Katie McGarry chatted with Hypable about Breaking the Rules, her latest novel revisiting some of our favorite characters, Noah and Echo.
Why did you decide to revisit Noah and Echo?
I decided to continue with Echo and Noah because their story wasn’t done yet. At the end of Pushing the Limits, Echo and Noah had finally discovered the hope in moving forward, but they still had a lot of demons that they needed to slay in order to find true happiness.
For Noah, he needs to come to terms with the guilt he feels for saving his brothers from the house fire, but not saving his parents. For Echo, she has to work through whether or not she can forgive her mother for a night that left her physically and emotionally scarred. Echo and Noah also have to figure out if their love is strong enough to survive outside of high school.
I love Echo and Noah. I absolutely love them and I wanted to write Breaking the Rules so Echo and Noah could tackle these issues and find a true happy-ever-after.
What have you learned as a writer since first publishing Pushing the Limits?
That I’m not alone.
Pushing the Limits and the books that followed in the series grew out of a desire to write the books I needed when I was a teen. To be honest, they are the books I still need now. They are books that show that no matter how tough the circumstances are there is always hope.
Since Pushing the Limits has been published, through reader messages, I have learned that I’m not alone in some of the experiences I’ve had in life. Yes, my books are fictional, but I typically put something very personal about me in each of my books, and it’s amazing how many of my readers pick up on the part of me I put into my characters. There are so many of us who have had the same experiences, emotions, fears, hopes, and dreams.
Why did you choose to write contemporary fiction?
Contemporary fiction chose me. The very first book I wrote was a paranormal. The second one, a dystopian. Both are projects that taught me a lot about writing, but will never see the light of day.
Echo and Noah’s story came to me when I was stuck writing another story and was free writing for ideas. Echo’s voice burst onto the page and I had to find out more about her. I knew immediately that her story would be a contemporary and the rest is history.
There is something very special about the stories you create. How do you come up with them?
My stories are created by a combination of different inspirations. Usually, I’ll meet a character first. Like when Echo’s voice appeared on the page while writing something completely different. Other times, like with Beth from Dare You To, I meet them as secondary characters. They’ll have a certain line or scene that informs me they have a story to tell.
My plot and characters are heavily influenced by music. For instance, “Highway Don’t Care” and “One of Those Nights” by Tim McGraw really helped shape Breaking the Rules.
Then I take a good hard look at my experiences and past emotions. I decide which part of me I’m going to drop into the story and then work very hard to pour that emotion onto the page.
The characters you create feel very real and fully formed. How do you create them and which was the most challenging to get right?
I spend time getting to know my characters. Who they are. What they think. What they feel. I view them as real people in my mind so I not only know their big problems, but also their small likes and dislikes. Like what their favorite color is or what they hate on pizza.
Beth from Dare You To and Haley from Take Me On were the toughest characters for me to write. I gave both of them personal hurts of mine and there were times those characters were emotionally painful for me to write, but I’m very proud with how their stories turned out.
What are you working on now?
I am working on my new series that will debut on May 26, 2015. The first book in the Thunder Road series will be Nowhere But Here. These stories will revolve around teens who are raised in the thrilling world of motorcycle clubs, and I’m so excited for readers to dive in.
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About Katie McGarry
Katie is the author of full length YA novels, Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Crash Into You, Take Me On, Breaking the Rules, and Nowhere But Here. And the e-novellas, Crossing the Line and Red at Night. Her debut YA novel, Pushing the Limits was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. Dare You To was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.
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