See that guy in the picture? This is how I visualize the shadow trickster. He’s doing a yoga posture that looks relatively easy. You just extend a leg and grab your toes and voila. You’ve got it. Try it now. The leg must be straight. Not so simple, right? You must have limber ham strings (I don’t). In retrospect, I’m beginning to think the shadow trickster may be more prevalent than I initially believed.
Back in 2009, we attended a Scottish festival in Orlando and came across a shirt with a tag inside of it that struck me as a synchronicity – and a confirmation to combine a time travel idea from one novel into a new novel. I was struck by the fact that the tag in the shirt told me it had been made in Ecuador, the location of Esperanza, and the company was called Time Travelers, which was the theme in two earlier novels, Kill Time and Running Time. Wow, I thought. I’m on the right track.
So I wrote the novel, The Gorge, turned it into my editor, who had major revisions notes, and sent it to my agent who hated it. The upshot? I spent another seven months revising the novel, removing the time travel element, and relocating the book to Cedar Key, a charming island in northwest Florida. I called it Ghost Key and that book worked and is coming out in August 2012.
So, in retrospect, I have to look at the shadow trickster in a whole new light. I wanted that time travel element to work, wanted it so badly I pushed my characters into a situation that just didn’t work, that didn’t feel intuitively right. It’s difficult to express what I mean by this. But the external ramifications are clear: when it’s not working, I’m a bear to be around. Don’t talk to me. Feed me coffee, mangos, tuna. Leave me alone. Oh, there were some good scenes, but in the bigger picture, the story didn’t work and I knew it, knew it at that intuitive level where all writers know whether a story works –or not.
So what was that moment at the Scottish festival really about? I was excited about my discovery at that festival, it seemed to be the confirmation I needed. But even though need and desire may attract what you want, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the true situation.
I remembered years ago when a cousin asked me why I wrote commercial fiction instead of literary fiction, I didn’t even understand the question. Now, many years later, my only answer is that all writers write from their own experiences and it’s the reviewers who say, This is literary, this is commercial. But so far, I haven’t found any reviewers who say, wow, this is synchronicity. Or, even more to the point, why what appeared to be a solid confirmation synchro – the shirt, the country, the name of the company – turned out to be a major detour.
I blame the shadow trickster, who always seems to remark, “Uh-huh, okay, you think you’ve got it, but you don’t. Dig more deeply.” And even though you’re tired and are digging more deeply and are trying to read the signs, the question is, Are you there yet? Do you get it?
That’s the process, the ultimate joke of the shadow trickster. I may dig and plunder and run into a dozen synchros, but if the trickster is part of my experience, I know now to pull back and question. The trickster always says, Really? You sure about that? Think again. Dig some more.
Here’s the cover. I’m not sure that it reflects the story, but I didn’t have any say in the design.
trish, will Mira be a character in this novbel or will this be the beginning of a new series with new characters? I MISS MIRA!!!!!!! Was never reconciled with her relationship with her BF. You left me hanging, girl!! Either way, can’t wait for this new one!
I would love to bring Mira back. At least she had some chapters in Esperanza. But she probably won’t appear again. Once y contract with TOR is up, which it will be with this third book, my next novel will be under a pseudonym.
With BookScan, many editors simply run your name and if your sales weren’t in the stratosphere, they pass without ever having read the manuscript. There was a case like this with a 70-year-old novelist, five books to her credit, but the 4th one didn’t do as well. 12 editors passed. So her
agent submitted it under a pseudonym, and it sold within three days. I’ll have to find the story and link it.
You said in your 2009 post;
“My sense is that the synchronicity is a confirmation to continue what I’m doing, combining the two series”.
And in this post:
“See that guy in the picture? This is how I visualize the shadow trickster.
He’s doing a yoga posture that looks relatively easy. You just extend a leg and grab your toes and voila. You’ve got it. Try it now. The leg must be straight. Not so simple, right?”
Sleep on that image (like a flamingo.-) of the one legged trickster until you get an aha moment.
Maybe your characters need to take a stand on some issue,and that’s why they need to meet in a time travel situation.Maybe they need to meet in Scotland
(Roslyn Chapel…or some esoteric Scottish landmark) ?
Maybe they need to meet outside of time (“No Time” would be a good title in your “Time” series,as it gives a sense of urgency,as well as a title that suggests the story takes place outside of time…how about Findhorn in Scotland…seems like a timeless Scottish place?)
Anyway, just mix the possibilities and let them simmer on a back burner in your mind
somewhere and don’t worry about setting the timer.I’m sure the Trickster has something afoot for you.-)
Maybe it’s the Trickster’s way of saying,
“it will work,but nobody said it would be easy”.
I think you’re right about the trickster’s message. It definitely won’t work for this series, my editor simply doesn’t want time travel as a major component of the story. I suspect I may have to revisit the time travel theme with a different book! I WILL sleep on that image. But not while standing on one leg!!
I’ve always loved the Lakota tradition of the “heyoka” or “Heyoka Priest” (which further sanctifies the idea…….) – they were to embody the trickster element as a sacred job. Among the Zuni you find those wonderful black and white clown dancers, who even in the most important ceremonies were present to make rude noises and pinch bottoms, etc. When I had a ritual theatre company, we always included a “heyoka” figure to bring an element of chaos to each event.
Love that idea, an element of chaos….
yes, i was going to say something cute and funny about the one-leg stand, too, but words escape me except that i was smiling “out loud” too when i read it – and i certainly know what it’s like when my own attracted “wants” don’t “necessarily reflect the true situation” – darn it! thanks for sharing those marvelous insights from such a brilliant writer –
on the book cover – when i hear the phrase “ghost key” and “florida” i can see a lush green setting – and the face follows through with the female lead characters as it did in esperanza – so overall, i think a neat fit – and were i seeing the book in a bookstore, i would definitely pick it up based upon the title and the cover – i’m very visually oriented so the cover determines whether or not i pick up a book from a shelf – also – i like the contrast of the rich green with the black – a sense of drama for sure – very appealing –
I’m the same way with books – if the cover grabs me, then I pick it up, read the copy, open to first page. If I’m not seized in the first few paragraphs, back to the shelf it goes.
And thanks for your kind words, Gypsy!
I had to smile as I kept imagining all your blog readers standing on one leg trying to grab their toes. Just struck me as funny for some reason. I sometimes think the trickster comes into play when we get a bit over confident – or too big for our boots as my mum would have said. A bit of a reality check and it knocks us back or puts an unexpected obstacle in the way.
I think you’re right, Mike. Too big for our boots. I didn’t feel that way about what I was writing, though. I just wanted a confirmation!