Writer's moments

Revisions and Revelations

I’m working on revisions to my first novel. My crit partner Sandy and I have gotten through the first five chapters and ironically, there are more things to fix/revise that either of us imagined. Not dramatically changing the story line at all, but rather tightening up language, creating more tension between my characters, just making it better.

My goal is to have it ready to resend to my agent by the end of next week so she can send it out to some other publishers. What I’m learning about my writing is that I may not actually be a straight category romance writer. I thought that was what I wrote, but I don’t think it is. I think I’m simply a story teller. My writing doesn’t fit in a specific genre, except perhaps maybe women’s fiction.

I don’t seem to be able to write to a template or formula–I thought I was doing that, but I’m not. I’ve read tons of category romance and when I started the first book, I believed I was writing category with my own personal touch. I’ve been discouraged because category pubs aren’t accepting my work, but I’m beginning to see that maybe I’m not the writer for that particular genre of fiction. In a way, that makes me sad because I love category–I’m a huge fan and it made sense to me that if I love to read it, I should be able to write it. But, I can’t stay in the mold–no news there. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I haven’t fit a mold since I was born.

I’ll keep writing what I write, the stories of the people in my head. These folks knock loudly, anxious to be out of my head and on paper where they believe they belong. Hopefully, my dear agent and I can figure out where their stories will be published. Hold a good thought, mes amies, and when we do find my publisher, check the Midwestern skies for the biggest fireworks display you’ve ever seen!

2 Comments

  • Susan Courtney

    It would be so much easier if we fit into neat categories, wouldn’t it? But the reality is usually somewhere between the lines.

  • Deborah Blake (Witchy Betty)

    You have my sympathies, Nan. On the bright side, since publishers are looking for something “the same but different” maybe your work will turn out to be just what an editor is looking for!