In Susan Hughes‘ new accessible novel for middle-grade readers, Polly and her friends discover they’ll need more than entrepreneurial spirit to make their middle school matchmaking business a success. Hear from Susan on what inspired her to write Miss Match and how the book has been 25 years in the making.
What inspired you to write Miss Match?
I wanted to write something peppy and funny, something for MG readers about romance but also ambition and entrepreneurship—making money to enjoy the final summer before secondary school. I also wanted to write a story with an ensemble cast—I thought it would be compelling to give the main character a group of long-term friends and see her navigating and reassessing each of those changing relationships.
What did your process look like when you were writing Miss Match?
I actually wrote the first drafts of this story…wait for it…over 25 years ago! The title was “A Good Idea at the Time!” I began writing in Polly’s first-person voice and the story just took off from there. She had her great idea—setting up a dating service for the end of grade 8 prom—convinces her friends to help out and then mayhem ensues! It was fun to come up with all the various complications.
But the story never had a completely satisfying ending, and also, it was just too darn short to be a MG novel but not at all suitable for the chapter book crowd.
So this was one of those manuscripts that sits on one’s shelf…I did submit it to a few places, but of course it was never a fit. And I didn’t want to change the age of the characters. I liked their ages, their individual voices and what they were each individually encountering at this stage in their lives. Plus I couldn’t think of a way, nor was I inclined, to add to the word count by thousands of words just to be able to sell it as a typical MG.
Does your writing process differ when you’re writing hi-lo books?
I’ve written other hi-lo stories and articles before, and yes, I usually pay attention to writing at the particular level I’m trying to achieve.
But, interestingly, I didn’t really know Miss Match would be a hi-lo story when I wrote it, so I guess the answer in this example is no. This just seemed to write itself at this level. This is how Polly’s thoughts came down on the page.
Do you have a favorite character in the book or a favorite scene to write?
I really love all the characters and, yes, all the scenes, but…okay, my favorite one to write was the scene between Polly and Roger. It was so satisfying to give them the moment when they both felt they could be honest with each other—and with a very happy conclusion!
Polly tries so hard to make her matchmaking service a success, but of course things don’t exactly go as planned! Do you have any advice for readers who are experiencing setbacks when trying to reach their goals, like Polly?
I think most of us find we encounter obstacles when we take on a new project, especially if we’re trying to achieve something new to us, something we’ve never tried before! It’s important to take a few deep breaths, pause and rethink one’s approach or check in with team members to figure out how to proceed.
Polly, however, panics when she faces difficulties implementing her “great idea,” the matchmaking service. She makes lots of assumptions about how her mom and friends will react to any setbacks. She is so worried about disappointing her friends and her mother. She doesn’t want to let them down. And she’s concerned about what her new crush will think of her if she doesn’t keep pretending to be confident and “mature.”
So Polly makes one and then another hasty and unwise decision to try to keep the business afloat, and she keeps quiet about them, not only hiding the truth from her mom and business partners but lying, and, well, and, as her lies accumulate, she finds it more and more difficult to confess. Things spiral out of control!
I guess my advice for anyone experiencing setbacks would be to avoid dissembling to teammates, friends and family, especially when you’re facing difficulties. It’s easy advice to give, but try not to worry about what people will think of you. Ask for their help, if you can use it. Lean on them. Confide in them early on, before you dig yourself in deeper. And telling them early can help you avoid spiraling into other bad decisions. They may not be happy with what you tell them, but they deserve honesty.
Polly might not be the best matchmaker, but have you ever tried matchmaking yourself? And if so, how did it go?
The sad answer—no. And now, of course, there are so many online dating apps that I’ll probably never get a chance…Unless…why do you ask? Hey, do you want some help? Are you interested in my matchmaking services? I can provide you with a dating form! I happen to have one right here!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Definitely. A loud shout-out to Gabrielle Prendergast, Orca editor, who did an amazing job working with me on further developing this story from my original manuscript. She especially helped guide me to transform the second half of the story, including the big ending where all the threads come together beautifully. I can’t thank her enough.
Susan Hughes is an award-winning author of many fiction and nonfiction books for kids and teens, including Miss Match in the Orca Currents series. She is also freelance editor, writer and story coach. Her books have received multiple nominations for awards, such as the Forest of Reading awards, the TD Children’s Literature Awards and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction. Susan lives in Toronto in a house with a bright red door.