Wednesday 21 January 2015

Love That Silver Lining!

Around here, we’re knee-deep in the summer holidays. After four weeks of the kids being underfoot every day, tearing around, needing this, that and the other thing, I find myself unable to gather a coherent thought. I’ve made about four attempts on this post already and scrapped every single one.

 

However, one thing I do know, and that is my disappointment over not achieving my goal of publication last year. See how convoluted that thought was? Thank you, holidays. Not.  

After working on this book since 2005, last year I set the goal to publish it...and that didn’t happen. What does it take to put a book out? Chuck Wendig says it ‘takes a rather epic set of genitals’. I think mine have shrivelled. I confess I really did go through a lot of ‘down’ emotions about failing to cross the finish line, again. So then I got to feel silly about that too.

Life is amazing. Even our most spectacular fails have that silver lining my grandmother would talk about. At the end of every visit to gran, as I walked towards the door, she would never fail to say some parting phrase of wisdom or of love. Gran would say, "You look for the silver lining, it'll always be there." Or "Reach for that star and you will get there." 

The great thing that came out of last year’s ‘disappointment’ was that a new year, a new critique group, a fresh start has brought about a major revelation for me with this book. Simply put, the story in its previous form wasn’t ready. And that’s been the truly great, transformational thing about working on a project this long too, is that it has become my university. As I have torn down and built up this story over and over, I’ve seen it twist into new shapes and forms, and I’ve learnt more as the book has become more of itself.

 
James Scott Bell says you must find beta readers who are willing to ‘hold your feet to the fire’, and he’s so right. I've been really lucky with my beta readers. I didn’t truly start to grow with my fiction until I began to work with other writers through the critique process.

Critique group this year gave me a great wakeup call - I wasn’t aware enough of my market. I wasn’t writing to the genre, I had some adult words, concepts and techniques that weren’t suited to the ‘tween 9-13 year old market – in effect I was writing over their heads. My critique buddy suggested the cure: read in the genre, a book a week.

I started reading a ‘tween book that same day and immediately I could see the difference. I went back and gave the structure of the book an overhaul. The rewrite got underway this week, and it’s a thrill, a pure thrill to see my character’s adventure become what it should be, directed to the kids.
 
Apparently Chuck Wendig said, ‘the best work is rarely work that floods the market’. Boy, I hope so! This baby of mine has been a long time coming.
 
 

I sent the first three chapters to critique this week. The response came back. OMG! So much better! And there were 'only a few notes on punctuation.' J
 
Victory is sweet :-) You've got to learn to savor it in this business, and grab it wherever it comes.
 
Now if I can just get through the rest of the holidays....
 
 

Talk to you later,
Yvette K. Carol
www.yvettecarol.com
 

Be big enough to create a first draft, and small enough to tear that draft to pieces, to write a second draft, then a fourth, then an eleven-hundred-and-fifty-sixth if that’s what it jolly well takes. ~ Chuck Wendig

Oscar Wilde said: "Books are never finished, they are merely abandoned."

16 comments:

  1. Yay to getting your MS over that hill and sticking to it despite the ups and downs! Running into the right betas/CPs can make all the difference in the world. Good luck with the rest!

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  2. Thanks, T. Drecker! You hear conflicting reports about sticking to a project - some people say 'stop flogging a dead horse', other people say, 'never give up'. I think in some cases both ideas are correct. In the case of this book, I asked my critique peep who is the most well-read of all of us, whether she thought this project was worth working on, and she said yes, so I felt supported to continue. That's one of the big things a critique group can do for you too - give much-needed support!

    Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment! I appreciate it :-) Have a great day.

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  3. Wahoo, Yvette. You go girl! SO happy for you. You are THE one. This will be the year, my friend. I promise. I'm with you too. It's OUR time. I'm thankful you have such great critters who hold you accountable. That's what it's all about. xoxoxo

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  4. It's all about the critters, you've got it, girl. I feel very blessed. I am grateful, and especially to Maria, who has stuck by my side through the last few years, and has cheered loudly and generously at every chapter, even though she's reading them for the umpteenth time!

    Just as you hold me up, my friend, so I do the same for you. This is our time. The hard yards have been done and now it's time to move forward. xoxox

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  5. This is so exciting, Yvette. You are almost there. You know as an indie you could think about creating without the deadlines then there's no disappointments and you're more likely to have a brainwave after the point you thought it was ready like you did with your critique buddies. That's how I roll anyway. Less pressure and you are still learning every day. Love the advice of read a book a week. I have read tonnes of poetry. It's slowed a bit. Getting the flag ready for you.

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    1. Thanks my friend. I'm sure you must have seen the chart over on TheReadingApe's blog about publishing percentages. When I first started writing children's stories as a 17-year-old, I was told 'there is no market for fantasy'. Yet now, the fantasy genre claims a respectable 13% of the market. The great thing these days is we do have options as you say, and I will self-publish when this book is finished rather than bother with the trad. submission route.
      Good on you for reading so much. Last year I only read books by friends like you and also books I had to review for various bods. And that was it. Lesson learned. As a writer, you just can't afford not to read in your genre.
      Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with the Lighthouse poetry book!!!

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  6. Hooray for your new outlook and new critique group helping you so much! You are totally on the right track and I foresee success for you and Aden in the near future. Hugs!

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    1. Thanks for that, Tee. I like that! You're a good friend :-) I think I'll adopt that vision for Aden's story too :-)

      And re critique, I heard a writer speak after receiving an award once, and she gave such high praise to her critique buddies, she said she wouldn't have been standing on the podium without them. Now, I know what she meant. It's become such a big part of the writing process for me.

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  7. I'm excited for your book to get published this year, Yvette, both you and Robyn! Maria has said numerous times how much she likes your trilogy. You practically rebuilt your entire house last year, plus revised your ms, too, so I think you were a bit hard on yourself. This is wonderful news that the critique group loves your revision. I depend on my critique groups to keep me on the right track. Even with short stories and speeches. They make such a difference!

    I love that you have a trampoline, and the boys look like they're having a blast. Yay for summertime. I live for spring and summer. When we're having ugly weather here, I'm going to daydream that I'm visiting you! What was your nickname when you were little? :)

    Oh, I almost forgot to say you've got some great quotes in this post. I almost typed "posts in this quote"!

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    1. Thanks, sister. I think it's awesome that Robyn and I are both coming up to publishing, together! Yay. I'm sure that's a good sign, right :-)
      Maria continues to be the most amazing support person you could ever hope for, she's a truly great person and friend. I'm so grateful to her. We are a good support network, all of us, I think.
      Thank you for those heartening words about the book, Lynn. :-)
      All the kids, young and old, love that trampoline. It's partly-dug in so it's only about a foot off the ground. You can daydream you're jumping on the tramp before we have some chocolate coconut milk.:-)
      My nickname? Dad used to call me Sausage!

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  8. Hi Yvette,

    I transferred any sort of publication goals to this year. Whether it's self-publishing or going the traditional route, I'm hellbent on querying, whether it's agents, managers, publishers or production companies we are talking about. Nothing is guaranteed of course, but I'll get all the professional editing and coverage out of the way.

    For my two screenplays, I'm waiting for the contest results (whose gists I'll be getting in Feb), and for the novel, I'll get my edited manuscript soon and will start another round of querying after working on the edits myself.

    The problem with beta readers is that while I have some available friends whose opinions I trust, fellow writers are just as busy if not busier so it's hard to get feedback around the time you really need it. :)

    I'd volunteer to be one of your readers, only I don't write or read in that genre, so my opinions would be irrelevant :)

    But reading/watching in the genres I'm writing in is no problem. I've been doing it out of habit for years…

    Anyway, sorry if that was a bit scattered. Just got back from a wonderful (yet short) vacation from Oslo and had to face all my to-do lists :)

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    1. That's nice, to know my blog is on your 'to-do' list! Hi, Pinar! Welcome back from your illustrious travels. So glad you made it to Norway again. Yay! *happy dance* Good luck on those contest results. I'll keep fingers crossed for you. And thanks so much for saying you would've been a beta reader - very nice of you :-)
      As to the fact you're already reading/watching in your genres, sometimes we just know what to do instinctively, and when that happens, it's wonderful. You know you're on track with your life. Kudos to you! :-)

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  9. I think books...or anything artistic...have a way of letting you know that they simply are not ready. I shelved a project that was supposed to be published in December. Big wrench, but the right thing to do and it is so very much better. Hurrah for your critique group - they seem to be able to give honest, hard criticism in a good way. And kudos to you for buckling down and pursuing your creativity!

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    1. Ah, so you know what I'm talking about, Diana. I agree with you 100%. I've been in groups where they're too soft and your work barely improves. I've been in groups where they're critically hard to the point where you slowly lose the will to live. You need folks who are strong enough to tell you the truth, who at the same time believe in you and your story! A fine balance - there's a blog post in there somewhere :-)

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  10. Yvette, I began my 2nd ms (the 1st wasn't publishable) in 1991 and it wasn't published until 2008. That's not going to happen to you. I'm just letting you know that it will happen. It's in the plan. How do I know? Because your desire runs so deep. Now is the time to relax, believe, and start working on the next while you market the first.

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    1. Thank you, dear! What a lovely thing to say - akin to the Avatar greeting, meaning, "I see you!" - I really appreciate that :-) What an astonishing story about your first book, Joylene. So, I'm not the only one. Wow. Did your family give up on you and lose all hope too? Ha ha. They're so sick of it now, they only want to hear if I become a big success otherwise they're totally over it! Bless you girl, and thanks for the advice.

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