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Calvin Coolidge
If you walk into Virginia Kantra�s office, you will find pinned between a layout of a fictional restaurant and a calendar marked with deadlines and children�s dental appointments, the above quote, a daily reminder of what is truly important when striving for one�s dreams.
Virginia may be small in stature, but she�s big on perseverance, something she counts as invaluable when trying to obtain what at times seemed like lofty dreams. That philosophy paid off when she made her first sale to Silhouette Intimate Moments in January of this year, THE REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN, a November release and Virginia�s publishing debut.
Virginia�s story is unique to her, but she�s not so unlike many newly published authors who have struggled through lean times, disappointment, fears and self-doubt.
Although Virginia garnered wins and finalist status in several contests early in her career, including the Maggies, Orange Rose and Golden Heart, success often seemed light years away. She tells of a time when things got a bit rough before she received the long-awaited call.
"My critique partner, Judith Stanton (Wild Indigo, Harper Historical, October release) sold several months before I did. While I rejoiced for her, it was very hard to work for hours each day with no sure knowledge that I was ever going to see a return on all that time and effort."
At that point, Virginia reached down deep to uncover the reasons she started writing in the first place, something she advises all struggling authors to exercise. "That�s when �the story comes first� came into play again. You have to love what you do. You have to believe in your characters. You have to give each story the best that you have, whether you have faith it will find a market or not. You have to persist."
But Virginia never lost that faith or that inherent desire to write, which started early in her childhood with a vivid imagination and a dramatic flair.
"When I was a kid," she says, "I wrote plays to perform on the porch and stories to bribe my younger cousins to go to bed. Even through college and working the three-kids-in-diapers stage, I scribbled. And I read. Voraciously. Everything. When our youngest child started school full-time, I decided it was time to take my dreams seriously. I joined RWA, and I made the commitment to write romance."
Her first step toward publication came when she met the editor who eventually bought Virginia�s current release. She stresses the value of that first contact.
"I actually met Mary-Theresa Hussey from Silhouette at my very first editor appointment in 1995 at the West Houston RWA chapter�s conference. She listened very patiently to what I�m sure was an over-rehearsed pitch and then asked a question that skewered the weak point in my plot. She�s always been both insightful and encouraging. I was so tickled when I finally wrote a story she could buy."
Virginia wrote two books initially, both Golden Heart finalists, both eventually rejected. At the request of Mary-Theresa Hussey, she submitted a third award-winning manuscript. And then waited. But while she was waiting, she began a fourth book, THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL, which went on to win the prestigious Maggie Award sponsored by Georgia Romance Writers. Although Virginia appreciated the benefits of such recognition, she had no idea that it would lead to the sale of the first book; a manuscript she thought had been forgotten.
"At the time my editor awarded the Maggie to THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL, my other manuscript had been sitting unread on her desk for a while. She told me then that judging the second book made her excited about reading the first one."
According to Virginia, this is the kind of goal every author should strive for when entering contests, as well as critiques, networking and the all-important editor exposure. Yet regardless of her success, she insists a writer doesn�t have to enter contests to sell. She also warns that "harsh or unsubstantiated" criticism can do a great deal of harm to a writer who�s not used to critiques. According to Virginia, the bottom line is "your story and the editor�s response."
While waiting for a decision from Silhouette on her first submission, Virginia decided to give the Golden Heart another try, hopefully for the final time. She entered the two manuscripts under review at Silhouette. In the meantime, she received �the call� that her book, THE REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN, had sold, and shortly thereafter, so did THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL. (Silhouette Intimate Moments, January 1999)
"I couldn�t believe [Mary-Theresa Hussey] was actually offering to buy my book. In spite of her enthusiasm after judging PATRICK MACNEILL in the Maggies, I�d sort of talked myself into expecting a "revise and resubmit" scenario--and that was on the days I was feeling optimistic!"
Now a whole new set of circumstances became a part of Virginia�s writing life, the behind-the-scenes details that must be dealt with before the book graces the shelves. "Luckily, revisions for both my books have been minor. I was taken aback by the publishing timeline. In both my cases, the art facts sheets (an 8 page form detailing characters, dress and setting) were due before the revisions! I was delighted that both books were slotted so quickly into openings in the publishing lineup--but that meant I had very little time for stuff like proofing and promotions."
Virginia weathered the paper storm and completed revisions, then received another round of good news: both her manuscripts had made the Golden Heart finals. While working on a third proposal, she prepared to attend the 1998 RWA conference in Anaheim not only as a double Golden Heart finalist, but also as a published author. Although she acknowledged she would love to win the GH, her last opportunity now that she had sold, she tried to stay grounded and relish the achievement of her dreams. But on the night of the awards banquet, she sat in the dark with high hopes, pondering the fact she�d been a "Golden Heart bridesmaid" two other times. She vowed she wouldn�t cry, counted her blessings, and told herself if really didn�t matter if she won. Little did she know she was destined to fulfill one more goal.
"I was blown away when THE REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN (then titled TO PROTECT AND SERVE) won the Golden Heart in Romantic Suspense. That kind of recognition from my peers literally was a dream come true--a great honor and great publicity for me, even though the title of the book changed. And I cried."
Riding on a wave of euphoria, Virginia went back home with a Golden Heart pendant and a newfound confidence in her possession. But now it was time to get back to work and the reality of publication, including a few challenges unknown to most unpublished authors. Virginia has managed to hold her head above water by keeping everything in perspective.
"Well, I ducked the Dreaded Second Book Syndrome, but now I�ve got Third Book Syndrome," she says with a laugh. "Actually, my editor�s requested follow up stories about the MacNeill clan, and I�m thrilled. I find the business end of things pretty distracting--dealing with self-promotion, obsessing over reviews and actually maintaining decent tax records. Jennifer Cruisie coined a wonderful phrase, �Protect the work.� That�s what I need to do now. The stories came first. The stories always have to come first. Because in reality that�s the only thing you have real control over."
At times she still hits a writing wall due to her signature style. "I�m a very deliberate writer. . . okay, I�m slow. I have to have the first three chapters set before I can go on. Of course, even after all that planning, my characters always grow and expose new corners of themselves as the story progresses."
Now that she�s completed one part of her journey, selling a book, Virginia�s been able to contemplate what she�s learned on the way to the dance, and what she must remember now that she has sold. "I still make a conscious effort to be true to the characters� emotions. (I�m actually developing a workshop called �Romance Writing for the Emotionally Challenged.�) Sometimes when you�re focusing on the plot, it�s fatally easy to skip right to the characters� decision-making part and shortchange the rest. So that�s been a real challenge for me."
A challenge she met head on, evidenced in positive book reviews stressing the emotional nature of MATTHEW DUNN.
Virginia�s book is now on the shelves. She�s come to the end of one phase of her goal, getting published, and she offers this advice to aspiring writers determined to dream.
"Never be content with what you can do. Learn from your fellow writers. Dig deeper into your characters. Challenge yourself to do whatever you have to do to improve: research more or deal with the big emotional issues that make you uncomfortable or carve out more time to work. Give your book your best."
And what is the most important piece of advice from a writer with the tenacity of a bull and a talent honed from determination?
"By all means, don�t give up."
Kristi Goldberg met Virginia Kantra Ritchey when they were both 1996 Golden Heart finalists competing in the same category. Neither of them won, but they came away with a friendship and mutual respect that transcends distance, thanks to the Internet and Ma Bell.
Recently I was reading an article in 'The Writer' magazine called 'Rewriting' by Lucian K Truscott, IV. This intrigued me because I am working on the second draft of my novel. Since beginning the 'revision' process, I have often felt that I was doing more than that, since I have wiped out full chapters or characters, or moved them around.
This is where Mr. Truscott caught my eye. He says that being able to "ask yourself the hard questions," and "go at it hard enough" gives you the opportunity to be your own worst critic. Being able to cut or move what isn't working breathes new life into the story, may actually give a new and better twist to it.
Reading this I got excited, even though it is not new information, just a different way of thinking about it. Why should everything be cast in stone? Life does not work that way, so my writing doesn't have to either. Relaxing enough to hear, "Just because you write chapter 15 after chapter 14 doesn't mean that it couldn't become chapter 12 when you're rewriting..." made sense to me and helped me realize that the voices of my characters needed me to relax. They needed me to loosen up and let them help.
This has also helped me in the quest to find my 'voice.' Being a new writer, this 'voice' thing is a real worrier. Will I have one? Will anyone like it? Will I like it?
Giving myself the chance to play, if you will, with my story has made me understand that change is a good thing, even when I don't exactly know what that change will bring.
So, in sum, if you feel you're not getting where you want to go, or your critic group tells you something isn't working, or you keep getting the manuscript back, try taking a hard look at it. Get crazy and ask yourself, what would happen if the heroine actually falls in love with the villain, because he's the real hero?
Mr. Truscott ends his article with this advice; "...there is a tendency in telling a story in the prose of a novel to believe that once your tale has been written, the sequence shouldn't be terribly disturbed in revision. Balderdash. Rewrite the thing. Give it an entirely different order if for no other reason than to see if you can do it. But better still, ask the difficult questions... what works and what doesn't work, and having learned the answers go ahead and tell the tale another way."
So don't be afraid of moving things around. Ask yourself the hard questions, then close your eyes and pick a chapter.
Reprinted by permission from "Rewriting," by Lucian K. Truscott IV, which appeared in THE WRITER, October 1998 issue.