Just keep writing

When I first saw the movie Finding Nemo, one line stuck with me–”Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

I’ve adapted it to my own–”Just keep writing, writing, writing.”

There was a post on the PRO-link about a woman who had been writing for ten years and was completely fed up with the publishing industry. She ranted about how hard it was to break in, and how she thought she’d never make it. I predict she won’t.

See, in this business, there are so many elements to breaking in. Luck is a big part of it. If you happen to hit the right editor who loves your work, and you have a book that they think will sell really well, you might break in. But until you find that right editor and until you have that fantastic book, you will keep hitting your head against that wall.

The thing is, this woman seemed to think that once she’d sold, everything would fall into place. I believe that’s pretty naiive. All authors compete with one another. If I want to become a NYT bestselling author, I have to write better–yes, that’s right, BETTER–than Nora Roberts. And Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Because even when I do sell (affirmation!), I’ll be competing against the big names. The only way for me to be successful is to be the best writer I can be, learn my craft, and to develop my own unique voice.

Voice is key. You can’t imitate the best-sellers. You have to be your own person and you have to develop your own audience. What’s ironic to me is that, I think my voice is a smidge snarky at times. And though it could probably make a funny contemporary, I just can’t write those. I have no idea why. I’ve tried a few times, but it feels like I’m putting on someone else’s underwear. Eek.

Historicals fit me. I love the rich backdrops, those hunky knights, those swaggering outlaws. What fun! But for me, the story always comes first. In my current mss., I’ve been debating whether to set it in the Victorian period or the Regency period. To the history buffs, this is outrageous. Surely I must need to THROW MYSELF into history and read oodles and oodles of books before I even CONSIDER writing a story.

That’s not how I work. I let the characters drive me, tell me what they want to say, and then I’ll decide when their story takes place. The people come first. It doesn’t really matter to me whether they wear an empire gown or a bustle. The story is the same. I’ll set their story in the era that feels right. And when it comes time to really flesh out a scene, THAT’S when I’ll dive into the research and make sure that they really did use tea cups and what they used to sweeten it. I’m not saying that I don’t research–not at all. I have about ten different books on my shelf on medieval Ireland. But I waited until the characters came alive and then found out what I needed to know. Maybe that’s working backward. Maybe it horrifies the history buffs (who really need to realize that people don’t freaking care about how many forks were on the table —if the hero is yummy, that’s all that matters). But that’s me.

And I will break in one day. Can’t wait!