Author: SilentJewel65

Title: Broken Summer (ONC longlist 2020)

Genre: Fantasy

Billy is seven years old when he receives a book as a Christmas gift from his grandpa. Despite the assurance that this book is special, he is disappointed: he is not into reading at all.

The book remains unread. But two years later, Billy is bedridden with two broken legs after a car accident. The prospect of spending eight weeks of the remaining summer vacation in casts is made worse by the fact that Billy is mortally afraid of riding in a car again. Plus, his younger sister, five-year-old Clara, gets on his nerves with her pretending to be a princess.

At the age of nine, Billy considers himself a big boy and doesn't want to play princess with Clara. To get rid of her, he suggests she read the book from his grandpa, that his mother started to read to him. It has princesses in it, after all. After a fight with Clara, Billy falls asleep—and finds himself in the magical world of the book.

While he is glad to have the use of his legs here, he is reluctant to take on the role of the famous knight Sir Edward. Unable to leave this story world, Billy has to play along with the expectations for his assigned character. So, with the help of the peasant girl Ella, he sets out to save the queen's kidnapped daughter, Claria.

On his quest, Billy finds support in the unlikeliest places, makes genuine friends, and learns the power of the word "please". More importantly, he understands that one doesn't need to be a knight to be brave.

SilentJewel65 gives us an epic quest in a fairytale world, wrapped up in a touching story about coming to terms with fears and misfortune. Despite his flaws, young Billy is a likeable and relatable hero, and so are his trusted friend Ella and his younger sister, Clara.

Children and adults alike will enjoy Billy's page-turning adventure—and the refreshing take on a classic fairytale featuring goblins, trolls, a dragon, an evil prince, and a Pegasus.

The story is suited for children from the age of six, but takes up themes that will touch a chord with older children, too. With skill, the author integrates topics like the loss of a grandparent, the trauma of a car accident, the conflict between siblings, and the disappointment about shattered holiday plans into a well-crafted read. 

Perhaps Billy's summer is not as broken as it seemed.

Review by jinnis

Interview with the Autor:

Before we begin, tell us a little about yourself so that we get to know you better.

My name is Sophia and I am a new writer with a couple published works on Wattpad and a serious novel in progress. I started writing at a very young age, but have loved to tell stories since long before I knew how to write them down.

When did you first start writing Children's Fiction and what drew you to this particular genre?

I first started writing children's fiction at the young age of ten as I was inspired by the many children's books I read at the time and it was the genre I was most familiar with. Along with being inspired by my favorite stories, I also found writing children's stories to be very fun and it allowed me to explore things in a point of view quite different from other genres.

What is the thought process that you go through to come up with stories like "Teddy" or "Broken Summer"?

To come up with such stories I first have to have a general idea of what it may be about after some inspiration. Once I have my story idea I find a quiet place where I can be alone with my thoughts, and I work out different aspects of the story in my mind. There is no clear sense of plot in this brainstorming stage, just different ideas forming in my mind as I write them all down. After that, I start to piece them together and see what works and what doesn't, which eventually allows me to form my plot for my first draft.

Do you believe in the infamous 'Writer's block'? Have you ever gone through it while writing "Broken Summer"? If yes, how did you manage to get out of it?

I do believe in the infamous writer's block. I wrote "Broken Summer" using a loose outline, so there were some parts of the story that I navigated without a clear plan in mind. This did make writer's block a problem on some occasions, and to get out of it, I'd take a little bit of time away from the story. This allowed me to become inspired by things outside of my writing which spawned more ideas, and also allowed me to do some brainstorming.

Who is your favorite author (in Children's fiction or any other genre of your liking)? How did they influence your writing?

My favorite author in Children's fiction is Mary Pope Osborne, who wrote the Magic Tree House series. These books were a great part of my childhood and inspired me to tell my own stories in the form of writing. If not for these books, a part of my childhood I may not have decided to start writing my stories down at all, so they are most definitely a prominent part of my writing journey.

Which chapter or scene in "Broken Summer" was the hardest to write and why?

The hardest scene to write in Broken Summer was the opening scene. I always find these scenes to be most difficult as they must be engaging, rid of info dumps, and provide a good set-up to the story. Opening scenes are what the reader sees first and what influences their decision to keep reading, so they are important to get right.

What advice would you give writers who are venturing into this particular genre of Children's fiction?

To writers who wish to write Children's fiction, whether in this particular genre or genres outside of it, I'd advise them to consider their target audience while writing. What will make your story memorable to children? What do you want to teach them? I know that my favorite childhood books were very popular due to their memorable characters and themes, what might make your story so memorable to a child that they might still remember it even after they have grown older, and how can you write it in an engaging way? These are all questions to consider when writing for this particular audience.

Apart from writing stories, what do you like to do during your free time?

In my free time I love to visit the park as it is full of nature and is great for daydreaming. I also love listening to music, hanging out with my friends and family, and practicing both piano and guitar. I also am very much interested in mathematics and have gladly done algebra problems for fun.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

If I could tell my younger writing self anything, I would tell her to have patience. Too many times I had tried to write with agents and publishing houses in mind without realizing how much I didn't yet know about the writing industry. I didn't even know that good stories call for multiple revised drafts and outside feedback. Before looking ahead towards publishing, it is important to realize that good books take time to perfect. Writing can be a slow and complex process, but fun too, as long as you have patience and dedication towards your art. There is no need to rush towards publication. Instead, be patient and enjoy the journey.

Lastly, what message do you have for Wattpad readers?

Whether you are here on Wattpad to read, to write, or to do both, I think we can all agree that the art of storytelling is very powerful. It causes us to use our imaginations in ways that nothing else can. So I encourage you to keep reading or writing, or both, and if you have decided to give "Broken Summer" a chance, thank you.

Thank you for accepting our invitation and I hope you enjoyed this interview.

Interviewer:  alpha_taniya