Debut Author Interviews

Jo Knowles is the author of Lessons from a Dead Girl (Candlewick, Fall 2007)

• Jo Knowles on...Critique Groups
• Jo Knowles on...The Call
• Jo Knowles on...Audience
• Jo Knowles on...Writing Schedule
• Jo Knowles on...After-Sale Revisions
• Jo Knowles on...Ideas
• Jo Knowles on...Training
• Jo Knowles on...Book Memory
• Jo Knowles on...First Novels

Do you belong to a writing group?

At the moment I’m not in an “official” group, but I’ve been in writing groups for several years and I would never be where I am today if it weren’t for all those wonderful and supportive people giving me feedback. I also learned a ton simply listening to other people read and hearing the pros give suggestions. It’s amazing what you can learn from just listening.

I have a great circle of writing friends to share my work with now. We don’t get together very often, but we send our work via e-mail. Right now, that process is working for me. Wait. Does this count as a writing group? I guess maybe it does.

What happened when you received ‘The Call’ that your book would be published?

I knew I’d be getting a call from my agent any day, since we were waiting for a response. I’d spent weeks preparing myself for bad news. I even played out the phone call in my mind because I knew I’d have to get off the phone quickly to cry. I’d revised the novel twice for the editor and loved her suggestions. I thought if this editor who totally seems to get me and my work doesn’t take this novel, then no one will.

When Barry called I was home working, and by chance my husband was home, too. He started the conversation cheerfully enough, “How’s the boy?” “How’s Vermont?” Etc. I knew it was coming though. Sure enough, there was a brief silence and then the dreaded words, “So, I talked to Joan.” Very serious. “OK” I think I said. I was trying very hard not to let my voice crack. Bad news. I just knew it. “And I’ve got some bad news.” My heart sank. As much as I’d tried to prepare myself, I hadn’t. I felt totally defeated. “Oh,” I think I said. “I can no longer call you my only unpublished client,” he said. “What?” I think I said.” “Joan loved the revision and wants to buy the book.” “No way.” I think I said. And then I don’t really remember anything else.

Life. Never the same.

I hung up and everything felt different. My hands. The keyboard. My office. We were all covered in fairy dust. Suddenly I realized it was only a dream. But then I heard my husband downstairs. I flew down the steps and told him. Then I made him tell me I wasn’t dreaming. Several times. It took a few weeks for me to finally believe that, no, I wasn’t just having a really really really long and glorious dream. It was real. At last!

Sometimes I still pinch myself. Just in case.

Who is the target audience for your book?

LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL is being marketed for ages 14 and up. There’s some language in there. And a little drug use. And some abuse. And a little sexual content. I think 14 and up makes sense. Recently a librarian asked me if my book would be appropriate for an adult reader’s group and I said “Hell yeah.” Well, actually, I didn’t say hell. But I said YES. In general, I think adults should read more YA fiction and nonfiction. Those who don’t have no clue what they’re missing.

What is your writing schedule?

I have a very unpredicatable job as far as hours go (I never know when my next freelance job will come in, or how long it will take me to complete). I also have a child who seems not to need sleep. So I don’t have a schedule. I write whenever I can find a half-hour here, an hour there. Some days I might have a window between freelance jobs which I try to take advantage of. Of course, usually those are the days my car needs the oil changed, we’ve run out of milk, or my son gets sick and stays home from school.

Evenings tend to be the most productive for me. I have two friends I check in with via e-mail every night and we set goals together and then get to work, only checking in again (usually) when we’ve met our goals. We’ve been doing this for about a year now and I can’t imagine what I’d do without their positive peer pressure. It’s great to have a writing buddy (or two). Even on nights when I have to do freelance work instead of my own writing, I check in and tell them my goals. This helps me finish the project sooner and get back to the writing I love.

How much revision did you do AFTER you sold your book to your publisher?

I’m still revising.

Can I get back to you on that one?

;)

Where did you get the idea for your book?

I was writing a booklet on child abuse prevention for the publishing company I now freelance for. I came across an article about kids abusing kids and it kind of sent me spiraling back to some incidents in my own childhood. Nothing like what happens to Laine happened to me, but the article was enough to spark that all-important question: “What if?”

Of the many many many [insert about 45 more many’s in here] times I have revised LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL, the one chapter that has remained almost fully intact is the first chapter I wrote after reading that article (now LESSON #2: Forever is a long time.).

What writing training have you had?

I majored in English with a concentration in writing as an undergrad, then got my master’s degree in children’s literature. While in grad school I took a course on writing for children and got hooked. I decided to attempt my first YA novel for my master’s thesis. That’s my specific educational background. But I think my real training came after I graduated and found a job as a technical writer, and for a short time as an editor. The work involved constant revision, lots of research, learning how to take feedback, and learning how to listen. I still work for that company as a freelancer.

But obviously you don’t have to go to grad school or get a job as a writer to work on your skills. I recommend going to SCBWI conferences and children’s literature conferences, such as the one Simmons College runs every other year. Don’t just attend writing-focused workshops. Learn how to talk about books! Get recommendations for good books and go read them! Go to book festivals and readings—a lot of times these are free. I think there’s a lot to be gained by hearing authors read their work out loud, and usually there are good Q&A sessions afterwards that you’ll be sure to learn from.

That brings me to the best training tip of all: Read. Read every day. Read read read.

Oh, and try to write every day, too. Even if you only write 10 lines a day, I think if you can develop a daily writing habit, your skills will improve. Have fun and challenge yourself. Try writing from different points of view, or from outside your comfort zone. You never know what you’re capable of if you don’t try.

:)

What is your earliest book memory?

I remember sitting on my grandfather’s lap in his tiny living room looking at a giant Richard Scarry’s book that belonged to my brother. I don’t remember my grandfather’s voice but I remember Lowly Worm and his little boot and hat. I remember being worried about him for some reason. Did he lose his boot? Was he lost? I can’t remember. But I’m pretty sure it all turned out well in the end.

The first book I “read” on my own (I actually just memorized it), was The Bear’s Toothache, written and illustrated by David McPhail. I thought the O’s the bear made when he howled looked like spaghettio’s. The first book I really learned to read on my own was a Dick and Jane book. But that is far less exciting or impressive.

Was this the first full-length novel you wrote, or rather the first that you sold?

My first published novel is the second novel I wrote. I still dream about the characters in my first novel, probably because they were so closely based on people I knew and loved. And that’s probably why I never sold it. I just couldn’t seem to divorce myself from “what really happened” and what would make the story a good book.

That’s hard.

Maybe someday I’ll brush off the dust and take a peek. Someday.