First Person vs. Third Person With Reggie's Ghost

Well, I've overcome another huge roadblock and am now in the process of rewriting the whole first seven chapters. Sigh.

I'm used to writing in third person. I like that it suits any age and I'm able to sneak in more information about the characters that way. This book has to be written in first person. Reggie has to tell her story in her own words. She's too strong and independent to have someone else tell it for her.

This means I am using some new writing muscles. I have to write better. I have to be able to have Reggie tell her point of view and do this consistently.

The prologue has been rewritten and checked out by Nick, Amanda and Jim. A thumbs up times three. It's time to move on.

Title pages are drafted and the book cover designer will get some materials this week. With a down payment, of course. Grin.



Life marches on. Take care.

I'm Starting From Scratch

Okay, now that I've had a rest (yeah, right) I've decided to start over with Reggie's Ghost. I had a prologue written and asked two kids to read it.

They both said it was sad, so sad. I asked them if they would want to finish
reading the book after reading the prologue and one of them said, "Well, does
it have a happy ending? I might want to if it has a happy ending."

I'm rewriting the prologue. I'm creating more intimate and detailed character
sketches and I am slowing down. I need to learn to stop imposing impossible deadlines on myself which I've created. Sometimes I'm a friggin' bonehead. I do this over and over and over again. Pavlov's dog here. Bark.



But no more Pavlov's dog for me! I'm changing my ways! I've listened to The Secret audiobook and watched the DVD! Over and over and over again...LOL!

Take care.

Prologues Are Hard To Write!

The sequel to Adirondack Nightmare is still in the works. I have written a short prologue because there's quite a leap in time from the first book to this sequel.

Well, writing a prologue is much more difficult than I thought! I needed to introduce the protagonist, Reggie, and give readers a feel for the type of young woman she is.

I also made sure to let the reader know that a significant moment was happening in Reggie's life. It was difficult for me to squeeze in just enough about Reggie so readers would get a sense of how Reggie's feeling about this big change.

Another main character, or two, had to be introduced. Very briefly. As a teaser of sorts.

I'm hoping readers will have questions in their minds after reading the prologue, get their curiosity peaked. Here's part of it:

Reggie was sitting in her purple and pink bedroom, tortured by her family’s upcoming move. She was wearing her favorite sweater, belt, sneakers and hair band. They were all pink, her favorite color. The stylish outfit normally put her in a cheerful mood, but not today. Reggie’s mind was racing from one thought to another as she looked around her beloved room. It was a total mess due to the endless job of packing her precious belongings.

Reggie looked down at a picture of her mom in an almost-full moving box. The funeral for Reggie’s mom was long over. The horrifying feelings of losing her beautiful, fun-loving mother to Cancer were coming back. Reggie was becoming overwhelmed. She needed to sort things out in her head.

It seems like my heart is always going to be broken, Reggie thought as she pulled her pillow to her chest. How could Dad remarry so soon? I just started sixth grade, why do we have to move now?

Middle of prologue here. Then the end:

“Reggie? Reggie, come on down and finish your breakfast,” Mr. Durant yelled up the stairs. “I’ve got work to do and your food is getting cold.”

“Be right there, Dad,” Reggie answered. She got off her bed, put her pillow down, wiped the tears from her face and looked at her mother’s picture in the box. With a heavy sigh, Reggie blew her mother's picture a kiss. With a determined step, she walked out of her bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen.

Take care.