Monday 17 June 2013

Five Years On...

Hello all,

(I've been debating about writing this post, unsure if people will take it the wrong way, but here goes anyway.)

This weekend I celebrated an anniversary of a sort. It's 5 years since I sent my first story to Total-e-bound. It was the first story I ever had accepted. It's what set everything else in motion. I can still remember how excited I was.

Fast forward to today and, in some ways, nothing has changed. I still love writing. I still have more stories in mind than I have the time/energy to write. I still love my genre.

In other ways things have changed. Rather than one publisher, I have five (six if you count the GR MM Romance group event, which is becoming more publisher-like as the years go by). While in some ways this is great, in other ways not so much, because each publisher has its own house style and these seem to have both diverged and become more stringent with each year that goes by, which brings its own complications.

Over the last seven months, I've written at least one story for each of the six publishers. So, six different house styles, six different sets of rules. I just worked it out and between the different publishers, there have been 17 different people editing / proofing those stories. 17 people with different opinions on what I'm doing wrong and should do differently.

Now, I'm the first to admit that my writing isn't perfect. There are lots of things I could do better, things that I'm learning how to do better with each story. But the fact that there are so many different, divergent opinions is hard to deal with. It's reached a point where I sit down to write and the thought process goes like this...

*writes a paragraph*
Damn. Publisher A doesn't like that sentence structure. Must avoid simultaneous actions.
*rewrites it*
Hang on. This story isn't going to publisher A, it's going to publisher B. They don't mind simultaneous actions, but they don't like was -ings.
*rewrites it again*
And so on, for every paragraph, for every story.

I think at first, I was okay with this, or at least I convinced myself that I would one day find a way to please everyone. Now, I accept that there's no way to do that when some of the publishers have diametrically opposing rules. There's no chance of me ever writing something that will please everyone or being able to settle into a steady style. 


Just to be clear - Do I think the publishers are doing something wrong here? No. It's just the way things are. I'm not saying it should change at all, and certainly not for my convenience,

However, the fact remains that, with so many contradictory opinions, quite often from people who I don't know well enough to really trust, I've lost sight of my own opinion on, well, pretty much everything to do with writing. I reached breaking point.

After five years, I've realised that something has to change.

So, in the last week or so I've started a new project. Its a full length novel and for the first time in five years... it's not intended for a publisher. 


So, no deadlines, no prescriptive house style I need to follow. I can just write. It's impossible to describe just how close to bliss the feeling is.

I'm not entirely sure what this means for where my writing will go in the future, but I feel more optimistic than I have for quite a long time.


I think things might actually turn out okay...

*Hugs*

Kim

11 comments:

Chris said...

*hugs*

I don't think you're alone in that experience, actually - I think that writing becomes a chore for other authors, too. One of the reasons I've been hiding in my little world of reading fanfic is because, by and large, the writers are writing for enjoyment. It shines through.

I am so glad that you're working on something for the sheer joy of writing it for yourself. :)

jeayci said...

*Hugs*

Makes sense to me, and I'm glad you're finding a way to keep enjoying the process of writing. Good luck with it, and have fun! :)

Adara said...

I wondered how you managed it. Seems like it was managing you, and now you're taking it back. Good for you! I hope you enjoy it was much at the end as you are now. =)

Kim Dare said...

Hi Chris,

It's strange, because I still love the actual writing, it's dealing with the hurdles that have appeared in front of it that's the chore.

I did write a bit of fanfic way back when (although strangely enough all very sweet and non-sexy...) so I get the attraction.

Still loving working on the new book :)

*hugs*

Kim Dare said...

Hi Jeayci,

Thank you - I am having a huge amount of fun right now :) part of me wonders if I should have made the jump before, but I think this is actually the right time for it.

*hugs*

Kim Dare said...

Hi Adara,

Thank you :)

I think it will continue to feel good, because even when it comes time to bring in editors etc (I couldn't publish without that) I'll still be the one in control, which is what I think I need at the moment.

Managing... I did manage it for quite a while, but it wasn't sustainable forever. Things tend to drift off in unexpected directions when your busy doing other things, lol.

Take care,

Kim

Carole-Ann said...

OK, naive reader here! Never, ever thought that different publishers required different rules :)

I am FLOORED by your skill in pandering (??) :) to specific pub requirements!! Guess that tells me what for!!

However you write; Whoever you write for; even going self-pubbed, please, please, please know that there are loads of peeps like me who will follow you ANYWHERE!!

With *hugs* and *whatever you need* - just please keep on writing!! :)

Carole-Ann

Amanda said...

Definitely something that doesn't sound fun! Hopefully the new book will help you regain your balance. (And selfishly, I'm so excited to hear about a new full length novel from you in the future!) Good luck!

Kim Dare said...

Hi Ronda :)

If it goes to plan, I'll be blogging my way through the process, so you'll have lots of forewarning before anything is released. I'm guessing it will be late this year or early next year.

Thank you :)

Kim

Kim Dare said...

Hi Carole-Ann,

I think most writers want to make it look easy and straight forward. Complaining seems... ungrateful?

Definitely keeping writing. Thank you for the encouragement! *Hugs*

Kim

Kim Dare said...

Hi Amanda,

I do feel a lot more balanced with the new book in progress.

I think it will be easier to write longer ones in this kind of format, so win-win :)

Thank you!

Kim