Gaby Triana, author of WAKE THE HOLLOW, on not worrying if what you’re writing is good

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Gaby Triana here to talk about her latest novel WAKE THE HOLLOW.

Gaby, how long did you work on WAKE THE HOLLOW?

WAKE THE HOLLOW has been my longest book-in-the-making to date. Most of my books have been written in 1-5 months then published. Wake the Hollow began in 2008 and has gone through several facelifts, including point of view from 3rd to 1st and tense from past to present. Originally, the story was about a freshman in college living on her own, but that changed to a high school teen living with a nanny and friends. So, this one took 8 years from start to publication, not working on it the entire time, of course. ☺

What do you hope readers will take away from WAKE THE HOLLOW?

One thing I’m hoping readers will take away is that ghosts don’t have to be the main source of fear in a paranormal novel. In my book, the ghosts are depicted as spirits who need help from the living in order to move on, or protective, spirit guides. Yes, it can be frightening when Micaela feels or sees them, because we all have that fear of the unknown, but ultimately, it’s real, live people who can hurt us most.

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

I began writing eighteen years ago and have been published for fourteen. My first novel, a middle grade called Freddie and the Biltmore Ghost, is still unpublished but is undergoing a facelift and will be called FRIDA LOPEZ, GHOSTHUNTER when it’s done. Before WAKE THE HOLLOW, 5 other novels of mine have been published, all young adult (Backstage Pass, Cubanita, The Temptress Four, Riding the Universe, and Summer of Yesterday) and 4 are still unpublished (Freddie and the Biltmore Ghost, Haunting Armando, Earth as We Know It, and Cakespell). I have 4 other books in various stages of completion, and I’ve ghostwritten 14 novels for private clients, not including the countless books I’ve enhanced for clients. That’s a lot of writing. ☺

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

I would say…don’t worry if what you’re writing is good or not at first. Don’t let that cripple you from putting a story down on paper. Some people want things to be perfect the first time they do it, so they never do it. They never write and forever have writer’s block. Remember you don’t have to share it yet! The beauty of writing is that you get to go back and FIX what you wrote. Then go back and fix again, and again, until it actually becomes good. ☺ Then, share it with other writers and a few readers, so you get both perspectives. Listen to them, and when you start hearing the same comments from multiple people, chances are that’s something you should fix. So my advice in short is: stop overthinking it and just write.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Wake the Hollow
by Gaby Triana
Paperback
Entangled: Teen
Released 8/2/2016

Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It’s been six years since she chose to live with her father in Miami instead of her eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.

Sleepy Hollow may be famous for its fabled headless horseman, but the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica’s family as outsiders. But ghostly voices carry on the wind, whispering that her mother’s death was based on hate … not an accident at all. With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must awaken the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother’s fate.

Purchase Wake the Hollow at Amazon
Purchase Wake the Hollow at IndieBound
View Wake the Hollow on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GABY TRIANA is the award-winning author of six YA novels—Wake the Hollow (Aug. 2016, Entangled), Summer of Yesterday, Riding the Universe, The Temptress Four, Cubanita, and Backstage Pass, as well as thirteen ghostwritten novels for best-selling authors. Originally a 4th grade teacher with a Master of Science in Elementary Education and ten years teaching experience, Gaby earned Teacher of the Year in 2000, wrote her first novel, Freddie and the Biltmore Ghost, then left teaching to launch a full-time writing career. She went on to publish young adult novels with HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, win an IRA Teen Choice Award, ALA Best Paperback Award, and Hispanic Magazine’s Good Reads of 2008. She spends her time obsessing about Halloween, Christmas, and Disney World, as well as hosting parties, designing mugs, making whimsical cakes, and winning costume contests. When she’s not writing, she might also be watching Jurassic Park movies with her boys, posting excessive food pics on social media, or helping run the Florida region of the SCBWI. Gaby lives in Miami with her three sons, Michael, Noah, and Murphy. She has one dog, Chloe, and two cats—Miss Daisy, and the reformed thug, shooting survivor, Bowie.

Visit her at www.gabytriana.com and @GabyTriana on Twitter.

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Have you had a chance to read WAKE THE HOLLOW yet? Does your need for perfection block you from writing? Can you stop over thinking it and just write? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Michelle, Laura, and Kristin

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 6, 2016

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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