Laekan Zea Kemp: Writing a Book Series Is Tough
Laekan Zea Kemp is the Pura Belpré Honor author of books for teens (Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet, Heartbreak Symphony, and An Appetite for Miracles), middle grade (Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza), and picture books (A Crown for Corina). Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.
She lives in Austin, Texas. Laekan invites you to visit her at laekanzeakemp.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Laekan Zea Kemp (Photo credit: Diana Ascarrunz)
In this post, Laekan discusses the challenges of writing a middle-grade series, the importance of asking for extensions, and more.
Name: Laekan Zea Kemp
Literary agent: Andrea Morrison
Book title: Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: October 10, 2023
Genre/category: Middle Grade Fantasy
Previous titles: A Crown for Corina; Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza; Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet; Heartbreak Symphony; An Appetite for Miracles
Elevator pitch for the book: Fans of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears and Ghost Squad will root for Omega Morales as she learns to trust her newfound powers when she comes face-to-face with the Mexican legend El Cucuy.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I had such a blast writing the first book in the Omega Morales series, Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza, that I couldn’t wait to continue Omega’s story and explore how her powers stacked up against another one of my favorite monsters from Latin American folklore, El Cucuy.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This was the first book I ever drafted while under contract so the process was much quicker than with previous books. It was also much more stressful as I had a significantly smaller window of time to get the book done and done right.
I’m also a pantser, or more specifically, what I like to refer to as a headlights writer, meaning I only plan about two to three chapters ahead of me at a time. As a discovery writer, I prefer to take my time and will usually spend about eight months drafting a novel before spending another several months on revisions. With this book, I only had about five months for drafting and two months for revisions and that’s only because I asked for three extensions.
Because this was the second book in a series, I knew the basic premise before the first book was even complete but I was reworking my original ideas and making significant changes right up until the very last round of developmental edits. Overall, I’m really pleased with what I was able to accomplish with this story in such a short amount of time.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I learned that writing a series is tough. Not only is the expedited timeline really difficult to manage but you’re also promoting the previous book in the series while actively writing the next. On top of that, you’re fleshing out a story arc for that particular book that also has to work with the overall arc of the series or what you envision that arc will be. So you’re not just writing toward a single resolution but a larger overarching resolution.
In my case, I had originally envisioned Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy being the second in a three-book series so when I was making decisions about character development, the plot, etc. that’s what I was writing toward. But publishing is also a business. That’s the other thing I learned during the publishing process for this particular book—the series you envision isn’t always guaranteed and many series are canceled without ever being completed.
All I can hope is that the release of this second book, as well as the recent paperback release of the first book, will help more readers discover the series since it’s their support that will determine if I’m able to continue Omega’s story.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
The biggest surprise was probably how many extensions I needed in order to actually finish the book. I knew writing under a deadline would be difficult, but I hadn’t realized before how crucial the time to play and explore and try different things was to my writing process. Now that I’ve had that realization though, I have a much better understanding of what I need in order to create and that will make it easier for me to advocate for myself in the future.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers take away that empathy isn’t just Omega’s superpower, it’s all of our superpower, and when we lead with an open heart there’s no problem we can’t solve.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Ask for an extension. Seriously, I know so many writers, especially greener writers who are terrified of asking their editor for more time. But sometimes (actually, most times) it’s necessary. If you’re considering pulling an all-nighter to meet a deadline, ask for an extension. If you’re making yourself sick with worry, ask for an extension. If you’re not happy with the story in its current state, ask for an extension.
Suffering serves no one and you deserve to work at a pace that is comfortable for you and that allows you to create something you’re truly proud of.