Welcome to the Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway by Ashley Hards on September 10th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive guest posts from Ashley, plus 5 chances to win a hardcover of Hannah Edwards with a SIGNED bookplate and a bookmark!
Working with ADHD to Write a Middle Grade Novel
by Ashley Hards
Anybody with ADHD knows that our brains can be fun, but also frustrating. When I went to write my debut middle grade novel, Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway, my brain had lots of fun ideas, but it started to lose focus around the midpoint of the first draft. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve sat down, ready to start writing a chapter, and instead found myself jumping onto something completely different. For years, I tried to use methods that worked for other people: Eat the frog! Pomodoro technique! A planner! But these never seemed to work fully.
Then, I decided to change my approach. Instead of resisting my brain’s impulses, I’d find a way to do what it wanted to do.
For example, sometimes my brain didn’t want to write at all. So I’d pretend that I was telling somebody about the chapter, record it, and transcribe it later.
Other times, my brain just didn’t like the computer—a frequent enemy of my brain—so I’d write a chapter by hand (which also allowed for me to write outside).
And occasionally the tool wasn’t the problem—sometimes the idea of writing another chapter just felt boring. After all, I’d written eleven! Wasn’t that enough? So, I needed to change my approach.
I did so by finding a way to make my brain excited about the project again. Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway became a little collection of fun projects instead of one big scary endeavor.
So, if my brain didn’t like the idea of writing a traditional dialogue, I’d imagine I was recording what was happening. Maybe it was boring to write a standard appointment with a guidance counsellor. If so, I’d find something fun to focus on, like the feeling of sitting on a slippery cushion! Sometimes my brain wouldn’t want to write the lead-up to something—like the description of a barn—because it was already ten steps ahead, following my heroes as they searched for clues! In cases like this, I’d use square brackets to say “[something description-y here]” and jump ahead into writing the action.
Writing in this piecemeal, nonlinear way didn’t create the most typical middle grade novel. But it meant that I always had something exciting to do. Plus, the variety of formats can help young readers pay attention by giving them an interesting change to look forward to. (Why does the next chapter look different? Guess I have to keep reading to find out!).
Not only does Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway have a protagonist with ADHD, but I also formatted it by leaning into things that I enjoy and letting my brain write what it wanted to, when it wanted to. Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway couldn’t exist as a “normal” book because my brain doesn’t work normally! And, to me, that’s what makes it really authentic.
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Blog Tour Schedule
September 10 — One More Exclamation
September 11 — Confessions of a YA Reader
September 12 — Dana Loves Books
September 13 — Country Mamas With Kids
About the Book
Amazon | Bookshop | Website | Goodreads
Hannah Edwards has a lot on her mind.
For starters, her father—the Canola King—has been missing for months. And not her distracted mother, her meddlesome guidance counselor, nor her evil Uncle Fergus seem to care. Luckily, she has her secret journal and her best friend Sam Castillo for support.
So when Sam tells Hannah he thinks he saw her father’s ghost down at the old Riverway Mill, Hannah decides to take matters into her own hands. She soon learns that Uncle Fergus has a plan to steal the family farm, drain the river, and find a hidden treasure.
On the edge of going from being a “good kid” to a “bad kid”, Hannah stops pretending to pay attention to her endlessly boring classes. With Sam, her journal, and eventually a whole lot of Riverway frogs, Hannah sets out to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.
A heartfelt story of a young neurodiverse girl with a whole lot of determination, and focus, to do the right thing.
Fabled Films Press has numerous classroom resources written and developed under the supervision of educators and professionals to support the book. These include a Neurodiversity Discussion Guide by Dr. Dawn Jacobs Martin, PhD (sample sections include exploring neurodiversity and societal perspectives as well as using Hannah Edwards as a tool to understand neurodiversity); a Common Core Language Arts Guide by Pat Scales (sample sections include pre-reading activities, curriculum connections, and classroom discussion questions); and a print-at-home Tween Activity Kit with word games, crafts, and writing activities. All of these resources and more are available at www.Hannah-Edwards.com.
About the Author
Ashley Hards was declared to be “gifted” at age 8 and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 22. When forced to sit still in class, she found books and writing to be the most engaging subjects, especially Shakespeare. She received both her BA and MA in English Literature from McGill University, where she now teaches writing and continues her research on Shakespeare and ritual.
Always the adrenaline lover, Ashley enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and opera. (Hey, it’s exciting.) She spent many weekends driving across Alberta and hanging out at a ski hill near Pincher Creek, and the vision for Riverway developed over many dark, stormy nights. Like Hannah, she enjoys journaling. Unlike Hannah, she has not solved any mysteries (yet). This is her first book.
About the Publisher
Fabled Films Press creates original content for young readers and middle-grade audiences that combines strong literary properties with high-quality production values to connect books with generations of parents and their children. Each property is supported by websites, educator guides, and activities for bookstores, educators, and librarians, as well as videos and social media content. Fabled Films Press has published two critically acclaimed children’s book series: Pippa Park by Erin Yun and The Nocturnals by Tracey Hecht. Find them online at fabledfilms.com, on Facebook at @Fabled.Films.Press, and on Instagram at @fabled.films.
Grand Prize Giveaway
- Five (5) winners will each receive a hardcover of Hannah Edwards Secrets of the Riverway, along with a SIGNED bookplate and a bookmark!
- US only
- Ends September 22, 2024 at 11:59pm ET
- Enter via the Rafflecopter below
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