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revelations, redux, revised, reposted (due to technical difficulties)
It occurs to me, maybe later than it should have, that there may be a way to put my worries about the future of the Wilderness series to rest, and thus to make the writing of the fifth book much easier (at least in some ways).
Here's my idea: this isn't the last book. I don't have to resolve every story line, answer every question, and bring every character to a place where I can let them go. I let this book develop the way it needs to develop, which may mean (brace yourselves) a fairly narrow focus on one subset of the characters. But that's okay. Because I will write another book that does bring everything to a close. Who will publish this book, and how -- that's up in the air. Maybe Bantam. Maybe not; maybe I will write it without a contract. And at this moment, that feels to me like a wonderful idea.
It may be that the realities of the way publishing works require me to focus on other kinds of novels in the next few years, and that the sixth novel in the Wilderness series will become something I work on for myself. Which would be very liberating. I could play with form, I could experiment with some ideas I've had about what these novels might be if I had more latitude in terms of graphics and historical notes. I could do all this on my own schedule.
So this is what I have to do: (1) Finish Queen of Swords by October, and let it be what it wants to be; stop worrying about making it the last book in the series, because it won't be; (2) Get settled with the new book contract for contemporary novels, and set up a schedule for those. I am looking forward to this, and have a lot of interesting ideas to work with. (3) Make notes, as they occur to me, on what I would like the last novel in the Wilderness series to be like. Not what a publisher would want; not what the editor would like or the marketing people would find sellable, but what I want it to be. The shape of the story, and how it will look. Set aside worries about contractual obligations; assume I will be handling this as an independent project.
This feels right, and liberating, and energizing. Back to work.
May 3, 2005 11:39 AM
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Comments
I can guarantee you that I'm not the only person who will tell you that I would GLADLY pay to read "the rest of the story" the way YOU wanted to write it, even if it meant you went with some podunk little nobody of a publisher, who would promptly discover what a wise decision it was to take on your book when it sold out of several editions in the first few weeks, thanks to all the other people like me buying it up.
Posted by: Rachel at May 3, 2005 11:53 AM
So, this book is THIS book, and doesn't have to be the one that puts that whole universe in order, leaving no stray ribbon dangling? You can just deliver on the actual contract, without the obligation to create cosmic closure? Wow. What a refreshing thought.
You have no idea in the world what a perfect day this was for me to read the words you just wrote.
(In the last minute I've had several subversive thoughts about possibilities for self-publishing in this wonderful electronic age, but, I am putting those on hold to just bask in the possibilities that open up if I were to follow your lead and not assign myself as the Hall Monitor of the Universe. Also, I don't think I ever told you how pleased I was to hear that you found your beloved lost cartoon, because cartoons have gotten me through much worse days than this.)
Go, you!
Posted by: robyn at May 3, 2005 04:52 PM
somebody posted a comment here before technical difficulties caused me to start again: whoever it was, please post again.
Robyn, Rachel: sweeties, both of you. Thanks for those wonderful words of support.
Posted by: sara at May 3, 2005 04:56 PM
I'm with Rachel. As long as you are happy with what you write, then I would read it. You have my trust.
And with Robyn. If it comes to 'publish and be damned', I would gladly pay you direct to get hold of one of your works, even if it comes to the point where you have to print reams off your WP and mail it to me at the other side of the world.
Good things 'are' worth waiting for. Trite but true - do whatever is right for you and the rest will fall into place. (Even if it isn't how you or your publisher imagined it).
Posted by: Alison at May 3, 2005 06:18 PM
Its funny, I was thinking the same thinking in response to your earlier entry about how you were feeling. You don't have to tie up every loose end. I think readers who love your characters won't mind if some story lines are not brought to a close ... in fact it might seem all too neat to have everything tied up in a little bow. Also, there is nothing stopping you from continuing the story as it comes to you years down the track. I'm sure it will be nice to mull over it for a while. I'm happy that you are excited about the more contemporary novels you are seeking contracts for.... as a reader, I'm looking forward to reading them. Don't try to force the stories, they'll just come, I'm sure.
Posted by: Jacqui at May 4, 2005 03:47 AM
Some of those loose ends could become distant ancestors of characters in your comtemporaries.
Posted by: Rosemary at May 5, 2005 08:44 AM
Rosemary -- you think like a novelist.
Posted by: sara at May 5, 2005 10:57 AM
I too am in agreement. What ever you want to write and the way you want to write it, go for it. I will read whatever it is and love it! You are one of my ultimate fav's and I anxiously await the next novel(s) no matter what. You are awsome!
Posted by: Melissa at June 3, 2005 11:37 AM