WOW Wednesday: Kiera Cass on Drive and Effort in Writing Success

by Martina Boone

We’re lucky to have another guest post by Kiera Cass. We’re so delighted that she’s back and having such success! Want to find out more? Catch her on her blog or on Twitter.

Drive and Effort

If you’ve been around, you might have heard my story before. I self-published a book in 2009 called The Siren, and I loved it. Still do. Since then, I’ve moved on to a new project called The Selection, a dystopian project that I’m crazy about and CANNOT wait to share. I have a wonderful agent in the amazing Elana Roth and a happy home with Erica Sussman of HarperTeen. Pretty much, my life rocks right now.

Lots of people have been curious about the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and I’ve talked about it from several angles. It’s different to pay for your work to be published versus having someone pay you for it. It’s different to be in charge of editing your manuscript versus having tons of eyes to help perfect it. It’s different to be the only person championing your book to readers versus knowing that you have a support team out there. The experience is different from top to bottom, but in the last few months I found something else that’s different, something I didn’t expect:

My effort.

I couldn’t imagine that I’d ever work harder than I was while I was self-publishing. I feverishly went over and over my text, trying to make it better. I was always brainstorming ways to get my name out, since no one was going to do it for me. I was in a constant state of promotion. And I happened to be pregnant or a very new mother for most of that time. It was all kinds of crazy.

But here I am, two years later, and I find myself working more than I thought possible. And I don’t even mind!

I think the drive has actually come because I’m not alone anymore. Yes, I’ve got other eyes looking at my manuscript and other brains figuring out the business end of things, and thank goodness for that! But with all these things surrounding me, I’m aware that this project is truly going to be bigger than my last. And as I start to feel that truth, it makes me want to work harder.

I know that might not be the wisest thing, to think about all the eyes that will read the story instead of the story itself. Still, from time to time it might be a good idea to consider that. If you’re in a position where you’re lacking inspiration, think about all the people who are going to be moved by your book. Think about the people who will sneak peeks at it while their boss is in a meeting or stay up all night because they MUST finish it. Make it the best you can for them.

The truth is, no matter what path you take to publishing, it’s a lot of hard work. But keep the end in sight. It’s not about your name on the cover or even the book on a shelf. It’s about the book in someone’s hands. Imagining that is very motivating for me these days, and I hope that image encourages you too!

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Jun 8, 2011

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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