Elizabeth Eulberg, author of JUST ANOTHER GIRL, on only putting our best selves forward

by Jocelyn Rish

This isn’t just another author interview, in this interview we get to connect with Elizabeth Eulberg and hear more about her latest novel JUST ANOTHER GIRL.

Elizabeth, what was your inspiration for writing JUST ANOTHER GIRL?

I was on tour years ago with Jackson Pearce who was talking about her The Little Mermaid retelling, Fathomless. She mentioned that in the original Hans Christian Andersen version, the girl engaged to the prince wasn’t this evil witch (like in the Disney movie), but she was just another girl. It made me think about how in so many love triangle stories that girlfriend is a Mean Girl. I wanted to play with that expectation.

How long did you work on JUST ANOTHER GIRL?

I came up with the idea in 2012. Yep. But I had other books to work on so I spent years thinking about these two characters, Parker and Hope. I sat down to write it at the beginning of 2015 and finished it by the end of the year, then worked with my editor on the edits for awhile. It was definitely a process! Although most books take two years from writing to coming out.

What do you hope readers will take away from JUST ANOTHER GIRL?

To not judge someone by what you think you know about them, especially online. We only put our best selves forward. Years after high school, I found out all these things about close friends of mine and what they were going through at the time. It’s amazing how you think you know everything about a person, but you really don’t.

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

I usually work at home, but can work in a coffee shop. I just need my notebook (with my outline for the day) and headphones for music. I have to write to music. But oddly enough, I don’t like reading to music.

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

Keep going. There were (and if I’m being honest, still are) many times I wanted to give up. Writing can be hard, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Also read, a lot.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the third book in my middle-grade series, The Great Shelby Holmes (the second book, The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match comes out in September). And I just finished the first draft of what will hopefully be my next YA. It’s very different for me so I’m both excited and terrified about it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just Another Girl
by Elizabeth Eulberg
Hardcover
Point
Released 3/28/2017

You resent her. You can’t stand her. You might even hate her.

But you don’t know her at all.

Hope knows there’s only one thing coming between her and her longtime crush: his girlfriend, Parker. She has to sit on the sidelines and watch as the perfect girl gets the perfect boy . . . because that’s how the universe works, even though it’s so completely wrong.

Parker doesn’t feel perfect. She knows if everyone knew the truth about her, they’d never be able to get past it. So she keeps quiet. She focuses on making it through the day with her secret safe . . . even as this becomes harder and harder to do. And Hope isn’t making it any easier. . . .

In Just Another Girl, Elizabeth Eulberg astutely and affectingly shows us how battle lines get drawn between girls — and how difficult it then becomes to see or understand the girl standing on the other side of the divide.

You think you have an enemy. But she’s just another girl.

Purchase Just Another Girl at Amazon
Purchase Just Another Girl at IndieBound
View Just Another Girl on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Better Off Friends, We Can Work it Out, and The Great Shelby Holmes. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick. Visit her at her website to learn more.

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Have you had a chance to read JUST ANOTHER GIRL yet? Did you connect with Elizabeth’s reflection on not knowing what others are going through? Did you like her spin on the classic love triangle not being shared with the “mean girl girlfriend”? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin,
Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, 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: Apr 1, 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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