Karole Cozzo, author of THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER, on a character originally not being in the story

by Jocelyn Rish

The truth is we are happy to have Karole Cozzo here to share more about her latest novel, THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Karole, how long did you work on THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER?

I wrote the first draft in about four months over the summer of 2015. Originally, the story was told from a different character’s point of view; actually, it was a whole different story entirely. My editors thought Alyssa, who was a secondary at the time, had a more compelling story to tell. At first I was really upset, because I was attached to my characters and disappointed to hear their story wasn’t ‘working.’ But I’ve definitely learned to trust my editors and I agree, 110%, that the revised version is so much better! And Miller wasn’t even in the first story, which is hard for me to even fathom now. I wrote the revised version in about seven weeks – I was a woman on a mission and I turned my initial disappointment into motivation to come up with something better.

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

Related to above… LISTEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM! And it’s HARD! It’s hard no matter how many times you practice, how you mentally remind yourself that negative feedback is important in all endeavors and is nothing to take personally. For awhile, I fought to find a way to make the original variation of the story work. It was hard to abandon it and start all over. But after I wrote the new version, when I reconsidered everything I’d heard about my first attempt, it was all so clear. It takes time for the sting to fade, it takes time to get over the initial feeling of disappointment or failure, but if you can take constructive criticism and churn out improved results, it’s usually worth it rather than abandoning an idea entirely.

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 one scene where Alyssa, as Cinderella, takes part in her first event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation held at the theme park where she works (The Enchanted Dominion). It was difficult delving into Alyssa’s observations of the sick children and their parents and definitely painful to write. However, I am proud of that scene, because it’s a big part of Alyssa’s growth process before she’s even aware that she is starting to be true to herself even when it doesn’t align with the relationship she’s in at the time. She says, “Feelings are hard, but I don’t think I’d want to shut mine off.” It’s sort of foreshadowing what she experiences in the second half of the book, and I love that she comes to that realization before she’s forced to. It’s an emotional scene on many levels; grab the tissues!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Truth About Happily Ever After
by Karole Cozzo
Hardcover
Swoon Reads
Released 5/16/2017

Chin up, Princess, or the crown will slip.

A theme park princess must put her life back together after her happily ever after falls apart in this contemporary YA romance from Karole Cozzo, author of How to Keep Rolling After a Fall and How to Say I Love You Out Loud.

Everything was supposed to be perfect. Alyssa has a job she loves, working as Cinderella at her favorite theme park; a fantastic group of friends; and a boyfriend who will no longer be long distance. But as the summer progresses, her prince becomes less charming and more distant, and Alyssa’s perfect summer falls apart.

Forced to acknowledge that life is not always a fairy tale, Alyssa starts working to pull her herself back together. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her friend Miller’s support, she’s determined to prove that she’s more than just a pretty princess. And with his help, maybe she’s finally ready for something better than dreams.

Maybe she’s ready for something real.

Purchase The Truth About Happily Ever After at Amazon
Purchase The Truth About Happily Ever After at IndieBound
View The Truth About Happily Ever After on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karole lives outside of Philadephia, PA with her loving husband, eternally exuberant little girl, and perpetually pleasant little boy. Hobbies include nursing a persistent Starbucks addiction, eating way too much candy, emptying her wallet at Target, spending time with her family, decorating her home, and completing any other crafty project she can think of. Karole has degrees in School Psychology, women’s studies, and biology but has never taken a formal creative writing course, although she’d really like to one day.

—

Have you had a chance to read THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER yet? Have you had to completely rewrite your story? Was it hard for you to let go of your characters? Was it made better when new characters were introduced, that wouldn’t have had a spot in your story before? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, and Lori Ann

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 20, 2017

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: Zan Romanoff, GRACE AND THE FEVER, on there being no shame in having fallen in love Next: Lisa Freeman, author of RIPTIDE SUMMER, on surviving riptides (both literally and metaphorically) →

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