Vicki Essex’s debut book, Her Son’s Hero, is being released by Harlequin Superromance in July. Now that she’s a “published author,” she faces the most daunting challenge yet: writing and selling her second book. She turned to Mary Sullivan, veteran Superromance author of Beyond Ordinary, coming out in the same month, for advice about how to do it all over again.
VICKI: I’ve learned so much from writing the first book. But I just got my second book idea rejected. I feel like a failure all over again. What am I doing? Why is this so hard?
MARY: The bad news, Vicki, is that it doesn’t stop being hard. The good news is that you will find ways to work through the problems—to turn off the little voice whispering that you might have run out of ideas, or that you’ve used up your one and only good one, or that you’ll never write another good book. Or what if the next one isn’t as good as the one before? Chances are it might not be. They can’t all be blockbusters. But it can still be really good and worth reading.
Utilize the self-doubts to make yourself a better writer. Use them to push yourself to learn more about writing. I just sold three more proposals to Harlequin but I still struggle with plot. Aaargh. So frustrating. By now, you’d think I would know it all, right? Not so. I’m taking a plotting course this summer. I’ll let you know how it goes ;-)
After Harlequin bought my first book I, too, was afraid I was a one-hit wonder. What if they never bought another one? But they did. I just completed my fifth contracted novel, due out from Superromance in November, and it’s amazing to me that I still haven’t stopped learning, and that I know I still have so much more to learn.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to look at your doubts as helping you to avoid complacency. That might be small solace when you’re trying to come up with another proposal, but take heart. I sincerely doubt you have only one book inside of you.
Another fabulous way to avoid falling into the pitfall of feeling like a failure is to turn to other authors for help. I lo-o-o-ove brainstorming with other writers, whether for my projects or theirs. It’s such a creative process and really fires up writing energy.
Another thing—if your editor gives feedback, use it. It’s like free gold. Harlequin’s editors are wonderful and really know their stuff. Maybe there is something in her feedback that can lead to a mini-breakthrough to another level in your writing—or to more ideas.
VICKI: I have all these other ideas floating around in my head, but I’m afraid I’ll destroy my author brand if I try to write other things that aren’t in line with my first book. What should I do?
MARY: First of all, changing up your writing to a different genre for a brief time can kick start your imagination in your original genre. It’s like putting something on the back burner to percolate while you work on something on the front burner. It can trigger underground creativity.
As far as publishing in more than one genre goes, some authors use pseudonyms to avoid reader confusion. So, for example, they might write Superromance under one name, and then Young Adult, or paranormal, or erotica, under another—and have a different brand with each pseudonym.
VICKI: I feel like everything I write is a cliché because I’ve heard it from me before. How do you keep your voice fresh but recognizable?
MARY: First, I try to lead with my strengths. My readers like my characters. I do far better with character development than with plot development, so I ‘learn’ as much as I can about my characters. Only when I know my characters well can I come up with plot ideas. What needs to happen to these particular characters to force change on their part, to force them into strong character arcs that the reader will find satisfying at the end of the novel? Which choices they make, which actions they take, will propel them forward and which will hold them back?
Any cliché can be made fresh with a unique voice and writing with depth of emotion. You must already have a unique voice. The proof is that Harlequin bought your novel, Her Son’s Hero. If your voice hadn’t stood out, they wouldn’t have bought the book.
Another idea: perhaps you aren’t using clichés, but simply re-using plot points you, personally, have already used too many times. I do that plenty, especially when I’m having trouble coming up with new ideas. It’s so easy to use ideas that have worked for me in the past. I have to turn to new sources to fire up my imagination. Often I will find that I’ve been reading too much of the same genre lately, so I shake up my reading by choosing either a really different genre or a really good literary novel—or even a true story—to get my brain moving.
VICKI: I feel like there’s a ticking clock as I work on this next book. What if I can’t sell another book before everyone forgets me?
MARY: Such a valid concern, Vicki. All I can say is that I’ve made the mistake of rushing the process in the past and have not been as happy with the results as I would have liked. Take your time to get the story right and have faith in romance readers. They have remarkably good memories for the stories and the authors they like.
As readers, what advice would you have to offer Vicki? Once you've read a story you really like, do you remember an author's name, even if she doesn't have another book coming out this year? Next year, would you recognize her name?
Vicki and I would like to give away a copy of our July books to one reader. They represent what is best about Harlequin Superromance—the variety available within the category. Vicki’s hero is a mixed martial artist. Mine is a quiet, intellectual newspaper publisher. There you go. One lucky winner will get two heroes for the price of one, so to speak ;-)
