Meghan Rogers, author of ENEMY EXPOSURE, on trusting herself, her work, and the people around her

by Jocelyn Rish

We are delighted to have Meghan Rogers, author of ENEMY EXPOSURE, share intel with us about the second book in The Raven Files.

Meghan, what was your inspiration for writing ENEMY EXPOSURE?

I got a lot inspiration for this book from watching Orphan Black (which is a show about clones, in case you haven’t seen it). One of my favorite aspects of the show is the relationship between the clones. They’re all connected because of this thing that happened to them. I loved the character dynamics that came with that. I was rewatching the show when I realized I have Jocelyn in a very similar situation. She was kidnapped by KATO, but she wasn’t the only they’d taken. So what would happen if she could get to other girls who were taken like she had been? They would be connected by this extreme shared experience, but they would all be very different. What advantages and problems would that create? Will it be helpful to her, or detrimental? These are the questions I set out to explore.

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

This book taught me a lot about trust. It usually takes me about four drafts before I have a book I feel good enough about to pass on to my editor. This book took me six. I don’t know why it took me six, but it did. I usually build in down time in between drafts so I can take time away from the project and get perspective, but I didn’t have time for that with this book. I had to trust myself, my work, and the perspectives of the people around me. And I can honestly say I’m thrilled with how it turned out!

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

My ideal writing environment is either at Panera or outside. Working at home tends to be very unproductive for me—I get too easily distracted by TV and the Internet. Plus leaving the house gives me a sense of urgency—at some point I have to go home or go inside. The fact that I don’t have all day keeps me going. I don’t listen to music—either quiet or ambient noises seem to work best. But I’ve also written in cars and with music too, so I guess when it comes down to it, I can write anywhere if I have to!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Enemy Exposure
by Meghan Rogers
Hardcover
Philomel Books
Released 3/14/2017

A spy and action thriller featuring a teenage girl who kicks butt and outsmarts with the best of them. To accomplish her mission, though, she’ll need to team up with those she trusts the least in this latest Raven File case.

Jocelyn Steely (code name: Raven) may have escaped the clutches of KATO and won the trust of the IDA, but she isn’t out of danger yet. Her cover is blown and KATO agents are after her, but that won’t stop Jocelyn. After all, her goal was never merely to escape KATO. She wants revenge.

Dead set on rescuing the one girl that she—and the IDA—failed to save, Jocelyn is forced to recruit other KATO agents to her side. She must hand over just enough intelligence to gain their trust, while still preventing her plans from getting back to her former tormentors. Is she out of her league in this battle? Or does she have what it takes to derail KATO once and for all?

This high-stakes spy thriller will have readers on the edge of their seats until the final mind-blowing revelation.

Purchase Enemy Exposure at Amazon
Purchase Enemy Exposure at IndieBound
View Enemy Exposure on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meghan Rogers has been telling stories since she could talk and writing creatively since she was first introduced to the concept in third grade. She spent her high school years completing her first novel and has been actively writing ever since. After college, Meghan went on to work with high school writers while earning her MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College. She is currently living in Philadelphia area and working on the next Raven Files novel.

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Have you had a chance to read ENEMY EXPOSURE yet? Did you enjoy the new approach Meghan brought to Jocelyn’s character? Do you or have you had trust issues with your writing? What did you do to learn trust? 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: Mar 18, 2017

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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