Ek is mal oor ‘n suksesverhaal. Hoe meer struikelblokke daar in die outeur se pad na publikasie was, hoe meer inspirerend vind ek dit. Seker maar omdat dit my laat voel daar is nog hoop vir my. Dis vir my heerlik om te lees dat Jodi Picoult, een van my gunstelingskrywers (hm, ek’s juis nou besig met haar nuutste topverkoper, Lone Wolf) meer as ‘n honderd rejection letters in haar posbus gekry het. Die feit dat sy aanhou skryf het laat my soggens opstaan en voor my rekenaar gaan sit, al voel dit tagtig persent van die tyd asof my eerste drafts so vrot is dat ek nooit weer enigiets anders as tjeks en kruidenierslysies wil skryf nie. Die feit dat sy uiteindelik soveel sukses behaal het, inspireer my om my werk aan te hou voorlê. Om aan te hou droom. Hoe lui die Lotto-advertensie? One day is one day …
Connie Cox se storie is so ‘n suksesverhaal. Ek is ‘n instant gratification persoon (dis hoekom ek soveel van my Kindle hou – ek druk net ‘n knoppie en kan die boek binne sekondes begin lees). Die idee om vir meer as ‘n dekade aan te hou skryf sonder om aanvaar te word, aan te hou om my werk voor te lê, is vir my byna ondenkbaar. Connie se geduld – haar aanhouer-wen houding – het my asem weggeslaan. Ek hoop dit inspireer jou ook om sommer nou voor jou rekenaar te gaan sit. Skryf is ‘n kumulatiewe proses. Elke vyftien minute wat jy vandag insit, gaan eendag vir jou dividende betaal. Moenie ophou nie, one day is one day! Gaan lees gerus Connie en ander Harlequin outeurs se stories by http://community.harlequin.com/forums/simply-series/medical-author-spotlight-connie-cox
Connie Cox
I did it. After years and years of trying, I became a Harlequin author. I could say it all began with the Medical Fastrack in the Fall of 2010, but that would be glossing over a decade of writing and sending it in, only to be not quite there.
You see, Harlequin is very particular—which is a wonderful thing if you’re a reader, but a very challenging thing if you’re an author.
So, after years of writing stories, sending them in, and sometimes, getting very close, everything finally clicked for me.
Suzanne Clarke (a very discerning editor, in my opinion), read my entry in their Medical Fastrack and saw something she liked-my sparky dialogue. But the story line didn’t do it for her, so she said, if I could turn in something else that was more hero/heroine-oriented before the Fastrack event was over, she would give it a special look.
So, I turned in two story ideas. They weren’t spit-polished, but they had lots of sparky dialogue. I had finally learned to listen to an editor’s suggestions and capitalized on what she saw as my strength—and it worked. She liked them both well enough to encourage me to finish the first three chapters on the one about the diagnosticians and she would give it another look.
So I did, pronto! And Suzanne rewarded me with more feedback. So back to rewriting I went.
I think of medical romances as tribute to the health care professionals who must show strength day in and out in the face of continuous emotional trauma. I want to portray this profession with all the honor and integrity they deserve.
The Baby Who Saved Dr Cynical is a love story about diagnosticians, doctors of last
resort who must struggle against all odds to triumph over illness and death. What better way to celebrate life than through a loving bond between two strong people? That is the emotional story I wanted to show.
I will be forever grateful to editor Suzanne Clarke for showing me how to dig deeper into a character’s psyche to show the passion behind the actions that drive them. It has made all the difference in my storytelling.
After giving those three chapters at least three intense makeovers, with Suzanne providing insightful editing at each stage, I was finally ready to go on to finish the whole book-which took me many, many months of intense, writing and re-writing. Suzanne wanted to bring out the best in me and that often took a bit of coaxing. So I would write and she would read and make suggestions and I would try again.
And finally, ten months later, when every single word on the page said what it was supposed to say, she declared the book good enough to be a Harlequin.
Wow! All the work was worth it. The hours spent alone writing, the months of rewriting, trying to show the depth of emotion and strength of character so the reader would know Drs. Jason Drake and Stephanie Montclair as I knew them, was all worth it in the end.
It’s all about perseverance. And perhaps that’s the theme of this post. Perseverance. Harlequin wants the best for their readers and their authors and won’t settle for anything less. Yes, I am very proud to be a Harlequin author.
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