Middle grade author Carissa Turpin joins me today to chat about her new historical novel, Doomsday Dani.
Bio:
Carissa Turpin was born in Eastern Kentucky and spent most of her life in and around that area, aside from three wonderful years spent in Phoenix, Arizona. She currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky where she teaches fifth and seventh grade language arts. She’s a dog mom, book hoarder, and fangirl. Doomsday Dani is her first novel.
What do you enjoy most about writing middle grade books?
As an educator, I like writing texts that I know can be used in the classroom. There’s a tendency to stick to “classic” novels and short stories and, while some of them are still relevant and fantastic, students can’t relate to a majority of them. I’ve always been an advocate of bringing current, relevant, diverse books into the curriculum, and writing is in some ways an extension of that. I also think middle school is such a unique, brief time where young people are just figuring out their values and identity, and it’s a wonderful slice of life to explore in fiction.
Can you give us a little insight into your middle grade novel?
Doomsday Dani is set in 1999, and tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who is convinced that Y2K will dismantle society. She becomes hyper-prepared and fixated and must deal with the fallout when the forecasted disaster never materializes. I was inspired to write the novel in December 2019, when my then students were preparing to go home for the holiday break. One of them mentioned how weird it would be to see the last two digits of the calendar year completely change on New Year’s Eve. I then brought up the shift from 1999 to 2000, and Y2k, and my students had never heard of the latter. After the conversation, I thought it would be a great idea for a book, and filed it away for later. Then, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Schools were closed, and I suddenly found myself with much more time on my hands. I started writing the novel at that time.
What genre are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
I’ve always gravitated toward realistic fiction. I have all the respect in the world for writers of fantasy and science fiction and I’m a voracious reader of those genres; however, there are so many great, quiet stories that happen around us every day. I love to explore those stories in my writing.
What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m (slowly) writing a middle grade novel where the protagonist’s father becomes a reality television contestant. Stay tuned!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve identified as a writer long before I identified as anything else. I’ve been putting stories on paper before I could even form letters by hand—I would just draw pictures and bind them together. I feel the most like a writer when I’ve got a line, story opener, or idea in my head that I just keep running through over and over again until I can get it down on paper or in a Word doc.
How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for writers?
It was really important to me to publish my book traditionally. I also wanted the novel to go to a women-owned or led publishing house, and I was so fortunate that I was able to check all of those boxes. It took a lot of research, though. My advice to other writers is to spend as much time researching publishing opportunities as you do polishing your manuscript. There’s a lot of publishing opportunities out there, but not all of them are the right fit.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I need to write in complete silence. I’m always a little envious of people who have writing playlists or can write in front of the television or with other people around. I’m so easily distracted that I need to be in a quiet space.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As I mentioned earlier, I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I’ve always been aware, too, that unless I was extremely lucky, I’d have to have an additional job to support myself.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
You can pre-order Doomsday Dani on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I’d also love a follow on social media.