And then the main character turned left instead of right…

I threw out the last third of my book yesterday. Yeah, the one that is due very, very soon.

(I didn’t actually throw it out. I put it in the file marked “Extremely Good Writing In Search of the Right Story.” It has many friends there.)

The main character announced the need to take a different path than the one I chose. While it is utterly terrifying to have no clue how the book is going to end, I must admit, it’s also kind of fun, like skiing down an icy slope on a Black Diamond trail. I might end in an emergency room, but then again, I might end up in front of the fire in the lodge regaling the crowd with a tale of adventure, sipping a mug of hot cheer. Either way, it promises a wild ride.

No skiing yesterday, but I did run 10 miles. BH ran 8. We can barely walk today.

Today’s featured author at 28 Days Later is Janice N. Harrington, who wins the best title of the day award because she wrote The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County. She also wrote the much lauded and awarded Going North.

Judy Blume Alert!!!! My favorite quote of the interview: “After each book I get panicky. I don’t love the reviews. I don’t like going through all that, and you would think that, after almost 40 years of writing, I’d have got the hang of it. You can never grow complacent about it because it’s always new, it’s always exciting and it’s always like the first time.”

I didn’t know she has a blog! ::rushes to hit Bookmark button::

Off to work now. Keep scribbling.

Join the most exclusive club in all of children’s literature! Low membership fee, everlasting gratitude!

Lake Placid Half-Marathon countdown: 131 days

4 Replies to “And then the main character turned left instead of right…”

  1. I always like it when I hear other folks talk about throwing out large swathes of their story in revision. Makes me feel a little less crazy when I do so, too. 🙂

  2. Thank you for the Judy Bloom site!

    Why did it never occur to me to google her? Great site from a GREAT writer — time for a re-read of my JB shelf.

  3. i know this is a bit late and completely off topic, but i was able to find the Speak movie at my local library (finally!) and I really enjoyed it. I thought it captured the mood of the book perfectly.

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