They’re honest and heartbreaking, and I think they really give the reader a glimpse of who Kiko is and how she’s growing throughout the book.' Most of the descriptions of her drawings and paintings are only a sentence or two, but I think they carry a lot of emotional weight.

'Because she has such a passion for art, this seemed like a great way to show some insight into what Kiko is feeling after each chapter. 'I wanted her to have a way to express her emotions,' Bowman said. This ends the chapter in which Kiko's uncle invades her bedroom. 'I paint a monster with poisoned eyes swallowing up the sun so the whole world goes dark.' This ends the chapter in which Kiko's best friend leaves for college. 'Kiko has social anxiety, and she has a difficult time saying what she’s really thinking.' Bowman decided to end each chapter with a brief description of art Kiko creates in response to the chapter's events.įor example: 'I draw a row of paper dolls severed in the middle and two friends promising to someday put them back together again.' One of the biggest challenges Bowman faced when writing Starfish was figuring out how her main character might share what she's feeling with readers. 'I think the combination of a pending baby and the anxiety of being on submission is what fueled me to write Starfish as quickly as possible.' Writing progressed at top speed, in total silence - 'I need absolute quiet when I work.' - and in pajamas - 'If I'm not comfortable, I won't stay in the chair.' At the time, Bowman was expecting her second child and said fear of returning to 'the Upside-Down that is having a newborn' kept her on task. Starfish was 'a million times different' than the sci-fi project, so she dove in.

As Moore looked for publishers, Bowman looked for a project to distract her. Having completed a sci-fi book for the young adult (YA) market, she entered a sci-fi fantasy Twitter pitch contest (#SFFpit) and won herself an agent, Penny Moore. While the book's seed was planted during Bowman's adolescence, it came to fruition years later because Bowman needed professional distraction.

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