Heather Ames's Blog - Posts Tagged "stand-alone"
Making "Indelible" into a Series
When I first presented an earlier version of "Indelible" to the Alameda Writers Group's Fiction SIG (Special Interest Group) it was shorter, far less edgy and had a fish-head prologue that I had been convinced to add by a very large Romance Publisher, to meet their guidelines for a Romantic Suspense. The prologue was added to tone down "frightening" aspects of my opening chapter.
Thanks to the AWG, I removed said prologue, pretty much left the opening the way it had originally been, and revised from there. The framework for the book was always in place. What I added was more meat, more conflict and more thrills for the ride. I also brought Brian Swift's brother, and Kaylen Roberts' boyfriend, Tim Madison, out of the shadows and made him into a flesh and blood character, although he's never actually on-stage.
This book, which my then-agent marketed as a Romantic Suspense, was actually a mainstream Mystery/Suspense with some romantic elements, and could never meet the Romance industry's restrictive guidelines even while hiding behind a curtain pulled by a 3 page intro.
As the months rolled by and the pages of my revised and lengthened manuscript were presented at the SIG, another member of the AWG kept telling me that "Indelible" was the first book in a series.
I kept disagreeing. "Indelible" was a stand-alone. However, as the book progressed and the sub-plots developed, I realized she was correct--this was, indeed, a series. Listening to critique group members in this wonderfully supportive and insightful group led me onto a different path, and the one to publication.
Thanks to the AWG, I removed said prologue, pretty much left the opening the way it had originally been, and revised from there. The framework for the book was always in place. What I added was more meat, more conflict and more thrills for the ride. I also brought Brian Swift's brother, and Kaylen Roberts' boyfriend, Tim Madison, out of the shadows and made him into a flesh and blood character, although he's never actually on-stage.
This book, which my then-agent marketed as a Romantic Suspense, was actually a mainstream Mystery/Suspense with some romantic elements, and could never meet the Romance industry's restrictive guidelines even while hiding behind a curtain pulled by a 3 page intro.
As the months rolled by and the pages of my revised and lengthened manuscript were presented at the SIG, another member of the AWG kept telling me that "Indelible" was the first book in a series.
I kept disagreeing. "Indelible" was a stand-alone. However, as the book progressed and the sub-plots developed, I realized she was correct--this was, indeed, a series. Listening to critique group members in this wonderfully supportive and insightful group led me onto a different path, and the one to publication.
In Limbo, and not.
"Swift Justice," the second book in the "Indelible" series has a partial and synopsis under consideration. While waiting to find out the fate of this book that took so much out of me to write, I decided to do myself a favor of sorts and pull out a manuscript that my then-agent tried to market as a hardback psychological suspense. I had always seen myself as a paperback writer, and the editors' feedback seconded that feeling. My agent and I parted company when she was unable to sell it, and I shelved that big book for a long time. As I go through it now, updating, editing and cutting, I can see how much my writing style has changed. I've cut the first 131 pages down to 97, including throwing out one entire chapter. I believe "Night Shadows" will be not only shorter and tighter, but a smoother read by the time I get through with it. None of the suspense will be cut out of it, and all the quirky characters will remain. I always did like a challenge.
The Final Leg
This is what I'm telling myself as I plough through to the end of NIGHT SHADOWS. I knew I had a lot of work to do with the last 100 pages or so, and my first assessment was correct. When changing about a third of the plot, renaming characters, omitting needless words but clarifying both plot points and police interviews with potential suspects, I gave myself quite the challenge. I posted on Facebook that sometimes when I take a break from the revisions, I feel like I'm surfacing from deep-sea diving.
I'm still on-track for an early 2018 release date for this stand-alone suspense, after which I am going to take a short hiatus before plunging into Book 3 of the INDELIBLE series.
After an unexpected an unwanted glitch in my publishing schedule, I feel like I'm back on track, and very glad to be there with new releases in a much more timely manner.
The world of the small publishers has been very, very rocky over the last couple of years, at least as far as my own experience is concerned. I wonder where, when and if it will all end, and who will benefit? Trad publishers, small publishers, or the self-published? I wonder when the saturation point will be reached?
In the meantime, I'll continue to do my best to build a readership by delivering a tight plot, good research, relatable but flawed characters and yes, nail-biting suspense. I believe that if I can do all of the above, then those readers will come and hopefully, by word of mouth, bring more readers along for the ride.
I'm still on-track for an early 2018 release date for this stand-alone suspense, after which I am going to take a short hiatus before plunging into Book 3 of the INDELIBLE series.
After an unexpected an unwanted glitch in my publishing schedule, I feel like I'm back on track, and very glad to be there with new releases in a much more timely manner.
The world of the small publishers has been very, very rocky over the last couple of years, at least as far as my own experience is concerned. I wonder where, when and if it will all end, and who will benefit? Trad publishers, small publishers, or the self-published? I wonder when the saturation point will be reached?
In the meantime, I'll continue to do my best to build a readership by delivering a tight plot, good research, relatable but flawed characters and yes, nail-biting suspense. I believe that if I can do all of the above, then those readers will come and hopefully, by word of mouth, bring more readers along for the ride.
