My 'Promise' to You

Why I Threw Out 25,000 Words to Find the Sparkle Again

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“This is my life…my story…my book. I will no longer let anyone else write it; nor will I apologize for the edits I make.” — Steve Maraboli

This week, I had to take back my own story.

I’ve been working on Purple, Blame, Game. Most of the week, I hated it. The story just didn’t have any sparkle.

What do I mean by that?

AI can write a book

AI can write a book. But AI can’t create a book with the sort of humanity my readers expect. You see, if you’re one of my readers, you know that we’ve made a contract. A pact.

But here’s my promise…

I promise to deliver books that will make you smile, maybe even cry, and certainly think. I promise to share characters who are flawed. They will try and fail. None of them will be perfect. Together, we explore how hard it can be to write your own story. We look at how we can be at war with ourselves and still strive to become better.

So what makes a book human? What gives my work sparkle?

1. I curate what I love and weave it into every book.
   Right now, crochet is hot, hot, hot. I love doing it, and if you ever bump into me, you’ll notice I’m carrying a project with me. (Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition.) Crocheting soothes me, and I’ve become a bit of an evangelist about it. In my books, I also share my passion for miniatures, Zentangle, recycling, the beach, critters, found family, and fur babies. If I love it, it finds its way onto the page.

2. I share what I’m learning — and my mistakes.
   In this book, Kiki helps beginners get started with crochet. I’ve taught three people this year. I’ve seen what holds people back. Believe it or not, it’s a matter of trust. To be a nimble crocheter, you have to trust the hook and trust that the yarn will stay on it. That’s harder than it sounds. Growth always is.

   

   woman with short, blonde curly hair who is having trouble learning to crochet and the stitches are coming off her hook a metal crochet hook that word is HOOK, it has a curved end in the shape of a hook and the hook end is where the loops are formed — Ha, ha…AI doesn’t know how to crochet! In fact, it can’t even figure out what a hook is!!!!

3. I delve into the complexity of human relationships.
   My characters are multi-dimensional. They’re ambivalent. They’re passionate. They bump into each other emotionally. They disagree but still hold each other in positive regard. I didn’t grow up in a household where disagreements were settled in civilized ways, but I’m learning to do that now. My characters model the journey I’m on.

4. I laugh at myself.
   That means my characters can laugh at themselves, too. When Kiki is being sassy or a goof, that’s Joanna shining through. Perfection is boring. I’m not a superhero. My characters have attitude because they accept their imperfections — and whenever possible, they laugh at themselves.

5. I have a deep and abiding belief in the essential goodness of people.
   We can disagree and still care about each other. In my work, I craft scenes where people turn to their better angels. It’s okay to be unsure. It’s okay to wish you could do better. We can’t control outcomes, but we can control our intentions. I try to give others the benefit of the doubt. Kiki, Cara, Cragan, and Jane Eyre do, too.

   

   blonde, curly-haired woman with short hair throwing out part of a manuscript, trashing a bit of it

Recalculate

When this book began falling flat, I stepped back and recalculated. I threw out a 25K-word start and began again. I started from a different place. I increased the tension between Kiki and Detweiler. I introduced a new character with a new problem — and a bad attitude. I raised the stakes for everyone involved.

And I’ll keep polishing until this story has the sparkle you’ve come to expect.

Because that’s our pact.

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Mystery Mondays

And speaking of writers who understand craft…

This week I’ll be interviewing Mollie Cox Bryan on Zoom. When I do, I’ll post the link. She’ll be our guest on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET in Joanna’s Readers:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785

I hope you’ll join us.

Lots of love,

Joanna