Karole Cozzo, author of HOW TO KEEP ROLLING AFTER A FALL, on if you want to write … write

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re excited to have Karole Cozzo join us to chat about her latest novel HOW TO KEEP ROLLING AFTER A FALL.

Karole, what was your inspiration for writing HOW TO KEEP ROLLING AFTER A FALL?

Working as a school psychologist, and as the mother of a little girl, I find the complicated dynamics of girl friendships to be really interesting. It’s crazy how young girls are when ‘girl drama’ starts, and it’s heartbreaking and troubling to see the impact of the ways girls can be mean to each other play out during adolescence. There are so many anti-bullying efforts going on in schools today, which are important and necessary, but there’s no easy fix. There are so many various factors and influences on all parties involved, and I really wanted to explore that from the “mean girl’s” perspective rather than the victim/survivor of bullying. I wanted to keep discussion about the topic going, in the context of what I hope is an enjoyable read. It’s not meant to be another lecture, but a story to get young readers thinking, reflecting, and talking.

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

I think the first time I saw a manuscript all the way to completion was in 2006. I didn’t receive word that my first novel, How to Say I Love You Out Loud, was selected for publication on the Swoon Reads website until June 2014. So… the road was long! I was working full-time, got married and had two children during that time, and finding the time to write and query was difficult. I think I wrote 5 or 6 complete manuscripts in that time that never saw publication. That was one of the wonderful things about finding the Swoon Reads community – it was an awesome way to take my story directly to a publisher without having to find an agent in the meantime. It eliminated a lot of time-consuming hurdles that sometimes felt insurmountable.

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

Never, ever feel like you’re wasting your time by pursuing your passion! There may be more practical ways to spend time here and again, but our passions keep us feeling alive, our passions make us who we are. At times when I told myself I really needed to give up on the dream of being a published writer, I always felt like I was trying to turn off a part of myself and it was an awful feeling. If you want to write… write.

What are you working on now?

I’m extremely excited that Swoon Reads/Macmillan just recently announced the 5/17 release of my third novel, The Truth About Happily Ever After, which is in the editing process right now. The main character, Alyssa, is one of the Cinderellas at a popular theme park, and she’s forced to rethink her happily ever after when her so-called Prince Charming breaks her heart. A lot of the book is set in the theme park, which is lots of fun, and Alyssa learns that sometimes you find happy-ever-after where you least expect it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

How to Keep Rolling After a Fall
by Karole Cozzo
Paperback
Swoon Reads
Released 8/2/2016

After a cyber bullying incident turns her life upside down, a handsome wheelchair rugby player shows a former mean girl that everyone deserves a second chance.

The party was at her house. The photos were posted to her Facebook account. That’s all the evidence anyone needed to condemn Nikki Baylor for a cyberbullying incident that humiliated a classmate and nearly resulted in the girl’s suicide. Now Nikki’s been expelled from her old school, her friends have abandoned her, and even her own parents can’t look her in the eye. With her plans for the future all but destroyed, Nikki resigns herself to being the girl everyone hates – almost as much as she hates herself. But then Nikki meets Pax, a spirited wheelchair rugby player who knows what it’s like when one mistake completely shatters your life. Refusing to judge her because of her past, he shows her that everyone deserves a second chance… and everyone deserves to be loved.

Purchase How to Keep Rolling After a Fall at Amazon
Purchase How to Keep Rolling After a Fall at IndieBound
View How to Keep Rolling After a Fall on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karole lives outside of Philadelphia, PA with her loving husband, exuberant little girl, and smiley little boy. She adores YA Romance, because it would be awesome if life in general had a requisite feel-good happy ending rule. Vices include obscene Haribo gummy consumption, addiction to Starbucks NF vanilla lattes, and tendency to hoard Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles.

—

Have you had a chance to read HOW TO KEEP ROLLING AFTER A FALL yet? Have you participated in the Swoon Reads community? Does your passion for writing keep you feeling alive? 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: Aug 6, 2016

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

Welcome to Transmedia Mutts

Yellow origami dog on a teal background

Unleash your creative bark!

Shout out to AYAP!

Logo for Adventures in YA Publishing

Thank you to the women who started Adventures in YA Publishing and ran it for years. AYAP and TMM have merged to form Adventures in PUPlishing, and the legacy AYAP posts are now part of TMM. Click here to learn more about the earlier AYAP team.

Click to Join our Facebook Group

Share advice, practice pitching, celebrate successes, and support each other through writing and publishing adventures.

← Previous: Gaby Triana, author of WAKE THE HOLLOW, on not worrying if what you're writing is good Next: Brent Hartinger, author of THREE TRUTHS AND A LIE, on the 'no' to 'yes' ratio →

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.

Dog holding a sign that says Pupdates!

Sign up for our newsletter for pupdates and publishing advice