The Problem With Published Books

Yesterday as I was driving home from work, I passed by a place called "Baker Animal Clinic." A quick series of thoughts brought me to the conclusion that "Baker" was either the last name of the person who had opened the clinic or the name of the person the clinic should honour. And then I thought, "Hey, Baker would be a great name for a Jessica!" The reason I thought this was that I had a really hard time naming Jessica Carol from My Best Friend's Brother, who originally started out as Jessica Smith.

That's when it occurred to me that this is probably the biggest problem with finally, finally having a published book - I can no longer change anything. I mean, yes, I could always go back and fix the two mistakes that are contained in those pages (if you caught them and didn't say anything, then I thank you for your abundant kindness), but to change a character's name would be too suspect. It would say to the world, "This author didn't really know what she (or he) was doing."

Of course, now that I've publicly exposed that one truth, you might be thinking that anyway.* And I can't say I blame you. I mean, sometimes I'll read a book and think, "Man, I would have changed this or that before publishing." But it's too late, and there's no going back, not after a whole bunch of people have already read it. Which is why I have my faithful pre-readers, of course. I'll be honest with you - they do all the hard work. My sister points out every typo or grammatical error, my sister-in-law has no problem telling me when things make no sense to her, and my best friend tells me, "This is delightful! ... But that's kind of weird." And they really mean it in the nicest way, which is the great part.

But once it's published, it's pretty much stuck like that. Sure, you can add something for a later publication, an appendage or author's note. You just can't change names or events. You shouldn't need to, of course, but I could see many authors thinking back to older works and having a hundred what-ifs running through their minds. It's awful, but on the other hand, it certainly does a lot to improve my writing skills. It tells me what things I would or wouldn't do in the future. So I guess my "problem" with published books is still something I can use to my advantage.

- Natasja

*To be clear, once I'd named her "Jessica Carol" I was perfectly happy with this choice and wouldn't change it now, even if I could.

Things I Like To Write About

I thought, for those of you that might be even vaguely interested, I would share some of the things I like to write about. So, here is a concise list of some themes, characteristics, settings, or other elements that I like to incorporate into my stories.

Love

For anyone that knows me, they'll tell you this is a pretty major theme of mine. In fact, I told my husband the other day that I couldn't think of a single story I've written or started that "doesn't have kissing in it." This was followed with him telling me that he could only think of two books he'd read that had kissing in it - one of which was mine. I should mention, however, that I don't always write about those kinds of relationships; I also like to delve into the love shared between siblings, friends, or children and their parents. See? It's not all about kissing!

Space Ships

It may surprise you to learn that I have a special affinity for sci fi, especially really technical stuff. I love space ships, and I have to admit that I have a few stories that involve space ships or even take place on space ships. But more on that later...

Orphans

There's a special soft spot in my heart reserved for children who have no home and no family. There's something just so sad about it - it's almost callous to say that I feel very inspired by such dire circumstances. Having said that, my aim is not to make anyone feel bad, but rather, I like to explore what it would be like for such a character to not know where he or she is from and how they would deal with it.

Music
Being a music-lover and musician myself, it's only natural for me to include that in my writing. In fact, if you're looking forward to the publication of my new novel, Less Than Perfect, then you should know that there will be plenty of music involved in it. Yes, it is very difficult to write music into words, but I'm hoping I've done a good job of it. Plus, it's never really about the music itself, but about how the characters use music, how they grow in it, and bond over it.

Flaws
No one loves a perfect character. Why? Because they're boring, annoying, and generally too unbelievable to tolerate. When a character has flaws, it makes them real and more rounded. It gives them obstacles, something to overcome. In the same way, no one wants to read a perfect storyline. Sure, we all get mad while reading Pride and Prejudice, thinking, "Aren't they just ever going to get together?" But without all that tension, and the obstacles placed in their way, there would never be a good storyline. No one would read a book that simply said, "They met each other, fell in love, and then got married." Or "They found a treasure map, looked for the treasure, found it easily, and lived happily ever after." Or "He was born, lived a good, full life, and then died of natural causes." Or... I think you catch my drift.

There are other things that influence my writing, such as the town I live in, the people I know, the places I've been to, and random things I come across every day. That's not to say that any of what I write is autobiographical - and if you've read My Best Friend's Brother, then you should already know that. But it's easy to take what you know and what you've experienced and put it into a character's personality or situation.

So there you have it. A little insight into my world of writing.

- Natasja