Catching Idle Butterflies

Day Three - Challenges

When I first began my novel, the one book I always wanted to read, I thought, how innovative is that? I'm on the cutting edge! I'm - yes I said it, and believed it - original! The dream of every writer.

And although I decided not to try to sell my manuscript, still in the back of my mind I though, "I'm innovative, I'm original, no one is simply ready for my idea."

But the workshop I attended was all about doing things we've never done before, to stop being afraid and saying, "But I can't." After all, how do we know if we can't if we never try? None of us came into this world knowing how to tie our shoes, and how many of us as children (or even now as adults) said, "I can't tie my shoes. Do it for me, Ma."

During the seminar, I thought, oh, yeah, I can do that. After all, I'm original!

That afternoon I talked with my final appointment, a lady named Wendy who works for the literary agency "Books & Such". She was very friendly, soft spoken, and smiled a lot. She put me at ease the moment she said hello.

I went ahead and described my story, the genre, my intended audience, etc. She also asked about me, and where I am in my writing in general.

"With science fiction not even on the radar," she said after I finished, "would you consider setting your book aside and write something with the same premise, only in today's world?"

The idea never occurred to me.

"The question is," she continued, "Do you want to be heard sooner than if you don't try writing contemporary fiction? You know your writing and I think you can write about anything, to at least make a name for yourself. When science fiction does become something the Christian market wants to try, then you'll be ready."

Wendy then asked me what I like to read and she said, "Have you tried reading in other genre's besides science fiction and fantasy?" I have and told her so, though her comments made my brain go a little haywire with the possibilities, I couldn't think of a single author.

"Read things like Suspense, chick-lit - though I hate that term - and mysteries. See if you can develop a story in one of those genres. What we are looking for is women's fiction with a sassy voice, but the readers coming up are more in tune with the world and what's going on. It's not about internal struggles anymore, but about servanthood, changing the world around us."

In other words, she was telling me, take a risk, break out of your comfort zone.

I then realized my book, my idea, is something I'm comfortable with. To write in a different, contemporary setting is a huge challenge for me. Not only does that mean research, it means I can't cheat by creating my own worlds, my own rules. I have to follow existing ones closely, otherwise I would lose credibility.

I don't know if I can do that, or even if I want to.

But if that's the case, then I have learned nothing from the workshop I attended. I need to leave my comfortable world and find new ways to be innovative, on the cutting edge and original.

I'll never know the possibilities until I try.