A Time Traveler's Theory of Relativity by Nicole Valentine

If you can, listen to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Adopt the pace of Nature, her secret is patience.” We can easily get caught up watching our peers move faster than ourselves and think we should be ready to query or submit. What advice can you give to writers who are still “in the trenches” with their first novels?Įveryone’s situation is different, of course.

I wanted my world to feel entirely plausible, in order to do that I followed the rules of quantum physics until I pushed them past theoretical into magical territory. I took the novel to some gamer friends and asked them to “break my system.” Time travel is its own kind of rule system. Then once I felt that I had the emotional arcs and the themes right – there was still the logical testing phase. I revised over and over again until it rang true. NV: Yes, I certainly took my time! It’s not easy writing time travel and it’s even harder when you’re working hard to imbue it with heart. What were some of these, and how did A Time Traveler’s of Relativity make its way into the world?

LML: I remember you working on a version of this book at VCFA and know it went through many incarnations. I was fortunate to have read an advance copy and was immediately captivated by her rich evocation of the Vermont town, the mystery of Finn’s disappearing family, and the secondary characters who offer support even though it may put them in danger. Today, I’m thrilled to have my Vermont College of Fine Arts classmate and debut author Nicole Valentine on The Pirate Tree to discuss her middle grade novel A Time Traveler’s Theory of Relativity, due out next month from Carolrhoda Books. Permission granted to reproduce for promotional purposes.

A Time Traveler's Theory of Relativity by Nicole Valentine