On Sustaining a Career as a Middle Grade Author: Interview With Natalie Lloyd and The Witching Wind Giveaway and My IWSG Post

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m thrilled to have Natalie Lloyd back here to share about her new MG magical realism The Witching Wind. I interviewed Natalie when her debut MG book, A Snicker of Magic was released in 2014. I still love that book and am super excited to read The Witching Wind.

Here’s a blurb of The Witching Wind from Goodreads:

 

From Natalie Lloyd, bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic and Hummingbird, comes a heart-expanding adventure about the magic of family, friendship, and the lengths we go for the people we love.

Eleven-year-old Roxie was excited to start sixth grade... until a mortifying incident at a pool party turns her into a middle school laughingstock. Roxie can't imagine enduring a full year of bullying and body shaming, so when her country music star Granny invites Roxie to join her on tour, she jumps at the chance to leave her troubles behind. But then Granny--who's been struggling with memory loss--goes missing, leaving Roxie without an escape plan... and without her best friend.

Grayson doesn't mind being sent to yet another foster home. Her older sister, Beanie, is about to turn eighteen, which means she'll be able to become Grayson's guardian. It won't be long until they live in the same house again. It won't be long until they get to be a real family. But when Beanie's birthday finally arrives, she doesn't show up to collect Grayson. She doesn't respond to calls or texts. It's almost like she's just... vanished.

Roxie knows Granny would never leave without saying goodbye. And Grayson is certain Beanie would never abandon her. So when the new friend learn about the Witching Wind that "steals" what people love most, Roxie and Grayson are certain they've discovered the truth. Granny and Beanie didn't just disappear--they were taken. And it's up to Roxie and Grayson to outwit the Witching Wind before it's too late.

 

Before I get to Natalie’s interview, I have my IWSG post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

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!

The awesome co-hosts this month are:  Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

Optional Question: Since it’s back to school time, let’s talk English class. What’s a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

I never wanted to write creatively until my early 40s, so I didn’t really think about how to write stories until then. I didn’t find that I had to relearn something I learned in school or college.

I’ve written all the time as a lawyer and now in my job as a writer of articles for attorney’s websites for a web marketing firm. I have learned that you have to write differently for both jobs. I’ve had to write a certain formal, sometimes stilted way, while being persuasive as a lawyer. And I try to write sympathetic, informative articles conversationally now. It’s way different than I wrote as a lawyer, and there was a learning curve. My boss said I was the most improved writer when I started my current job.

And writing stories is way different than writing as a lawyer or writer of articles for marketing purposes.

Interview With Natalie Lloyd

Hi Natalie! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us where you got the idea for The Witching Wind.

Thanks so much for inviting me back, Natalie! This site was so important to me back when I was researching agents to query A Snicker of Magic.

As for your question, I’ll write more about the storm that started it all in a second. But the heart-part of the story came when I saw an old home movie from the 90’s (aka: my middle school era). As I watched my 12-year-old self, I immediately remembered what was happening in my life at that time. And of the situations that marked that season for me was a kid at school teasing me about my weight. Remembering that made me feel ashamed and broken-hearted all over again – even though I’m a legit adult now.

One of the characters, Roxie, experiences something similar in the story. Initially, I thought maybe I was writing the book to give Middle School Me the words that I didn’t have back then, or the perspective I was missing that might have helped. But, in the end, I think what the characters taught me is that we’re all vulnerable in our bodies. We’re vulnerable in them when we’re 12 and when we’re 42 and probably 80 and 120. Getting to experience life the way we do is a miracle. It’s also really hard and confusing. If there’s a reader who needs the reminder that they belong – exactly as they are – and deserve a life of big magic … I hope they feel that reminder in this story.

2. I was teased about my weight as a kid too. Like your other books, The Witching Wind has an element of magical realism. How did you develop this aspect of your story and what are your tips for other writers wanting to write a story that includes magical realism?

The magic in this particular book comes in the form of a strange, pilfering wind (which may, or may not, be controlled by a mountain witch) that gusts through this town. That idea came from a tornado warning that sounded on our real-life phones in the middle of the night. As the beloved poet Leslie Jordan would say, we knew it was time to “hunker down.” Scrunched in a closet at 2am, holding three trembling dogs, hoping the wind would just blow over already – I thought about how storms are so scary because we can’t control them.

And then I thought about how, really, we can’t control much of anything in life … we just try to. Or at least I try to. I was also in a life-season that felt overwhelming – and just as scary in a different way. But there in the quiet of the closet, I had Justin (my husband) and the dogs. The people (and animals) I love have always kept me steady, and anchored, even when the world spins into chaos.

If you enjoy writing stories that incorporate a little magic, too, what helps me is remembering that magic is for the character, even when it doesn’t seem like it is. When I do workshops with young readers, I tell them I need to know two things about a character to tell their story: what the character wants and what the character needs. Magic helps me find both elements and it adds depth to the character’s journey. The magical part might start out as a “help” on this quest the characters having. It might even be the quest. But eventually the magic reveals something to the character about how they’re changing.

As long as the character’s emotions and reactions feel genuine, most readers (especially readers who love contemporary fantasy) will hold space for you to push some magical boundaries in your writing. As a reader, I’ll happily walk through wardrobes or watch spiders spell words in their webs. If the character’s feelings track, I’ll follow them anywhere.

Your Writing Process and How You Keep Up Your Pace of Writing Middle Grade Stories

3. What was your plotting process like for The Witching Wind? Has it changed over the years?

Sometimes I feel like my process changes with every book. But the element of my process that has changed the most over the years is how deeply I outline. My outlines used to be very loose because I felt like that gave me more room to play with the story.  

But in my everyday life, I actually love structure. I’m the nerd who makes itineraries for vacations. It took a while for me to realize a more structured approach to writing would actually  help me find momentum and clarity with my storytelling. Now I consider my very detailed outline my first draft – complete with little snippets of dialogue – and I usually get feedback on that from my editor before even start writing the draft that looks book-shaped. On that note, the element of writing a novel that has remained absolutely the same for me is that it takes tons of drafts to get to the story I want to tell. I just enjoy the process more now.

A couple of resources I’ve utilized over the years that I can’t recommend enough are Susan Dennard’s incredible body of work on craft (all on her website) and Nina LaCour’s virtual class called “The Slow Novel Lab.” Both have given me tangible ways to write better, clearer drafts. Also, if you ever get a chance to hear novelist Marcy Kate Connelly talk about her process, she’s brimming with great advice. (And she consistently writes gorgeous books.) Marcy utilizes the “Save the Cat” method along with Scrivener software.

Susan’s website: https://susandennard.com/writing-resources/

Nina’s class: https://www.ninalacour.com/the-slow-novel-lab-1

Marcy’s website: marcykate.com

4. Thanks for all the advice and resources. I love Susan Dennard’s website and will check out the other two you mention. You’ve published eight books since A Snicker of Magic was released in 2014. What is your writing process like and how long does it take you to draft and revise a manuscript before submitting it to your editor?

One of the biggest, most marvelous parts of my writing career is that I’ve been able to work with the same editor for all of my Scholastic books. Landing with Mallory Kass, at Scholastic, was the most fortuitous, glass slipper moment for me. I love our collaborative process. Her editorial notes are an artform – like a masterclass on craft that somehow never make me feel inept. We work very closely together now so, as ideas start to really take shape, I usually send them to Mallory and we start brainstorming early. My agent, Suzie Townsend, is also an absolute wonder to work with. I can’t imagine how busy she is day to day, but I still seek out her advice on story structure for every manuscript.

If I have a detailed outline, I get feedback from them on it. Then it takes me anywhere from a month to a few months to put the first draft together. Once I start doing revisions with Mallory, the time it all takes really depends on what element of the story we’re working on together. Sometimes it takes a few months. Sometimes the edits can take a few weeks.

5. Many authors who continue to get published write for different age groups and sometimes write in other genres. You’ve chosen to continue writing middle grade stories. What made you decide to stick to this age group and genre?

I hope I get to write stories about people at all different ages and stages of their lives. There are ideas I have tucked away that I work on from time to time. If I’m being totally honest, there’s probably some element of fear I need to overcome about actually finishing those. In some ways, writing in any other space feels like starting over. Which always feels kinda scary.

But truly, no matter what I write, middle grade fiction will always, always be my first love. I find so much joy creating books for kid readers. Maybe it’s because I vividly remember my middle school years and the books that helped me survive that era. But also, as a reader, I still think middle grade fiction is the most beautiful, fun, skilled writing on the market: the pacing, characterization, storytelling, and writing style are all phenomenal (not in my books but in middle grade in general). Being able to write stories for young readers, stories teachers and librarians sometimes keep in their classrooms, will always be the greatest honor of my writing life.

6. Many authors sadly don’t get many books published. And middle grade books have become more difficult to promote with recent publishing industry changes. Why do you think you’ve been so successful in continuing to sell books?

This is a tough question to answer. I’ll go at it from two angles. One, I’ve been extremely lucky in working with a publisher, Scholastic, who has really committed to my books and to helping me grow as an author. Mallory is an incredible editor. My publicist, Seale Ballenger, is such a wonderful human who helps me find great opportunities to share more about my books. Every team I’ve worked with at Scholastic – marketing, publicity, sales, their school and library team, events, all of it – they’re such passionate, genuine, creative people.

I’m also grateful booksellers, teachers, librarians and readers keep recommending my books. My novels are quiet stories. They don’t typically hit lists or cause much chatter or win awards. But somehow people continue to share them and find them and that means so much to me. Last year is the first time a little reader showed me a book their older sibling had given them – which was so surreal. I have no clue how long I’ll get to do this, but I love it and I’m grateful for the experience I’ve had so far.

So all that to say, anything that looks like “success” is really nothing I’ve done. It is frustrating market right now – it’s hard to get published here, hard to promote your work once you do, hard to figure out what a sustainable career can look like. When I hear the word “success,” honesty, my first instinct is to think of all the ways I’m failing. I think of bad reviews or the benchmarks I haven’t hit (that I set for myself) or the sales on one book that might be so wildly different from another. I think of all the things I can’t control, which is such a fruitless endeavor. So much of publishing is beyond a writer’s control.

The only advice I have to offer is this: please keep writing. In a world that demands we constantly consume stuff, choosing to carve out time to write is such a rebellious, amazing act. But even more than that, the world needs your stories, and your experiences. Also, surround yourself with good people who help you make good decisions about your publishing career - because writing and publishing are two wildly different creatures. Knowing Suzie is working out the best contracts and deals has helped me be able to focus on writing. Knowing my editor will help me get to that vision I have for this book helps me go through slightly less self-loathing in the process. (Slightly.) I’m also married to a wonderful partner who is so supportive. His job is financially consistent, which allows me freedom to write, but he’s also my best friend and favorite person.

Another element that has been so important to me as an author is having hobbies beyond writing, and having a life away from all the screens. Take breaks from social media. Go have dinner with your friends who don’t know anything about publishing; they just love you and want to watch Gilmore Girls reruns with you and help you rest a little.

Also, consider getting a dog. Just because they’re the absolute best.  

On Working With Your Agent

7. Suzie Townsend is your agent. Share what it’s been working with her over the years. Has your working relationship changed as you’ve published more books?

I adore Suzie Townsend and have since we first met. She and I began working together in 2011 when I queried her with my first novel, A Snicker of Magic. My friend, Sarah Everett, was working with Suzie and loved her. When Sarah found out I was writing middle grade, she told me I had to query Suzie … but Suzie was already on the very, very top of my query list. I sent a query and some sample pages, exactly the way her website at the time requested all that info. I’ll never forget – my wackadoodle playlist was right between “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show and “Dog Days are Over” by Florence + the Machine when my phone pinged with an email from Suzie, asking if we could set up a time to chat.

Honestly though, even in working with Suzie for over a decade, the way we work together hasn’t changed much … and that’s really saying something. Because she’s only gotten even more successful and busy. But I never doubt that she’s still the first champion for every story and for me. Even if she just focused on finding the best editor connection and making the best deal possible, that would be enough. But Suzie also has such a great editorial eye and love for storytelling. And over the years, she’s been such an amazing encourager when tough reviews or hard revisions are happening. I’m so grateful I get to work with her. (For a few years now, I’ve also worked closely with Suzie’s assistant, Sophia Ramos. She is a wonder and I think she’s taking her own clients now for anybody in the agent research phase!)  

Promoting Your Book

8. I saw on your website that you’ve been to ABA’s Children’s Institute, the ALA conference, and SIBA’s New Voices, New Rooms conference this year and are planning events this fall. How do you get these events scheduled? What advice do you have for newer authors wanting to be featured at conferences?

My publisher pitched me or invited me for all those events. For me, these professional events are ALWAYS more successful when a publisher is the one who sends me. I don’t try to seek them out on my own. But I’m grateful they sent me to these and grateful those event coordinators wanted me to attend.

9. How has your approach to social media and marketing your books changed over the years? Why?

So on that “success note” – this is the area I feel most lacking. I follow so many writers who, in addition to being amazing storytellers, have the most dazzling online presence. Watching Meg Medina or Claribel Ortega online encourages me so much. Simultaneously, watching authors who have a great online presence always makes me feel like maybe I have no place in this industry. I don’t utilize social media or marketing very well. Social media has always felt a little invasive to me; plus it’s really time consuming. Personally, I try to use social media to chat with other people who love books, to talk about writing, or to be part of the conversation about what books are doing culturally. Whenever I promote one of my books, I try to intentionally promote another writer’s books in that same space or elsewhere … which makes it all feel a little more genuine. But overall, I’ve always struggled with social media and how to interact with it.

10. Except for my blog, I struggle with social media too. I’m glad to know that I’m not alone in this. What are you working on now?

I’m working on a middle grade project that hasn’t been announced, yet – but it’s a brand new format for me, and I’ve had so much fun with this style of storytelling!

Beyond that, I’m always working on something. A forest full of somethings. I tell young readers that ideas are like fireflies in the woods – sparkly, shining, everywhere. I hope I have enough time to chase every sparkle. Life is weird and wonderful and beautiful and strange – words help me experience it even more deeply. I’m grateful I get to share my stories and I’m grateful people besides my mom want to read anything I’ve written.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Natalie. You can find Natalie at www.NatalieLloyd.com, www.facebook.com/NatalieLloydAuthor, @NatalieLloydBooks on Instagram & @_natalielloyd on X/Twitter

Giveaway Details

Natalie is generously offering a hardback of The Witching Wind for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by September 14th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Natalie on her social media sites, 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 book giveaway is U.S. and Canada.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Saturday, September 7th I’m participating in the Holiday Kick Off Giveaway Hop

Monday, September 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Alex Brown and a query critique giveaway

Monday, September 16th I have an interview with debut author Callie Miller and a giveaway of her MG The Search for the Shadowsoul

Monday, September 16th I’m also participating in the Falling Into Leaves Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, September 18th I have a guest post by Carol Lynch Williams from Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers

Monday, September 23rd I have an interview with debut author Dionna Mann and a giveaway of her MG Mama's Chicken and Dumplings 

I hope to see you on Saturday!