After I received a couple of agent rejection letters, I decided it was time to consult with someone in the literary world about my work. I needed a professional perspective on this ever-growing project. I remembered seeing (when I read The Writer's Journey) that Christopher Vogler offered story-consulting services through a company called Storytech. I sent an email to inquire about his services and received a return phone call within a couple of hours from the resident book and script consultant, Brad Schreiber (co-author of the recently published Becoming Jimmy Hendrix). I put my big, fat manuscript in the mail to him the very next day.I was prepared to hear the worst. Brad, however, was actually very gracious in telling me that although there wasn't enough overall plot or conflict to keep a reader engaged, I had done more than enough character development and my writing style was acceptable. Clearly, there were many other elements that needed work. For one, I had brought too many earthly references into the project, instead of feeding the reader’s curiosity about the world of Heaven's Wait with new, otherworldly elements. And, since the manuscript’s chapters were basically individual tales, most chapters ended with resolved situations, which didn’t motivate the reader to keep reading. Also, the sheer length of the project was too much for a publishing professional to accept from a first-time author.
Brad suggested that I split the work into a trilogy, which would allow me to develop more manageable stories about R.J., the unusual Heaven's Wait creatures, and their unique adventures. When I asked Brad which genre suited my project, he thought Young Adult Fiction fit the bill, and that tweeners 10-13 years old were my primary audience.
I had a big job ahead of me--starting with turning my preface about R.J. into an entire book of its own. What was I thinking when I started this project--that I could churn out a few simple tales and pictures, and my work would be done?
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Bravo to you for reaching out to get an opinion, and double bravo to you for taking that opinion into consideration. It takes guts to seek the critique, but it sure does help, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI wish you great success with seeing this through to its successful end!
Thanks so much, Texas Playwright Chick. Yes, it was a scary thing to do. All of these events actually happened a few years back. I'm just now telling the story of my persistent journey. The first finished product, R.J.'s Story, is now available in eBook format at Smashwords.com, as well as at the major online booksellers, if you search 'Barbara McLaughlin'. Check out the links on my blog page for more info. Thanks for the comment.
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