Even as I begin to write this, I am double guessing what I want to say, how I can draw in you-the reader-more effectively, and how it will be perceived by the four people who read this blog (at least three of which are family members–hi guys!). These are the thoughts that run through my mind with every book I read, every assignment I complete, every time I post social media content, etc. My mind is fixated on writing; the problem is that my career as a writer feels like I am being pulled in too many directions at times.
My courses this semester are challenging me in ways that I needed, specifically in the ways it helps improve my work on my in progress novel, The Geography of Wanting, and even is helping me to set up future manuscripts BUT that also means upping my time commitment to writing and editing in addition to trying to get my assignments in on time. Needless to say, this blog has suffered as a result, even as other things have flourished.
My Revise and Pitch class has been revolutionary in my editing process. Never before have I felt like I could see so clearly where I needed to level up my writing and where I could let it breathe. I often am guilty of telling rather than showing, and should be tried and hung for the crime of writing entirely too many introspective reflective scenes vs just letting the dialogue or the atmosphere or what’s propelling the scene forward do the actual work.
In addition to the editing I’ve been doing thanks to Revise and Pitch, I also recently received feedback about my novel from Emerson’s Editor in Residence and his class, which was both a beautiful gift and an excruciating masterclass in checking my own delusion. In all, the class submitted a 35 page letter that broke down all aspects of my book, including overall impressions, character breakdowns, POV critiques, setting and sense of place, and most importantly, whether there was a market for my kind of book.
In many ways, the class challenged me to think about things that I had either ignored or been too hesitant to try. For example, my book is set in Italy and Korea but fails to explain how many expatriates live in their own little bubble rather than immersing themselves in a different culture. While that is something I witnessed and experienced all the time living abroad, I neglected to explain to my reader that this often toxic subculture exists.
Other times, I was called out on my own bias. Why doesn’t Jackie experience culture shock? I could hardly tell my team of editors that it’s for the very simple reason that because I often don’t experience culture shock as much as culture awe and appreciation, that I had forgotten that others truly struggle to adjust to a foreign environment.
At times, I was appreciative, at others, I was defensive. This also marked the first time that my book was read in full by people that don’t know me as a person, and therefore don’t know that parts of the book are loosely (and sometimes not so loosely) based on my own experiences. In many ways, this is great…right until you’re told that the main character is selfish and unlikeable. If I wanted to be told that, I would go to my high school reunion.
But all jokes aside, both my classes and my editing feedback have been pushing me, forcing me to grow, and demanding change. Often, I am more than happy to adapt, knowing that each and every edit is making my work stronger, more publishable, more real. Other times, I feel myself drowning in the work, my daydreams tinged more gray at the edges, as I realize how much further I truly have left in the journey to publication.
What can you expect from this blog moving forward:
- Returning to my monthly reading recap breakdowns
- More consistent writing updates
- A reflection on my experience at North America’s biggest writing and publishing conference, AWP
If there are other topics you’d like me to wax and wane about, just sound off in the comments! Until next time, happy reading and writing.
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