Almost-authors are people with projects the world hasn’t seen yet. They might be a few drafts or just a few cover letters away from being a published author…for the first or the tenth time. They haven’t made it to the finish line yet on this one – but I’m going to find out how they plan to get there.
Eva Gibson is an author of contemporary YA, who is drawn to dark stories for both consumptive and creative purposes. When she’s not inflicting Dante-levels of emotional turmoil on her characters, she’s inflicting said turmoil upon herself, in her quest to balance writing with parenting. Eva is represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis.
August Writes a Book: So tell me what makes you an almost-author. (Or at least, as much as your agent will let you.)
Eva Gibson: I am currently working on four dark contemporary Young Adult novels – one is on submission, one is in the revision stage, and two are unfinished first drafts.
August: What kind of publishing are you pursuing?
Eva: Traditional publishing.
August: What’s the biggest roadblock standing between you and publication?
Eva: I wouldn’t call it a roadblock so much as a step: getting my work in front of the right eyes. Rejection is a huge part of the publication process, from querying on up, and everything is subjective.
I was lucky—I found an agent who loves my writing enough to work with me through draft after draft. Once revisions are done, the next step is to find the right editor or publisher who loves it just as much. That’s where I am at the moment.
August: What have been your specific strategies to get past the roadblocks in your way?
Eva: Working on projects simultaneously, switching between narrative voices, and prioritizing my time to meet my goals. I have small children, so the only (mostly) uninterrupted free time I have to write is after they’re in bed for the night. So that’s what I do – once they’re down, I get to work. Since I have such a small window, I have to be very disciplined about writing every single night, in order to get as much done as I can. The only strategy for that is to just sit down and do it.
I write until it’s time for bed, and then I check my work for clarity and clean it up a bit in the morning. As for simultaneous projects, I work on whichever one is furthest along in the draft process – revisions based on agent feedback, for instance, take priority over new material.
August: What’s been the most obnoxious roadblock in the course of your process?
Eva: The writer’s ego, otherwise known as the worst possible gauge. I can write ten pages I think are absolute genius, then blink at them the next morning and wonder why I ever thought they were anything but an utter mess. Luckily, I have excellent critique partners to steer me and help me steer myself.
And the delete key. I do always have that.
Find Eva on Twitter.
Are you an almost-author? Would you like to talk to AWAB about your roadblocks and your master plan? Check out this post to get in touch!