Joshua David Bellin on LOTR and the journey to his debut.

by Adventures in YA Publishing

What is your favorite thing about SURVIVAL COLONY 9?

I love the fact that two stories unfold simultaneously in my novel: the big, world-changing story of humanity’s battles against the Skaldi, and the small, intimate story of a teen coming to terms with his past and discovering his place in an extended family. Both of these stories are equally important to the book, and I believe they work together to enrich the reader’s experience: the Skaldi may be demonic, but Querry’s personal demons are just as hard to conquer.

Quick disclaimer before this next paragraph: I am NOT comparing myself to J. R. R. Tolkien! However, The Lord of the Rings was incredibly important to my development as a reader and writer, and one of the things I loved about LOTR when I first read it at age thirteen was how the epic story of the War of the Ring and the small-scale story of Frodo and Sam’s quest so perfectly complemented each other. I’m certain Tolkien’s trilogy influenced my decision to tell a story with a similar, dual focus.

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

My road to publication was forty years in the making, which is probably no longer than many authors’! I started thinking of myself as a writer at around age eight, and I completed my first novel, a fantasy titled To Alter the Past, at age sixteen. A family friend who was in publishing looked at it, and of course I had dreams that he’d offer me a million-dollar contract on the spot, but instead he told me (very nicely) that I needed to work on honing my craft. I wrote two more novels in my teens and early twenties: Summer Shadows, a YA contemporary, and The S.A.M.E. Semester, a very bizarre book about a small college that’s taken over by a group of radical educators. Neither got published. When I returned to writing fiction in my forties, I produced one more unpublished novel before writing Survival Colony 9. These numbers, of course, don’t count the many novel ideas and first chapters I produced but never completed!

What are you working on now?

I’ve finished a second book in the Querry Genn series, titled Scavenger of Souls, and I’ve drafted (but not revised) a final book, titled Skaldi City. Much as I hate to leave Querry’s story behind after working on it for 4-plus years, the next project I have in mind is very different, a YA alt-history about abolitionist John Brown and the events leading up to the Civil War. It’ll take lots of research and travel, and it’ll be based in historical fact. But since it’s alt-history, it’ll still give my imagination room to run wild!

Enter here to win a signed hardcover copy of SURVIVAL COLONY 9!

Giveaway ends 9/28/2014 at midnight EST.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Survival Colony 9
by Joshua David Bellin
Hardcover
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Released 9/23/2014

In a future world of dust and ruin, fourteen-year-old Querry Genn struggles to recover the lost memory that might save the human race.

Querry is a member of Survival Colony Nine, one of the small, roving groups of people who outlived the wars and environmental catastrophes that destroyed the old world. The commander of Survival Colony Nine is his father, Laman Genn, who runs the camp with an iron will. He has to–because heat, dust, and starvation aren’t the only threats in this ruined world.

There are also the Skaldi.

Monsters with the ability to infect and mimic human hosts, the Skaldi appeared on the planet shortly after the wars of destruction. No one knows where they came from or what they are. But if they’re not stopped, it might mean the end of humanity.

Six months ago, Querry had an encounter with the Skaldi–and now he can’t remember anything that happened before then. If he can recall his past, he might be able to find the key to defeat the Skaldi.

If he can’t, he’s their next victim.

Purchase Survival Colony 9 at Amazon
Purchase Survival Colony 9 at IndieBound
View Survival Colony 9 on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joshua David Bellin has been writing novels since he was eight years old (though the first few were admittedly very, very short). A Pittsburgh native, Josh graduated from Wesleyan University and went on to earn his PhD. in English at the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught college English, published three nonfiction books (one about monsters!), and taken part in the movement to protect the environment. He lives with his wife and two children in the beautiful Frick Park area of Pittsburgh. SURVIVAL COLONY 9 is Josh’s debut novel.

Connect with Joshua David Bellin:
www.joshuadavidbellin.com
Twitter: @TheYAGuy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuadavidbellin

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Posted: Sep 27, 2014

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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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