Robin Blakely’s recent Writers in the Storm post, “Mid-Year Goal Checkup,” had a subtitle of “It’s Not Too Late to Redirect Yourself,” and a first heading of, “You know the write answer: Redirect. Rewrite. Recommit.”
As I started reading it, I found myself laughing because of my current project, Harbor House: Deadly Intentions. Everything she described I had been going through!
I was ready to publish three different times; but, each time realized what I was trying to do wasn’t working.
In the beginning, there were two stories connected by family and location, separated by one hundred years.
While the first story had been published on its own earlier, it was okay; but, teamed with the second, newer story, not so much. The problem: the two stories were in different but similar genres.
The books’ origins
Harbor House: Say You Will
Created in the summer of 2023, this story was for an anthology of historical novellas as a fund-raising event for a romance writer’s group I belong to, and was to be published in November. Instead, it was published April 2024 in the Unlock My Heart anthology (now out of print).
The story was an 11,000-word Gothic romance novella, set during the bootlegging 1920s in northern Lake Huron and the small Michigan coastal community of Sinclair on Drummond Island and a much smaller private island nearby: Harbor House Island. Both Sinclair and the Island had been developed by Margaret Sinclair’s lumber baron grandfather, George Sinclair.
Harbor House: Last Blood
While awaiting the Gothic’s publication, I got the idea to write a follow-up book, a psychological thriller, using the same family and the same location but 100 years later.
This story became a 56,000-word psychological thriller novel featuring thirty-year-old Detroit librarian, Hunter Marshall, who receives an ancestor website membership that includes her DNA as a birthday gift, discovering she’s adopted and has inherited the family lumber business that’s still operational, along with Harbor House, its island, and an unsolved crime associated with the house and the family.
The process is going great so far
In mid-May 2024, I began journaling the thriller’s characters, digging deep into their internal conflicts and plotting the story with Post-it notes and a storyboard. Three weeks later, I was typing up a 22-page outline.
In June, I wrote the first draft, a 42,000-word manuscript of mostly dialogue and action. I doubted I’d make my self-imposed October deadline because there were too many clues to flesh out and more emotional layering and editing to do.
By mid-November, I was ready to publish the two books, but because of the upcoming holidays, I decided to wait until January to publish.
In January, a potential agent crossed my path. I submitted and had to wait six weeks. In the sixth week, another agent crossed my path, so I began waiting another six weeks.
And then, the pain began
While waiting, I started reading both books, to proof them one more time.
An uh-oh moment arrived. It fast became an oh dear realization.
Stupidly, I hadn’t read the Gothic since its 2024 publication. It needed revising. There was too much telling in the beginning. Plus, Margaret didn’t have much of a wound that left her conflicted.
If I were honest with myself, the first book didn’t measure up to the second one. It didn’t have the same intensity. It would end up a DNF if I didn’t fix it, let alone anyone continuing to the second book, the thriller.
Additionally, they couldn’t be published separately as a duology. They’d have to be published as a collection: separate stories but together in one book. I spent a couple weeks reformatting and editing and sat down to read it again.
Another uh-oh moment. This format was a mistake because the same problem existed, plus there was still too much telling. The history of the first story was important to the second story. How could I incorporate the history without having to tell it? How could I show it without losing the reader?
The aha moment – the Redirect
Going to sleep that night, I gave my subconscious the task of solving the problem. The next morning, I had the answer: a split-in-time book.
The plan (revised) – the Rewrite
So, now, I’ve blended and melded the two stories together and removed the telling. The past is now shown at key junctures and heightened because of the thriller. I’m still in the process of polishing and proofing. A major review and beta readers will reveal if I did what I intended.
The lesson – the Recommit
The story knew better that I did on what it needed. I’ve learned that every story, every book, whether fiction or non-fiction, has its own process. I just need to listen.
As a result, I’m ecstatic about the story all over again. I’ve got another self-imposed October publishing date, though I strongly suspect I’ll miss it. Hopefully, it’ll be published before Christmas.
Wish me luck!
Is there a book or series of books you feel like could use a little redirecting? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
About Dr. Diana
At the time Diana was getting unstuck with Harbor House: Deadly Intentions described above, she was teaching her Finding Your Writing Fire class, which centered on helping profoundly stuck students get unstuck. By the middle of the second week, they announced they were happily writing again!
An award-winning writer and former English writing professor, Diana is a screenwriter and author, writing fiction and nonfiction, including a cookbook, how-to writing resources books, and blogging about her paranormal experiences. To learn more, visit her website, especially her Recommend Reading page if you’re interested in finding great books and blogs about writing.
To learn more about the writing process she teaches and uses to keep from getting stuck, check out her Finding Your Fire series books: Finding Your Fire & Keeping It Hot, and Character, Plot, & Emotion: the Three Foundational Pillars of Storytelling and its companion workbook.
What an interesting post. I hope you make your deadline. The story sounds intriguing.
You are right about listening to what the story says about itself. And also the characters.
Total agreement about loving how our posts resonate with others. Your post was so close to what was happening with me, I felt like you'd been spying on me! LOL
Similar story: I realized as I headed into the third novel in my Pride's Children mainstream trilogy that I had made a part of the story too simple - completely missing an opportunity to show how something needs to be worked out.
The original outline for the trilogy, and its list of scenes turns out to be robust enough for the additional material - without even affecting the ending much, but it's going to make a much better book/trilogy.
Unfortunately, I also had a lot to learn, and then figure out how to get into the story without detours.
It is going slowly, and physical problems keep getting in the way, but I know it will be worth it. It's not REALLY writer's block when you have to stop and do some hard thinking and planning, but it feels very much like you're going nowhere, for a very long time.
Many many years ago, I wrote a poem called "Wandering Through My Growing Up." More than anything, it was about making that turn from the I-Know-What-I'm-Doing stage of early adulthood to the I-Really-Don't-Know-Very-Much realization of real adulthood.
The more we learn, the more we realize how little we knew when we started [fill in the blank]. That's why it's so important to let our pages rest.
Kudos to you for going back and giving your work a hard look through your fresh(er) set of eyes...and then doing the work. That's what it's all about!
I discussed my WIP progress with a publisher and was given ideas for a redirect, and it would make the book more marketable. They weren't wrong--I just need to finish it.
Sounds familiar. Long pauses between reviewing ones work, usually reveals more than you expected to find.
My "first novel" took me about ten months to complete, working around my day/night/weekend/wee-hours-of-the-morning/always on-call job. And then... I discovered there were local critique groups I could attend. It didn't take long to start recognizing my weaknesses and learning the craft involved in good story-telling.
One thing I'd done, knowing that 140,000 words was too long for a first novel, is cut back on characterization. I knew my characters' personalities and concerns, but the readers probably wouldn't. Once I knew that and looked more closely at my story, I realized there was a distinctive switch in their objectives and challenges–conveniently about 70,000 words in. I really had two separate stories.
With the help and encouragement of my critique groups, I re-wrote the first saga, breathing life, hopes, and personal challenges into my characters. Same basic story, but far better–one I'm proud of–and topping out at 120,000 words.
My (now) second novel thrusts my same characters into a much more complex world. Twice, there were months where I had to pause for my aforementioned jobs. Each time I stopped, I felt need to make major plot (villain/challenge) changes, resulting in much re-writing. At an unfortunately high 149,000 words, I have to say I'm even more pleased with the results.
Isn't it amazing when looking back that you can see how intuitive those pauses were?
Generally, all of that character and world building isn't for the reader; it's for us. It's how we're then able to bring an engaging character onto the page or screen from the moment they appear.
What an interesting post. I hope you make your deadline. The story sounds intriguing.
You are right about listening to what the story says about itself. And also the characters.
Thanks, V.M. 🙂
It is always an adventure rereading a book after it has sat for a bit. Sounds like you did a great job bringing these together.
Certainly is an adventure. LOL Thanks for commenting, Lisa. 🙂
There is wisdom in taking a pause, but also in the awareness it's time to move ahead.
As much as I'm always in a hurry to publish my books, I've learned to slow down, to pause. Patience has been a life lesson!
Thanks for commenting, Marian.
I love seeing how a WITS post resonated with someone and helped them really take a look at their writing and make the changes needed.
It sounds like you’re on the right track and making positive moves forward.
Total agreement about loving how our posts resonate with others. Your post was so close to what was happening with me, I felt like you'd been spying on me! LOL
Thanks for commenting!
Similar story: I realized as I headed into the third novel in my Pride's Children mainstream trilogy that I had made a part of the story too simple - completely missing an opportunity to show how something needs to be worked out.
The original outline for the trilogy, and its list of scenes turns out to be robust enough for the additional material - without even affecting the ending much, but it's going to make a much better book/trilogy.
Unfortunately, I also had a lot to learn, and then figure out how to get into the story without detours.
It is going slowly, and physical problems keep getting in the way, but I know it will be worth it. It's not REALLY writer's block when you have to stop and do some hard thinking and planning, but it feels very much like you're going nowhere, for a very long time.
Oh, well. It's the job.
It totally IS worth it! I agree with your assessment that this is NOT writer's block. Just some quicksand along the way that we're sidestepping.
My conversion went slowly, too. I lost count of how many times I've reread the story.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Many many years ago, I wrote a poem called "Wandering Through My Growing Up." More than anything, it was about making that turn from the I-Know-What-I'm-Doing stage of early adulthood to the I-Really-Don't-Know-Very-Much realization of real adulthood.
The more we learn, the more we realize how little we knew when we started [fill in the blank]. That's why it's so important to let our pages rest.
Kudos to you for going back and giving your work a hard look through your fresh(er) set of eyes...and then doing the work. That's what it's all about!
Everything you said, Jenny! It's amazing to discover how much we don't know and so odd that we're coming from believing we know everything.
Thanks for the kudos. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
I discussed my WIP progress with a publisher and was given ideas for a redirect, and it would make the book more marketable. They weren't wrong--I just need to finish it.
I'm always amazed at how much better our books become when we welcome the ideas of others.
You can do it. You'll have to share when you do finish so we can celebrate with you!
Sounds familiar. Long pauses between reviewing ones work, usually reveals more than you expected to find.
My "first novel" took me about ten months to complete, working around my day/night/weekend/wee-hours-of-the-morning/always on-call job. And then... I discovered there were local critique groups I could attend. It didn't take long to start recognizing my weaknesses and learning the craft involved in good story-telling.
One thing I'd done, knowing that 140,000 words was too long for a first novel, is cut back on characterization. I knew my characters' personalities and concerns, but the readers probably wouldn't. Once I knew that and looked more closely at my story, I realized there was a distinctive switch in their objectives and challenges–conveniently about 70,000 words in. I really had two separate stories.
With the help and encouragement of my critique groups, I re-wrote the first saga, breathing life, hopes, and personal challenges into my characters. Same basic story, but far better–one I'm proud of–and topping out at 120,000 words.
My (now) second novel thrusts my same characters into a much more complex world. Twice, there were months where I had to pause for my aforementioned jobs. Each time I stopped, I felt need to make major plot (villain/challenge) changes, resulting in much re-writing. At an unfortunately high 149,000 words, I have to say I'm even more pleased with the results.
Isn't it amazing when looking back that you can see how intuitive those pauses were?
Generally, all of that character and world building isn't for the reader; it's for us. It's how we're then able to bring an engaging character onto the page or screen from the moment they appear.
I loved hearing your story! Thanks for sharing.