Since my first encounter with Kim Harrison‘s Rachel Morgan, I’ve loved urban fantasy with a passion. I easily got through a few books a week, even straying into paranormal romance with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I was looking foremost for plot. Lots of plot. A nice premise and a hot romance means jack all without action that lets readers experience the premise and romance. Which is not to say I didn’t also want a nice premise and a hot romance. Hey, I’m no more than human underneath this incredibly cool and witty exterior.
When I took up writing again, these books influenced my genre and the way I structure my books. Yet my writing was always a little…different. No matter how much effort I pumped into emulating my idols, my voice kept veering into the humorous. I never really shared my stories with anyone. Why bother? They wouldn’t “get it.”
My first Eureka
My first Eureka came when I discovered Jennifer Rardin’s Jaz Parks series. Here was an author who wasn’t afraid of characters who weren’t just kick-butt, but also smart-mouthed. She gave me hope.
Then Darynda Jones published First Grave on the Right, and my life changed. How did this woman write like me? Had she somehow set up shop in my brain when I wasn’t paying attention?
This wasn’t a humble thought, I admit. It was a visceral one, born out of deep admiration for the author. Reading Charley Davidson’s adventures was like a warm welcome-home party. If Charley made it, perhaps my voice might have a market after all. I threw myself into writing more than ever and took writing courses to get better. I discovered Margie Lawson, a wonderful teacher who pushed me to give my best. And she liked my stuff. When she remarked I was channelling Darynda Jones in my writing, I was overjoyed. Someone else had noticed the similarity. Woot! After that, the comparisons flooded in.
Over the months, however, my attitude changed. Now I’d found more confidence, and people got into my writing, I wanted to be recognized as my own person. Yet I struggled to move out of Darynda Jones’s shadow. Of course it didn’t help I devoured each new Charley Davidson book with great appetite, which in turn influenced me even more, as all great books do. Sure, we shared a sense of humor. But as for the rest, our books were totally different. What was going on?
My second Eureka
After a while I went back to my initial state of being reluctant to share my work. One morning while pottering about the house, a thought struck me.
My writing style, or voice, couldn’t be changed. Why would I want to? It’s what makes writing enjoyable, and is only part of what makes a book. After all, Charley Davison was more than just a sense of humor. She’s smart, talented, resourceful and finds her way through imaginative problems. If I made my writing about my voice, it was all people would ever take away from it. I understood that, if you have a strong voice, you needed a counter-balance. Something that would anchor that voice to the story. So, during my hiatus, writing courses helped me flesh out my writer’s toolkit.
Okay, perhaps I couldn’t get away from using clever women with quips on their lips, or what I call sassitude. Anyway, my writing was coming together, and my voice and the characters’ voices blended into a varied read. But why not try a new concept, too? At this point, I was merely writing for myself. The thought of publication had never been further from my mind. As a result, straying outside the norm wasn’t much of a risk.
I’ve always been a feminist in the truest sense of the word. I want female characters to be equal to men. Not superior, but not inferior in any arena of human life. None of this romance that requires a hot alpha male to assist our feisty heroine for me, thank you very much. More than that, I wanted to see a true female partnership, à la Melanie Gibson and Daniela Glover in Lethal Weapon.
Then a second idea sparked. What if I included a twist on a common plot device? [I don’t like spoilers, so I won’t go into detail here.]
This is how Divide and Conquer was born. An unconventional plot with two strong females (I call them ‘alpha females’), united by nothing more than a similar sense of humor and a prophecy, would give me back my Me-ness. So I labored for months, adding ever more twists to the plot, making the characters pop to life, turning over the words in my mind to get them just right.
A warrior charged with mentoring a geek. A quirky gargoyle. Enemies who might be friends, and friends who might be enemies.
When I was done, I was proud. I’d told a story that was different from most books out there. The kind of story that would grip me, the writer. I was no longer writing inadvertent ‘fanfiction.’
But would I have the guts to show it to people?
How I got my contract
I started with writing contests, judged by people I’d never meet. I won the first contest I entered, and finaled in many, many more as I continued to tweak. After a while, it became apparent I was using contests and tweaking as an excuse to avoid putting my work before “real” people. So I found a few beta readers willing to tear my manuscript to pieces. While they didn’t offer much in terms of suggestions for improvement, they did stroke my ego. Most importantly, my inner Darynda Jones had been disguised by a unique plot and unique characters, and only one reader even brought up her name.
Still shying away from sending my book to agents and editors, I signed up for a couple of courses and a mentorship, designed to help me write a synopsis, a query letter, loglines, and fifty other torture devices designed by industry professionals to sift out the weak from the ones who are truly hungry for writing success. My mentor was incredibly thoughtful and encouraging, and I was nearly ready to submit to agents. Nearly. Something held me back. My old insecurities reared their ugly heads with those beady eyes that squint at you as if saying, “Go ahead. I dare you. Just be ready for the soul-crushing rejections piling up in your computer’s inbox.”
After a good talking-to from my writing partner, I presented my pitch to a number of acquiring editors. Casual-like. No pressure.
Success.
Excuse me?
Yup, soon I had a contract. I was ecstatic. But confused. What about all the submitting to agents malarkey I was definitely going to do at some non-specific point in the future if the weather conditions were right?
Well, I liked the editor, trusted her, and nothing else mattered. I’d found someone who accepted my work as it was. Who accepted my voice and my slightly unusual plot.
Looking back, Charley Davidson changed my life more than any other series. It was the start of my journey to discover who I was as a writer.
I wish writers used humor more extensively. Some are trickling it in effectively, like Mary Buckham. Many rely on snarky tough talk, which also has its appeal. As a reader, my criteria are different. Snarky, tough, funny, silly – I read them all. But as a writer, my confidence soared the minute I picked up Darynda Jones’s book and understood my voice might, just might, be heard one day.
I hope you too had an inspiration like I had. An author or a book or a family member. Please do share.
