Jenn Marie Thorne, author of THE INSIDE OF OUT, on rough drafts being big, crude chunks of clay

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Jenn Marie Thorne stop by to chat about her latest novel THE INSIDE OF OUT.

Jenn, what was your inspiration for writing THE INSIDE OF OUT?

The first germ of an idea for THE INSIDE OF OUT came about because I wanted to write something about platonic love–passionate, close, vital female friendships…and how they change when one of the pair finds a romantic partner. I brainstormed a bunch of ideas, and inevitably landed on, “What if the main character is gay and her best friend isn’t?” But I nixed the idea. One, I thought, I really want to keep the story centered on platonic love, and two–am I really the right person to write a gay protagonist? Shouldn’t that story come from someone who’s lived that experience? I was struck by that thought. It stayed with me. I debated it for days. After all, there are plenty of well-respected LGBTQ+ books I’ve loved, written by straight authors. Even so, there was something about it that to me felt like I would be stealing someone else’s stage–a very personal qualm. So I decided to explore that as I developed the story: a girl who loves her best friend, and, fearing she’s going to lose her, winds up speaking over her and stealing the spotlight.

What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud?
There are two somewhat early scenes in which Daisy is getting involved with the school’s LGBTQ Alliance that were really tricky to get right–mainly because Daisy gets pretty much everything wrong. Even as the author, I was squirming at the things Daisy does…appropriating and fundamentally misunderstanding asexuality, accusing the Alliance of discrimination for not including straight members, talking over people when they clearly weren’t comfortable with it. There are always moments as an author when I worry that people will confuse my beliefs and behaviors with that of my characters–but without Daisy’s moments of ignorance, the meat of the story and the arc for the character would be gone. So the cringe-inducing moments have remained on the page, and I think the book is that much stronger for them.

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

This book has made me think very long and hard about the kind of friend I am and the way I ally, which is much more hands-off than Daisy’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach. The conversation is ongoing and always will be. Since writing this book, I wonder if I’m too passive in my support for issues that affect my close friends. I’ve thought a lot about how I define friendship and what responsibilities I have toward the people I love–and I’ve realized that I have a lot of work to do to be a better friend before I can even dream of getting the “ally” mix right.

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 did have an “aha” moment! I remember rough drafting a novel at my mom’s house one day while she sculpted in her clay studio. I was laboring over a single sentence, trying to get it just right, and I looked up and saw her glomming clay onto her stick-figure form, just a chunk of clay for arms, a chunk for the upper thigh, two little chunks for feet, and I thought, “This is how I need to write.” She wasn’t nitpicking about a finger or a strand of hair. It wasn’t time for that yet. She needed to get the clay on the form. From then on, my rough drafts have been big, crude chunks of clay, vaguely approximating the form of a story. And then, with the next draft, I make it look like a novel. And in the umpteen subsequent drafts, I make it actually worth reading. It’s all about revision for me now, and I’ve found real joy in working that way.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently revising my third contemporary YA novel, which is about the youngest, least-talented daughter in a family of famed musical geniuses. She’s just given up her dream of pursuing a career as a pianist and is trying to avoid all mention of classical music, when a boy turns up at her Manhattan brownstone for the summer. He’s a staggeringly brilliant composer, a hot-shot prodigy, and despite all her best efforts not to, she finds herself falling for him. So it’s a summer romance, but it’s also about the Manhattan cultural elite, “racial diversity” being appropriated as a buzzword, the way sudden success can feel catastrophic, feminist individualism vs. romance, what it means to feel valued in a fame-obsessed world, and all sorts of other things. I’m really enjoying working on it! It should be out in early 2018.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Inside of Out
by Jenn Marie Thorne
Hardcover
Dial Books
Released 5/31/2016

When her best friend Hannah comes out the day before junior year, Daisy is so ready to let her ally flag fly that even a second, way more blindsiding confession can’t derail her smiling determination to fight for gay rights.

Before you can spell LGBTQIA, Daisy’s leading the charge to end their school’s antiquated ban on same-sex dates at dances—starting with homecoming. And if people assume Daisy herself is gay? Meh, so what. It’s all for the cause.

What Daisy doesn’t expect is for “the cause” to blow up—starting with Adam, the cute college journalist whose interview with Daisy for his university paper goes viral, catching fire in the national media. #Holy #cats.

With the story spinning out of control, protesters gathering, Hannah left in the dust of Daisy’s good intentions, and Daisy’s mad attraction to Adam feeling like an inconvenient truth, Daisy finds herself caught between her bold plans, her bad decisions, and her big fat mouth.

Purchase The Inside of Out at Amazon
Purchase The Inside of Out at IndieBound
View The Inside of Out on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenn Marie Thorne graduated from NYU-Tisch with a BFA in drama and quickly realized she was having more fun writing plays, short films, and superhero webisodes than actually performing in them. Then, when a flurry of political scandals hit the news, Jenn wondered what the kids at the center of the media’s attention must be going through, and so began The Wrong Side of Right, her debut novel. Jen lives and writes in beautiful Gulfport, Florida, alongside her husband, two sons, and hound dog Molly.

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Have you had a chance to read THE INSIDE OF OUT yet? Do you worry readers will confuse your characters’ beliefs with your beliefs? Do you find revising to be similar to sculpting? 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: Jun 5, 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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