Emily Bain Murphy, author of THE DISAPPEARANCES, on fighting to find the beauty in life

by Jocelyn Rish

We are delighted to have Emily Bain Murphy join us today to share more about her debut novel, THE DISAPPEARANCES.

Emily, 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?

I cried when I wrote a certain scene of Aila remembering her mother. I’ve heard that if you don’t shed tears when you’re writing then you can’t expect readers to when they’re reading—so I really allowed myself to plumb the difficult depths of those feelings that day.

There’s also a certain kissing scene that I love—but those are actually really hard to write! Hopefully, if I’ve done it right, both of those high and low point scenes will give readers the full range of feels.
What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

I think readers who enjoy something with a more classic feel will enjoy this. Some of my favorite books growing up definitely influence my writing, like The Secret Garden, Narnia, Anne of Green Gables—all where the protagonist comes from an outside world and finds a new, magical world full of beauty and challenges to overcome.

What did this book teach you about writing or about yourself?

Oh wow, did this book teach me about perseverance and revision! I’ve heard it said that sometimes the only difference sometimes between a published author and an unpublished one can be perseverance—and I think all told, this book took me about eight years from brainstorming to publication. I had a lot to learn!! Perhaps I should have stopped working on this one and gone on to work on something else during some of those middle years, but I just fell so in love with the idea, and I kept chipping away at it until its potential started becoming more of a reality. Stephanie Garber, who wrote CARAVAL, said that we should approach revision less like we’re trying to put a little makeup on our story and more like major plastic surgery. Some days it was really hard to keep coming back to work on the same book again and again, but I think it taught me that digging deep is how you find the gold in your story. I really want to encourage anyone out there who might be writing and struggling right now: keep going! I think the perseverance you’re learning is a really valuable trait that is important for areas of our lives even outside of writing.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE DISAPPEARANCES?

That life is hard but it is also beautiful. Sometimes you have to fight to find the beauty in it. That’s a skill in and of itself—sort of like a muscle you can build up. If I can help someone find a little bit of beauty and magic in their own lives even after they put the book down—that is my greatest hope for what readers will take away.

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?

I remember there was this particular knot in the story that I was trying to work out, and at the time I was living in Connecticut and driving up the Massachusetts Turnpike. I do my best thinking and brainstorming on the highway, actually, where I have a long stretch of road, and I’m not directly focusing on writing, but my subconscious is sort of working it out at the periphery. I had this major AHA! moment about the whole crux of the meaning behind what was happening to set off the town’s Disappearances, and I remember feeling this huge smile spread across my face and sense of relief and thinking, Yes!! Yes, that is it!

And then I drove home, rolled up my sleeves, and started to rework the bones of the story again, knowing this time that I really might have something different and special.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on another young adult novel with elements of snow, ballet, and magic in it that I can’t say too much about yet, but I’m absolutely loving the atmosphere in it and I’m hoping someday soon I can share it with all of you.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Disappearances
by Emily Bain Murphy
Hardcover
HMH Books for Young Readers
Released 7/4/2017

What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?

Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home–and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together–scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream–vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible–and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind.

As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone’s secrets for long before it starts giving them up.

Purchase The Disappearances at Amazon
Purchase The Disappearances at IndieBound
View The Disappearances on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Bain Murphy grew up in Indiana, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and has also called Massachusetts and Connecticut home.

She loves books, Japanese karaoke, exploring new cities, and anything with Nutella. Her debut YA fantasy, THE DISAPPEARANCES, will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2017.

Murphy currently lives in San Francisco with her family and is at work on her second novel.

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Have you had a chance to read THE DISAPPEARANCES yet? Are you continuing to persevere through your writing and your writing journey? Does driving help you work out plot issues? 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: Jul 8, 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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