Jolene Perry and C. Desir, authors of LOVE BLIND, on pushing yourself hard when working with a partner

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re excited to have Jolene Perry and C. Desir here to tell us about their collaboration LOVE BLIND.

Ladies, what was your inspiration for writing LOVE BLIND?

The inspiration for LOVE BLIND came from a real life story, involving very different characters. We loved the idea of playing with two people who are good friends, who should be more, but never understand that at the same time. Christa had Kyle’s character in her head from the beginning, and Jo asked, “Are you cool with Hailey going blind? I’m friends with this very cool teenage girl who is going blind, and I want to write that.” Obviously, Christa said yes.

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?

There’s a silly scene with a very large spider that Jo pushed hard to get in because she needed a FUN scene. But probably our favorite is one of Hailey’s first visits to Kyle’s dorm. It’s done in Kyle’s point of view, but Christa sent the scene half done to Jo and said, “This is too important a scene for me to write on my own.”

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

Eleanor and Park is my first thought, simply because we deal with some darker topics, but the characters are so fun to watch together.

How long did you work on LOVE BLIND?

This is a tricky question to answer. We had our first draft done in less than a month (benefit of two authors), but we both believe in time away from a manuscript before working on it again. We sold it within six months of finishing our first draft, but due to other titles, our release day was pushed back considerably.

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

Working with a partner means that you really push yourself hard. There’s always something to be learned when we force ourselves out of our comfort zone.

What do you hope readers will take away from LOVE BLIND?

The hope is that readers will walk away from the book, and think to themselves, “You know that thing I’ve always meant to do? I’m going to go do that right now.”

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 road for everyone is a little harder than we think. Both Christa and Jo have written books that will never see the light of day, and that’s okay. We’ve also written books that may one day find their way into the world. We both have a few completed (but not finished) projects on our hard drives.

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?

Jolene wrote her first book by accident. She just started writing this scene, and then what came before and then what came after, and when she hit page 100, thought – I’M GOING TO WRITE A WHOLE BOOK! And she did. It was a terrible book, but after that moment, she knew she could write a whole novel. The other thing that publishing has taught Jo, is that putting books into the world is much more about the journey than the end result.

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

Christa gets up horribly, painfully early, and writes for 1-2 hours a day. It’s rare she writes outside of that. Jo drops kiddos off at school and spends the day writing. She works anywhere. With music. Without music… The mood shifts with her and shifts with the project.

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

Love writing enough that you’d do it whether you got paid or not. And learn patience. Also, find other writers. You’ll need them.

What are you working on now?

At this moment, Jolene is working on edits for her book, A FOREVER THING, which comes out Fall 2016. It takes place in a funeral home, and is her ADDAMS FAMILY meets a JOHN HUGHES movie. The title could change, since her cover isn’t done yet.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Love Blind
by C. Desir & Jolene Perry
Hardcover
Simon Pulse
Released 5/10/2016

Shy high schooler Kyle Jamieson and Hailey Bosler, a musician with degenerative blindness, team up to tackle a bucket list of greatest fears in this compelling novel that explores what it means to take risks.

It starts with a list of fears. Stupid things really. Things that Hailey shouldn’t worry about, wouldn’t worry about if she didn’t wake up every morning with the world a little more blurry. Unable to see her two moms clearly. Unable to read the music for her guitar. One step closer to losing the things she cares about the most.

For a while, the only thing that keeps Hailey moving forward is the feeling she gets when she crosses something off the list.

Then she meets Kyle. He mumbles—when he talks at all—and listens to music to drown out his thoughts. He’s loaded down with fears, too. So Hailey talks him into making his own list.

Together, they stumble into an odd friendship, helping each other tackle one after another of their biggest fears. But fate and timing can change everything. And sometimes facing your worst fear makes you realize you had nothing to lose after all.

Purchase Love Blind at Amazon
Purchase Love Blind at IndieBound
View Love Blind on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Christa Desir writes contemporary fiction for young adults. She’s an avid reader, roller derby enthusiast, Sunday school teacher, romance editor, and podcaster. She lives with her husband, three children, and overly enthusiastic dog outside of Chicago. She has volunteered as a rape victim activist for more than ten years, including providing direct service as an advocate in hospital ERs. She is a founding member of the Voices and Faces Project, a nonprofit organization for rape survivors that conducts an international survivor-based testimonial writing workshop.

Jolene Perry grew up in south central Alaska. She has lived in a cabin on a lake island, sailed the Bahamas, taught middle school and high school, and she married the guy she kissed on her his school graduation night. Her previous novels include OUT OF PLAY and THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU. Jolene lives with her husband and two children in Alaska.

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Have you had a chance to read LOVE BLIND yet? Have you ever written with a partner? Do you love writing enough that you’d do it whether you got paid or not? 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: May 14, 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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