Letting those early novels go

In September, my sixth novel, The Inheritance, will be released. I’m excited about that as I think it is my best yet—plus I love the two main characters in it! But this novel brings with it two dilemmas for me that I am currently trying to think and pray through.

The first one is this. I wrote this particular novel before my first non-fiction book Soul Friend which was released last September and was given the choice as to which would be published first. So now it’s time to release the novel. But which direction should I head next? Should I alternate my books and aim to complete another non-fiction book this year? Or should I stick to novel writing?

But my second dilemma is the more pressing one at the moment. I feel so blessed, having six books published when I never thought I would have any. My first novel Heléna was released early in 2007 and since then, I have had one book released each year. It’s not that I am particularly prolific, however. It’s just that while I waited to find a publisher for my first novel, I decided to begin the next. So until now, I have always been in the happy place of having another novel completed by the time the previous one was released. But now the question is—do I let those first two novels go and not try to promote them anymore? Although the first one has just become hard to find in most bookstores, there are still a handful of copies of the second around. And small numbers of orders still seem to come in for them via the bookstores, plus I have people contacting me as well for copies from time to time. Also, wherever I speak, it seems people are still interested in those first two novels. I sell almost as many of those as my later ones—which leaves me a little reluctant to run out of copies myself. Yet, if I did, would I sell more of my later novels? It’s a puzzle!

And of course, there is a limit to the number of books I can carry around with me wherever I speak. Often, I am unsure which book people will go for, so I need to take a good number of each. I could no doubt get back the rights of those first two novels and attempt to make them available as e-books only, but to me, that seems to answer only half the question. Also, I know if I did this, I would need to re-edit both novels severely! After all, they were my first two attempts at writing—and back then, I knew nothing about the current anathema against using omniscient point of view or the evils of ‘head hopping’! And my very long sentences are liberally sprinkled with lots of lovely ‘ly’ adverbs! Yet do I want to invest time in re-writing these books? I’m not sure.

So ... you see my dilemma. Any suggestions? I know some of you have had many more novels released over the years than I have, so would you have any wisdom to offer from your own experience?

Meanwhile, I will keep thinking and praying about it—and writing that next best-seller!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney, Australia. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of five published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Her sixth novel, The Inheritance, will be released in September. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.

Persevering with point of view!

These past few weeks have been quite tumultuous in my writing journey, as I have tried to edit two manuscripts at once – my first non-fiction work, entitled Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey, and my sixth novel, The Inheritance. With my non-fiction book, my new publisher wanted a few things changed – and rightly so. While it took some time to do, it was nevertheless reasonably straightforward. However, it was another matter altogether with my sixth novel. You see, I had decided I would try something new. I would have two main characters and would write from both points of view, according to what fitted best. But I would also write from the points of view of several minor characters, where necessary. In other words, I was venturing into ‘multiple point of view’ territory.

Now being a rookie at such things, I was bound to make mistakes. With my first two novels, I had stuck to omniscient point of view. In fact, back then, I didn’t even know what that term meant! I simply wrote in the same style in which many of the older books I loved were written. Over my next three novels, I gradually refined my style and wrote from the point of view of my main protagonist, although I’m sure I often strayed into omniscient point of view out of habit. But now, in trying to be clever, it soon became clear, from my publisher’s comments, that I had skipped from one point of view to another far too often. Sometimes this was intentional – I felt it worked that way. But mostly, I have to admit, it was unintentional – I had happily hopped into someone else’s head for a few lines, before proceeding to hop to another one – and then to another again! It was as if all my characters were joining in the conversation, each with their own little agendas.

So ... now I had quite a rewrite on my hands. I sighed – I did not need such a large job at that point. However, once I had begun, I soon discovered how much I was learning. In fact, it became an interesting challenge to see how the various scenes could in many cases happen just as easily from the point of view of one of the main characters and not one of those minor characters who kept wanting to get in on the act!

Now I am on the other side of that rewrite – and I hope I have succeeded in vastly improving my manuscript. But all this has served to show me yet again that there is always so much more to learn in this writing business – so many new things to come to grips with and new ways to refine our writing style. Will I ever ‘arrive’ as an author? I don’t know. But I do know I’m going to keep on trying. I want to write the best fiction – and non-fiction – I can for God. As Paul writes in Philippians 3:13, I want to forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. I may never write that best seller, but I sure know I can improve from where I am now.

Somehow I don’t think God has finished with me yet, moulding me into the author I am meant to be. How about you? Is that how you feel too?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds an Arts degree from Queensland University. She has also studied Education and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and spoken word and currently has five published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’.  She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit her website, www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.