Robin Constantine, author of THE SEASON OF YOU & ME, on being fearless in revision

by Jocelyn Rish

THE SEASON OF YOU & ME is the latest novel from Robin Constantine, and we’re happy she’s here to share more about it.

Robin, what was your inspiration for writing THE SEASON OF YOU & ME?

Cape May is magical any time of the year, but in December, when the Victorian houses are all decked out for the holidays, it’s really special. Years ago, during the holiday season, I stayed in a bed and breakfast with brand new owners. Our stay was a comedy of errors – pipes freezing, some rooms too hot, some rooms ice cold, and the new owners didn’t know how to handle it, except to shrug and smile and ask us all to be patient. In the morning, they were in the breakfast room with their young son, and one of the other guests asked him how he liked living in the bed and breakfast – and he shrugged and hid behind his mom. My brain took a snapshot of that moment and tucked it away. I wasn’t even seriously writing at the time, but I thought it would make an interesting story.

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

This book taught me to trust my instincts. Not to be afraid of dismantling a story if you realize that’s what’s best for it. During my second round of revisions, my editor wondered if I was really showcasing Cassidy in her best light, which basically meant – she was unlikeable. I know there’s a lot of heat with that word ‘unlikeable’ and I’m not against writing (or reading) unlikable characters, but in the first version of The Season of You & Me, Cassidy was sent to her father’s against her will – so she spent most of the book angry and scheming to get back home. Not really a great backdrop for romance and my editor was right, it didn’t show her in her best light because there was no reason to root for her. Cass also didn’t have much agency, she was reacting rather than being proactive, and while changing up her motivation would mean restructuring Cassidy’s chapters under a tight deadline, I knew it would serve the story. I’m happy with the way it turned out.

What do you hope readers will take away from THE SEASON OF YOU & ME?

When I first thought of writing this book, I wrestled a lot with my own fears – was I the right person to write a character with a disability? One day I was with my family at the mall and we saw this sports car screech into a handicapped parking spot. It was so loud that lots of people turned to look, and you could almost feel the collective thought bubble “Does this guy even know that’s a handicapped spot” but when the door opened, the driver put together his wheelchair in about thirty seconds and went off with his companion. It was an ‘ah-ha’ moment for me in the sense that I questioned why I was surprised that the driver of a sports car had a disability. Then I knew I had to do the book and that’s how I approached Bryan’s character – I kept saying – okay, show me what you can do and took it from there. So if there’s anything I’d like people to take away from the book is that while a person may have a disability, that’s not the sum total of who they are.

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

Be fearless in revision. Don’t make it only about grammar and spellcheck or switching up words here and there. Play with your manuscript – cut scenes, add new ones, see where the story takes you – sometimes it’s when the best writing happens.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Season of You & Me
by Robin Constantine
Hardcover
Balzer + Bray
Released 5/10/2016

Cassidy Emmerich is determined to make this summer—the last before her boyfriend heads off to college—unforgettable. What she doesn’t count on is her boyfriend breaking up with her. Now, instead of being poolside with him, Cass is over a hundred miles away, spending the summer with her estranged father and his family at their bed-and-breakfast at the Jersey Shore and working as the newest counselor at Camp Manatee.

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with your date at prom. One miscalculated step and Bryan’s life changed forever—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. This is the first summer he’s back at his former position at Camp Manatee and ready to reclaim some of his independence, in spite of those who question if he’s up for the job.

Cass is expecting two months dealing with heartbreak.
Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.
Neither of them is expecting to fall in love.

Purchase The Season of You & Me at Amazon
Purchase The Season of You & Me at IndieBound
View The Season of You & Me on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Constantine is the author of The Promise of Amazing and The Secrets of Attraction. A born-and-raised Jersey girl, Robin likes to spend her days dreaming up stories where love conquers all, eventually, but not without a lot of peril, angst, and the occasional kissing scene. She loves swoony books, flip-flops, dark chocolate and the full moon.

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Have you had a chance to read THE SEASON OF YOU & ME yet? Have you struggled with making a character more likable? Do you find some of your best writing happens during fearless revisions? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Lindsey, Sarah, and Kristin

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 14, 2016

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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