Paul Coccia
Paul Coccia
Paul is the author of Cub, the brand new The Player, and coauthor with Eric Walters of On the Line coming in March 2022. He has a specialisation in English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. He spends a lot of time baking in his Toronto kitchen with his nephew, three dogs (two big labs and one tiny morkie) and a grey parrot with a red tail.
Q: You’ve written two and a half books and I want to know where you’ve been all our lives. What work has claimed you outside of your relatively recent writing career, how long did it take to land your first novel, and how committed are you to the writing path these days?
A: I was hiding away in the family business. Anyone who has worked with family knows, you can quit a job but you can’t quit your family. It’s very The Godfather so once you’re in, you’re in for life. I love my family, but office work, nope.
I first tried to get published at seventeen when people still had to submit queries via snail mail with a self-addressed-stamped envelope and wait months for their rejections.
I have a drawer of real paper rejections to show for it. I went off to university and was lucky enough to study creative writing in the hopes of improving, but publishing didn’t come quickly. I made some great friends who helped me, Susan Juby and Brooke Carter among them who are guardian writer angels. Still, it took almost two decades between first trying to get published and Orca Book Publishers seeing potential in a pitch for Cub. I’d love to write full-time and quit the family business because it’s going to be too much effort to fake my own death and create a new identity just to get out.
Q: Why YA? And why themes that tackle homophobia?
A: I’m sure deep down there’s likely some deep-seated psychological issue I’m trying to work out, right? Isn’t that why all of us work in children’s literature? Seriously though, YA is a natural fit and I not-so-secretly love teen drama! It’s really delicious and complex and interesting whereas adult life can be so dull and mundane. Plus, YA has so much possibility: romance, fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary realism, as well as the whole spectrum of characters that exist within each. That infinite possibility is really enticing and seems to be built into the fabric of YA, leaving room for an author to explore and take risks.
When writing queer characters, homophobia is unavoidable and needs to be addressed even if a queer utopia is created. Part of the homophobia I like to explore exists within queer communities and is internalized within my characters. There’s a lot of judgment that goes on and gay men are conditioned to adhere to looking or behaving certain ways and seeing certain attributes like masculinity or promiscuity as attractive, acceptable and desirable. There’s nothing wrong with those traits inherently but creating a hierarchy of who is the right type of gay person is harmful. For me, jumping into homophobia is part of developing authentic characters and offering fresh perspectives and stories.
Q: The Player is part of Lorimer’s Sidestreets line, which offers more than 60 titles of “edgy, fast-paced” novels ideal for reluctant readers. A majority of those books have male protagonists, and we know that the majority of reluctant readers are male. What are your thoughts on the need for such books out there, and how does it feel to be one of the authors addressing that need?
A: Teens are busy. I’m busy too, so I feel that one. With little downtime between homework, extra-curriculars, a social life, family and other demands, a teen’s world doesn’t always stop to allow time to enjoy a book. Orca and Lorimer offer lines of quick, fast, fun reads I’m particularly proud to get to write because they’re action- and character-driven stories that must be engaging and good. There’s not a word count for an author to be sloppy or lazy or ask a reader to wait for the payout because the good stuff is coming in a hundred pages. These books are some of my favourite too because I can get a whole book read between other activities. The authors who write these books love them, their fellow authors and their readership, so they write stories that really, really encourage even the most reluctant readers to enjoy the experience of picking up a book and wanting to pick up another.
Q: Have you ever been turned down for an author appearance because you’re gay (as other gay authors have)? On the flip side, have you had uplifting experiences you can relate of gay students sharing pain in their lives with you after a presentation or via correspondence? In other words, are you aware of being an important role model?
A: I’ve never been blatantly turned down professionally because of my sexuality. I have been at events in bookstores where it was very clear that some customers had no interest in queer content. I know because they told me just like that, no need to read into anything. It was no loss; they weren’t my readership to start with.
A lot of queer guys of all ages have reached out and told me how they wished they’d had a book like Cub as a teen, or are glad as a teen to have it. Theo gave them a gay male who doesn’t spend his story hating his body and desperately struggling to solve his issues through weight loss. In fact, Theo’s weight and body is seen as attractive and that creates the conflict within Cub as he doesn’t have the experience to navigate that. It’s a great feeling when your book finds its readers, especially those that need and get your message. The Player is still too new, but it is finding its readers and the feedback has been positive. I’m not aware of being a role model (and not convinced I am), but I do see my characters having helped readers and that’s a privilege that leaves me humbled.
Q: When will your book with Eric Walters be out and what can you tell us about it? (How did it come about and what is it like working with the larger-than-life, super-prolific Eric?)
A: I’m thrilled to spill these beans! Eric and I recently gained a new title, On the Line, for our novel releasing March, 15, 2022. I can’t wait for readers to meet Jordie, a 13-year-old basketball star in a small car-manufacturing town where the plant is scheduled to close. Jordie’s mom and dad are fighting (again) but it’s getting worse. Soon after they announce a separation, Jordie’s dad introduces his new boyfriend. With everything in his world changing, Jordie isn’t sure what play to run with Tammy, his female teammate on the boys’ team, or Junior, his wisecracking best friend, and definitely not with his dad or his new boyfriend.
Eric had the premise for this story and the main character when he invited me to write with him and add my flavor to the mix. Eric is a master plotter and I tend to build from the characters out. We ended up being a dream team. We work at similar speeds, the communication was steady, clear and constant, we bounced ideas off one another and found the best path for both of us, and I learned so much from working with Eric because of his expertise and innate generosity. Despite being at different stages in our careers, Eric always shows me respect and treats me as an equal because it’s just how and who he is. My gut reaction upon finishing the first draft was how much I was going to miss working alongside my friend.
Q :What are your passions outside of writing and baking? Any likely to influence future novels?
A: I love to dance. Surprising, as I’m neither athletic nor coordinated but it doesn’t stop me. Originally, Theo in Cub enters a dance competition but it wasn’t right for the story, and the cooking competition was a genius suggestion from my editor. I still think a dance story is in the works. I love my pets, playing video games with my nephew, comics and musicals. Any of these may infiltrate a book.
Q: Future writing goals?
A: I’d really like to put out a comedic YA and, separately, a fantasy. I’ve always loved reading fantasy and fairy tales. More broadly, I’ve got my nose to the grindstone and am keeping at it. There’s a list of ideas I keep going back to, a few picture books that keep wanting me to tinker, and I really would like to fulfill my childhood dream of making comics by writing a graphic novel.
Q: What difference would it have made to your adolescence if books like the ones you're writing were available then?
A: This is a tough question for me because who knows. I was a kid born in the 80’s when the media really showed only gay men dying alone and unloved from a disease that doctors didn’t understand or know how to handle or cure. The narrative was solely one of tragedy. In high school, I went to an all-boys’ Catholic school where we were told homosexuality was a sin and when you died, you were going to hell if you didn’t repent. I can’t be certain what a book like mine would have meant to me, but I strongly believe it would have been easier to understand myself regardless of who I was attracted to or what my waist size was. I might have been braver or stronger or kinder to and less judgmental of myself in moments when I most needed those qualities if I had been given other means of growing rather than developing through trial by fire. It’s not to say I wouldn’t have struggled or that kids aren’t still struggling, but the incline can be made less steep.
A: I’m sure deep down there’s likely some deep-seated psychological issue I’m trying to work out, right? Isn’t that why all of us work in children’s literature? Seriously though, YA is a natural fit and I not-so-secretly love teen drama! It’s really delicious and complex and interesting whereas adult life can be so dull and mundane. Plus, YA has so much possibility: romance, fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary realism, as well as the whole spectrum of characters that exist within each. That infinite possibility is really enticing and seems to be built into the fabric of YA, leaving room for an author to explore and take risks.
When writing queer characters, homophobia is unavoidable and needs to be addressed even if a queer utopia is created. Part of the homophobia I like to explore exists within queer communities and is internalized within my characters. There’s a lot of judgment that goes on and gay men are conditioned to adhere to looking or behaving certain ways and seeing certain attributes like masculinity or promiscuity as attractive, acceptable and desirable. There’s nothing wrong with those traits inherently but creating a hierarchy of who is the right type of gay person is harmful. For me, jumping into homophobia is part of developing authentic characters and offering fresh perspectives and stories.
Q: The Player is part of Lorimer’s Sidestreets line, which offers more than 60 titles of “edgy, fast-paced” novels ideal for reluctant readers. A majority of those books have male protagonists, and we know that the majority of reluctant readers are male. What are your thoughts on the need for such books out there, and how does it feel to be one of the authors addressing that need?
A: Teens are busy. I’m busy too, so I feel that one. With little downtime between homework, extra-curriculars, a social life, family and other demands, a teen’s world doesn’t always stop to allow time to enjoy a book. Orca and Lorimer offer lines of quick, fast, fun reads I’m particularly proud to get to write because they’re action- and character-driven stories that must be engaging and good. There’s not a word count for an author to be sloppy or lazy or ask a reader to wait for the payout because the good stuff is coming in a hundred pages. These books are some of my favourite too because I can get a whole book read between other activities. The authors who write these books love them, their fellow authors and their readership, so they write stories that really, really encourage even the most reluctant readers to enjoy the experience of picking up a book and wanting to pick up another.
Q: Have you ever been turned down for an author appearance because you’re gay (as other gay authors have)? On the flip side, have you had uplifting experiences you can relate of gay students sharing pain in their lives with you after a presentation or via correspondence? In other words, are you aware of being an important role model?
A: I’ve never been blatantly turned down professionally because of my sexuality. I have been at events in bookstores where it was very clear that some customers had no interest in queer content. I know because they told me just like that, no need to read into anything. It was no loss; they weren’t my readership to start with.
A lot of queer guys of all ages have reached out and told me how they wished they’d had a book like Cub as a teen, or are glad as a teen to have it. Theo gave them a gay male who doesn’t spend his story hating his body and desperately struggling to solve his issues through weight loss. In fact, Theo’s weight and body is seen as attractive and that creates the conflict within Cub as he doesn’t have the experience to navigate that. It’s a great feeling when your book finds its readers, especially those that need and get your message. The Player is still too new, but it is finding its readers and the feedback has been positive. I’m not aware of being a role model (and not convinced I am), but I do see my characters having helped readers and that’s a privilege that leaves me humbled.
Q: When will your book with Eric Walters be out and what can you tell us about it? (How did it come about and what is it like working with the larger-than-life, super-prolific Eric?)
A: I’m thrilled to spill these beans! Eric and I recently gained a new title, On the Line, for our novel releasing March, 15, 2022. I can’t wait for readers to meet Jordie, a 13-year-old basketball star in a small car-manufacturing town where the plant is scheduled to close. Jordie’s mom and dad are fighting (again) but it’s getting worse. Soon after they announce a separation, Jordie’s dad introduces his new boyfriend. With everything in his world changing, Jordie isn’t sure what play to run with Tammy, his female teammate on the boys’ team, or Junior, his wisecracking best friend, and definitely not with his dad or his new boyfriend.
Eric had the premise for this story and the main character when he invited me to write with him and add my flavor to the mix. Eric is a master plotter and I tend to build from the characters out. We ended up being a dream team. We work at similar speeds, the communication was steady, clear and constant, we bounced ideas off one another and found the best path for both of us, and I learned so much from working with Eric because of his expertise and innate generosity. Despite being at different stages in our careers, Eric always shows me respect and treats me as an equal because it’s just how and who he is. My gut reaction upon finishing the first draft was how much I was going to miss working alongside my friend.
Q :What are your passions outside of writing and baking? Any likely to influence future novels?
A: I love to dance. Surprising, as I’m neither athletic nor coordinated but it doesn’t stop me. Originally, Theo in Cub enters a dance competition but it wasn’t right for the story, and the cooking competition was a genius suggestion from my editor. I still think a dance story is in the works. I love my pets, playing video games with my nephew, comics and musicals. Any of these may infiltrate a book.
Q: Future writing goals?
A: I’d really like to put out a comedic YA and, separately, a fantasy. I’ve always loved reading fantasy and fairy tales. More broadly, I’ve got my nose to the grindstone and am keeping at it. There’s a list of ideas I keep going back to, a few picture books that keep wanting me to tinker, and I really would like to fulfill my childhood dream of making comics by writing a graphic novel.
Q: What difference would it have made to your adolescence if books like the ones you're writing were available then?
A: This is a tough question for me because who knows. I was a kid born in the 80’s when the media really showed only gay men dying alone and unloved from a disease that doctors didn’t understand or know how to handle or cure. The narrative was solely one of tragedy. In high school, I went to an all-boys’ Catholic school where we were told homosexuality was a sin and when you died, you were going to hell if you didn’t repent. I can’t be certain what a book like mine would have meant to me, but I strongly believe it would have been easier to understand myself regardless of who I was attracted to or what my waist size was. I might have been braver or stronger or kinder to and less judgmental of myself in moments when I most needed those qualities if I had been given other means of growing rather than developing through trial by fire. It’s not to say I wouldn’t have struggled or that kids aren’t still struggling, but the incline can be made less steep.