How to Save a Book - Listen to My Readers

My apologies that it’s been so long since I’ve written a blog post. While I said I would post something whenever an interesting topic reared its head, I’ve had several topics audition, but just couldn’t seem to make them work the way I wished. I, who never have writer’s block, apparently had blog block, lol. Anyhow, I hope to do a little better going forward. If you ever have an idea for a subject you’d like me to talk about, send it my way. I’ll be eternally grateful. No matter how off the wall (actually, off the wall might be kind of fun). Now, to today’s topic…

Some years ago, I was sitting with another author at a conference, and we were discussing the need for critique partners (or beta readers). She shrugged and said, “You can tell if something’s wrong with your own book.” To some extent, I think that is true, once you’ve become skilled and confident in your craft, and she was. She’s a very successful author. But I think critique partners, and readers voicing thoughtful, critical opinions, can be a lifesaver. Because an author’s creative process and focus are not static items. I certainly found that to be the case with Vampire's Soul, my newest book.

When we’re writing our very first book and hoping to be published, it never even crosses our mind, what challenges we might face 15-20 years into a career as a fulltime writer. For one thing, just getting published is enough of a pipe dream. Less than 10% of those who write get published and achieve sales of any significance. Less than 1% of that number will ever be able to do it for a living. But for those who do, as the years and book titles accumulate, you face challenges you didn’t factor in when you were nursing that wish-upon-a-star hope that you’ll make a living as a writer.

I have met deadlines in the process of a move, while working a fulltime job, being a primary caregiver for a family member, and dealing with physical challenges. As a result, just like that other author said, I’ve developed some measure of confidence that I can connect with my characters and my story, no matter what other stressors are introduced – and recognize it when I’m not.

I was first published at 32 years old. I’m 49 now, and, with this newest book, I realized some stressors can get sneaky. I didn’t realize they were impacting my process until my critique partners and a shift in my own thinking made me see my manuscript in a whole new light.

My critique partner team is honest and constructively critical, the two most important qualities an author needs in her beta readers. To my way of thinking, they really brought Vampire’s Soul back up to the level my readers expect from my work. I hope when you read the book, you’ll agree. But here’s what happened.

After writing the first draft of Vampire’s Soul, I sailed through the first and second edit rounds. I was happy with the story. It seemed like one of the easiest books I’d ever written. BIG ALARM FLAGS. I’m NEVER happy during my second edit. It's grueling and drives me crazy. It’s my “I need to give up writing and go get a day job” round. My husband has to comfort me in my despair each time, and I’ve written over forty books! Sometimes even the 3rd edit is like that, but it’s by the end of the third edit that I start to be happier, if I’m doing my job right.

So when I was just trotting along during the second edit of Vampire’s Soul without a single creative curse of frustration, I did have a niggling sense of uneasiness. But because I didn’t see anything wrong with the story, and I was so happy with the second edit, I went ahead and sent it to my CPs. They liked the bones of the book, but they had some key problems with characterization and the flow of certain scenes that I’m so grateful they noticed. I’d give you specific details on what they found, but to do that I’d have to give you spoilers, and I don’t want to ruin the story. I’ll talk about specifics during the Bookclub chat we’ll do at the JWHMembersOnly Facebook group, a few weeks after book release, where spoilers are allowed and encouraged (wink).

However, after they gave me that feedback, the craziness didn’t stop there. Initially I was puzzled by their feedback. I COULDN’T see it.

I’d been working pretty hard, and there were some personal stressors happening in my life during those few months. So the weekend after receiving the CP feedback, I stepped back, sat down and tried to finish reading a book with which I’d been struggling. Anne Bishop’s Sebastian. I normally love her stuff, but I’d had trouble getting into that one. That weekend, however, I stuck with it. The story started opening up, and so did I. Getting caught in the creative flow of a good story, sitting on my back porch, staying away from the computer and phone, doing nothing but relaxing, helped loosen other things that had been wound too tight.

Monday, when I opened up Vampire’s Soul, a switch flipped inside me. It was like I’d been looking at something in candlelight, everything softened and pretty, and suddenly, the overhead light was turned on and I saw every flaw. Part of the reason for the change was the relaxation, altering the flow of my brain, but I’m not sure I would have been able to zoom in on the problem areas quite so quickly without the CPs pointing me in the right direction.

In truth, it rattled me. Referencing that earlier discussion with my fellow author, yes, since about my tenth book, I’ve developed a pretty good level of confidence about knowing when something I’m writing isn’t quite right. Yet this time, it took not only the targeted feedback of my CPs, but stepping away from the book and changing my creative process, to see it in this manuscript. It made me realize that a) my CPs are invaluable, b) as my life changes, how I react to stressors might also change, and c) I might need to change my schedule/creative process to ensure that B doesn’t adversely impact my writing.

For the first time in the history of writing over 40 books and six series, I practically re-wrote a book during the fourth edit round, which is usually my final polish, “read it on the e-reader like a book” round. Then I did two more rounds after that, AND gave it to a generous reader who did a 48-hour read-through. She ensured the manuscript didn’t have a horrifying amount of typos in it, lol.

I never want to offer my readers a bad book. I’ve written books that some readers love, some readers don’t, but it’s always a story I would like to read, and I’m proud to have written. Coming so close to releasing one that fell far below those parameters was unsettling, but it was a wake-up call. Good writing is not a process I can do half-assed or on formula autopilot. It’s important to stay aware of how the process might be changing as I get older, and/or in the face of new challenges to my life.

So, I’m very, very happy and excited about the release of Vampire’s Soul on September 30. And that I learned something new to help improve my creative process. But I’m even gladder to feel personally it’s a book that’s worth reading. I hope you’ll agree. I’ve put the link to the book trailer below so you can enjoy that teaser glimpse of Cai and Rand’s story – with pictures and music!

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Click here for the Vampire’s Soul book trailer.

Buy links and a Chapter One excerpt (including an audio version of it, read by the author) can be found here.

Join us for the Release Day party September 30 at the JWHMembersOnly Facebook group!