The waiting is the hardest part . . .
. . . according to the song by Tom Petty, as well as to the number of readers who have been emailing me to bemoan the fact that it will be another whole year before the next Lucy Hatch novel is in their hands.
If you haven’t checked this site recently, the big news is that Three Rivers Press, an imprint of Crown Publishers, will publish the third Lucy book, Heartbreak Town, in June 2007 and its sequel in 2008.
To all you eager/impatient fans: I sympathize. As a reader, I know the feeling of closing the covers on a book I’ve loved and rushing to the bookstore or the Web to see if that writer has written another. If we can read a book in a matter of hours, how come it takes years to write and publish one?
Creating credible, meaningful fiction (the kind we all want to read) is time-consuming. Some writers claim to be able to whip out a novel in 60 days or less, but for most, the process is a lot more arduous. And even for those of us blessed with a fair amount of discipline and flexible schedules, real life intervenes in the form of families, friends, other jobs, volunteer commitments, which often can’t wait until the muse is taking a cigarette break or a deadline has been met. For me, a solid first draft takes at least 6 months; whipping it into something I’m ready to show the world can take much longer. That’s just reality, as dictated by my limitations as a writer and a human being.
Then there’s the publishing process. What most “civilians” (non-writers) don’t know is that publishers prepare their fiction lists anywhere from 12 to 24 months in advance. When TRP and I agreed to a deal on January 31, 2006, their spring 2007 list had just been set. Thus, the very soonest it’s possible to get my third book out, taking into account the various contortions a manuscript goes through once it’s acquired by a publisher, is next summer.
So, yes, the wheels turn slowly, but they are turning. As the gatekeeper of Mooney, TX, as well as a fellow book lover, I urge you to keep the faith and trust that your patience will be rewarded. Meanwhile, if you just can’t wait 12 months for a taste of Heartbreak, check out a sneak peek.
As for the fourth book, I’m 10 chapters into it and it’s going as well as can be expected, which is to say that I manage to work on it nearly every day and that I manage to be more or less satisfied with the direction it’s heading. I’m learning that the longer a series goes on, the more challenging it becomes to flesh out the continuing characters, to say nothing of adding new ones, and to keep the story lines fresh and entertaining. There are frustrations, but more often there are pleasant and even delightful surprises. For example, Erasmus just keeps popping up when I least expect him, as he did in Honky-tonk Angels. And the question of whether Ash and his mother will ever reconcile will be answered (sort of) in Book 4.
Many of you have written to ask if the series will continue beyond the fourth book. Of course I can’t say for certain, but my gut tells me that Book 4 will be the end of the road for the folks of Mooney, TX. By the time it’s published, I will have spent nine years with these characters, and while they’ve been good to me, I’m chomping at the bit to do something new. In fact, there are a couple of ideas and even partial manuscripts in the mill. If you’ve got something to say on the matter, don’t hesitate to email me. Your comments are always appreciated. (Maybe I’ll pull a McMurtry, and revisit Mooney in 10 or 15 years to see how the characters are holding up.)
In addition to the fourth Lucy novel, I’m currently developing an idea for a non-fiction book and preparing a workshop for the Writers’ League of Texas this fall. I’ve enjoyed visiting with a number of local book clubs recently, and was a featured speaker at the WLT’s Writers at the UT Club celebration of Texas Writers’ Month in May.
Also in May, the terrific website Writer Unboxed posted a two-part interview with me. Check it out at http://www.writerunboxed.com.
Anything else you want to know that you don?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ‚Äö?묢t see? Check the FAQs, or email me directly.
With gratitude for your continued interest and support,
Marsha
June 27, 2006