Interview with local author, Beck McDowell

Today I’m interviewing Beck McDowell, a YA novelist from Huntsville, Alabama. Beck, author of the gripping novel, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, will be leading a session at Springmingle ’13. Called Great Expectations, Beck and her agent Jill Corcoran will address expectations on both sides of the author/agent relationship. Are they reasonable? If not, how does one go about ironing out the differences?

No doubt, Beck’s delighted these days. In early December, she heard that THIS IS NOT A DRILL was nominated for a Young Adult Books Choice Awards for 2012. Even better is that she recently sold another YA book (set in New Orleans, her hometown) to Penguin for publication in 2014. 

Congratulations, Beck! We in the book business always love to hear about success, hoping that one day it’ll be ours. Maybe it’ll help if you share a little bit about yourself.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

That would absolutely have to be raising two amazing children. Emily and Drew are now grown and I love spending time with them. If I had anything to do with the incredible people they’ve become, that makes me very proud.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Well, Huntsville, because my family’s here – but if I could transport them anywhere, I’m most comfortable in New Orleans (with occasional trips to Florence, Italy, maybe.)

Now, I’d like to find out what led you to writing. How did your upbringing influence your writing?

My dad, a former-English-teacher-turned-preacher, was a huge lover of literature and read to me constantly. He wrote poetry (and sermons) and taught me my love of language. My mom was living in New Orleans when they met while he was in seminary, and we still have family there, so her influence led me to write about the city (in IMMORTELLE, just sold to Penguin for 2014 pub date - and also in LAST BUS OUT).

Do you follow a schedule?

Not at all. I really hate routine, probably a rebellion against all those years in the classroom, where you train your bladder to react on a bell schedule – ugh! Sometimes I write 2 hours, sometimes 12 hours. I do try to write in the mornings mostly – because the day gets away from you if you wait. But I save the super sad or scary scenes for late at night. (And no, I don’t even write in sequence.) I take breaks of several months between books, so I don’t subscribe to the “write every day” theory. But I don’t wait around for the muse to move me. Sometimes you’ve got to drag your muse by the hair to the keyboard.

What do you consider the biggest challenge in writing in general?

To tell a really compelling story in a creative way without allowing the words to interfere with the plot’s forward movement. That’s where “craft” comes in. It’s tough letting go of favorite phrases you love, but if they interrupt the flow, they must go.

Your first published book was nonfiction. (LAST BUS OUT was terrific, by the way.) How did you get the idea to write about the trouble engulfing Katrina and the young man who commandeered a bus? How did you learn about him? Has he stayed in touch?

Thanks for the compliment, Bonnie! I do keep in touch with Courtney, although I sometimes lose him for 6 months or so because he doesn’t have a cell phone and I have to wait for him to check in with me. I heard about him through a conference my daughter went to when she was doing computer work for our local police department. I just became fascinated with his story and couldn’t rest until I found him.

The publishing world is a hard nut to crack. Once you wrote the book, how did you get it published? Was an agent involved?

I actually had an agent with LAST BUS OUT, but we took it to publishers on what is now known in the industry as Black Wednesday (because of massive lay-offs due to the economy.) So it was hard to keep going, but I am persistent.  When I decided to change agents, I was so fortunate to be offered representation by Jill Corcoran, who signed me within 24 hours of receiving the full manuscript of THIS IS NOT A DRILL. She had our first offer on the table within 2 days, multiple offers from very reputable editors, and a contract within 2 weeks – crazy fast in this industry.

I just have a few more questions that will help my readers understand who Beck McDowell really is. Who do you admire? Do you have someone you consider to be a mentor?

So many writers I admire. Hard to narrow them down to a few, but I’ll have a go at it. I admire Anne Lamott’s candor, Truman Capote’s descriptive style, Hemingway’s lean prose, T.S.Eliot and Dylan Thomas’s poetry, Harper Lee’s story skills, and Stephen King’s humor about writing. As far as mentors, no one could ask for better ones than Huntsvillians R.A. Nelson and Hester Bass, who are so talented. They've been inspirational and very generous with their time and advice.

I know you have your finger in many pies. Tell us your latest news.

I’m about to start edits on IMMORTELLE (Penguin, 2014), which is set in New Orleans, and am currently researching and writing another New Orleans book (so I’ll be spending some time there this spring.) I’m also speaking at a number of conventions and book festivals and doing a lot of school visits. (Call me, y’all. I’d love to come to your school or event!)

What’s the one piece of advice you’re willing to share with prospective authors?

I have “9 Tips for Writers” on my blog at www.beckmcdowell.com - but the best advice is “butt in chair, fingers on keys.” Writing doesn’t happen while you’re TALKING about writing. Just do it – and expect it to be bad. First drafts are generally pretty terrible, but the revision process is so much fun. Don’t worry about getting it right; just get it down.

How has being a member of Southern Breeze helped you?

Immeasurably. Some of the first advice I got from Russ and Hester was, “Join SCBWI.” Most of what I know about writing I learned at SCBWI conferences in B’ham, Atlanta, and Nashville, and the people I met there have taught me more than I can say. It’s tough on the “writer personality” to walk up to strangers and start up a conversation, but you’ll learn amazing tidbits if you do.

Now, tell us something that I can’t find in another interview—something that would astound us. (For instance, very few people know I took tap-dancing as a 21 year old and performed at a lunch-time buffet in the hallway of the Graduate School at The Ohio State University.)

I love music, and my family says I hum all the time without realizing it. My father always did it, too, so they should be used to it by now. : )  I often don’t realize there’s a certain tune running through my brain until one of them calls me on it. It can be anything - oldies, current stuff, musicals, classical pieces, hymns – a pretty wide variety.

 

And with that interesting bit of information, folks, I’ll end the interview. Visit Beck’s website at http://beckmcdowell.com. Better yet, buy her books or schedule her for a school visit. Thanks, Beck!

To be held on Feb. 22-24 in Atlanta, the annual spring conference of SCBWI Southern Breeze, called Springmingle, is a great place to study the craft, meet industry professionals, and network with the most supportive bunch of colleagues you could ever hope to meet.

 

Follow the Springmingle '13 blog tour to learn more about the great line-up of faculty. The tour dates and stops follow:

Jan. 21: Will Terry, illustrator, at Elizabeth O. Dulemba's blog
Jan. 22: Beck McDowell, author, at Bonnie Herold's "Tenacious Teller of Tales"
Jan. 23: Nikki Grimes, author, at Gail Handler's "Write From the Soul"
Jan. 24: Jill Corcoran, agent, at Donny Seagraves' blog
Jan. 25: Chad Beckerman, creative director, at Laura Golden's blog
Jan. 28: Katherine Jacobs, editor, at Cathy C. Hall's blog
Jan. 29: Mark Braught, illustrator, at Vicky Alvear Shecter's "History with a Twist"
Jan. 30: Carmen Agra Deedy, author, at Ramey Channell's "The Moonlight Ridge Series"

--------

To learn more about Southern Breeze, visit www.southern-breeze.net.

SCBWI is the largest professional organization in the world for writers and illustrators of children’s literature. Find out more about it at www.scbwi.org. Southern Breeze includes members from Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Register for Springmingle ‘13 at www.southern-breeze.net. Attending a conference is eye-opening and so much fun!