Fiction author Robin Brande talks about writing, reading, and other vital matters

I got this great question from Marie this morning, and I was going to write her a long answer by e-mail, but I realized some of you might like to know the answer, too.

Marie wrote: I’m in the middle of my mystery, but in need of a reader (or two) for when I’d like to submit it to an agent. Where have you found readers?

I’ve heard a lot of advice about this over the years, and the one common theme is don’t ever let your spouse (or boyfriend or girlfriend, etc.) read it first. I’m not sure if I agree with this. But we’ll come back to that.

My friend and fellow novelist Barry Lyga and I serve as each other’s first readers. In fact, he just sent me his new novel last night, and I’m itching to get to it. I plan on going for my Starbucks run soon, then settling in on my couch and enjoying a whole day of reading. I happen to think Barry is a brilliant, talented writer, which really helps. It’s far too painful to like someone personally and not like how they write. Instead, I know that every novel Barry sends me will be the best thing I’ve read so far, and it always makes me want to ratchet up my own skills. I’ve learned as much from reading and editing his work as I have from writing my own.

I met Barry at a writing conference a few years ago. There were six of us who befriended each other at that conference, and I’m sad to say only Barry and I stuck with writing. The result? His first novel comes out in a few weeks, and mine debuts next year.

Barry and I both had finished novels at that point, and we were pitching them to agents at the conference. We both got nibbles–”Send me the first three chapters and a synpopsis”–and we both went home to work on our next projects.

I don’t know how it happened. All six of us were e-mailing each other for a while, following up on what had come of our various interactions with the agents, and somewhere in there Barry and I decided to be brave and show each other our work. So he e-mailed me his novel, I e-mailed him mine. And then our editor brains went to work.

He helped me rewrite the novel I’d been endlessly revising for the past few years, and I helped him revise his. Then we sent them out again. More nibbles, more long waiting. Meanwhile we both started new novels.

And that’s how it’s been for a few years now. We write something, show it to each other, edit each other’s work, then send out our manuscripts and wait to see what will happen.

In January, 2006, Barry and I both attended a writing conference in San Diego. We both had new novels to pitch. Barry won an award at that conference and was the true Golden Boy. It was so amazing to watch. He and I both know we’re just plain, regular people eating our oatmeal every morning, but suddenly he was all the buzz and editors and agents were talking about him behind his back and there was this weird aura about him that everyone including the janitors could see.

Barry and I both found our agents at that conference. And within about a year, we both had publishing deals.

So back to Marie’s question. How do you find readers? You find other writers. You find other writers who write and read what you do, and most of all you look for other writers who are as motivated as you are. You don’t want to be the only one in the relationship saying, “Come on–we can do this. Write your fingers off. Let’s set a deadline. We both have to give each other our new novels by the end of September. Go.” That’s how Barry and I have worked for the past few years. We set goals, we don’t accept excuses, we cheer each other on and push and push and push.

I also have an excellent first reader in my friend Carolyn. She has been my best friend since high school, so every time I write about any experience we had together, she knows it intimately and can either yea or nay it. She was also a high school teacher for thirteen years, so she brings that perspective to reading my young adult novels. She’s helped me more times than I can say, telling me when I’ve gotten some aspect of high school wrong, or when I’ve nailed it.

And Carolyn also brings an enthusiasm to reading that keeps me going. I usually e-mail her chapters as I go, and her excitement over what’s happened in the story so far and where it’s leading next keeps me wanting to write quickly so that both she and I can know the answer to that. I don’t write from an outline. I like to be a reader at the same time I’m writing. And so when Carolyn tells me she loves a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, I’m usually feeling that way, too, since I have no idea what will happen the next day when I pick up where I left off.

But the key to being a good reader is you have to be honest. I may not want to hear that something I wrote doesn’t ring true or isn’t clear or (horrors!) isn’t as funny as I think it is, but I HAVE to have that feedback. I’d rather hear it from my first readers than from my agent or my editor. I want the work I give them to shine. I want them to look forward to reading my manuscripts, rather than dread it and think, “Oh, boy, I’ll have to spend hours fixing this.”

I joke with Barry that he needs to have a website just for me called barrylygasavedmynovel.com. A few months ago he also saved my screenplay. How? By being brutally honest. He wants my work to shine, too. We both love to see each other doing well. So if I can catch some big goof on his part–like a scene in one of his screenplays where he has his hero do something so stupid it made me want to rip the pages apart (sorry, Barry, but you know it’s true)–and save him from having to hear about it from someone whose opinion actually matters (not that mine doesn’t matter, but I’m not writing him any checks), then I feel I’ve done my duty as a friend and fellow writer.

So after I let Barry and Carolyn read it, and I make whatever changes they suggest, then my husband gets a look. He is always third reader. Why? Because he is a very tough customer. He has no problem telling me, “This isn’t my favorite of your books.” Ow. Which is why it was such a delight recently to have him read the novel I’d just finished and hear, “This is the best thing you’ve ever written.” Aaahhh. Sweet words.

How do you find other writers? Invest in going to a writing conference. There are dozens to choose from all over the country, all throughout the year. You can find them listed by state and month at www.shawguides.com.

And just know that out of the six writers you become friends with, only one other might have your same drive and work ethic. And that’s okay. The truth is a lot of writers have unfinished novels sitting in their drawers. But the truth also is that finding someone to push you and cheer you along can be the single best thing you ever do for your career. Going to writing conferences is the best money I’ve ever spent.

I hope this helped, Marie. Good luck to you and to everyone else on this same path.

Technorati Tags: Writing, Publishing, Writers Conferences, Writing Conferences, Writers, Authors, Shaw Guides

Posted on Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 at 9:52 am under Writing . Subscribe to responses: RSS 2.0 Comment Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.