Jenna Helland, author of THE AUGUST 5, on creating a disaster area when writing a first draft

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re thrilled to have Jenna Helland join us to share more about her latest novel THE AUGUST 5.

Jenna, what was your inspiration for writing THE AUGUST 5?

I’ve always been fascinated by Thomas Paine and the era of political pamphlets. I imagined living in a time when I couldn’t get information from the Internet and instead I had to rely on the written word. In societies where newspapers are so powerful and necessary, journalists can become political targets, and that’s what I wanted to explore. I started by writing newspaper articles by Gavin Baine, and those developed into the novel.

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

I love to begin writing in the early morning before the sun rises. My perfect writing session is when I have my window open, my fan on, and my cat in my lap. For a lot of years, I didn’t have a study so I had to write in the garage. Now I have my own room with a window, which is a lot nicer.

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

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to create a well-crafted first draft. When I’m getting a scene down for the first time, I create a disaster area, not lovely prose. I don’t worry about writing full sentences, I just get my characters from point A to point B. And then the fun begins! Also, if I ever find myself stuck, I know I need to outline more. Of course, I always deviate from my outlines but I need them as a foundation.

What are you working on now?

I’m a writer for “Magic the Gathering,” a fantasy trading card game. We create two fantasy worlds a year so I spend a lot of time on that! Worldbuilding is one of my favorite things about writing. I like to start on an epic scale and get more and more detailed. Eventually, I want to be able to create a particular person on a particular street corner and know exactly what they will see when they step outside their door to face the world.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The August 5
by Jenna Helland
Hardcover
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Released 11/10/2015

In this debut novel, two worlds collide amid clashes of power, honor, and what it truly means to be brave.

Tommy Shore is the son of the most important man on Aeren—a high-ranking politician who wants nothing more than to take away all of the rights of the lower-class cottagers. Tamsin Henry is the daughter of a revolutionary man who has hopes of overthrowing the corrupt politicians, also called the Zunft, the group that holds all the power in this world.

The two sides clash when Tommy rescues Tamsin during the August Rising, a cottager attack organized by a group of rebels known as the August Five. He starts to question the motives of the Zunft and realizes that it will take all of his resolve to stand up to his father and fight for the rights of those who have none.

Purchase The August 5 at Amazon
Purchase The August 5 at IndieBound
View The August 5 on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenna Helland is a writer and editor for Wizards of the Coast in Renton, Washington. Before moving to the Northwest, she was a journalist in Missouri, Virginia, and California. She has a history degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and a journalism degree from the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. She enjoys playing Magic: The Gathering, reading books with pictures, and running.
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Have you had a chance to read THE AUGUST 5 yet? Do you put too much pressure on yourself when writing a first draft? Are your worlds detailed enough that you know what characters will see when they step outside?

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Lisa, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa

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: Nov 14, 2015

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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