Author Spotlight: Carmella Van Vleet
Carmella Van Vleet (www.carmellavanvleet.com) is author of the Christopher Award-winning middle-grade ELIZA BING IS (NOT) A BIG, FAT QUITTER, and its sequel, ELIZA BING IS (NOT) A STAR (Holiday House). Her non-fiction picture book (co-authored with astronaut Kathy Sullivan) TO THE STARS! THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO WALK IN SPACE (Charlesbridge), is an Amelia Bloomer list title. Her newest middle-grade novel NOTHING IS LITTLE comes out through Holiday House in Summer 2022, and her newest picture book, YOU GOTTA MEET MR. PIERCE!, co-authored with Chiquita Mullins Lee, will be published by Kokila in 2023.
Q: Your debut middle-grade ELIZA BING IS (NOT) A BIG, FAT QUITTER won the Christopher Award. Congrats! And you’ve gone on to write two more middle-grade novels. Did you always know you wanted to write novels? Why middle-grade?
A: Thank you! The Christopher Award was such a surprise and an honor.
I spent the early part of my career writing non-fiction, which I love. But, yes, I always knew I wanted to write novels someday. It’s been my dream since I was ten. So about eight or nine years ago, I took a conscious step back from non-fiction to focus on fiction. I enrolled in some online classes, joined a critique group that focused on middle-grade, and got busy.
What I love so much about writing middle-grade is that these are the books that made me fall in love with reading in the first place. They’re still my favorite genre to read. Ask an adult what their favorite book is and, many times, they’ll tell you about a book that they loved when they were twelve. People remember that time in their lives. For better or worse, it’s special. And the books we read when we’re young can influence our whole lives.
Q: Your newest novel, NOTHING IS LITTLE, comes out in July 2022. Can you tell us about it? Where did you get the idea for this novel?
A: NOTHING IS LITTLE is about an eleven-year-old boy named Felix who has Growth Hormone Deficiency. He likes being the smallest kid in school and knowing how he fits in. But when he learns that his biological dad is short, too, it opens a hole in his life. Using the skills he’s learned from Forensic Science Club, Felix searches for his dad. But the further he gets into his investigation, he starts to wonder: What if his dad doesn’t want to be found? And what if his mom, stepdad, and the new baby on the way need Felix right where he is?
Like Felix, my youngest was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency when she was in middle school. I’ve always thought it would be interesting to write about that, especially since it’s not something many people are aware of, unless you happen to know someone with it. And I also wanted to write what it was like to get a new sibling at that age. I was ten when my youngest brother was born, and I remember all the feelings (good and bad) that this life event stirred up for me.
The plot for this book has changed multiple times over the years. I loved the character and his family. The heart was there, but I was having trouble finding the right storyline. So, one day, after a morning of fruitless brainstorming, I sat down and watched an episode of one of my favorite shows, Psych, to unwind. (If you don’t know, it’s a funny tv series about a psychic detective who’s not really psychic, just highly observant.) And suddenly it popped into my head that Felix should join his school’s forensic science club and start an investigation! After that, the rest of the story came together fairly quickly.
Q: You’ve collaborated with astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan for your non-fiction picture book TO THE STARS! And now you are collaborating with Chiquita Mullins Lee on the non-fiction picture book YOU GOTTA MEET MR. PIERCE! What have you learned from collaborating with others?
A: The most important thing I’ve learned about collaborating is that, in order to be successful, you have to check your egos at the door. There are different writing styles and processes, different work schedules, and a lot of back-and-forth and compromise. And all of that should be for the shared goal of a great story. Story first, always.
Something that goes along with this is realizing what you bring to the table, but also respecting what your co-author brings, too. I can honestly say that I couldn’t have written these books without my co-authors. And I hope they’d say the same about me.
Q: What is your writing process? Does it change from book to book?
A: My process for writing non-fiction has pretty much always been the same. Outline, research, write. But fiction was a whole new ballgame for me. It works a completely different creative muscle.
When writing fiction, I tend to be a “pantser” at the beginning of a new project. Even though I know how the book will end - or at least, the general direction it’ll go - I don’t usually outline before starting. I’ll sit down and begin writing and see where the character is taking me. (The character always comes first for me.) About 50 pages in or so, I’ll stop and then hash out an outline for the rest of the book.
My last two middle-grades were sold with sample chapters and synopses, though. This made things a little easier because I had a structure to work with before I dove in. It definitely made writing quicker and less stressful. So maybe I should try to do this from now on!
Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
A: After I’d finished the novel that would eventually be my debut, but before I searched for an agent, I sent my manuscript to a friend who’s a freelance editor. One of the most important things she taught me was to “Go deeper.”
My characters were interesting, but not interesting enough. My plots were fine, but the stakes weren’t quite high enough. Emotions were solid, but not fully explored. I needed to “go deeper” across the board and keep digging, even when I was convinced it was already good enough.
This is a lesson that I’ve carried with me ever since. And I always try to ask myself what Diane (my friend) would say when I’m writing a scene. Have I gone deep enough? I still fail miserably, of course. But, hey, at least I’m asking. And the asking helps keep me accountable.
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