Lovey-Dovey February 2024
updates, my writing journey, and some sweet Valentine's Day stuff.
Writing updates
I have emerged victorious from While We’re Young’s developmental revisions! Like I said last month, they were a huge challenge but I was incredibly pleased with the result, and my editor was, too. She sent me another marked-up draft this past week, this time for line edits (more minor stuff rather than overarching plot points). Her annotations are so insightful and helpful, and I love her live-reactions and use of emojis! I turned the manuscript back in the other day, so hopefully it’s off to copyedits now. I’m in love with this book…and its cover!
When will it be revealed? No idea!
But that’s okay, because you guys aren’t even ready…
I’m hoping revisions for Swiftie 4—which has a title but I’m not sure whether I can share it—will start soon. I’ve started rereading it in preparation (it’s been a bit), and keep laughing my head off. Again, its overarching song is “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” so there’s a wedding involved. And the romance is loosely inspired by Taylor’s teenage love triangle. It’s also funny to read when I’m starting to plan my own wedding.
In the meantime, I’m trying to take a little break but also resume research for a potential future book. Next week I’m going to visit a glassblower’s studio. Her name is Gemma, she’s our family friend’s niece, and a total badass. I hope to make Audrey half as cool as her. Check her out Instagram (@antoliniglassco) and on Netflix’s upcoming Blown Away: Extreme Heat.
Step aboard my writing ride…
Several readers have asked about my publishing origin story, which made me realize I have only shared an abridged journey or bits and pieces of it in various conversations, so I think this is a long overdue ramble.
I have always loved to read—Barnes & Noble is my Disney World—and as a teenager, I occasionally thought about writing a book after finishing one I absolutely loved. But I didn’t start seriously writing until my sophomore year of college. I took a fiction-writing workshop on a whim. I needed one more course to fill my schedule, and I was a soon-to-be-declared English major who’d just read Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss for the tenth time. So, why not?
The MFA candidate who taught the class said we could either submit short stories or excerpts from a novel, if we were writing one. I internally balked at the idea of writing a short story (I’m sure you’ve caught on that I’m not the most succinct writer), so I decided to start “writing a novel.”
Over that semester, I fell head over heels in love with writing—I became addicted to it. Any and all homework was pushed to late Sunday night. I did finish my first manuscript and queried it for a couple months, but I quickly became much more interested in starting a second book—one that featured side characters from my first manuscript, one that would someday become my debut, Maybe Meant To Be (formerly known as If We Were Us).
From start to finish, MMTB took about eighteen months to write. I wrote all the time and I kept taking creative writing workshops. Every short story (I did figure out how to write one!) I submitted for class had something to do with the MMTB foursome. I still have “Nick and Sage Getting Married” on my computer. Charlie’s the narrator. It was so much fun to write.
MMTB went through multiple iterations before I deemed it ready to query. This time, I did a ton of research on agents I thought would jive with my book; Manuscript Wishlist was an invaluable resource, and I found and followed scads of agents on Twitter. I also did not develop a “dream agent.” There were definitely agents on my list that I was more enthusiastic (and nervous) about querying than others, but I didn’t carry a torch for one in particular. In hindsight, I’m impressed with myself for maintaining that mindset. I never felt like it was “over” if X or Y or Z rejected my manuscript.
I queried a lot of agents; I don’t remember how many. I received plenty of rejections and handful of requests for the full manuscript. Then, of course, crickets!
All in all, I think I queried MMTB for six months before I signed with my agent in 2018. Our partnership was undeniably written in the stars. I queried her, and then only days later, I participated in a Valentine’s Day pitch event on Twitter, #KissPitch. My agent hearted my tweet, and not long after, she reached out and requested my full manuscript…which she loved, but also was way too long at 114,000 words. (The sweet spot, I would soon learn, for young adult is 80,000).
But she still read the entire thing! And she fell for my characters! And their drama! So she offered me an R&R (revise and resubmit). There were five points she wanted to see addressed (like cutting thousands of words). I put off all my schoolwork to make that happen. Revising became my entire personality, and weeks later, I officially signed with my agent. Not only is she my ultimate champion, but she’s also become one of my closest friends!
We spent a summer further revising MMTB (it needed so much work), then it went out on submission. Being “on sub” requires extreme patience, and because that’s not my strong suit, I’ve found it’s best to throw yourself into another project to keep busy. And have someone to vent to; I don’t know how many hours my mom and I spent talking about writing and publishing while walking along the Delaware River’s canal.
It took two rounds of submission and around seven months to sell MMTB in a two-book deal. After I got the news, my heart would not stop racing and I seriously could not sleep! It was surreal then and feels no less surreal now.
I started work on The Summer of Broken Rules after my editor and I finished MMTB (note: that editing process is a whole other newsletter topic). The interesting thing about a two-book deal is that I can’t just disappear into my writing cave and write something; I have to pitch the idea to my editor/publisher first with a blurb, synopsis, and a few sample chapters. Once they green-light it, I’m good to go. Before TSOBR, I had two ideas rejected, then pitched a new concept and ended up abandoning it after 10,000 words. It wasn’t working. (But, spoiler alert: I returned to that idea later with a fresh vision and now What Happens After Midnight exists!)
Writing TSOBR was a very cathartic experience. I drafted it in a feverish three months. My late father was battling brain cancer, and when I wasn’t spending time with him, all I wanted to do was escape from my life. Martha’s Vineyard is my happy place, so that’s where I went in my head. The book is a love letter to the Farm and to my dad, and I’ll never be able to describe how awestruck I am by the endless love and support it has received from readers. It got a warm welcome when it came out in 2021, but all of the thoughtful aesthetic videos and reviews and an invitation to Brazil’s Bienal do Livro and becoming a New York Times bestseller two years after publication?!
It truly is a dream come true.
My journey has had lows, too. I was heartbroken when MMTB debuted in June 2020 as the hardcover If We Were Us. No bookstores were open because of the pandemic, and the social media campaign wasn’t great. I wanted people to discover the characters I loved so much and worked so hard to bring to life! My dad had also passed away in March, and I missed him fiercely. I spent most of my debut day sobbing, so I’ll forever be thankful that my publisher gave the Bexley squad a second life as a paperback (with a gorgeous cover, to boot)!
I took months off after finishing revisions on TSOBR; I didn’t know when I would be able to write again. I dared myself to participate in NaNoWriMo in November 2020 for pure fun, with an idea I thought was pure fun. It was the first draft of While We’re Young (2025) and I was so confident when it went out on sub in January. My agent and I loved this book—and when it didn’t sell, it hurt. I gave up on the manuscript all but entirely. My agent, however, did not. She was over the moon when I said I wanted to revisit Grace and James, and give Isa and Everett voices. I love what this book how this book has morphed into something new (and way better). I now like to think books have their “time,” and 2025 is meant to be this foursome’s year.
I also hope that’s the case for another manuscript near and dear to my heart. My mother is not only an excellent editor (she is the first person to read my pages), but a great writer and so naturally funny. In summer 2021, she and I co-wrote a middle grade manuscript. It’s like TSOBR for the the younger crowd, set in the Adirondacks with a summer-long field day known as the “Color War.” Beyond fun competitions, it explores friendship hardships, first crushes, and living with epilepsy—which is extremely personal to me. It has been a long (and sometimes super bumpy) road since I was diagnosed at nine, and writing this book stirred up emotions and memories that I haven’t thought about in years. Parenting a child with epilepsy is also such a unique experience, so it was everything to have my mom’s perspective weaved into the story as well when it came to our protagonist’s parents.
It was soul-warming to write together, and I’m very proud of it. I wish I could say it’ll be on Barnes & Noble’s shelves soon. Hopefully someday, because I really, really love it.
I’m excited to see what the future holds—I do know it involves a lot of typing and I’m endlessly grateful for it. I’m very fortunate that I can write full-time, and you, my readers, are the ones making that possible! XOXO
7 Questions
Who would you cast as Meredith if The Summer of Broken Rules was a movie/series?
I don’t know! Probably an unknown. I really love how Jenny Han’s film/series adaptations introduce us to up-and-coming actors. It was so much fun to first think of Lana Condor as “Lara Jean” and then see her explode into Lana freaking Condor. But, this girl has been labeled “Mer” on my TSOBR Pinterest board for years. So that’s her look.
If you had to write a book based solely on a Taylor Swift song, which song would it be?
I’ve always, always had an affinity for evermore’s “dorothea.” Her ex is named Sam in my mind. She was once “Thea” to him.
How do you come up with character names for your books?
It’s a combination of names I love, paging through high school yearbooks, and scrolling through baby name websites or searching “top names of the 2000s” on Google. I try to be somewhat unique with my protagonists and love interests (there aren’t many YA characters named “Sage” that I’m aware of, and of course, Wit and Tag). I like personal connection, but while I did name Meredith after a cousin, I’ll never name a character after my sister. It’s too close. And for some silly reason, it’s also important to me that my agent likes my names, so I usually ask for her input. She named three characters in While We’re Young.
Which era are you in right now?
t-shirt courtesy of my mom Was it difficult coming up with the clues in WHAM?
At first, yes. I was intimidated, because poetry is not my strong suit! I dreaded it in high school and college. But I relaxed when I realized that Tag was writing these riddles, and remembered that Tag is an eighteen-year-old kid who is admittedly no poet. His clues could be goofy, ridiculous, and not-quite-rhyme. The scansion could be a major stretch if not terrible! So that took a lot of weight off my shoulders and allowed me to have more fun with them. I chose the campus location first, then brainstormed the clue.
We’ll do a three-parter on cameos, because this was a popular topic!
In The Summer of Broken Rules, where do the Maybe Meant To Be characters make cameos?
I’m not going to totally spell it out (I feel like I’d spoil some fun), but consider Eli’s crush and these four locations and the interactions Wit and Mer have on the island. 1.) Morning Glory Farm. 2.) Dock Street Coffee Shop. 3.) Edgartown Books. 4.) Backdoor Donuts.
Are there any cameos in What Happens After Midnight?
There are two—one is a secondary character and the other is way more subtle. Eliminate Wit and Mer; they’re off doing their thing. It wouldn’t make sense for them to be at Ames when they’ve graduated high school!
Do the characters in your next book have cameos in your other books so far?
While We’re Young and Swiftie 4 take place in the same town, so there’s overlap there. You will also see two familiar (and beloved) faces and catch some familiar names in Swiftie 4!
What’s your favorite animal and why?
A fox, because they are classic, clever, and remind me of my dad. They were his favorite animal too, and whenever I see one, I take it as a sign that he’s with me and good things are on the horizon.
5 Songs
I have no idea if this a crowd-pleaser segment, but I enjoy it so I’m keeping it in the lineup for now.
Everywhere, Everything (with Grace Abrams) - Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams
I Love You So - The Walters
Sweet Disposition - The Crown, Fort Nowhere, FFM
Don't You Worry - Oh Wonder
I’ve Got A Friend - Maggie Rogers
(More than) 3 Books
Okay, so I said I was reading The Fury last month (and that I am a slow reader while I’m on a deadline). I haven’t finished it; the story hooked me, but I lent it to my sister since she speeds through everything Alex Michaelides writes. Her review was very positive, so I’ve got to get back to it!
Bless the NetGalley gods, because they gifted me an ARC of Rebecca Serle’s Expiration Dates. I did read that after I turned in my While We’re Young revisions. It wasn’t my favorite, but every sentence Rebecca writes feels delicate and thoughtful—and I can’t resist her touch-of-magic stories. Why can’t I write something like that? I ask myself after finishing her books.
I was flip-flopping between Lizzy Dent’s The Sweetest Revenge (I love Lizzy Dent. She’s like my British Emily Henry) and Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. Both are wonderful so far…
But NetGalley decided to bless me again with Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing.
So, the other books will have to be patient. CMQ’s latest love story beckons.
(I know, I’m all over the place).
Bonus Content
Valentine’s Day is coming up, but I couldn’t decide which endgame couple of mine to feature because I love them all, so I’ve decided to give you glimpses into each one’s weekend. (I’m pretending February 14th is a Saturday, please roll with my creative liberties).
Nick & Sage
college seniors
Yale Hockey has a game, so Sage drives down to New Haven from Vermont. She holds up a bedazzled sign that says “Carmichael, Valentine’s?” It makes Nick blush, but doesn’t distract him from scoring a hat-trick. Yale trounces Dartmouth, and after the game, Nick hugs Sage for a very long time. Hockey season has kept Nick super busy, so they haven’t seen each other in over a month. Nick made reservations for a late dinner, and they spend it holding hands and talking about their future. They love doing this. Nick has been drafted by the New York Rangers and Sage is headed to nursing school at NYU. Tonight, they’re talking about kids. Sage wants three, but would also love five. Nick dreams of being a girl-dad.
Luke & Charlie
college seniors
This year, Luke and Charlie have no interest in spending Valentine’s weekend at UVA; they have a better idea. After their last classes on Thursday (thank god they have none on Friday), they hop on a train to Washington DC so they can fly to Boston for the weekend. It’s their future home—after accepting a job offer from the FBI, Luke has requested to be stationed there since Charlie is destined for Harvard Med. They spend the weekend getting coffee and pastries at Tatte, scouring Brookline Booksmith, visiting the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, and then exploring Boston’s different neighborhoods. Picturesque Beacon Hill is their favorite…and is of course the most expensive. “Don’t start mentally moving in, C,” Luke warns, to which Charlie responds, “But we can always aspire!”
They grin at each other, then walk to get Luke his third coffee of the day, stopping to kiss every ten yards.
Meredith & Wit
college juniors
Unfortunately, Mer and Wit are both swamped with schoolwork so they mail each other funny Valentine’s Day cards and agree to have a belated celebration together. Meredith walks home with Katie and Yasmin, her best friends, on Saturday. Her mom is hosting a “Galentine’s” tea with friends. Honey is in town and has baked madeleines while Wink and Meredith’s dad goof off for the afternoon. There is a beautiful bouquet of pink, white, and red blooms in a vase on the kitchen table. It’s addressed to Meredith.
These flowers are a work of HEART, aren’t they? the note reads.
Meredith snorts. “That is the worst pun ever,” she says.
“Really?” someone behind her asks. “I thought it was pretty clever.”
She spins to see Wit (who is in desperate need of a haircut). “Stephen!”
He grins. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Killer.”
Lily & Tag
college freshmen
Tag’s roommate Jason promised he’d vacate their room for the weekend, but an hour before Lily’s train arrives in Charlottesville, Jason’s girlfriend dumps him (trust me, he deserved it) and he finds himself back in their room. He doesn’t feel like crashing on someone’s couch. Tag’s pissed, but luckily, his senior chemistry-tutor-turned-friend is out of town and offers Tag his coveted room on UVA’s Lawn. Tag sweeps his Hopscotch off her feet at the train station, and Lily is charmed by their weekend accommodations. They exchange presents after getting twisted up together in the sheets that night. Lily brought Tag cupcakes from his favorite Georgetown bakery, as well as a watercolor-and-ink painting of them kissing in front of The Sound of Music’s famous gazebo in Salzburg (they went to Austria over winter break). Tag gives Lily chocolate-covered strawberries and surprises her with some vinyls for her new record player. Gifts are one of their love languages.
That’s all I’ve got this month! If there’s anything you’d like to see in next month’s installment or a reader question or an idea for a new segment, please feel free to leave a comment!
Cheers,
Kaethe
Every time I read anything about Wit I visually see him in my head being Sam Claflin circa Catching Fire movies era