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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: WE GOT THE BEAT
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WEBSITE: https://www.jennamillerwrites.com
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jenna Miller is an author of young adult novels that often feature overweight, queer, high-school girls. She enjoys participating in online role-playing forums and cross-stitching. Miller draws from her own life experiences to give authenticity to her characters’s voices.
With Out of Character, seventeen-year-old Cas is confident in her sexuality and in being overweight. However, she maintains a secret identity in an online role-playing forum. Her parents’s marriage is falling apart, but she is happy to be dating her longtime crush, Taylor. Taylor pokes fun at Cas and her relationship with online role-playing friend, Rowan. But Rowan feels like Cas isn’t being honest about just how involved she is in her role-playing fantasy.
A Publishers Weekly contributor stated: “Hopeful with memorably constructive portrayals of healthy communication, Miller offers a strong debut.” “Despite the well-meaning warmth,” a Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “a wearying plod.” The sane reviewer, however, mentioned that the “tidy resolutions to all the character arcs … are quite heartwarming.”
In We Got the Beat, Jordan Elliot is a lesbian high school student who proudly self-identifies as fat. She is committed to working for the school paper even though she does not get to be its editor. She ends up spending a lot of time with Mack, a friend who had betrayed her. Jordan starts to develop feelings again for Mack but is unable to move forward with them for fear of rejection.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented that “a sluggishly paced plot offers few surprises.” The same critic conceded that “characters with affable personalities … put a positive spin on” the story’s outcome. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described it as being “a textured high school rom-com that serves up a lot of heart.” The same reviewer observed that “the characters display an intriguing balance of endearing qualities and flaws.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2022, review of Out of Character; December 15, 2023, review of We Got the Beat.
Publishers Weekly, December 5, 2022, review of Out of Character, p. 129; November 20, 2023, review of We Got the Beat.
ONLINE
Jenna Miller website, https://www.jennamillerwrites.com (August 16, 2024).
NonDoc, https://nondoc.com/ (February 7, 2023), Tiara Blue, author interview.
Jenna Miller (she/her) writes Young Adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, or exploring places near and far.Jenna is represented by Mike Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
Out of Character: Jenna Miller explores body positivity, queer identity
By Tiara Blue - Tuesday, February 7, 2023 873
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COMMENTARY
Jenna Miller, Out of CharacterJenna Miller is the author of Out of Character. (NonDoc)
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(Editor’s note: NonDoc’s Author Umbrella interviews up-and-coming writers, particularly authors of color, authors of disability and LGBTQ+ authors. The interviews have been transcribed and lightly edited for length and clarity.)
This installment of the Author Umbrella series features an interview with author Jenna Miller. Miller recently spoke to NonDoc about her debut queer, body-positive love story, Out of Character, which hits bookstores today.
A quick synopsis of the novel:
If you asked 17-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars role-play community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper.
But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret role-play addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on.
As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Role-playing used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line.
Inspired by your own love of role-playing, Out of Character has been referred to as Dumplin’ meets Geekerella. Like your character Cass, you are a longtime member of the role-playing community. Did you ever get to meet any of your online friends. If so, what was that like?
I have met several of my online friends, and it’s always such a delight! It’s so magical going from screens to IRL for the first time and seeing just how in sync you are in person as you are online. You already know each other well by then, so it’s just this instant connection of everything clicking into place, and it’s like you’ve been friends in person the entire time.
In many cultures, owning a black cat is viewed as good luck. While perusing your Instagram to research for this interview, I saw at one time, you had the good fortune of owning two. It got me curious. Did either of them inspire the creation of Out of Character’s cat, Mr. Tuttles?
I love your research skills! The black cats are Sugar and Spice, and they live with my dad and stepmom. We sadly lost Spice a few years ago, but Sugar is still hanging out and living her best life.
But to answer the question, Mr. Tuttles is actually inspired by my best friend Brian’s cat, Nigel. He’s also a chunky ginger cat, full of personality and chirpy language. And like Mr. Tuttles, he’s certain he’s the main character of every story.
It’s always a thrill to me to go through an author’s old posts and see the moment when a story is born. You had written some previous books, including a YA fantasy through NaNoWriMo. Then, in May 2018, you met Puddin’ author Julie Murphy and said, “Their writing has inspired me to take mine to a place I’ve previously not dared to go.” Seventeen months later, Out of Character was complete: a queer, body-positive story set in the upper Midwest. From seeing Out of Character grow from an idea to words on a page to an actual published book, what has been your favorite aspect of the writing and publishing process?
Julie Murphy is the best and such an inspiration to me. Reading her stories about fat main characters who don’t hold back really pushed me in a direction where I felt ready to do something similar. And I think that’s been the most fun for me, creating a character who has so much strength and personality and joy.
I wasn’t comfortable with my body when I was young, and I didn’t realize I was a lesbian until I was 30. Writing a main character who’s accepting of her size and sexuality was cathartic for me in many ways. Even though I wrote the character, Cass helped me feel the same about myself, and that’s been really special.
I’ll have you know that one of the top recommended Google searches under Jenna Miller is “Tater Tot Hotdish Recipe.” What is the significance of the hotdish recipe, and more importantly, can you share the recipe with NonDoc readers?
I didn’t know that about the search result, and I love it! Totdish comes from my upbringing and has a special place in my heart. My dad’s friend gave him the recipe when he and my mom got divorced, and he needed some good staple recipes to make for us. We’ve been obsessed with it ever since.
And the recipe is incredibly simple!
The ingredients are:
One pound ground beef
One can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
One can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
One can (15 oz) cream-style corn
One bag frozen tater tots
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Brown the ground beef, drain
In a bowl, combine the ground beef, soups, and corn
Spray a 9″ by 13″ baking dish and add half of the tater tots as a bottom layer
Pour the mixture over the tater tots, then add the rest of the Tater Tots on top
Bake for 1 hour and enjoy!
One of the main themes of Out of Character is body positivity, which is so important, particularly for young people bombarded by social media. How do you think Cass’ journey will resonate with young adult readers, and what questions do you hope Out of Character spurs?
I really wanted to write a story that shows a fat teenager who is living her life just like anyone else. It’s important to see people valid at any size, no matter what their lifestyle is like. You don’t need to be “healthy” to be viewed as worthy of basic decency and respect. For young readers, I want them to feel seen and heard by this story and know that they deserve to always feel that way no matter what size they are, what their identity is, etc.
You’re an avid cross stitcher. (My personal favorites are your mini-Bob Ross and the Beyonce quote: Twirl on them haters.) We all know that writing can be super stressful. Are you cross stitching anything fun to unwind as your debut approaches?
I actually haven’t worked on anything in a while! Most of my unwinding time lately has been spent reading. The last cross-stitch project I worked on was something for my writing group, which involved creating 12 pieces (one for each of us). After that, I needed a break. I hope to get back to it soon and make something fun. I’m taking suggestions!
Miller, Jenna WE GOT THE BEAT Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $19.99 2, 20 ISBN: 9780063243385
After being assigned the volleyball beat, an aspiring journalist must confront her history with the team captain.
Jordan Elliot, a white-coded lesbian high school junior who self-identifies as fat, takes her work on the school paper very seriously, even when she doesn't get the editorship she wanted. Being forced to spend time with the former friend who betrayed her--Mackenzie West, with her "summer-tanned skin and blonde hair that fell down her back in perfect waves"--is harder to swallow. But with her friends' support, Jordan commits to writing the best articles she can about both the volleyball team and Mack. As she and Mack hang out, talking through how and why Mack hurt her, Jordan's romantic feelings are revived. If they're going to truly move on, though, Jordan must first confront her fear of rejection. The characters display an intriguing balance of endearing qualities and flaws that together add to the emotional impact of their choices. Jordan's genuine love for her friends and their hilarious banter further flesh out their world, making the non-romantic sections as enjoyable as the flirting and heart-to-hearts that Jordan and Mack share. Queer characters both exist casually and get to have their unique experiences highlighted, and Jordan's existence as a fat person is explored in ways that inform her personality and highlight her insecurities without becoming the entirety of who she is.
A textured high school rom-com that serves up a lot of heart. (Romance. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Miller, Jenna: WE GOT THE BEAT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A776005390/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6cc3210c. Accessed 15 June 2024.
We Got the Beat
Jenna Miller. QuillTree, $19.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-324338-5
Following an inseparable summer before freshman year, Jordan Elliot came out as a lesbian to her best friend Mackenzie West, who subsequently dropped her.
Now a high school junior, aspiring journalist Jordan is in her element and ready to take the school newspaper by storm. Except she doesn't get named editor-inchief like she was hoping for. Worse still, she's covering the girls'volleyball team, which Mack just became captain of. Regardless, Jordan is determined to put her all into her assignment--she'll go to the games, learn the rules, and hang out with the team to make her reporting more authentic, just like any good journalist would. As she spends more time with Mack, however, Jordan starts catching glimpses of her old friend beneath the popular girl facade. But finding their way back to each other means confronting why Mack stopped being her friend in the first place. A sluggishly paced plot offers few surprises, but characters with affable personalities and Jordan's endearing selfconfidence as both a journalist and a proud fat teen put a positive spin on this enemies-to-lovers romance by Miller (Out of Character). Jordan and Mack read as white. Ages 13-up. Agent: Michaela Whatnall, Dystel, Goderkh, &Bourret. (Feb.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"We Got the Beat." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 47, 20 Nov. 2023, pp. 86+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A775514859/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6249d998. Accessed 15 June 2024.
Miller, Jenna OUT OF CHARACTER Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (Teen None) $17.99 2, 7 ISBN: 978-0-06-324332-3
Can a 17-year-old with her first girlfriend prevent real-life folks from discovering her online fandoms?
Cass is proudly queer, happily fat, and extremely secretive about being a fan who role-plays on Discord. Back in middle school, she had what she calls a gaming addiction, playing "The Sims" so much her parents had to take the game away. Now, turning to her role-play friends to cope with her fighting parents, she worries that people will judge her for her fannishness and online life. To be fair, her grades are suffering. And sure, maybe she's missed a college application deadline. Also, her mom has suddenly left Minneapolis and moved to Maine to be with a man she met online. But on the other hand, Cass is finally dating her amazingly cute longtime crush, Taylor. Pansexual Taylor is a gamer, a little bit punk, White like Cass, and so, so great--but she still can't help comparing her to Rowan, Cass' online best friend and role-playing ship partner. But Rowan doesn't want to be a dirty little secret and doesn't see why Cass can't be honest about this part of her life. The inevitable train wreck of her lies looms on the horizon for months in an overlong morality play building to the climax that includes tidy resolutions to all the character arcs that are quite heartwarming but, in the case of Cass' estranged mother, narratively unearned.
Despite the well-meaning warmth, a wearying plod. (Fiction. 13-16)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Miller, Jenna: OUT OF CHARACTER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729072667/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ee9a124e. Accessed 15 June 2024.
Out of Character
Jenna Miller. Quill Tree, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-324332-3
Queer 17-year-old Cass Williams doesn't want anyone to know that she frequently spends her nights on Discord role-playing characters from her favorite book series--not her longtime best friend, popular athlete Tate; not his girlfriend, Rachel; not her parents; and definitely not her new girlfriend, Taylor. But when Cass's parents suddenly announce they're getting divorced, and her mother moves to Maine from their Minneapolis home to live with a man she met online, Cass and her father struggle to adjust to their new normal. To cope, she spends more and more time online before finding herself at a romantic crossroads: her relationship with Taylor has grown strained, due in part to Cass harboring secret romantic feelings for her online role-playing partner, Rowan, who she refuses to acknowledge exists IRL. This character-driven portrait--narrated by a confident "fat-girl" whose positive interpretations of her body type and queerness critically inform her hobbies, personality, and relationships--boasts a bevy of supportive characters, meaningful dialogue, and dynamic relationships. Hopeful with memorably constructive portrayals of healthy communication, Miller offers a strong debut. Main characters cue as white. Ages 13-up. (Feb.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Out of Character." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 51, 5 Dec. 2022, p. 129. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A731124024/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=20d77c73. Accessed 15 June 2024.