Katya de Becerra, author of WHAT THE WOODS KEEP, on being inspired by a childhood obsession

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re delighted to have Katya de Becerra with us to share more about her debut novel, WHAT THE WOODS KEEP.

Katya, what was your inspiration for writing WHAT THE WOODS KEEP?

I wanted to write a book a teen-me would be super excited to read – a book that would have a powerful female friendship at its core and feature stubborn, willful girls entangled in a dangerous mystery. I also always wanted to pay a proper tribute to one of my childhood’s major obsessions, the Nibelingenlied, which kept on haunting me throughout the years until it eventually became the main inspiration for my debut.

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

In YA, I’d say PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken and THE HAZEL WOOD by Melissa Albert would be the closest in style and atmosphere to WHAT THE WOODS KEEP. Outside of YA, I’ve heard my debut being compared to NIGHT FILM by Marisha Pessl and THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova – and I’m definitely very happy with these comparisons!

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?

I had two major AHA! moments with WHAT THE WOODS KEEP. The first one came in midst of agent querying when I realized my book had to significantly stand out from many others in the same genre in order to entice anyone to offer representation. To address this, I decided to add multimedia components to complement the first person narration in order to expand the narrative and ensure there’s more depth to the story. My second AHA! moment occurred when I was fleshing out my main protagonist, Hayden. It made a lot of sense for her to draw on science (e.g. scientific theories) when trying to solve the mystery at the heart of the book. Making Hayden refer back to the concepts and ideas from the history of science in her narration was a major breakthrough for me when writing this book.

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

I need ABSOLUTE SILENCE when I write. Since that’s impossible to achieve in real life, I have to compromise: I can usually be found writing with white noise machine blasting in full force in my headphones.

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

Write for yourself. Don’t chase trends. Read a lot of books – in and out of your genre. Be professional.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently revising my second book – OASIS – which is due for publication in Fall 2019, while also working on my next book – an alternative history YA Cold War thriller inspired by the works of Brothers Strugatsky.

ABOUT THE BOOK

What the Woods Keep
by Katya de Becerra
Hardcover
Imprint
Released 9/18/2018

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home―on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible―something that threatens reality itself.

Purchase What the Woods Keep at Amazon
Purchase What the Woods Keep at IndieBound
View What the Woods Keep on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katya de Becerra was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology. Katya is a short version of her real name, which is very long and gets mispronounced a lot. What The Woods Keep is her first novel (out in September 2018). Katya’s second book, Oasis, is forthcoming in 2019. She loves connecting with readers and fellow authors, so please get in touch @KatyaDeBecerra or at her blog.

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Have you had a chance to read WHAT THE WOODS KEEP yet? Have you tried adding multimedia components to complement your writing? Are you reading a lot of books both in and out of your genre? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy Reading,

Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, Emily, 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: Sep 20, 2018

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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