You know how when you read a book you really love, in a way you hate for it to end? Well, imagine if you've lived with the story and the characters and the place for, ahem, a couple of years, or however long the process has taken. And even though you know you will be revising and editing and doing page proofs, and that of course you can go back and read the finished book any time, it's somehow not the same. It's gone. You're not LIVING the story anymore as it develops and unfolds. So every finished book is a big birth, and a little loss.
Does that seem totally weird??
Reds, do you experience this, too? Do you have any little letting go rituals?
HALLIE EPHRON: I confess, more often what I experience is dread: fear that I'll never come up with another idea as good as that one. Each book feels like a small miracle. Also, I know I"m not "done." There will be a ton of revisions to make, so I try to make a list of what I want to change before I start getting notes from my agent or editor. Sometimes you can lose track, and it's a good idea to stay centered and focused on what you intended to say with the story. And then open a bottle of Prosecco and toast myself!
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: ......
RHYS BOWEN: I am always so relieved when I type THE END. Every book is the same process for me. Flat out panic for the first hundred pages, light at the end of the tunnel for the next hundred and then galloping along , can't write fast enough after that. Any yes, I am sometimes a little sad, especially if I'm enjoying the setting ( like Tuscany) or the characters and I really want to see what happens next to them. But with my crazy schedule if 2 books a year I don't have much time to mourn or contemplate. It's off to New adventures.
JULIA: .....
LUCY BURDETTE: It makes sense to me that you'd feel a bit mournful, but I think that happens to me more at launch time. That's when all the build-up crescendos, and the process I've been working on for months and years finally peaks. I think it must be harder when the book isn't part of a series, because then the story is really over...
JULIA: ......
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: SO fascinating to hear how different we are, and how much the same. I blast through the beginning, then crawl, hand over hand, through the middle, the freak out when I begin the end. JUST KEEP GOING, I say to myself. If I can get through the first draft, my driving force is the desire to start over, because the second big round is when the book will emerge. The best part, for me, is the moment in that edit when I say--OH! That's what this book is about. And then I am a machine, unstoppable, like doing a puzzle when you finally understand the theme. But I don't feel mournful when the book is over. If I am lucky, I know I am finished because it brings tear to my eyes--like a true story has been told. THE MURDER LIST is in final final edits, and I am getting more and more excited. (And I don't celebrate until the see the real book.) But--YAY DEBS! xoox
JULIA: Just shoot me now.
DEBS: Julia, we are cheering you on! You WILL get there, and it will be fabulous!!!!
Readers, do you ever have trouble letting go of a book, or a project?
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ReplyDeleteMostly, I am happy to finish a project and don’t particularly have any trouble being done with it. But there are times when I’ve been so invested in something that I’ve gone back “just to check,” to make sure everything is just right.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to reading books, however, there have been times I’ve gone back and re-read a book because I simply loved it so much I didn’t ever want to reach the end of the story . . . .
I reorganize my office, change the posters on the wall, and take myself out to lunch.
ReplyDeleteSO satisfying!!
DeleteYes, I love that! That’s exactly what I do too, I completely clean up. Everything. It’s kind of crazy!
DeleteYou all are so funny. I have to say, I don't think I've ever felt sad when I've finished a book. At the end of the first draft I'm always amazed I actually managed to tell a (somewhat) coherent story. Like Hallie said, each book feels like a miracle. And by the time edits are done I'm so sick of the story I can't wait to move on. Julia, whatever you're working on, I'm sure it will be fabulous, no matter how long it takes you or how hard that is to believe at this moment.
ReplyDeleteI totally get it. I am always proud when I manage to bring a long-term project in for a safe landing, but when it comes to a book with characters I may never see again, yes, I feel a little sad to let them go. With a quilt, I can always go sleep under it, or take it out and marvel again at all the tiny stitches without wishing I could unravel it and start over, but with a book? In a book I am only sharing the lives of the characters for a short span. If they come alive for me, I will miss them as I miss work friends who are super entertaining, but who are planning to move to Nova Scotia. I love them, enjoy their company, wish them well on their next adventure, and know their lives continue on some plane of existence, but miss the day-to-day sharing of their lives and experiences.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing "A Bitter Feast." I know what a slog it was for you, but I can assure your readers, it was well worth it. I really love this one.
I love how the process is different for each of you. I of course mourn when I finish a good book I am reading, especially if it's a standalone. And while I'm kind of sad at the end of a book I have written, it's more because I have yo move onto a different series - but at least I know I will be back. Congrats, Debs, and Julia - you will get there!
ReplyDeleteWhen I am reading a good book, I think it is natural to feel some kind of loss that the particular tale is over.
ReplyDeleteI think it is felt more whenever you read the last book in a series, because you know there won't be any more books to feature characters you have come to know and love.
This is reminding me that one of the great things about writing books is that there comes a point when the project is FINISHED. You can take a cleansing breath. With a lot of the jobs I've had, nothing ever actually ends... it's a continuous stream of work so you never get to clean your desk.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Hallie!
DeleteKudos Deb! Thankfully this sadness of ending a book only comes along every couple of years for you :::ducking:::
DeleteI am looking forward to the next chapter(s) in the lives of Gemma ane Duncan. I mark my life events by what I was reading at the time. A few years ago when I had the joint infection from hell and spent six months without being able to climb the stairs to my bedroom, I discovered the holy trinity: Crombie, Penny, and Cleeves. Thank you all for getting me through that hell.
Now I'm anticipating at least six weeks in the sunroom, sleeping in a hospital bed, because the railing on our stairs is on the right, and I won't be able to use it. Having read the trinity at least all twice and most all the Reds, I shall be going farther afield. Maybe I'll read Michelle Obama's book this week. Lord knows everyone else has. I wish I had a big treat in store, but I don't. I'm so greedy that I read most of my favorite authors the moment they are published.
So I'll hunker down in this winter storm, hasn't stopped snowing since Saturday, enjoy the fire and the French toast, and be glad to come here to visit first thing each morning.
PS It's -1F this morning with about two feet of snow now.
Ann, I'm so sorry you will be laid up. I absolutely would concur with your assessment of the holy trinity. One other author I think of in that same level is Margaret Maron. She has concluded her Judge Deborah Knot series, but if you haven't read them yet, I would recommend them. And if you have read them, her even older series, the Sigrid Harald books, are good too, though not QUITE as enchanting as the second series.
DeleteAnn, I'm reading the third of C.C. Benison's Father Tom Christmas novels, and feeling very sad as there isn't another one, at least to date. If you haven't read these, they will keep you occupied for a while. The first is Twelve Drummers Drumming.
DeleteAnn, the new Charles Todd book, The Black Ascot (a Rutledge)is out in two weeks. I've read it--it's so good. And there's a new Mark Pryor Hugo Marston book out the same day.
DeleteThanks for all the suggestions everyone. But I really think you should all come read to me. And bring a casserole. Xox
DeleteSorry to hear you'll be laid up recovering for weeks. But so much to read. I'm re-listening to all of Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series, since I've also been watching the TV series (I love you, BritBox!) And re-reading Christopher Fowler's wonderful Bryant and May series. I've got the short story collection London's Glory in progress right now--and a very interesting introduction in which Fowler describes how he has modeled his novels on classic mystery forms--locked rooms, improbable plots, etc. And a fascinating take on London history as well.
DeleteWe're pretty frozen here in CT--my car said it was 6 degrees out as I was attempting to free it from the ice it was encased in. Ah well. Back to the books and knitting. ..
And just expanding on what Connie said. It’s really interesting, how is soon as I hit send, I feel compelled to clean up. And not just the piles of notes on my desk, but kitchen drawers, and the closet. I take books to the library. I send clothes to charity and dress for success. It’s really kind of fascinating to me how focused I am on re-organization… That’s got to mean something, right? Is it a preparation to start over? Or what?
ReplyDeleteHank, that happens to me, too. Although I haven't done much of it, yet. I'm expecting edits any day, but once those are done, I'll be cleaning up TWO desks. And the downstairs shared office (my half has at least a year of unfiled bills and paperwork. Sigh.) And doing a big book purge, etc. etc. etc. It's all that real life stuff that piles up when you are so focused on a book. And the reorganization is kind of a mental housecleaning in preparation for the next book.
DeleteHank & Deborah - A friend, who experiences the same compulsion to bring order after she finishes her project, explained it this way. She feels like she is "hosting" the characters and the story while she is working on an active book. Once, it's done, she needs to clean up and make room for the next set of characters and story that she will host. She said she would never ask a guest to stay in a room that had the belongings the previous guest had left behind. It made sense to me.
DeleteLove that explanation Lyda!
DeleteMaybe that's why I can only work on one book at a time--it's like cramming too many visitors into the guest room
DeleteJulia, you're so funny. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteDebs, how exciting! Looking forward to A Bitter Feast. Great title.
There IS a letdown. It's finished, but after all that focus, all that forward energy, to suddenly stop is a strange feeling. Like the day after my oldest daughter got married. I was making her gown, and mine, and altering three other of the maids' gowns. We ended up hosting the rehearsal dinner (huge mistake on my part), and there was just so much going on, for over a year, that NOT having anything to do that Sunday felt really disorienting. I imagine it's the same after working on a book, for as much as years.
Yay! I don't care if it's October--a new Deborah Crombie!! See, I don't really care about how long it takes (Julia), I'm just happy to know I get to spend time with familiar characters that I love and become engrossed in another wonderfully written book. As for ending a project, I turn my hand to a different kind of project after clean-up--if I'm writing, then I may pull out my fabric. Or decide to paint a room. It redirects me and helps expend any left-over energy.
ReplyDeleteJulia, we know you can do it! Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I get to the end of a book I really love. Sometimes the setting, story, etc., are so vivid and enveloping that it's hard to figure out what to read next. It seems like nothing else can fill the longing for the next book by that author. Beside you Reds, I always felt that way when I finished an Elizabeth Peters book. That's when I have to choose a completely different type of book. When I finish it, the cycle starts again...
I press send, heave a huge sigh of relief, gather up my notes and research print-outs, and chuck them in a box "to file later." I give myself the rest of the day to walk the dogs and make a nice meal before pulling the next project out of my "in box" (messy stack of papers on the dining room table).
ReplyDeleteAs a person in the middle of moving house right now I will do a dance of joy when it isfinished
ReplyDeleteRhys, I can't imagine moving combined with writing and copy editing. Well, I can imagine, but I don't want to! We are cheering you on, too! And the new house is fabulous!
DeleteRhys, I feel you must be experiencing what I did when Ross and I moved six weeks after The Sailor was born. It was such a traumatic experience I vowed to never move again - and so far, I've kept that vow!
DeleteI really don't have much to add to the current discussion except to say "Hooray!" for a new Gemma & Duncan book with an actual month of publication. Hmm, maybe I will re-read the last few in preparation. (I find I have fallen into the trap of being so excited when they come out that I devour them quickly. Maybe I should re-read and savor....)
ReplyDeleteHooray Debs!
ReplyDeleteI'm in that beginning part now, where the going is tough and I'm thinking, "Why did I think this was a good idea?" I know I just have to keep going and I'll hit my stride and it'll come out but right now...ugh.
I celebrate the end of the first draft because it means I was right and there WAS a book there. And in general, I don't have trouble letting go because there's always another idea waiting.
Mary/Liz
I actually took the weekend off! It was quite astounding. But now I'm eager to start a read-through of the manuscript, while I can still adjust things a little. And I have ideas for the next one that I need to start putting down.
ReplyDeleteI'm always so fascinated by other writers' processes, those of you who do multiple drafts. I'm so slow, but when a book is finished, that's usually pretty much it except for tweaking. But by then I have outlined and edited and edited and edited in the process of that first draft. My agent has told me for more the twenty years how much better it would be if I would just write a quick first draft, but my brain just doesn't seem to work that way.
Great post!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Debs! I look forward to reading your new Kincaid/ James novel.
I have wondered what it is like for authors to finish writing books. In my case, I am nervous when I start writing papers for class then I work very hard and I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do when I finish writing a paper. I had to write a thesis on Historical fiction novels for my B.A. Unfortunately, my thesis advisor rejected my selections and I had to read a different author for my thesis. I liked Sir Walter Scott, although he was at that time new to me as a reader. For me, I am happy when I finish a project because in the beginning, I think I am not going to finish what I set out to do! Then I surprise myself when I finish!
Question for Jungle Reds:
Do you feel like the Emma Thompson character in Stranger than Fiction?
Diana
Good question, Diana! Waiting to hear their answers. I am so looking forward to this next adventure of the Kincaid/James clan
DeleteShe's certainly a lot quirkier than I am. And spends way more time thinking and working on her writing. Daily life happens a lot for every author - in movies, not so much.
DeleteJulia, thanks! I was wondering what it is like for an author. I remembered the movie Stranger than Fiction more from the perspective of Will Ferrell because I once read a teen novel that had a character very similar to me and it felt eerie!
DeleteI remember focusing on the time periods in Sir Walter Scott novels then feeling a bit disoriented when I was not writing. I would be back in the modern world and see things that did not exist back in his time.
Diana
Teri, I look forward to their answers too. Julia answered my question. Looking forward to reading what the rest of the Jungle Reds say.
DeleteDiana
By the time I hit the end of the first draft, I have a ton of ideas for the second. But I take a break and work on something else. With my painting, it's done when I don't know what to do next. Same for writing, I guess.
ReplyDeleteJulia, it will happen. And your readers will wait patiently. Because.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ann!
DeleteThis isn't really a response to the topic - and I'm thrilled you've completed another book, Debs, but I would like to know how you writers can manage to read other writers' books. I don't mean how you would find the time as much as making room in your head for other characters and events. I'm afraid I might be influenced by some of them and then always second guessing yourself. It's bad enough when I'm reading a book I often stop and think to myself "I would have said that differently." I think you must be amazingly self-disciplined or confident in your own style not to be affected by someone else's prose.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question, Judi. I can't imagine NOT reading. It's what I look forward to at the end of the day. And usually by that time I need a little break from the story running in my head. I don't worry about other books affecting my style, because that just is what it is. There's a certain voice in my head when I'm writing.
Deleteand I LOVE getting good ideas from my friends that I can turn into my own kind of story
DeleteNo mourning here; just pure celebration and eager anticipation of October! But I understand it’s a different feeling for you. More like the way I feel when I finish READING one of your books! 😉
ReplyDeleteDeborah- I haven't made it through your first 17 (YIKES!) books yet so no pressure from me to finish yet another. Whatever your writing process, you seem to be doing what works perfectly for you and for your characters. And I don't hear any complaints from your loyal readers so "carry on."
ReplyDeleteJulia - I'll wait. Take all the time you need!
I think I wrote something very like that in a post on Jungle Reds a while back. Letting go of my first story (which I had lived with for years) was really hard. In mourning describes it perfectly. But once I got into the new story, I got stuck into that one. Now I'm in edits and planning Book 3 with anticipation. By the way, when I love a certain writer as I love Deborah, I wait impatiently for the next book to come out. BUT in Deborah's case, it's worth the wait. The complex, multi-layered stories she writes can't be dashed off. With that said, October can't come too soon!
ReplyDeleteAck!!! How did I miss this? Oh yes, teen drama, Hub’s surgery follow-up, and a book due Feb 1 that needs *checks notes* 150 pages to be written. Wasaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Kenn, I am the Queen of missing conversations, and the rest of the Reds still haven't kicked me out yet. :-)
DeleteLOL - thank goodness. I'd be lost without my gal pal Reds :)
DeleteWhen I’m reading a book I love, I do sometimes put it down for a day or two as I get close to the end, because I just don’t want to say goodbye! And although it’s embarrassing to admit this, I sometimes deliberately do not read the final book in a series because I hate to say goodbye. I almost didn’t read Margaret Maron’s final Deborah Knott book. I’m glad I read it, but knowing there would not be another felt a little like experiencing a death.
ReplyDeleteAfter I have finished reading an enjoyable book, it sometimes takes me a day or two before I can begin to read another one, as my brain is hanging on to the characters from the just finished book.
Looking forward to visiting with your characters again, Debs!
DebRo
Deb, I so get that. I've never read the final Morse.
Deleteand I am hanging on to the last Shetland book by ann cleeves for dear life...
DeleteWhat a delightful array of conversations ! I love being a mouse in the corner for this group of Great Writers....such fun energy abounds with every post. I was delighted to read that someone else (besides me) loves C C Bennison books and wonders when the next one will appear. I am a great fan of Fr Tom Christmas. Well, I am a great fan of all of your stories and characters, and am certainly eagerly awaiting the next adventures of Gemma James and Kincaid and their extended family.
ReplyDeleteI'm always happy when it's a book project I've worked on, such as rearranging shelves and such, for it to end and result in a much more accessible arrangement. There are books that I just can't quit thinking about and have trouble letting go. I usually finish a book in bed at night, and I will lie there thinking of scenarios of what comes next, and maybe who should play the characters in a movie. All the Reds' books fall easily into this process of letting go. The most recent book I've read and had major trouble with letting go, still probably haven't, is Elly Griffith's The Stone Circle, due out in the UK in February and out in the states in May. With favorite series, I become heavily invested in what happens to the characters/friends, and it's hard not to project what comes next.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm the picture of gloom these days, and I truly don't mean to be. I have lost my sister and my best friend in the period of a month. I attended my best friend's funeral yesterday. So letting go takes on a very real life meaning for me at this time. My friend Bonnie was my reading twin and we talked reading every time we had lunch, went to concerts or shows, went to craft festivals or author events, and every phone conversation. I knew that she was slipping, becoming so forgetful (she was ten years older than me), but I didn't realize just how far gone. She hid much well. But, having this blog and reading in my life is helping me get through the sorrow. I may be making some changes in doing my own blog for a bit, doing fewer reviews, but I've gone from being afraid that reading might now be untenable for me to the comfort of knowing that reading is steadfastly hanging in there to continue to enrich my life. Thanks you my dear friends here for helping to make that possible. I promise that I'm not going to go on and on about these losses anymore. I simply wanted to let you all know that you are an important part of my healing. xoxo
Kathy, one of the signs that my mother was truly slipping away was when she no longer read. Reading is such a powerful, rich connection between friends/family. And books have always helped me through the good and bad times of life; I might switch up genres, but there's always a book that seems to find me when I need it most.
DeleteFlora, I sometimes wonder how people who don't read get through life at all. And, you are right about a book finding you when you need it most. I've just finished Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce, and it was just the book I needed at this time.
DeleteKathy, we are so sorry for the blows life has dealt you the last couple of months, and we miss your daily presence. Know that we are sending you love and support.
DeleteAnd that we all know exactly what you mean about books. I agree that I don't know how people who don't read get through life at all.
I'm not a writer but reader with a pile of books. Always a pile of books. I crochet, and have the yarn and hooks to prove it. I rarely follow patterns, just take inspiration from the yarn and the reason why or who I'm creating for. And like so many others, I sometimes have to pull my yarn apart and start again. And then I think it will never get done, only to stay up late to finish those last rows.
ReplyDeleteI understand what Kathy is saying about a person hiding an illness. My Mom worked around her Alzheimer's for years and we knew there was an issue, but she passed her first test so I had to wait before I tried again. But none of us knew she had been having strokes at the same time, that was the eye opener. Everyone handles loss differently, since the personality that was my Mom was already gone, my grief was not openly seen when she died. I had been living it for years.
My escape, all my life, has been books. Words allow me to travel. I think the first time I actively knew a series would be ending was when James Herriot died. I was reading or just finished one of his book.... No more travels to Yorkshire....
Deborah,
ReplyDeleteI understand you completely. Whenever I finish one of my books, I feel exhilarated and drain all at the same time. Sad too. However, I like to leave a little something dangling on the last page for the next book. It's naughty, I know. But it's also a way to keep my mind turning about the new book, while building on the last one.
I have so many books to be read that I'm usually anxious to get to the next book. However, sometimes I get lost in a world and still think about it after I finish the book. When I know a series is ending, especially because of the death of the author, reading that last book is sad.
ReplyDeleteI felt that way at the end of my first year of teaching, but students patiently explained summer to me and that I'd have more adventures in September (well, August is the start of the school year now, at least here in Missouri).
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it makes you sad, but as a reader, I'm doing a little happy dance and have marked my calendar -- oh, October, my birth month, a very good sign! <3
It depends on the project. I've ghostwritten short e-books in short amounts of time and continued to think "I could develop this idea into a full-length book" rather than letting it go.
ReplyDeleteAs a teenager I wrote a lot of YA novels, finished and revised some of them as far as I felt able at the time, and laid them aside thinking "I'll either publish them or burn them when I'm grown up." Since then, when the urge to write creative fiction strikes, I've drifted back to working out how those teenaged characters grew up rather than publishing their stories.
I'm currently finding lots of ways to procrastinate about fictionizing a true story for a small niche market. Back to work I go.