Katrina Leno: On Switching From Young Adult to Middle Grade

Katrina Leno was born on the East Coast and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels, including You Must Not Miss, Horrid, and Sometime in Summer. The Umbrella Maker’s Son is her middle-grade debut. She has always loved the rain.

She invites you to join her at katrinaleno.com, on Twitter @KatrinaLeno, and on Instagram @katrinalenobooks.

In this post, Katrina shares her experience writing her middle-grade debut after several critically acclaimed novels for young adults.

Name: Katrina Leno
Literary agent: Wendy Schmalz
Book title: The Umbrella Maker’s Son
Publisher: Little Brown, Books for Young Readers
Release date: June 27, 2023
Genre/category: Middle Grade Fantasy
Previous titles: Sometime in Summer, Horrid, You Must Not Miss, Summer of Salt, Everything All at Once, The Lost & Found, The Half Life of Molly Pierce
Elevator pitch for the book: In a city where it’s always raining, the son of an umbrella maker discovers that a rival umbrella company might be at the root of all the wet weather.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I’ve always wanted to write a book for younger readers, and I’ve always known it would be this book. The idea first came to me many, many years ago, and I’ve written it in a number of different iterations since then: short stories, a graphic novel, a novella. Nothing ever felt quite right, so I kept putting it away and giving it a rest.

During the middle of the pandemic, I took it out of the back drawers of my brain and dusted it off. I wanted to work on something that filled me with happiness and joy—and this was it!

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It’s really taken over a decade for this idea to develop in a meaningful way, but this exact version took just about two and a half years, from the first few written words to its release date. Certain things about this project have remained the same forever—Oscar was always a woodcarver, his father was always an umbrella maker, and Neko always sold fruit and veggies at the local farmer’s market.

But one thing that evolved a lot in this version of the story was Saige’s character. She is Oscar’s best friend and partner in crime, and I love how fully formed she became when I wrote the first draft and then worked on subsequent edits. She became so clear to me, and I believe the story is much stronger for her part in it!

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I’ve never had a book with illustrations before, and that was hugely exciting for me! We found the absolute perfect illustrator for this project with Davide Ortu. His work leaps off the page for me, and I was surprised at how much fuller the book feels with his illustrations. Now that we have those images in place, I can’t imagine this story without them.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

There are always surprises when you’re writing a book, and I think each book you write teaches you something new about writing, and about yourself! This book really got me out of my comfort zone because it’s so different from my young adult novels. It’s got way more adventure, action, espionage, and excitement!

It helped me exercise all my plotting muscles in a way I hadn’t really done before. I learned so much about pacing, too, and about how to craft a satisfying fantasy novel. This is my first book set on another world!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

This book is all about trusting your gut, standing up to authority, listening to and loving your friends, forgiving people when they deserve it, and asking to be forgiven when you deserve it. I hope my readers come away feel empowered in all of these things!

And I also hope they come away with a new appreciation for rain. I love rain, and this book is a bit like my love letter to those gray, rainy days when all you want to do is stay inside and cozy up with a good book or a video game or a mug of tea.

Much like I’m doing right now—because it’s currently raining in Los Angeles!

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to write outside your comfort zone, and never give up on good ideas. This book is truly a testament to trying, trying, trying, and trying again!

It took me over a decade to get The Umbrella Maker’s Son exactly right, and now it’s a book I’m so, so proud of. If you have an idea you love but it’s not quite working in the moment, put it away and come back to it. You never know what amazing things it might develop into.

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.

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