Trish Doller, author of IN A PERFECT WORLD, on a bumpy road to publication

by Jocelyn Rish

We have entered a perfect world, where we are lucky to be joined by Trish Doller to chat about her latest novel, IN A PERFECT WORLD.

Trish, what do you hope readers will take away from IN A PERFECT WORLD?

I hope readers will fall in love with the historically dense, frenetic, smelly, wonderful city of Cairo. I hope they swoon for the charming boy whose dream is to work in a world-famous kitchen someday. And I hope they gain a respect for the differences and an appreciation for the similarities between Islam and Christianity.

What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book–or visa versa?

I think people who enjoy travel romances like ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS or LOVE AND GELATO will enjoy the kissing, kushary, and kindness of IN A PERFECT WORLD.

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

I do most of my writing while sitting on my living room couch. I like the quiet of home–I get distracted in coffee shops–and I like being able to stop and take a nap, if I feel like it. Sometimes I listen to music–particularly if I need a little inspiration–but most of the time I prefer quiet.

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

My road to publication was a little bit bumpy. My first book was sold to a publisher, but when my editor was laid off, the deal died and we were never able to sell the book again. In the meantime, I started working on Something Like Normal, which turned out to be my debut instead.

To date, I’ve written six complete novels. The first was the one that never sold. The next four were Something Like Normal, Where the Stars Still Shine, The Devil You Know, and In a Perfect World. The sixth is an adult novel that has not sold, but I’m not done trying.

What are you working on now?

My next project is about two girls who sail from Ohio to Florida as a deathbed promise to their best friend, armed with only a weird list of clues to the stops along the way. The girls must work together to reach their destination, deal with their grief, and find their way back to friendship. The working title is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, but because of the movie, that will probably change.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a Perfect World
by Trish Doller
Hardcover
Simon Pulse
Released 5/23/2017

Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

Purchase In a Perfect World at Amazon
Purchase In a Perfect World at IndieBound
View In a Perfect World on Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trish Doller has been writing for as long as she can remember, but didn’t try to be a published author until more recently.

Trish was born in Berlin, Germany (when there was still a wall), but grew up in Ohio and graduated with a degree in journalism from Ohio State University. She has worked as a radio personality on a morning show and as a journalist for her hometown newspaper. Along the way, she married someone really awesome and followed him around the country from Maine to Michigan and back to Ohio.

These days she lives, works, and sails in Florida with a relentlessly optimistic border collie and an ex-pirate, but has dreams of running away to Grenada and never coming back.

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Have you had a chance to read IN A PERFECT WORLD yet? Have you read writing that made you fall in love with a place? Have you had a book deal die? What was your solution to not sharing that story with others? 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: May 27, 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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