Making NINE 9

By Joe Wabe

Stories have played a considerable role over the length of my existence. This includes anecdotes I have heard, accounts I have retold, rumors I have made up, and legends I have believed in. It has been through this affair with the world of storytelling that I grew up believing one day I was going to assemble my own story and share it with everyone. I had absolutely no idea of when or how, but I was convinced it would be epic, much the same as a movie.

After years of being engaged with graphic arts and photography jobs, and achieving many of the aspirations I had in mind, I reached a stage in which I felt exhausted and no longer had the motivation for either. My creative demons were craving for a different adventure. Although I tried a few new artistic projects, I ended up hitting a stonewall in each of them. Something was missing. Perhaps it was my lack of consistency or the absence of the maturity I needed in order to create something that could arouse intense emotions within my soul.

I thought about creative writing, but I knew I did not possess the figurative mind at the moment to move forward with such a project. Convinced that it was not the right time, the possibility quickly evaporated. Writing was not something I was oblivious about. In fact, I was not bothered at all when I had to write an essay in school. That being said, I was not exactly thrilled with the mission, but there was something about the craft of putting words together that was pleasing.

Rather than abandoning the idea, I began contributing articles about Korean food to different local magazines and blogs instead. Researching facts and organizing the information into sentences and neat paragraphs with their proper punctuation was something I could still do, and also, the furthest I could go. Although I have always loved the subject of food, there was a problem with this type of writing; it was dull and lacked the excitement I was yearning for. However, I figured at least it could serve as a stepping stone for a bigger project in the long haul. If I was going to write fiction one day, I had to keep on with the habit.

Finding the Right Mindset and Proper Tools

In early 2018, I noticed that a previous idea I had had for a novel was bouncing in my head more frequently than usual. Believing perhaps that was the call I had been waiting for, I agreed with myself it was time to sit and assemble the thoughts into a story.

Using “Penzu” (an online journal many aspiring writers use), I sat one night with a glass of wine and began typing nonstop. By the time I was finished (3,000 words later), I was overwhelmed with an aura of confidence that I was amid something big. That night, self-assured that I had done well, I let the writing sit for a few days without reviewing it. When I eventually got around to reading through my “masterpiece” a few nights later, I was taken aback by the discovery that what I had written was awful and disappointing. Everything I had typed had no shape and no soul. It was all a jumble.

Even though I had been deceived by my perception, I was not ready to surrender. I did not want to let the flop shove me into believing it was not worth trying once more. Within a few days, I was ready for a second attempt. This time I was going to use MS Word, and instead of wine, tea. Unfortunately, without the help of a brain stimulant, I struggled again and ended up only with about 1,000 words that were worse than the first draft. The change of software and beverage did not save me from another fiasco.

The unpleasant experience left me seriously considering giving up this time. Although I knew I had a knack for telling stories, I had to accept that writing them was a different universe. Should I just let go of the yearning and move on to a distinct project? I was going to sleep on it for a few nights; it was time for a break.

A week passed, two more followed, then a month, and before I knew it, 2018 was gone with no sights of the story in my head. At the beginning of the following year, I was presented with the opportunity to work in a remote training center outside the city limits. The idea of working in the countryside, surrounded by mountains, trees, and an enormous lake was energizing.

I began my new job at the end of February. My desk was next to a large window from which I had a gorgeous view of the lake and mountains. The landscape was breathtaking, and I could tell it was the ideal set up to write. Since classes would not start until March, I had a lot of extra time to assemble a plan for my story.

Inspired by the circumstances, my first course of action was to find flawless software, something that could help me organize my thoughts and notes. I would not use a boring and standard word processor like I had in the past. After a quick Google search, I found Scrivener; it was love at first sight. It was affordable, user friendly, clean, and came with an assortment of tools that allowed me to organize notes, research, websites, images, and much more.

Before long, I was writing. Sentences were swiftly building into paragraphs, and these were generating scenes. Scenes created more chapters, and these continued to balloon. My original idea had been a short story with only seven chapters, but sometimes chapters will split into two and these will also subdivide. It was as if the writing had a mind of its own, and I was just a tool. There was a force behind every stroke on the keyboard that was helping expedite the story.

The Editing Process

I wanted to make sure that as I was writing along, everything was falling into place in harmony and free from all the horrors I had written before, so I carefully reviewed every scene and chapter as I wrote them. Although I was extremely happy with the process, I still knew that my skills as a writer were not enough for the level I wished to attain. My college creative writing courses were just a drop in the ocean compared with the qualifications I needed for a worthy fiction piece.

That being so, I adopted the decision to look for a professional editor. Through portals like Reedsy and Fiverr, I found my first copyeditor, and it was not long until I started sending her stages for reviewing and redaction. The chapters came back with excellent feedback, and with the corrections, the anatomy of the story was reaching the stages I had been hoping for.  

Finally, by the end of October, I wrote the final two words: “the end.” It was an emotional moment. Overwhelmed with joy and pride after completing this long-desired project, I felt over the moon. However, even though I was beside myself with happiness, I knew that reaching those ultimate words was not the heart and soul of my project. There was still more work to do.  

I hired another editor, someone who could go over the story from the beginning and double check for inconsistencies and overlooked errors we might have passed over. With the second revision completed at the end of December, we put the concluding stamp on the novel as far as editing. With this final version, I could send NINE 9 to a few friends and beta readers for review. Their positive feedback flooded me with light and an appetite for even bigger dreams than just a feeling of completion.

The Publishing Process

“Where do I go from here?” was my first question. As usual, most of the answers in the universe could be found from Google. After gathering information and reading a few blogs, I learned that two of the leading options for publishing were to find a literacy agent (someone who will be interested in representing your work with publishers) or direct contact with a publisher. I was advised that the first option was the best, but the most difficult. Literacy representatives were picky, arrogant, and very specific in what they wanted. In order to be considered, I needed to find agents who were looking for a story similar to mine. It took me a while to navigate the profiles of many and identify what made them tick. After I was done with my homework, I tracked down agents located only in New York. I was determined that if I was going to jump into the ocean, I might as well swim among the sharks.

With a short list of about 20 people and publishers, I sat down to draft a pitch letter to begin the process. Although sending emails to these agents was nerve-racking, it was still exciting. I had a good feeling about the outcome and the development of writing NINE 9, so my heart was filled with high expectations.

I began sending emails in the second week of January. Replies began hitting my inbox about a week letter. Sadly, they were not the replies I have been longing for. These messages were nothing but disappointing, kind words of rejection: “Dear Mr. Wabe, Thanks very much for your patience as you’ve awaited my response to NINE 9. Unfortunately, this doesn’t fit what I’m looking for now. That said, this is a notoriously subjective business and another agent may well feel differently. Best wishes as you continue your search for representation, and thanks again for your query.”

As I went on receiving more and more emails of the same kind, the fantasy world of becoming a published author began crumbling bit by bit.

Disheartened with the rejections, I was ready to concede defeat. My biggest disappointment was that without the backing of a publisher, reaching out to readers was going to be very hard. Believing that perhaps NINE 9 was not publishable material after all, I set my mind to accepting that fate and moving on. I did not have the emotional strength to pursue my vision anymore – that is, until I received an email that revealed a silver lining.

“Dear Mr. Wabe, Thank you for your submission of NINE 9. I have passed your work to the editorial board for review. I would like to mention that regardless of their decision, we will be in touch in approximately six weeks.” That email immediately pulled me back from the hole I had fallen into and revived my conviction. If the manuscript had been moved to the editorial board, that meant it had passed the first line of scrutiny, so I just needed to bite my nails for another six weeks. Piece of cake!

I waited for over six weeks, but there was no reply. Worn out by the experience, in the end, I gave up. I knew I was sitting on a good story, but it was not its time. I was going to wait until the universe would allow me the opportunity instead of me trying to push the fate of NINE 9.

The spring of 2021 came, with its soothing warmth and the scent of new life blooming everywhere. The feeling of a fresh beginning gave me the power to think about a second attempt. I was ready to continue the search for a publisher, make a new list, and do it all over again. And just as I was preparing emotionally for another run, one morning at the end of April, I woke up to the sound of a Gmail notification on my iPhone. It was the same publishing agency in New York that I had been waiting for: “Dear Mr. Wabe, Thank you for your patience while the editorial board completed their review of your manuscript. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that the editorial board has confirmed that we are interested in moving forward with the publication of your work.”

My eyes went as wide as they could possibly go, and I even shed some happy tears and laughter. The moment was surreal. As the flush of adrenaline tingled through my body, I felt I was the happiest person on earth. I spent the rest of the morning daydreaming, texting, and calling people who had been helping me throughout the process. I just could not believe it was happening. Within a week, I signed a contract and NINE 9 was on its way to become a published novel.

Conclusion

NINE 9 was released on August 31, 2022, after one year and four months of being in the publishing house. The publication took longer than usual because of the struggles Covid-19 had created with supply and production worldwide. Although I have to admit the delay made me feel impatient, I tried to overcome the agitations with composure. 

I cannot speak for others regarding what would or would not work with publishing their first book, but there is one thing I am sure of: It is not luck. What worked for me was the combination of a few key factors: vision, consistency, and patience. 

I knew I was going to write a good story, and I always saw myself reaching that goal. That vision drove me through the exhaustive process. Every time I felt despair or ran out of stimulation, I searched my soul and reached out for that image. It was there that I found the fuel I needed to keep my imaginative engine running. I wrote every day, even if it was just a little. This became a habit, and this consistency and discipline made it possible to complete a project of this magnitude. Finally, it was only by overcoming my anxieties that patience gave me the light to navigate during the darkest days.

I hope this recount can somehow inspire you, too, to write that book you have always wanted to share with the world. If you wonder what the story of NINE 9 is all about, you can read a preview in Google Books or purchase a copy through Amazon, Book Depository, or its website (www.jdwabenine.com). For further questions regarding the publishing process, you can find me on twitter (@joedwabe) or visit my Facebook profile (facebook.com/jdwabe).