Had a great conversation with William G. Thompson today. That's right, Stephen King and John Grisham's first editor.
We spent an hour talking about my book and what I should do next to make it stronger. How cool is that? Seriously. It was surreal to picture him on the other end of the line in his Upper East Side apartment, blocks from Central Park.
He was warm, friendly, and eager to discuss the book. He let me know right out of the gate that he likes the basic concept of the story, and he identified Rain and her plight as its backbone.
As we talked, I recognized his appreciation for and understanding of the book. His enthusiasm was genuine and apparent in his abundant ideas and insights.
I won't get into all of them, but for those interested, here are the main nuggets:
First, he suggested I concentrate on Sesula as an evil entity and create an aura that something's going on here. Focus on the eeriness of the island and Sesula, he said. Help the reader see it, smell it, feel it.
Next, he said I need to focus on the central characters, starting with Alex. He's controlling. He's selfish. He's a troubled person, unhappy with mainland jobs. He has friction with Rain's business partner and best friend, Jennifer.
He suggested I begin the book differently, with a scene where Rain is packing up her office with her best friend who has reservations about her leaving. Ironically, this is how the book opened in my previous draft. Two steps forward, two steps back I guess. But he's right. That scene will help establish the tension Jennifer has with Alex, and shed some insights about Rain and her best friend. It's also a cool way to foreshadow of the dangers of the place she's heading to.
Regarding Rain, he told me to get a fix on her as a woman. He suggested that I look at every word she says with scrutiny. It's her dialogue that I have to watch and sustain. I should ask myself, "Would she have said that? Is that what she would say at this point in the story?" She is a veterinarian who cares for animals. She's not a fighter, he told me. She's a gentle person. She's accomplished: she's made a life for herself, and a career, and now she's trying to start a family. But she's uncertain about the fears she has. These nagging things that worry her will become clearer threats and eventually present real danger.
He told me to eliminate characters and subplots that detracted from the central story. Stick to telling your story, he told me. This also sounds a lot like my earlier draft. Simpler is better, right?
He introduced the idea of making the island's soon to retire veterinarian Rain's ally. He's scarcely mentioned in the current draft, but I can see how this kind, fatherly figure can welcome Rain to the island, help her settle in, and begin sharing the dark history of Sesula.
It's going to be a lot of work, starting from page one, but I am stoked about this story and the direction it's headed.
More to come.
Ethan
