Since publishing my book, Escape the Woods, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how I wrote it, how long it took, and how difficult the publishing process was. I’m going to answer all those questions today by telling you about my experience in writing my first book!
The idea for Escape the Woods first came to me when I had just turned twelve. I was outside raking, and I had this idea of a girl, named Scarlett, and her older brother, Cordel. They had a complicated relationship because Cordel was filled with anger and suffering from depression. That was what I started with, and I got some notebooks and went to work! I had been reading Medieval romance novels for a while, and was fascinated with the time period, so I knew a lot about the culture. I knew I wanted to write a Medieval fiction novel because I loved the idea of the different social classes, arranged marriages, jousting tournaments, wars, and knights.
But I still wasn’t sure it was even possible for someone my age to write a full size book. So I didn’t tell anyone I was drafting a story for a few months because I thought everyone would think I was stupid and “just going through a phase”. And when I did finally start talking about it, and my parents got me set up with a Wordpess account, I think that actually is what some people thought!
But, I immediately fell in love with my story. I didn’t care what anyone thought about my age, or the fact that I didn’t have any experience. I would get up early and write before school, and then I would write after dinner until I went to bed. I also loved writing while on vacation for a change of scenery. Most of my characters were inspired by people in my life, and the plot came to me pretty easily. Of course, there were plotholes I later had to work through, and once I hired my first editor, she gave me lots of feedback and pointed out things I needed to change.
It took me about two years to draft my book. I know that’s a really long time to draft a book, but in my defense, I was barely a teenager, had absolutely no clue what I was doing, and the book is over 400 pages. Also, my book takes place in 1417, and so despite my obsession, I had to do a LOT of research.
After drafting the first book, I began my search for a publisher. That seriously nearly broke me. I WANTED TO QUIT. Everything costs money in the writing industry. Editors, beta readers, agents, cover designers, proofreaders, publishers, and so on. And, it can take years to get into a good publishing company. So this was really discouraging. At age fourteen, I was on the phone each week with different companies, taking notes, and doing research on the industry. It was definetely not a very fun or empowering stage, and a lot of the publishing houses I wanted to get into required an agent, which I didn’t have.
I began working, taking care of kids, and saving money. During that time, I began outlining my sequel. Finally, I had enough saved up to hire my three editors, cover designer, and to publish the book. I published with the Fearless Publishing House, for anyone that’s wondering! Before publishing, I was asked to write a short story that was a prequel to Escape the Woods. I did, and it’s called Cordel, about Scarlett’s brother.
Finally, my novel was published and I had my launch party. I was seventeen, so it was exactly five years after I began writing my book. Lots of time, and lots of work, but definetely worth it.
Things I wish I knew before starting my book:
- I wish I had stopped and outlined my plot before jumping right in. I was so eager that I didn’t really take the time to make an outline, and that caused me to have to rewrite a lot of the book.
- Some writing days are great, and some are terrible. You won’t always feel like a great writer, but that’s just part of the job.
- It’s okay to cry after getting your manuscript back from an editor or beta reader (I’ve been there, haha!)
- Publishing a book takes time! Like, a lot of time. But it’s not impossible. With prayer, hard work, and a determination that won’t stop at anything, you’ll be able to publish your book.
If I could leave anyone that’s wanting to write a book with a last piece of advice, it would be to make sure that whatever you write is something you’re very passionate about. You won’t be able to get through the years of hard work if you aren’t passionate about sharing the story you’re writing and sharing with the world.
Love,
Gabriella
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