Caleb Roehrig, author of LAST SEEN LEAVING, on rolling with the punches

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re excited to have Caleb Roehrig here to share more about his debut novel LAST SEEN LEAVING.

Caleb, what was your inspiration for writing LAST SEEN LEAVING?

I had two inspirations! I wrote LSL in 2014, after reading a spate of truly excellent “missing persons” novels—GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn, THE GALTON CASE by Ross MacDonald, THE LADY IN THE LAKE by Raymond Chandler, PAPER TOWNS by John Green, and THE SONG IS YOU by Megan Abbott—and I was itching to write one of my own. At the same time, I was eager to tackle the subject of sexuality in a YA novel, and when I put the two half-notions together, the plot for LAST SEEN LEAVING came to me.

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

FAR FROM YOU by Tess Sharpe, AS I DESCENDED by Robin Talley, and THE DARKEST CORNERS by Kara Thomas are all top notch thrillers that I think readers of LAST SEEN LEAVING would enjoy; and, of course, I can’t let an opportunity to recommend books go by without mentioning SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli, I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, and Adam Silvera’s forthcoming HISTORY IS ALL YOU LEFT ME. They are all phenomenal.

How long did you work on LAST SEEN LEAVING?

I completed the first draft in about two and a half months; tweaks and revisions I went through with my editor happened in bursts over the next year, so I’m not sure how to factor those into the timeline!

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

I suppose I would say that it taught me to trust my own point of view. Flynn Doherty, the main character of LAST SEEN LEAVING, is far more like me than any other protagonist I’ve ever written; the self-acceptance issues he deals are the same I did at his age, and they were issues I was reluctant to tackle for fear that no one would want to read about them. From this novel, I’ve learned that I can share those experiences, and that it makes me a stronger writer when I do.

What do you hope readers will take away from LAST SEEN LEAVING?

I guess I’m hoping they’ll take away two things. Since it’s a thriller, I’m hoping readers will get their suspense fix and that they’ll enjoy the twists and the process of puzzling out the central mystery. In addition, as it explores some important subjects that are close to my heart, I hope readers will also—regardless of whether they’ve experienced the same thing—understand and relate to Flynn’s journey towards accepting himself.

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

I write at home, often with some caffeinated beverage or other close at hand! In the past I’ve been able to write at coffee shops, or with music playing in the background (always classical, always instrumental—anything else and I start singing along rather than focusing on my work.) However, when I’m in a particularly distractible state of mind, I’ll put my headphones on and listen to white noise. Another indispensable ritual for me is my run; I run every other day, and probably do at least 75% of my plotting and problem-solving in my head while I’m at it.

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

KEEP TRYING. I’m not sure I know any writers who hit a home run their first time at bat, and rejection is inevitable—even for established authors. There’s a certain amount of “rolling with the punches” you need to be able to do, and learning to take constructive criticism is a must, but persistence and perseverance are your greatest weapons.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Last Seen Leaving
by Caleb Roehrig
Hardcover
Feiwel & Friends
Released 10/4/2016

Flynn’s girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn’s girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can’t answer, and her friends are telling stories that don’t add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January’s boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January’s disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.

Purchase Last Seen Leaving at Amazon
Purchase Last Seen Leaving at IndieBound
View Last Seen Leaving on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caleb Roehrig is a writer and television producer originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Having also lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Helsinki, Finland, he has a chronic case of wanderlust, and can recommend the best sights to see on a shoestring budget in over thirty countries. A former actor, Roehrig has experience on both sides of the camera, with a résumé that includes appearances on film and TV—as well as seven years in the stranger-than-fiction salt mines of reality television. In the name of earning a paycheck, he has: hung around a frozen cornfield in his underwear, partied with an actual rock-star, chatted with a scandal-plagued politician, and been menaced by a disgruntled ostrich.

—

Have you had a chance to read LAST SEEN LEAVING yet? Do you trust your own point of view? Do you work out plot points while you exercise? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Michelle, Laura, and Kristin

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 8, 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: Shonna Slayton, author of SPINDLE, on diving in and exploring feelings Next: Katelyn Detweiler, author of TRANSCENDENT, on stepping outside your comfort zone →

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