Persist and accept that your first draft will probably be awful. And maybe your second draft (mine are!) By the time you are reading a published book, it has been through so many edits and so many hands that it can be unrecognizable in comparison to the first draft.
Historical fiction author Camille Di Maio loved to read but had little faith in her writing abilities until, one day driving her four children around, she had an idea for a story that begged to be told. It took her just six weeks of writing to finish her first manuscript. She talks to us about the power of pantsing, developmental editing and the time Paul McCartney read her book on stage.
Please give us a brief overview of yourself and your work.
I am a mom of four who writes historical fiction. I’m inspired by my love of travel and almost always start my books with a sense of setting. A place or a piece of history will catch my attention and as I dig deeper, characters come to mind and I begin to work on it. I think about each of my books for at least two years before doing anything with them. I need to see which story idea stands the test of time. My books include The Memory of Us, Before the Rain Falls, The Way of Beauty, The Beautiful Strangers, and The First Emma.
What made you want to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I spent recess time in the library. Bullies were abundant and my friends were Jane Eyre, Anne Shirley, Nancy Drew, etc. This was way before the age of the internet where readers and authors could become friends so easily. So the names of these writers were so mysterious to me – and yet they were my saviors, pulling me out of the difficulties of grade school, middle school and beyond. I wanted to be one of them and to do the same for others. I had little confidence about it, however. I was not trained to be a writer – I just loved reading. But I had an idea one day – driving around all four kids in my minivan – for what became The Memory of Us and I wrote for six straight weeks until I had a manuscript. (Not a good manuscript at the beginning, but at least I finished it.)
Do you have a writing routine?
Oh, how my husband wishes that I have a writing routine! We homeschooled the kids (two are in college now, but two are still at home), so my attentions are quite divided. Since they are at home and my husband works at home, I have no writing space of my own. So I get away to coffee shops or the library a few days a week and try to be as productive as possible. I am very good with deadlines, though, so however I manage to get there, it does get done.
How do you outline your work and begin writing?
I’m a pretty classic pantser. I can literally have my fingers hover over my keyboard and say, “Ok. What is going to happen in Chapter 14?” – and I have no idea what is going to happen in Chapter 14. That has worked for me so far. I have to remain flexible, though. I am just starting research for my sixth book and can already tell that I will have to plot this one. There is so much research available for it and if I don’t have an outline, I may drown in possibility and lose sight of the story I want to tell. I actually began an outline today – as much as it terrified me to do so – and I can see that this is the right path for this book. We always have to keep growing and experimenting!
Do you have any tips for a productive writing day?
I have to detach from the internet. Way easier said than done. I love Instagram and Facebook and can procrastinate with the best of them. So I’m much more productive when I literally shut down WiFi and get to work. This can be a challenge because much of my research is online, so it’s a continual effort to make myself just look up what I need to and then shut it down again.
Is there any particular incident that has happened along your writing journey that you’d like to share?
Yes! The Memory of Us was inspired by the classic Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby. I worked on it for four years, and as I mentioned, I had no experience as a writer, so it required A LOT of edits. But after so many years, I had something that was ready to send out to agents. But before I could do that, we got some remarkable news – Paul McCartney was going to make an unexpected visit to our city (San Antonio at the time) to perform for the opening of a new performing arts center. Paul McCartney! It had always been my dream to get a copy of my book to him. Just to show him, one artist to another, what his song meant to me. Someone gave me a front-row ticket to the small-venue show (wow!) and I brought the manuscript. I also brought a sign that said “I wrote a book about Eleanor Rigby. May I give you a copy?” Introvert that I am, I folded the sign up and kept it in my purse. Then, he actually played the song. Six feet in front of me, Paul McCartney was playing the song I’d been writing about. I learned later that this was the first tour in which he’d had that on his setlist. It was meant to be. So after the song, when he was switching guitars, I pulled the sign out, held it up, and could see that he saw it. Then, I stuffed it back in my purse. When he got to the mike, he looked as if he was about to start the next song. And then he stopped.
“Did you say you wrote about Eleanor Rigby? And you want to give me a copy? You sure can, baby! I’d love to read it!”
I wanted to die. Paul McCartney called me baby, ha, ha. He waved security away and called me up. I handed him the manuscript and figured he’d hand it off to a roadie, but he brought it up to the mike and started reading it to the audience!!
Shortly after, I got an agent and that was a fun story to be able to share with her.
Do you have any advice or aspiring authors?
My advice is to persist. And accept that your first draft will probably be awful. And maybe your second draft (mine are!) By the time you are reading a published book, it has been through so many edits and so many hands that it can be unrecognizable in comparison to the first draft. So if you are viewing your work in light of a published work, you’re shortchanging yourself. Editing is where the magic happens. So, write, write write. Get to The End even on – especially on – the days where you don’t feel inspired. Then, take a hard, honest look at it in edits and make it better.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for new authors?
I think newly published authors ride a wave of great excitement over the release of their book and with great reason. That is a HUGE accomplishment!! Your family is excited, your friends are excited, you can tackle the world. Then – if you want to write another – that the book itself is not the only goal. You have to market it, make contacts, consider newsletters, social media, etc. It’s a business and if you want it to be your career, you realize that it’s not all about the fun of the writing.
What methods of book marketing do you find the most effective?
If you can get a Book Bub, that has been the #1 thing that has been great for my books. But they are soooo hard to get. I’ve only gotten them twice. They are expensive and competitive. But very much worth it if you get a “yet”. As for daily things, I am a grassroots person. I have organically formed a lot of relationships and friendships with book bloggers, bookstagrammers, etc. and created a loyal following. I respond to every single message that someone sends me and I hear from readers all the time that they are surprised at how much I communicate. I do this because I love to and I think it’s the right thing to do. But it does come in handy with marketing, too. When I have something to promote – a new book or a sale – there are many people who are happy to spread the news.
What struggles did you face in the writing and publishing process?
There are so many! But a key one lately has been to read, understand, and adapt to a changing market. Currently, we’re hearing “upmarket” and “commercial” fiction. Publishers want books that have wide appeal and inspire discussion with book clubs. They love stories that take current social issues into consideration. It’s tempting as a writer to “write to the trend”. But the turnaround time between finishing a book and publishing it (if you are going the traditional route) can be as much as two years, and the market may be different then. So, I encourage writers to find your voice and your path and stick with it through the highs and lows. If your genre is down right now, it will probably be up again soon.
What is the best writing advice you have received?
I have an a-MAZ-ing developmental editor and her work with me has been more valuable than any class I can imagine taking. Now when I write, I have her voice in my head always asking, “But how does this make her feel?” As a historical fiction writer, it’s so tempting to geek out on some detail or to do an info-dump just because I find the topic fascinating. But it’s not really about those things. It’s about the character’s journey. So I have to keep in mind – all the time – that it’s how my characters interact with those details that really make the story.
Where can readers find out more?
I’m most active on my website, Instagram and Facebook. I’m the founder of the Facebook page called My Book Tribe, so you’ll definitely find me there! I’m also active on Book Bub, as a book reviewer.
