KLCN Interview: Ryan Calejo

Hey #KidLitCliffNotes readers! I’m excited to share my very first industry interview! Welcome, Ryan.

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KLCN: The premise sounds fascinating. I’ll definitely add it to the TBR. So I found your first book when searching for Latinx middle grade fantasy. I was immediately taken with the mix of monster and familial mythology. Did you always intend to include myths in the Charlie Hernández series?

RC: I always wanted to tell a story with characters from Latinx myths and folklore. Just like Charlie, I grew up listening to all those amazing stories, thanks to my wonderful abuelitas. In my case, my grandmothers were simply trying to entertain me—to keep me from running everywhere and jumping off things. (I wasn’t exactly the best-behaved kid in the entire world . . . or so I’ve been told.)

KLCN: Ha! Reminds me playing with my brothers and primos. There was always just enough of us for trouble.

RC: Abuelitas’s stories really impacted me. They fed my imagination and made me feel like the supernatural was all around, hiding in plain sight. It was actually those myths that instilled a love of reading, story, and eventually, writing. As I got older, I noticed my friends who’d grown up hearing those same stories had begun to forget them. They’d started to lose this precious connection to their ancestors and to the places their families had come from. So that was one of the big reasons why I wanted to write a series like this.

KLCN: Your love for your abuelitas comes through loud and clear. Even the opening line to League of Shadows starts with Charlie’s abuela. “Myths, my abuela used to say, are truths long forgotten by the world.” Inquiring writers want to know: how many drafts did it take to mine this gem?

RC: That one probably took me two or three drafts. But I wasn’t even at my desk when that line came to me. I was at a friend’s house. I remember jotting it down on a coaster or something and hurrying home to drop it into the manuscript. It’s a twist on something my abuelita’s used to tell me when I was little, so it’s near and dear to my heart.

KLCN: The Abuelitas of the world are known for memorable one liners. So I love how Charlie thinks and speaks in English and Spanish. Any tips for approaching a multi-lingual story?

RC: Thank you! Spanish was actually my first language, and Spanglish is pretty much the official language in South Florida, so it was second nature. But I guess my best tip would be to just go for it. You never know how great something can turn out until you give it a try—and that’s part of the fun!

KLCN: I agree. At first I was hesitant to use any Spanish in my stories because I’m more comfortable with English, but it has helped me tap into a part of my culture that I felt separated from. For writers considering this, I’d recommend running manuscripts by fluent speakers to help catch any gaffes.

RC: Thank you so much! And that’s such a great question. Can I say Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck? (Just kidding!)

KLCN: You don’t have to convince me that they’re brilliant. Do go on.

RC: It’s difficult to pick out just one, though, I will say that the pair that sprang to mind when I read the question was Jo and Laurie from Little Women. Their relationship is obviously way different than Charlie and Violet’s, but found it interesting. The list is probably endless, though, because I love books with a fun one-two punch. My advice for fellow writers would be to allow the characters to be true to themselves. In other words, don’t force them interact in certain ways, just let it happen. Authentic relationships are one of the most important things when writing a duo.

KLCN: Great advice, Ryan! That goes for writing singular characters as well. Throughout the series, you have wonderful examples of chapter breaks cliffhangers or moments that push the story forward. Did you outline?

RC: I like to write an outline before I begin. It helps to keep me from going off on any wild tangents. No fancy software.

KLCN: I totally get that. I use my notes app for everything. Keep it simple. Now, given the scope of the Latinx mythology covered in your series, I imagine you’d done a lot of research. Can you talk about that?

KLCN: Oral histories are wonderful! They provide a context and depth that’s usually not captured in any book or website. What’s one piece of advice you wish you knew before writing your middle grade novel?

Don’t stress about daily word counts. Writing should be fun! We write because we love to write! Plus, that’s usually when we do our best work—when we’re enjoying ourselves.

Ryan Calejo

KLCN: Thank you so much, Ryan! Where can #KidLitCliffsNotes readers find more about you?

RC: You can tweet me @thebookglutton. My Instagram is @ryancalejo. I look forward to hearing from all of you!

KLCN: You also were on Boys in Middle Grade the Latinx KidLitBook Festival 2020 panel this past December. Recordings are available. My book review on Book 1 in the series is also available.

RC: And I just want to thank Mel for inviting me on her awesome blog and for all the great questions! ¡Chao, everyone!

KLCN: Adios, Ryan!

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