Today we’re pleased to feature debut young adult author Idris Goodwin!
Idris Goodwin is an award-winning neurodivergent storyteller for multiple generations and the author of the picture book Your House Is Not Just a House and young adult novel King of the Neuro Verse. An accomplished playwright, breakbeat poet, content creator, and arts champion, Goodwin is recognized as a culture bearer who celebrates community values and cultivates histories with care. Idris is the author of over sixty original plays, ranging from his hip-hop–inspired breakbeat series to historical dramas to works for young audiences. A dedicated mentor to emerging writers, Goodwin serves as Associate Professor of Dramatic Writing at Arizona State University.
The Journey: How I Got “The Deal”
While I’ve had many niche publications over the years—plays, poetry, essays—King of the Neuroverse marked my first true foray into young adult fiction, and it felt like a natural extension of the storytelling I had already been doing in other forms.
My journey to publishing King of the Neuroverse was largely a result of fortunate timing and strong collaboration. I had mentioned to my agent that I was interested in writing a young adult novel rooted in my lived experience with ADHD. After I shared a few sample chapters, we developed the materials together and proposed the book. The response was immediate and enthusiastic, and once the project was underway, the book poured out of me quickly.
The editing process was deeply rewarding, and overall, the experience of bringing this YA novel to life felt surprisingly smooth.
The Inspiration
I was excited by the growing embrace of the novel-in-verse, particularly among writers who, like me, came up through performance, spoken word, and other “living word” traditions. The form creates space for rhythm, breath, and lyricism to live fully on the page.
For this story, it felt like the perfect marriage of form and content.
On the content side, I was writing about a character who discovers his voice through hip-hop, rhythm, and the cipher.
On the form side, the verse novel allowed the structure itself to mirror the experience of living with ADHD. The verse format allowed me opportunities to convey the ADHD mind’s velocity, pivots, its moments of hyperfocus and drift.
The first-person, confessional voice was also essential. It gave the book an immediacy and intimacy that helped pull all of those elements together.
The Process
At its core, my process is one of trial and error. For me “the writing process” is the unglamorous, brick-laying work of putting words down consistently, even when you don’t feel like it, followed by the long and necessary labor of revision.
I don’t follow a rigid writing schedule or aim for a set number of words each day. I tend to juggle multiple projects at once, constantly processing ideas, structures, rhythms, and beats in my head. In many ways, I write the entire piece internally long before I ever sit down at the keyboard.
That approach, combined with time blindness and a not-so-secret love of the dopamine rush that comes with waiting, means that deadlines are absolutely essential for me. Once I finally carve out the time and commit to the work, the writing itself often comes fast.
THE BUZZ
* “This debut novel by playwright Goodwin is written in verse, and it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect way to tell Pernell’s story. Goodwin’s words exhibit the same flow and rhythm one would expect from a rap cypher. Put this book in the hands of readers who love Kwame Alexander’s The Door of No Return, Angie Thomas’s On the Come Up, and Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down. A beautiful example of Black joy and the gift of neurodiversity . . .” — School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
* “Pernell’s free verse first-person narration is always creative, sometimes chaotic, and deeply sympathetic. . . . This is a unique approach to a verse novel, both artful and introspective, which will undoubtedly resonate especially with young hip-hop heads.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED REVIEW
“Goodwin’s YA debut is a powerful tale about figuring out how to keep it together when everyone treats you like you’re broken. Readers will empathize with Pernell’s struggles as he’s misunderstood and punished and his considerable facility with language goes unrecognized.” — Kirkus Reviews
“This YA debut . . . resonates with a relatable celebration of finding—and advocating for—one’s passions and oneself.” — Publishers Weekly
I really enjoy India Hill Brown’s work for mid grade readers. I was introduced to her when adapting her spooky book Forgotten Girl for the stage back in 2024. Since then she’s published the coming-of-age romance Rhythm and Muse, and is back with another spooky book this summer.
Connect
You can find out more about Idris and his work at https://www.idrisgoodwin.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/idrisgoodwin/