Happy Wednesday Everyone! Can you believe it's September already? I hope you're all hanging in there and staying healthy. I am and am grateful that everyone I know and love is healthy.
Today I’m thrilled to have Andrea Contos here to share about her YA debut thriller Throwaway Girls. I was lucky to get an ARC on NetGalley and loved it! It was fast-paced and kept me guessing till the end. And I just discovered that Andrea lives not that far from me when I was preparing her interview. Before I get to my interview with Andrea, I have Follower News and my IWSG Post.
Follower News
Long-time follower Julie Able recently debuted with her MG fantasy Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch. Here's a blurb and some links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eva-
Twitter: www.twitter.com/julieabebooks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/julieabebooks
Website: www.julieabebooks.com
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Until then, Caroline is keeping her head down, pretending to be the perfect student even though she is crushed by her family and heartbroken over the girlfriend who left for California.
But when her best friend Madison disappears, Caroline feels compelled to get involved in the investigation. She has her own reasons not to trust the police, and she owes Madison — big time.
Suddenly Caroline realizes how little she knew of what her friend was up to. Caroline has some uncomfortable secrets about the hours before Madison disappeared, but they're nothing compared to the secrets Madison has been hiding. And why does Mr. McCormack, their teacher, seem to know so much about them?
It's only when Caroline discovers other missing girls that she begins to close in on the truth. Unlike Madison, the other girls are from the wrong side of the tracks. Unlike Madison's, their disappearances haven't received much attention. Caroline is determined to find out what happened to them and why no one seems to notice. But as every new discovery leads Caroline closer to the connection between these girls and Madison, she faces an unsettling truth.
There's only one common denominator between the disappearances: Caroline herself.
Hi Andrea! Thanks
so much for joining us!
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
I always say I
became a writer because I was bored.
I loved reading as
a kid, and I used write stories to entertain my friends, but I never considered
becoming a writer. I grew up in Detroit, was one of five kids, paid for my own
college and therefore graduated many thousands of dollars in debt, and that
meant all my focus went into finding a job that was stable and paid well. I
spent the next decade climbing the corporate ladder, until my daughter was
born, and I realized my complete lack of work/life balance and a partner who
traveled more weeks than not was really not conducive to newborns.
So I made the very
scary decision to cut our income in half and stay home with her!
I loved being able
to spend so much time with her, but 6 month-olds are not very good
conversationalists, and my brain clearly needed something to do. So I wrote a
book.
It was terrible.
Despite reading plenty of books, my brain didn’t seem to absorb even basic
things like how to punctuate dialogue. But I fell in love with writing. It made
me think, it became a way to put my emotions on the page, and I could do it in
the wee hours of the night when my house was silent.
There were several
periods where I had to walk away from it (like when the second child came
along) but I always found myself going back. But it wasn’t until about four
years ago that I actually got serious about trying to pursue publication.
It was definitely
not a straight road, but I’m not sure I’d have gotten here any other way!
2. I think many of us have had those times when we didn't have time to write. Where did you get the idea for Throwaway Girls?
Throwaway Girls started the way most of my ideas do—from a spark. In this case, it was the opening
From there, this
voice popped into my head that I couldn’t get rid of, and the story unraveled
from there!
3. I’m imagining that you have to really plot out a thriller. And you planted a lot of clues in yours but kept the mystery going all the way to the end. How did you plot your story out and what tips do you have for the rest of us?
Ha! I am not a
plotter! I like to call myself a capri-pantser. For me, that means when I start
writing a book, I know the main character, the basic conflict, a few plot
points along the way, and the end (which helps me know what I’m writing
toward.) But the vast majority of the book is still a mystery to me at that point.
If that’s not
strange enough, around the 50% mark, I start plotting a scene-by-scene outline,
pulling the threads I’ve started at the beginning through to the end, and
setting up the climax and resolution.
I always say my
brain withholds things from me while drafting, because I’ve lost track of the
times I’ve included something in the beginning without quite knowing why, but
that ends up being critical to the main conflict.
Suffice it to say,
I don’t think you need to be a plotter in order to write a mystery—or any other
genre for that matter! But I’m always amazed by the skill it takes to plot an
entire book!
As for tips, I can’t point you in the direction of beat sheets or 3-act
structure outlines, but there are some “rules” I follow for every book I write.
I think knowing
how your book ends is one of the most important aspects, especially for a
mystery/thriller. It’s really hard to include clues for something you don’t
know exists. And for every action your main character takes, you should have an
understanding of what the villain is doing in the background. That’s very hard
to do if you don’t know who they are!
I also think it’s
important to tie the main conflict to your main character. The conflict should
be something that forces them to confront a fear or misbelief—something that
directly influences their character arc. You want for your reader to be
invested in all those plot threads you’re weaving.
Speaking of plot
threads, it’s important to pull them all through. If you plant a seed in the
beginning, you want it to bloom by the end of the book. Too many dangling
threads makes a book feel unfinished and unsatisfying.
I also plan for
misdirection. Part of writing anything is getting readers to believe in the
story you’re telling, and you can use that skill to your advantage. Plan for
your main character to get things wrong, but make it convincing. Give your
characters and your readers concrete reasons for coming to the wrong
conclusions!
Don’t forget the subplots!
They make for a more layered, richer story!
4. I like how you plot. You tackle some difficult issues in your story like forgotten girls that no one cares about and Caroline’s secret relationship with her girlfriend. Share how you approached these issues in developing your story to avoid it sounding preachy, which you did a good job of avoiding.
Ah thanks! That’s
always a big worry when dealing with difficult topics. Any book that even
borders on an “issue book” always feels extra challenging, because you want to
do it justice, but still write an enjoyable story. It’s a very delicate
balance.
My approach was
just to be as real and honest as possible. And I think it certainly helps if there
are personal experiences you can draw from. This book was intensely personal to
me for a number of reasons, and I think that made several elements feel more
authentic, but much harder to write.
That aside, I
firmly believe that the story drives the themes. I don’t write books to teach
lessons. Lessons emerge from the story. So I go into the book with a focus on
telling the story of these characters to the best of my ability, and my hope is
that readers become invested in their lives, and maybe that opens their eyes to
different points of view, or gives a voice to their own experiences.
5. You were a Pitch Wars mentee and mentor. How did being a mentee help you with this story and your writing in general? At what stage of a manuscript should a writer consider submitting as a mentee?
Yes! I was a
mentee in 2017, and a mentor every year after, including this year! I love
Pitch Wars so much and I’m honored to be part of such an amazing program that’s
made such a huge difference in the careers of so many writers.
Throwaway Girls
was actually my Pitch Wars novel, and it connected me to my mentors, Sonia
Hartl and Annette Christie, who are both amazing writers whose books you should
definitely buy! They helped me zero in on who Caroline was and really bring the
heart of the story forward. And I can’t understate the value of having someone
else truly love and understand your book. Their support and guidance
gave me so much confidence in my story, especially since it was not only the
first mystery/thriller I’d ever written, but the first young adult book as
well!
As for when you should submit as a mentee, you want a completed manuscript
that’s been polished to the best of your ability.
We’re not looking
for perfection! A perfect manuscript doesn’t need a mentor!
But competition in
Pitch Wars is serious. There are thousands of applicants and each mentor
can only pick one, and there is so much talent out there. That means
it’s in any applicant’s best interest to get their manuscript in the best shape
it can be.
I’d never
disqualify anyone for a typo, but if I find several in your first few
paragraphs, I’m going to question how much time you’ve invested, and how much
time you’re willing to invest in the future.
Workshop queries
and first chapters with other hopefuls—you can find them on the Pitch Wars #
and the forums. Then, while you’re waiting for the submission window to open,
apply as much as you’ve learned to the rest of your manuscript.
I tend to shy away
from “rules” because there is always an exception, but ideally, you’d have a
manuscript you’ve had time to write, send to betas, and revise based on their
feedback. Are betas absolutely necessary? Nope. But they can’t hurt, and
anything that can help improve your manuscript (and therefore, your odds!) is
worth doing!
As for queries—write the best one you can. They’re tough! And it’s a completely
different skill than book writing. But queries are pretty easy to fix, and even
a terrible query wouldn’t stop me from picking a book I really loved.
The least of your
worries? The synopsis. Again, do your best. Hit all the major plot points.
Streamline it. Aim for clarity above all else. Have someone read it who has
never read your book and make sure they’re not totally lost. But a synopsis
will not make or break your submission.
6. Your agent is Sarah Davies. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?
Sarah is an
incredible agent and I am so lucky to have her in my corner! My road to
publication was not a quick one. I actually started out writing adult SFF. I wrote
and queried two manuscripts, but sent them out to fewer than 40 agents. I got
tons of requests, but was perpetually stuck in the “I love your writing, but…”
realms of rejections. Then the idea for Throwaway Girls took hold.
Once I’d finished
and revised it, I sent it to about ten agents, just to see what kind of
interest I’d get. I’d never written a mystery/thriller before, or YA, and I had
no idea whether this book would even be something agents would want!
Sarah requested the
full, as did most of the agents I queried. I opted not to send more, because
the submission period for Pitch Wars was coming up, and I’d planned to enter.
I eternally glad I
did, because I got chosen for Pitch Wars! It was an amazing experience and introduced
me to some of my best writing friends. Throwaway Girls did very well in the
showcase (my mentors tell me I got the second highest number of requests but
I’ve never actually confirmed that) and I went on to receive a number of offers
of representation, including one from Sarah.
I was blown
away—and completely unprepared—for the level of interest, and that two week
decision period remains one of the most stressful/wonderful times of my career.
But I loved
Sarah’s experience with the industry, her overwhelming knowledge, her approach
to editing, and how I immediately knew that she’d be a tireless advocate for me
and my books.
I signed with
Sarah in 2018 and we’ve gone on to sell three books together, and hopefully
many more to come, so I think I made the right choice!
7. How are you promoting your book given the pandemic? What advice do you have for other authors whose books will be published before life goes back to “normal?”
The elusive
“normal”. Truthfully, I’m not sure “normal”
will ever look the same, which makes some things much harder, including book
promo!
The truth is, as
authors, there isn’t much we can do to “move the needle” on book sales, even
without a pandemic. But we can still do preorder campaigns, talks with other
authors on Instagram, posting about our books online, or virtual launches.
I’ve been lucky enough to be part of the
fabulous Class of 2K20 books (https://classof2k20books.com/) which is made up of 20 Middle
Grade and Young Adult novels debuting in 2020. We’ve been able to advertise
through Book Riot, Storygram Tours, and School Library Journal, as well as
marketing our books through our website, blog, and twitter and insta chats.
Debut
is really stressful for a lot of authors though, so I think it’s important to
point out that all those things are optional, and no one should feel pressured.
8. What have you done to build your social network platform since you signed your publishing contract? How do you advise other writers to build theirs?
I think the best
way to build a following is to just have genuine interaction with people. People
figure out pretty quickly if you’re just attempting to use them to build your
followers.
Getting involved
in the writing community is a great way to build your platform and make new
connections! Participating in contests or twitter chats can introduce you to
new people and help show commonalities you may not have otherwise known!
9. Your next book, Out of the Fire, will be published in the Fall 2021 by Scholastic. Has it been different writing your second book with a deadline to get it completed? How has it been working with two publishers?
I am so incredibly excited about OUT OF THE FIRE and can’t wait to introduce everyone to this fabulous group of girls! I actually just sent my latest revision to my editor, and I’m thrilled with how the book has turned out so far. But I didn’t actually write it on a deadline.
I was able to write Out Of The Fire while in the midst of finishing up final
edits for Throwaway Girls, and I couldn’t wait to get it out on sub, which
happened earlier this year. We had our first offer within the first week. The
final deal with Scholastic is for two books, so I am in the process of
writing under a deadline now.
I’m not quite
panicking yet because I have some time, but drafting an entire book in a few
months while having two young children remote schooling is honestly not
something I’m looking forward to!
Working with two
publishers hasn’t been an issue at all, mostly because all of the editorial
work for Throwaway Girls was basically done prior to starting on edits for Out
Of The Fire. But OOTF revisions have been so amazingly painless—so many thanks
to my amazing editor—that I don’t think it would’ve been a problem even if I
had to do them simultaneously!
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Andrea. You can find Andrea at:
https://twitter.com/Andrea_Contos
https://www.andreacontos.com/
https://www.instagram.com/andreaacontos/
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is U.S.
Monday, September 14th I have an interview with debut author Rebecca Coffindaffer and a giveaway of her YA space opera Crownchasers
Wednesday, September 16th I have an agent spotlight interview with Erin Casey and a query critique giveaway
