That being said, I knew that I, too, could write—and that I wanted to write! But, as great as I was at coming up with a compelling first scene, I never taught myself how to organize my thoughts. Over the years (beginning when I was that little girl who watched Mom publish her first novel) I’ve written approximately two trillion Chapter One’s. And they were all great! But I never knew how to get to Chapter Two. And completing a book? That seemed impossible.
But Mom (aka NY Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann) stepped in and taught me a thing or two about outlining. The lesson she gave me turned out to be invaluable. I learned that just because the reader doesn’t know what will happen at the end of a book doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t know! In fact, if I have a “blueprint” that highlights exactly what happens at the beginning, middle, and end of the story, I’m much more able to write that awesome Chapter One…and Chapter Two…and so on!
When Mom and I began the process, we discovered that our writing styles were similar in many ways—and that we were both capable of adapting so that our “voices” melded together. This made it easy for us to, for instance, take a snippet of a scene that Mom had written and another snippet that I had provided, and seamlessly create a complete scene that sounded authentic and believable.
Also, the best part of the collaboration? It’s FUN! Mom and I spend a lot of time together during the brainstorming process. We put our heads together when we first created Milo, Skylar, Dana, and Calvin, and to say that I’m happy with the result is an understatement. I can’t wait to keep working together to create more amazing stories!
Suz: I agree with Mel—it’s been fun in ways that I entirely didn’t expect! Not only has it been wonderful to work with my incredibly creative daughter, but it’s also been amazing to get to relive the once-in-a-lifetime experience of having a “first book.” Night Sky is my fifty-somethingth published book, but it’s Melanie’s first. So I get to experience all of the excitement that comes with a first published novel, and it’s even more fun than I remembered!
How does the NIGHT SKY series relate to Suz’s adult series, including BORN TO DARKNESS?
Suz: The two series are set in the very same darkly futuristic paranormal world. But while Born to Darkness is set in urban Boston, Night Sky takes place in the south, mostly in suburban Florida. (This is a world where the divide between rich and poor people has grown dramatically, and we wanted to show what that would look like in the familiarity of a suburban setting.)
The biggest difference between the two series is that the cast of characters in Night Sky are all teenagers. Our protagonist, Skylar, slowly comes to realize that she’s special, that she’s something called a “Greater-Than,” with access to a tremendous collection of fledgling superpowers. (She’s got to train to hone and control them.)
In contrast, the adult series takes place at a research center in Boston, where the main characters are doctors and specialists who study the science (actually, it’s still considered to be a “fringe” science—not accepted by the mainstream) behind Greater-Thans and their powers.
But down in Florida, in Night Sky, Skylar starts out completely unaware that she’s living in a world where some people (mostly girls and women) are capable of these amazing things like telepathy, telekinesis, and prescience.
So these two series are separated by more than the thousand miles between their locations. Skylar’s journey is one of self-discovery. And while all this is going on, she and her best friend, Calvin, are searching for Sasha—a missing little girl from their neighborhood. Throw in Dana and Milo, two slightly older kids from the wrong side of the tracks…It becomes quite an adventure.
Mel and I are writing book number two right now. It’s titled Wild Sky, and in it Skylar’s journey continues. Our goal with the series, as she gets older and grows up, is to lead her north, to Boston, where she and her friends will collide with the characters from BtoD!
Mel: I think Mom covered it all! :-)
Whose idea was it to collaborate on this book/series?
Mel: Mom definitely approached me with the collaboration idea—although I had always thought, in the back of my mind, that the concept was an awesome one!
Suz: After I’d written Born to Darkness, I kinda squinted at it, because it occurred to me that I’d created a futuristic world in which girls and women are not only devalued, but put in terrible danger. I remember thinking that this world might actually best be brought to life via YA characters. It was then that I approached Melanie, because I’d read several of her short stories, and really loved her vibrant voice. And I knew that her voice would be the essential ingredient in a YA book.
Happily, Mel was open to the idea. It was fun to watch her catch fire as we started the brainstorming process—which is how I’ve written all of my books.
What are the hardest and easiest parts of your collaboration?
Mel: As awesome as it was to collaborate with my mom, we were definitely presented with some notable challenges along the way. One of the most difficult parts of the collaboration process was applying constructive criticism. Yes—Suzanne Brockmann is my coauthor. But she’s also my mom! And it’s hard for her to revise a scene that I’ve completed, because the last thing she wants to do is hurt my feelings!
The good news is that, with a little bit of communication and a whole lot of love, we both realized that we could be honest with one another about our thoughts—without the other person becoming offended. In fact, honesty is always the best approach. I know that I can come to her and say “Well, I loved that scene. But Milo would never use that word, so we should change that,” and she won’t take offense. I hope she feels the same way about me! But we’re all sensitive about our writing—and it doesn’t help that both Mom and I are super-perfectionistic.
As we continue to work together, I think that we’re reminded about how much admiration we have for each other—which makes it easier to talk about the things that we might want or need to change.
Suz: For me, one the hardest parts is keeping pace with Melanie! She’s very prolific and enthusiastic—and sometimes it seems like she can write an entire scene while I’ve gone into the kitchen to make myself lunch! I’ve been writing novels for twenty years now, and I’ve found that my writing process is very organic. It ebbs and flows naturally, almost like the tide. So sometimes I write very, very quickly, while other times I’m very slow. I’ve learned through the years not to judge myself for those slow times, but while collaborating on the Night Sky books, I do feel some added pressure (purely from my own self!) to keep up with Mel.
As for the easiest part of our collaboration: For me, it’s that Melanie’s writing voice is so vibrant and clear. She knows exactly who Skylar is, and I can always count on her to deliver that clarity of tone. And at the same time, she’s capable of blending her voice, pitch-perfectly, with mine—which is essential, in my opinion, for this kind of collaboration!
Mel: For me, the easiest part of the collaboration process was also the fun part! After brainstorming, and outlining, and mapping out what needed to happen, it was time to sit down and write out the scenes. And, once I got going with that, I felt like I was snowballing down a hill! There was no stopping me! I had a story to tell, and I couldn’t wait to do it.
Suz: That’s so funny, because that’s exactly the same way I feel when I’m on a roll with the writing. I actually have a name for it: “Avalanche mode.” Get out of my way, because here I come!
Mel: But the best part was that, whenever I had self-doubt about a scene, all I needed to do was email it to my mom to get feedback! It is the coolest feeling in the world to send your work to your mom/coauthor and receive a positive response. (I knew that I had hit the writing jackpot on the days when my mom would reply to an email using more exclamation points than she did words!)
Suz: Yes!!!!! I am prone to over-exclamation-point-itis!!!!!!!
If you could have any G-T power, what would you want?
Suz: Too many choices! Too
many choices!!! Is “all of them” an ok answer? I think most of all, I would love to have a Greater-Than’s ability to heal quickly and have perfect health.
Mel: There are a lot of G-T powers that I would want! But I think that, if I had to choose, I would want to be able to mind-control people. I promise I would use this for good and not for evil!
I would also love to run fast, like Skylar! (As a personal trainer and distance runner, I totally lived vicariously through Sky when I included lightning-fast speed into her character’s G-T arsenal.) But I’m almost glad that I don’t have innate lightning-fast speed, because it keeps me motivated to try harder toward my best.
Suz, what do you think Mel would want as a G-T power?
Suz: Ah, see, I absolutely left Sky’s amazing speed as a runner off my list for Mel, because—to me—Mel can already run faster than the wind! I recently went to the finish line of a half marathon that Mel ran, and it was so impressive to see her running so hard and fast after all those miles! (Mel has run races where she’s been in the top three or four in her age group. That means she can run really fast.)
And here’s what I wrote before I read Mel’s answer: I think Mel would really like to have Dana’s unique ability to mind-control people around her! That would really come in handy when dealing with an obstinate six-year-old!
Mel, what do you think Suz would want as a G-T power?
Mel: I bet that Mom would say she wanted to be able to see into the future—but I also believe that, after some thought, she would change her mind. On the one hand, it would be easier for her to organize her life and to prepare for “worst-case scenarios.” But I think Mom would decide that the mystery of the future is far more exciting than knowing. (And, since she’s so empathic, I’m pretty sure that Mom already smells emotions—so that one’s already taken!)
Which character in Night Sky is most like you?
Mel: I think that there is a little bit of every Night Sky character in me! I deeply relate to Skylar’s teen angst. I remember feeling like an alien from a different planet when I was a teenager—and I didn’t have superpowers like Sky did!
On the other hand, writing Sky was kind of like a reminder to myself that “the grass is always greener.” Any physical insecurity that Skylar has (her long curly hair, her long legs, etcetera) were features that I always envied. (I’m 5’3” on a good day, with short straight blonde hair!) So, to me, writing Sky was and is very therapeutic. It keeps me grateful for what I do have! Everyone is beautiful in his or her own way, and I think that Sky reminds me of that truth.
That being said, if I created Sky with all the physical attributes I had at one point wanted for myself, I created Dana with all of the personality traits I hope to have. As a young woman, it has taken me a very long time to become comfortable in my own skin. And today I’m super-comfortable! I can stand up for myself when I need to, and I’m not afraid to let people know what I think. Dana is such a role model for this! She doesn’t sugarcoat. And that’s awesome! Because her authenticity shines through.
Suz: For me, the obvious answer is Skylar’s mom. I certainly relate to the anxiety that comes with raising a teenage daughter! But I’m also an ultra-control freak. So in that regard, I absolutely relate to Dana, who shares my desire to have things done my way!
Suz, which character in Night Sky do you think is most like Mel?
Suz: I think Mel has a little bit of both Skylar and Dana inside of her, but I think, overall, she’s most like Calvin. She’s capable of being upbeat and positive, even in dire situations, and she absolutely loves to laugh.
Mel, which character in Night Sky do you think is most like Suz?
Mel: This one’s tricky, because I think that my mom has a little bit of every Night Sky character in her as well. But I do see a lot of Dana in my mom. Mom likes to be in control of a situation! And that’s not always a bad thing! Like Dana, Mom is an organizer. And, the same way that Dana uses her internal strength to deal with situations, Mom channels that type of power when she lives her life.
Dana’s downfall is that she doesn’t like to show emotions. And she also doesn’t like to ask for help. Mom has always been the same way. When things would get tough, Mom would strap her shield on and march through the problem, insisting she was okay even when she might not have felt that way. Today, I think my mom is discovering that it’s perfectly all right—and sometimes better than all right—to ask other people for help. Which is awesome! Dana is learning the same lesson!
Suz: It’s never too late to learn and grow! That’s for sure.
Calvin: Would you rather have a tattoo on your back of a dog going number two, or a tattoo that says “Long Live Goat Cheese” on your forehead?
Suz: Uh-oh! Mel…?
Mel: (laughing) That wasn’t me! Calvin, how did you get in here?
Calvin: I’m in your head. All the time. All the time. And if that one’s too hard, how about:
Would you rather spend a night in a bedroom filled with evil clowns, or spend an hour in a bed with tarantulas?
Mel: Oh my lord, evil clowns? I’m not sure…
Suz: I think what Cal is trying to say is: Follow us on Twitter as we count down the days to Night Sky’s October 2014 release with Calvin-worthy “Would You Rather” questions—that you may or may not wish to answer! Find us at @SuzBrockmann and @MelRaeYA and join the fun!
(www.twitter.com/SuzBrockmann, www.twitter.com/MelRaeYA)
Mel: We’ll be cross-posting the questions on Facebook, too, at www.facebook.com/SuzanneBrockmannBooks
Calvin: While you’re at it, visit Suz and Mel’s website at www.SuzanneBrockmann.com/upcoming/night-sky/ for information on things like virtual signings and brick-and-mortar bookstore appearances! Uh-oh, I gotta run, Sky’s texting me…
About the Authors
Suzanne Brockmann and her daughter, Melanie Brockmann, have been creative partners, on and off, for many years. Their first project was an impromptu musical duet, when then-six-month-old Melanie surprised and delighted Suz by matching her pitch and singing back to her. (Babies aren’t supposed to be able to do that.) Since then, Mel has gone on to play clarinet and saxophone, to sing in a wedding band, and to run seven-minute miles. She has become one of Sarasota, Florida’s most sought-after personal trainers. Suz has driven an ice-cream truck and directed an a cappella singing group, and can jog a twelve-minute mile when pushed. She is the multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books. Night Sky is Melanie’s first novel and the mother-daughter team’s first literary collaboration. Each strongly suspects that the other is a Greater-Than.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
A Sneak Peek at Night Sky
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Q&A for Dangerous Destiny (a Night Sky prequel) with Suzanne and Melanie Brockmann
About the Authors
Dangerous Destiny: A Night Sky novella Page 12
