When 'good' isn't good enough

I used to call my debut novel, The Wild Between Us, ‘The Novel that Won’t Die’ because I simply refused to let it. The process of getting it from first draft to published took over ten years, and yes, I took breaks, and I shoved it in a drawer more than once, but every time I took it back out again, I felt invigorated to make it better. And bit by bit, it was. Eventually, it was as good as I could make it.

Now I’m working on what I hope will be my fourth book, and I think I’ll call this one, ‘The Novel that Won’t Begin’. Seven full drafts in, I’ve finally stuck the landing, but the opening of this thing is still all wobble.

TL;DR? Beginnings are hard.

I just submitted yet another new Chapter One, and this just in from my agent: it still isn’t quite there. She’s right…I know she’s right, but all the same, I feel like I’m turning circles in a darkening wilderness, unable to see the forest for the trees at this point.

I need to step back, maybe hop in a helicopter or something*, and view it all from above. I think I’ve answered the all-important what does my protagonist want or need question, but: why now?

In other words, what gets my protagonist up and off the couch? What gets the ball of this story rolling in this exact moment that the reader finds her in?

This question is arguably the most important of all. It’s called the inciting incident, and while critical, it’s all too often hard to pin down. But when you do? *chef’s kiss*

So here I go, back into the fray. I’m lucky to have a great sounding board for all my what if this or what if that questions as I painstakingly work on that all-important why now foundation to my book. This story is (very) loosely based on my wife’s lived experience as a closed-adoption, 1970s adoptee, and I’m determined to finally wrestle this critical first chapter into submission. I’ll know it when I do, because the other 40+ chapters will start to flow like maple syrup in July.

*Just a little nod to The Wild Between Us.

A sidebar for my readers who are also writers

If you’re in the midst of your own manuscript battle, I’m glad you’re here, knowing you’re not alone. The greater fiction writing community is a godsend in an endeavor that can so often feel insular. If you’re ever in a place in your writing where you could use a second set of eyes or just need to talk through where to go next, reach out. I’m offering editorial services to fellow authors now, and am always available for a chat as we explore your needs and options. Or hey, we can just commiserate!