Today we're excited to chat with Katie Henry author of

        This Will Be Funny Someday.

Read on for more about Katie and her book, plus a giveaway!

Meet Katie Henry!

Katie Henry, author of Heretics Anonymous and Let's Call It a Doomsday, is a writer living and working in New York City. She received her BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is a published playwright, specializing in theater for young audiences. Her plays have been performed by high schools and community organizations in over thirty states. You can find her online at katiehenrywrites.com.

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Meet This Will Be Funny Someday!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel comes to high school in acclaimed author Katie Henry’s coming-of-age YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally falls into the world of stand-up comedy. Perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli!

Sixteen-year-old Izzy is used to keeping her thoughts to herself—in school, where her boyfriend does the talking for her, and at home, where it’s impossible to compete with her older siblings and high-powered parents.

When she mistakenly walks into a stand-up comedy club and performs, the experience is surprisingly cathartic. After the show, she meets Mo, an aspiring comic who’s everything Izzy’s not: bold, confident, comfortable in her skin. Mo invites Izzy to join her group of friends and introduces her to the Chicago open mic scene.

The only problem? Her new friends are college students—and Izzy tells them she’s one, too. Now Izzy, the dutiful daughter and model student, is sneaking out to perform stand-up with her comedy friends. Her controlling boyfriend is getting suspicious, and her former best friend knows there’s something going on.

But Izzy loves comedy and this newfound freedom. As her two parallel lives collide—in the most hilarious of ways—Izzy must choose to either hide what she really wants and who she really is, or finally, truly stand up for herself.

Amazon * B & N  * Indiebound

~ Author Chat ~      

      YABC:   What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

During my senior year of high school, I started writing a humor column for my school newspaper. In retrospect, it was a particularly unfunny time in my life--my family was in crisis, I felt trapped in a terrible relationship, and I was barely keeping myself together.  But soon, writing that column became the bright spot in my week. And while not every joke landed, each time I’d see a classmate laughing or a teacher would point out a bit they’d liked, I felt less like a ghost in my own life. 

Over a decade later, I began drafting THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY: the story of Izzy, another teenage girl who feels overwhelmed and unheard, until she steps on a stage, into a spotlight, and starts telling jokes. 

YABC:    Who is your favorite character in the book?

Mo, the college kid who welcomes Isabel into her group of aspiring stand up comedian friends. I loved writing Mo because of her unshakeable sense of self. She knows she is, she knows what she wants, and she doesn’t let anyone tell her differently. 

YABC:   Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel! It was originally sold as IZZY TAKES A STAND, but we retooled the title after the final draft was complete. I sent in a lot of ideas (I always do) and THIS WILL BE FUNNY SOMEDAY was the universal favorite. Another contender was TRAGICOMEDIAN.

YABC:   Do you have a favorite writing snack?

Peanut butter, right off the spoon. I am neither a good nor an imaginative cook.

YABC:   Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?

I wrote my first YA novel when I was fourteen, and because I’m a Type A Monster who lives for research the way other people live for beach vacations, I queried a bunch of agents with it. No one offered (because it was terrible) and I was so disappointed. But if I could talk to my fourteen-year-old writer self, and share what I know now, I’d tell her:

“Just because that book didn’t get published doesn’t mean it was wasted effort. Nothing you write is wasted, because everything you write teaches you something about writing as a craft, and about yourself as a writer. And also, oh my god, you are going to be so glad your first book didn’t get published.”

YABC:   What do you like most about the cover of the book?

The banana, of course! All three of my books have had food on the cover--HERETICS ANONYMOUS had toast, and LET’S CALL IT A DOOMSDAY had a tomato can. Add the banana, and you’ve practically got a meal. A weird meal. But a meal. 

YABC:    What’s on your TBR pile?

Two upcoming 2021 releases I’m super excited to read are LYCANTHROPY AND OTHER CHRONIC ILLNESSES by Kristen O’Neal and WENCH by Maxine Kaplan.

YABC:   What’s up next for you?

Right now, I’m in the middle of the first draft of my fourth YA contemporary novel, currently scheduled for publication in mid-2022. Like my other books, it’s a comedy, but I’m trying out something new, too--it’s also a mystery.

    YABC:   Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

Whichever part of the process I’m not currently engaged in. It’s a grass is always greener kind of situation.

This Will Be Funny Someday

By: Katie Henry

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: January 19th, 2021

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

One winners will each receive a copy of This Will Be Funny Someday (Katie Henry) ~ (US Only)

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

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