I know it’s been said before…many, many times. And every time I hear it, it seems like it should be obvious - knowing what you love. But it wasn’t for me. 

 

I certainly had an idea. I knew what I liked to read. But I didn’t know what the exact cocktail of elements was to fit my voice and my imagination.

 

Fortunately, when I first returned to writing after college, I didn’t fall into the dangerous practice of chasing trends. Possibly, because I wasn’t interested in them, just in what I knew I liked. I immediately picked up on the fact that I loved history, and I loved reading about it. Then I got a story idea that I believed was golden and I set out gathering research. It took me almost three years between conception and submission to finish that first novel. Admittedly, I was working another job at the time, and I did a significant amount of research. Plus, I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing. I just wanted to write, so I did. I gave it to a few friends and family members to read, and then submitted it to over thirty agents. No one was interested. And, in fact, it only garnered form letter responses, which I knew was not a good sign. 

 

At first, I was devastated. Rejection is never easy. I pouted for a while, and then I forced myself to answer a serious question. Did I really want to be a published author? The answer was unequivocally yes, and I was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. So, I analyzed my first novel to figure out what it was I had done wrong.

 

The story idea wasn’t bad, but it was poorly executed. And it was unusual. I had written a story about the struggle of the Celts against the Roman advance through Gaul from the Celts perspective. Not a very popular topic, particularly as I began to realize it was written as a sort of Women’s Fiction, quasi-Romance novel. I understood by then that I needed to have realistic expectations. If I really wanted to be signed by a traditional publisher, I needed to write the genres and storylines they were most likely to publish. My more unconventional story could still possibly be published by more nontraditional means, like a small press or even self-published, but I was going to have an uphill battle with publicity and getting it noticed, particularly since I understood that it was not the best I could do. 

 

So, knowing I could do better and wanting to be traditionally published, I turned my attention to the Regency and Victorian eras, thinking maybe a Historical Romance was what I loved.  I did enjoy reading them, gobbling them up left and right, so it seemed a good fit. 

 

I wrote three complete Historical Romances, each getting progressively better in execution and reception. All three finaled in at least one contest, and received positive comments. All three received manuscript requests from agents, Book 4 more than the others. But something was still missing. Something was keeping me from reaching that next level, from getting that offer of representation.

 

I made myself pause and analyze again. I knew my writing had reached the level it needed to be at, and my stories were creative. What I was missing was that indefinable spark that made my book stand out among the thousands and thousands submitted every year. 

 

I turned to my bookshelves, and asked myself, if I could only own a few books, what would they be? Who were the authors? Two were classics – Jane Austen and Victor Hugo. But the others led me to an epiphany – Mary Stewart, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander. They all wrote mystery or suspense with elements of romance. Lightbulb moment. 

 

I turned to my three historical romances and realized I had woven some kind of mystery or suspense subplot into all of them. Perhaps my mind had been trying to tell me all along what I needed. I just needed to flip-flop the focus. I liked romance in my books, by in my favorites it almost always took a backseat to some other plot point. 

 

And so Lady Darby was conceived. She sprang almost fully formed from my subconscious. I don’t really know where she came from. She is nothing like my other heroines, and she is far quieter and more melancholy than me, though I like to think I share her wit and intelligence. 

 

In some ways, her book was the most difficult I have ever written, and in other ways, the easiest. I had no problem with voice or character, but I was tackling a new genre, trying to learn all the tricks as I went along, and find the right balance for all the elements of my story. When it was finished, I knew it was the best book I had written. And I knew it was the “one,” and was prepared to do whatever it took to see it published, even if I had to self-publish it myself. 

 

Then the magic happened. I had numerous agents express interest, and three offers of representation. We submitted to the New York traditional publishers, and received a three-book offer from Berkley Publishing. Lady Darby Book 1, a historical mystery with strong romantic elements, will be released in November 2012. 

 

In the end, I wouldn’t wish for it to have happened any other way. I love my agent and editor. I know that my writing has finally reached the level it needed to be at. I’m exactly where I should be. Do I wish I could have had the wisdom about my writing that I have now six years ago? Of course. But, then, that’s the thing about wisdom. It has to be earned. And six years ago, I might not have ended up with the agent and editor I do now, and that would be a shame. 

 

So, how do you figure out what you love so that you can write it? There’s no simple answer to that. Maybe you’re lucky, or simply more insightful than I was, and already know. Or maybe, you’re not certain. Maybe you like too many genres, like I do, or haven’t hit upon the exact combination. Maybe you’re floundering a bit, having trouble with voice and that sense of rightness. If so, I have a few suggestions for you.

 

Read. Read in genres you’ve never tried before. Give some stories a try that you thought you would hate. You might be surprised.

 

Look at your bookshelf. Who are your favorite authors? If you could only own five novels for the rest of your life, what would they be? What stories make you come alive?

 

List the movies and TV shows you love. What do you like about them? How are they similar?

And, perhaps, most telling, try writing something different. How does it feel? Write a few chapters and then stop to analyze it. What is your first impression? Is it interesting? Does your voice sparkle? Ask for your critique partners’ opinions?

 

It will come to you. It may just take patience, trial and error. But it will come. And it will feel like a beautiful pair of shoes cobbled together just for you. Mine are boots, but then, I’m a boot fanatic.