ELAINE COUGLER AND THE LOYALIST

5 Surprises I Found As I Neared the Finish Line with The Loyalist’s Wife

Are you one of those writers who talks about your writing journey with all of its stops along
the way? Do you find as you near your destination the trip seems harder and longer with many
unexpected twists and turns? What was your biggest surprise as you neared the publishing goal?

Writing is such a voyage of self-discovery I shouldn’t have had any surprises. The long haul to
publishing was and still is full of learning and leaning into yet another curve until I felt less like
a race car driver rushing to the finish line and more like the putting along little engine that could
(hopefully).

Here are 5 surprises I got on my publishing journey.

1. Critiques pointed out dozens of errors I had made. Not grammatical but writing errors
which I had made because I really had no idea how to write for my readers. I am a
perfectionist, I admit it, and when I took my draft to critique partners, their reactions
floored me. Yes. So much so that I stopped working on my historical for about three
months until I learned enough about writing to deal with constructive criticism.
Hurdling my lack of knowledge was huge.
2. My newfound ability to listen to critiques actually worked against me. Once I realized
that being a life-long reader of historical fiction and a teacher of senior English
students were not enough, I became a willing student and sought help in courses,
critique groups, and by inviting about ten people I knew to be readers of my novel.
Everything they said, I assumed was correct. Well, almost everything. I did recognize
that some of them just didn’t understand historical fiction and their comments made
no sense. What I realize now is that listening politely to others’ comments is useful
only if the writer has enough confidence to throw out suggestions which do not apply.
My most famous example of that was the person well-known in writing circles, who
had me change my opening to a format not geared to historical fiction. That was
an interesting exercise but was not me and was not good for my story. I felt The
Loyalist’s Wife had lost its zip. Finally I listened to my own inner voice and rewrote
the opening once more, incorporating what I had learned but trusting my thirty years
of reading historical fiction to guide me. The new opening was true to my voice, my
story, and my own extensive knowledge of what a historical novel should sound like.
3. I never thought getting my book to the publishing stage would take this long. Indeed,
I almost gave up entirely when a writing friend told me ten years was a reasonable
time period to get a writer’s work to publication. Now I understand and feel my six
years is only due to my education and my experience teaching the language itself
before I started this novel. And if you look at my website, you’ll see I have now
speeded up the process with books two and three in The Loyalist Trilogy coming out
next year and the year after. But I would never be planning those dates if I hadn’t put
in the time and effort already to learn with the first book.

4. I learned to lose my timidity and identify myself as a writer. In the beginning I did as
my mother taught me as a little girl. I put myself last, didn’t talk about my abilities
or my writing dreams, and certainly kept quiet that I was a writer. The more time I
spent, however, with my butt in chair, the more I realized I was a writer, published or
not. And I loved to talk about writing. Soon I initiated conversations about writing,
took in many classes and conferences, stepped right up and talked to strangers
until saying I was a writer was as easy as saying I was a teacher. I grew into my
new avocation. By doing this I even met a fellow writer at a wedding and we have
remained friends and fellow writers since then. I expect to see her at an upcoming
conference where we will catch up on our respective careers.
5. My biggest surprise was experiencing a different kind of fear. All my life I have
been out there, as they say. I’m a singer, a teacher, an outspoken committee member,
a person who has conquered the many trips to the washroom before a singing or
speaking engagement. I know that fear is a great motivator and helps me do my best.
What I didn’t expect, however, was my absolute fright at pushing Send and finally
emailing my final manuscript to the printer. Who knew I would be paralyzed by
the fear that I might not have found all of the errors, that I might have completely
overlooked some part of the history of the American Revolution and my Loyalist
characters? But I did it. Knowing that I would get one more proof saved me. And
wanting to feel that book in my hands.

The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

When American colonists resort to war against Britain and her colonial attitudes,
a young couple caught in the crossfire must find a way to survive. Pioneers in the
wilds of New York State, John and Lucy face a bitter separation and the fear of losing
everything, even their lives, when he joins Butler’s Rangers to fight for the King
and leaves her to care for their isolated farm. As the war in the Americas ramps up,
ruffians roam the colonies looking to snap up Loyalist land. Alone, pregnant, and
fearing John is dead, Lucy must fight with every weapon she has.
With vivid scenes of desperation, heroism, and personal angst, Elaine Cougler
takes us back to the beginnings of one great country and the planting of Loyalist
seeds for another. The Loyalist’s Wife transcends the fighting between nations to
show us the individual cost of such battles.

Photo by Paula Tizzard

The Loyalist’s Wife paperback: May 15, 2013 and e-book: June 15, 2013

Contact Elaine:

www.elainecougler.com

@ElaineCougler

www.facebook.com/ElaineCouglerAuthor