Mona Alvarado Frazier on The Grittier Side of Writing

Growing up, I was an avid reader. But none of the books I read in my childhood reflected my environment and daily challenges. There were no stories about the people I encountered—the ones who dealt with poverty and discrimination or were involved in social justice issues and community projects.

My family and community's obstacles weren’t reflected in contemporary literature. It wasn’t until college that I discovered novels written by Latinos or Latinas that mirrored these experiences.

As a writer, I wanted to reveal these experiences and exemplify important issues often overlooked regarding young people and those of color.

Each year, around 12 percent of American high schoolers experience emotional, physical, or sexual violence at the hands of someone they date. Young women, transgender teens, and gender-nonconforming youth are disproportionately affected.

It's essential to recognize that IPV affects young people of color at a disproportionate rate. According to studies, Latinas and Black women experience IPV at a rate much higher than White women, and Native American women are twice as likely to experience IPV than any other group.

The statistics are alarming. Experiences of physical or sexual violence in childhood are reported by 60-70% of incarcerated women or girls. Many of the perpetrators are people familiar to the victim.

In my novel, The Garden of Second Chances, I sought to amplify the voices of young women in prison and the often ignored issue of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).

My main character, Juana Maria, is a seventeen-year-old mother from Mexico who lives in the U.S. with the father of her child. She experiences the terror of IPV firsthand. Her boyfriend's abusive behavior escalates until she feels she has no choice but to run away with her baby during the abuse. Tragically, this results in his death, and she is convicted of manslaughter.

In prison, Juana Maria learns her situation is all too common among young women. Many have experienced IPV but are hesitant to talk about it, unsure whether their experiences constitute abuse.

Unique challenges can contribute to the lack of reporting the abuse: economic instability, fear of the police, fear of deportation, the lack of access to resources, cultural or religious views, and family or peer pressure.

IPV is a power-based behavior that uses control and manipulation to maintain relationships. It can take many forms, from physical violence to emotional abuse, and it doesn't always happen in person. Cyberstalking and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images are also forms of IPV. These behaviors can occur while dating a partner, but various forms of manipulation by the perpetrator may mask the red flags.

One of the biggest challenges with IPV is that people often suffer in silence. They may not realize the experience is abuse, or they may be afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation, or others won’t believe them. This can lead to long-term effects: PTSD, depression, and substance abuse.

In my novel, I explore these factors to highlight the obstacles to reporting IPV and clarify why many young women don’t report abuse.

As writers, we must tackle tough subjects head-on and raise awareness. We need to give voice to those who have been silenced or don’t know where to access resources.

If you write young adult fiction, consider exploring topics about the harsher side of life. Your story could make a difference in the lives of young people who desperately need to understand that they are not alone.

Mona Alvarado Frazier is fulfilling her passion for writing after decades of working with incarcerated youth and raising three kids as a single parent. When she’s not penning a story, she’s traveling, reading, watching K-dramas, or tending her succulent gardens and two grand kitties. She is a member of SCBWI, Macondo Writers, and a co-founder of LatinxPitch, a Twitter event. Mona’s second book, a historical fiction, is scheduled for December 2024. You can visit her website for more information. 

Kerry Chaput on Fresh Drafts, Intuition, and Inspiration for 'Chasing Eleanor'

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. 

Today’s guest for the WHAT is Kerry Chaput, author of Chasing Eleanor which releases on June 15

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

I’ve always dreamed of writing a manuscript set during The Great Depression, but never had a clear idea of what the hook would be. I started to freewrite a few scenes about a teenager named Magnolia in 1936. I had very little direction, until three chapters in when research led me to the time Eleanor Roosevelt visited the inn where my character worked—at the same time my story was set. As Eleanor has always been my favorite historical figure, it felt like serendipity! I rewrote the story that would become Chasing Eleanor. At its heart, it’s an admiration letter to Eleanor as seen through the eyes of a strong, lost, hopeful girl trying desperately to put her family back together. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

I’m a sucker for the found family trope, so I knew Magnolia would go on a great journey with friends who could heal each other (also a nod to my childhood obsession with the movie The Journey of Natty Gann). I began by introducing Eleanor as a symbol of hope for Magnolia before the two have a chance encounter. In historical fiction, staying true to research goes hand in hand with crafting plot. I read dozens of memoirs to prepare for this book, and they all had similar experiences. Families losing jobs, putting food on credit, leveraging their houses, begging, bartering, often homelessness and usually broken families. Magnolia steps into the role left by her troubled parents with the youthful assumption she can manage the house and her brothers. She believes she can give them the life they deserve. Until reality hits—as it always does—and all Magnolia’s best intentions lead her down the same road. Although she begins to lose everything she cares about, her fighting spirit won’t let her give up. She must find something to hold onto, and a promise from the First Lady is as good a hope as any. After that, I crafted Magnolia’s journey through 1936 America, with dust storms and hunger, and all types of characters, including her new friends Hop and Red, who face their own struggles for survival. Chasing Eleanor explores friendship, family, and love as these orphans face the terrifying world together. 

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

I don’t plot. I’m a pantser all the way. Rewrites don’t intimidate me, and I love when characters guide me in a surprising direction. Every story I’ve ever written unfolds as I’m in the pages. I don’t know what the plot will be until I’m in it, feeling my character’s choices and motivation. It can be unnerving to write without a plan, but I find the purest moments when I keep all possibilities open. My first draft of Chasing Eleanor was missing something. Magnolia was so close to my own struggles, yet I felt a distance in her words. I knew Magnolia deserved the best I could give, so I moved all 87,000 words to the recycle bin and started over. The next day, I jumped right in on a fresh draft. I stumbled, but I never gave up, inspired by the very protagonist I was trying to understand. This time, I yanked open the part of me I hadn’t realized I was protecting. I cried my way through that next version, but as I wrote The End, I knew I had left it all on the page. 

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by? 

New story ideas are my fuel! I always have 2-3 ideas floating around and keep a folder of everything that comes up. Most ideas take months or years to form, so I like having a few to choose from. I’m like a mood reader with my own stories! Interesting ideas for character or setting frequently pop up in my dreams, so I make sure to have a notebook ready at my bedside. Ironically, all those ideas find their way into my manuscripts in some way, even subtly as character backstory or motivation.  

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

Intuition, mainly. When my character slides into my dreams and wakes me up at night, I know I’ve found my next project. Those ideas always transform into something quite different, so I never get too attached to any one thing. In true type A fashion, I usually draft two projects at a time to allow my brain to switch gears if I ever feel stagnant. The break helps me every time.

I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?

I have two! My black Labrador is my good luck charm. I write at 5am every morning and he loves to join me on the couch. I like to believe his cuddles ensure a successful writing session. We share a blanket, and he snores while I work so it’s a perfect setup for us both. I also have an adorable golden retriever puppy who comes and goes for attention, but doesn’t appreciate that I’m not constantly playing with him. I always break for puppy hugs. I would be lonely without my buddies. They certainly make the process more fun.  

Kerry Chaput is an award-winning historical fiction author. She believes in the power of stories that highlight young women and found families. Born and raised in California, she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she can be found on hiking trails and in coffee shops. Connect with her at www.kerrywrites.com, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.