Gabrielle Bisset

Thursday, April 21, 2011

A Different Destiny

If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you may have noticed that all traces of my first book, Stolen Destiny, and its association with the publisher have vanished.  I have recently requested to be released from my contract with them due to creative differences.

I've always wondered what people meant when they claimed they left a project due to "creative differences."  Now that I know, I understand why they would opt to leave.  For me, I was willing to edit many things in my book, but to make the changes to the story that would, in effect, change the entire story from one I wrote to one the editor wants was what I wasn't willing to do. 

I write erotic romance, but the problem that I was told had to be edited out was that the main character-my hero-had murdered his wife in a crime of passion when he caught her in bed with another man.  He regrets it, spends lifetimes in prison for his crime, and is haunted by the fact that his actions have harmed not only his wife but his daughter, who is left an orphan after he is sent to prison.  This is the focal point of the character and the story, Stolen Destiny.  I cannot and will not change the fact that in a moment of madness, my character did something terrible that affected all three of them. It's just too important.

However, the publisher believes that romance readers won't find him sympathetic.  Put aside the fact that romance novels often have rape (call it forced seduction, but it's rape) and those heroes are allowed to remain.  Put aside the fact that my excerpt from Stolen Destiny is consistently the one that generates comments from readers that say he's so tortured by his past and this is appealing to them.  Put all that aside and the fact is that I wrote my main character to be terribly flawed and submitted him and his story to the publisher.  When they accepted it and offered to publish it, at no time did they indicate they would want me to change the fundamental ideas of the story.  If they had, I would have declined immediately. 

The story the publisher wants may be a good one.  I don't know.  I wrote a story called Stolen Destiny that involves a race of people called Aeveren who live many lifetimes through reincarnation.  They must struggle to deal with the lives in their pasts and their actions in those lives.  One of these Aeveren, a man named Varek, killed his wife and spent three lifetimes in Nil (Aeveren prison) for the crime.  Everything else about the story emanates from these core ideas.  That it's a romance is almost secondary to the fact that the story is one of second chances. 

Perhaps that's the problem.  Perhaps, as my friends have mentioned before, I'm in the wrong genre.  That may be something I work with in the future with my books. But none of this changes the fact that I won't alter my story so radically so as to be unrecognizable by the person who wrote it.  I'd sooner not have it published at all.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Good for you! I applaud your decision to remain faithful to what you believe is the essence, the primary, the spine of this story above having a publisher.

Reading your reasons why gave me a glimpse into the story and yes, maybe the romance genre is misleading, or misdirecting. Maybe fantasy would be better? Diane Gabaldon suffered the same issue. Constantly shelved in romance, her readers fiercely defended her as historical and fantasy, feeling she denied exposure.

Regardless of genre classification, I totally think this sounds amazing. And what rocked my world was the Varek's story!

Cheers,
Ellen
http://www.mymotherstuttered.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for your words of support! You don't know how much they mean today with uncertainty looming over me.

Gabrielle

Liz Schulte's Blog said...

I don't blame you at all. If the author will not stick up for their characters and their story who will. Way to stick to your guns on this. I think the story sounds intriguing. I would read it!

Unknown said...

Thanks Lizzie! I hope things work out for the best. :)

Anonymous said...

Have you thought about self-publishing, you can get your story out without the interference of a publisher.

Create Space is one to look at, I believe it is linked to Amazon and have really good royalty options.

Unknown said...

Hi Leetid! I will be from this point on. But for this book, I'll have to see what happens.

Nadja Notariani said...

You already know my feelings on this subject. You stood up and wouldn't be bullied or hustled to change a core element of your story. I think Varek is very sympathetic, and I still believe this book is a romance. ~Nadja

Julius Cicero said...

Good for you! Stick to your guns and create the art that YOU want to emulate. It take guts to follow through with your story without deviating from your vision of it, but you earn something even more valuable from fellow authors that sparks inspiration and effects their staunchness, and that is respect. I salute you!
Julius

Unknown said...

Thanks Nadja and Julius! Your comments mean a lot to me.

:)

Kristi's Book Nook said...

Hold on to you!

Unknown said...

Thanks Kristi! I'm doing what I can to keep my vision alive. :)