Back where you came from
by Charity TahmasebA week ago yesterday, I finished--that should be finally finished--the novel I’ve been working on for nearly two years. Two years is long time to spend on anything, and this particular book took more blood, sweat, and tears than I ever imagined it could.
It grew out of frustration with the market at the time, all this emphasis on Chick Lit, on “women’s” stories, and I simply couldn’t relate. When I was twenty five, I was lugging around a rucksack, not a Prada or Kate Spade purse. I wore combat boots, not Manolo Blahniks.
Clearly, I knew nothing about being a woman in today’s world.
Which is why I wrote the book. Instead of making it contemporary, I used the timeframe of the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Black Hawk down incident in Somalia. Instead of three best girlfriends, I gave the heroine three best guy friends. And she spends a great deal of time muddy and appallingly un-bathed.
In other words, I went home. And when I wrote those final words last week, I felt an immense sense of satisfaction. Right before the panic hit.
I don’t have another project cued up. I got nothing. For the first time in a long time, I don’t have anything to work on. And that’s a very strange feeling.
Then I remembered. I needed to go home, back where I came from, and for I think all of us in the Wet Noodle Posse, that would be reading, movies--stories of all kinds. What enticed us to write in the first place was a love of stories.
So I’ve indulged in Firefly and Serenity. I have Sense and Sensibility on CD ready for my commute next week. I have a huge to-be-read pile I can’t wait to dive into. I need to fill myself with new places and ideas, new worlds and new points of view.
When the time is right, I’m sure the words will come. At least, I hope so. But at least the wait will be pleasant, back where I came from.
posted by Charity Tahmaseb @ 7:53 AM
6 Comments:
Charity, congratulations on finishing! And I think your muddy, backpacky, guy-friend story sounds fantastic. You've been true to yourself and your muse, so your story will sound fresh when it hits the editors' desks. Good luck!
Congratulations on typing "the end," Charity. What an accomplishment! And your story sounds wonderful. I already know your writing is.
Ahhh, quality time reading great books and watching great movies. Isn't it a great system when spending time like that counts as research? Enjoy!
Charity,
It is so nice to hear you wrote the story you wanted to write. I think too often writers try to chase the current trend, only to find their hearts aren't in it and the fickle trend has changed to something completely different anyway. I agree with bridget, the editors are going to think this is totally fresh.
You also may have editors say things like, "Readers will never accept your heroine" (what they said to me, but then Miss M sold and won the GH!) or the time period or the setting. Hang in there!
Diane
Congratulations on finishing! Enjoy your time refilling the well!
This is so funny... I was having that same feeling earlier in the week. I was in the magazine section of the library, while C was at a robotics team thingy down in the media room. And I came across the Fortean Times. Do you know it? It's a riot. Think "National Enquirer" for *somewhat* smarter people. Maybe. I don't know... kind of hard to describe. Thought it might jog my mind in some, er, interesting ways.
Very cool on finishing, Charity. I hope it finds a home and a bookshelf at a store near me. :)
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