I’m always learning and evolving as a storyteller! I’ve devoted the last few years of “blood, sweat and tears” (really tears coupled with frustration) to Book 2 of my five-novel series, “The Miriam Chronicles.” The first book “Unearthing Christmas” was published in 2015, then republished in 2017 with a new publisher and finally published again in 2020 with the current publisher. The back-story is that that my first publisher went out of business and my second publisher merged with my current publisher. So, the original 2015 now looks more like a 2020 publication, third time around. If nothing else, at least it doesn’t appear, at first glance, like six years in between installments, when actually that’s the truth of it.
The second book, “The Years In Between” is on board for a May 2022 release, if all goes well! And what have I learned during this stretch of time? I’ve learned to listen to other writers, sign up for writing conferences, participate in writing sessions, keep the door open to expert advice, new tidbits of information on publishing, marketing and business plans. You name it! But, a writer could spend MUCH more time gathering and sifting through advice from other writers than sitting down to write! Then, come the boundaries, and that’s a good thing. Otherwise you may become merely a portal or vessel for an outpouring of information via podcasts, webinars, emailed newsletters, blogs, etc., etc.
And now, as I come to the finishing line with Book 2, I have yet another crossroad. On request of my current publisher, I hired an editor. I’d already been through rounds of edits with my second publisher and many suggestions from my current publisher. I’d cut 33,000 words from the manuscript on the request of my second publisher, when she was actually my publisher, a few years back. You’re getting the drift. This manuscript has been through the gauntlet of detours, winding roads, and what now looks like the edge of a cliff before I can turn everything around and get back on track. And, this is a book that my reviewers and publishers really like. I’m not kidding. So it makes me wonder why I’m going through all of this stuff to get it published! But, I’ve always believed that “everything happens for a reason” and I feel like I’m being tested on that one, if not perseverance, in general.
My crossroad right now is accepting or rejecting the myriad changes my hired editor made to “The Years In Between.” I like or accept constructive criticism. For instance, I revised one screenplay poised for an option agreement so many times I lost count with hearing, “we’re almost there.” When the option fell through, I went back to my original ideas, polished it up and submitted the script to Screencraft’s Family Film competition in 2020. The screenplay was a semifinalist, in the top 14% of nearly 1,000 submissions
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Hey, I know this girl, Lori. She’s not over her anger, resentment, and total pain of loss. But my editor changed the ending to Lori easing up on her emotions. No, wait. That’s not the character I wrote. She’s not ready to ease up. Not yet. She has a journey to go on, and it won’t be easy. So, now, as the protector of my character, not my writing, I need to go into this revision mode of accepting or rejecting revisions not as the sensitive or haughty writer, but as the person who understands the characters in this world and knows how they will react. Writers, listen up! Your characters depend on you to write them right!! Yes, you may have to change sequences of plot events, cut pages, etc., but please know your characters and what motivates them. It’s the only way you can keep the unreal, i.e. fiction, real! Do your characters say or do horrible things? Are they mean and unthinking sometimes? Do they betray loved ones? Okay, so they aren’t perfect. The reader isn’t always looking for Mary Poppins, although I have nothing against Mary Poppins, and to be honest, she was a little deceptive. Readers don’t have to like everything your character says or does. But they need to understand them. Empathy is born from understanding, not from expecting perfection!!
If you want to “keep it real” regarding your stories, it all comes down to the characters!!! I was once told, early on, by an editor that something my character said would never endear readers to her. I listened to the advice and softened up her responses. Now, I wish I hadn’t because the character wasn’t trying to win a popularity contest. That’s not real. The reality is that she was human, well, to me at least, and imperfect. If she said something that was off putting, even as the story’s heroine, she had reason. When someone is hurting, they may try to hurt others. I know. I get it.
So, I will push through the crossroad and stay true to my characters, and, to be honest, my voice in writing. Be real. Be brave. Don’t back down. Know the difference between writing your story and accepting someone else’s interpretation of your characters’ motivations. This morning, I posted a birthday greeting for a friend. Her tagline is “Don’t trade your authenticity for approval.” I needed to hear that one today. May it ring true with you, your creative endeavors, and your road in life!