Chelsea Pitcher, author of THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU, on needing to write practice novels

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re thrilled to have Chelsea Pitcher here to tell us more about her latest novel, THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU.

Chelsea, what was your inspiration for writing THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU?

The story was inspired by Clue, the board game and the movie. Five characters are invited to a beautiful mansion, only to realize they’ve been lured by someone who knows all of their secrets. Is this person hiding behind the scenes? Standing right in front of them? Or maybe it’s a conspiracy, and everyone is guilty of something. The fun part is, you get to be the detective and figure out who did what… Before it’s too late.

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

Before THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU got published, I’d written six novels. Three of them were published. Three of them were not—for good reason. Now, I get to think of those as my practice novels. I needed to write them in order to write what came next.

Overall, it took me about ten years to get published, but not all of that time was spent writing. Some of it was spent studying in school. Some of it was spent out in the world having adventures. And, all the while, I was reading fabulous books, learning from the best teachers out there: authors.

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

I’d just finished the DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE series when I started writing this book, which is funny, because in terms of genre, the books are totally different. But Laini Taylor taught me so much about how to write third person multi-POV— to create a large cast of characters, each with a distinct voice and perspective, whose stories weave together to reveal a tapestry. I don’t think I would’ve been able to write this book without reading her series first.

Beyond that, there are elements of WE WERE LIARS, ONE OF US IS LYING, and the Christopher Pike books I read as a teen. Books that keep you guessing about the truth, and keep you studying each character’s version of the events… those books will resonate most with fans of THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This Lie Will Kill You
by Chelsea Pitcher
Hardcover
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Released 12/11/2018

One year ago, there was a party.
At the party, someone died.
Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth.

But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. Of course…some things are too good to be true. They were each so desperate for the prize, they didn’t question the odd, rather exclusive invitation until it was too late.

Now, they realize they’ve been lured together by a person bent on revenge, a person who will stop at nothing to uncover what actually happened on that deadly night, one year ago.

Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free?
Or will their lies destroy them all?

Purchase This Lie Will Kill You at Amazon
Purchase This Lie Will Kill You at IndieBound
View This Lie Will Kill You on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chelsea Pitcher is a karaoke-singing, ocean-worshipping Oregonian with a penchant for twisty mysteries. She began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. Chelsea is the author of The S-Word and This Lie Will Kill You. You can visit her at ChelseaPitcher.com and follow her on Twitter at @Chelsea_Pitcher.

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Have you had a chance to read THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU yet? How many practice novels have you written? Are you learning from other authors as you read? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, and Kelly

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: Dec 15, 2018

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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← Previous: New Releases this week 12/10 - 12/16 plus Giveaway of THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU Next: New Releases this week 12/17 - 12/23 plus Giveaway for THE GIRL WITH THE BROKEN HEART →

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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