East County News Service

 

Hear full interview aired on KNSJ Radio

May 10, 2024 (San Diego) – East County Magazine Bookshelf host Reina Menasche recently interviewed author Ken Schafer regarding his first young adult novel,. An Otherwise Perfect Plan: A Novel of Mystery, Love, and Chocolate that Defies Description  Schafer started his professional writing career as a screenwriter, working for companies as diverse as Disney, Paramount and ABC, and on projects ranging from a prequel to "Sleeping Beauty" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and ABC Night at the Movies. He also founded Moon Jumper Press.

Kirkus Reviews praised the novel's cinematic structure, though Schafer says,"Screenwriting and novel writing are two completely different beasts," because screenplays are fundramentally visual. But he says screenplay writing's tight time requirements have influenced his writing.

An unusual facet of this coming-of-age novel is that there are no villains, Meansche notes. Schafer says this arose from the story and decisions made by the young girl's mother. "The conflict is just getting through life," he says. "We all know there's enough stress in the world without actual bad people." He's currently finishing up an audio version that will be available on Audible.