Sean Williams, author of HOLLOWGIRL, on encouraging readers to be easier on themselves

by Jocelyn Rish

HOLLOWGIRL is the final book in the Twinmaker series, and we’re delighted to have Sean Williams with us to share more about it.

Sean, how long did you work on HOLLOWGIRL?

It took me a little over a year to write Hollowgirl, but really I’d been thinking about it ever since I sold the series, way back when. The beginning of every story determines the end, and I’ve always known pretty much how the final moments between Clair and Q would unfold, but there were so many details to get exactly right, and as the book started to take shape I quickly realised just how incredibly difficult it was going to be. This was easily the hardest book I’ve ever written, and the most rewarding. Seeing it all unfold was almost magical. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

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?

There is a scene in Hollowgirl where Clair realizes that she’s lost the guy she loves. That sounds like a spoiler, but as with everything else about this book, it’s complicated. He’s still him, but he’s not the version of him she fell in love with. It’s like . . . imagine you go out with someone for year, then they get amnesia and suddenly they don’t remember that year anymore. So you have to start all over again, unable to take anything for granted. Writing that scene was hard, because in some ways it’s easier with relationships for the endings to be clean. Or the beginnings. I didn’t like putting Clair through that. It came from painful places in my own past.

The scene I’m most proud of is a sequence at the end where everything comes together in this stupendous, disastrous catastrophe out of which the resolution finally comes. Darkest before dawn, and all that. I had a lot of fun writing that sequence, and I think it shows.

What do you hope readers will take away from HOLLOWGIRL?

I hope that Hollowgirl and the rest of the series will encourage readers to be easier on themselves. Everyone makes mistakes; learning to acknowledge those mistakes and to forgive ourselves for them is incredibly hard. That’s a journey Clair goes through several times over, and one I’m still pursuing.

The other thing I’d love to leave readers with is the thought that the world as we know it now is neither the way it’s always been nor the way it will be in times to come. Everything changes, and to a large degree we can direct those changes. Clair’s world is one I would like to live in: no kings or presidents; no money; no fouled-up environment. Someone needs to make it happen. If I’ve influenced just one reader to get out there and make a difference, that would be awesome.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a new fantasy series for middle-grade readers with Garth Nix, to come out in 2017. I’m also about to start my next YA novel, In My Mind, which is also due in 2017. This will be something different for me: contemporary novel in first-person, set largely in the real world. No world-shattering conspiracies, mind-bending technologies, or twins of any kind–what a relief!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hollowgirl
by Sean Williams
Hardcover
Balzer + Bray
Released 11/3/2015

Clair’s world has been destroyed – again. The only remaining hope of survival is for her and Q to enter the Yard, a simulation as detailed – and as real – as the home they have lost. But in the Yard there are two Clair Hills. The other Clair is headstrong, impulsive, suspicious – just like Clair herself used to be, and their very existence is causing cracks.

As Clair searches for a solution, a surprising new ally emerges from the ashes. Together they fight their way through the digital and political minefield in the hope of saving Jesse, her friends and the whole of humanity.

Purchase Hollowgirl at Amazon
Purchase Hollowgirl at IndieBound
View Hollowgirl on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books–forty-two at last count–including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere.

Have you had a chance to read HOLLOWGIRL yet? Do you draw on the pain in your past to write scenes? Do you write about worlds you’d like to live in?

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Erin, Lisa, Susan, Sam, Lindsey, Sandra, Kristin, and Anisaa

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 7, 2015

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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