Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a timeless comedy and the inspiration behind Emma K. Ohland’s new YA novel Here Goes Nothing. In this hilarious coming-of-age story, eighteen-year-old Beatrice isn’t a fan of her neighbor Bennie. But when Beatrice’s sister starts dating Bennie’s friend and throws them into frequent contact, Beatrice must wrestle with complicated feelings and questions about her identity.
Today Emma K. Ohland joins us today to share why she wrote a retelling, other sources of inspiration, and more! Read on to find two free educator resources
Why did you choose to retell Much Ado About Nothing as opposed to any other Shakespeare play?
The short answer: I didn’t see a queer Much Ado About Nothing retelling out there, and I wanted one! The medium answer: Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play, so I wanted to dive into the characters and selfishly make it mine and explore my favorite parts of it and remove my least favorite. The long answer: I believe Much Ado is the perfect Shakespeare play to represent the chaos and messiness of being a teenager, so it was the right place tell two kinds of stories I’d wanted to write for a while. One, about a fun messy queer friend group. And two, about a girl struggling to find herself in a time in life when everyone expects you to declare who you are to the world.
What other stories inspired this one?
I was particularly inspired by movies in this case. I hoped to pay homage to classic Shakespeare retellings like She’s the Man (Twelfth Night) and 10 Things I Hate About You (The Taming of the Shrew). Though not Shakespeare, other 90s classics like Clueless and But I’m a Cheerleader informed the novel.
What do you hope readers gain from reading this book?
In the end, I really hope readers enjoy their time spent with my characters. If they get nothing more out of it than a good time, I’ll be happy. But if a reader just so happens to stumble upon Beatrice’s tale and see themselves in it, well, I hope they feel less alone. I hope they feel seen in their messiness and confusion and know it’s okay to not have answers or perfect words to define yourself. All you have to do is be, and that’s enough.
What was your writing process like?
I rewrote this book over and over again until my head almost exploded. I went through draft after draft, completely scrapping plots, entirely shifting character arcs—and at one point, I even took a whole 80,000-word draft and switched it from third person to first person. All that is to say, I wouldn’t call it much of a process. It was chaos. It took me years, lots of hair pulling, raised blood pressure, and “I give up”s. But I never actually did give up. Instead, much like Beatrice, I just kept going for it without truly knowing how it would end up. That’s all it took to finally become something I’m proud of.
Who (other than your main character) was your favorite character to write or retell?
A priority for me while retelling Much Ado was to maintain the fun of the play’s ensemble cast while focusing Beatrice’s point of view. Because of that, I fell in love with each of them for very different reasons, and I could answer this question by choosing Bennie, Hero, Claude, or Pedro. If I have to choose just one, though, I would pick Claude. In the play, Claudio is a big jerk and I never liked him, so I loved turning him into the character I wanted him to be in the play, a cinnamon roll who treats Hero the way she deserves to be treated.
Is there a particular moment in the story that is extra special?
I won’t say too much to avoid spoilers, but the windmill scene was my favorite to write and remains my favorite to reread. In all my books, I manage to assign one particular scene as a sort of representation of the whole, a theme statement if you will. The windmill scene is Here Goes Nothing’s theme statement.
Free Educator Resources
Download the free discussion guide to give students an opportunity to explore the story with a critical thinking lens. Then download Beatrice and Bennie’s Prom Playlist for an extra bit of fun! Both resources can also be found on the Lerner website.
Discussion Guide
Prom Playlist
Praise for Here Goes Nothing
“Readers will root for high schooler Beatrice to get out of her own way and find happiness in this entertaining reimagining of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. . . Knowledge of Shakespeare isn’t necessary to appreciate this drama-filled enemies-to-lovers plot that tackles themes of girl power, sisterhood, and confronting abusive romantic partners, and includes discussions surrounding the broad spectrum of sexuality and post-high school life.” — Publishers Weekly
“Finally, another entry for the delicious genre of Shakespeare stories in modern-day high school! . . . This novel ultimately expands past the relationship bubble. It’s about finding one’s identity, addressing personal sexuality, and discovering what one wants in the world with so many labels. A feisty queer retelling of a classic, perfect for a teach-along or lesson enhancement.” — School Library Journal
Meet the Author
Emma K. Ohland (she/they) is an author who has been telling stories since before she knew how to write them down. She grew up in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana, but her imagination often carried her away to other worlds. She graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in English literature. Her first YA novel, Funeral Girl, was selected as a 2023 Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year. She lives in Texas with her partner, their cat, and their dog.
Photo Credit: Hope Kelham