Erin Watt, author of WHEN IT’S REAL, on pursuing you future with full passion

by Jocelyn Rish

We are lucky to be joined by two amazing authors today, Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy, better known as Erin Watt, to share more about their latest novel, WHEN IT’S REAL.

What was your inspiration for writing WHEN IT’S REAL?

We wanted to write something that was fun and light-hearted. We kicked around a couple of pop idol stories and settled on the famous guy/real girl story after reading about Jake T. Austin who ended up in a relationship with a fan who Twitter-stalked him for six years. We don’t recommend this, but it was fun to write about! #ultimatefangoals

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?

It’s hard to talk about our hardest to write scenes without giving anything away. A favorite scene of ours is when Oakley and Vaughn first meet—we had a blast writing that one!

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

Stephanie Perkins writes great YA romances, as does Sarah Dessen, Miranda Kenneally (love her sporty books!), and Jennifer Armentrout.

How long did you work on WHEN IT’S REAL?

When you fall in love with a project, it doesn’t take long. From start to finish, it took about two months to write When It’s Real. Of course, that’s when the hard work of editing starts, but even that was a joy.

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

Have fun! Our best works are when we are both having fun and riffing off of each other. One of the best features of collaborations is using your writing partner as a springboard for ideas. You’re never alone when you have a partner.

What do you hope readers will take away from WHEN IT’S REAL?

Don’t be afraid of your future but pursue it with full passion, and don’t be worried that you don’t know all the answers. You’re young yet! (Or young at heart). It’s okay to be uncertain. You’ll find your dream soon enough. Also, don’t let social media rule your life!

How long or hard was your road to publication? How many books did you write before this one, and how many never got published?

By the time we started writing as Erin Watt, we both had a number of books under our belts. Our first series together was also self-published.

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?

Jen: For me, the hardest part was finishing the novel. My first book was birthed during NaNoWriMo where you write every day for the month of November. At the end, though, all I had was a jumble of words. An author friend of mine challenged me to finish the book, and three months later, I was able to do so. It’s easy to write a few words here and there. It’s so much harder to make a complete story out of those jumbled words. Once you finish a novel, though, there’s a realization that the mountain can be climbed, one page at a time.

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

We both prefer to write in quiet without distraction. Elle likes to take her laptop outside and write in the sun sometimes, and Jen writes in her home office, mostly at night and in the early morning hours.

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

Dreams take determination. Not everything you will write will be great, but as Nora Roberts has famously said, “You can’t edit a blank page.” Writing is like a muscle. You need to work it out on a regular basis, and if you do, it will grow stronger.

What are you working on now?

We’re currently working on our second Harlequin title as well as the next Royals book, Fallen Heir.

ABOUT THE BOOK

When It’s Real
by Erin Watt
Hardcover
Harlequin Teen
Released 5/30/2017

From #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Erin Watt comes the addictive contemporary tale of a teen rock star in need of an image makeover and the teen girl hired to be his fake girlfriend.

Meet Oakley Ford–teen celebrity, renowned pop star, child of famous movie stars, hottie with millions of fangirls… and restless troublemaker. On the surface he has it all, but with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry, and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley’s team decides it’s time for an intervention. The result: an image overhaul, complete with a fake girlfriend meant to show the world he’s settled down.

Enter seventeen-year-old Vaughn Bennett–devoted sister, part-time waitress, the definition of “normal.” Under ordinary circumstances she’d never have taken this gig, but with her family strapped for cash, she doesn’t have much of a choice. And for the money Oakley’s team is paying her, she figures she can put up with outlandish Hollywood parties and a team of publicists watching her every move. So what if she thinks Oakley’s a shallow, self-centered jerk? It’s not like they’re going to fall for each other in real life…right?

Purchase When It’s Real at Amazon
Purchase When It’s Real at IndieBound
View When It’s Real on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erin Watt is the brainchild of two bestselling authors linked together through their love of great books and an addiction to writing. They share one creative imagination. Their greatest love (after their families and pets, of course)? Coming up with fun–and sometimes crazy–ideas. Their greatest fear? Breaking up.

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Have you had a chance to read WHEN IT’S REAL yet? Have you considered collaborating before? What did you learn from that experience? Have you gotten caught up in the writing and forgotten to have fun? Take advice from Erin Watt and enjoy it! 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: Jun 3, 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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