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![]() “So is there a reason that these documents came to be collected together? Who collected them and why?” she asked. The very best writer friends listen and ask questions that push you to think harder about your project. “But I want to talk about it anyway.” I told her what I was thinking, that I might want to start the project over and write the story as a collection of documents. “Do you want to talk about the book, or are you too wiped out from the conference.” We were supposed to be in different rows but managed to talk a nice lady into swapping places so we could sit together. I was traveling when I had this epiphany – I’d been attending the NCTE conference and was on the same flight home as my friend Linda Urban. I wondered what it would be like to start over – to reimagine this not as a story told from one or two points of view but as a collection of documents reflecting many perspectives. I thought about that, and the more I did, the more I realized that the different perspectives different characters had on what was happening in this town were the most interesting part of the story. Might I want to think about rewriting the book, not only from Nora’s point of view but from Elidee’s as well? She’s one of the three main characters - the one who’s just moved from the Bronx to Wolf Creek, where she’s one of two black kids at the whole middle school. When I shared my early draft of BREAKOUT, written in first person from Nora’s point of view, one theme emerged over and over. #Kate messner countdown breakout magic maps how toNo matter what I’m working on, I depend on writer friends and critique partners to provide early feedback and ideas for how to make the project stronger. ![]() Why a 23-day series? Because this book was inspired by the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility prison break that led to a 23-day manhunt in June of 2015. It’s about a small-town prison break and manhunt that change the way three kids see their neighbors and the place they call home. #Kate messner countdown breakout magic maps seriesCountdown to Breakout is a 23-day blog series about the three-year writing process for BREAKOUT, which earned starred reviews from both School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. ![]()
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