Christian McKay Heidicker, author of ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WALLFLOWER, on allowing yourself to screw it up the first time

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re thrilled to have Christian McKay Heidicker stop by to tell us more about his latest novel, ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WALLFLOWER.

Christian, what was your inspiration for writing ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WALLFLOWER?

Ummmumumum . . . I wanted to write about a world where vampires and giant insects and flying saucers are everyday occurrences. I wrote an absolutely bonkers novel called World War Whatever, and my agent told me to dial it back a bit. I just happened to be reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (which is spectacular, btw), and I realized that a bonkers backdrop would be a lot more intriguing if there were a more heartfelt mother/daughter story in the forefront. Aaaaaaaaaaand here we are.

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’s a movie montage-esque chapter where it bounces between three different sequences, interspersed with lyrics from Rockin’ Robin. It was a tough balance to strike (there are no dialogue tags or anything), but once I had it, it really leapt off the page. (That’s what my girlfriend said, at least.) I’m a little sad because the original lyrics were from Doris Day’s A Guy Is a Guy (the creepiest song of all time), but I couldn’t secure the rights. ????

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

Ooh! Um . . . Grasshopper Jungle maybe? I read that shortly after I’d written the first draft of Wallflower and adored it. Andrew Smith masterfully captures a real experience within a bonkers sci-fi story. My instinct is to also recommend the movies that inspired my book, like THEM! and THE BAD SEED, the main character of which I boosted straight from the text and put in Wallflower.

What do you hope readers will take away from ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WALLFLOWER?

A beginning understanding of the male gaze and how it affects our society. Also how to best fight an army of a thousand bus-sized ants.

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 have been many aha moments, but one of my favorites is realizing that I can allow myself to really screw it up the first time around. There’s a lot of pressure to get the words exactly right, as if the reader is going to read the first thing you type. And they’re not! You’re going to be able to go over the work dozens more times. You can cut anything (or everything) and punch up the scenes that are dragging. I’ll probably do a couple drafts of these interview questions too.

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

I’m all over the bloody map. Sometimes I write at home. Sometimes at Noir Coffee around the corner. I almost always listen to music (Animal Collective, Dan Deacon, Andrew Bird, Joanna Newsom, 50s music, etc.), unless I’m really in it and don’t realize the album has ended.

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

Familiar words in a familiar order are boring. Unfamiliar words in an unfamiliar order are tiresome. But familiar words in an unfamiliar order are exciting.

What are you working on now?

I just turned in my final draft of Scary Stories for Young Foxes, which is a retelling of classic horror tales through the eyes of two very real fox kits. A rabies outbreak is a zombie story. A woman who taxidermies foxes is a witch story. And a white-furred thing that is camouflaged by snowdrifts and kidnaps fox kits out of their den is a ghost story. The book is out next summer, and in my humble opinion, it’s the best thing I’ve written.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower
by Christian McKay Heidicker
Hardcover
Simon & Schuster Books for You
Released 9/11/2018

Phoebe Lane is a lightning rod for monsters.

She and her mom are forced to flee flesh-eating plants, blobs from outer space, and radioactive ants. They survive thanks to Phoebe’s dad—an invisible titan, whose giant eyes warn them where the next monster attack will take place.

All Phoebe wants is to stop running from motel to motel and start living a monster-free life in New York or Paris. But when her mom mysteriously vanishes, Phoebe is left to fend for herself in small-town Pennybrooke.

That’s when Phoebe starts to transform…

Purchase Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower at Amazon
Purchase Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower at IndieBound
View Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christian McKay Heidicker watched a lot of TV as a kid. (Probably too much.) It disturbs/enthralls him to think that the characters he was watching were sentient. (They probably were.) Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower is his second novel. His first novel, Cure for the Common Universe, was about how he plays too many video games. Learn more at CMHeidicker.com.

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Have you had a chance to read ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WALLFLOWER yet? Are you able to let go of the pressure to get the words right the first time? Have you tried writing familiar words in an unfamiliar order? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, 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 15, 2018

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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