Whether to Give Up on That Novel

When a book is a passion project, can you leave it?

The Novel as a Passion Project

I have an unpublished novel that I’ve rewritten more times than I can count.

Promiscuous Reading has fundamentally changed—it even ends in a very different place than it did in the first many drafts, mostly because I thought that, while it was realistic, it was too dark.

I’ve given up on writing projects before, including two novels that I decided weren’t working and never would work. But the subject of Promiscuous Reading is near and dear. It’s also topical, and, judging from the political environment in the US, will continue to be for some time.

Here’s an overview:

When public high school teacher Margaret O’Rourke helps the gay daughter of prominent conservative Christian Constance Wrightwood, there’s hell to pay. After Constance snoops in Margaret’s classroom and finds a student’s essay on masturbation, she accuses Margaret of assigning immoral literature and of promoting homosexuality to students, including Constance’s lesbian daughter. She turns to a trusted but mentally unstable parishioner to help destroy the offending books, thus beginning a battle to enforce her personal moral code. Her campaign soon involves all classrooms, the school library, and the school board. 

After Margaret enlists the help of her two oldest friends, the three women must come to terms with past secrets including unrequited crushes on each other, abortion, and assault, all while contending with a legacy of guilt. While fighting back, Margaret discovers she and Constance have shared childhood experience with the same predator. The experience has shaped Constance’s worldview, but Margaret must do otherwise and accept life’s messiness. As she continues to help Constance’s daughter and navigate parenting her own headstrong teen, she is blind to the danger underlying religious fanaticism. 

I’ve queried some agents whose #mswl and interviews made me think of them as a good fit. Although I’ve gotten lots of beta reader love, generally, agents say it’s an interesting idea, but not the right project for them.

Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable. 

- Mary Oliver, “Evidence” (2009)

I’ve considered shelving it, but Promiscuous Reading keeps calling to me in a way that no other project has. So I decided to join a novel workshop offered by A Public Space. I’m too old to believe in manifesting a desired outcome, but I rationalized the expense (yeah, female who experiences guilt over funding personal goals—imagine!) with this thought: Even if the help I receive in the workshop doesn’t lead me to a publishing contract, it will help me do a better job on the next novel.

And doing a good job is the real goal. Fingers crossed.

Libraries: Banned Books Week (Month)?

Yesterday, Inlandia: A Literary Journey launched its special ‘Libraries and Librarians’ issue, which I had the pleasure of guest editing. More on that next week. Meanwhile. Pen America is celebrating Banned Books Week (Oct. 1-7) by having an entire month of events. They look great. Check them out here.