Okay. So now that the big developmental edit/rewrite is complete, I’ve sent the book off to a couple of beta readers to make sure the plot makes sense. This has me SHAKING.
Why is it so terrifying to have other people read my writing? Probably because I just spent the better part of two years developing, writing, rewriting, then rewriting again! I care about this book, but after two years I need to just…let somebody else look at it.
It feels like I truly put active attention on themes. While it still needs a lot of work, I’m excited about what this could mean to me and the people who read it.
I get asked a lot about what the book is about. I usually respond with the premise. A witch trapped in the woods and manipulated by a Fae rediscovers her power over her own life. But the book is ABOUT so much more than that. It’s about unhealthy vs. healthy relationships, accepting the past, self-reliance, and agency. I’m still working on getting the “aboutness” down precisely.
Sandra Scofield talks about “aboutness” in “The Last Draft.” It is basically a subject statement. What specifically your book is about. Getting this down to a very concrete sentence will help me control the narrative around my book. Someone who reads the book should be able to say “it’s about…” and it’s exactly what I was going for.
As I said, I’m still working on this. I’m hopeful that beta reads will help me see what other people get out of the book. I’m confident they’ll get something of what I mentioned, but I want to get it as concrete as possible.
That’s my next goal. Honing the “aboutness.”
Happy Writing!
Rachel
Subtle Stories 