2021 Mentee Interviews

Tell us a little about yourself. Who are you, what do you write, and what are you working on right now?

Hi! I’m Christen Randall Young and I like to write Young Adult fiction that is as geeky and off-beat as I am. Whether I’m writing contemporary or contemporary fantasy, you can bet it will have authentic fat, queer, and mental health representation, at least one in-text cat, and a killer playlist somewhere in the background. Currently, I’m querying my WTMP project, Playing Secrets and Sorcery with Girls. It’s a queer YA contemporary romance about a fat girl with anxiety finding her ride or die adventuring party in a tabletop roleplaying game—and discovering love and confidence along the way.

What kind of stories are you interested in exploring in your career as an author?

I’m really passionate about bringing more fat representation to YA. Not just stories about being fat, but stories where the daring main character or the swoony love interest just happen to be fat people living their best lives. I grew up as a fat kid with representation that relegated me to Funny Fat Friend™, cautionary tale, or unnamed background character, if I was represented at all. It’s important to me to do better for the next generation of young adult readers. I’m also really interested in writing the kind of messy, irreverent literature afforded to straight characters for a queer cast—where queer kids don’t have to have all the answers, have space to make mistakes, and just be weird, wonderful teens with space to fall and fail and get back up again. Because I’m neurodiverse, bringing some representation for ND girls, especially those with dyslexia and ADHD like me, would be a dream. Overall, I just want to write stories that make people laugh, feel good, and believe that they can be the main character of their own life stories.

What's the best thing about you as an author?

I like to think it’s my humor. Oftentimes, I write about difficult subject matter, about feelings that are hard to hold. But like in real life, I always try to sneak in moments of silliness and levity. Life—and literature—is always a little better when you can laugh.

How have you developed as an author during this mentorship period? Is there anything that you didn't think before about the craft that you think now?

I joke that it’s taught me how many ellipsis I use! But really, this mentorship has been craft-shaping. Working with Jonny’s keen eye for detail, I have been able to focus on the little things. Word choice as a way to build voice, when to let punctuation do the work and when to infuse action and feeling instead—thinking about these on the micro, sentence structure level as well as the macro, big picture side has made a world of difference in my writing. I’m excited to carry this with me into my next projects.

If every book is a book baby, then it takes a village to raise a book. Are there any people who stand out to you as people who helped you in your writing journey?

My mentor, Jonny Garza Villa! There are whole scenes and emotional subplots I would not have been able to unlock without them. I have always loved and believed in Secrets and Sorcery, but without Jonny’s intuitive understanding of Hollis and the girls, my book wouldn’t be half the book it is today. They are truly a Level 20 Bard. The WTMP team as a whole has made me feel so welcome. Sami, Anita, Grace, Kalie, Jen—every kind word adds up, and you have supplied me with enough joyous fuel for the ages. My WTMP 2021 Cohort squad got me through revisions and into the query trenches with grace and good emoji choices, especially Mylan, Imani, Asia, Safa, and Ashley. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to aim for this program without Jenn and Mary, my almost famous dream team and forever hype squad. It’s probably a little corny to admit this, but it’s on brand so here goes: I am also incredibly thankful for my Twitter writing family. The community I’ve found there keeps me grounded and keeps me going, and I’m glad every day for the wonderful folks I’m proud to call internet friends.

What do you think is the biggest necessity for a group of writing friends?

Enthusiasm! Having friends who are just as passionate as you are about writing is life-changing. Get you a crew that will hype your ideas, cheer on your successes, and love you through your failures. And show up for them, too! That’s half the joy of this whole thing.

Any parting words for young writers looking for guidance, or a community?

Write. Write, write, write. That story in your heart, the one that you’re super excited and a little frightened to tell—tell it. Let it pour out of your soul onto the page. It won’t always be easy, but keep going. Your words are not just important but vital; there is someone out there just like you, desperate to read them. And when you’re done? Reach out! Other writers who have made the same brave choice to do as you have done are here, more than happy to help you on the next step of this amazing journey.

What about your own craft, interests, and abilities drew you to your mentee and their work?

When I first read Playing Secrets and Sorcery with Girls, it was already a tremendously written manuscript. There was so much that called out to me: the platonic relationships between Hollis, the main character, and her adventuring party-turned-friend group; the queer romance; the well done and well-respected diversity; coming-of-age feels as Hollis begins to break down who she thought she was in order to make room for her truth. And, as if this wasn’t already terrific enough, reading something that included a TTRPG as a plot device had me obsessed!

It was these great aspects of her story in particular that I wanted to help build up and make as shiny as possible. I loved getting to talk about the manuscript with a creative mind like Christen and working on sensory writing, descriptions, side character personalities, and, probably my favorite, on Hollis and her character development. Where we see her end up at the last page and how we really get into her head and dive into all the drama and lightbulb moments and love that drives her there. And tying it all to her Secrets and Sorcery character, the indomitable Honoria. It’s truly been a dream. 

Do you have a message for anyone interested in your mentee's work?

What Christen has done with Playing Secrets and Sorcery with Girls is so unique. She’s managed to create a story that has all the ingredients for a spectacular queer contemporary young adult novel—self-exploration, an incredible group of girls, a love interest with so much game, the stressful and maybe even heartbreaking feelings that come with growing up and no longer fitting the mold of what people expect of you. But, even more so, she’s expertly intertwined it with this fantastical side story following said incredible girl group’s Secrets and Sorcery characters. It serves as not only a reflection of these girls growing from first meeting to your next favorite found family, but as a way to see Hollis, a girl who’s always believed she’s destined to be a side character in her own life, evolve into the courageous, strong, witty, anxious, fat girl hero of her own story. I am honored to have helped in any way with this book, and I am pleading with you to help get this on my bookshelf as soon as possible.