Ammi-Joan Paquette: Unusual Story Structures: Strategies, Options, and Ideas to Twist Your Narrative

Ammi-Joan Paquette is a senior agent with Erin Murphy Literary Agency, representing all types of children’s and young adult literature. She is also the author of The Train of Lost Things, the Princess Juniper series, and picture books including Ghost in the House, Elf in the House, Bunny Bus, and The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies. With acclaimed author Laurie Ann Thompson, she is also the co-author of the ‘nonfiction with a twist’ series, Two Truths and a Lie. In her agent acquisitions, Joan is particularly drawn to richly voiced, unforgettable characters and settings, as well as tightly paced, well-plotted stories with twists and turns that keep you guessing right until the end. Visit her on the web at www.ajpaquette.com

**

Ammi-Joan's focus in this session is mostly on longer form projects (i.e., novels) but she advises that many of the concepts discussed could also work for picture books.

Defining story structure as the framing point, looking through the lens at your story. How are you going to tell this particular story in the way most meaningful to you? A quote she shares:

"Every story demands a different structure. No universal structure exists. It's why that mopey old saw about there being only seven plots or some bullshit is, well, bullshit. If you distill them down to their barest (and in many ways most meaningless) essencce, sure, that's true. But the art is in the arrangement. The structure you build around the plot to support the story is where the elegance lies. - Chuck Wendig

Ammi-Joan divided up the different kinds of out-of-the-box books into six categories:

1. Structure by Narrator
Out of the box examples include: Ibi Zoboi's American Street, R. J. Palacio's Wonder

2. Structure by Mosaic (smaller stories that add up to a larger whole)
Out of the box examples include: though mostly this is in adult books so far - And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini and The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell.

3. Structure by Device
Out of the box examples include: Monster by Walter Dean Meyers (in the form of a screenplay) and Regarding the Fountain: A Tale, in Letters, of Liars and Leaks byKate Klise, Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

4. Structure by Time
Out of the box examples include: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (time looping) and One Day by David Nicholls

5. Structure by Deception (unreliable narrators)
Out of the box examples include: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

6. "Meta" structure (a book within a book)
Out of the box examples include: The French Lieutenant's Woman by Vintage Fowles, The Princess Bride by William Goldman


Ammi-Joan speaks of so much more, including" the tussle between craft and magic" and how the reader needs "a logical and clearly visible path through the madness" (of a complicated structure.)

final take-away:

Your structure needs to add something to the story. Otherwise it's just showing off.

Agents' Panel: Ammi-Joan Paquette

Ammi-Joan Paquette

Ammi-Joan Paquette is a senior agent with Erin Murphy Literary Agency, representing all types of children’s and young adult literature. She is also the author of The Train of Lost Things, the Princess Juniper series, and picture books including Ghost in the House, Elf in the House, Bunny Bus, and The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies. With acclaimed author Laurie Ann Thompson, she is also the co-author of the ‘nonfiction with a twist’ series, Two Truths and a Lie. In her agent acquisitions, Joan is particularly drawn to richly voiced, unforgettable characters and settings, as well as tightly paced, well-plotted stories with twists and turns that keep you guessing right until the end. Visit her on the web at www.ajpaquette.com

**

Ammi-Joan started her journey as author. She signed with Erin as her own agent, and then later became an agent at that same agency. She's been a literary agent for nine years.

She represents all children's categories, PB through YA, has just started working with author/illustrators, and is excited about graphic novels.

Highlights from what Ammi-Joan shared...

What she's drawn to:

Stakes, tension, resonance, classic feel, books that catch you by surprise.

What's hot in the marketplace:

Older nonfiction, narrative nonfiction that tells a story. For fiction, fiction that digs deep into personal experience, that is heartfelt.

Ammi-Joan speaks of the tidal nature of the industry, picture books being not hot and then hot, and the evolution in the demand for shorter and shorter picture book texts (no longer than 1,000 words. Then, 800. Then, 600. Then 500...) and now she feels the pendulum is swinging a little the other way.

There's so much more discussed on the panel, including writing outside your culture (and the responsibility that comes with that choice), the need to champion other's books, the volume of queries and how many new clients they can realistically take on, and how authors and illustrators can protect themselves when entering a business relationship with an agent.

One more piece of Ammi-Joan's advice to share:

"The best thing you can do is just read as much as you can... Be aware of the books that are standing out."

The Agents' Panel!

Moderated by Alexandra Penfold (far left)(, the panelists at the table are (left to right): Tanusri Prasanna, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Kevin Lewis, Kristen Hall, Tina Dubois, and Jenny Bent

And Then There Were More: Series

Author and agent Ammi Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency talked with us about the art of writing a series.

As an author, she's written the Princess Juniper middle grade series, and the Two Truths and a Lie nonfiction series co-authored by Laurie Ann Thompson. (She also writes picture books and gives a strong impression of being an immortal, all-knowing being when it comes to children's literature.)

Her client work includes series books The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, Grounded by Megan Morrison, Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy, Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, All Four Stars by Tara Dairman, and House Arrest by K.A. Holt.

Here are a few highlights from her incredibly useful breakout session.

Why write a series? 

Joan gave us four reasons to write a series: You can tell a larger story. You can make the most of your created world—that took a lot of time and energy, and you can carry it on further with a series. Kids love them, especially in the MG age. And why not?

Princess Juniper was her first plunge into series, followed by Two Truths and a Lie--connected nonfiction books that don't carry on a single story.

She gave us an overview of categories:

• YA: tends to be high concept. Lots of fantasy and dystopian. 
• MG: there can be both fantasy and realistic series. 
• Chapter book. Many of these series go on for a long time. 
• Picture book series. Rare to sell a series. If it's wildly successful, a publisher will say "let's do more."

There are also genres:

• Paranormal/dystopian. 
• Fantasy, epic fantasy, and science fiction
• Action adventure—tends to be especially middle grade
• Mystery—sometimes in MG, sometimes in YA. 
• Outliners—contemporary, historical, literary (like the Luxe series). You don't see a ton of contemporary in series  

They come in numbers:

• Duology—two books
• Trilogy—used to be the name of the game (editors might be wearying of this) 
• More-than-that-logy 
• Also ongoing (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Babysitters Club) 

How do you know your book might be a series ?

• Does it tell a larger story? 
• Does it have an irresistible hook?
• Can you sell it? 

How do you query an agent with one? 

It makes an agent nervous to be pitched on a series that's all done or mapped out. Publishing isn't a sure thing. Best bet is not to write the whole series ... yet. Here's a handy phrase: "This is a standalone book with series potential."