ReadWonder: An Inside Look #160 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Tracy Holczer

(Author of Brave in the Woods)

*Welcome to my favorite feature of my blog.

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019)

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*I'm excited to be back for season #TEN with brand new interviews/authors.

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the THIRD interview in which I'm calling Season #TEN.

*Thank you to Tracy Holczer for being the One-Hundred Sixtieth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

*Here is my Review of the Novel..

Brave in the Woods

Brave in the Woods

by Tracy Holczer

(January 5, 2021)

How did you come to know Juni?
Some characters come in really clear and strong from the beginning. Juni wasn’t one of those characters. I think maybe because I had the idea for some of the plot first. So Juni came into focus as I wrote her into scenes. What would she do if this happened? That? Decision by decision crystallized her character for me.

What do you think is Juni’s most admirable quality?
Juni is very loyal. She would go great distances, quite literally, for the people she loves.

Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?Katherine Paterson speaks of “inevitable endings.” That they may not necessarily be the ones you want, but they are the ones that need to be. Without giving too much away, I had a very different ending in mind for Juni. A fairy tale ending. And that was how I originally wrote the first few drafts. Then I gave it to my writing group and editor and they gently suggested I had the wrong ending. As soon as they pointed this out, I knew they were right. But I don’t know that I could have written the whole novel any other way. I was protecting myself, I suppose, much as Juni does.

What do you think she can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I think Juni offers an example of resilience. I hope kids will connect to her because she’s been through something unimaginable and come out the other side. I also hope they know its okay to have messy feelings and are encouraged to find those people in their lives who can help them sort it all out.

How did you research Juni and the circumstances she found herself in?

Early on, I read a quote that stuck with me from Marina Warner, who wrote Once Upon a Time, a Short History of the Fairy Tale, “A fairy tale is a map.” And it really is. So I did a lot of research on fairy tales and read through most of the Grimm stories. I found common threads and tried to play them out through Brave in the Woods. I used names and symbolism from those tales in the form of trees, animals and objects. I thought a lot about what I loved about the Grimm tales when I was growing up – how they didn’t pull any punches. I knew that life could be grim and found validation in those stories. I also read about military service animals, how they are trained and what happens when they are retired from service. I always seem to be writing about change and the accompanying grief that goes along with it, so I read more on that subject, too.

Do you and Juni share any similarities?
We are both very sensitive people, and turn to storytelling for comfort. I tried to write about that for Juni. So kids can see they have power over the stories they tell themselves about who they are. It’s never too late to change your story.

What was the hardest scene to write about her?

Technically, the scene where Anya finally tells Juni about their family history. I re-wrote that scene a bajillion times as this is the final catalyst to send Juni on her quest. Emotionally, it was the last few pages; Juni’s final understanding of the truth and that she couldn’t run away from it any more. I had always envisioned the buck as a part-real/part-magic piece of the story. Is he really there? Or does she only see him as a representation of her brother? In either case, the final scene between them was difficult to write.

Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
I think it was Luca. I just surprised myself by writing that. But his name just jumped into my head. I think because Luca saw her, understood what she was going through from the very beginning, and set out to help her figure it out. Her mom and dad were too lost, Anya was too close to the situation. And her best friends were too young to really understand enough to help. But Luca. He stepped in and did what Connor would have done.

Why do you think some young people, like Juni, are able to create their own answers/solutions to difficult life situations?
I think when kids go through tremendous hardship, it shifts something inside of them. It widens their lens on the world and makes them a little more wise than their years. Plus, there are just some kids who don’t give up. But I think most kids are naturally curious about life and want to understand better how it all works. Some just have more motivation, through hardship, to figure it out sooner rather than later.

What do you think Juni is doing as the present time?
I think Juni is enjoying eighth grade as best she can. It will be a tough year for her. But she has the love of best of friends and family to help her through it.

Book Pages

Monday, January 25, 2021

An Inside Look #160 (Author INTERVIEW)

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