Redefining Strong Female Protagonists with Andrea Contos

Young adult thriller author Andrea Contos joins us for a discussion about how to write young adult characters and plots into the thriller genre, redefining the "strong female protagonist" and much more.
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Today we are chatting with Young Adult Thriller/Crime Fic author, Andrea Contos.
  • Thanks for joining us on a new episode of TROPED OUT. Today we are chatting with award winning, young adult crime fiction author, Andrea Contos. 
  • Find Andrea’s books are available everywhere books are sold, including out TROPED OUT bookshop. Her titles are THROWAWAY GIRLS, OUT OF THE FIRE, and TELL ME NO LIES.
  • Em kicks things off by asking Andrea what she is currently reading. Andrea replies that she is reading Kit Frick’s newest book—Kit Frick is amazing. 
  • Em asks if Andrea reads mostly YA or if she reads other age groups. Andrea says she reads everything. Mostly adult and young adult with a smidgen of middle grade—she has middle grade daughters, after all.
  • Em just finished GOOD RICH PEOPLE by Eliza Jane Brazier.
  • EJ is reading GHOST WOOD SONG by Erica Waters.
  • WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS ON THIS PODCAST
  • EJ is also reading GOOD OMENS.
  • Em is also reading LIKE A SISTER by Kellye Garrett and THE CHEERLEADERS by Kara Thomas.
  • EJ asks Andrea if she’s watched the new Kristin Bell show THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW.
  • Andrea hasn’t watched it yet, but wants to. 
  • The women talk about crime satire and subtle humor.
  • Em asks if EJ and Andrea have watched Yellowjackets.
  • Em is VERY BOSSY about how EJ MUST watch YELLOWJACKETS. 
  • Em gives a fast and dirty recap of the show.
  • Em makes cannibalism jokes (because of course she does).
  • Andrea talks about subverting tropes in crime fiction and how dead women often are the impetus to send a detective on their heroes journey. With her writing she purposely presents the idea in a different way. In THROWAWAY GIRLS, one girl finds the body of another and has empathy for the dead girl.
  • Her feminism always comes out in her work. She hopes to show that teenage girls have power and show that it is okay for girls to raise their voice and fight for what they believe in.
  • EJ discusses tropes and talks about how fun it is to play with familiar tropes to create something completely new.
  • Andrea discusses the show THE WILDS.
  • Em asks Andrea if she can tell them about creating these stories where teens are balancing becoming adults with solving crimes.
  • Andrea says it actually isn’t that hard. She says that plot and pacing are important—but characters are key. 
  • Andrea says that TELL ME NO LIES is her favorite thing she’s ever written. It is a story about two sisters who are complete opposites. It is a missing boy trope with a dual timeline. One timeline takes place before the boy goes missing, and one takes place after he goes missing.
  • The women chat about how there are few things more complicated than the relationship between sisters.
  • It comes back to TRUE BLOOD (because it always comes back to TRUE BLOOD!)
  • Em asks Andrea if there is a genre that her readers would be surprised to find that she enjoys.
  • Andrea admits she reads everything. She enjoys rom-coms and romance. There is no greater study in relationship and conflict than reading romance.
  • Em waxes poetic about romance. Then the women bring it back to GONE GIRL.
  • Andrea talks about how in Gone Girl, the twist happens at the midpoint—and it is completely mind-blowing. 
  • They play TROPED OUT!
  • Serial killer with a heart of gold OR Sleuth who is secretly the killer all along?
  • Andrea, EJ, and Em talk briefly about Dexter, Joe, and killers and suspension of disbelief.
  • Creepy kids OR Creepy spouse?
  • Is EJ’s husband a serial killer? NO HE IS NOT. (Hi, Chris!)
  • Grouchy Detective OR Amateur Sleuth?
  • Secret Inheritance OR Secret Baby?
You can find Andrea Contos online at:
Check out her books, THROW AWAY GIRLS, INTO THE FIRE, AND TELL ME NO LIES. Available everywhere—but we’d love it if you bought them from our Troped Out Bookshop (www.bookshop.org/shop/tropedout)!
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