Our author today is Dorothy Winsor, whose book is being released on May 6! We all know and love Dorothy, so I don’t even have to remind you to give her a warm welcome!
Dragons, Defiant Workers, and a Secret Theme – what more could we ask for in a book?
If you are an Author or an Artist who is interested in having your work featured, just let me know.
Glass Girl
by Dorothy A. Winsor
My new book, Glass Girl, is (unsurprisingly) about a girl who makes glass.
I got the idea for it probably ten years ago now, when I heard an NPR story about a factory somewhere in Latin America. Yes, ten years ago. This story has sat on my computer for a long time. Occasionally, I would drag it out, tinker with it, decide it wasn’t good enough yet, and put it away for a while. But during the pandemic, I finally wrote a version I liked.
So anyway, in this NPR factory story, the workers (all women) protested when the owner cut their wages. In answer, he threw the key on the floor and told them to pick it up and see if they could do any better, which they did. After they made the factory profitable, of course he wanted it back.
Thus, this was a story of the underdog triumphing. Plus, I was charmed by the idea of the feminine world inside the factory. I settled on glass making because it required a factory-like facility that could exist in my pre-industrial world. To create a compelling plot, I threw in a mystery. The central character’s mother (who is also the factory’s craft mistress) is murdered in the book’s opening chapter, and when the Watch proves inept, she decides to hunt down the murderer herself.
In one way, then, that’s what Glass Girl is about. But really, that’s not what it’s about. It’s not what’s at its heart that kept me coming back to it for ten years.
I’m talking about the book’s theme. By “theme,” I don’t mean message or lesson. I mean something like a topic or a question about what it means to be a human being.
I once read some writing advice to the effect that all good stories have a theme, even if the writer can’t articulate it yet. When I started Glass Girl, I thought it was going to be about trust. I thought the central character was someone who learned to trust, though it was hard for her. And indeed, the theme of trust does run through the book.
But I’ve since realized that the central theme was not trust, but love. In Glass Girl, I am asking myself, the reader, and my characters how flawed human beings can love one another (or not). What does love ask of us? What are we willing to do for people we love? What are we willing to do to gain love, even love of a warped nature? How do we react when we are deprived of it?
So, there’s glass making here, and defiant workers, and, for a bonus, rumors of a dragon sleeping in that smoking volcano. But there are also questions about love. I hope people enjoy the book. I’m going to miss it now that it’s out in the world and on its own.
Glass Girl is available at pretty much all online bookstores including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also support a small publisher – Inspired Quill – by buying directly from them, though that’s trickier for most jackals since Inspired Quill is in the UK.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Many thanks to Water Girl for arranging this post. I’ll be around all day, off and on. I’m happy to talk about the book, or writing, or publishing, or how awesome Dark Brandon is. Have at it!
WaterGirl
I am curious about this:
How do you even begin to take concepts like that and then write a story that somehow, even indirectly, encourages people to think about those things?
Or did you set out to tell the story, and only later recognize the theme?
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Pre-banned in Florida?
Dorothy A. Winsor
@NotMax: One can only hope. It would probably juice my sales.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@WaterGirl: For me, the theme emerges as I write the story. I put the characters in situations and then try to figure out how they would react if they were real. People (and, I hope, my characters) react out of deep human needs. Those needs are where the theme lies. At least for me. Writers work differently.
stinger
Congratulations, Dorothy!
I pre-ordered the book from Inspired Quill with no difficulty, and expect to receive it soon. That cover art is striking and intriguing.
I’ll follow up WaterGirl’s question with: Does a book start in the author’s mind with a plot or a character or a setting, and a theme develops without their even knowing it? I’ve wondered this ever since studying some Shakespeare plays many years ago. Did he know how often he referred to “the moon” in Romeo and Juliet?
Baud
Congratulations on the book!
MazeDancer
Sounds like a great story. Congratulations. Well done!
Dorothy A. Winsor
@stinger: When you mention the arrival of pre-ordered books, you are touching on something that has me hysterical at the moment. On April 23, my publisher ordered a box of the books to be sent to me. It hasn’t come yet. I have a launch event set up for this coming Tuesday. I’m worried I’ll be doing it with no books. Be Zen, Dorothy. Worrying does no good.
Ahem.
Re your follow up the WG’s question. I think different writers work differently. And for me, the story has even developed differently for different books. But usually, I first have a character, and then quickly after that, a situation that the character is in. I start with that, and write a first draft that takes maybe 3 or 4 months. Then I start the real work. I revise a lot. A whole lot. The thread of that first draft is still there at the end, but the characterization and plot are much thicker. I occasionally think about theme, but I’m not writing to theme.
With someone like Shakespeare, who knows? I think he worked pretty quickly, so maybe a lot of it comes from his back brain. I don’t know.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Baud: @MazeDancer: Thank you. I hope the book finds its readers.
Princess
This sounds great!
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Princess: I hope so! I’ll settle for entertaining.
Frankensteinbeck
@WaterGirl: and @stinger:
I will chime in on this, too, because I am the other type of writer. I decide on a theme early in the planning stage of a book. I am a planning type of writer, period. Enormous amounts of outlining, so I always know what I’m writing next, and I only have to put words and details on it. For themes, I do two things. I think of events that would reflect the theme, like finding points in the story where I can highlight different kinds of romantic relationships. Or I do it from the opposite direction, altering my descriptions as I write a scene to add focus to the relationships between the characters involved.
I don’t want to go on too long because this is Dorothy’s thread and I’ll get my own turn, but I thought the contrast would be useful.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Frankensteinbeck: It’s useful to me, anyway!
I always think I’ve planned a lot. I even lay out index cards. But then that always turns out to be too thin to support a novel.
eclare
Congratulations!
Frankensteinbeck
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
I plan more than any other author I’ve met. Mental planning stages. Exploratory writing. Then a rough outline of events to get from beginning to end. Then embellishing that outline. Then the events become chapters, and before I write it every chapter gets a very detailed outline, every event and statement listed. Having worked out what will happen, I’m then free to focus on writing it well. If the outline says A hits B, when I sit down to write I can decide if it needs to be a fast, actiony sentence, or intensely descriptive to immerse in the POV character’s experience, or write it in a tone to contrast the shock that A will experience when B collapses and apologizes.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@eclare: Thank you. I’m proud of the book. I hope people enjoy it.
@Frankensteinbeck: I can see how that might lessen writer anxiety and make it easier to move forward. Did your Amazon listing get straightened out?
SiubhanDuinne
This sounds like one of your best ever, Dorothy! Have just downloaded it to my Kindle app and am very much looking forward to another great DAW read!
Love the NPR backstory.
TaMara
My copy arrived yesterday, can’t wait to dig back in – loved the first two chapters.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@SiubhanDuinne: IMHO, the cover is my best yet. I think the story is pretty good, but obviously, I’m not objective. :-)
@TaMara: I hope the rest of the book lives up to your first impressions.
schrodingers_cat
I love ❤️ the cover art. How do you decide what goes on the cover.
Congratulations on your new book 📖.
lowtechcyclist
A question for anyone who can answer it: is it possible to order a book to go on someone else’s Kindle?
My wife and I have an anniversary coming up, and I was thinking how cool it would be if Glass Girl just showed up on her Kindle on that happy day. If that’s simply not possible, I’ll understand, but if it is, I’m doing it. Though I’d probably need step-by-step instructions.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@schrodingers_cat: I don’t have control over the cover. My publisher does that. They usually ask me first for any idea I might have and try to take that into account. This time I suggested a stained-glass window with a dragon constellation showing through it. You can see they started with that and made it more dramatic.
They’re a small press, so they don’t have an inhouse artist. Instead, they look at artists’ online portfolios and hire someone. I have the same artist for this book that I’ve had for the last three.
The book cover is part of marketing. So, I leave it to their judgement since they know a lot more about that than I do.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@lowtechcyclist: That’s a good question. I’ve never tried to do it. So, I just googled it and here’s what I got.
Timill
@lowtechcyclist:
“To buy Kindle books for others:
You can specify recipient email addresses on the checkout page to send each recipient an email with the link to redeem the eBook. Any eBooks not sent are available, after completing your purchase, to be sent when you choose.
If you didn’t provide a recipient email address, instructions on how to manage your books are emailed to you after the order is complete. Go to Send Kindle Books to Individual Recipients for more information.
Note: Kindle books and redemption links cannot be resold.“
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GVWGP284MQ6ZRM59
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Timill: Yes, that. :-)
I’m guessing you’d have to order the book on the day you want it rather than ahead of time.
lowtechcyclist
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Thanks to both you and Timill!
Yeah, it does sound like I should wait until that day. I’m an early bird, so it can be waiting for her when she starts her leisurely day.
KSinMA
Congratulations, Dorothy! Can’t wait to read it!
JaySinWA
In yesterday’s Opps! post I suggested that WaterGirl’s garden luring her away from her plans here could be inspiration for a character in a new novel. With this description, “Phrasing” leapt to mind.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@KSinMA: Thank you!
@JaySinWA: Phrasing is everything. :-)
MazeDancer
@lowtechcyclist: What you are doing is sending a gift. Done it many times.
Follow the instructions posted here. Or just click on send to others at book listing.
The recipient gets an email. Unless you can somehow open that email and click yea, it won’t appear on the recipient’s ipad./kindle.
Have to give permission Otherwise people’s ipads/kindles would get spammed.
Note: You will get an email notifying you at the same type as recipient. If they don’t download within a reasonable time frame, you can take it back.
Frankensteinbeck
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
It did, on release day. The release is still a giant disaster, but I’m hoping my own author’s day post next week will help a bit!
EDIT – I can’t help but read yours and think of the irony: Your book is about a girl who makes glass. My book is about a girl made of glass.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Frankensteinbeck: I like the idea of a girl made of glass. I have yours on my kindle for when I finish “Mistborn,” assuming I ever get to the end. I’ve never read it before. I had to slow down and savor the moment rather than trying to rush through.
Tehanu
Looking forward to reading it!
WaterGirl
Thank you Dorothy, for sharing your book with us!
I also suggest that authors check back in the morning, because people often come to these author and artist posts late.