I woke up one morning about three years ago and decided I wanted to write a book. After I wrote it (120K), I wanted someone to look at it that I wouldn’t have to make eye contact with. That’s when I found Absolute Write. There was a critique section there, so I pasted a chapter and sat back to see what people thought.
I was surprised that even though I needed help [read as: LOTS of help], everyone seemed to like the story idea. Even better, everyone loved my characters.
Still, I needed help with grammar/commas/everything else you can possibly think of outside of characterization and description…
Enter my first CP, Leigh.
God bless her, she answered my ad for a critique partner right off the bat. She taught me a lot. My pages bled with every edit, but I was learning. She stuck with me until I revised that book, my baby, Blood Tithe.
Sadly, I lacked the skills necessary to have it published at a press I thought would do good by it. Although, it’s my most-offered on MS to date. I always chickened out before signing, and I’m glad I did. I wasn’t ready, the book wasn’t ready, and it is too important to throw away.
A few things happened then. I talked Leigh into taking an editor spot with Liquid Silver Books, which paid her for her time. I wrote the phoenix novellas, and she edited From the Ashes, but let’s not go there…
After that, I planned a year off to write my butt off and study. And study. And study. Then study some more.
Instead, at the end of six months, I had written Everlong. I didn’t think it would sell. I thought it was too sweet, too “me” to be marketable. I was wrong. It got me in the door at Samhain, which continues to astound me. If I didn’t get the royalty checks every month, I wouldn’t believe it happened.
[Insert shameless squeeing–Everlong goes to print on January 4th!!!!]
Anyway…all this happened. Years passed. We both moved on.
Then I get an email from her yesterday. Out of the blue, she thought up a solution to an old plot hole I hadn’t considered. I was humbled that my characters stuck with her this long, that she still believes in that book, and in my ability to write that book.
It’s sort of amazing, really.
Hailey writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy.
Cait says
that is good…now can i say go write me graham??
Hailey says
It depends…by "Graham" do you mean "Nathaniel"? 😉
Cait says
no i pretty much mean graham 🙂
Hailey says
I have to finish Wicked first. Don't tempt me, woman!
Besides, there are worldbuilding issues that have to be addressed before I get into Lineage. It has to be right since so much will build on it later.
I see late nights and throwing things into walls in my future…