Courtney C. Stevens, author of DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS, on writing in a way that pleases you

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re thrilled to have Courtney C. Stevens stop by to tell us more about her latest novel, DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS.
Court, how long did you work on DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS?

Somewhere between how long it takes to get ready for prom and how long it takes to plan a wedding.

I had the initial spark of Dress Codes in April of 2014. I workshopped the concept with dear friends at a writing retreat and drafted 75 pages in summer of that year. Following the sale, three iterations followed. One in summer of 2015, another in November, back when I called the novel Dressing the Part. Editorial revisions and fantastic critique partner suggestions unlocked key changes to mood and structure in March of 2016. That third version landed. It took two years to march from novel idea to novel execution. Honestly, I want ideas/novels swishing around–like Dawn on a greasy pan–for as long as I can afford to wait, but these days, I’m focused on cutting the number of words I throw out to get to a version I love and keep.

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

I start by pouring two rings of sugar and three rings of pink Himalayan sea salt around my computer. This bribes the muse to appear. I promptly feed her tacos, because muses, like dragons, love tacos. After the tacos and wet wipes, we post the taco photo on instagram, and then we begin. I dress in black for each and every occasion. Except for my left big toenail, which I paint Kentucky blue.

I wish I had a ritual.

Unfortunately, being an author is always at war with being a writer. However, when I scrape together days at home, they look like this: real clothes, at my desk by 8:00, lunch, exercise, work until 6:30 p.m. When I’m drafting, I’m back at my desk after dinner. I listen to music and often the same music through an entire project. I choose to write at home because I am a dragon and dragons need their lair and treasures, but also because writing out of house means I need to be a respectful patron, and patronage gets expensive.

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

Listening to advice from writers is like reading the comments section. Be careful. Results may vary.

I think, your goal is to figure out how to write in a way that pleases you, and if you want to publish, also pleases an audience. Walk into any bookstore and you’ll seen there are thousands of routes to that destination. Don’t get caught up on the ONE WAY until you figure out your way. And don’t get caught up on YOUR WAY if it’s not getting you the audience you want.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dress Codes for Small Towns
by Courtney C. Stevens
Hardcover
HarperTeen
Released 8/22/2017

As the tomboy daughter of the town’s preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. She’d rather wear sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee.

But when Janie Lee confesses to Billie that she’s in love with Woods, Billie’s filled with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is also in love with Woods…and maybe with Janie Lee, too.

Always considered “one of the guys,” Billie doesn’t want anyone slapping a label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group dynamic. Except it’s not just about keeping the peace, it’s about understanding love on her terms—this thing that has always been defined as a boy and a girl falling in love and living happily ever after. For Billie—a box-defying dynamo—it’s not that simple.

Readers will be drawn to Billie as she comes to terms with the gray areas of love, gender, and friendship, in this John Hughes-esque exploration of sexual fluidity.

Purchase Dress Codes for Small Towns at Amazon
Purchase Dress Codes for Small Towns at IndieBound
View Dress Codes for Small Towns on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Courtney “Court” Stevens grew up among rivers, cornfields, churches, and gossip in the small town south. She is a former adjunct professor, youth minister, and Olympic torchbearer. She has a pet whale named Herman, a bandsaw named Rex, and several novels with her name on the spine: Faking Normal, The Lies About Truth, the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, and forthcoming Dress Codes for Small Towns. As an educator and author, she visits schools, designs retreats, and teaches workshops on marketing, revision, character development, and Channeling Your Brave. She also likes chips and queso and feels deeply sorry for the lactose intolerant.

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Have you had a chance to read DRESS CODES FOR SMALL TOWNS yet? Do you let your ideas swish around? Have you figured out your way to 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: Aug 26, 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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