Sandra Gulland's novel Mistress of the Sun benefited from feedback by book clubs before it was published. (HarperCollins Canada)
The novel-writing process usually conjures the image of a grizzled-looking scribe locked away in a dimly lit room, hunkered over a laptop, emerging for occasional coffee refills or to feed chapters furiously through a paper shredder. It’s a lonely existence, vindicated only once the finished book makes its way into the world.
But the archetype of the solitary shut-in, working in isolation, isn’t always true. As early as the 17th century, Parisian writers would invite guests to the Hôtel de Nevers to “test” their work before it went to the printers. While the collective approach — especially the process of allowing readers access to an unpublished manuscript — seems unimaginable in today’s book industry, Ontario author Sandra Gulland has adapted the old French technique and believes her work is much stronger for it.
Fittingly, Gulland’s literary preoccupation is France’s ancien regime; after a critically acclaimed trilogy of novels about Josephine Bonaparte, Gulland’s new novel, Mistress of the Sun, steps back another 100 years, to the era of Louis XIV. Gulland broaches the writer-reader divide by welcoming editorial participation from the public. For her last two books, the Killaloe, Ont.-based author has given early drafts of her manuscripts to book clubs and tape-recorded their comments for use in rewrites.
The technique was born in Sandra’s “past life” as a freelance editor of Young Adult fiction, when she used to assemble groups of adolescents to read and comment on manuscripts, passing the recorded discussions along to the authors.
“Invariably, the dialogue was astonishing and informative,” Gulland remembers. “There is something that comes out in a group discussion that is often missed by individual readers.”
When she made the shift from editing to writing, Gulland found herself longing for similar feedback. A meeting with a group of readers of her first novel, The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., made her realize that book clubs were the ideal venue to workshop her drafts. “It meant a chance to hear about a novel’s failings before it is published — when there is still a chance to make it better — than later, in reviews,” Gulland said.
Participants in these book clubs have included dedicated readers of Gulland’s work as well as relative neophytes; their comments, regardless of how harsh, often prove invaluable. Gulland remembers one especially devastating round of comments on the manuscript of Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe (1998): “I wept, went to bed sick, then woke up the next morning and got to work.” The result was a major rewrite, including a completely overhauled first chapter. The book ended up being shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award. “I’m grateful for that honest critique,” Gulland admitted.
King Louis XIV, aka the Sun King, from a painting by Hyacinthe Rigaud. (Hulton Archive/Getty)
HarperCollins, her publisher, has responded to this choice with admiration. “I don't know any other author who has taken that daring step,” said Iris Tupholme, HarperCollins Canada’s vice-president, as well as the primary in-house editor of Gulland’s work. Most writers have readers survey early drafts of their books, but neither Tupholme nor Gulland herself has heard of other writers using non-industry reading groups to workshop manuscripts. From Tupholme’s perspective, the approach is a natural fit. “Sandra is a writer who writes for her readers,” she said. “[That] strong connection makes this dialogue possible.”
Gulland’s new book, Mistress of the Sun, tells the story of Louise de la Vallière, or “Petite,” who plunges into a secret, decade-long affair with Louis XIV. Her life, however, is shadowed by an event from her childhood — the young girl once evoked the devil’s magic to tame a wild horse. Since then, she has remained wary that her dealings in the black arts will one day come back to haunt her. When the king at last declares their love publicly, the duplicitous courtesans of Versailles turn on Petite. Cast helplessly into a web of deception, she begins to wonder if the devil is finally having his revenge.
Once a draft of the book was ready, Gulland passed the manuscript off to a book club in California for comments. After receiving their notes and undertaking a subsequent rewrite, she decided to make the project more of a family affair, enlisting her own daughter, Carrie, and her monthly book club in Toronto for a second critique.
The book club’s past catalogue has included titles by Jonathan Safran Foer and Lisa Moore, which made Carrie Gulland particularly anxious: “[Mistress of the Sun] is not a book we would have normally chosen,” she said. Meanwhile, her mother worried that an especially poor response might upset Carrie; conversely, the comments might be more restrained than usual. “Would they be able to voice honest criticisms with the author’s daughter in their group?” Gulland wondered. She discussed it with Carrie, who consulted with her friends and then ensured her mother of their enthusiasm not only for a sneak peek at the work, but to be part of the process. How often do you get a say in the books you read, after all?
Along with copies of the manuscript, Sandra included a note for each reader. “Reading a novel is an enchantment of sorts, and basically I want to know where that enchantment fails,” she stated. “It also helps to know where and why it succeeds, as well as what you would like more of, or less.” With these instructions, Carrie and her four friends took their monthly assignment home, and began reading.
The day of the meeting arrived and Carrie hadn’t heard a word, negative or otherwise, about her mother’s manuscript. “I assumed that because they hadn’t said anything to me, that the rest of the club hated the book,” she said. When they eventually sat down together, Carrie was relieved to discover that her friends’ responses were overwhelmingly encouraging — both to the text and the chance to take part in the novel’s development. “Everyone had different parts that they liked better or wanted changed, but overall the comments were really positive,” Carrie Gulland explained. “They seemed to really like being part of the process, too.”
Suggestions ranged from specific line edits to a need for more background information on some of the characters. When she received the tape of the meeting, Sandra Gulland was thrilled — not only had the manuscript been well-received, but the criticism was astute and useful. Gulland made major last-minute revisions, including tightening the opening and making Petite a stronger character, with more clearly developed external conflicts. Mistress of the Sun, its author happily admits, has benefited greatly from outsider participation. “The group’s responses and suggestions were wonderfully intelligent and perceptive and the book is much better for it.”
Mistress of the Sun will be published by HarperCollins on Feb. 23.
Pasha Malla is a Toronto writer. His first collection of stories, The Withdrawal Method, will be published by Anansi in the spring.
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