Ask the Author: Francesca Zappia
Answered Questions (77)
Francesca Zappia
The original kernel of an idea was given to me by my agent. That was literally as simple as "girl writes a popular webcomic that is Monstrous Sea" because I had to write another contemporary book, but Monstrous Sea is what I really love, and having it in there helped me write.
When I thought about why I loved Monstrous Sea, and how I would feel if it had gotten mega-popular when I was a teenager, I quickly realized the book was about anxiety. From there, it's about Eliza NOT dealing with the anxiety she feels over just about everything, from her art to her fandom to her relationship with her family and friends and Wallace.
Because so much of the story hinged on her anonymity, I knew that the big turning point of the book had to be her identity getting revealed. How it happens changed a bit in the writing process, but the plot felt very simple to construct after that with a "this happens, therefore this happens" mindset.
When I thought about why I loved Monstrous Sea, and how I would feel if it had gotten mega-popular when I was a teenager, I quickly realized the book was about anxiety. From there, it's about Eliza NOT dealing with the anxiety she feels over just about everything, from her art to her fandom to her relationship with her family and friends and Wallace.
Because so much of the story hinged on her anonymity, I knew that the big turning point of the book had to be her identity getting revealed. How it happens changed a bit in the writing process, but the plot felt very simple to construct after that with a "this happens, therefore this happens" mindset.
Francesca Zappia
Eliza the character? Me! Her love of Monstrous Sea, her art, her anxiety, her frustration with being misunderstood—so much of that is from my experience. I don't have a super popular webcomic (or anything, for that matter) but Eliza is very much based on a lot of my own feelings.
Francesca Zappia
Monstrous Sea is absolutely a real thing! I've been working on it since I was eight years old (ohhhhh i just keep getting older...) and I'm trying to get it published right now.
I would love nothing more than to share Monstrous Sea with everyone!
I would love nothing more than to share Monstrous Sea with everyone!
Francesca Zappia
The first kernels of a character usually start as tropes or aesthetics I like from something else, and I can't always remember where they come from. For example, for Wallace, I knew I wanted him to be a football player because of the juxtaposition of him also writing fanfiction, and I knew I also wanted him to be big and strong in a way that I don't often see in YA fiction, in which he is THICK, not ripped or chiseled. And I wanted his personality, like sports and fanfiction, to be at first glance at odds with his physique. He's introverted, thoughtful, smart, etc.
Obviously lots of people are both strong and smart, but Eliza makes some incorrect assumptions about the new boy at first and that makes it more interesting for the reader as she learns who Wallace really is.
So as characters are emerging, I take into account both their physicality and their personality, how the two influence each other, and build in little pieces from that!
Obviously lots of people are both strong and smart, but Eliza makes some incorrect assumptions about the new boy at first and that makes it more interesting for the reader as she learns who Wallace really is.
So as characters are emerging, I take into account both their physicality and their personality, how the two influence each other, and build in little pieces from that!
Francesca Zappia
It's not a sequel, but I do have a companion novel to Eliza and Her Monsters coming out Summer 2026 named EVIE AND HER NIGHTMARES. It's set in the same world and you'll see some of the same things (and possibly also Eliza and Wallace?). I don't believe the publisher has put it up on Goodreads yet, but I'll be sure to send out announcements when you can add it!
Currently, there's nowhere to read Monstrous Sea online, unfortunately. I hope I can get it published one day!
Currently, there's nowhere to read Monstrous Sea online, unfortunately. I hope I can get it published one day!
Francesca Zappia
You're welcome! This makes me so happy to hear!
The very base idea—”girl creates a popular webcomic that is Monstrous Sea"—came from my agent and her assistant. But the rest of it—Eliza's anxiety, her anonymity, the importance of fandom, her relationship with Wallace, Wallace's entire arc—all of that was from me, either my own experiences with mental health and fandom and creating art, or extrapolations off of those things!
The very base idea—”girl creates a popular webcomic that is Monstrous Sea"—came from my agent and her assistant. But the rest of it—Eliza's anxiety, her anonymity, the importance of fandom, her relationship with Wallace, Wallace's entire arc—all of that was from me, either my own experiences with mental health and fandom and creating art, or extrapolations off of those things!
Francesca Zappia
I hope one day I get to write a sequel to Addamsville! It didn't sell well enough, so the publisher isn't buying a sequel. But that doesn't mean one day I won't be able to publish it on my own! I definitely have ideas for the sequel, and the story was meant to be a trilogy.
Francesca Zappia
I've been in so many fandoms throughout my life, it's hard to list them all! Mostly I lurk (like Eliza...) and just enjoy the conversations and art that other people have made, but they absolutely have influenced my own writing. I keep thinking about Stargate SG-1 as a write this. The idea of exploration, the team comp, the humor, the themes, the Love of My Life (DANIEL 😍)—you can find pieces of all of these in my books, or at least my fantasy and sci-fi books, most of which aren't published yet.
Francesca Zappia
Good news/bad news:
Bad news: It's not a DIRECT sequel, it's a companion novel, but--
Good news: Evie and Her Nightmares will be coming out from Greenwillow/HarperCollins. No release date or any other info yet, but here's my Instagram post with the announcement - https://www.instagram.com/p/DDxuzqDhWS9/
Bad news: It's not a DIRECT sequel, it's a companion novel, but--
Good news: Evie and Her Nightmares will be coming out from Greenwillow/HarperCollins. No release date or any other info yet, but here's my Instagram post with the announcement - https://www.instagram.com/p/DDxuzqDhWS9/
Francesca Zappia
I didn't put it in writing in the book because I didn't know it about myself at the time, but Eliza is asexual.
Francesca Zappia
Since I have a day job + school + social responsibilities, it's hard for me to nail down one particular routine for writing. I do notice that I write better in the early morning and late at night, when my brain is calm and I've either just woken up and haven't thought about my to-do list for the day or have finished all my responsibilities that day and are about to go to sleep.
Writing before bed is hard, though, because I get maybe fifteen good minutes in before I fall asleep. Oof.
Writing before bed is hard, though, because I get maybe fifteen good minutes in before I fall asleep. Oof.
Francesca Zappia
Yes! I'm pretty much always working on something new. Usually what's happening is we're trying to sell the things I've finished to publishers, so I can't say a lot about what they are, and can't say anything about if/when they're coming out.
I will say that during quarantine, I've been working on a YA horror, a YA fantasy, and a MG fantasy series!
I will say that during quarantine, I've been working on a YA horror, a YA fantasy, and a MG fantasy series!
Francesca Zappia
Mostly I wrote it because I experienced a lot of the same things Eliza did, and I wanted to investigate those things. The one thing I'd like for readers to take away from the book is that no matter how bad things seem, it's never the end; you can get better.
Francesca Zappia
I hope there'll be a physical Children of Hypnos one day! There are no plans for one right now, but that could always change.
Francesca Zappia
Two months for the first draft. Then like, a year of editing after that.
So many edits.
Also, the art.
So many edits.
Also, the art.
Francesca Zappia
Inspiration? — I let myself enjoy things. The things I enjoy I smash together until they resemble a story. Hate to love romance + weird high school mysteries; Creating art + online life; spooky small towns + Scooby-Doo hijinks; nightmares + anime weapons; sea monsters + airships. It really is that simple. I enjoy, I create.
Motivation? — ngl, sometimes I have to sit myself down and dedicate some time to writing even if I don't feel like it. Gotta finish those books somehow when you're stuck in that mid-manuscript slump. But other times I get swept up by that power of creating a thing, and it all gets easier. Those are the times where the creation itself is the motivation. I just enjoy writing about these people, doing their things, living their lives.
I'm glad you enjoy them. ^_^
Motivation? — ngl, sometimes I have to sit myself down and dedicate some time to writing even if I don't feel like it. Gotta finish those books somehow when you're stuck in that mid-manuscript slump. But other times I get swept up by that power of creating a thing, and it all gets easier. Those are the times where the creation itself is the motivation. I just enjoy writing about these people, doing their things, living their lives.
I'm glad you enjoy them. ^_^
Francesca Zappia
I definitely want to write more of the story! I think the problem right now is there are so many different ideas that I want to stuff in there, it's a huge jumble of pieces I'm still sorting through.
A big part of writing books for me is knowing how they start and end. I know how a sequel would start, but not where it would end. Can I fit more of this story into just one book? Is it long enough for two more books? How do I match all these pieces together in a way that will make sense to a reader and tell an entertaining story? I'm not sure yet.
I know a lot of people want more of Zora, and I can tell you for sure that I don't feel like she's done yet. Yes, there will always be more and bigger mysteries out there, and trying to answer them all is an exercise in futility...but we can still hunt down a few.
The tour of Addamsville isn't finished yet!
A big part of writing books for me is knowing how they start and end. I know how a sequel would start, but not where it would end. Can I fit more of this story into just one book? Is it long enough for two more books? How do I match all these pieces together in a way that will make sense to a reader and tell an entertaining story? I'm not sure yet.
I know a lot of people want more of Zora, and I can tell you for sure that I don't feel like she's done yet. Yes, there will always be more and bigger mysteries out there, and trying to answer them all is an exercise in futility...but we can still hunt down a few.
The tour of Addamsville isn't finished yet!
Francesca Zappia
So I was going to put an image in this answer of the Scrivener file where I have the completed manuscript, but I don't have time at the moment to figure out if that's possible...
Short answer: Technically the first book is already written, just no publisher has bought it, so there's no plans to publish at the moment. But I'd love to!
Short answer: Technically the first book is already written, just no publisher has bought it, so there's no plans to publish at the moment. But I'd love to!
Francesca Zappia
Hi! This is a really great question, and I have exactly the same problem.
For me, it's extremely helpful to know where I'm going with the story. Having an outline, even a very rough one, will help you keep a goal in mind. On those first drafts, it's important to look forward at what you're planning to write, not backward at what you've already written. It's so easy to let that doubt creep in, so one of the most valuable things you can learn is how to set it aside so that you can keep going.
It also helps to remember what you love most about the story. What's the thing that hooks you about it? Is it the main character's struggle? The world? That thing you love about it will help carry you through the draft.
It's also good to keep in mind that it's *okay* to lose motivation. Sometimes it happens. It happens to me all the time, so usually I take a break and go do something else. I go outside, or hang out with my friends, or read. Anything to take my mind off the story for a while. Then, when I'm ready to get back into it, I listen to some music that reminds me of the story to get my brain working again.
Every writer I know struggles with this sometimes, so don't feel discouraged that you haven't finished anything! Writing is a marathon (and I swear this is true, even if it's only like a page) and you have to train yourself to do it.
I hope this helped, and good luck!
For me, it's extremely helpful to know where I'm going with the story. Having an outline, even a very rough one, will help you keep a goal in mind. On those first drafts, it's important to look forward at what you're planning to write, not backward at what you've already written. It's so easy to let that doubt creep in, so one of the most valuable things you can learn is how to set it aside so that you can keep going.
It also helps to remember what you love most about the story. What's the thing that hooks you about it? Is it the main character's struggle? The world? That thing you love about it will help carry you through the draft.
It's also good to keep in mind that it's *okay* to lose motivation. Sometimes it happens. It happens to me all the time, so usually I take a break and go do something else. I go outside, or hang out with my friends, or read. Anything to take my mind off the story for a while. Then, when I'm ready to get back into it, I listen to some music that reminds me of the story to get my brain working again.
Every writer I know struggles with this sometimes, so don't feel discouraged that you haven't finished anything! Writing is a marathon (and I swear this is true, even if it's only like a page) and you have to train yourself to do it.
I hope this helped, and good luck!
Francesca Zappia
The ELIZA audiobook should be available this summer, around the same time the paperback comes out!
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