It All Begins With Research
An idea for a novel can come from almost anywhere, but I find myself most inspired by either a situation or a place. For All That Was, the inspiration was the First Church of Seattle. One close look at this beautiful historic building and I had characters, history, and a real-life legal battle to encourage me forward. The inspiration though, was the church itself as I wondered what if these walls could talk? What would they tell us about all they have witnessed?
Outlining Takes Many Shapes
I spend a lot of time “thinking” about the story, the characters, their motivations, their fears etc and then I begin to plot. To some, this may look an awful lot like me staring into space, but really, I am working. (Smile).
I gather all the research I’ve acquired throughout the months and I begin fitting it into the story. I map out the path of the main characters (this is usually when the characters begin to chat with me inside my head). In All That Was, a main character only revealed her true self once I was well into the writing of the story thus the outline needed to adjust to accommodate her announcement of who she truly was. (Insert face palm here).
I have learned that characters will indeed make decisions, tell you when you are incorrect about something, and steer the story. For me, this is one of the most delightful aspects of the writing process.
I tend to do best when I can see the entire story before me so it is not uncommon to find me sprawled on the floor with index cards sorted into chapters as I contemplate what needs to move or change.
Then The Writing Begins...
The writing begins once the outline feels complete. I imagine the story as a movie and I watch it play out in my mind’s eye. This can be a frustrating aspect of writing as the story is so perfectly well formed in my imagination but getting the same depth and concision onto the page in words is a challenge all on its own. FYI… the movie in my head is always better than the story I’ve managed to deliver to the page. It is a very good thing authors tend to enjoy a challenge!
The key is to show up every day and write! It is far from fancy and it certainly isn’t easy, but writing every day is always worth the effort.
The Editorial Discussion
Once the manuscript is ready for the astute eyes of my editor (this is generally after 4-5 drafts on my own), I send it off and she spends a month or more digging into all the ways the story can be made better.
When the edit letter arrives in my inbox, I take a deep breath and settle in to comprehend all the work that is still ahead of me. A week or so later, my editor and I connect on a call and discuss the story, the changes, and the ideas and thoughts she has. Without fail, my editor is able to spot whatever bit I have left off the page. I tend to do this when I am uncertain about divulging a certain aspect of a character or situation, yet every single time, my editor spots what is missing and encourages me to add that particular aspect in.
Though the Writer’s Tears Whiskey is pictured here, you’ll notice it has yet to be opened. The edits required for All That Was were extensive as I needed to go back into the novel and rewrite the protagonist’s point of view, changing it from first person to third person and still the whiskey remained sealed. The reason for this is, though difficult to hear all the ways the story needs to be worked on, the editing conversations I have with my editor are truly invogorating. They inspire me and since she is usually the first person that I share the story with, her insight is invaluable. Brutal, but invaluable!
Rewriting Begins
I’ll spare you the details but in a nutshell, I spend the next month or two rewriting the novel with the goal of making it better with every pass. Copious amounts of tea are required for this part of the process.
The First Copy
When the first copy of your latest novel arrives, it is a happy day! All that you invisioned is wrapped up in a tidy 8.5 x 5.5″ package with a beautiful cover from an exceptional cover designer.
Oh yes, there are still edits, typos, and another round of proofreading to go through before the novel is truly ready for human consumption but all those bits seem effortless when your new book baby is in your arms.
At the end of the day, writing historical fiction is a dream job. I am constantly learning, growing, and examining relationships. What could be better than that?
Separated by a century. Bonded by loss. Will examining all that was invoke comfort or calamity?
Seattle, 2015. Emily Reed refuses to dwell on her emotions. When the first-year attorney is assigned a church archival project, she dives into the records to hide from her own heartache. But when she discovers her parents were married in this very chapel, she is forced to confront the grief she buried a decade ago.
After she died in 1935, Elizabet Thomas was devastated when her beloved husband wasn’t waiting for her on the other side. A lost soul, she’s wandered their church for the past eighty years, desperate to find him. And now she must persuade a young, living lawyer that the historic building needs to be preserved rather than sold and torn down.
Discovering a diary among the disarray in the building’s basement, Emily is first engrossed and then moved by the dead woman’s words. And as the fate of her home unravels, Elizabet realizes she and the grieving archivist have more in common than she ever would have guessed.
Can Emily and Elizabet save themselves and their cherished sanctuary?
All That Was is an uplifting standalone women’s literary fiction novel deeply woven with historical elements. If you enjoy dual-perspective storylines, complex female characters, and the rekindling of lost hope, then you’ll love Tanya E Williams’s soul-stirring tale.