Jodi Meadows, author of THE MIRROR KING, on learning to trust your instincts

by Jocelyn Rish

THE MIRROR KING is book two in the Orphan Queen duology, and we’re excited to have Jodi Meadows here to chat about it.

Jodi, what was your inspiration for writing THE MIRROR KING?

THE MIRROR KING is the sequel to THE ORPHAN QUEEN. Even though they are two books, they’re one whole story.

The story came with an image of a girl rescuing a boy from her people. A mistake, probably, but I knew even then that she had strong morals and felt she was doing the right thing. Fast forward ten years and everything that started that night is finally coming to a head.

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’d be a spoiler to give exact scenes, but basically the entire climax was a huge challenge for me — both emotionally and trying to get the story on paper in a way that makes sense to people who don’t live in my brain.

There are a lot of scenes I love in this book, but . . . let’s say the list.

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

CJ Redwine and I share a lot of readers, so I 100% recommend her Defiance series and THE SHADOW QUEEN to people who like my books. (When my mom read Defiance, she thought she was reading one of my books. CJ and I are Brain Twins.)

How long did you work on THE MIRROR KING?

A million years.

Okay, a year and a half, with time off here and there for editing and copyediting The Orphan Queen, for writing and editing My Lady Jane, and for writing and editing all the OQ novellas. It was a busy time for me.

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

Ohhh there were so many lessons in The Mirror King for me. Mostly they revolve around how difficult this book was to write, but how this turned out to be one of the best books I’ve ever written. It’s certainly one I’m very, very proud of! Through all that, I learned (again) to trust my instinct. If something feels off about the book, something probably is. And even if I want to hurry up and finish the draft, I really need to pause and listen to the story — figure out what is causing the feeling, rather than just plowing forward.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE MIRROR KING?

This is difficult to say, because I can’t predict what every reader will take out of the book! But I do hope they see the themes of responsibility, of standing up for oneself, and for trying to do what is right, no matter the cost.

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

THE MIRROR KING is actually my fifth published novel. I did write a couple of manuscripts in between my published books that haven’t been published. Before that, I wrote sixteen manuscripts. INCARNATE, my first novel, was the seventeenth story I’d written.

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?

With THE MIRROR KING specifically, yes. The book was already contracted, but I was having a hard time writing it. Almost nine months after I started drafting the book, I realized that one of the reasons I’d been having so much difficulty was because I was trying to squish a big story into too few words. Once I gave myself the freedom to let the book be huge, everything really fell into place.

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

I try not to have rituals. What if I found myself needing to write with a candle lit, but I also needed to write on an airplane to meet a deadline? I wouldn’t want that candle to be my excuse.

But I do like have a cup of coffee (particularly in the winter — comfort drink) or a water (no one likes dehydration). Sometimes I write with music. Sometimes I write to the music of the ferrets scurrying around the office.

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

Read a lot. Write a lot. Learn to love constructive criticism on your work, and give constructive criticism on others’ work, and understand that it’s not personal.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on another book with the Lady Janies – Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and me. Not a sequel to MY LADY JANE, but another book, definitely. And I’m working on my next solo book, which will be out in Fall 2017. It’s a fantasy. There’s dragons.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Mirror King
by Jodi Meadows
Hardcover
Katherine Tegen Books
Released 4/5/2016

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

Purchase The Mirror King at Amazon
Purchase The Mirror King at IndieBound
View The Mirror King on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and a coauthor of the forthcoming MY LADY JANE (HarperTeen). Visit her at www.jodimeadows.com

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Have you had a chance to read THE MIRROR KING yet? Do you pause to listen to your story? Have you ever tried to squish a big story into too few words? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Lindsey, Sarah, 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: Apr 9, 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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