Brian Katcher, DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM, on being in Deacon’s shoes himself

by Jocelyn Rish

We are excited to be joined by Brian Katcher as he enlightens us on his latest novel, DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM.

Brian, what was your inspiration for writing DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM?

My editor, Claudia Gabel, actually came up with the general plot. Promposals are big now, and she gave me this assignment. I fell in love with the idea right away.

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?

The prom scene was the most difficult, as it’s there in the title and everything. I knew I couldn’t screw that up. The most fun scene was where Deacon finally gets the courage to ask out Soraya, his dance instructor and she shows up at his house…with another guy. Been there myself.

What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE by Christian McKay Heidicker. Another great story about an awkward guy going on his first date in the most complicated way possible.

How long did you work on DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM?

About a year and a half, including rewrites.

What did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?

To listen to my editor. I tried to avoid making Deacon a charmingly awkward guy at first and ended up with a character about as sexy and likable as Frankenstein’s monster. When I took Claudia’s advice and made him more human, the book wound up much better.

What do you hope readers will take away from DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM?

That it’s easy to build a prison out of your own insecurities and that if you allow yourself to be ruled by your fears, you’re going to miss out on a lot of great opportunities. Also, I hope my readers will view this books as the greatest work of literature ever penned by man.

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

I bought a copy of Writer’s Market 2006 and wrote to every publisher in the US, Canada and the UK. They all turned me down. I was ready to give up on my first book, PLAYING WITH MATCHES, when I entered it into a contest and it caught the eye of an editor, the same editor I still work with today. I currently have three and a half unpublished books. One had actually been accepted for publication and I’d been paid the advance. We were discussing cover art when it was unexpectedly cancelled.

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

I cannot stand noise when I’m writing, no TV, no music. I lock myself in my office, pace the floor, talk to myself, edit Wikipedia, look up old friends, order crap online, and curse the day we got WiFi. At around one in the morning I tend to hit my stride, at which time I have to go to bed.

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

Don’t give up. Twenty years ago, some editor passed on the full rights to the Harry Potter series.

What are you working on now?

A book written in four separate points of view. What on earth was I thinking?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Deacon Locke Went to Prom
by Brian Katcher
Hardcover
Katherine Tegen Books
Released 5/9/2017

In this funny, offbeat, and smile-inducing contemporary romance from award-winning author Brian Katcher, the love life of an awkward teen takes an unforgettable turn after he brings his grandmother to prom.

Promposals are taking over Deacon Locke’s high school and there is no place left to hide. But even with graduation looming, shy and unusually tall Deacon doesn’t think he can get up the nerve to ask anyone to the dance. Especially given all the theatrics.

It isn’t until Deacon confides in his witty and outgoing best friend Jean that he realizes she could be a great person to take. Only problem is Jean isn’t your typical prom date. She’s older. A lot older. And she’s Deacon’s grandmother.

But when Deacon meets Soraya—a girl unlike any other he’s ever met—he fears he has totally squandered his chances of having a prom he’ll never forget. Deacon couldn’t be more wrong. About everything.

Purchase Deacon Locke Went to Prom at Amazon
Purchase Deacon Locke Went to Prom at IndieBound
View Deacon Locke Went to Prom on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Katcher was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1975. He attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, before dropping out of society and bumming around Mexico for three years. He’s worked as a fry cook, a market researcher, a welding machine operator, a telemarketer (only lasted one day), and a furniture mover. He lived on an Israeli military base one summer, and once smuggled food into Cuba. When he’s not writing, he works as a school librarian. He lives in central Missouri with his wife and daughter. He still hasn’t paid the parking ticket he got in West Virginia in 1997.

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Have you had a chance to read DEACON LOCKE WENT TO PROM yet? What is the best or most extravagant promposal you have seen or heard about? Have you tried to make your character into something they shouldn’t be? How did you solve the problem? Are you excited to see Brian Katcher’s next book with four separate point of views? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, 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: May 13, 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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