by Shreya Bhanuka
F. Wallers has been writing ever since she can remember, with getting her book published being her lifelong dream. Her book Insolitam Drive comes out October 27th marking an important milestone for the author. Insolitam Drive her debut novel is about 13-year-old Cassidy who has just finished seventh grade, and everything is changing. With her parents’ divorce finalized, her mom has decided to move Cassidy and her brother to a new town. Not long after they arrive, Cassidy meets Ethan and they become instant friends. But when Cassidy starts getting busy helping the neighbors with odd jobs, she notices that things aren’t quite right in the houses she visits. As Cassidy and Ethan get to know each other, they discover that something has twisted the time and place on their street, pushing the limits of their understanding of reality. Together they set out to solve the mystery of the houses. Insolitam Drive is a time travel book for middle schoolers that explores themes surrounding friendship and family. You can buy the paperback from Amazon, or read it on Amazon Kindle.
What inspired you to write a sci-fi book for middle schoolers?
I was driving down a street one day several years ago and I was looking at the outside of these houses and their addresses and I thought it would be cool if the addresses of the houses were also the years that people lived in. So for example if someone's address is 1995 then the people who lived there would also be living in the year 1995.
Can you describe the central theme or message of your book?
The main message of the book is that family and friends are important to rely on during times of change.
How do you balance complex sci-fi concepts with the reading level of middle schoolers?
This is my first time writing and publishing a book, let alone a time travel middle grade book, so it was challenging simply because I wasn't sure how to write about topics that are so complex in a simpler form for young readers. But I ended up getting two editors to look over my story and they gave me some good suggestions on how to make the writing more simple.
Are there any particular sci-fi authors or books that influenced your writing?
Not really. I typically don't read sci-fi middle grade books, but I have read a lot of different types of middle grade books and simply by reading them influenced my writing with this book. It was helpful to read any kind of middle grade book just so I can get an idea of the language I need to use for readers around that age.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing for this age group?
Mainly, using language that middle graders understand. I'm not 12 years old anymore, so it's easier for me to write using language or words that young adults use. It's also hard for me to put myself in a middle graders’ shoes and…I had to read a lot of middle grade books, so that I could create a story that doesn't have a middle grade character that sounds too adult for the readers.
Can you share a bit about the main characters and their journey in your book?
Cassidy and Ethan are the main characters in this book and both of them are dealing with challenging life circumstances. I don't want to give too much away about their journey, but they both end up meeting each other in a time that they need a friend to lean on, and their friendship ends up being an important theme throughout the book.
How do you incorporate educational elements into your story without making them feel forced?
I don't really incorporate educational elements in my story. I mostly just write anything that a young reader can identify with and then, if there is anything that I need to add in that has educational elements, I'll do research before adding in that information to the story.
What role do you think sci-fi plays in helping middle schoolers understand the world around them?
I'm actually not sure how to answer that question since this is my first time writing a middle-grade sci-fi book and also sci-fi isn't something I typically write about.
Are there any specific themes or topics you aimed to explore through your sci-fi setting?
It explores friendship and family matters.
How do you hope your readers will respond to your book? What kind of impact do you hope it will have on them?
I think it'll impact many readers because a lot of them will be able to identify with what the main character is going through. But I also hope it'll impact them because I hope they can take away the important message of the story.
Did you face any particular challenges when it came to world-building or creating your sci-fi setting?
Sci-fi isn't something I'm used to writing, so writing about time travel was a challenge because I had to figure out how to describe time travel machines and how part of the plot worked out with time travel involved in middle-grade terms.
What advice would you give to young aspiring writers who are interested in sci-fi?
Whether or not it's sci-fi or any other genre, my advice for aspiring writers is to not give up. There were quite a few times that I wanted to give up…it's hard to not give up during this type of project because there is so much that has to go into creating it, but you just have to push through those moments. Whenever you feel like giving up, I suggest taking your mind off of your project by going for a walk, reading a book, or even simply taking a day or two or more off of your project. Sometimes, by taking your mind off of it, [it] can actually bring back the interest and motivation to work on it more. Plus, taking time off can help generate more ideas for your project.
What's your favorite genre?
My favorite genre is dystopian books.
Who's your biggest role model in the field of writing?
Two of my biggest role models are Suzanne Collins, who wrote The Hunger Games trilogy, and Veronica Roth, who wrote the Divergent trilogy.
What is the biggest obstacle you have faced while writing this book?
The biggest obstacle I faced as I wrote this story is that this is a middle-grade book and in the first version of the story the main character was far too mature for her age, so I had to re-write it in a way that sounded more middle-grade. As I explained earlier it's hard for me to write from the perspective of a middle-grader because I'm no longer in that age group. I had to read multiple middle-grade books in order for me to get into the headspace of a middle-grader and therefore I was able to make the story sound and feel more like something that someone around that age can understand and relate to.
Do you have any future projects or themes you’re excited to explore next?
I actually am already starting to plan my next project and I have some idea of what the story is going to be, but I need to figure out the rest of the details. However, I am very excited for this next book because it's going to explore a topic that I am super passionate about.
Follow F. Wallers’ socials here:
Instagram - f.wallers
Tiktok - authorfwallers
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