Tue, 11 November 2014
What if you had a great big dream? What if you pursued that dream -- working faithfully to hone your craft for years? What if during those years, you faced hundreds of rejections? Would you continue? Caroline Starr Rose answers that question with a resounding yes. Even as those around her wondered how she could keep going, she pressed forward. She refused to give up. Most importantly, she accomplished her dream. Caroline can now add published author to her list of accomplishments, and today on the podcast, she'll share her beautiful story, along with excellent advice and resource for aspiring authors who are in the trenches. We hope you'll decide to continue on too. As Caroline says, "you only need one yes." Press forward towards that yes!
On the Podcast01:15 - Roald Dahl, the Oregon Trail, and Caroline's Journey Roald Dahl, the Oregon Trail, and Caroline’s JourneyAlthough she has wanted to write for as long as she can remember, Caroline’s journey began in earnest as she was teaching the 6th grade. A few weeks before the end of the school year, her class watched a video about Roald Dahl, and he shared his daily writing tips
So in the summer of 1998, Caroline spent two weeks researching the Oregon Trail, earned her Ph.D. in Oregon Trailology (totally kidding!) and set out to write historical fiction. Caroline confesses that her first novel was awful. It was a really hard process, but a great learning experience. After that point, every summer Caroline would write, and during the school year she’d revise her work and send it off to publishers. The Most Honest ThingAfter sending off 10 manuscripts to hundreds of publishers, and 12 years of working, Caroline was finally offered a book deal for her novel, May B. Caroline was frustrated with the distance she felt between the ideas in her head and what she was putting on the page. She read a book called, Read this Only to Yourself: The Private Writings of Midwestern Women, 1880-1910 She was struck by the patterns that frontier women used to communicate with each other. Their language was spare and careful. Whether they were talking about something awful, mundane, or celebratory, the language was all very controlled and contained. Lightening struck: “If I could capture this aspect of communication...if I could really mirror the voices of these women, I could tell the story most truthfully. I could access May Betterley’s life really directly, and this would be the best way to tell the story.” For this reason, May B. is a novel written in verse. As Caroline spoke with her mother about the project early on, she shared, “I don’t really know what to call it, but it feels like the most honest thing I’ve ever written.” What About Mr. Chapman?You’ll have to listen to hear Caroline’s interpretation of this new character, along with her take on May B’s coming to terms with who she is and how she sees herself. The Apprentice StageCaroline wishes she had this understanding of her process 10-15 years ago, but she now realizes that for many years, she was in the apprentice stage of becoming a writer. She was still finding her way. For many jobs, there’s a clear timeline for obtaining education, training, and finally getting hired for your first position. As an author, this just isn’t so. Many are self-taught. Who is to say how long the apprentice stage should last before a professional career results? As Caroline worked through the apprentice stage with 2 young boys at home, she read books on the craft of writing, read writing magazines, spent time reading re-reading her childhood favorites, and time getting to know the new titles on the shelves. As Caroline wrote picture books as well, she would lug home the 50-book library limit. After she read the stories with her boys, she would write notes in her notebook. The book had different pages for different publishers and imprints. (Imprints are little individual publishers within the larger publishing house. They each have their own style, flavor, and flair.) She became familiar with which imprints published which kinds of books. Maniacal OptimismWhen asked how she kept going through years of rejection, Caroline points to her maniacal optimism. She confessed that you don’t quite know if you’re pursuing something that’s a dead end, or if in the pursuit of this dream, you’re feeling so strongly that it’s something you want, and your work will only get better as you continue to try. The years of rejection were not quite as easy for her husband to handle. She would run to the mail truck like a little girl on her birthday…every day for 12 years. He often wondered how she kept going, pressing to make sure this was what she really wanted to do. Caroline’s attitude: “If the worse you can tell me is no? My gosh, I’ve found that “no” is not that bad.”
(We are so glad Caroline did not give up! Let’s all muster up some maniacal optimism to keep going!) Why a Traditional Publisher?We were curious to hear why Caroline continued to pursue traditional publishing through years of rejection versus self-publishing her books. She confessed that she hopes this doesn’t sound snobby, but she always hung her hat on a traditionally published book. That was her goal. Caroline points to the benefits of a traditionally-published book, such as the team of talented individuals who surround you to ensure that the project is a success. Editors serve as professors, she said. They see your weaknesses – the pattern of things that you don’t do well. They find ways to work on those. They point out the things you do, in fact, do well and figure out how to develop those strengths more fully. If it was up to Caroline to create a beautiful, cohesive novel all on her own, she doesn’t believe she could produce anything that was worth a reader’s time. How to Get Published
Finding an Agent
“You only need one yes. The no’s aren’t fun, but you really only do need one yes.” Advice for Apprentice Authors
What About a Web Presence?When you’re ready to submit work, Caroline attests that it is important to have a web presence. Editors and agents will look you up. From her experience, her own blog hasn’t helped her to get published, but it can in some cases for non-fiction writers who have a large following online. Another reason to blog? The immediate feedback on your work that comes from blogging is wonderful, particularly after years of waiting to hear from editors and publishers! A Day in the LifeThere are no typical days for Caroline, but she shares some of the the ways she might spend her time as an author.
How Much Does an Author Make?Despite one boy asking Caroline if she was “as famous as Justin Bieber”, Caroline confesses that most authors are not making a killing. For comparison purposes, she let us know that her first book sold for less than her teaching salary in New Mexico in the mid-90’s! (New Mexico is one of the poorest states in the country.)
For Caroline, she considers herself successful if she can keep her boys in glasses and braces, and re-cover the couch. She’s done all of that plus paid for a back yard and a new bathroom. Thankfully Caroline doesn’t have to put food on the table, and that’s hugely liberating for her. She can pursue the ideas that speak to her heart. Resources for Aspiring Authors
Funny Mom MomentCaroline’s two boys have plenty to say about her writing and what they think of having an author for a Mom. Tune in to hear her son’s criticism of her latest book! Stay in Touch with Caroline!CarolineStarrRose.com (check out the Writing Life section for more great advice!) I know Sarah and I learned a ton from Caroline. I've never seen myself as an aspiring author, but Caroline sure provides enough resources and wisdom to make me believe it's possible. The maniacal optimism? That's something I'm resolving to pack with me along every journey towards an impossible dream. ~ Beth Anne
Direct download: Episode205420Caroline20Starr20Rose_mixdown20final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:52am EDT |