Since yesterday I broke the news that Carina Press will be publishing my romantic suspense novel in June, I thought I’d use today’s post to tell you the story behind the story. (If you want to know what the actual story is about, I posted that on my blog yesterday.) For the purposes of this post, I’m going to call the manuscript STOLEN because that’s the title I’ve been using for years (yes, years) even though the publisher wants another.. Since we haven’t decided on one yet, I’m just using Stolen for now.
I apologize for this post being so long, but next week I’ll be using my space on Tuesday for a Q&A with Laura Griffin, who will be telling us all about her NY Times and USA Today best seller “Deadly Promises”! (and there will be a book giveaway, so don’t miss it!)
Our story begins a long time ago, on a dark rainy night. No, really, I first wrote Stolen in 2001 as a screenplay (a script that was good enough to be optioned, but the movie was never made) and I remember getting the initial idea for it while I was driving on a dark and rainy road.
A few years later I switched my attention to writing novels.
I wrote a couple of books that went nowhere, but I couldn’t let go of the story of Stolen. In 2005 I wrote it as a novel. And then wrote it again. And again.
I started querying agents and I queried one New York publisher. The agents all passed, but the publisher asked for a revision. (I heart the editor that wrote my revision letter. I really felt like he wanted to help me make a better book.) So I rewrote the book for the publisher and continued querying agents. The agents kept passing. (I got an awful lot of, “I can’t get behind a book where violence is committed against children”. For the record it’s teenagers that are killed.) The editor wrote another revision letter, so I rewrote the book yet again.
Meanwhile I was writing other books.
Then I landed a literary agent and Stolen went out on submission to a round of New York publishers. Who all passed. Plus, the editor who’d requested two revisions passed.
Stolen was dead.
I left my agent.
And I kept writing other books.
Until finally, Long Suffering, a wise and wonderful man who, for reasons unbeknownst to me, shares his life with me, suggested, “Why don’t you send it to Angela James?”
I met Angela James about five years ago at a writing conference. Back then she was the Executive Editor of Samhain Publishing. My first impression of her was that she’s a smart, savvy woman who is passionate about what she does. Five years later, I’m certain my first impression was dead on.
I’d never submitted anything to Angela while she was at Samhain because I didn’t feel my books fit their niche, but now she is the Executive Editor of Carina Press, Harlequin’s digital-first press, which has a wider focus and is doing exciting things. . I didn’t think that my story was Angela’s cup of tea. (I’ve never gotten the impression she was into romantic suspense. On the other hand I can remember her gushing about steampunk five years ago when no one even knew what the genre was.) Still, Long Suffering was insistent, and frankly I wanted to get him off my back, so I subbed the manuscript.
Angela forwarded my manuscript to an appropriate editor at Carina Press and within a few months I’d received a “revise and resubmit” letter. Not just any letter, an AWESOME letter. The kind of letter that told me that I’d finally found an editor who “got” my book. (Hopefully I’ll write another post soon to explain exactly why I thought we were a perfect match.)
After finishing another book I was working on, I took the editor’s suggestions to heart, implemented the changes she’d suggested, revised the manuscript, and sent it back to her.
On September 16th I got THE CALL. Angela James telephoned to let me know that Carina Press was interested in acquiring Stolen!
It took nine years and countless versions (for the record there is not a single scene from the screenplay that ended up in the book, lol) but I’ve found a home for Stolen.
So that’s my long-winded story -- any questions?
16 comments:
You already know how I feel about all this, but it warrants saying again... SQUEE!
Here's my question: Will you buy a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad, or a Sony e-reader? :)
I second Jennifer's squee! It's been a long time coming. I still think the story would make a great movie.
Jennifer H. -- Good question. DH has a Sony e-reader AND the Kindle ap on the iPad and likes them both. Decisions...decisions....
Jennifer C. -- The movie still plays in my head. All I need is popcorn....
I can't wait to read it! How do you feel about the story that it's turned into compared to the original versions?
Oooh, that's a great question, Kate.
The stories are so different (except for my bad guy...I lurve my bad guy and he's been one of the few constants in all of the versions).
Interestingly, thru the revision I did for the editor at Carina Press, I ended up significantly reducing the role of my favorite character in the book (yes, I practically killed my darling) and beefed up the role of the love interest character (who is a fascinating guy and really deserved a bigger part than I'd been giving him).
I actually really, really like this final version. I'm curious to see what my critique partners, some of whom have stuck with me thru the very beginning and others thru every version of the novel, have to say when they read the finished product. So far only two editors at Carina have read it...oh, and me, I read and enjoyed it, lol.
What a great story! This speaks to your perseverance and belief in your story. Fantastic! So excited for you.
Thanks, Joann. Yes, I was like a dog with a bone with this story, lol.
Again, big big BIG congrats to you on your success!
I think that is so cool that you wrote a screenplay!!! Something I have been thinking about researching more since I have such a passion for movies and when I write, I tend to write it as a movie playing in my head. I'm just wondering what you felt were the biggest challenges between writing your story as a screenplay and then as a novel (well, in the original novel version, anyway). What did you find easier? Harder?
JB - Won't it be funny if it ends up being a movie after all? Since there are no more original ideas in this town and books are being used more frequently - how funny to have this be a BESTSELLER (because I just know it will be!!) that ends up being optioned again but made this time! My question is: should this happen, would you want to be the one writing the screenplay or would you bow to the studio wanting their own screenwriter? Especially knowing how the screenwriters in this town can stray so far from the book or even just change small things enough that it doesn't resemble your exact vision.
Wow! Yay! That's awesome! Thanks so much for the post. It's exactly what I needed to hear today. I keep wondering when to consider a manuscript dead, even though I totally believe in my story. I guess perseverance is the answer and keep working on other stuff.
Thanks, Melanie.
I actually found the screenplay to be much easier for a number of reasons.
1) It wasn't my first, whereas it was my first novel and the learning curve when you're trying to do anything for the first time makes a project difficult.
2) I'm brief. Screenplays are brief. Seriously, the longest most run is 120 pages (which translates to approximately two hours of screen time). There is VERY little despcription. There are NO inner thoughts. They're 90% dialogue. (Yes, there are exceptions, but they are not the rule.)
3) Screenplay structure is extremely rigid. In some ways they're very paint-by-numbers...on page five X happens, on page 28 Y happens, on page 60 Z happens.
If I didn't explain that properly, pls ask me for clarificatin and thank you again for your good wishes.
Great question Jennie!
I bet my answer surprises you.
No, I would NEVER,EVER write the screenplay.
Everything in movie making is done by a committee, and we're not talking a small committee like in publishing where it's you, your agent, and an editor or two.
EVERYONE has a freaking say in what goes into an adaption (or, for that matter an original screenplay). The director, the producers (and there can be a lot of them) the studio, the actors, the stunt coordinator, the location scout...and on, and on, and on. Don't blame a screenwriter for doing a crappy adaptation of a novel. Chances are it wasn't their fault. Writers are low man on the totem pole in the movie making world.
Of course, like everything else, there are exceptions. Yes, JK Rowling got to approve the HP scripts, but I doubt that even she is 100 percent thrilled with the adaptations.
Let me toss the question back to you, given what I've just told you, would you even want your book made into a movie? (anyone should feel to chime in on this one!)
Christauna I'm so pleased you found my post helpful! That was the point of my writing it. I know that I'VE found stories of perseverance to be helpful over the years.
I think it's totally okay to sometimes put a project aside, not give up on it, just give it (and you, lol) some breathing room. It's not going anywhere. When you're feeling recharged you can always have another go at it.
Best of luck to you!
JB, congratulations on your Carina sale!!
Thank you, Toni!
And congrats to you on your Carina Press release! (everyone can check it out at www.carinapress.com)
Wow, congrats!! That is so exciting. I too have been working on my book for a long time. I think I came up with the idea about 6 or so years ago, and it kind of ruminated while I was busy with other stuff in life. I actually started writing it about two years ago, and really got serious about it one year ago. Now, I am querying agents and going through all that rejection fun. Your story is totally inspiring! Perseverance pays off!
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