Danielle Banas, author of THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME, on wanting readers to laugh out loud

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Danielle Banas join us to chat about her debut novel, THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME.

Danielle, what was your inspiration for writing THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME?

So many things inspired Supervillain. One of my characters is a total superhero fangirl, and most of her reactions throughout the book are reminiscent of my high school and college years when I fangirled way too hard over Nick Jonas. Seriously. Way too hard. In addition to that, there are multiple musical theater scenes that are heavily inspired by my own experiences participating in my high school’s musical theater program. The fall musical that a few of my characters participate in is a completely fictional show, but it’s actually a mashup of two shows that I did while in school – Once on This Island and Little Shop of Horrors.

But of course this book wouldn’t exist without my deep love of superheroes, namely, Spider-Man. It’s almost sickening how much of a fan I am. If I had gone to high school with Peter Parker, I definitely would have had a huge crush on him, so in a lot of ways writing a book about a bunch of nerdy superheroes was my ultimate form of wish fulfillment.

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?

The entire second half of the book was tough to write, unfortunately. When I wrote the first draft, I was mainly doing it for my own enjoyment; I never imagined that the story would eventually be published, so I outlined very little of it. I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted the first half to go, but then I hit the second half and was like, “Oh crap. Now what?” Luckily, sometimes the characters will tell you how they want the story to be written, and I’m really happy with how it all turned out.

As for scenes that I love, any scene where I get to write a snarky one-liner makes me really proud. I’m definitely guilty of laughing at my own jokes from time to time. Oops. Also, all the scenes between my main character, Abby, and her brother, Connor, give me the warm-and-fuzzies. They tease each other mercilessly, but deep down they really do care tremendously for each other. I’m an only child, but if I had a sibling, I’d love to have the relationship that Abby and Connor have.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME?

I just hope they have as much fun reading it as I did while writing it! Laughing out loud (or at least a chuckle or two) while reading is definitely encouraged. That’s always my number one goal when it comes to writing. Life is stressful and sometimes it’s really hard to unwind after a rough day, so if you pick up this book and you smile or laugh or leave the story feeling a bit happier than you did before you started, then I’ve done my job.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Supervillain and Me
by Danielle Banas
Hardcover
Swoon Reads
Released 7/10/2018

Never trust a guy in spandex.

In Abby Hamilton’s world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees―they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby’s older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind.

That is, until the city’s newest vigilante comes bursting into her life.

After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston’s fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he’s not as evil as everyone says, and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city’s darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can’t always be trusted, and sometimes it’s the good guys who wear black.

Purchase The Supervillain and Me at Amazon
Purchase The Supervillain and Me at IndieBound
View The Supervillain and Me on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Banas, a Pittsburgh native, earned a degree in communication from Robert Morris University. After years spent dreaming up characters instead of paying attention in class, Danielle joined the storytelling platform Wattpad, where her work has received millions of views online. When she isn’t writing, she can be found loudly singing show tunes, spouting off Walt Disney World trivia, and snuggling with her puppy. THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME is her debut novel.

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Have you had a chance to read THE SUPERVILLAIN AND ME yet? Do your characters tell you how they want the story to be written? Do you have fun writing that you hope is passed to the readers? 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: Jul 12, 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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