I wrote the first draft almost 30 years ago. The writing was terrible. All tell and no show!
Candace Williams – 30 January 2014
The Back Flap
The gap between the old Japan and the new is never so wide as when it tears open a young girl’s heart…
It’s 1952 Japan, seven years since the war was lost to the Americans, seven years since Miyoko lost her father and the home of her birth. Now she must earn a living caring for the children of an American family at the nearby air base.
When tragedy strikes, sixteen-year-old Miyoko is ordered to obey her family’s wishes or disgrace the memory of her father and bring hardship upon her family. Tradition says she must obey, but her secret heart whispers that the new laws can free her. As the earth trembles and splits beneath her, Miyoko must jump forward—or back.
About the book
What is the book about?
It’s the coming-of-age story of a Japanese girl in the aftermath of WWII. At a deeper level, it’s an historical novel about maintaining balance during an upheaval, whether cultural, personal, or both.
When did you start writing the book?
::cringing:: I wrote the first draft almost 30 years ago. The writing was terrible. All tell and no show! I sent it to a publisher who sent a rejection letter saying that while she liked the story, my writing wasn’t strong enough. That was very kind.
How long did it take you to write it?
The ms sat in a drawer for about 20 years. I studied the craft a bit and was tinkering with the first draft when I met a woman who taught courses on Basic Novel Writing, Blueprinting Your Novel, and Advanced Critique. I took all three courses, twice, and read everything I could about the craft. I also participated in critique groups, both online and IRL.
Where did you get the idea from?
It started with the title. One day I was looking at the earthquake doll my parents gave me when we lived in Japan during the Korean Conflict, and I thought, Ooh, “The Earthquake Doll” would be a terrific book title. I remembered the two Japanese maids we had on the military base when we lived over there. One wore traditional kimono but the other wore slacks and sweaters, chewed gum and smoked. I never knew what happened to them, but I wondered what their lives had been like. They were the first generation of Japanese women who had rights. Suddenly, they could vote, hold office, own property, and marry whom they pleased. The doll was the perfect metaphor for their cultural upheaval because during an earthquake the doll’s head wobbles and turns. When it’s over, the solid base remains standing, but the head will face a new direction.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Originally the story was written from dual POVs, that of Miyoko (the traditional girl) and Susan, the American housewife for whom she worked. The chapters written from Susan’s POV were difficult. I was told more than once that the writing from that POV was flat. It wasn’t until an agent’s assistant suggested a rewrite from Miyoko’s POV alone that I finally deleted all the Susan POV and salvaged scenes that could be switched to Miyoko’s viewpoint. Some scenes that I loved had to be scrapped. More scenes had to added, to make up the lost word count. Now I’m convinced the story is much better this way.
What came easily?
Once in a while a character seemed to take over the scene, and the writing flowed effortlessly. This happened with almost every character, but especially with Miyoko’s cousin Koji and his mother, her Aunt Tomoko. I have no idea why.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
As I said earlier, I based the story on the two girls who worked for us on the base. The character of Miyoko is based on the traditional girl, Toshiko, and Rumiko is based on the more modern Su. The four-year-old American girl Tina is based on me. Several events in the story are based on true incidents I remember from the time and those later told to me by my parents. Most of the people and events are fictional, however.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I’m not aware of an author that influenced me.
Do you have a target reader?
This was going to be a YA novel because the protag is sixteen. But in critique groups with people who write for YA, Middle Grade and on down, I was told that my book was not YA. Agents I queried said the same thing. The most common response was, “Not right for today’s [YA] market.” A very successful Middle-Grade author told me that unless the book contained the F-word, YAs weren’t interested in it. I’m not a prude by any means, but I find that incredibly sad. The positive feedback I’m getting now that the book is published in the adult market is gratifying.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Not really. I’m not a prolific writer, nor do I have much of that “butt-in-chair” discipline.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I use index cards and a storyboard. I write the basics of the scene on the card. I can’t write a scene without an idea of what’s supposed to happen. The scene may not turn out the way I first thought it would, but I want that index card showing the who/what/where/when/why of the next scene before I start writing. The storyboard is essential to me. I decided to move a scene to an earlier part of the book, and it was easier to move the index cards around on the storyboard, visualizing what worked and what wouldn’t, all before touching the ms. I also kept track of the timeline on the storyboard, and that came in handy, for example, when I needed to change all my crops to a different season of the year.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I really should edit when I’m done, but find it difficult to wait even though it can interrupt the flow.
Did you hire a professional editor?
My publisher, Story Spring Publishing LLC, hired first-rate editors who respected voice while making spot-on edits and suggestions.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No! Music is too distracting for me. I can handle people talking in the background at a coffee shop, but if there’s anything other than elevator music playing, I’ll start listening to the music rather than paying attention to the writing.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, and I found one after I started pitching to the adult market. Unfortunately, the agent found a publisher who hired an “editor” who did things like changing the entire ms to present tense, and changing the word “businessmen” to “businesspersons” in a scene set in 1952 Japan. They told me it was going back to a different editor, but they returned it to the same one, whose next “edit” was the removal of a space in the header. No substantive edits were made, at all. Needless to say, I moved on!
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Having had no luck with the major publishers via an agent, and because I was so daunted by the thought of self-publishing, indie was the way to go for me, no question. The majors today want celebrity authors, authors with a large platform, or self-published phenoms like the very talented Hugh Howey. They used to have the time to take a writer under their wing and represent them for the rest of the author’s career. Steinbeck, for example, couldn’t spell or punctuate worth a damn, but in those days editors could afford taking the time to handle a talented writer like that. Now with all the mergers and downsizing, they have to look for acquisitions that will take little time and effort in return for high profit. If you can find a good indie publisher (with editors who have brains) I say go for it.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The publisher hired a professional but allowed me to have input, which was fortunate because I think there was a miscommunication as to the genre and “feel” of the story. I had specifically requested no Asian fonts because they’re cheesy, so I was taken aback, to say the least, when four of the first five mockups had cheesy-looking Asian fonts à la Charlie Chan or Godzilla comics, which at least looked right with some of the garish color combinations. If you go with an indie, I strongly advise you to be sure you’ll have a say about the cover (you won’t get any say with a major; however, the majors do have plenty of experience with what’s appropriate for the various genres. That won’t necessarily be the case with indies.) It’s your book and you need to be proud of the cover, not embarrassed, and your input should be respected. Be prepared to walk and self-publish if need be. The cover I have now is beautiful, exactly right for the genre and story, and I couldn’t be happier with it.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Yes, there is an evolving marketing plan worked out by the publisher and myself. Of course, the drawback to having an indie vs. a major is that there’s not enough money to put your book on the shelves of B&N (or Target or Wal-Mart, for that matter.) With my book’s title and cover, I believe most people would have at least picked it up and read the blurb on the back, which is a huge advantage at the bookstore. Probably most of them would put it back down, but certainly not all. Not having commercial shelf space to compete with the majors means we have to do much of the marketing ourselves. That’s rather daunting because I believe most authors, myself included, are introverts. I’ve been invited to speak at a couple of small book clubs, and to give a presentation on “writing” to a group I belong to. My publisher came up with a brilliant idea to approach homeschoolers and school librarians because they are desperate for “clean” YA fiction. Ultimately, it will come down to word-of-mouth, of course, so we just have to keep finding ways to get the book out there. My Goodreads giveaway attracted hundreds of readers, and almost 300 kept it on their TBR list, but that doesn’t mean anywhere close to that number will actually buy the book.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
My advice to all authors is, of course: study your craft. Study your target market. Build your platform. (None of which I did in the beginning.) As to working with indie publishers, as I said make sure you have some say about your cover. Remember, indies won’t have the years of experience and expertise of the majors. Find out what their idea of editing is. For example, will they respect your voice? Will they hire an editor with experience? Do they understand your genre? How familiar are they with formatting for various reading devices and print editions? How many projects are they working on at once? You don’t want to be in a situation where the publisher has over-committed. Will they do what they say when they say, or at least let you know if their schedule changes? You need to have people you enjoy working with and who have the best interests of your book and its genre in mind. If you opt for self-publishing, then I recommend you read up on Hugh Howey’s experiences and also get involved in forums with other authors who are and have been involved in the process.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I’m a native Texan and have lived here all my life (so far!) except for a few years in Japan when I was a toddler.
Where do you live now?
I live in Dallas.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m fortunate enough to be married to the love of my life for almost 28 years. No children, except for the four-footed kind, all of which are rescues: Italian Greyhounds and cats. For a rip-roaring good time I like to play in amateur bridge tournaments.
What are you working on now?
It’s a contemporary mystery called “Gino’s Law.” It has a much different voice than “The Earthquake Doll.” You can read the first page on my website.
End of Interview:
For more, visit Candace’s website, Tumblr page, or like her facebook page.
Get your copy of The Earthquake Doll from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook) or Barnes & Noble.
