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A Writer's Fortitude:
The Final Stretch
By Sara Secora, April 6th 2020
This story continues from A Writer’s Toil. To read the previous part, click here.
In my previous post, I was delving into my experiences with transforming a dull first draft into a book. I explained how the first imperative step to do that was finding the right editor. Let’s resume from there.
I had found my editor!
I never had an editor before, so I didn’t know much and was quite concerned that their edits would pull apart my book and discourage me, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they did the exact opposite! I found motivation and clarity in her words, and a guidance in her well-crafted suggestions.
Often people (myself included at the time) assume an editor writes for them in a sense; they’re the one steering the ship once a draft is done. Yet, after going through the process with three separate editors, I can assure that wasn’t the case at all. The true process added another grueling and tedious task on my list.
It looked a bit like this: On my monitor, side-by-side, there was my manuscript document and the document that held my editors notes. For upwards of several weeks, I went word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page, combing through each note—for hours a day. These notes could include a small, red punctuation that is easily missed by tired eyes, or a sentence reformed because of repetitive word usage from another nearby sentence. Even with an extensive collaborative edit, the notes were not there to write for me, they were there to guide me toward a clear direction.
I remember those nights, I would plop onto my bed like a dead fish, completely exhausted with an aching back, hands, and mind.
After that stage (thankfully) was completed, it was at this point in my journey that my novel had a mostly finished first draft. I say mostly because I still had not formulated an ending. Due to my ambition of writing a trilogy, I had to create a half-ending—one that would satisfy the reader and set a hook for the following book in the series. That’s a rather tall order for an inexperienced writer.
To be reassured that my book was headed in the right direction, it was time to enlist beta readers. I sent out my unfinished manuscript to anyone who wanted to help. Some were more proactive than others, and offered to read many different versions of my draft, so many so that we lost count. Beta readers became a critical part of the process that I hadn’t considered before it was suggested to me. Their collective feedback assisted me with shaping the story into what it is today.
So, what could possibly be next?
So as it was, I had the words polished and settled, but nothing was done as far as the visuals went. To create a proper book, one needed a cover, interior formatting, blurb, author bio, and title. There were many incomplete steps that remained. My looming to-do list started to swarm me like bees, and that familiar knife plunged back into my chest when I wondered how I would afford it all.
That’s when the Imposter Syndrome rang loudly in my head. I was unsure if I had what it took to make a book come alive. During a rather self-doubt fueled night, I tweeted at the best-selling author, Patrick Rothfuss, and asked him what one piece of advice he would give to a new writer trying to self-publish. His daunting response was, “Don’t do it.” He went on to say that you would need to have the skills of a dozen people to properly self-publish. With just a tweet, my spirit splintered.
But I didn't listen.
Instead I hit the web and found a person fit for each task. Slowly, but surely the book took physical form. I had to go back to saving money and even started an IndieGoGo looking for some added help. I was gaining momentum somewhere along the way, the wheels were turning and pieces were assembling into one whole.
I was able to partake during the creative process as well, like being able to see Amethysta’s face as the cover was created. I made creative choices alongside talented people to help steer them in the direction I was hoping for. Even now, I remember fondly how I felt when I finally saw Amethysta evolve into the person I envisioned after all these years. I imagine it felt something like how a mother feels when seeing her child for the first time.
Step-by-step, each piece was completed, yet one critical matter still remained unsure…
What's the book's title?
From the beginning, I had wanted to call the book simply ‘Amethysta.’ However, that felt more like a series name than for the book itself. So, I brainstormed and jotted down tons of ideas. Among the list was: Wayward Princess and Veiled Princess. Then for some reason I had typed out, Throne of Lies and it just clicked. It had the correct feeling that I wanted and it was very accurate to the story line of book one. I had found my title.
All that was left was to wait for the proof copy to arrive in the mail. The day came and that was when I had Throne of Lies in my hands for the very first time, all that self-doubt, financial struggles, and hard work led to that moment. I cried the happiest tears. Many people say they want to write a book in their lifetime, but I actually did it. I fulfilled my dream and it was right before me. While my original plan was to wait a while to release the book, I simply couldn’t wait one more day and made Throne of Lies available right then, on August 2, 2016.
The journey to make my first book a reality was exhausting, and to say I am proud is a colossal understatement.
I’m a better writer and person for these experiences. I wouldn’t change them for the world. There are several books of mine available now, please check out Throne of Lies, Untoward Awakening, Agoraphobic: Inside Out, and Dear Wallflower.
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Sara Secora
Author of the Amethysta Trilogy and the Poet behind Dear Wallflower, Sara Secora dons’ various creative hats, all of which brim beneath her curiosity and imagination. Whether wielding a pen or microphone, Secora expresses herself day by day through the art of words. You can find her in the heart of Metro Detroit, Michigan, working as a professional voice actress, while continuing to write whimsical stories full of enchantment, mystique, and insight—destined to intrigue readers of any age.
To learn more, please visit: www.SaraSecora.com
