Luanne Rice, author of THE BEAUTIFUL LOST, on feeling her way through a story

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re honored to have Luanne Rice with us to talk about her latest novel, THE BEAUTIFUL LOST.

Luanne, what was your inspiration for writing THE BEAUTIFUL LOST?

There were several things—like Maia, I was depressed as a teen; from my bedroom window I could see an orphanage on a distant hill; I went to sea on a schooner to study whales, and I wanted to weave my love for them into the novel.

What scene was really hard for you to write and why?

Maia returning to the psychiatric hospital was really hard. The feeling of being locked up—even for her own safety—the walls closing in on her, the inability to function the way she wanted to, reminded me of my own experiences.

What did writing THE BEAUTIFUL LOST teach you?

That love counts for everything. Not just romantic love or love for family and friends, but finding a way to get past the hurt and pain, to understand and accept who we really are to do one of the hardest things in the world, to really love ourselves.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE BEAUTIFUL LOST?

That sadness will come and go in life, but if it gets really bad, it’s really important to ask for help. Really important. And no matter how bad you feel, things will get better.

Tell us about your road to publication. How many books did you write before you first got published?

My first publication was a poem when I was eleven. It appeared in the newspaper one day. I thought that was pretty cool and magical, and I had no idea that my mother had sent it in. My next was a short story in American Girl magazine. After that I kept writing short stories, a form I still love. I wrote a novel called FAVORED DAUGHTERS, and to this day it lives in a drawer. It never got published, but it helped me find an agent—Andrea Cirillo, with whom I still work today. I wrote a different version of it, and it became my first published novel, ANGELS ALL OVER TOWN.

What’s your writing ritual like? Work at home, listen to certain music and etc?

I always love writing in hotel lobbies, but my true favorite place is at home with my three cats napping in baskets on my desk. I get up early, drink coffee, never speak out loud until I’ve written for at least an hour, take breaks to walk on the beach and pick up shells and sea glass and feel my way through the story, from the paragraph I just wrote into what-happens-next.

What are you working on now?

A novel about a girl who disappears from her home town.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Beautiful Lost
by Luanne Rice
Hardcover
Point
Released 6/27/2017

Here are three things to know about Maia:

1. Ever since her mother left, Maia’s struggled with depression — which once got so bad, she had to go to an institution for a while. She doesn’t want to go back.

2. Maia’s sure that if she finds her mother, if the two of them can talk about whale songs and constellations, then everything will be okay again.

3. She’s in love with Billy, the handsome, brooding boy who lives in the group home in town. He doesn’t seem to know that Maia exists… until now.

When Maia sets off on a road trip in search of her mom, Billy unexpectedly comes along. They drive up the East Coast, stopping along the way for lobster rolls and lighthouses. Maia learns that Billy has dark secrets of his own — and wants to outrun his past, too. But what will the future hold if they reach their destination?

From internationally bestselling author Luanne Rice, this is a sweeping, stunning story about the surprising directions our hearts can take.

Purchase The Beautiful Lost at Amazon
Purchase The Beautiful Lost at IndieBound
View The Beautiful Lost on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of 32 novels that have been translated into 24 languages. Her next YA novel, The Beautiful Lost, will be out from Scholastic in 2017. The Secret Language of Sisters, was her first YA book. Rice’s books often center on love, family, nature and the sea. In 2002, Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree. Her papers are located in the college’s Special Collections Library. She has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn. In June 2014, she received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award in the Literary Arts category for excellence and lifetime achievement as a literary artist.

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Have you had a chance to read THE BEAUTIFUL LOST yet? Do you pull several things from your life together to create a new story? Have you tried writing in hotel lobbies? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, 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: Jul 1, 2017

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: YA Author Interviews

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← Previous: Eleanor Herman, author of REIGN OF SERPENTS, on making magic believable Next: Michael P. Spradlin, author of PRISONER OF WAR, on finding an amazing story while researching →

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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