files in my Lost Under Two Moons folder, I found an interesting little document that I had completely forgotten about. This was written in 2009 after the first writers conference I ever went to, when I brought what I thought was a completed novel to pitch to agents and editors. While the lessons that I learned at that time were harsh, I am grateful to say that they definitely helped me to develop both as a writer and as a writing professional.
I wanted to share this document for two reasons. First, I thought it might be interesting for fans of Lost Under Two Moons to see some of the issues I was struggling with in the revision process and what I ultimately decided would be the novel’s theme. Second, I wanted to share this intimate look into what it was like for me to receive my first formal rejection, and how I used it to make my book better. I hope this is as inspirational to you as it was to me, finding it five years later.
Note: The working title of Lost Under Two Moons at this time was Other World: Survival.
I wanted to share this document for two reasons. First, I thought it might be interesting for fans of Lost Under Two Moons to see some of the issues I was struggling with in the revision process and what I ultimately decided would be the novel’s theme. Second, I wanted to share this intimate look into what it was like for me to receive my first formal rejection, and how I used it to make my book better. I hope this is as inspirational to you as it was to me, finding it five years later.
Note: The working title of Lost Under Two Moons at this time was Other World: Survival.
MINOR SPOILER ALERT
At the 2009 PNWA conference I received some criticism on my pitch and plot for my book. Some of it was easily answered, but two statements were of particular concern because I had no ready answer. These were made by [an agent] during my scheduled sit-down appointment with him. First, he asked why the main character Richard was constantly moving from one place to another. He said that it sounded unrealistic to him and that I seemed to be merely trying to show off different parts of the world without a good explanation of why Richard goes to each place. [The agent’s] other statement was that Other World seemed much too similar to Earth, and that it looked like I had only made a minimal departure from the known world to create the new universe for the story.
It’s taken me some time to put into words my answers to these concerns, and I wanted to write them down to solidify them in my own mind. Concerning Other World’s similarity to Earth, I admit that I’m capable of doing better, and I've been correcting a lot of things. But there needs to be a certain degree of similarity to Earth, otherwise Richard would have never survived past the first week. If he couldn't find any point of reference, if he couldn't recognize anything for what it was, he wouldn't be able to live and learn.
As for Richard’s nomadic lifestyle, I had to take a step back and look at the story as a whole to formulate an answer for this question. Despite relative comfort for as much as a couple weeks at a time, the majority of Richard’s time on Other World is spent desperately trying to survive. He is constantly moving because Other World is too hostile a place for him to be able to stay in one place and survive comfortably. His nomadic lifestyle is necessary because the world is an active antagonist in his life, and his constant traveling is his best chance for trying, and ultimately failing, to find a place that is secure and safe for him to live.
Thinking along this vein helped me to better understand the Voice of the story. Richard’s ordeal is not about a man successfully conquering his environment as in other famous survival tales such as Robinson Crusoe or The Swiss Family Robinson. Here, Richard is constantly struggling, and while survival never becomes easier, he learns and grows through the ordeal. The Voice could be summed up very well in the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the courage to change what I can, the patience to endure what I cannot change, and the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.”
The Voice of Other World: Survival
At the 2009 PNWA conference I received some criticism on my pitch and plot for my book. Some of it was easily answered, but two statements were of particular concern because I had no ready answer. These were made by [an agent] during my scheduled sit-down appointment with him. First, he asked why the main character Richard was constantly moving from one place to another. He said that it sounded unrealistic to him and that I seemed to be merely trying to show off different parts of the world without a good explanation of why Richard goes to each place. [The agent’s] other statement was that Other World seemed much too similar to Earth, and that it looked like I had only made a minimal departure from the known world to create the new universe for the story.
It’s taken me some time to put into words my answers to these concerns, and I wanted to write them down to solidify them in my own mind. Concerning Other World’s similarity to Earth, I admit that I’m capable of doing better, and I've been correcting a lot of things. But there needs to be a certain degree of similarity to Earth, otherwise Richard would have never survived past the first week. If he couldn't find any point of reference, if he couldn't recognize anything for what it was, he wouldn't be able to live and learn.
As for Richard’s nomadic lifestyle, I had to take a step back and look at the story as a whole to formulate an answer for this question. Despite relative comfort for as much as a couple weeks at a time, the majority of Richard’s time on Other World is spent desperately trying to survive. He is constantly moving because Other World is too hostile a place for him to be able to stay in one place and survive comfortably. His nomadic lifestyle is necessary because the world is an active antagonist in his life, and his constant traveling is his best chance for trying, and ultimately failing, to find a place that is secure and safe for him to live.
Thinking along this vein helped me to better understand the Voice of the story. Richard’s ordeal is not about a man successfully conquering his environment as in other famous survival tales such as Robinson Crusoe or The Swiss Family Robinson. Here, Richard is constantly struggling, and while survival never becomes easier, he learns and grows through the ordeal. The Voice could be summed up very well in the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the courage to change what I can, the patience to endure what I cannot change, and the wisdom to tell the difference between the two.”
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