2,200 words
17 minute read
As of this writing, Tara and I are eight chapters into our latest work, Appearances, and we wanted to answer the third set of these questions. The summary (since it’s referred to a few times in the questions) is as follows:
Middle school teacher, Sam Jensen and three of her students face a situation none of them is prepared for. The only way through it is together.
Since we love discussing writing together, we thought we’d unpack some of the secrets of Appearances for you.
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Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?
TONIA: In this book, we are introducing three new characters, middle school siblings Shay, Oscar and Clancy Flynn. We love them to bits.
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Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
TARA: There are going to be more perspectives than just the main four.
TONIA: Yes, if you love the Disuphere universe and its characters, definitely tune in to read this one!
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Can you share a snippet that isn’t in the blurb or excerpt?
OSCAR
I am an activist because I exist.
Some might call it Being Annoying, but they won't forget about me, will they?
At least, I thought it would be that simple.
But public middle school is basically a giant ball of suck. It's so effing large that the wheelchair that used to be just for vacations, long shopping trips and amusement parks is now something I'm forced to use every single day.
And I'm just going to say it. I'm not one of those ripped athletes who roll as if every surface is Costco smooth. My arms didn't get the memo that they would, in fact, be noodles hanging from my shoulders most of the time.
And once I actually get to my classes? My seat is usually in the very back of the room, and in my first hour health class, it’s at a table that faces a wall. Because of overcrowding. Or a lack of imagination. I don't know.
It's hard to be a noodle-armed activist talking to a wall, okay?
It's depressing.
So, I started asking to work in the library.
Finding the secret door had been a total accident.
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Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
TARA: Why would you ask such a horrible question?
TONIA: I know! I can’t pick among my children!
TARA: You’re asking for a dissertation. You realize that.
TONIA: Absolutely. So, who should we start with? (Who do we love the most?)
TARA: I’ll pretend I didn’t see that last part! Let’s talk about Sam first. She’s someone you officially introduced in Quite Alive, right?
TONIA: She is. She definitely holds a special place in my heart because she’s this intriguing combination of super blunt and really vulnerable. So that’s what first attracted me to her, but here, we get to see Sam as a teacher – another side to her completely.
She’s not very confident in her teaching abilities – which we saw in Quite Alive – but seeing her through her students' eyes, we can see just how important Sam and her classroom are to so many of these kids. She creates the safe space so many of them need.
TARA: Yes! Love her! And then, we have the kiddos!
I love writing all of the kids, honestly, because they’re complete opposites of me, personality-wise. Unapologetic. Unafraid to take up space.
TONIA: The kids are really great because they’re so unlike any other character I’ve written so far, especially any kid-character. They’re all very confident and grounded and they’ve been well-loved.
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What was the inspiration for the story?
TONIA: I can say that I remember we were trying to come up with some kind of activity to see us through a difficult time. And with us, a shared activity that really takes up our focus is usually writing. So I know we knew we wanted to write something and we had one kind of false-start before we started writing Appearances. But you really came up with the idea. Do you want to share more about how it came about?
TARA: I think the main thing we were focused on was, “What is something that would keep our focus and bring us joy?” And for me, I remember saying that I wanted to write kids. So, the idea for this project really stemmed from that desire.
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What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
TARA: So far, I'd say that a major theme is that trauma presents differently on different people, and that no one really knows how they'll react in an emergency situation.
TONIA: I think a key message in this book so far is that disabled lives do have value and can and should be prioritized in emergencies.
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What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
TONIA: I hope readers begin to think of and consider disabled students in emergency situations.
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What is the significance of the title?
TONIA: Tara, do you want to take this one? Since you titled it?
TARA: Honestly, I was thinking about a play on "Disappear / Disuphere," for obvious reasons. Also, though, I think there's a lot in the story about how people appear - without giving too much away…
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Tell us about the process for coming up with the cover.
TARA: This was such a fun collaboration with an artist friend! She created a beautiful piece based on what we talked about! It's something I definitely want hanging on my wall!
TONIA: Absolutely! I loved how all three of us collaborated on this, and I love how she incorporated significant objects in the lives of the characters – but how they’re mostly in shadow. The bookcase is so majestic and magical – definitely gives me Disney’s Beauty and the Beast vibes.
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| [The cover of Appearances shows a giant bookcase with a crack in it where light is coming into the darkness. There are also various personal items belonging to the characters hidden in the dark -- Oscar's chair, Sam's sweater, Shay's truck and Clancy's guitar.] |
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What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?
TONIA: One thing I love about writing this universe is that we follow the characters after the usual story is done, and there have been ten sequels to the original story, so I think the chances of a sequel to this one are high.
TARA: I would love a sequel!
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Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?
TONIA: One song I’ve listened to (particularly when writing Clancy or her mom, Shannon) is Hope by Alexis Ffrench.
TARA: I listen to Mirror by Helen Jane Long mostly while writing.
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If you had to describe Sam / Shay / Oscar / Clancy in three words, what would those three words be?
TARA: For Sam, I'd say tender, compassionate and blunt.
TONIA: And for Sam, I’d say loving, sensitive and caring.
TARA: Shay is joyful, protective and focused.
TONIA: Shay is whimsical, protective and confident.
TARA: Oscar is bold, conflicted and non-compliant.
TONIA: Oscar is a fighter, a rebel and tender-hearted.
TARA: Clancy is afraid of failure, driven and eccentric.
TONIA: Clancy is creative, intelligent and soft.
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Your story is set in 2023 in a non-pandemic alternate universe. Why did you choose that as the setting for your book?
TONIA: I think because we need a break from reality and need the hope of a future without a raging pandemic, honestly.
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If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
TONIA: Emma Hunton as Sam. Vivian Watson or a younger Rowan Blanchard as Clancy. Either a young Khleo Thomas or a young Jordan Fisher as Oscar. I don’t have a Shay.
TARA: August Maturo as Shay. A younger A disabled actor with a Jacob Tremblay vibe as Oscar.
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Was the writing process different and what challenges do you face when writing in a new character?
TARA: As it's a collaboration, the process is a bit different than writing solo. There's more conferring. We are patient with each other's writing style.
TONIA: And for me, when writing a new character, it’s trying to differentiate new characters from each other, and from previous characters. I’ve written so many characters I don’t want them to seem one-note.
TARA: There's not too much that's challenging about writing new characters. It's exciting to get inside their heads!
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Can you give us some insight into what makes Sam / Shay / Oscar / Clancy tick? (What motivates them?)
TARA: I think Sam is extremely motivated by her childhood wounds. She wants and needs to be the teacher she never had growing up. And becoming that teacher, while challenging, has helped her along her healing process.
TONIA: I’d agree with that for sure.
I think Shay is extremely motivated by his own joy. He knows what brings him joy, he sets out to find those things and he isn’t bothered by what others might think of him, or the idea of being average.
TARA: Yes, I think Shay is definitely interest-motivated. A thing - or some part of a thing - has to hook him, or he'll just go through the motions.
And Oscar is motivated by his sense of justice and freedom.
TONIA: Yes, I was going to say, I feel like Oscar is motivated especially by injustice. It pushes him to act.
And I think Clancy is motivated by external validation and love. She gets good grades and works hard at all the things because she wants to know (and keep knowing) that her parents and people in her life love and value her.
TARA: Yes, and to take that further, I think she is motivated by fear of failure. And what she imagines failure might mean for her.
TONIA: For sure, yes.
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What are the key challenges you’re facing when writing this book?
TARA: I think maybe just the pacing is a bit of a challenge. Ensuring that the POVs are showing something that's helpful to the overall story, even if there's not a lot happening actually. Keeping suspense but not drawing it out unnecessarily.
TONIA: Wow, that’s so interesting that so much thought goes into it for you. Writing sounds…almost cerebral for you.
TARA: Well, usually, I'm your plot / brainstorm / research human! So, I think it makes sense that my writing process reflects that.
TONIA: It does! It’s very different from my experience of writing, which Shay would probably call my “joy-warmth.” Because I literally just feel like I watch the characters in my head and transcribe what they’re doing as fast as I can so I don’t miss anything.
But as far as challenges, I’d say pacing as well and just adjusting to being in sync with another person, and making sure I carry through the little details and nuances in your sections to my own so it reads like a whole work and not two separate stories.
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What is the highlight of writing this book?
TARA: I mean, it isn't done yet, but I love writing with you and exploring new characters!
TONIA: Definitely, writing together!
So far, I’ve really liked writing the scene where Oscar’s grief and fear about being separated from his wheelchair. A lot of the things I write about (that included) I’ve never seen represented, and it makes me really happy to get to bring them to the page, so to speak.
TARA: Is that the favorite POV section you've written so far? Do you have a favorite of mine?
TONIA: Yes, that's a favorite. (Another favorite was writing Pete and Shannon.)
And as far as yours, I love the section quoted above – Oscar’s first POV. I also love when we first meet Shay because he’s so unique and his own character and I could just see him, and Clancy’s chapter all about losing her molar!
What about you? Any favorites you’ve written? Anything stand out that I’ve written?
TARA: Yeah, the molar section was really solar. 😂 (That is to say that I think I liked writing that one most, so thank you for the idea about Clancy losing a tooth!)
Another section that was an interesting challenge was Sandra. Because we've seen her from the outside, but never first-person!
TONIA: Can I jump in here and just say that I loved your Sandra section? You made me empathize with her. I felt I understood her on a deep level after reading your section from her POV, which is quite a feat since she’s only been seen through her family’s eyes so far.
TARA: Aw, wow, thank you!
As for your sections, Shannon's was the most moving, hands-down. Like, maybe of the whole book so far. I can't imagine what she is going through.
I also really empathized with Oscar's floor hockey yearning and then being shut down. Thank you for including that part.
TONIA: Thank you for being open to all my whims and things I want to explore. It was really fun talking about this with you.
TARA: Always!
