Post 1: Don't Judge a Book...
RELEASE WEEK POST 1
DON’T JUDGE A BOOK…
For this book I used the tagline “Be careful what you wish for…because you just might get it,” but I very easily could have gone with, “Expect the unexpected.” That’s good advice for readers, and great advice for me. I didn’t think this would be a real book. The idea came to me as a joke, then I picked a cover image in approximately one minute, and I was just kind of goofing off and procrastinating when I decided to write a couple of chapters. I based the main character’s look off the cover model, and I didn’t even know his name until I started writing!
I thought this was going to be a simple, easy book, but the more I wrote, the deeper it got. With each new page that sexy cover became a mask for layers of unexpectedly nuanced characters, and the more I wrote, the more I found.
I really love the idea of form supporting function, and in this case I fell hard for the idea that this book, with its on-the-nose title and “hot guy” cover, could be something so much more. As the story deepened, I considered choosing a more “meaningful” cover and title, but A) that’s much harder than you might think, and B) I didn’t really want to. I like the metaphor of this book having shallower packaging for “deeper” content. (Also, I changed the cover of “Undecided” because so many people complained, then people complained that I changed it, so… you win some, you lose some.)
With each chapter I had to admit that despite my intentions, writing “simple and easy” just isn’t something I can do. There were so many times I reminded myself, “Keep it simple,” but my brain and my fingers ignored that instruction and wrote whatever they wanted. It was actually a pretty awesome experience, one that resulted in a really solid first draft that constantly surprised me on the re-read because I forgot all the stuff I included. This allowed me to use the revision process to add more layers, more shading, and more nuance, and each pass through revealed little bits and pieces I’d missed along the way. (Yes, I wrote it, and yes, I didn’t even know!)
I went out to dinner some time ago and dessert was a “chocolate shot,” a little cup filled with melted chocolate. I picked up the cup, expecting to drink it, and realized YOU COULD EAT THE CUP. That’s form supporting function. That’s surprising someone in the best way. That’s giving me something I’m expecting, and then the added bonus of something I wasn’t expecting. You can’t eat this book, but I still think that’s a good metaphor, and I hope the story surprises you in all the best ways.
**Speaking of surprises, there’ll be a giveaway here on Friday, and the first person to answer my book-related question will win. You don’t necessarily need to have read the book to get the answer, but you will need to have a copy to find it. Be prepared!
DON’T JUDGE A BOOK…
For this book I used the tagline “Be careful what you wish for…because you just might get it,” but I very easily could have gone with, “Expect the unexpected.” That’s good advice for readers, and great advice for me. I didn’t think this would be a real book. The idea came to me as a joke, then I picked a cover image in approximately one minute, and I was just kind of goofing off and procrastinating when I decided to write a couple of chapters. I based the main character’s look off the cover model, and I didn’t even know his name until I started writing!
I thought this was going to be a simple, easy book, but the more I wrote, the deeper it got. With each new page that sexy cover became a mask for layers of unexpectedly nuanced characters, and the more I wrote, the more I found.
I really love the idea of form supporting function, and in this case I fell hard for the idea that this book, with its on-the-nose title and “hot guy” cover, could be something so much more. As the story deepened, I considered choosing a more “meaningful” cover and title, but A) that’s much harder than you might think, and B) I didn’t really want to. I like the metaphor of this book having shallower packaging for “deeper” content. (Also, I changed the cover of “Undecided” because so many people complained, then people complained that I changed it, so… you win some, you lose some.)
With each chapter I had to admit that despite my intentions, writing “simple and easy” just isn’t something I can do. There were so many times I reminded myself, “Keep it simple,” but my brain and my fingers ignored that instruction and wrote whatever they wanted. It was actually a pretty awesome experience, one that resulted in a really solid first draft that constantly surprised me on the re-read because I forgot all the stuff I included. This allowed me to use the revision process to add more layers, more shading, and more nuance, and each pass through revealed little bits and pieces I’d missed along the way. (Yes, I wrote it, and yes, I didn’t even know!)
I went out to dinner some time ago and dessert was a “chocolate shot,” a little cup filled with melted chocolate. I picked up the cup, expecting to drink it, and realized YOU COULD EAT THE CUP. That’s form supporting function. That’s surprising someone in the best way. That’s giving me something I’m expecting, and then the added bonus of something I wasn’t expecting. You can’t eat this book, but I still think that’s a good metaphor, and I hope the story surprises you in all the best ways.
**Speaking of surprises, there’ll be a giveaway here on Friday, and the first person to answer my book-related question will win. You don’t necessarily need to have read the book to get the answer, but you will need to have a copy to find it. Be prepared!
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