As implied yesterday, there's a serious change in direction in the works for me. So I figure I might as well blog about it, because career change happens to everybody and blogging about going through it may be educational. Or may at least make you grateful you're not me. Good times, people.
My writing career that you're aware of has consisted of erotic romance. My writing career that you might not know about prior to that included poetry, greeting cards, literary fiction, technical writing and more. The first novel-length and "recognized" pro works I happened to sell happened to be to Ellora's Cave, which happened to be a hot market. In other words, a lot of chance things came together. My first EC book became an RT award winner, and voila, I had a career in erotic romance.
I learned a great deal writing erotic romance. Mainly I learned that I was a square peg in a round hole. Yes, I know, I did it well, I got recognition and subsidiary rights sales and magazine and bookclub and foreign deals, and I am truly grateful for all of that. I'm also grateful for the practical working experience I got, which is invaluable. I grew tremendously in my craft. But writing erotic was never my motivation. I loved stories. I happened to get published with stories that were hot, but hot was never the point for me. And eventually I began to feel that I had exhausted the material and my exhausted brain became slower and slower to produce.
I had no idea what else I wanted to do, though, so after I wrapped up my outstanding commitments, I went through the task of evaluating and finishing partials I had laying around. Finishing work is always good, and it made a logical starting point. Those partials became Two Knights in Camelot, Bride of Fire, Redline Lover, Undercover Lover, Adventure Lover, Dangerous Lover, and the as yet unreleased Wolf at the Door. I wrote one completely new story, Shoot to Thrill. On the unfinished partials Red Queen and Kiss of the Demon, my brain balked. Which is ultimately not a bad thing, although it will disappoint some people, because if I'm done in this genre, finishing two more works is just doing more work in a direction that's over for me.
Yes, you would think I could just finish them before moving on to whatever comes next. I thought so, too, but after 3 months of not being able to write a word of fiction, I have called it quits. These books are not getting done. I have no heart or brain to write anything further in this genre.
In the meantime, while working through the "I don't know what else to do so I'll finish things" stage, I got a nudge for a new direction. I ignored it for several months because I thought it was ridiculous and wrong, but yesterday I opened up a blank document and I started writing. 3 months of nothing and then six pages of something new. My husband said it gave him spine tingles, which I take as a good sign. It may not get finished, it may peter out, it may be no good in the end, it may finish and be good and not sell. I don't know. It's early days. But I'm following a new direction and I'm unspeakably happy to be writing again. I'll worry about what to do with it later. For now, my job is to sit down with it every day and do what I can with it.
If you've been following the blog, you'll notice I was keeping busy creatively while not writing fiction; photography, gardening, cooking, reading, watching movies and anime series. I kept my creative engine in tune. I kept throwing myself at the work I was supposed to be doing, and failing, and throwing myself at it again. I am nothing if not persistent. But eventually I did have to admit it was time to quit.
Seth Godin has fabulous advice on when to quit in his book The Dip which helped clarify that it was past time for me to quit. I highly recommend the book if you aren't sure when to give up. Nobody wants to give up too soon, just when things were about to turn around, but sometimes we're continuing on in the wrong direction and it's never going to turn around.
Now I'm writing something I feel passionate about, that I feel has meaning and gives me new opportunity for mastery, and I'm writing it with utter autonomy because nobody's going to see it until it's done. (Nobody in the biz, that is. Beta readers are another thing.) If nothing else, the combination of autonomy, mastery and meaning motivate me to keep going. And it's in a genre where I could write a book a year or less and survive, unlike the running treadmill romance has come to feel like. I may not be able to produce more than that without exhausting my brain so it's important to me not to head off in another direction that will require me to publish multiple titles per year.
Mid-career change. It's the end, and it's the beginning.
Last year when I joined in
Last year when I joined in NaNoWriMo it was with the intention of writing something completely new in a genre I hadn't yet attempted to alleviate creative boredom and stretch my range a little more. I was surprised at how energizing those thirty days were; it helped recharge all my batteries and got me through these last six months when I might have lost some of my momentum to lack of enthusiasm.
What I'm arm-wrestling right now is how long to keep going with any novel series. I think readers' attitudes toward series are changing and they don't want to stick to the same cast for five, ten or fifteen books. Big names are having trouble sustaining lengthy series, and the only ones who seem to be still selling after book five are the cookie cutter novelists whose readership doesn't seem to want anything new. I think spin-offs work in the short term but as with mine the publishers often want you to drag backstory from the previous series into the new books, which can make for cumbersome narrative and tiresome interruption of story.
A lot has to do with work habits, too. I love characters and once I start writing them it's hard to let go. With the NaNo novel I deliberately established the universe based solely on setting and world-building alone, but of course in the process of writing the characters got to me and I'm already got ideas for books two and three bouncing around in my head. Which I refuse to write or even seriously consider until I get some editorial feedback for the first book after it makes the rounds. Maybe the answer is to force myself to write a couple of standalones, I don't know.
What you're doing sounds exactly right; you're listening to your instincts and as I've learned they're rarely wrong. It may require some sacrifices but if it helps you grow as a writer, I think they're worth it.
Thanks, it will at least be a
Thanks, it will at least be a growth experience and that's always beneficial. Fingers crossed for your NaNo book. There's nothing wrong with standalones, but I will hope that based on the feedback you get there is at least a sequel and they see the light of day. If it's calling to you that strongly there's something there.
If it's any comfort, what I've read of the Kyndred series so far shows that you handled the backstory well.
You know I love your romance.
You know I love your romance. Romance is my favorite genre. I'll be very sad to not read new ones. But! The bottom line is that I loved your writing. I said romance was my favorite genre but it isn't the only one I read. You write it, I'll read it!
Good luck with your new project. I know it will be fabulous. How could it not be? You are fabulous and your writing is fabulous.
Thank you, Annmarie. There
Thank you, Annmarie. There will probably always be romance subplots because people don't exist in relationship vacuums, but it's refreshing to write something where that isn't the focus.
I'm sorry to hear you've had
I'm sorry to hear you've had a difficult time with your writing lately. I'm saddened that I won't get to read any more new romance novels by you as I love your books. Having said that, I love your writing. I can't wait to read whatever it is you write. I'm just glad to hear you've figured out where you want to go with your writing and are headed in that direction. I know you'll be a success no matter what you write! You're an amazingly, talented writer!
NJ, thanks, I hope you'll
NJ, thanks, I hope you'll enjoy the new work. It has sucked the big one; I would really have preferred to keep putting out at least a book a year in romance, and it's possible that as I get new stuff going I'll revive creatively and be able to write more romances, too; but then it's back to the problem of, you can't grow an audience in romance at a book a year. In any case, at least I'm moving ahead. Which is better than being stuck.
Charli, Why not? Jayne Ann
Charli,
Why not? Jayne Ann Krantz does it for each of her persona's and I know I wait with salivating impatience for her books.
Kathy
Kathy, if I could write as
Kathy, if I could write as fast and as consistently well as she does, I'd do it. But I'll point out that JAK doesn't have small children.
Oh! *bangs head* I forgot
Oh!
*bangs head* I forgot that about your captcha thing -- was about to email you to say that my comment got eaten.
But, the irony of the email I sent you! LOL.
You never know, you might some day be able to rework Red Queen and/or Kiss of the Demon in your new direction.
Either way, it's good to hear that you're writing again. The rest can come later. :)
Red Queen and Kiss of the
Red Queen and Kiss of the Demon are both heavily UF but also para romance, they're a blend. But they're also established as poly relationship books, thus erotic by definition. If I can ever come back to them and do them justice, I will.
Heh. I'm right there with
Heh. I'm right there with you. Been struggling for a year. Took time off for a hospital visit and other not fun stuff. And finally a couple months ago decided to quit trying to write the same stuff I've always written because I've always written it. I'm also in the "finishing up the odds and ends" stage.
While I admit a twinge of regret for your future romances I looked forward to reading, I also happily anticipate your new works. Best wishes and happy writing!
Anny, yay, we can do it
Anny, yay, we can do it together. *g* It's not a bad thing to finish projects while you consider new directions. I hope you start getting some nudges for new possibilities! When it becomes a struggle, it's a good sign that it's time for a change.
Hi Charlene, I can sympathize
Hi Charlene,
I can sympathize with you about changing careers in mid stream. I am 52 and instead of running a restaurant, I am back in school getting a degree in Forensic Accounting/Auditing. I also have a business consulting firm that I run from home. With this firm, I write business articles and other articles for my clients. I know what it is like to sit in front of the computer and have no words to write.
I love your writing so if you are changing genre's, it is okay with me. I will enjoy anything you write. Good Luck! Here is to Re-invention!
Kathy
Forensic accounting! I didn't
Forensic accounting! I didn't know that existed. Fascinating. And thanks, I know that whenever a romance writer shifts into a new genre, not all the readers will follow and some might even be offended, but anybody who wants to come along on the journey with me, I will try to make it worthwhile.
I love your writing- don't
I love your writing- don't care what genre. So... you need a beta reader (bats eyes innocently)? :)
Good luck!
P.S. I'm reading this in the Columbus airport, waiting on my flight home from the Lori Foster event, which rocked.
Thanks, Ann, I may take you
Thanks, Ann, I may take you up on that. Will need open minded beta readers who read widely. *g* Glad you had a good time at the LF weekend!
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! We've
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! We've talked enough to know that it's time. More than past time to strike off in a new direction. Good for you for taking it one step further. :)
Maybe our theme song should
Maybe our theme song should be One Step Beyond by Madness. *g* New directions are bound to be interesting.
Charli, good for you for
Charli, good for you for figuring out where you might want to head and also for recognizing where you don't want to head :) Best wishes to you as you write in your new direction, and looking forward to reading your new writing, too! While I'll miss reading your hot romances, I'm sure whatever direction you may take will be an exciting one for your readers to follow :)
Thanks. I hope it will as
Thanks. I hope it will as exciting for readers as it is for me.
Late to finding this post,
Late to finding this post, but as someone who has yet to read your work - though I own several of your stories - I will continue to follow your blog and look forward to hearing about your new direction. Your no-nonsense way of approaching writing while also reminding us about the importance of filling the well has always resonated with me, and I'm sure that will be so going forward. Best of luck to you and keep us posted. :)
Cari, filling the well is
Cari, filling the well is hugely important, and so is recognizing that growth and change are inevitable. Artists grow, it's the nature of the beast. If nothing else, it's good to know that. ; )