What Are We Waiting On? (April – June 2016)

by Sam Taylor

A new season is upon us and with it comes more awesome new book releases. (Seriously, when is that ever going to change? So much talent and so many excellent stories out there!) Read on to see what new titles members of the AYAP team are most looking forward to in the coming months.

Sarah

I’m excited for The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott because it’s a road trip story (and who doesn’t love those?) with depth and heart! I’m also a sucker for dual POV novels, and I think this book promises to be memorable.

I’m also eager for The Summer of Sloane by Erin Schneider in part because of the Hawaii setting. I’m sick of cooler weather, and I’m ready to dream about tropical places! Beyond that, the main character, Sloane, seems like she’ll be easy to identify with, and I can’t wait to follow her journey.

As for How It Ends by Catherine Lo–spoiler alert, I was lucky enough to read an ARC already, but I’m so excited for others to read it, too. This book centers around a best friend relationship on the rocks, so I’d been eagerly anticipating it, and I’m thrilled to say it’s every bit as engaging as I would have hoped. I can’t wait to get my own copy!

Lindsey
I’m incredibly excited for Sarah J Maas’ A Court of Mist and Fury. I loved the first book in the trilogy and I loved where it left off. I’m expecting wonderful things.

I’m also waiting anxiously for my pre-order of The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows to arrive. I adored the first book and, as a writer, I’m really curious to see how Jodi makes the duology work.

Jocelyn

I loved The Cage by Megan Shepherd about humans put into an alien zoo, so I can’t wait to read the next book in the series The Hunt.

Also, I’ve always loved stories in which wishes go wrong in fun and tricky ways, so I’m excited to read Down with the Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn.

Sam

I’m thrilled for Anne Blackman’s novel Traitor Angels, about Elizabeth Milton, who must rescue her father, the poet John Milton, from political danger when he hides dangerous secrets in his epic poem Paradise Lost. I LOVED studying Milton’s poetry in college (even wrote a seminar paper about youth adaptations of his work, including Paradise Lost) so I literally shouted aloud when I learned of this book. Pre-ordered my copy months ago and I can’t wait for it to arrive.

I’m also excited for Meredith Russo’s debut If I Was Your Girl. I’ve only heard great things about this book and it’s timely and so important. Eagerly waiting for my pre-order to appear on my Kindle screen.

Shelly
All the picks above are pure awesome and I can’t wait for them either! I’d just like to add Gena/Finn, a co-write from Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson! It’s a book written through twitter chats, message boards, fan fic and art, and tons of other cool medium. It’s the story of how fandom can bring us together in unexpected ways. It sounds great!

What books are YOU eagerly waiting for in the coming months? Let us know in the comments below.

Sam Taylor

SJ Taylor writes stories steeped in folklore and magic, where young protagonists tackle big adventures and bigger questions. She's mentored in Pitch Wars and taught workshops in fantasy world-building. For her writing, she's received the Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature and twice won the Rosemary Award offered by the Young Adult Romance Writers of America.

Although she grew up in Arizona's desert, her heart yearns for the Nordic lands. When she's not writing, she can often be found knitting yet another sweater (sweater weather is the best weather). She lives in Connecticut with her family.

Post © Sam Taylor and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Apr 10, 2016

Category: Imported from AYAP

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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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