Reinventing Yourself

Okay, it’s spring and time for new growth and all of the stuff that renews hope in us females of the species. Hope springs eternal. And if you’re a writer these days, you can use all of the HOPE you can get.

It’s a tough world out there: book chains going bankrupt, new scams schemes afoot for Print-On-Demand monopolies, and advances and royalties the same as they were 25 years ago. Some forms of romance— the gothic, chick lit, the big, lush 500 page historical— seemed as dead as last week’s mackerel. But as my friend Thea Devine says, there will always be room for a well-crafted story and for the writer who can tell it.

Case in point: ten years ago (a whale’s age in publishing) I was at the Emerald City Writer’s Conference in Seattle, where a number of the writers were holding a wake for paranormal romance. There had been a few ghost stories, a werewolf or two, some magic stories, and a handful of vampires. . . the pundits of publishing pronounced paranormal done. Finished. Dead. They didn’t want to see no more stinkin’ vampires. Brilliant writers with solid sales couldn’t get past the door with a paranormal project.

Four years later, things had done an about-face and it was suddenly all paranormal, all the time. Werewolves blossomed into a whole ecosphere of “were” animals. . . magic grew from witches to time traveling aliens to demon hunters. . . and the vampire lore (thought to be totally mined-out) was reinvented and re-imagined by several authors who went on to craft bestselling series that broke all publishing molds!

The best part is: the writers who punched up the big concepts and blew the lid off publishing’s almighty “numbers” were writers that had already been around, quietly working and honing their craft in more traditional romance venues. They re-invented themselves and in so doing reinvented their genres and expanded the whole market.

So what does it take to re-invent yourself as a writer? I’m in the midst of the process myself, just now, and I can tell you reinventing yourself as a writer isn’t much different from reinventing yourself as a widow, divorcee, or mid-life career changer. It takes imagination and effort. And patience. And help.

Outlook: First, you need to change the way you see yourself and your possibilities. Climb out of your mental pigeonhole as a “historical” or “chick lit” or “traditional romance” or “rambling epic” writer and begin to think of yourself simply as someone with great stories to tell. You can’t allow yourself to become a prisoner of your past; the old days and the old successes (or non-successes) are gone. You’re in a different decade, a different society, and a different place in life. You can be and write what you want to be and write. Other people live their dreams; you can too.

Stoke your Imagination: Get out there in the world and immerse yourself in ideas and images and stories that spur your imagination and make you say “Wow, I wish I had thought of that.” Read all kinds of books; new authors, new sub-genres, new themes. . . even things you didn’t like before. As your life changes, your tastes change. Subjects and writing styles that didn’t appeal to you at all may become your new favorites. This doesn’t apply to just writing. Try changing something about your life: your way of dressing, walking, eating, or exercising. Go new places, learn new skills, try new hobbies, meet new people.

Expand your Experience: Shake things up. If you’re long-term married, make a single friend or two. If you’re childless, make friends with people who have them and learn something about their POV. If you’re a lifelong suburban dweller, spend time downtown; watch people and get to know the locals. . . merchants, city or county officials, police officers. If you’ve always hated exercise (join the club) then join a club and take advantage of the “personal trainer” service. Try yoga or pilates, join a city-league volleyball team, or sign up for continuing-ed courses in something you do with your hands. Volunteer in a hospital, school, or social program that addresses a problem you’re concerned about. Get outside in the air and nature and let it have an impact on you.

Quit Censoring Yourself: Allow your brain and creative juices free rein. Purge “this will never work” from your vocabulary and your brain. Write down everything that comes to you. Make morning pages (Julia Cameron, bless you!) a habit during this transition. Free-writing two or three pages each morning will help you personally as well as professionally. Keep a journal of thoughts, words, images, and ideas that excite or intrigue you, and write a note to yourself about why each appeals to you so. Write that scene, that bit of dialogue, setting, or storyline that’s budding in your head. Give yourself some time to experiment with interesting openings and love scenes and arguments and funny bits. Which ones speak to you? Which make you feel intrigued and alive and creative? Which ones do you want to explore further?

Recruit Support: As you’re growing a new you, you’ll need help, support, affirmation, and some professional/career guidance. You may need to try a critique group, a critique buddy, or a new writing group aimed at the kind of writing you’re interested in exploring. You may need to talk frankly with your agent. . . perhaps even find new representation, if you can’t agree on the direction you find yourself moving. Quit worrying about what “readers” or your mother or the girls in your RWA chapter will think of the new you. Let go of the old ideas of who you are and what you’re like. You’re becoming something new and different. . . something even better.

Take Action: Explore ways to introduce the new you to the publishing world and to your readers and fellow writers. Plan a new web site, make up a new card or promo piece, make up a pseudonym. . . have new promo photos done. . . play with the possibilities. . . find something that resonates with you and reaches into your heart. Developing something concrete will give you a chance to see if this is really the direction you want your writing and your career to go. As you sit looking at your new web page or ad, you’ll know if it feels right to you.

That’s as far as I’ve gotten, folks. That’s where I am right now; the messy trying-it-on and trying-it-out and still-looking phase. I’m branching out with two Blazes, one historical, one contemporary. . . writing hotter than I ever have. I’m also trying non-fiction and romantic-adventure with a paranormal twist. Oh, and I’ve got some women’s fiction in the works. It feels really good to try new things and take pleasure in writing again.

What do you think? Am I on the right track? Have you done some re-inventing yourself? Have you got suggestions or experiences to relate? And thanks, Karen, Samantha, et all, at Cigars for inviting me to blog with you today! You guys are great!