Tina Connolly, author of SERIOUSLY SHIFTED, on writing a 0th draft

by Jocelyn Rish

SERIOUSLY SHIFTED is the second book in the Seriously Wicked series, and we’re delighted to have Tina Connolly stop by to tell us more it.

Tina, what was your inspiration for writing SERIOUSLY SHIFTED?
After Seriously Wicked, where Cam discovers she has witch heritage and she’s going to have to deal with having it, I wanted to put her in some trickier situations to see her rise to the challenge. All of her witch role models are terrible people, so she realizes she has to forge a new path, and figure out HOW to forge that path. Part of what I have loved about writing these books is that Cam is dealing with the same thing we all do when growing up (when do you want to follow your parents’ path, and when do you want to carve a new one), except writ large, and sometimes writ ridiculous, too.

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?

It’s hard to talk about some of my favorite scenes without spoilers. 😀 But I will say that there are a couple funny scenes involving the administering of love potion which were awfully fun to write.

How long did you work on SERIOUSLY SHIFTED?

I have a 2 yo and a 5yo—which last year were a 1yo and a 4yo when I was writing this book. I made several starts on this book but wasn’t quite getting it right. But luckily there is this great program through KU in Lawrence, Kansas called the Center for the Study of Science Fiction — CSSF. You can go for two weeks in the summer and study story writing or novel writing. I went several years ago to study novels (with the fabulous Kij Johnson), and then after you do one of those courses you can go back any summer to do a writing retreat. So, last year, I went to that. Lawrence is my old hometown, so the kids stayed with the grandparents, and I had 10 days to make this novel work. I threw out nearly everything and started over. And THIS time the plot just flowed right out, kind of like when I originally wrote Seriously Wicked. I wrote 4000 words a day, and at the end of the workshop I had hit 50K and had a totally reasonable 0th draft. (I can’t quite call it a first draft, but it was definitely good enough to be a 0th draft. 😉

I spent all July rewriting and adding, and by the end of that month had something I was pretty darn happy with. Every novel is my favorite after I finish it, but I am really pretty fond of this one.

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

Lately I’ve really gotten into working at coffee shops for first drafts. I have some headphones and white noise, and I get a latte and settle in. It’s really nice to be at a place where I won’t be tempted to start the laundry or pay the bills or do anything but get words on the page. After I have a first draft, I am much less distracted and I could probably do revisions anywhere. (I like revisions.) But first drafts need all the distraction-free help they can get. 🙂

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on the third book in the Seriously Wicked series! I have been having fun taking some of the mysteries and backstory mentioned in the first two books and paying them off for book three. Look for that book sometime around late 2017!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Seriously Shifted
by Tina Connolly
Hardcover
Tor Teen
Released 11/1/2016

A sparkling new adventure about teen witch Camellia and her mother, wicked witch Sarmine, introduced to readers in Seriously Wicked.

Teenage witch Cam isn’t crazy about the idea of learning magic. She’d rather be no witch than a bad one. But when a trio of her mother’s wicked witch friends decide to wreak havoc in her high school, Cam has no choice but to try to stop them.

Now Cam’s learning invisibility spells, dodging exploding cars, and pondering the ethics of love potions. All while trying to keep her grades up and go on a first date with her crush. If the witches don’t get him first, that is.

Can’t a good witch ever catch a break?

Purchase Seriously Shifted at Amazon
Purchase Seriously Shifted at IndieBound
View Seriously Shifted on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tina Connolly is the author of the Ironskin trilogy from Tor Books, and the Seriously Wicked series, from Tor Teen. Her books have been finalists for the Nebula and the Norton. Her stories have appeared in Women Destroy SF, Lightspeed, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Analog, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and many more, and are collected in On the Eyeball Floor and Other Stories from Fairwood Press. She is one of the co-hosts of Escape Pod and runs the Parsec-winning flash fiction podcast Toasted Cake. She likes re-reading books and eating pie for breakfast (preferably at the same time.)

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Have you had a chance to read SERIOUSLY SHIFTED yet? Do you go on writing retreats and crank out large word counts each day? Is every novel your favorite after you finish it? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!

Happy reading,

Jocelyn, Shelly, Martina, Anisaa, Sam, Erin, Susan, Michelle, Laura, 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: Nov 5, 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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