Novel eight!

This entry is part 9 of 13 in the series All my novels

The other day I was reading an interview with Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, with some frequently asked questions about everyone’s favorite writing month. One of them was “I’ve already done NaNoWriMo. Why do I need another unfinished manuscript in my drawer?” He responded, basically, that you never know when your next novel will constitute a major breakthrough in your life or your craft. His breakthroughs, I believe he said, were novels six and twelve.

That answer resonated with me, because I knew right away which were my breakthroughs: novels three and eight.

The book stats

I, Spy coverTitle: I, Spy
Genre: Romantic suspense
Inspiration: A song on the Dollar Tree sound system. You can find some pretty cool stuff amid the junk at the Dollar Tree, but this is easily the best thing I’ve found.
Writing dates: Idea: 13 Feb 2012. Writing: 10 March – 31 March 2012.
Length: First draft—70,000 words. Final version—84,000 words.
Back cover copy: Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets—and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there’s one thing she can’t do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation.

It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy?

She can make this work, too—until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn’t the only thing suffering. Now to save her secrets and her country, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves.

What I learned from this book

A few quick facts: this book was the second book I fast drafted. Coincidentally, it was also the second book I took the time to not only revise and edit, but to polish to the point of publication. This was the first book I’d set somewhere I’d actually been (Thanks, Dad!), which helped in coming up with the locations they visited. Though this was my third novel in first person, and it was my first in present tense. Once upon a time, I was not a fan of either, but as I was working on the first chapter, parts of the narrative would just flow better in first person.

But really, the thing that dictated both the person and tense of the book—the reason this book was a breakthrough for me—was the character’s voice. This voice was one of the strongest I’d ever contended with written. Before I started writing, I knew I wanted the book to be funny and . . . “loose,” but I hadn’t figured out exactly how to do it. Frankly, it just kind of popped into my head with the first sentence of the book. I was so excited to latch on to it, I had to get it down right away. BUT I was saving this idea for a NaNo-like challenge that started the next day, so I wouldn’t allow myself to write it down. So I grabbed my phone and recorded it.

I won’t keep you in suspense: the fabulous first line is “I don’t do catsuits.” (Go ahead, read some more from the first chapter.)

The voice was sometimes so strong that I had to reel it in a bit, because the interior monologue interrupted the flow of the action or dialogue. And other times, while reading it aloud in critique group, I’d start rambling on in Talia’s voice, and my CPs would tell me what I’d said was so funny I had to include it.

This book was also what I used in an advanced deep editing course from Margie Lawson. I’ve loved her previous classes, and I still apply the EDITS system to everything I send to critique partners. But this time, I went through every. single. page. of my novel hunting for ways to tighten, power up, refine and beautify. I think it shows 🙂 .

And of course, since this became my first published novel, I learned a whole lot about the publishing process! I learned how to make an ebook. I learned how to make a print book. I learned how to get ISBNs, a business license, an awesome cover designer, editors, blurbs . . . everything.

The publishing side is a lot of work, but I do love that I can have everything in my book exactly how I want it. Or so I keep trying to tell myself as I haul myself through the publication process on two more books. AAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Which novels were your “breakthroughs”?

Series NavigationLucky! Number! Seven!The novel I (might?) let go