The Writing Time Machine
Author: Lori Mofield
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: July 2004

Five Phases of an Author's Journey

In my opinion, a large majority of writers work through phases in their journey to publication. I believe that these phases take place without boundaries, guidelines or rules and are controlled by some type of time machine where fate slows time or speeds it up depending on its mood. Although, I wouldn't begin to question fate, I do wonder if its sense of humor dictates our destiny.

Phase One is one of the most difficult phases to overcome, but once you push forward, it becomes a walk in the park. However, until you take that first step, fate shall dictate the slow pace until you begin. You must begin right now; after all, someone may interview you about your road to success after your novel hits the New York Times bestseller's list.

So, you've decided that you're going to write a novel and you're ready, the excitement is overwhelming. You've told everyone you know that you're going to do this and today is the day. Your coffee is next to you, sweetened to perfection and temperature just as you like it. You reposition items on your desk so they are perfect, that everything is where you might need it, keeping distractions away. You inhale deeply, exhale slowly and sit up straight. You watch the cursor blink, your fingers are adjusted to the correct keys on the keyboard and fate intervenes. Time slows.

The first word, which may consist of only one letter, becomes difficult. Seconds tick by as minutes and slowly your attention is diverted by little defeating voices in your mind telling you that you can't do it, or you're not good enough, and even possibly, who'd want to read it anyway. Your eyes begin to look around the room and your fingers are no longer poised and ready. You sip your coffee, stand up and stretch your back. Maybe I would be inspired after I fold the clothes in the dryer or clean the bathroom.

So, why does fate slow time at this juncture? I believe it's a test. It's a test of strength to endure the writer's journey, which is not for the faint of heart. Perseverance must prevail in order for the words to flow from your heart to your mind to your nimble fingers and, finally, into the pages of a book. It's a test of self-confidence, inner strength and stubbornness because that first rejection can extinguish the writing fire faster than you can say Nora Roberts.

Phase Two may take months or years to complete the mental miles of this journey. Full of peaks and valleys, this emotional roller coaster will give a new meaning to perseverance. This phase shall make or break a writer and can be emotionally brutal. By this time, you may have found a group of writers with whom you meet periodically to discuss the business of writing, publishing and obtaining agent representation. You also learn the dos and don'ts of author etiquette, which I personally have difficulty with and I believe I'm almost in Phase Four of my writing career. But, that's another article.

Also, you may have a completed manuscript ready for agents and editors to view your work. They will see your beautiful prose, your unique introspective viewpoint and surely they will love the point of view of the sub-plotted characters, which are obviously perfect for a sequel, hence a multi-book contract is just around the corner. After all, you've absorbed all the information needed and your friends and family have told you that you're a wonderful author and they can't wait to see it on the shelves.

You've worked hard and it's ready. You know about queries and proposals and your storytelling will wow the publishing community. You write your query, perfect your first three chapters and mail it overnight, no signature required, and run to the mailbox every day for the next five months. You begin walking to the mailbox in the sixth month and finally, after more than a year, you dread going to pick up the mail and only check it once or twice a week. Then, suddenly, there's a package filling the box and your heart leaps. You grab it out and hold it close to your breast. You run to the house, throwing bills and junk mail to the side, open the return envelop to find a small piece of paper stapled to your query letter, the short summary of your baby, your work of art and it reads, "Thank you for sending us this material. We're sorry, but it doesn't meet our present needs."

That's it? That's all they have to say, no request, no input, just thanks, but no thanks? It doesn't even appear that they read it, no indication that a page was turned.

This is the point at which you either pass or fail the test of fate. Phase Three can only begin when you achieve acceptance. It is the phase in which you cry, eat pizza with extra cheese and pepperoni and realize you've done nothing for yourself except gain ten pounds. Your dreams are not within your grasp, at least not in the near future, and if you wish to continue, you have to find out what's needed to hone your craft. It is a time of growth, knowledge, inner character and strength building. As each writer is different, so is each one's acceptance and what you do about it. After I bought enough pizzas to be given stock in the company, I looked within my writers group for support. Although I believe in my family, only a writer knows the journey and I found support in my local chapter of Romance Writers of America. I asked if anyone was interested in being a part of a critique group. That's how you start, a group, a partner, something where someone can offer suggestions, motivation and share the tears. The only prerequisite is what they like on their pizza.

After finding a group which fit my needs and where I felt I was a contribution, I found out that although there were things I needed to learn, perfect and implement, I found help and understanding from those with the same goals and needs. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful critique partners, Monica, Margaret and Jody, for always being there for me. "You're my girls!"

There are several ways to find out there is more than just storytelling involved in choosing a writer's life. Phase Three only begins with acceptance. Acceptance that the steps leading toward publication are filled with rejections, good and bad, and turning those rejections into something positive, so after rejection 125, I came up with my own solution. I turned the negative into a positive. I have a motto, my personal philosophy, it's on my Web site and my business cards and the more I look at it, the more I know that it's true. "Rejections are the stepping stones to publication."

Midway through Phase Three, I received a "good rejection" requesting some changes. Now, destiny steps in this time, fate snickers and speeds time forward. An agent wants to see my work with some changes, yeah, some changes. But it's not just "some changes", she wants me to delete 150 pages of backstory; I began in the wrong place. Sniff, sniff, what does she know anyway? Yeah, she's a member of AAR, recognized agent through RWA and well known in the community, but how could she ask me to do that? You wouldn't know the characters' history. You wouldn't feel the bonds with these people and their world as I know them, how could she not see that?

What did I do? Well, first thing was to order delivery, not Dijorno's, and sink my teeth into a big, think, cheesy pizza with lots of pepperoni and put the rejection/request away for a couple of days. When I finally had enough pizza, I pulled the rejection out and read it again, "What if she's right?" I asked myself that question and I couldn't answer.

So, I posed the question to "my girls" and waited for them to agree with me. That's the great thing about critique groups, they tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear. The question here is am I strong enough to hear it? I inhale deep and listen, they agreed with the evil agent; fate dealt a death card and destiny forced it upon me. So just like the Beatles' song "Paperback Writer", I made the changes while on the phone with my partner, asking again if she was sure this was the right thing to do. She agreed with the agent and stayed on the phone as I deleted 150 pages of a manuscript I thought was ready for publication. And, you know what? They were all right! It's damn good, but I couldn't see it. I was too close emotionally.

So, where am I now? I'm waiting on the agent's response to the requested changes again. Fate once again has me in limbo, slowed time and I run to the post office checking my box daily in the hopes that I won't see a package with a note of "thanks, but no thanks" but a letter offering
representation, a contract and someone who will tell me, "I really loved it." After six years of active submissions to agents, am I back to Phase One? Perhaps.

Meanwhile, I shall continue working on my next best seller. You never know about those multi-book deals.

Phase Four is "The Call." You know the one. If you've been writing for any length of time, it's the one which we constantly cheer our peers for when they receive it, wish it was us, hide the green, jealous, monster and order pizza, extra cheese and pepperoni.

I was fortunate enough to attend a presentation by a published author and the premise of her talk was "be nice" and I think of that every day. Be careful of who you step on on the way up the ladder, because you'll meet them again on the way down. As I have yet to receive the call, I can't tell you of a publication date and the end-cap displays and such, but what I can say is that those within our RWA group who have received the call, I am truly happy for them and purchase their books as soon as they're available, tell my friends and family and even strangers that I know this author and he or she is a great storyteller! Oh, I also throw in a suggestion that if they purchase the book, I could probably get it signed for them. I give them a business card (name familiarity) so they can call. Who knows what doors that could open.

Well, the prize and my final phase, is Phase Five. Publication. Hmmmm, ponder that for a moment. Publication. Not many words in the English dictionary have more impact in the writer's world than that, well, with the exception of rejection, but we're thinking positive here. Phase Five is another stepping stone and once you get there, you have to stay there. And fate plays a part even here. How cruel is it to have destiny achieved, realize your dream of having your work published in print and see it for the first time on the bookshelf, receive your first fan letter only to have your contract expire and a difficult time acquiring another. It happens and if it happens to me, I will again lean on my critique group, family, God and my local pizza delivery places. Because always remember, fate can be cruel and Domino's delivers.

***

MCRW member Lori Mofield is a city codes enforcer and auxiliary police officer by day, romance writer by night and any spare moment she can find.

Love Notes, the official monthly newsletter of Music City Romance Writers, is provided to paying members free of charge. If you are an MCRW member and would like to submit an article to Love Notes, visit the main newsletter page for more information. If you would like to reprint one of these articles in your RWA chapter newsletter, please give proper credit to both the author and the original source. For any other uses, please contact the president.