The Chambered Nautilus: How A Small Idea Played a Big Role in the Plot for the Third Book in my Middle Grade Trilogy, a guest post by Laura Segal Stegman

“Where do you get your ideas?” As an author, I hear that question all the time. I usually have a ready answer. But one time, I almost didn’t.

In April, after the final book in my middle grade series was launched, I did a reality check. Was I now – officially – the author of a trilogy? Was that even possible? Apparently so! Hard to believe, though, given my struggles with the third book, which came to be called The Chambered Nautilus. For Summer of L.U.C.K. and Ready or Not, the first two (see what I wrote for School Library Journal’s TLT HERE and HERE), I’d had very specific ideas about their plots. But number three? Not so much.

I’d started, as every dedicated pantser does, with a blank page. But this time, my page seemed blanker than usual. With a three-book contract from my publisher, Young Dragons Press, and a deadline, I had to write something! At least there was history with my series’ summer camp setting, a carnival, and my characters. Summer of L.U.C.K. introduces Darby, Naz, and Justin, three struggling kids who find their way to self-acceptance with the help of Leroy Usher, a ghost who haunts a magical carnival. Ready or Not spins more magical adventures with the three friends and the ghostly Mr. Usher, but it spotlights Justin, who faces a tricky real-life choice: stand up to bigotry or let fear hold him back.

Book three? Nothing. I had no ideas for what seemed like way too long. Until…

From its title, you can guess that The Chambered Nautilus has something to do with the intriguing spiral-shaped cephalopod, part of the squid and octopus family, that lives deep beneath the sea. Young readers will find plenty of STEAM-related details about chambered nautiluses in the book, but here’s a quick description: A chambered nautilus gets its name from its shell, which is divided into a series of winding chambers, or compartments. As the nautilus grows, its internal organs move forward in a near-perfect spiral from chamber to chamber, each larger than the last. Once it completes a compartment, the nautilus creates a bigger and better chamber, permanently sealing off the previous one with a wall.

I’ve been fascinated by chambered nautiluses ever since I read about them as a youngster in a middle grade fantasy called The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton. In one chapter, the two kid characters must battle their way out of a chambered nautilus’ shell, one compartment at a time. I’d never forgotten that scene (along with many others in Langton’s wonderful book).

In any case, as I searched desperately for a trilogy-concluding story, I flipped through my first two books. Luckily for me, Summer of L.U.C.K. included a passing reference to one of Mr. Usher’s magical carnival rides, which he’d called the Chambered Nautilus. I’d mentioned it only as a random tribute to The Diamond in the Window – my own personal Easter egg. But once I’d been reminded of that reference, I started thinking about chambered nautiluses. I looked them up again, transfixed by what I found, and I started thinking about weaving them into a plot. I went to work. From one small sentence, a big idea began to take shape. Soon, my blank pages were filled with words.

Mr. Usher’s magical carnival was transformed for real-life use by kids at the camp in book two, Ready or Not. So I began book three with the revelation that there’s a spectacular new attraction in the carnival called the Chambered Nautilus. It’s as big as the Ferris wheel. It’s shaped like a giant nautilus shell. As kids filter in, they first learn all about chambered nautiluses from text, pictures, and videos. Then, one by one, they enter a chamber where they must correctly answer a multiple-choice question (via keyboard) about the sea creature’s biology, what they eat, their habitat, their Endangered Species Act threatened status, and so on. If the camper answers correctly, they gain access to the next room, where they’re challenged by another question. Those who make it to the final room win a prize.

With queues for the Chambered Nautilus running longer than any of the carnival’s other rides, it’s a big hit! Unfortunately for all concerned, the present-day Chambered Nautilus attraction was built by Mr. Usher’s son in a misbegotten attempt to bring his late father’s plans to life. The son doesn’t know that Mr. Usher never intended it to be built anywhere except in his magical realm. Of course everything goes wrong, and the carnival undergoes mysterious turmoil. When pieces of the Ferris wheel begin vanishing, and the camp shuts the carnival down, Mr. Usher issues a desperate plea to Darby, Justin, and Naz. He’s always helped them. This time, they’ll have to be there for him.

To find out whether Darby, Justin, and Naz can save the carnival and get Mr. Usher back to rest before he’s trapped forever, I hope you’ll read The Chambered Nautilus. But I can assure you that without The Diamond in the Window introducing me to chambered nautiluses all those years ago, I might still be sitting at my laptop staring at a blank page.

Meet the author

Laura Segal Stegman is a publicity consultant and the author of Summer of L.U.C.K. (her debut), sequel Ready or Not (both Five-Star Readers’ Favorite Award winners), and The Chambered Nautilus, third in Young Dragons Press’s middle grade trilogy. Her PR Tips for Authors workshop, a step-by-step guide to building a digital author media kit, has been presented by The Writing Barn, SCBWI, and elsewhere. Non-fiction writing credits include collaboration on the travel book Only in New York. Her feature stories and guest posts have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Westways, and School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox,among others. She is based in Los Angeles. www.LauraStegman.com

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About The Chambered Nautilus

Can the Power of Friendship Save the Day?

Get ready for a whirlwind adventure with The Chambered Nautilus, the thrilling conclusion to Laura Segal Stegman’s enchanting Summer of L.U.C.K. trilogy.

Best friends Darby, Justin, and Naz are facing their biggest challenge yet. Since last summer’s adventure, they find themselves growing apart, making new friends, and being pulled in different directions. But when a ride at ghostly Mr. Usher’s carnival experiences a mysterious malfunction, the trio reunites to answer his desperate call for help.

With expulsion from camp and the carnival’s very existence on the line, Darby, Justin, and Naz will have to rely on their wits-and one another-to unravel the mysteries surrounding Mr. Usher’s plea. The camp’s newest attraction, the Chambered Nautilus, may hold the key, but it will take everything they have to unlock its secret.

Join them in a heart-pounding journey filled with friendship, courage, and the power of never giving up. Will they save the carnival and their cherished memories before it’s too late? Find out in this magical tale of adventure, discovery, and the true meaning of loyalty.

ISBN-13: 9781633739031
Publisher: Young Dragons
Publication date: 04/30/2024
Series: Summer of L.U.C.K. Trilogy , #3
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post