To Raise a Novel By Barbara Josselsohn
“Congratulations!” a writer friend of mine exclaims when I tell her my third novel will debut this week. “You must be so excited. Another book baby!”
I smile and thank her, nodding at this familiar comparison of books to newborns. Many, many writers I know liken the process of launching a novel to giving birth, and many insist they love all their books equally: How could they choose a favorite among the bunch? Some even say the letdown that can come after publication is a kind of postpartum depression.
But funny enough, I don’t think of my upcoming release as a baby. In fact, it hasn’t been a baby for a long, long time.
You see, to my mind this book was a baby years ago, when it made its appearance as a round, chubby bundle of promise deep inside my mind. Helpless and squirming like any infant, it wasn’t much to speak of back then. But like the devoted parent I was, I believed with every cell of my body that it had a future. I dreamed of the ways it could one day turn out: Romantic or wry? Carefree or serious? Intellectual or free-spirited? I didn’t know, but I loved it unconditionally, and I joyfully anticipated its development.
Time passed, and as I nurtured it and cared for it, it started to grow. I delighted in its progress and was starting to feel confident in my abilities to guide it forward. Then, boom! – my novel turned into a toddler. What a nightmare! Suddenly my book was kowtowing to its own whims, never doing what I asked or even paying attention to my requests.
No, I told it, I didn’t want ten pages of backstory in Chapter One – but still that backstory inexplicably showed up. And yes, I explained, I wanted to write in present tense – so how come past-tense verbs kept popping up? Paragraphs were too long, chapters were too short, sentences ran on forever, and anecdotes threatened to overwhelm the main plot. My book was uncontrollable, refusing to be tamed. It constantly brought me to tears, as each day presented mounting frustrations…
But just when I thought I’d reached the end of my rope, thankfully the school-age years arrived. Now my book craved rules and routines, and it clung to basic, time-honored customs and conventions. Tenses became consistent, and sentences and paragraphs assumed manageable lengths. Pacing grew more regular, as backstory melded easily with the present, and anecdotes ably supported the plot. Dialogue and description played nicely together, and characters were neatly and thoroughly drawn. My writing life turned smooth and calm. It was a parental dream come true.
And yet increasingly I sensed that something was wrong. Strangely, my book was too well behaved. It was the written equivalent of the class goody-goody, and nobody likes a goody-goody. My book threatened to become predictable – or worse yet, boring! It needed a spark of mischievousness, a few bent or broken rules, so I wondered if some sentence fragments or comma splices might help. But no, I realized, it needed something bigger – an unreliable narrator perhaps, or a good, old-fashioned, eye-popping plot twist…
That’s when my novel hit adolescence, and once again pandemonium ensued. My book became mean and rude and capricious, no matter how much patience and kindness I showed.
It demanded attention when I was away from my computer, taking up space in my head when I needed a clear head for other responsibilities – and then, when I was ready to give it my full attention, it refused to talk to me. Sometimes it would get very dark, flirting with emotions like despair or hopelessness, and I’d wonder: Where did that come from?
Other times it would get silly, putting jokes in the mouths of characters who should have known better, and I’d scold: Come on now! Be serious! My novel lost its common sense; it was emotional and petulant, often self-centered and hard to understand.
Yes, it was a difficult stage – but then, to my great relief, my novel matured. It hung onto its questioning and curious spirit but left that teenage drama behind. Which brings us to today when it’s a full-fledged grown-up, independent and ready to make its debut. And as for me, I now wait in the wings, hoping the world will find my newest book a wonderful amalgam of its tumultuous past: poised but vulnerable, passionate but thoughtful, unexpected but apt, quirky but universal.
After all, that’s the novel I raised it to be.
—
Barbara Josselsohn is an award-winning journalist and novelist who loves crafting stories about strong protagonists facing a fork in the road. Her novels center around second chances, family relationships and, of course, romance. She is the author of The Lake Summers series (Bookouture) set in the lovely fictional town of Lake Summers, nestled in the Adirondacks Mountains. The series currently includes The Lilac House and The Bluebell Girls, two more novels coming in 2021!
Earlier, she published The Last Dreamer (Lake Union Publishing), a women’s-fiction novel, along with hundreds of articles in major and regional publications about family, home and relationships. She lives just north of New York City and enjoys escaping to the beach or the mountains whenever she can. Other than writing, her biggest passion is her family: her husband, her three kids, and her indefatigable shih-poo!
The Bluebell Girls
Three generations. One summer that will change everything.
Growing up in Lake Summers, Jenna and her mother Sweet were known as the bluebell girls. Jenna was carefree, always running barefoot through their wildflower garden, and no one expected her to live in their little lake house in the Adirondack Mountains forever. But when Sweet’s health declines Jenna must return from her life near New York, and with her own daughter Sophie in tow, their family home comes to life again.
Away from the stress of her recent divorce, Jenna finds comfort in lazy afternoons along the water and long nights watching Sweet tell Sophie stories about her long-lost loves. And when she meets Sweet’s new next-door neighbour Troy, she recognizes him instantly as the boy with whom she shared her first kiss.
Seeing Troy reminds Jenna of just how reckless she once was, but as their feelings resurface, so do the secrets they hide about a tragedy in their past. And with Sweet and Sophie closer than ever before, Jenna is forced to make a choice: will she flee again, or is she finally brave enough to be honest with Troy and settle down in Lake Summers forever?
An unforgettable romance that will whisk you away to the sunny shores of Lake Summers. Perfect for fans of Carolyn Brown, Debbie Macomber, Mary Alice Monroe and anyone who’s ever dreamed of rekindling a long-lost love.
What readers are saying about The Bluebell Girls:
“When I started reading the book, I didn’t know I’ll come to love it this much… a wonderful masterpiece. This book will stay with me for a long time.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I connected with the characters from the first page and could not put the book down… I really did not want this book to end I have found a new author; love her writing.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I loved this book… such a great read, the characters were wonderful and the family story and secrets made this a page-turner. Now excuse me as I pack to move to Lake Summers.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
“I loved the first book of this series and I loved the second one as much… A great story constructed with a mixture of heartbreaking but beautiful events as well as heart-warming ones.” B is for Book Review, 5 stars
“This was such a beautiful book. Full of romance that you will not want to put down.” Goodreads reviewer
Buy HERE
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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