Mia García, author of THE RESOLUTIONS, on finding your community

by Jocelyn Rish

We’re excited to have Mia García swing by to chat about her latest novel, THE RESOLUTIONS.

Mia, 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?

I’m particularly proud of two scenes in this novel, which – trigger warning – follow the character of Jess through a panic attack and anxiety induced insomnia. I essentially gave Jess my panic attacks and insomnia and worked through them through her – I’m still a bit amazed at how quickly those chapters came, and how little they changed with each edit round. Even now, when I re-read them I can still feel the ache in my bones from sleepless nights.

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

Off the top of my head I have four full manuscripts (three of which I queried), two film scripts, and three graphic novels that have never been published. I believe I queried my first novel (a middle grade) in 2005-2006, and thankfully have no record of my paper rejections, but they were most likely super valid. After that I got my MFA from The New School and queried another novel in 2011. I cringe to think what my query letters looked like and I refuse to go back and look. I continued querying another novel while working in publishing for six years – all rejections, and wasn’t until the lovely Maria Barbo (Katherine Tegen Books) read a writing sample that things took a turn. We connected on voice and style and worked on my first book Even If the Sky Falls together (contract signed in 2014). Maria then introduced me to Alex Arnold and The Resolutions was born. It’s odd to think that over TEN YEARS have passed since I queried my first novel, but it has!

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

I can’t listen to music at all. I get way too into the music and it ends up influencing my writing. I once heard a writer said she wrote her fantasy novel to the soundtrack for Lord of the Rings and all I could think of was: “If I did that there would be random Orcs running around in my contemporary romance.” Come to think of it that’s a good idea for a romance…

I’m usually at home on the couch with giant headphones on, blasting atmospheric music like thunderstorms or rain falling on an old cottage – there are countless options on Youtube and they last for 8-10 hours on average. They help me really focus on the story and tune out the world.

If I’m on a deadline I’ll power through and write for hours, but normally I write in 30-min sprints after I finish my freelance work, until I reach my word-count for the day or finish a particular scene.

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

Find your community. Nurture each other. Support each other. Be kind to yourself. Take breaks. Don’t compare yourself to others. Publishing is draining and not a lot of it makes sense in terms of what sells and what doesn’t. A lot of publishing is luck, but that being said don’t give up. It was ten years of querying and writing before I even signed a contract. Be kind to yourself. Research like a mofo. Hire sensitivity readers; listen to what they have to say. Keep writing. Write the book of your heart no matter how weird it is.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Resolutions
by Mia García
Hardcover
Katherine Tegen Books
Released 11/13/2018

From hiking trips to four-person birthday parties to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable. But now with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.

Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them to one another—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, find your calling outside your mom’s Puerto Rican restaurant, finally learn Spanish, and say yes to everything.

But as the year unfolds, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heartbreaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.

Purchase The Resolutions at Amazon
Purchase The Resolutions at IndieBound
View The Resolutions on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M. García was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to New York where she studied creative writing at The New School, worked in publishing, and lived under a pile of to-be-read books. She is the author of Even If the Sky Falls and the upcoming The Resolutions from Katherine Tegen books (an imprint of Harper Collins). You can find her at www.mgarciawrites.com.

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Have you had a chance to read THE RESOLUTIONS yet? Have you used writing to work through issues? Are you writing the book of your heart? 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: Nov 16, 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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