WOW Wednesday: Kasie West on Continually Writing and Reading

by Jan Lewis

As I think about the years I’ve been writing, and what’s helped me the most, there are two things that come to mind right away. Continually writing. And continually reading. Those two things, no matter what else I’ve done, have helped me to move forward in this industry more than anything else.

Writing. I think so often I can get stuck on one idea. Trapped really. And I can beat that idea to death and write it and rewrite it. Edit it and re-edit it. When really, what I need to do, is let it breathe and work on the next project. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying not to edit the crap out of your books. (Have you ever seen the movie “She’s the Man” with Channing Tatum?? Every time I say do ‘the crap out of’ something I think of that movie and how Amanda Bynes says: “Kiss her if you want to. Kiss the crap out of her.” I love that movie.) So anyway, yes. Do that. Edit the crap out of them. But after you’ve edited. After you’ve let other people read. After you’ve edited again, based on others suggestions. While you’re querying, while you’re waiting for agent feedback, start your next project. Distance from a book is sometimes the best way for me to see it clearly again. Drafting is just as important of a skill to keep up on as editing is. So keep writing. Let your ideas flow. Sometimes it’s not the first project you worked on that will get you to the next level. But every project, regardless of whether it is published or not, is important to the process and helps growth.

Reading. It’s easy for me to get caught up in writing and forget to read sometimes. Reading accomplishes so many things for me. It lets my mind take a break from writing. It shows me what is going on in the market right now. It drills into my head good storytelling that I can learn from. And it inspires me. Whenever I read a good book suddenly my head is full of a million new ideas. It motivates me to write more. It gives me the desire to write more. It can pull me out of that slump that I sometimes get stuck in.

I know these aren’t earth shattering (or even remotely new) pieces of advice, but I think they’re so important. I could easily tell you what more specific things work for me when writing, but the funny thing about writing is that there is no right way to do it. Everyone does it different. Things that might work wonders for me, might not work at all for you. So do what works for you. And most importantly, write what makes you happy. Because it’s a long road and if you’re not happy while you’re on it, what’s the point?

About the Author

Kasie West loves to write–too much. It’s a sickness really. Her debut novel, PIVOT POINT, is out now with HarperTeen. (And will be followed by its sequel, Split Second on February 11, 2014.)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, her contemporary YA novel, was published July 2, 2013 (HarperTeen).

Her agent is the talented, funny, and sometimes crazy, Michelle Wolfson.

Check out Kasie’s website
Follow Kasie on Twitter

About the Book

Pretty in Pink meets Pride and Prejudice

Money can’t buy a good first impression.

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom’s porcelain-doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander Spence: he’s tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charm and the fact that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, Caymen’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. With so many obstacles standing in their way, can she close the distance between them?

Purchase The Distance Between Us on Amazon
View The Distance Between Us on Goodreads

Jan Lewis

Jan Lewis writes YA fantasy of the contemporary and traditional varieties. She lives in Oklahoma with a husband, two kids, two cats, a dog, and a mother. Instead of unpublished, she prefers to call herself pre-published. While she enjoys drafting, her heart is truly in rewriting and editing. She loves ladybugs, fairies, blue roses, cats, musical theater, and pretty much all things geek.

Post © Jan Lewis and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Jul 10, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: WOW Wednesday

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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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