Ever wonder what goes on behind the pages of your favorite novel? From the first spark of an idea to the product you pluck from the shelf of your bookstore or local library, every story has a tale of its own. And sometimes you just really want to know: Where did the author come up with this?!
Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on my novel Edges & Other Hard Things to offer you a behind-the-scenes peek at the making of this sweet, YA Christian fiction coming-of-age tale. What inspired the characters? The cover? What does the title mean? What are my personal connections to the story?
Get an exclusive (and spoiler-free, for those who haven’t read it yet) peek inside Edges & Other Hard Things for all the intricate details that never made it onto the page.
Ready to discover what lies beyond the edges of Edges?
Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and blogger for teens with higher aim.
Behind-the-Scenes of Edges & Other Hard Things
The MC: Why Sensory Processing Disorder?
Some authors choose to write a book about a particular kind of character to raise awareness of a certain ailment, disability, or anomaly. This is the deaf author writing a deaf character to give the rest of us a peek inside the world of the hearing impaired. Noble as that is, this is not what I had in mind when I wrote Rhapsodie’s character in Edges & Other Hard Things.
The truth is, I never heard the term Sensory Processing Disorder before I started my first draft.
I wanted a character whose obstacles came from within and couldn’t be removed simply by redirecting her mind. We all have things we struggle with personally that will follow us for life, and the failsafe is to say this is the way I am, I cannot change it. (Read my post Becoming Who God Made You To Be & Other Hard Things for a biblical perspective on this.) Rhapsodie needed to find a balance between accepting her lot and striving to grow.
I do have firsthand experience with sensory sensitivity, however, so I took some of my anomalies, amplified them exponentially, then did crazy amounts of research on SPD to make Rhapsodie’s character and plight genuine. And judging by the reactions of many of my earliest readers, I hit it on the head.
If you’d like to know more about Sensory Processing Disorder, check out Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight (paid link) by Sharon Heller, Ph.D. I frequently referred to this book when drafting Edges.
The Cover: What inspired the art?
Rhapsodie and Sage are working on a photography project through most of the story, and all the sites they visit are based on real places in my hometown. But none are as iconic to the story as the setting for one of my favorite scenes, which served as the inspiration for the cover design by Roseanna White Designs.
Wildcat Mound is a real place in Clark County, Wisconsin, and one of my family’s favorite hiking spots. Roseanna did an amazing job capturing the essence of it in her cover design.
In fact, Edges & Other Hard Things traveled to the edge with me to capture these photos. Beware if you ever visit: The heights are not for the faint!
The Book Inside the Book: Is it real?
In the second chapter of Edges & Other Hard Things, Rhapsodie receives a highly anticipated photography book in the mail, which leads to an unusual sort of mentorship from the book’s previous owner. Did it ever cross your mind that book might be a real publication?
It is. I changed the names so as not to cross any legal lines, but Captured isn’t just based on a real book. It’s an actual book titled There and Back: Photographs from the Edge by climber and photographer Jimmy Chin (renamed Pedro Souza in the story).
Rhapsodie needed a physical object to connect her to an assisting character, and a book made sense. So I went to the local library, checked out all the books I could find on photography, and Jimmy’s book won.
The photographs referenced in Edges & Other Hard Things correspond to actual photographs in There and Back.
If you’re a visual person, or have any interest at all in mountain climbing or stunning photography, check it out! Snag it from your local library, or grab your own copy on AMAZON (paid link).
Want to take it further? Contact me and I’ll supply you with the exact page numbers for each pictorial reference made in the story.
Inside Edges & Other Hard Things: FAQs & Fun Facts
What does the title mean?
The edge is whatever place you tend to steer clear of in your own life, be it the edge of a cliff (because you are afraid of heights) or, in Rhapsodie’s case, the edge of her senses. It’s the border of your comfort zone.
This title alludes to some of the harder things we all have to do in life, most of which are outside of our comfort zones.
How did you come up with the name Rhapsodie?
Straight out of a magazine . . . about twenty-five years ago. In fact, it might have been Brio magazine when I was a teen, but the proof is long gone so I can’t be sure. I do remember reading an article about a girl with that name and that spelling, however, and I thought it was beautiful and artistic. Exactly like my MC in Edges & Other Hard Things.
Which character was the most fun to write?
Sage wins this prize. He’s the epitome of letting it all hang out, plus he has a quirkiness that was fun to play with. But he also let me in on his deeper side, and every time I came back to his character, I found more gold. I’m kind of disappointed our journey together has reached its end.
Which character was the hardest to write?
That would be Naomi. You’ll have to read the story to understand why, but to convey her character, I had to get inside her head, and that was a very difficult place to be.
I will say, Babcia gave me the most challenge in dialogues (though I enjoyed it). Her uniquely Polish-American dialect required lots of rehearsing.
Whose personality do you match the most?
According to the official Edges & Other Hard Things personality quiz, I’m very similar to Rhapsodie. Give it a whirl and see who YOU have the most in common with!
How much did the story change between the first draft and the final product?
Rhapsodie grew. A lot. She was a bit shallow and selfish in the first draft. She needed to mature and become someone readers could both respect and aspire to imitate.
Sage also grew, his speech became more reflective of his character, and the secrets he carried became more evident.
In a way, a book goes through the same growth we all do as children. More maturity, less baby fat.
This is your debut novel, but is it the first novel you’ve ever written?
Absolutely not. The best wisdom ever passed on to me in the writing industry is to never publish your first novel first. Your first novel may be your best at the time, but it won’t be as good as your second, or your third, or your . . . You get the picture.
Never publish your first novel first.
The point is, the more you write, the better you get.
I spent seven years seeking a traditional publishing contract, and in that time, I wrote . . . FIFTEEN novels. (No joke. I just counted the documents on my word processor and my jaw hit the floor.) Edges & Other Hard Things probably fell somewhere around eighth or ninth.
Be glad I didn’t publish the first one first. It would’ve been a train wreck.
What’s one thing you hope readers take away from Rhapsodie’s story?
I would love for all readers to gather the courage to grow in their faith, and know that where you are today is not where you should be in one year, or five years, or ten. Rhapsodie had to learn that just because God made her a certain way doesn’t mean there’s no room for growth or change.
You are not as limited as you think, so get out there and serve Him!
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.