An Inside Look with Dayna Lorentz
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Gabe?
Some of my characters take a while to get to know on the page—not Gabe. His voice was right there! I started writing what would become Wayward Creatures right before and then in the first few months of the pandemic, so I guess frustration, fear, and anger came easily:) I also spent a lot of time dwelling on each moment of his growth, free-writing to try to cover every kind and dimension of thought he could be having and feeling he could be feeling. The revision process focused on picking through all of these feelings and developing those that were the most specific and unique.
What do you think is his most admirable quality?
I admire Gabe’s capacity for self-reflection and change. While his self-absorption and focus are part of what gets him into this mess, that internal dialogue and instinct to dig within is what helps him find a way out of it. I also admire his bravery. It’s an act of bravery to admit you’re wrong or that you’ve done wrong, and to humble yourself to the process of making your wrongs right.
Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
I wish he had recognized his capacity for empathy and change before he burned down a forest:) I wish he had felt brave enough to reach out to his friends instead of waiting for them to reach out to him.
What do you think Gabe can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I hope that kids who feel angry or ignored read Wayward Creatures and find they’re not alone or weird or bad for feeling that way. I hope they see that choosing to embrace those feelings can make them feel more angry and isolated, and can lead them to do or say things they might regret. Most importantly, I hope they realize that it’s okay to admit your mistakes and try to find a way to fix what you’ve broken, and that doing so can feel better than running away from it.
How did you research Gabe and the circumstances he found himself in?
Even though I work in criminal justice, I had to do a lot of research into restorative practices for this book. The restorative approach is so different from traditional criminal proceedings, I needed help getting into the right mindset. I worked with the head of the Burlington Community Justice Center to understand the process and translate the program and its philosophy into fiction. I also had to research forest fires and how to restore the land after one passes through; how to build a chicken coop; and all about coyotes and opossums! To do so, I contacted experts including my county’s forester, did tons of reading in books and on the internet, and watched lots of videos featuring coyotes and opossums in action.
Do you and Gabe share any similarities?
My characters all have little pieces of me in them. I remember being angry and insecure in middle school:) Gabe’s love for and connection with Rill is all me—I would have done the same things for Rill that Gabe did.
What was the hardest scene to write about him?
I spent a lot of time crafting Gabe’s disintegrating thought process after the fire through the first community conference as he processes what he’s done, how he experiences people’s reactions, and his understanding of himself. Coming to the clarity of a simple thought like, “You hate me? I hate you,” took a surprisingly long time. It’s hard to put your character through dark moments like that, and I wanted to be sure that I got his twisted train of thought just right.
Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
It’s a tie between his sister Liz and Mr. Larkin. They both see potential in him when he can’t see it in himself and help him to connect with his best instincts. Ms. Andrews is a huge support, but given her role in the restorative justice process, she can’t be as involved. Zack is more a role model and instigator for change than supporter—but still so important:)
Why do you think humans and animals have such a special connection?
I feel a special connection to animals and I can’t help but put that impulse into all my characters. It’s also something I see in the readers I meet at events and school visits—everyone is always excited to share about their pets or the pets they wish they had. I think all people on some level yearn for ways to connect with something outside themselves and animals, being curious creatures, respond to our entreaties. Even something as simple as a bird feeder can create that connection. I hope Wayward Creatures can play a part in encouraging readers to empathize with animals and the natural world.
What do you think Gabe is doing at the present time?
I hope he’s still building and maintaining connections with people who bring out the best in him and tie him to the community. I hope he’s still working as a junior forester and cultivating a deeper connection with his local ecosystems.
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)
Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)
Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)
Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)
Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)
Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)
Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)
Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)
Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)
Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)
Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)
Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)
Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)
Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow)
Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)
Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)
Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)
Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)
Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy)
Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)
Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)
Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)
Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)
Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)
Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)
Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)
Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)
Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)
Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)
Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)
Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl)
Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)
Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me)
SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)
Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)
Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe)
Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)
Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin)
Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)
Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)
Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down)
Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)
Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)
Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)
Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)
Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)
Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)
Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)
Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will)
SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)
Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)
Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)
Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)
Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott)
Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)
Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake)
Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)
Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)
Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)
Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)
Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)
Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)
Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)
SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)
Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble
Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)
Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)
Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)
Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)
Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)
Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)
Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)
SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter 2023)
Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)
Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)
No comments:
Post a Comment