Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

  • home
  • Bio
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Anthologies
    • Blue Birds
    • The Burning Season
    • Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine
    • May B.
    • Miraculous
    • Over in the Wetlands
    • A Race Around the World
    • Ride On, Will Cody!
  • Author Visits
  • Virtual Visits
  • Events
  • Teacher Resources
  • Contact
  • Writing One to One

The question isn’t answered in the plot

4 Comments

I’m ten days out from turning in my last Miraculous edits. (I have a release date — July 5, 2022!) I’ve simplified and streamlined, my editor Stacey told me. Now is the time to connect the last dots.

A few months ago, I’d read through the draft and found a few holes I needed to fix. I had ideas! Plans! But each time I tried to work through them, those ideas felt convoluted and dumb. I was forcing my characters to do what I needed, working from the outside in, moving them around like chess pieces in service to the story.

Don’t look for the answers in the plot, Stacey said. You’ll find your answers in understanding your characters. I knew this. I know this. I’ve written lots of books! But, wow, hearing these words with this book at that moment opened up so much to me.

So this time through, I’m staying close to what’s already developed on the page. The answers are there! I don’t need new hoops for characters to jump through. I don’t need to invent new steps; I need to trust my characters to lead.

This is my absolute favorite part of the writing process, when I can (finally) grasp the whole story in my head and everything is coming together. After this, it’s on to copy edits and then first pass pages. I should have a cover to show you in the next month or two.

Friends, I can’t wait to introduce you Jack and Cora and Dr. Kingsbury and all the people of Oakdale. Soon!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Filed Under: Miraculous, publication, the writing life

Comments

  1. Kimberley Little says

    September 10, 2021 at 8:29 pm

    Less than 10 months until pub day – this is fantastic news, Caroline!! Can’t wait to see the cover! And this is so perfect and so right: “You’ll find your answers in understanding your characters.” Congrats on all your hard and patient work. XO

    Reply
    • Caroline Starr Rose says

      September 11, 2021 at 8:23 am

      You are lovely, Kim. Thank you! Hugs sent down I-25. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mia Wenjen says

    September 11, 2021 at 9:09 am

    How exciting! Congrats! Can’t wait to read this!

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      September 11, 2021 at 2:20 pm

      Thanks, Mia! I’m excited to share soon-ish.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Meet Caroline Starr Rose
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

my books

Subscribe to my newsletter + to receive regular blog posts

categories

  • A Race Around the World
  • authors
  • Blue Birds
  • books and reading
  • classroom connections
  • encouragement
  • faith
  • family
  • historical fiction
  • home
  • Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine
  • May B.
  • Miraculous
  • non-fiction
  • Over in the Wetlands
  • poetry
  • publication
  • Ride On, Will Cody!
  • Song of the Raven
  • teaching
  • The Burning Season
  • The Notebook Series
  • the writing life
  • this and that

Copyright © 2023 · Caroline Starr Rose · Site by Design by Insight

I participate in Amazon Services LLC Associates and Bookshop.org, affiliate programs that allow me to make a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting this site!

Sign up for biweekly blog posts + my quarterly author newsletter and receive a printable quote from my novel, Blue Birds.