Well, it’s on its way. I sent the finished third draft of the new novel off to my agent, Gail, on Saturday. It’s out of my hands, for now. It’s her first look at this book, and I’m excited to have her feedback on it. I received extremely helpful critique of the second draft from my draft readers, and incorporated that into the revision to third draft. I’m confident that what I’ve just sent to Gail is much stronger than the hot mess of a manuscript Drowning Practice was when she first saw that (and then set about whipping it and me into shape. But if you’ve been around here for a while, you know how that story ends. Ah well.) In fact, I think it’s much, much stronger than even the final (tenth!) draft of Drowning Practice. It’s (Dare I say it out loud here, when it’s just now making its tentative little way out into the world?) the strongest thing I’ve ever written. (There. I said it. I’m ridiculously proud of this book.)
Some of my friends use their agents as their first draft readers. As much as I trust Gail, and though she’s an excellent critical reader for me, I find it more comfortable to first show the book to other draft readers first: to friends who are also writers, and to friends who are simply excellent, demanding readers. There’s something very serious and nervous-making about sending a manuscript off to your agent, no matter how kind and generous your agent is, no matter how many drafts she’s willing to read. I wanted the book to be as strong as possible before I put it in Gail’s hands. (And that said, she will likely want revisions. She always does. And so far, she’s always right.)
In addition to my usual draft readers who were reading from an analytical, literary perspective, because of the nature of this novel I also had two “expert” readers take a look at the book. Heather, a lawyer, read it to be sure the legal aspects were correct, and Marrije, a friend from Utrecht, translated the necessary Dutch for me (there’s some Dutch sprinkled throughout) and made sure I was using it correctly in context.
Heather set me straight on a number of issues within the legal chapters, which is exactly what I needed. If you’ve got courtroom scenes in a novel, and you aren’t a lawyer, have a lawyer read the book to make sure you got it right. Duh. Ditto for brain surgeon, or cop, or lobster fisherman. Fisherperson. If important parts of your book hang on any specialized knowledge, it’s good to have it vetted. Or, I find it good, anyway. Your process may vary. And of course if you’re going to use phrases of a foreign language that you don’t, yourself, speak, make sure it’s correct.
What did I not do? I did not have anyone vet the book who was part of the actual historical events that I’m using as a jumping-off point for the story. I went back and forth on this for months. The book deals with the Giuliani Administration’s illegal evictions of squatted buildings in the lower east side in the mid nineties. I lived in the neighborhood at the time (not as a squatter. I had a rent-stabilized apartment), and I have access to people who were squatters at the time, and to people who were involved in the politics around the evictions. For much of the writing of this book, I was afraid of getting things “wrong.” Afraid of angering or offending people. And then I remembered I was writing fiction, and I put that all down and wrote the book I wanted to write.
Once I had a finished first draft, I thought again about showing the book to someone who was there. Part of me thought it was the responsible thing to do, as much a part of my research as all the newspaper articles and online manifestos I dug up were. But I had reservations about it, about how it might muddy the process. I wasn’t writing nonfiction, after all…
Chances are no one is going to read a fictional account of their real experiences and think the writer got it “right,” and there are larger issues than getting it “right.” Also, if I engage directly with those who were squatters at the time, I run a real risk of feeling too beholden to “how it really was,” which likely won’t serve the novel. The novel needs to work on a more universal level.
As I was working on this book, I read other novels that dealt with recent history (which is how I finally came to read Libra and surrender at last to DeLillo), to see how other authors handled it. One of the books I read was American Woman, by Susan Choi. Susan teaches in the MFA program I graduated from. I didn’t get to work directly with her when I was there, but I emailed her and she kindly fielded my questions.
Susan said:
“Tempting as it is put your fears about inauthenticity to rest by having a ‘real life’ person from that situation vet the book, personally I would not think it was worth it. In my opinion the crucial thing is not the facts but emotional authenticity, and you can achieve that on your own. You’ll always wonder what juicy tidbit you might have gleaned had you gained the confidence of a participant, but as I say, the down side is too considerable.”
This felt true to me. Bolstered by Susan, I followed my gut and did not pass the book along to anyone who was directly involved in those events. The truth, which is hard to remember in the face of the self-doubt that’s an inevitable part of the writing process, is that I’m not telling the “real” story of anyone who’s out there in the world right now. I’m telling the stories of the characters I’ve invented. Telling their experiences, which are particular to them. And so there is no such thing as getting it right.
I’m grateful to those whose histories I’ve used as an inspiration for this book, and I hope that should they read the novel they’ll find that it’s written thoughtfully and with great respect for their struggles. I hope they find that I’ve borrowed these facts from events that directly affected them in an attempt to tell a larger story that speaks to where we find ourselves now in relation to our government, our economy, each other… (My, doesn’t that sound grandiose? But it is precisely what I’ve tried to do with this book.)
We’ll see if I pulled it off. Hopefully this novel will find an easier time of it in the world than my first novel did, and you’ll all be able to tell me if I accomplished what I set out to do.
Let the finger-crossing begin.
Here’s a woo! and a hoo! and a congratu-frikken-lations!
Can’t wait till it’s orderable. Crossing fingers and waving DPNs…
Here’s a woo! and a hoo! and a congratu-frikken-lations!
Can’t wait till it’s orderable. Crossing fingers and waving DPNs…
Fingers crossed! Also, Susan Choi sounds lovely, and should I ever take up cross-stitching again, a runner with the words ” the crucial thing is not the facts but emotional authenticity, and you can achieve that on your own” would be a good project, I think.
Fingers crossed! Also, Susan Choi sounds lovely, and should I ever take up cross-stitching again, a runner with the words ” the crucial thing is not the facts but emotional authenticity, and you can achieve that on your own” would be a good project, I think.
Um, a good project for *me*, I mean, of course. To help with me own spots of self-doubt, & such.
Um, a good project for *me*, I mean, of course. To help with me own spots of self-doubt, & such.
I agree with you about the tendency of “reality-checks” to muddy the waters. I think that was probably a good decision.
And it goes without saying that I’ll be very excited to read this book when (that’s an intentional choice) it comes out in print.
I agree with you about the tendency of “reality-checks” to muddy the waters. I think that was probably a good decision.
And it goes without saying that I’ll be very excited to read this book when (that’s an intentional choice) it comes out in print.
Congratulations on reaching the next milestone.
Congratulations on reaching the next milestone.
Carrie! Best of luck on getting this one out to the world. I look forward to reading it once it is published and on bookstore shelves!
Carrie! Best of luck on getting this one out to the world. I look forward to reading it once it is published and on bookstore shelves!
Congratulations! I can’t wait for it to be out in stores!
Congratulations! I can’t wait for it to be out in stores!
my fingers AND toes are crossed (you try getting any work done like this!) it sounds like an excellent premise for a novel. i hope to see it on bookshelves one day!
my fingers AND toes are crossed (you try getting any work done like this!) it sounds like an excellent premise for a novel. i hope to see it on bookshelves one day!
Fingers crossed over here! XO
Fingers crossed over here! XO
Mazal tov. And Happy New Year.
Mazal tov. And Happy New Year.
I totally agree–emotional authenticity goes a long way.
Congratulations!! I can’t wait to hold the book in my hands someday soon!
I totally agree–emotional authenticity goes a long way.
Congratulations!! I can’t wait to hold the book in my hands someday soon!
I really appreciate the insight into your process, Cari… I don’t write fiction, but I do social science that is dependent on real people’s stories, and it’s always so hard to know what the “validation” line is between my interpretation of the stories they’ve told me based on what *I’m* curious about or the angle I’m diving up from and how they would see their own stories. It’s an even more complicated dilemma from an ethical point of view in some ways… and like you, I tend to perch on the “this is MY version of the story” platform… hard, though, both for verisimilitude and for honouring the voices of the people you’re drawing from.
I send you HUGE congratulations on this milestone (from a holiday inn in southwest germany)… l’shana tova….
I really appreciate the insight into your process, Cari… I don’t write fiction, but I do social science that is dependent on real people’s stories, and it’s always so hard to know what the “validation” line is between my interpretation of the stories they’ve told me based on what *I’m* curious about or the angle I’m diving up from and how they would see their own stories. It’s an even more complicated dilemma from an ethical point of view in some ways… and like you, I tend to perch on the “this is MY version of the story” platform… hard, though, both for verisimilitude and for honouring the voices of the people you’re drawing from.
I send you HUGE congratulations on this milestone (from a holiday inn in southwest germany)… l’shana tova….
of course they’re crossed. let me know if you need some knitting/distraction time while you’re waiting to hear back from gail.
of course they’re crossed. let me know if you need some knitting/distraction time while you’re waiting to hear back from gail.
Best wishes and hopes. I find writing is like kids that you want to nourish along. Of course, that’s even though I have years of editorial experience, with a heaping dose of writing for agencies.
Best wishes and hopes. I find writing is like kids that you want to nourish along. Of course, that’s even though I have years of editorial experience, with a heaping dose of writing for agencies.
I am so proud of you and so happy! Your book just started the next leg of its journey.
And also, this post made me close Google Reader. I will work. I was throwing a writing tantrum in my head, but I will cease the tantrum and get some work done. And THEN I will continue looking at blogs. xoxo
I am so proud of you and so happy! Your book just started the next leg of its journey.
And also, this post made me close Google Reader. I will work. I was throwing a writing tantrum in my head, but I will cease the tantrum and get some work done. And THEN I will continue looking at blogs. xoxo