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In 2012, a documentary crew descended upon Westside Middle School to detail the life of an average seventh grader and his classmates.
What they uncovered, though, was far from average. Mostly, it was upper average, along with moments of extreme average, highlighted by several minutes of total epicness.
This is the story.
And so begins, in a nutshell, The Classroom: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet-Epic Kid (Disney-Hyperion, 2012), the first in a new series for tweens by Robin Mellom. Well-illustrated by Stephen Gilpin and highly hilarious, The Classroom reveals Mellom's canny knack for crafting totally relatable, often wacky characters of the finding-their-way-through-pubescence variety.
But that's no surprise, really. Mellom's debut, the zany prom mystery Ditched (Disney-Hyperion, 2012), showed the same intuitive feel for all things adolescent. It's a talent no doubt bolstered by her years as a middle-school creative writing teacher. While she was teaching, though, and later as a full-time mom, she was also churning out manuscript after manuscript; Ditched was actually her sixth novel, The Classroom her first.
This is Mellom's story.
"Technically, this book took me three months and ten years to write." —MELLOM
AUTHORLINK: So how did The Classroom come about? Did you conceive it in the documentary film format or did that idea come later?
MELLOM: This story was first conceived about ten years ago, actually. [Main character] Trevor’s story was the first novel I ever wrote, but it was in a different format back then—it was more of a survival guide with quizzes and interviews and commentary. After I’d gotten a contract for my first book (my teen novel Ditched), my editor asked what else I had written. When I mentioned this story, he got very excited because he thought it would be great to publish a story that was a “mockumentary.” I told him I’d give it a shot! So I reworked Trevor’s story into this documentary film format, which honestly was the best writing experience I’d ever had. It was an insane blast to do. Within a few months we had The Classroom: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet-Epic Kid and a deal for a four-book series. So, technically, this book took me three months and ten years to write.
AUTHORLINK: Did its documentary premise force you to think more visually as you wrote, perhaps more like a movie director?
MELLOM: I certainly had to think more visually, because I imagined an actual documentary crew at this middle school and tried to come up with scenes they might actually film. Which meant chaotic situations in lunchrooms, hallways, and school dances—all very fun stuff to write.
This was also the first time I’d ever worked with an illustrator, and I had to explain what I wanted in each of the drawings—which was harder than I’d imagined. But, fortunately, my illustrator was so intuitive and seemed to “get” my ramblings very easily (“and then this, and then that, and then...oh!...”).
AUTHORLINK: A good part of the book's humor comes from what the characters say "on-camera" versus what you show them doing in the narrative. Was this a challenging way to write? Did you plot those things out or did they evolve organically?
MELLOM: As far as plotting, what happens “off-camera,” meaning the story part of it, was all plotted out ahead of time. But the on-camera interviews throughout, where the characters are reacting to what’s going on in that moment, were completely organic, and I never really knew what they were going to say! It kept the process of writing this book very fun and fresh for me—it felt like I was commenting on my own story from lots of different perspectives with wildly different opinions. How bizarre. And fun!
AUTHORLINK: Your characters are kids we probably all know—the neurotic, the misanthrope, the gossip, the bully—and some we might not—the hunter, the punching girl. How did you create them? Any tips for crafting dimensional characters?
“I always like to pick and choose characteristics from people and then mix and match. . .” —MELLOM
MELLOM: Some of them are based on kids I’ve met over the years, but never based on them entirely. I always like to pick and choose characteristics from people and then mix and match, that way I create a whole new fictional person and then I don’t feel so bad about making the character go through difficult things in the book…because they aren’t based on a real person. Otherwise, I might take it too easy on them.
So I think crafting a character with dimension means drawing on inspiration from multiple sources—maybe from a person you know, but also from a magazine article or a person you observe in a coffee shop or the bizarre family waiting in line in front of you at the grocery store. To me, the most important thing a writer needs to do is observe, observe, observe.
AUTHORLINK: So when The Classroom grew into a series, how much planning did that entail? Did you plot out all the books before you started rewriting the first?
MELLOM: I submitted a proposal for each of the four books, so I knew the plot of all four before I started writing the first book. It was so helpful to have the input of the editorial team ahead of time so we knew exactly what we wanted to do with the series and where we were headed. I’m not sure how much I can give away, but in book two there will be a class election, and friendships will be rocked.
AUTHORLINK: How did you move from teaching middle-graders to writing for them? Was it an easy transition? Is one career more challenging than the other? More rewarding?
MELLOM: While I was a teacher, one of my most favorite subjects to teach (not surprisingly) was creative writing. I would sit and write right along with my students. They even knew I wanted to eventually become a writer, and I’ve received some e-mails from some of my former students congratulating me. (Sniff!) Teaching kids is far more challenging than writing for them, but I love the fact that now I get to focus solely on writing stories that tap into their emotional lives, and I don’t have to worry about standardized test scores. Woo-hoo!
AUTHORLINK: I read that the first book you sold was actually the sixth that you'd written. What kept you going? Why didn't you give up?
“. . . there were many times I threatened to give up, but then it was simply just too enjoyable of an activity to ever stop.”
—MELLOM
MELLOM: Standarized test scores? No, really, there were many times I threatened to give up, but then it was simply just too enjoyable of an activity to ever stop. Writing is my love. It’s my “thing.” I used to always tell myself, “It appears you really don’t have a choice in this matter. You can’t help yourself. So just keep writing.” So I did.
AUTHORLINK: Agents—are they necessary? What's the best way to land one?
MELLOM: I do think they’re necessary. They will find the right fit for you and be your advocate in ways you simply can’t imagine. My agent has all the skills I don’t have—that’s why I need her. There are lots of websites that provide information on what agents are looking for, so take your time and find the perfect match.
AUTHORLINK: Any advice for aspiring kidlit authors?
MELLOM: Try lots of different types of genres, age levels, play around with format, style, first person, third person, whatever, who cares! Just basically don’t be afraid until you find your own unique writing voice. Then once you find it—that voice that it so authentically you—step on the gas and write like crazy. It’ll be the most fun you’ve ever had.
Susan VanHecke is an author and editor of books for adults and children. Her titles for young people include Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers (Boyds Mills, 2011), Rock 'N' Roll Soldier (HarperCollins, 2009), and An Apple Pie For Dinner (Cavendish, 2009). To find out more about Susan and her books, visit www.susanvanhecke.com and www.susanvanheckeeditorial.com.
