12 - 02/18 plus 5 Giveaways →

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