Epiphany

When I started writing my novel Summer Rush, I had a vision. In fact, I was so caught up in that I went around visioning all day. And now? I’m re-visioning.

Ghosts of the old vision are still there. But there’s also a newer, stronger, more structurally sound vision that includes description, 3D characters, and a climax and ending that are worthy of those new and improved aspects.

Yes. I have had an epiphany.

I have them quite often.

I’m a bad rewriter. I’m just going to admit that right now. But my bad writing skills were exemplified when I started “rewriting” Summer Rush. Why, you ask? I was afraid to change a thing. With every little sentence that was restructured or comma I removed I was continuously, nearly in a panic, asking myself, is this changing things? Am I staying true to the story?

The thing is, I lost sight of what Summer Rush really is: just a first draft. No character, scene, or theme is set in stone. This draft was simply an on-ramp for me to get to the real story – the rewritten story.

I’m not saying everything was crap and should be destroyed. But writing is rewriting. Haven’t we all heard that one a million times?

This epiphany has been a long time coming (okay, like 2 or 3 weeks). It all started with a potential plot twist that popped into my head. At the time, I didn’t want to use it. It wasn’t “true to the story.”

But I’m letting the world and myself know right now – after careful consideration, I am taking that plot twist and going for it.

Sure, Summer Rush 2.0 will be a very different story. But the theme and the people and the real story stays the same. The story is always the same; I’m just cutting out the bad writing and telling it better.

Wish me luck.

I have just about one more chapter to write on Summer Rush and then I will be done! Whooo! I'm super excited about that (I always reward finishing a book with chocolate or ice cream or both). But that is not the only thing I'm excited about today.

My college acceptance letter came today! AAAAHHHH!

It might not be my dream college (I love you Murray State University!) but it is the first step in getting to my dream college. And besides all that, hey! I've been accepted into college! I made it! Hold on just a second while I play that song, I Made It (Kevin Rudolf ft Lil Wayne and somebody I can't remember).

Okay, it's playing. I feel like jumping up and doing a victory dance! On top of all this wonderfulness - I've been making words up left and right lately - my birthday is in nineteen days! I will be seventeen years old! Yay!

Writing

I always thought writing on two books at the same time would be really hard but it's not so bad. My two current projects, Summer Rush and Dark Angel Rising, are complete opposites of each other but I can write on them on the same day without batting an eyelash.

Usually when I write I have to really get into it. I'll read back over what I wrote yesterday or look at my brainstorm document so I can get back into the right character mode.

Anyway, I'm about halfway done on both books. Hopefully I'll finish them before the end of the month. I have to write at least ten thousand more words for July Novel Writing Month. I can't lose that. My friend Karlee would never let me hear the end of it :)