3 questions with Minnesota Author Project winner: Catherine Lyon

Last month, Catherine Lyon was recognized as the winner of the Minnesota Author Project award in the Young Adult (YA) fiction category with her title, “The Real Life of Grey Monroe.” This story follows Grey Monroe, star of the world’s most popular reality TV show, except she is the only person not in on it. Unbeknownst to her, millions watch her daily as she navigates artificially contrived situations and tragedies thought up by directors to stir up drama, create tension, and keep viewers watching. After receiving a series of cryptic messages blurring the line between reality and fiction, she sets out to uncover the truth.

A former English teacher turned award-winning author, Lyon is a passionate and creative writer, having various titles blending fantasy and mystery. She enjoys writing stories that create an immersive experience with storylines that keep you guessing and characters that you can’t help but root for. Check out more of her work by visiting her website, and check out the “Story Works Round Table” podcast hosted by fellow Minnesota Award Winner, Alida Winternheimer, as they discuss the world of independent publishing. You can read “The Real Life of Grey Monroe” and some of her other works via Biblioboard.

Question 1

What was the most rewarding part of writing this book, and what kept you motivated along the way?

Sometimes there are books you write for a reason, a message you feel compelled to craft into a narrative or a problem you are working through on the page. And then there are some books that are just fun, where an interesting idea collides with characters you really enjoy writing. This book for me felt like a guilty pleasure. I loved diving into this concept and playing with elements of romance and mystery and sci-fi in new ways. My motivation as I wrote really came from this sense of fun, and I think that that element of my writing journey came through on the page, even despite the murder and mayhem these characters are getting up to. Now that the book is published, it is so rewarding to get feedback from readers, especially teenagers who love the story and who are rooting for Wilder and Grey.

Question 2

What were some of the biggest challenges you encountered while writing, and how did you overcome them?

There (of course) are so many challenges that arise every time you attempt something as audacious as writing a novel. One that comes to mind for this book actually appeared in the character of Wilder, the main romantic interest of my story and one of my viewpoint characters. He is so different from me, and jumping into the mind of a teenage boy who skates through life on charm and his megawatt smile was a little bit daunting at first. I didn't want to write his chapters from the perspective of an outsider or to have there be any element of judgment in the way that I represented him. But I grew to really love that little rascal, and I sometimes found myself enjoying writing his scenes even more than writing Grey's.

Question 3

What do you hope readers take away from your book, and what impact do you envision it having in your community?

In the book, Grey Monroe is the unwitting star of a reality television show, and the themes of agency and exploitation it explores have so much relevance to today's teens. We so often see trauma being exploited for clicks and views on social media, and it often makes me wonder how that impacts young people, both those viewing and those posting. I didn't write this book to preach, but I think in the midst of the mystery and romance, there are some important lessons about feeling empowered to tell our own stories and how we can fight through the hardest things that happen to us.

Bonus Question

How did you manage stress during this process, and/or what is your literary hot take?

Writing can be hard and complicated and frustrating and discouraging, but I have never found anything that is a more powerful reliever of stress. In my worst times and the most stress-filled moments, writing is a refuge. It's a comfy place to curl up inside and rest from reality. If I find myself getting stressed out about the publishing process or how my books are selling or being received, bringing it back to my why, to the writing itself, always clears my vision and lifts me back out of the fog.

I don't know if this is a hot take so much as a soapbox sermon, but as a former English teacher and a writer, I absolutely believe that graphic novels are “real books” and benefit kids in so many ways. You would be surprised at how many parents discourage their kids from reading graphic novels - even when those are the only books their kids will engage with. It's absolutely wonderful to encourage your kids to read widely and to tackle books without illustrations, but don't discredit incredible pieces of literature written by graphic novelists and illustrators.