(c) Collen Muske, colleenmuske.com
Welcoming Heather Mullaly, Kidlit Author!
Salutations, Heather! Thank you for allowing me to interview you about your kidlit journey!
Thank you for the invite!
My pleasure! So when did you realize you wanted to write for young readers?
For a long time, writing was a hobby. I wrote whatever brought me joy. It was only when I had a story that I wanted to share with the world that I started paying attention to categories. That story was YA, so I set out to learn about writing for young readers.
Right about that time, I was at the YMCA when a total stranger got on the elliptical machine beside mine and started talking to me. This was not normal behavior for this gym. But she couldn’t contain her excitement because her first picture book was being released in four days. We struck up a conversation about writing and kidlit and I begrudgingly admitted that I was working on a YA novel. She told me about the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the regional conference that was taking place locally in a few weeks. I don’t believe in coincidence. So, I went to my first SCBWI conference.
How serendipitous is that! Did you enjoy the conference?
I loved spending three days talking about kids’ books, about the process of writing them, about the joy of reading them, and about the impact they can have on a young reader’s life. And I loved the community. When I came home, I announced to my family, “I have found my people.” And I never looked back.
SCBWI folks really know how to lift others up and cheer each other on, to be sure. Though your first book was for young adults, you now write for middle-grade readers, too. Do you approach each project differently in order to keep the target audience in mind?
For me, stories always begin with the main character. I play with ideas, but if I don’t connect with the main character, they never make it to the drafting phase. My middle grade main characters tend to come to me with clear personalities and straight forward goals. My young adult main characters take more coaxing and are often unclear about what they truly want. Their lives are more complicated, and their stories reflect that. The main character determines the target audience and the feel of the book.
Are your YA stories vastly different from your MG novels?
All of my stories have what people tell me is a dry sense of humor. That said, my middle-grade, The Legend of Hobart, which is a fairy tale, has a very different feel from Life and Other Complications, which is a contemporary YA novel about a teen living with HIV.
Thank you for the invite!
My pleasure! So when did you realize you wanted to write for young readers?
For a long time, writing was a hobby. I wrote whatever brought me joy. It was only when I had a story that I wanted to share with the world that I started paying attention to categories. That story was YA, so I set out to learn about writing for young readers.
Right about that time, I was at the YMCA when a total stranger got on the elliptical machine beside mine and started talking to me. This was not normal behavior for this gym. But she couldn’t contain her excitement because her first picture book was being released in four days. We struck up a conversation about writing and kidlit and I begrudgingly admitted that I was working on a YA novel. She told me about the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the regional conference that was taking place locally in a few weeks. I don’t believe in coincidence. So, I went to my first SCBWI conference.
How serendipitous is that! Did you enjoy the conference?
I loved spending three days talking about kids’ books, about the process of writing them, about the joy of reading them, and about the impact they can have on a young reader’s life. And I loved the community. When I came home, I announced to my family, “I have found my people.” And I never looked back.
SCBWI folks really know how to lift others up and cheer each other on, to be sure. Though your first book was for young adults, you now write for middle-grade readers, too. Do you approach each project differently in order to keep the target audience in mind?
For me, stories always begin with the main character. I play with ideas, but if I don’t connect with the main character, they never make it to the drafting phase. My middle grade main characters tend to come to me with clear personalities and straight forward goals. My young adult main characters take more coaxing and are often unclear about what they truly want. Their lives are more complicated, and their stories reflect that. The main character determines the target audience and the feel of the book.
Are your YA stories vastly different from your MG novels?
All of my stories have what people tell me is a dry sense of humor. That said, my middle-grade, The Legend of Hobart, which is a fairy tale, has a very different feel from Life and Other Complications, which is a contemporary YA novel about a teen living with HIV.
(c) Collen Muske, colleenmuske.com
Interesting process! It certainly proves the point that a good story no matter the category always begins with character. So how did you snag your literary agent, Kelly Dyksterhouse, who is my amazing kidlit literary agent, too?
Kelly is amazing! We found each other through my long-time writing mentor, Sarah Aronson, who recommended Kelly to me. She knew Kelly from conferences and by reputation (Sarah is friends with Kellye Crocker who is another Kelly Dyksterhouse client.) Sarah felt that Kelly would be a good fit for me and my funny middle grade novel. So I queried Kelly Dyksterhouse. She loved the project, and the rest has been history.
I love funny reads, and can't wait to read yours when it comes out! What are you working on now?
My current work-in-progress is a younger YA about a girl who wants to join the Malacks, an order of elite warriors who swear their allegiance to the people of the Koros Sea rather than a particular kingdom or ruler. I took the project to the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop and am now in the midst of my first major rewrite. It’s been a lot of fun.
Sounds like it would be! Well, Heather, thanks so much for stopping by. It's been delightful hearing a little bit about your story. Do keep in touch and let us know when your newest releases are hot off the press.
Will do! And thanks again for the invite!
Kelly is amazing! We found each other through my long-time writing mentor, Sarah Aronson, who recommended Kelly to me. She knew Kelly from conferences and by reputation (Sarah is friends with Kellye Crocker who is another Kelly Dyksterhouse client.) Sarah felt that Kelly would be a good fit for me and my funny middle grade novel. So I queried Kelly Dyksterhouse. She loved the project, and the rest has been history.
I love funny reads, and can't wait to read yours when it comes out! What are you working on now?
My current work-in-progress is a younger YA about a girl who wants to join the Malacks, an order of elite warriors who swear their allegiance to the people of the Koros Sea rather than a particular kingdom or ruler. I took the project to the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop and am now in the midst of my first major rewrite. It’s been a lot of fun.
Sounds like it would be! Well, Heather, thanks so much for stopping by. It's been delightful hearing a little bit about your story. Do keep in touch and let us know when your newest releases are hot off the press.
Will do! And thanks again for the invite!
Heather Mullaly is an award winning author of books for children and teens. A passionate believer in the power of story, when she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the one she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. So far her books include: Life and Other Complications, a 2021 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medalist; The Legend of Hobart, a Kirkus Best Book of 2021; and Hobart’s Second Quest, which will be releasing next month!
Preorder HERE for your chance to win some cool stuff! You can find Heather, who is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency, at heathermullaly.com.
Preorder HERE for your chance to win some cool stuff! You can find Heather, who is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency, at heathermullaly.com.
