This week YA Author Michelle A. Barry took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Michelle A. Barry is the author of Plotting the Stars 2: Seagarden. (See YEM’s interview with Michelle A. Barry here.) See highlights from the takeover below.
Hi @YoungEntMag friends! My name is Michelle Barry and I’m the author of an upper Middle Grade sci-fi/fantasy series, Plotting the Stars! I’ll be hanging out on this Twitter account over the next couple hours to talk books, sci-fi, writing, etc.! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/IpmF0hR4ME
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Book 1 in #PlottingTheStars is MOONGARDEN, a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of The Secret Garden, set at a boarding school on the Moon… with magic! Here’s the cover and you can read the full synopsis here: https://t.co/sAuXRLY5RJ #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/Ds4sPk7gmq
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
The 2nd book in the #PlottingTheStars series, SEAGARDEN, will be hitting shelves on 10.3! While the magic in Moongarden is focused on STEM related fields, in SEAGARDEN, the characters explore how science can fuel art… and how their magic can too! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/t388ky3BaY
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Even though the #PlottingTheStars series explores big issues like climate change, corporate coverups, government conspiracies, etc., I have always felt the heart of the story orbits around friendships, and how those change and evolve as you grow older. #YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
In Moongarden, Myra learns how to make (and keep) friends. In Seagarden, after joining an exchange program with a school on Venus, she has to navigate how to deal with her BFFs bringing new people into her friend group… #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/5MvLW5Up7n
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Fun facts! I’m fairly boring so I had to dig deep for these😂Apart from writing, work, family, etc., I am also a massive soccer fan, including my kids’ youth teams, the USMNT & USWNT, and others! Our family pet, Pep, is named after our favorite soccer coach! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/OAkvHPnuq2
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Many of the garden scenes in MOONGARDEN were inspired by childhood memories of my grandmother, in particular, the scene where Myra discovers lily of the valley growing in her moongarden & wonders if they chime like bells (I asked my grandma the same question). #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/BQqUuOtfhs
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
I have 2 main methods when naming characters for my books: Pick a random placeholder name intending to change it later but then getting attached to it & keeping it, or choose names tied to historical figures & people I admire. There a bunch of both in my books! #YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
The name of the school Elector (magic relating to electricity) professor, Ms. Curie, was inspired by scientist Marie Curie! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/xwiYoohGbp
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
More fun facts! I have been a HUGE Star Wars fan since I was 10yo. Bin-ro, Myra’s first friend and loyal robot sidekick, was inspired by my fondness for R2D2 and BB8. #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/cCKzzB0SHp
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
More fun facts! My birthday is July 20th, National Moon Day, and anniversary of the first Lunar landing. I like to think I was destined to tell a story set on the Moon 💫 #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/gQr0eM1vIl
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Star Wars was my first intro to sci-fi and spurred a lifelong love of the genre. I’ve seen all the movies, read MANY of the books, and had an (embarrassingly) large collection of Star Wars action figures, posters, and collectibles as a kid. #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/sbYJq1VWGC
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Two of my favorite tropes are found families & boarding school stories, which is why those two elements are prominent parts of the #PlottingTheStars series. I love exploring evolving friendships – a very real (and sometimes challenging) part of growing up. #YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
The Secret Garden is one of my all-time favorite novels. I went to school in Newport, Rhode Island (shout out @SalveRegina Seahawks!), and the sprawling estates of the island were a definite inspiration to want to tell my own secret garden style story. #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/VuXPkOFM4n
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
My writing journey spanned many years, countless drafts & hundreds of rejections. Moongarden was the 4th book I queried and the 1st published. I work FT, have a young family and squeeze in writing whenever I can – usually late at night or early in the morning #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/ncmfzfaO7q
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
If you’re on your own writing journey, here are a few things that helped me survive the query trenches:
A solid group of Critique Partners! My CP’s (in addition to giving interstellar feedback) became treasured friends. Be sure to check out their amazing books! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/x8S4shPWVv— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Try not to worry if your writing isn’t perfect, or the story isn’t perfect, when you’re drafting. Just get the words down and keep going. The magic happens in revisions! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/joYw6RNUQD
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Set small goals for yourself. The idea of writing a whole book can be daunting, but if you focus on just getting down a few pages a day, or a week, or whatever works for you, before you know it, you’ll have a whole book! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/EeZztq3Sva
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Go easy on yourself! We are all our own worst critics, and IDK if Imposter Syndrome ever goes away, no matter what stage of the writing journey you’re in. Celebrate every victory, large and small, and learn from any setbacks. Just keep going! #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/9OXUy6SN9Q
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
The writing and reading community is a magical and wonderful resource, sounding board, and cheering squad. Book people are the very best people ♥️ #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/20jbP8h3hj
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 10, 2023
Thanks so much for having me, Young Entertainment! I had an absolute blast on tonight’s #YAauthortakeover! pic.twitter.com/5Rp1JQqdjZ
— Young Entertainment Mag (@YoungEntmag) August 11, 2023
