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I first came across Jo Knowles through her blog and blog comments, and have been inspired by her insightful comments and positive personality. I recently bought her first novel, Lessons From A Dead Girl, and loved it.

In fact, I was so excited about ordering Jo’s book that I accidentally ordered TWO copies of her book, so I’m giving one away. If you’re interested in entering your name in the draw, please post a comment at the end of this interview. I’ll be doing the draw next Monday.

Lessons From A Dead Girl is a sensitively written story told from the point of view of Laine, a young girl who was sexually abused for several years by someone who was supposedly a close friend.

What inspired you to write Lessons From A Dead Girl?

I started writing Lessons after I read an article about kids abusing kids. I was working on a nonfiction piece about child abuse and the article stopped me cold. I went home and started writing that night.

How much outlining do you do before starting to write?

Actually, I don’t do any outlining before I start writing. I prefer to just see what happens. When I finish the first draft, however, I do make an outline that I learned from Justine Larbalastier. It’s sort of a spreadsheet, actually, that allows you to see things like how mood, point of view and tense shift from chapter to chapter. I also put together a storyboard (one cell per chapter) that lets me “see” my book as a whole on a single page. This helps me figure out how to tackle my revision.

How long did it take you to write Lessons?

Oh, I get asked this a lot and it’s such a hard question. I wrote it while working full time, and then I’ve revised many, many times. I suppose the first draft probably took about a year but there were many years of revising (between writing another novel, having a baby, working, moving twice, etc.). Sorry not to be able to provide a better answer!

What is your revision process?

I like to print out a copy of my current draft, then make a storyboard and spreadsheet (see above) and then I just start rereading and fine tuning and cutting and adding and whatever else it takes to find the story and make it stronger. I love revising! Once I feel like I have something that I won’t be too, too embarrassed by, I share the draft with my husband and two good writing partners, Debbi Michiko Florence and Cindy Faughnan. After I incorporate their changes, I send the draft to other willing readers for a green light sort of response. Once I incorporate any final changes, I send the manuscript to my agent. He’ll give me his thoughts and I’ll start the process all over again. When the ms meets my agent’s standards, he’ll submit it to my editor. And then the process starts once more.

What is your typical daily work schedule?

I don’t have a typical schedule because I work part-time as a freelance writer, and I also teach a writing class for Simmons College in the fall. I basically try to write between freelance assignments and on the nights when my husband puts my son to bed. Honestly, I take any time I can get, but it’s sporadic and inconsistent. So far it works out alright though.

How did you find your agent?

He actually contacted me after I won the SCBWI Contemporary WIP grant. He was just starting out at the time and building his client list. I really lucked out!

How long did it take you to sell your book?

Again, it’s so hard to say since after being with one editor for over two years, I let the ms sit for nearly that long again. I finally decided to dust it off when Cindy Lord encouraged me to submit the first 10 pages to the PEN New England Discovery Contest. I was shocked to win! Part of winning meant I could submit the manuscript to Candlewick, and the rest is history.

Did you get discouraged at all during the whole creation/selling process? If so, how did you overcome that discouragement?

Oh yes, I think we all get discouraged. Rejection is so hard. And you have to wait such a long time between editors, sometimes it seems like you’ve been on the road forever. But I think the wait is worth it!

What is Class of 2k7? How did you get involved? How useful has it been to you?

The Class of 2k7 (www.classof2k7.com) is a group of first time novelists with YA or Middle Grade books published in 2007. We joined together to share marketing efforts, but the group quickly became a source of support, a place to make friends, and a place to share valuable information. Even though our year has come to an end, we still continue to keep in touch via our group e-mail list. It was a true gift to be able to be a part of such an amazing group of writers.

What are your upcoming projects?

My next novel, Jumping Off Swings, will be published in 2009 with Candlewick Press. It’s another contemporary YA novel about four friends and how their lives change in unexpected ways when one of them finds out she’s pregnant.

Jo Knowles currently teaches Writing for Children at Simmons College and is a volunteer writing mentor at a women’s prison in Vermont. You can find out more about Jo at www.joknowles.com and jbknowles.livejournal.com.

Other interviews with Jo Knowles:

Debbie Michiko Florence’s interview
Becky’s Book Reviews
Slayground interview

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