Knowing the Perspective Series Could Do Better

Megan and Irys just weren’t saying what we intended them to say anymore. So, we fixed it.

Amanda (Giasson, Perspective series co-author) and I have always been proud of Love at First Plight. That said, language has changed a lot since that book was first published in 2015.  It’s been a heck of a seven years for the evolution of words and expressions. To be honest, I couldn’t be happier about that. That said, because language is evolving as quickly as it is, the first volume in the Perspective book series stopped being what we wanted it to be.

When Amanda Read Me the Perspective Series…

If you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (Thank you!!!💜), then you likely know that Amanda loves to read out loud, and I love to listen to audiobooks.  How’s that for complementary tastes in a friendship?!

Because of this, one of the ways Amanda and I like to spend time together is by story time over the phone. At the start of 2021, we decided to re-read the Perspective series. If you know anything about my memory, you’ll know why.  What was I talking about…? Oh yeah! So, Amanda started reading me Love at First Plight.

There were two major things that stood out right away. The first was that there were a few wonky commas that weren’t supposed to be there. The second was that a handful of the terms Megan and Irys were using to describe things, concepts, or people just wasn’t saying what it was meant to say.  Language had changed, and the novel was dated. 

The thoughts and descriptions were perfectly fine, but the way they were being expressed – which had been commonplace when they were first published – were now cringe-worthy. The terms being used were intended to add humour and description, but now stood out to us as wholly wrong for what our characters were trying to convey. 

They Could Do Better. We Could Do Better. So, We Did.

Together, Amanda and I spent 8 months learning, researching, discussing, and updating.  Instead of assuming that I knew anything at all, I took courses on inclusivity in language. I followed some incredibly insightful people on social media.  I opened my mind to paying attention not just to what words were being used, but what they really meant. Not just their definitions, but where they came from and why they existed in the first place.

It’s been a tremendously informative journey so far, and I feel like despite my best efforts, I’ve only really taken my first step or two along a path I’ll be following for the rest of my life. While I have not reached the point that I am anywhere near mastery level, I am at least hopeful that I am headed in the right direction.

The New and Improved Perspective Series Book 1, Love at First Plight

Throughout that 8 months, Amanda and I went back over Love at First Plight. We looked at it as though we were starting the Perspective book series from scratch. Okay, not quite from scratch, but as though we were working with a first draft and were editing it for the first time.

It was eye-opening.  I feel like I got to know Irys and Megan again from the ground up. It was like reconnecting with an old friend, even though Irys has been at the centre of my life for well over twenty years.  After four additional rounds of editing, the Perspective series once again begins with the book I want it to. We’re certainly not going to keep updating and republishing the series, but I’m proud that we took this opportunity to do it while we could.

The re-launch of Love at First Plight was a thrilling, joyous time that coincided with the release of our first hardcover version, and I think the new edition is worthy of such a fancy cover. 

Speaking of covers, have you noticed that Love at First Plight’s cover got tweaked? Oh my goodness, I love it so much! 😍 It’s a subtle change, but I love how it makes the cover pop and stand out from the other Perspective series books! We plan to go through every novel just as we did with Love at First Plight, so they’re going to look incredible when each one has its own snappy colour like the first book’s gold accents (time for excited bottlenose dolphin noises ee eee eeee! 🐬). I can’t wait!