One of my favorite things to do is to introduce authors who I consider to be exceptional writers and story tellers. Please meet my friend and author, P. C. Zick.
It all happened when I joined an online romance writing class several years ago. Curiosity brought me to the course because I felt stalled with my next project. I occasionally read romances, but had never considered writing one. Even after I enrolled, I considered it a lark that might spark inspiration for a new novel, but not one in the romance genre.
Up until the class, I wrote contemporary fiction and created my own form of eco-journalism within the novel form. That sounds rather snooty, doesn't it? Someone described it that way in a review for one of my novels. I just wrote about topics that interested me, and environmental issues remained at the forefront of my career as a journalist and editor. Writing a novel with dozens of characters involved in several different subplots meant a year or more of drafting, revising, shifting, editing, revising, and finally publishing.
Even though I wasn't sure where it would direct me, I prepared to take the class. I studied the romance genre. I interacted with other writers, some of them experienced romance authors with several books to their credit. I read romance novels endlessly. Some of them weren't very good, and some of them made me sigh with envy at the ease in which a story unfolded.
I learned from the good as well as from the bad. I knew what I didn't want to do. A glimmer of an idea for writing a romance emerged.
The more I studied and listened, the more interested I became in working on a fictional world where my characters could live and love. I created a town populated with dysfunction as its slogan. Within in the community, I designed a central location for those characters to gather at the Victory Tavern. And my first romance, Behind the Altar, was born.
The prodigal son, Dean, returns home to find his estranged brother engaged to a newcomer in his hometown of Victory, Florida. His best friend owns the local tavern and his former girlfriend still pines for him ten years later.
The beautiful newcomer, Leah, is bent on helping the area's homeless. It's almost too good to be true until it all starts to fall apart. Leah and Dean are irresistibly drawn to one another, the homeless project is in jeopardy, and Dean vows to help Leah.
Attraction, complications, lock-in, more complications, a breakup, and finally the "happily ever after" or HEA—all the elements of the genre. Why read it if we know the ending? Because we want to know how it all comes together. It's why we still go see classic plays or movies redone. We know Hamlet's fate, yet we don't know how a particular director will present the drama, and we don't know how a certain actor might interpret the character. We watch to see how craftily it's done. Same thing with reading a romance. We all know how it will end, but we don't know how the author will get us to that end.
As I delved into writing Behind the Altar, I relaxed more than I ever had in my writing. In some ways, writing romance taught me more about writing fiction than the other genres. It's a process that must be followed, and with its rather streamlined form, the elements of plot are on display. Do it wrong, and the readers are displeased.
Some members of the class suggested we write our romances for a multi-author box set—another first for me. I rushed to complete Behind the Altar. I had three months from writing the first line to having a finished product. As a result of the quick turnaround, the final product in 2014 was considered a novella—a shorter form of the novel. But I was satisfied with the final product and the response from readers. However, I knew I could do better.
When I finished, I missed the town and the characters, which led me to write another book in the series. In Behind the Bar, the Victory Tavern owner and Dean's best friend, Reggie, finds himself at a crossroads with his girlfriend of five years. Susie, who happens to be Leah's best friend, wants to get married, but Reggie can't bring himself to make the commitment. The other characters all return—along with a few more added to create more complications.
When I finished, I once again found myself not wanting to leave Victory. Thus, Behind the Curtain came to life. In this story, it's Susie's sister, Lisa, who stirs up the town when she brings a TV crew to Victory to film a reality show. Lisa and her friend, Tommy, spar over the ethics of such a production, and sparks fly.
She interfered in relationships, yet it was clear Sally Jean was misunderstood. And behind it all, she was a nice person. I kept putting it off. I thought I'd run out of things to write about everyone. And I didn't know if I had enough to write about Sally Jean to sustain a novella, let alone a novel.
Early this year, I received some advice from a marketing expert: Change the covers, lengthen the first three books into full-length novels, and write a fourth book in the series. I'd never gone back to one of my novels before, except to do minor edits. I'd never considered doing a major rewrite with the objective of lengthening the story. But then again, I'd never thought I'd write a romance or a series of romances.
What I was told stayed with me. I started with the covers, which hadn't previously been romantic enough. Lots of romances these days have naked torsos and muscular pecs, but I couldn't bring myself to go that route. I don't judge anyone else who uses that type of cover, but it's just not my style. However, I could go more romantic. My new covers all contain couples. I chose the pictures to depict how I think my characters would look in romantic poses.
Then I started Sally Jean's story. It came easily. I really did know Sally Jean better than I thought. Simultaneously, I began rewriting the first three.
I loved going back to Leah and Dean's story and deepening their characters because they'd become integral to the stories that followed. And it was also interesting to know what happened to the other characters after Behind the Altar ends. I could then strengthen their characterizations.
And now I have a series of four books—all full-length novels and all with some type of social consciousness. Romance doesn't have to be all fluff and silliness. Real-life issues and solutions can be woven into the plots.
I plan to write another series—this one with six stories about the Crandall siblings of Chicago. The first book, Love on Trial, releases May 23, 2017, with the second one already in draft stage. I'm also branching out from contemporary romance and am currently drafting a paranormal romance this summer.
And then there's a book simmering in a notebook. It will take me back to contemporary fiction—or women's fiction—as it follows a group of friends who have known each other for forty years. The time has come for them to face some truths about their lives when one of them dies. The characters are all facing sixtieth birthdays, yet they are still fighting the same demons that have plagued them since college.
Did I hear someone mention murder mystery? Thriller? Sci-Fi? Young Adult?
P.C. Zick is also an editor. Her services include editing, proofreading, formatting, coaching, and consultation on publishing. Please visit her website, The Manuscript Doctor, to find out more about her services and rates.
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That's a lovely guest post and interesting to see how everything developed for her until she arrived at the point she is today!
Thank you, Erika. When I sat back and considered the process I'd gone through in the past four months, I realized how much it inspired me in my entire writing life.
I agree! During the process we don't always realize the progress but looking back and seeing what all led to to this point is amazing! I wish you the best for your further journey!
That's certainly the goal I set for myself. That's why I find book signings so agonizing. It's tough to watch folks hold your soul in their hands!
I never thought of it like that… lol! To me it feels more like expanding the soul through every book. And every person who reads it connects with on special level through the impact the message has for them.
Yes, I believe that happens, but to sit at a table and have someone hold my book and then put it down can be disheartening. I'm slightly sensitive that way despite my best efforts not to take it personally. For me, the writing of a book expands my mind, heart, and soul. I love letting it go out into the world, and I love hearing from readers that something touched them.
Colleen, Thank you so much for the opportunity to write about how I went about my latest endeavor. Writing the piece let me explore the process. As always, your support for Indie Authors is endless.
You're very sweet, but thank you.
Reblogged this on The Manuscript Doctor.
Thank you, Adele. I loved writing this post because it gave me the opportunity to sit back and assess the journey. I realized in that assessment how much it had done to boost my writing spirit.