Catherine Linka's "A Girl Undone"

Catherine Linka explores what would really happen to society in the US if synthetic hormones in beef eliminated four generations of women in the YA duology, A Girl Called Fearless and A Girl Undone. The impact of the economical and social upheaval include the rise of a new political party, the Paternalists, and high ticket marriage Contracts for the most rare and valuable commodity in the country: teenage girls.

Here Linka deamcasts a big screen adaptation of the duology:

I’m violating the blog premise immediately, because A Girl Called Fearless and the sequel, A Girl Undone have been optioned for television by Universal Cable Productions.

That said, like a lot of writers, I work with concept boards, and grab pictures of actors and models as I develop the novel. Sometimes I begin with a feeling, possibly an attitude or facial expression that seems to capture the character. Then I often discover photo that captures that feeling/attitude/expression.

It can be very unexpected and weird when that happens. I was walking past an Abercrombie store when bam! There was a huge portrait of Yates. Canadian model Matt Aymar was the living incarnation of my protagonist’s sexy, wounded, social activist friend, and my breath was taken away. Literally.

Main character Avie Reveare? Avie’s will to survive was embodied in Hailee Steinfeld’s performance in True Grit. Like Avie, Hailee Steinfeld doesn’t try to look older or more sophisticated than she is...which makes her feel honest and real--both qualities of my protagonist.

And the handsome, enigmatic, woodsman that Avie goes on the run with, Luke Stanton? Chris Hemsworth, obviously. If a writer is going to fantasize about a character for months, why not indulge?

Learn more about the book and author at Catherine Linka’s website.

The Page 99 Test: A Girl Undone.

--Marshal Zeringue