Christian McKay Heidicker, author of CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE, on reading outside your genre

by Jocelyn Rish

CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE is the debut from Christian McKay Heidicker, and we’re thrilled to have him join us to chat about writing.

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

One morning I woke up and had an idea about a kid trapped in video game rehab. I sat down at my Remington and began to type. Four days later, I sent the manuscript, snail mail, to the offices of Simon & Schuster. They immediately bought it for a handsome sum. It was my first book. I’ve heard that other writers’ roads to publishing are slightly more diffic–OKAY, FINE, I’M LYING. It took me ten years and six (6!) books before I published CURE. And guess what? A friend of mine suggested the story. I can’t think about it much because it’s very difficult to write this from the fetal position.

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

Read outside of your genre. J. R. R. Tolkien studied language. C. S. Lewis studied theology. J. K. Rowling studied mysteries. George R.R. Martin studied history. Orson Scott Card studied military strategy. Their books feel alive because they were bringing brand-new flavors to the tired fantasy/sci-fi genre. Gone with the Wind helped me feel comfortable with making my main character more distasteful. Oh, Scarlett O’Hara, will you ever stop giving?

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a horror movie pastiche set in 1958. The protagonist, Phoebe Darrow, lives in a world of giant radioactive ants, brain-sucking aliens and teen-devouring blobs. She and her mother move from motel to motel, trying to avoid these disasters. The problem is that these events are all so commonplace that Phoebe’s almost bored with them. She’s had to emotionally separately herself from people in order to deal with the deaths. (I should probably mention that she and her mother are the only ones who can see a giant man who fills the sky, wearing a bathrobe and wielding a remote control, waiting to be entertained by these horrors.)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Cure for the Common Universe
by Christian McKay Heidicker
Hardcover
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Released 6/14/2016

Prepare to be cured by this quirky and hilarious debut novel about a sixteen-year-old loner who is sent to rehab for video game addiction—perfect for fans of Ned Vizzini and Jesse Andrews.

Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab…ten minutes after meeting a girl. A living, breathing girl named Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him.

Jaxon’s first date. Ever.

In rehab, Jaxon can’t blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He can’t slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has four days to earn one million points by learning real-life skills. And he’ll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date.

If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens in treatment, confront his mother’s absence, and maybe admit that it’s more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection.

From a bright new voice in young adult literature comes the story of a young man with a serious case of arrested development—and carpal tunnel syndrome—who is about to discover what real life is all about.

Purchase Cure for the Common Universe at Amazon
Purchase Cure for the Common Universe at IndieBound
View Cure for the Common Universe on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian Heidicker is an awfully charming young author from Utah. Cure for the Common Universe is his debut novel. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more at CMHeidicker.com.

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Have you had a chance to read CURE FOR THE COMMON UNIVERSE yet? Do you read outside your genre? Do you try to bring brand-new flavors to your genre? 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: Jun 18, 2016

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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← Previous: Kate Karyus Quinn, Author of Down with the Shine, on the Highs and Lows of Pacing Next: Jennifer Donnelly, author of SEA SPELL, on saying goodbye to 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.

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