Catherine Egan, author of JULIA DEFIANT, on unlocking the next book

by Jocelyn Rish

JULIA DEFIANT is book 2 in the The Witch’s Child series, and we’re excited to have Catherine Egan join us to share more about it.

Catherine, 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?

There is a scene in the middle of the book when several of the characters are at the Shou-shu monastery, a betrayal is revealed, and Bianka hands her baby son Theo to Julia. It’s a huge moment emotionally, because Bianka chooses to trust Julia – who betrayed her and kidnapped her son once before – with Theo’s life. But it’s also happening in the middle of a lot of action and fighting. Fight scenes are always tough – you want the writing to flow as fast as the fight, but you also need the important details in there. Scenes with a lot of characters present are hard too – you have to figure out the staging of it, what everybody is doing, make sure everybody is present and the reader has the full picture, but without bogging the scene down with description. That scene was really hard to pull off – a lot of action, a lot of characters, and this key emotional moment between two of the characters. I rewrote it so many times, but I am happy with it now.

My favorite scenes are often the ones that came the easiest – they seem to appear fully formed and don’t require much revision. Two of my favorite scenes from this book are when a super-creepy witch delves into Julia’s memories, and when Julia and her brother have a necessary conversation about their parents and their lives on the walls of the city. I also really love the final scene of the book, but I don’t want to give a spoilery description of that one!

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

This is a tricky question to answer, but I suppose that if you connect with Julia, then you are probably interested in complex, action-y fantasy, morally grey situations, and morally compromised protagonists – so I’d suggest books by Marie Lu, Kiersten White, and Marie Rutkoski.

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?

There are several AHA moments in the process of writing each book where I feel like I’ve finally figured it all out. Unfortunately, few of these moments carry over to the next book. It’s like when you have a second kid and you think that this time you know how to be a parent and you won’t screw everything up, except that it turns out the second kid is this TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON and requires totally different parenting. I have to figure out the key to writing each novel as I write it – in fact it’s sort of a collection of keys, and most of them are virtually useless when it comes to unlocking the next book. I suppose that realization is worth something in itself, though.

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

My ideal writing situation involves solitude, strong coffee, dark chocolate, and SILENCE. Sometimes I do work in cafes though, so I guess coffee is the only really crucial element. I also like to take a walk before I sit down to write, to help me think about the story. I do my best thinking in motion.

What are you working on now?

After years spent with Julia, the series is all but done (only final edits on the third book left) and so I am currently alternating between two new projects. One of them is a high-action fantasy revenge story (very loosely drawing on the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan) that has been ridiculously fun to write, and the other is more of an atmospheric, spooky, historical fantasy about obsession, set on an imaginary island in the Shetlands.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Julia Defiant
by Catherine Egan
Hardcover
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released 6/13/2017

Julia and a mismatched band of revolutionaries, scholars, and thieves have crossed the world searching for a witch. But for all the miles traveled, they are no closer to finding Ko Dan. No closer to undoing the terrible spell he cast that bound an ancient magic to the life of a small child. Casimir wants that magic, and will happily kill Theo to extract it. And every moment they hunt for Ko Dan, Casimir’s assassins are hunting them.

Julia can deal with danger. The thing that truly scares her lies within. Her strange ability to vanish to a place just out of sight has grown: she can now disappear so completely that it’s like stepping into another world. It’s a fiery, hellish world, filled with creatures who seem to recognize her and count her as one of their own.

So . . . is Julia a girl with a monster lurking inside her? Or a monster wearing the disguise of a girl?

If she can use her monstrous power to save Theo, does it matter?

In this riveting second book in the Witch’s Child trilogy, Catherine Egan goes deep within the heart of a fierce, defiant girl trying to discover not just who but what she truly is.

Purchase Julia Defiant at Amazon
Purchase Julia Defiant at IndieBound
View Julia Defiant on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Egan grew up in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, she has lived on a volcanic island in Japan (which erupted while she was there and sent her hurtling straight into the arms of her now husband), in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Beijing, on an oil rig in the middle of Bohai Bay, then in New Jersey, and now in New Haven, Connecticut.

She is currently occupied with writing books and fighting dragon armies with her warrior children. You can read more about her at catherineegan.com and follow her on Twitter at @ByCatherineEgan

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Have you had a chance to read JULIA DEFIANT yet? Are your favorite scenes the ones that come the easiest? Do you have to figure out the key to writing each novel as you write it? 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: Jun 17, 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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