Calla Devlin, author of RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME, on sharing your voice and story

by Jocelyn Rish

We’ve had so many amazing authors provide interviews lately that we’re spreading them out to Tuesdays and Thursdays rather than overwhelming our readers with writing wisdom on Saturdays.

We’re excited to have Calla Devlin stop by to chat about her latest novel, RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME.

Calla, what was your inspiration for writing RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME?

I’ve always admired journalists, and even wanted to be one when I first went to college. In today’s world, news is extremely important and I regard journalists as essential as doctors. I took my admiration and created a novel about a journalist taken hostage while covering an earthquake, and how his daughter, an aspiring photojournalist, tries to do whatever she can to save him.

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 main character, Charlotte, isn’t close to her mother. She’s much closer to her father, but in his absence, she and her mother spend a great deal of time together. They make a lot of assumptions about each other, and Charlotte especially misinterprets her mother in many ways. There’s a pivotal scene where Charlotte is trying to connect with her mom, but the conversation falls apart and Charlotte feels awful. They manage to work through that and come together. For the first time in a while, Charlotte feels seen by her mom. She feels loved.

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

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Russian folklore.

How long did you work on RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME?

I wrote this one fairly quickly—a year—compared to my first novel, which took years and years.

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

After writing Tell Me Something Real, I had a better understanding of how to write about families, especially grief. This novel came easier after having my first book under my belt. It’s easier for me to occupy the mind of a character more than their external lives, anything beyond an intense relationship. I learned a lot about that process.

What do you hope readers will take away from RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME?

This novel is about a girl finding not only her voice, but the best way to express it. I hope that readers will recognize themselves in that. We all have a story and a point of view. Our voices matter. I hope readers will find the best medium to tell their stories, just as Charlotte did.

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’m very fortunate and grateful to have a home with Atheneum Books/Simon & Schuster Publishers. My brilliant editor worked with me on Right Where You Left Me after publishing my first novel, Tell Me Something Real.

Was there an AHA! moment along your road to publication where something suddenly sank in and you felt you had the key to writing a novel? What was it?

Oh my, I don’t know if I will ever feel like I have the key to writing the novel. If someone does, please email me! I’d love to hear it.

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

I can work just about anywhere and music is a must! I create long playlists and then listen to the same songs over and over again as I write. It drives my family insane. My children beg me to change the music. I love taking writing retreats and going to someplace quiet and hunkering down to write for days on end, only stopping to take long walks, eat, and hopefully sleep.

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

You have a voice and a story. Share it!

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a novel about two best friends who find themselves in a very dangerous and harmful situation. They both have very different views about the event and how they should move forward—at the risk of losing their friendship.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Right Where You Left Me
by Calla Devlin
Hardcover
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Released 9/5/2017

In search of the perfect story to put a human face on a tragedy for his newspaper, my dad will fly into the eye of the storm. And now he’s heading to Ukraine, straight into the aftermath of a deadly earthquake. I don’t want him to leave. I don’t want to spend the week alone in a silent house with my mother, whose classically Russian reserve has built a wall between us that neither of us knows how to tear down. But I don’t tell him this. I don’t say stay.

I think I’m holding it together okay—until the FBI comes knocking on our door. Now it’s all I can do to fight off the horrifying images in my head. The quake has left so many orphans and widows, but Mom and I refuse to be counted among them. Whatever it takes to get Dad back, I’ll do it. Even if it means breaking a promise…or the law.

Purchase Right Where You Left Me at Amazon
Purchase Right Where You Left Me at IndieBound
View Right Where You Left Me on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Calla Devlin is the author of Tell Me Something Real, a finalist for the PEN Literary Award and the Morris Award, and Right Where You Left Me. A Pushcart nominee and winner of the Best of Blood and Thunder Award, her stories have been included in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Originally from California, she lives in Iowa with her family.

—

Have you had a chance to read RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME yet? Have you written a story about an occupation you admire? Do you listen to the same songs over and over again as you write? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, 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: Sep 7, 2017

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: Tawni Waters, author of THE LONG RIDE HOME, on answering the question “What happens next?” Next: Wendelin Van Draanen, author of WILD BIRD, on learning things about yourself from your characters →

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