Julian R. Vaca: On the Motivation of Our Memories
Author Julian R. Vaca discusses writing his new YA novel, The Recall Paradox.
Julian R. Vaca has been a creative writer for over a decade. He's a staff writer on PBS's Reconnecting Roots, a nationally broadcast show that drew in millions of viewers over its first two seasons. He's also the co-writer of Pencil Test, a feature-length documentary that's being executive produced by Disney animation legend Tom Bancroft (Earnest Films, 2023).
Julian lives in Nashville with his family. Connect with him at JulianRayVaca.com, or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
In this post, Julian discusses writing his new YA novel, The Recall Paradox, the process of turning a trilogy pitch into a duology, and more!
Name: Julian R. Vaca
Literary agent: Nat Kimber, The Rights Factory
Book title: The Recall Paradox
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release date: April 11, 2023
Genre/category: Young Adult
Previous titles: The Memory Index
Elevator pitch for the book: In this speculative YA sci-fi novel, we pick up right where we left Freya and Fletcher after foiling the Memory Ghosts’ attack, but when new truths arise after the Memory Ghosts make contact, everything they thought they knew is thrown into chaos. Now struggling to expose the fight between Memory Frontier and the Memory Ghosts, Freya and Fletcher are risking more than just their lives in this heart-stopping conclusion to the critically acclaimed Memory Index duology.
What prompted you to write this book?
With the Memory Index duology, I wanted to explore the intersection of memory and identity. We all have memories from our formative years, and time paints those memories in vagueness. You start to wonder, Did this really happen this way? Was this event really as tragic or powerful as I remember it—or was it more so? It happens to all of us! And then I started to wonder, Am I more than the sum of my memories?
These questions became the foundation for my books. The main characters, while seeking to thwart an evil corporation in a reimagined 1980s, are really seeking to answer a question we’ve all asked: What’s more unsettling, losing your memories or confronting the difficult ones?
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
So, interestingly, the idea for these books came from a writing exercise nearly two years before it was published. I’d been in talks with my publisher about another idea, and ultimately they passed on it. However, they asked to see what other ideas I had. I fleshed out some sample chapters and pitched it as a trilogy.
After some collaborative discussion, we decided to turn three books into two, and then the creative challenge became whittling down the narrative arc into its most interesting parts. Preserving the gravity and weight, while also ensuring the story feels grounded and complete, was a really fun challenge. I can’t imagine stretching this story into an additional book—it just feels right!
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
The biggest surprise actually came with the title! I’d just assumed that when you sell a manuscript to a publisher, the title is locked in. The original titles for the duology were The Memory Engine and The Memory Knife, but my team worried those sounded too masculine and wouldn’t have the broad appeal it needed to reach (and grow) my readership.
I am so grateful they flagged this. I then spent an afternoon listing out alternative title ideas, and my team and I both agreed The Memory Index and The Recall Paradox struck the perfect chord.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I did not expect to enjoy poring over the line edits as much as I did! My editor brought in the brilliant Erin Healy, who also has a sharp eye for story and character beats. She and I worked a lot on both “trimming the fat” and digging deeper with certain characters. I was pretty spoiled to have Laura Wheeler (my editor) and Erin in my corner. I can’t imagine releasing these books without their help.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
First and foremost, I hope my readers are entertained and engaged. I believe the highest compliment is when a reader says they forgot they were reading! Beyond that, I’d love for folks to have quiet moments of contemplation—to ask themselves the same questions that plague Freya, Fletcher, and the gang. Those of us who are fortunate enough to access our memories should never take this gift for granted; we ought to strive to be more reflective.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Writers are readers first. One of the best ways you can grow as a writer is to actively read. Yes, write every day—or as frequently as your schedule allows. But there’s power and inspiration every writer unlocks when they just take the time to actually read!
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
