What about Book Two?

3-30-09: “What about Book Two?”

Now that the ARCs for Hourglass Door are out in the world and people are reading them, the most frequently asked question I get is, “What about book two?” On the one hand, it’s kind of a surreal question. I mean, technically book one isn’t even in stores yet, so what am I doing worrying about book two? But I am worrying about it. Writing book two has been a completely different experience from writing book one. Yes, there are similarities—start with a noun, follow with a verb, toss in some adjectives and adverbs; remember to punctuate—but I’ve been surprised at the differences I’ve discovered in the process. This time I know more about my characters and what they’ll do and say, but because I know them better, I’m less inclined to put them in danger. What if they get hurt?

I keep thinking of a quote I read by Tad Williams (one of my favorite authors, by the way). He said that he hates writing the middle book of a series because it has to build on what came before it, set everything up for what will come next, and yet still be a complete book all on its own. That’s a lot to ask from a book.

What’s helping me the most as I work on book two is actually something from my childhood. As a kid, I would get so engrossed in a story that I wouldn’t dare stop reading during a dramatic moment because I didn’t want the characters to get stuck in a bad spot. How would they escape if I didn’t read the next part of the story? By the same token, sometimes I would slow down and savor the good moments; setting the book down gave the characters a chance to rest and breathe after so many adventures. (Perhaps that’s why I love Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books—characters play their parts while you’re reading, but once the book is closed, they are free to do what they want.) 

So I’m trying to work on book two more often—if only to get Abby and Dante out of the bad spots and into the good parts. I’m the writer, it’s my responsibility to look after them.
And so as I’m working on plotting and writing book two, I’m trying to build on book one and look ahead to book three and still make book two worth reading. I’m trying to get my characters through the bad spots so they can relax and enjoy the story too. Wish me luck!

A Day Never to Be Repeated

3-4-09: A Day Never to Be Repeated

I’ll never have another day like today for as long as I live. Today was the day my ARCs of Hourglass Door arrived. My first ARCs of my first book. No matter how many other books I write, no matter how many other ARCs I have, I’ll never another first. And oh, but I enjoyed every minute of it!

I had just come back to my office from having lunch and was preparing for a whole afternoon of complex, hard-core editing on my biggest project of the year. And then Anne knocked on my door. When I turned around, she was holding an ARC of my book against the window of my office. I’m not sure I exhaled for a solid minute. I know I screamed long and loud inside my head. Anne said that she had opened the box, had seen the copies, and immediately brought me the first one. No one else in the entire building even knew they had arrived. I couldn’t believe I was holding my very own book in my very own hands. Sure it was just a quick paperback ARC—no hardback jacket with gold foil, no fancy paper or endsheets—but it had all the words I’d written and my name on the front. It was unspeakably beautiful.

I was completely useless the rest of the afternoon. I immediately e-mailed my husband, Tracy, at work to tell him my ARCs had arrived, then I grabbed another copy and practically ran the half a block to the Church Office Building where my mom and dad worked. After all, you’re never too old to bask in a little parental pride once in a while. Mom showed off me and my book to all her coworkers and Dad gave me a big thumbs-up.

When I finally returned to work, I had another wonderful surprise, another wonderful first. Chris rounded up a box of ARCs and we had an impromptu book signing party right there in the 7th floor conference room. And it certainly felt like a “party” to me. Sonia took pictures (which I will post as soon as she sends them to me) and I must have signed 25 or 30 books for all my friends and coworkers. It seemed like everyone wanted one—from VPs to the receptionist. I had a line of people out the door and into the hallway. I hadn’t realized how many people had already read all or part of my book and how many more had at least heard something good about it. (I guess the early buzz was working!) Last, but not least, I had a chance to sign an ARC for my good friend, Chris Schoebinger.

Instead of going straight home after work, I took the train to LDS Business College where Tracy was teaching his night class so I could personally deliver a copy to him and see him before his class started. After admiring the book, he hugged me and whispered, “I knew you could do it.” I am truly blessed to be surrounded by people who believe in me so completely and confidently. I am blessed to see my dreams come true. I feel like the whole world has opened up before me and everything is possible.

And so I am enjoying this moment tonight, knowing that I’ll never have another day like this one ever again. And yet, I also know that tomorrow will bring me the first of something else.

I can hardly wait.