Angel Luis Colón: On Writing a Spooky YA Ghost Story
Angel Luis Colón is the Derringer Award– and Anthony Award–nominated author of Hell Chose Me, the Blacky Jaguar series of novellas, No Happy Endings, and the short story collection Meat City on Fire and Other Assorted Debacles. His work has also appeared in multiple web and print publications including Thuglit, Literary Orphans, and Great Jones Street. Infested is his debut young adult novel.
For more information, visit him at AngelLuisColon.com. Also, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Angel Luis Colón
In this post, Angel shares how his latest story started off as a quick bar pitch, why patience is key for writers, who challenged him as a writer, and more.
Name: Angel Luis Colón
Book title: Infested
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/MTV Books
Expected release date: July 25, 2023
Genre/category: YA Horror
Previous titles: A Song of Piss and Vinegar series; Hell Chose Me; No Happy Endings; Pull & Pray.
Elevator pitch for the book: The Taking of Jake Livingston meets Cemetery Boys in this YA ghost story about a Puerto Rican teen’s battle with a malevolent spirit targeting his apartment building and the all-too-real horrors of gentrification.
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What prompted you to write this book?
Infested started as a quick bar pitch to my agent for a fun horror story for younger readers, but really took a life of its own once we realized we had a really great idea for a book on our hands. Once I began to realize how much bigger the story was; about how it was about gentrification, racism, and colorism, then I went completely heads down. This book had to get written.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
From pitch to first draft took a little over six months. Then we revised and edited for a while. Overall, from pitch to draft to final product, just under two years. Aspects of the story changed during that process, but the main idea of the novel never did. We knew we wanted to tell the story of a kid moving to the Bronx and being confronted by some ugly truths around his new neighborhood’s dark past. That was always constant throughout the process.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I knew that there were multiple steps in getting from an idea to a physical book, but it was still eye-opening to be a witness to one of my ideas becoming a physical book. From revision to approving covers to going over copy edits; the amount of work that went into making my weird little story something I could touch and feel was exciting and awe-inspiring. The folks behind the scenes don’t get enough love. They are amazing.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This was my first time working so closely with an editor on a project and while I love collaborating, I’ll admit I was nervous whenever I handed in another draft. That said, the nerves were unnecessary. My editor, Christian Trimmer, was a phenomenal presence who both challenged me and gave me confidence in what I was creating. I firmly believe I ‘leveled-up’ as a writer while making Infested and I did not expect to walk away from the process with new knowledge of my craft and a lot more confidence in my writing.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
My first hope is they have fun with a spooky story! Secondly, I want different things for different readers. For some, I really hope they can see themselves in Manny and his friends/family. I hope others can get a sense of where I come from and my own background. A lot of Infested comes from my own desire to write a book that would have spoken to me when I was a teenager, so I hope I’ve accomplished that.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Be patient and have faith in your process. Writing in the social media age leaves a lot of us feeling as if we’re not doing enough or not moving at the right speed. I think that can hurt writers in the long run. There’s no need to chase trends or emulate other successes. Do what you know you do best and be open to working on what needs the work. You’ll get there.
While there’s no shortage of writing advice, it’s often scattered around—a piece of advice here, words of wisdom there. And in the moments when you most need writing advice, what you find might not resonate with you or speak to the issue you’re dealing with. In A Year of Writing Advice, the editors of Writer’s Digest have gathered thoughts, musings, and yes, advice from 365 authors in dozens of genres to help you on your writing journey.