Sunday, October 7, 2012

Permutations of a Novel Manuscript


More than two hundred years ago, Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley.” That’s happened today. I meant to write about diagramming. But instead, I feel compelled to share the permutations of a manuscript on which I’ve worked thirteen years.
            Back in 1999, while on a walk, I heard myself murmuring these words:

You want to know what? Speak up! My ears refuse the sound. Old age you know. You want to know who Yeshua is? Undoubtedly he is answer to prayer.
I’m old now. Lame. My joints stiff. My eyes rheumy. And memories fade in my setting. But in one memory I am ever young. The remembrance of that day when God’s promise took root in Elizabeth and me. It is not in me to forget. Who can forget benediction? Not I, nor one of mine.

This speaker had to be Zacharias—the father of John the Baptist. The next day, I walked again on the path carpeted by red and yellow autumn leaves and spoke these words:

Trying to trick me are you? You ask a deceptively easy question. Whom do you represent? Antipas? For months, I’ve preached repentance, holding fast to God’s covenant with my people. Question and answer. Yeshua is both. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Obviously, you do not. And so I speak in words of one syllable: He is the one.

Clearly, someone must have asked Zacharias and John, “Who is Jesus for you?”


I began to write. With the working title Who Is He for You? the manuscript became a series of monologues spoken by those who peopled the Gospel of Luke. Friends described these as “spiritual reflections.” No novel here.
            In 2001-2002, those reflections became “almost a novel,” when I introduced a character named Ephraim. The twenty-seven monologues became the ribs; Ephraim’s crisis of faith, the musculature, held those ribs together. I called this The Jesus Interviews.
            A wondrously kind editor praised the writing, but turned down the manuscript. It was too predictable, she said. Most people know what happened to Jesus and the manuscript closely followed his life as an itinerant preacher.


            In 2003, a friend who’d written two historical novels published by HarperCollins pointed out that the manuscript lacked dramatic tension. It was about a man finding his way—with the focus on the way. To create a novel, I needed to focus on the man.
            That same year, I asked a biblical professor to advise me as to the novel’s authenticity. With his help, I realized how little I knew about the Jewishness of Jesus. The professor provided me with an extensive reading list so that I might steep myself in first-century Judaism. I spent the next two years reading and absorbing the works of a number of biblical scholarsboth Christian and Jewish.
            In late 2005, my study impelled me to write a third incarnation of the manuscript: The Yeshua Spy. (I had decided to call Jesus by his Hebrew name: Yeshua.) My new plot put Ephraim into a dramatic situation that would reveal his character. Yeshua, however, tried to usurp the manuscript. I had to wrestle it away from him so as to keep Ephraim and his crisis of faith front and center.


            Fast forward to 2012. I have written and polished nineteen drafts of a manuscript I now call The Reluctant Spy. Throughout this long writing saga, I repeatedly tried to find an agent to represent the work. No luck.
            So today I find myself once again awaiting news from my historical novelist friend who is reading that nineteenth draft. Will she think the plot plausible? Is there enough tension in the story to engage the reader? Is there an audience for this iconoclastic novel? What do I do next?
            Rabbie Burns also penned these words: “Hope springs exulting on triumphant wing.” Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Photographs from Wikipedia.

22 comments:

  1. I think with your faith, hope and talent, your book will be published. i think that you just needed the time to perfect it and allow it to be your greatest work. "All good things come to he who waits."

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    1. Dear Arleen, I wish I shared your confidence in publication, but I've sent out so many query letters since 1992 when "A Cat's Life: Dulcy's Story" was published by Crown, that I simply have a hard time believing I'll have such luck again.

      You are right, of course, about the fact that the passing of all these years has meant that the manuscript is more "perfected." If it never gets published, I'll continue to look on it as the project that taught me a great deal about writing. Peace.

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  2. Oh, I hope you get it published--then I'll be able to read it!! Have you thought about using Wayman?

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    1. Dear Fishducky, I hope so too! Wayman might be the answer but I've had my heart set on a New York publisher all these years. Perhaps I need to rethink the whole thing about getting published.

      Trying to find an agent seems to be almost an impossible task now and twenty years have passed since Crown (in New York) published "A Cat's Life: Dulcy's Story." So I need to give myself a real talking-to about my part in all this!

      I do so hope that one day you'll be able to read the novel. Right now I'm working on a second novel that takes place in Bronze-Age Greece. I do know how to pick 'em!!!! Peace.

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  3. I see that Karen Jones Gowen is a follower of this blog, have you checked out hers yet? She is involved with WiDo press, so that's another possibility. I don't know if they publish this kind of books. I know of another one that publishes books of a more spiritual nature, but, being old and all that, I have forgotten its name. But I can always find out. I wish you all the best because it is such a pleasure to read your words, so beautifully crafted together.

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    1. Dear Inger, I do read Karen Jones Gowen's blog. In fact, she invited me to guest post and she's going to post what I wrote on Monday, October 15.

      Thank you, Inger, for your kind words about my writing. I've worked on this manuscript so long and for many drafts--19--that I've lost all perspective. I'm not sure of the dramatic tension nor the dialogue. I'm just hoping that my historica-l fiction friend will find something worth salvaging! Peace.

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  4. This sounds like an amazing story! I'm crossing my fingers (even if I don't need to). I know she'll love it. When it comes to your writing, you have the Midas touch. Everything you write is powerful, beautiful and golden ;)

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    1. Dear Elisa, I think perhaps I need to cross both fingers and toes!!! Thank you for your kind words about my writing. But with the novel, I think that it's not the writing that is amiss, but the suspense. We'll see what my friend had to say. She truly knows what makes a novel work. Peace.

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  5. People are so hungry for spiritual guidance these days that I'd say your book stands a chance once you can work out the bugs. I look forward to hearing what your friend says, too! I love the concept!

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    1. Dear Karen, I hope your assessment is correct. As I view the ms. it doesn't have a wide audience because it is iconoclastic. Many Christians would have difficulty with it. Like you, I'm so curious to see what my friend will say about it. I'm pleased you like the concept. Peace.

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  6. I'm hoping, too, it will make it all the way. It certainly sounds like something I'd want to read and I am also impressed at how you persevered~

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    1. Dear Shelly, I'm so happy to learn that "The Reluctant Spy" sounds like something your'd like to read. I've often wondered during these 13 years and 19 drafts if anyone but myself would be interested in Ephraim and his story. Peace.

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  7. I even have my toes crossed. Walking should be interesting.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Dear Janie, you made me laugh by putting into my head the image of you and myself hobbling down the street with our toes crossed! What about driving! Peace.

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  8. I have everything crossed for you. I am more than confident about your writing ability. I so hope that it does get through the hoops this time.

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    1. Dear EC, thank you for being so positive about my writing. If my friend--the historical novelist--thinks the manuscript is worthwhile or is able to make suggestions for changes that would make it worthwhile then the next step is either more writing or more sending out of query letters. Either way, I need to believe that getting published is possible. Peace.

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  9. The art of getting published is a tricky one. Timing and who you know along with what is written seems to all be like rolling the dice!

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    1. Dear Heidrun, I so agree--"the art of getting published is a tricky one." My getting "A Cat's Life: Dulcy's Story" published back in 1992 seems a total fluke to me now. Timing, contacts, and subject matter/trends do make such a difference and all that is truly a roll of dice! Peace.

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  10. IF you cannot get it published the traditional way (has gotten a lot harder, but not impossible if you do your homework and find a good fit), please don't forget about self-publishing. You have put so much time, effort, and heart into this so don't give up. I heard that the guy who wrote Chicken Soup For The Soul was turned down over 140 times! And these days I have heard that you can self-publish on Amazon for free--no money up front. ?? Where there's a will there's a way, right? Best of luck to you. :)

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    1. Dear Rita, the advantage of being published the traditional way, which as you've said is really hard today, is that the big publishers have sale reps who visit book stores and get the books in those stores. Moreover, I think--but I'm not absolutely sure--that newspaper reviewers are more willing to review a book published by a traditional publisher. And so people who read newspapers--and there are less and less readers--will know that a particular book has been published.

      Yes, Amazon has a subsidiary called "CreateSpace" that allows a writer to publish with no money up front. But a writer needs to be able to format the book for both paper publishing and e-books as well as design a cover. So if one can't do that, the writer needs to hire someone or someones to do these tasks. So self-publishing can end up costing a modest amount. BUT if somehow the news gets out there about the book and there's some "buzz" about it, the writer makes more royalty than with traditional publishing. So pros and cons!

      But thank you for encouraging me to keep trying!!! Peace.

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  11. I', in awe of your perseverance, Dee - 19 drafts over 13 years! I'm another who would be interested to read it, iconoclastic or not. :-) I do hope you can finally get it published.

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    1. Dear Perpetua, I continued to work on the manuscript all those years and for so many drafts because the main character--Ephraim, who is a Pharisee and a scribe--became so dear to me. The crisis of faith he goes through was reminiscent of my own.

      Thank you for hoping for publication for me. Everyone has been so supportive. Peace.

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