Gatekeepers in Gardening & Publishing

It's odd that suburban gardening and getting a book published should have anything at all in common. But I believe they do. Both experiences seem to have gatekeepers, that is--people who think they have the right to tell you what you can, or can't, do.

When I wanted to start a vegetable garden in my yard, neighbors said, "Oh, but how can you? Most of your yard is in the shade. The plants won't get enough sun."

When I first started writing novels, acquaintances and family members warned me: "Oh, but there are already so many books published. And it's too hard to find an agent and publisher."

If we listen to the naysayers in our lives, we'll never even try to follow our dreams. But there usually is a way around the obstacles in our path. And the sort of advice that would squash our creative impulses can be ignored. What did I do about those gatekeepers?

I studied my little property and found that I actually did have sun...but only in the front yard. I thought, I'd rather have veggies growing here than plain old grass. Why not? And so I built raised beds and put in baby plants. My yard is unconventional in appearance, but we enjoy fresh salad greens, peas, beans, tomatoes and other produce eight months out of the year.

Writing and publishing my novels took a little more time and effort. But I kept at it and discovered ways to make my writing and stories more appealing to readers, agents, and editors. Here are some of the things I've learned:

1) Agents and editors are human beings. (Surprise!) If you give them material that's professionally polished--even if that means paying a pro for a pre-publication edit--they are more likely to take a risk and want to work with you.

2) Start fast, with a strong hook. Make the first sentence, and second...and third so irresistible that whoever is reading your story will be unable to put it down. Cut "information dumps" (back story) and just dive into your tale. You can use that historical data or details about characters' lives later in the story, as enrichment.

3) Make sure your story fits into a recognizable genre, or a blend of no more than two types. A novel that's part sci-fi, mystery, romance, with elements of humor, espionage and fairy tales--well, that my sound like a good way to draw in a wide range of readers. But it will more than likely confuse people. And bookstores have no idea where to shelve a book like that.

4) Never, never, never show off. Making readers feel stupid because they don't understand your big fancy words or techno-jargon won't earn you fans. Instead, write clearly, vividly. Simple can be beautiful. You'll flatter readers when they feel they understand your characters and plot.

 Whether gardening or writing, we need to follow our own best instincts. Call it our muse. Call it intuition, or inspiration, or a gift from a Supreme Being. Doesn't matter. The gatekeepers and naysayers who would kill your creative solutions are to be ignored. Just think: won't they be gobsmacked when you bring in a gorgeous crop of tomatoes...or hold up a book with your name on the cover?

I'll be blogging regularly on both topics from now on, here at Gardening Between Books. I hope you'll join me from time to time and let me know of topics you'd particularly like me to write about.  

Happy gardening and writing, all!  Kathryn Johnson 

PS: If you're curious and want to check out some of my books, here are a few to choose from. I've provided Amazon links, but they are available on all digital platforms as well as in traditional paper versions. Enjoy!

The Shadow Princess (writing as Mary Hart Perry)  https://ganxy.com/i/89732

  

Mercy Killing  http://amzn.com/B00LXIZBZC

 

  Hot Mercy http://amzn.com/B00P0A42FO