1. What initially drew you to write for young readers?
I've been teaching in the middle school classroom for the past twenty years, so you'd think the choice I made to write for young readers would have been both an obvious one and a natural fit. That wasn't the case, as I always pictured myself writing novels intended for adults. I guess sometimes your own ideals can cloud the view if you're not careful. For me, the light flicked on when I was given an assignment for a graduate course in which I had to fictionalize a story from my teen years in two thousand words. I created a character named Gabe LoScuda and explored my experiences helping my parents act as caregivers for my grandfather, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's when I was 14 years old. It was the most connected I'd ever felt to a story and to a narrative voice I had created, and the piece eventually became the opening chapter of my debut young adult novel, No Sad Songs. I haven't looked back since, and I continually gain insight into the minds of my readers in my classroom each day, which is a writer's luxury. 2. What themes/message(s) do you intend to share with readers?
My two young adult novels, No Sad Songs and On the Way to Birdland, are both intended to raise mental health awareness, first and foremost. Both novels are coming of age stories in which my protagonists are confronted with familial loss in the opening chapters and they are forced into roles they are not yet equipped to handle on an emotional level. Their resulting journeys, and my decision to allow them to dictate their own stories in the first person, gave me ample opportunity to dig deep into their minds (and into their hearts) to highlight struggles many young readers face in their own lives. Struggles such as the loss of a family member, physical and emotional abuse, addiction, ptsd and trauma, and the complexities that come with caring for a terminally or mentally ill elder. My newly-released middle grade novel, Breaking News, provides a much lighter alternative in terms of theme. I wrote this novel in response to the word 'post-truth' being entered as a new word in the dictionary a few years ago, and it kind of angered me that we were sort of accepting that we'd live in a world where the truth was rarely apparent. I wanted to provide middle grade readers with an entertaining mystery story, but also a training ground where they could develop their ability to spot bias in news media and use essential critical thinking skills. So, I wove the mystery into a story that is told completely in the primary documents of multiple narrators, and it's the reader's job to separate fact from fiction. 3. Please tell us more about On the Way to Birdland and any other work you'd like to share about.
On the Way to Birdland is the story of a sixteen-year-old, armchair philosopher named Cordell Wheaton. He lives in a small town in the South and he's never been more than thirty miles away from his own doorstep. He feels kind of trapped in his town, a feature that is magnified when his only real friend, his ex-musician older brother Travis, deserts the family without explanation. Inspired by the music and philosophical teachings of his hometown hero, jazz legend John Coltrane, Cordy sets off on an Odyssey-like journey up the East Coast to find his missing brother, whom he fears has succumbed to his addictions. But along the way, Cordy has a series of startling nightmares and flashback memories that make him (and the reader) start to wonder about the true nature of Cordy's physical journey. Loaded down with music, philosophical insights, a death-defying road trip, and a cast of memorable characters, On the Way to Birdland, shows young adult readers the importance of "getting outside of your own shell" once in a while, and how the individual traumas in our lives can sometimes throw us off course without us even realizing it. If you want to get a better feel for the novel, please view the official book trailer. 4. Any advice for young writers?
This is probably not groundbreaking, never-before-said advice, but it's advice that I've come to find as the most truthful when it comes to being a writer. Write YOUR story. Write what you'd like to read but can't find on the shelves. Don't rely on trends to inform your writing. Write what YOU want to write. Make it honest. Let it flow from your heart and I promise you will succeed as a writer and, maybe more importantly, as an artist. 5. Where can we find more information about your work?
I love connecting with readers and young writers on all of my social media platforms where I share news on books and author events, and some behind the scenes fun as well. You can connect with me on Twitter @frankmoewriter, on both Instagram and TikTok @frankmorelliauthor and on my author website frankmorelliwrites.com. You can also connect with me on Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon to learn more about me or my books. Happy reading!
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