Finding a (Ghost-Agnostic) Voice in YA

Ted is joined by Kat Higgs-Coulthard, the author of the middle-grade book Hanging With My Peeps as well as the YA novel Junkyard Dogs. The latter was published earlier this year and follows 17-year-old Josh as he takes to the streets to try to keep himself and his nine-year-old brother out of social services after their dad goes missing.

Kat’s work in progress is a YA ghost story with elements of horror that once again focuses on siblings, this time with an older sister trying to protect her younger brother.

She and Ted talked about what sets YA apart from fiction aimed at adults, what we get wrong about teen readers, what it means if someone refers to your story as a “developmental draft,” how families can be scarier than ghosts, and how she lets her characters talk to her (even while plotting out themes using yarn and clothespins). In the course of their conversation, Kat also displayed her talent for relaying great writing metaphors, and she and Ted both shared their experiences with feeling overwhelmed by the need to revise.

Find Kat Online:

• Website: writewithkat.com

Working Drafts episodes and info for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, thetedfox.com.