Month: July 2021

Author Interview with Laurie Lucking

Laurie Lucking

So glad to post this author interview with Laurie Lucking! Laurie is returning to JPC Allen Writes to talk about her latest novel and the reasons she writes YA fantasy.

Why do you choose to write speculative fiction for young adults, rather than adults?

My flippant answer is because that’s still what I prefer to read, even as an adult! The exciting, moving journey of finding your place in the world, the vivid emotions of leaving the familiarity of home to strike out toward something new, the joys and pains of falling in love for the first time… *happy sigh* 🙂 But on a deeper level, the books I experienced as a young adult had the most profound impact on my life, during a time when I needed that escape and could curl up with a good book for hours on end (now my kids always manage to find me…). Losing myself in a story with a main character I could relate to, a fun adventure, and an uplifting, hopeful ending, helped me forget all the pressures and insecurities of my day-to-day life. I pray my books can provide that kind of safe haven for readers who need an enjoyable break complete with loveable characters and an inspiring message.

What do you think are the keys to creating engaging main characters for young adult readers?

I’ve found that young adult readers seem to really engage with a character when they get to deeply experience that character’s perspective throughout the book. Rather than telling a story or giving limited glances into a character’s mind, narratives that allow the reader to live through the action right alongside the main character – practically feeling like they could be that character – are the ones teens just can’t put down. And I’m right there on the edge of my seat with them!

I still have a long way to go toward writing that kind of immersive point of view, but I think a huge key is having an understanding of the human mind and heart and translating it onto the page. Balancing beautiful prose with the way people actually think. Including internal responses in the midst of actions and dialogue. Taking the time to think through what sensory details your specific character would notice in place of generic descriptions. It’s a long, work-intensive process, but it’s amazing how that in-depth experience really draws readers in!

What is your greatest challenge when writing for young adults? What is your greatest joy?

I often find it challenging to let my characters make mistakes and suffer the ramifications rather than jumping in to prevent or fix them. In some ways, I think I view my characters like my own children and feel the need to protect and nurture them. But of course no one can avoid learning the hard way every time, and going too easy on my characters would never make for an interesting story or powerful journey!

My greatest joy is hearing from a teen (or more often her parents) that she’s read my books over and over again. That’s exactly how I enjoyed experiencing my favorite stories as a young adult, and it means so much to know that my words have impacted others in the same way. One of my readers even dressed as the main character from Common for Halloween last year! Talk about making an author’s day 🙂

That’s a major compliment. What a wonderful tribute!

What are some of your favorite young adult speculative fiction stories?

How much time do you have? *cracks knuckles* Ha, there are just so many, but I’ll try to contain myself! 🙂 I absolutely devoured Katie Clark’s dystopian Enslaved series, and her Rejected Princess series is also fantastic – the clean romance in her books is just so sweet, and her stories have so much intrigue! V. Romas Burton’s Heartmender series has been a recent favorite, with memorable characters and powerful allegorical themes. J.M. Hackman and Laura L. Zimmerman both create such vivid fantasy worlds to explore alongside strong, snarky heroines who experience so much turmoil and growth. And Carrie Anne Noble writes some of the most gorgeous prose I’ve ever read, with imaginative, unpredictable plot twists and deep insights into the human heart. I’ll stop there, but I’ve reviewed and featured lots of my favorite clean fantasy books (many in the young adult category) over at www.landsuncharted.com if you’re looking for more recommendations!

What story are you working on now?

I’ll admit my writing time and creative energy have been pretty limited over the past year between homeschooling my kiddos and all the uncertainty in the outside world, but when I get opportunities I’m working on Book 3 in my Tales of the Mystics series! Tentatively titled Scarred, this story centers around Prince Dominick (Princess Penelope’s spoiled little brother from Traitor) as he humiliates a peasant girl because of the scarring on her face, then has to rely on her help when he’s later cursed and on the run. I’m having a lot of fun with this twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale and can’t wait to bring all the scenes I’ve written together into a coherent story!

Thank you so much for hosting me today! 

You are so welcome! And best wishes as you complete Scarred. I always like twists on familiar stories.

*****

Tales of the Mystics

Common

Only one person knows of the plot against the royal family and cares enough to try to stop it—the servant girl they banished.

Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.

And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.

But Leah’s safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Rafe’s parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess, and she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. When she reports it without proof, her life shatters completely when the queen banishes her for treason.

Harbored by an unusual group of nuns, Leah must secure Rafe’s safety before it’s too late. But her quest reveals a villain far more sinister than an ambitious nobleman with his eye on the throne.

Can a common maidservant summon the courage to fight for her dearest friend?

Buy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Goodreads.

Traitor

Princess Penelope has finally found a way to redeem her past mistakes-if only it didn’t require betraying her new fiancé.

Princess Penelope has been the object of gossip and ridicule ever since she returned home in disgrace following her failed engagement to the Crown Prince of Imperia. When her father offers a new start in a country far across the sea, she has no choice but to accept.

Even if it means another betrothal, this time to a total stranger.

Penelope arrives in Delunia determined to avoid bringing further shame upon her family. But her devoted, caring fiancé makes it harder to guard her heart than she anticipated, and rumors of dark magic haunt her with memories she’d rather keep buried far beneath her pristine exterior.

When a poverty-stricken village outside the palace gates looks to her as their hope for a brighter future, Penelope embraces the opportunity to make amends for her transgressions. But in order to help, she must manipulate her new fiancé, putting her reputation on the line once more. And her heart.

Can Penelope rise above the failures of her past, or will she forever be branded a traitor?

Buy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Goodreads.

*****

Laurie Lucking loves books, music, and spending time with her family. A recovering attorney, she now spends her days chasing her active one-year-old, struggling through her sons’ math homework, and writing young adult romantic fantasy (plus a little cooking and cleaning when absolutely necessary). She and her husband make their home in beautiful Minnesota. Laurie’s debut novel, Common, won the Christian Editor Connection’s Excellence in Editing Award and was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards, and her short stories have been published in Brio Magazine, Deep Magic Ezine, and a number of anthologies. Find out more at www.laurielucking.com. You can also follow her at her blog Lands Uncharted, newsletter, reader group, Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Amazon, and Goodreads.

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Experience Any Time Period as a Teen

One of the many great things about YA fiction is that you can sample any genre within the world of YA. So my prompt today is about historical fiction. If you could experience any time period as a teen, which would you choose?

Victorian times have always intrigued me since I fell in love with the Sherlock Holmes stories. I’d love to write stories about the Baker Street Irregulars, the gang of street kids who’d do surveillance and other basic jobs for the Great Detective. But I also would like to research what it must have been like for grandparents to be teens in the teens and twenties. 1910’s and 1920’s, that is,

What era is your top choice Or what YA historical novel do you recommend?

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Cliches to Avoid when Writing YA Fiction

If you read enough YA fiction, you’ll find certain characters or plot devices repeating themselves. Here are a few cliches to avoid when writing YA fiction.

All the adults are mean and/or stupid.

All the characters in a book should have an understandable motive for how they act. In YA fiction, the adult characters should be as well developed as the teen ones. If the father of the main character is cruel to him, the author must provide a reason other than it’s convenient for the plot. If the parents don’t know what their teens are up to, it shouldn’t be because they are too stupid to realize their kids are getting into trouble. When I come across adult characters who are too mean or dumb to be believable, I close the book.

The importance of exploring character motivation was brought home to me by my friend, author Cindy Thomson. With both your major or minor character, she said I needed to keeping asking why characters act the way they do. I think this is especially important when developing a villain or developing a flaw for a character. Her motivation to do bad things can’t simply be because she’s bad.

Private Schools

Another cliche to avoid when writing YA fiction is the private school. In YA book after YA book, I find this setting. In Christian fiction, it’s often a private Christian high school. A variation is for a kid in a private school to lose her money and be forced to attend a public school. I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I think most American teens never attend a private school, certainly very few attend a private high school. My kids don’t. The teens in my church don’t.

When I was in junior high, I read a short story about a boy who cheats during a test at a private school. (The main character’s name is P.S. If you recognize the short story, let me know. I’m curious to reread it). The whole story puzzled me then because the setting and his problem seemed so far removed from my life. If I remember correctly, he was expelled, he and his father had some kind of breakthrough in their relationship, and he would be sent to another private school. The consequences didn’t seem all that bad to me.

I see some advantages of this setting. The teens have less oversight if they board at a private school, giving the author more room to get them into trouble. It’s also an easy way to employ the fish-out-of-water plot: poor, deserving teen wins a scholarship to snooty private school and is set upon by rich brats.

Authors can use this setting well. It was especially effective in the novel The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks . But new authors should find other ways to get their characters into trouble or throw them into uncomfortable situations. The private school is growing old. And I think readers would appreciate seeing characters in a setting more familiar to them.

Hospital Denouement

I’ve found this scene in many YA books across several genres. The hero survives the thrilling climax, suffering injuries that usually causes him to pass out at the end of it. In the next chapter, he’s in the hospital, waking up after being unconscious for several days. A friend or relative is at his bedside and explains to him everything he’s missed, nicely wrapping up the ending for both the reader and the hero.

This technique goes all the way back to The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, one of the granddaddy’s of young adult fiction. Like the private school, I understand this is a handy plot device. An author can work in a lot of explanation without worrying about “showing vs. telling” because it makes sense for one character to inform the hero since he’s been out of the action for awhile. It’s a time- and page-saving device.

So it’s not bad. Just overused. I almost employed it when writing my denouement for my YA mystery A Shadow on the Snow. I was trying to write a hospital scene, and it wasn’t going anywhere. It hit me that I’d read this kind of scene many, many times before. So I eliminated the setting and created another one for my wrap-up.

This post is an update of a previous one. For for more tips on writing YA fiction, click here.

What are some cliches you’re tired of reading in YA fiction?

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Fantasy Prompt for YA fiction

As a fantasy prompt for YA fiction, this photo provides a choice for the point of view (POV) character. The dragon could be a teen dragon, testing a new friendship with a human. Or the girl could defy what the elders have taught her and tames a dragon that’s supposed to be too wild to be safe around humans.

Which character would you choose to write a story from and why?

For more fantasy prompts, click here. And to find more YA prompts, click here.

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How to Write Realistic Characters by Candice Yamnitz

One of the reasons I love having guest bloggers is that they can give you a new perspective on topics. I’m excited to have the guest blog today, “How to Write Realistic Characters” by Candice Yamnitz. Candice is new to “JPC Allen Writes”. I met her on Instagram and have been following her journey toward publication. Take it away, Candice!

Think of a character you adore. What makes that character feel real to you? There are many layers to this question in any story. I’m going to review the ones I find most important.

I’m a YA fantasy author whose debut novel, Unbetrothed, comes out February 2022 with Illuminate YA. I wrote it back in 2018. Rounding out my characters took about ten drafts. I’m hoping I can give you some insight, so you don’t have to go through so many drafts.

Give Your Hero a Lie to Believe

Every hero believes a lie. This isn’t just a matter of having an imperfection. Your character needs something ingrained into their thinking. It should be related to their goal or in contrast to their goal. 

For instance, in Unbetrothed, Princess Beatriz wants a betrothal to her best friend. In order to do that, she needs a magical gifting.  She believes that a person’s value is found in their magical gifting. If she didn’t believe this lie, why strive so hard to get a gifting? Yes, wanting to marry prince charming is a good enough desire to send a person on a crazy quest. But with the lie, my character has more motivation and a thought process I can use in all her interactions.

Give Your Character Quirks

In real life, I love love love quirky people. It’s so much fun to find out that a friend you’ve known for years has a strange way of eating a candy bar. Then there’s the friend who can’t stand certain textures or the one who has a squeaky laugh. 

Give your characters fun little details. Consider giving your character a tick, a strange habit, and something they always do when they’re angry, nervous and happy. Plan these all out for your main set of characters and make the quirks distinct. Also, keep track of which character has which quirk by keeping a character journal. Please tell me I’m not the only one who forgets a character’s eye color twenty chapters into the novel.

Yes, you’re not alone. I also discovered that I’d given way too many characters brown eyes and had to go back and throw in some variety.

Build a Backstory

Backstory doesn’t belong in chapter 1 and needs to be sprinkled into the story. Even so, I recommend writing short stories about scenes in your characters lives before the story takes place. When I first wrote Unbetrothed, I just wrote the main story. The novel didn’t get more depths until I had written several prequel short stories.

I understood my characters more deeply. I knew and felt their wounds. I understood why certain characters behaved strangely. I could hear the hidden messages they sent in their dialogue. This doesn’t happen unless you get into your characters’ experience. 

Consider writing:

  • Your main character’s deepest wound
  • The start to the story if you were writing from the  antagonist’s perspective
  • The protagonist’s mentor’s story (ie. I wrote about Princess Beatriz’s mom.)
  • The same story from another person’s perspective
  • Your main character’s most treasured memory

A Note to the Adult YA Writer

When writing YA, you have to put yourself in the teen mindset if you’re not there. Go back to grappling with your identity and insecurities without adult experience. Emotions tend to be rawer and more pronounced.

I spent my college years, young adult years, and beyond mentoring in youth group. This haa given me insight in talking, emotional, social, and dating patterns in this age group. I love this age group because it’s where God reached me. Please consider spending time with teens if it’s not fresh in your mind. This will help you get the right voice, and you’ll know your audience.

Writing Sidenote: I am not a plotter. I write chapter 1, a page long synopsis, and then dig into writing my manuscripts. If you’re a planner, you might want to do all the backstory work beforehand. That’s not me. I tend to write draft 1 first. Everyone has their own process. I hope this helps you write more realistic YA characters. If you’d like clean teen book recommendations, book giveaways, and to learn about my writing journey, sign up for my newsletter here. I have some really exciting news coming up over the next few months. I can’t wait to share the cover, the exact release date, and the swag for my book.

Thanks for much for the great tips, Candice!

If you’d like to read an interview with another YA author, click here.

*****

Blurb for Unbetrothed, coming February 2022. Candice drew these portraits of her main character Beatriz. Aren’t they gorgeous!!!!

Around Agatha Sea, princesses are poised, magically gifted and betrothed.

So, when seventeen-year-old Princess Beatriz still fails to secure a betrothal, her parents hold a ball. Forming an alliance could mean the difference between peace and war, but Beatriz doesn’t just want any suitor. She’s in love with her best friend, Prince Lux. Marrying Prince Lux will always be a silly dream as long as she has no magical gift.

Princess Beatriz will do whatever it takes to obtain a touch of magic, including make a deadly oath to go on a quest to Valle de Los Fantasmas. A valley where no one comes out alive.

If she can manage to succeed, Princess Beatriz could have everything she desires and secure peace for her kingdom. If she fails, she’ll lose not only her greatest dream, but her kingdom, and maybe even her own life.

*****

Candice Pedraza Yamnitz fell in love with The Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice in high school and hasn’t stopped reading since then. She taught in a bilingual elementary education classroom for years until she decided to stay-at-home, teaching a crew of imaginative children. So in between reading lessons and converting cardboard boxes into pirate ships, she writes YA novels with a Latin twist. She lives in her native Chicagoland.

You can follow her at Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her website.

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