So, this is my tenth post on the new and improved blog. Which means I've been blogging for a little over ten weeks. Where have I gone with all of this? Nowhere.
Which isn't to say I'm unhappy. I've had more people get into my book than ever before, and I've had more people read it than before too. Which is astounding for me, because before this blog a sum total of three people had read it. And that was the poorly written version. I've edited a lot since then, and I'm still editing. I'm using what little feedback I'm getting from others, hopefully soon I'll have a flood about the first chapter, and also using any new knowledge that happens to come my way to rewrite the book.
The character of the Magna Beast has been with me in some way for as long as I can remember. There isn't a single memory of my life that isn't accompanied with the character. In fourth grade, I finally put the words The Magna Beast onto paper in a short story assignment. I used a recurring character I had created in other short story assignments called Briock. His name has been changed to Briok since then, because I thought the extra c was bogging down the character. ;)
From then on, I never touched it again. I only rehashed the story in my mind, actually making it more and more ridiculous as I was exposed to new influences, likes and dislikes. Finally in eighth grade, another short story project was assigned. My English teacher actually defined each genre we were supposed to write in, one of which was science fiction. If I remember correctly, he said, "Science fiction always has a moral dilemma." So I created one, the difference between choice and fate. I essentially wrote the first chapter then. And I got a B. I was pretty shocked. I thought my story rocked. It did he said. But it wasn't a short story, he continued. To him it seemed, the story felt more like a continuation of a novel, or rather it deserved a continuation.
Look at what that man started. Five years, three versions, lots of tears, sweat, and late nights later, I'm finally done with the skeleton of the book. Yes, I've been focusing on school more than this book. Yes, I could have done both in high school if I had kept my focus. But I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't. I needed certain things to happen to me over the course of high school in order for my book to be the way it is now. I needed to see certain movies, read certain books, meet certain people. All of that is distilled in my fantasy world. In a lot of ways, The Magna Beast and his story is a dissection in minute detail of my life and of myself.
I guess that's why so much of my heart and my dreams are in this book. Not only has it been a part of me my entire life, but it's also the purest expression of who I am. I know of no other way through which I can show me. Most people don't care, but I can't really hold this story in anymore. Whether it's good or not, I'm probably going to continue writing it. I'm glad I've reached this tenth post, and I hope for more to come. Insha'allah, you do too. Until next time then.
I wouldn’t say you’ve quite gone nowhere. I mean, I suppose physically you haven’t move anywhere but I think this beginning ten entries have been quite informative and I think they draw in people…
ReplyDeleteHow many people have you had read it so far? And I love how different drafts are so much better than their previous incarnations and that I’m not the only one who refers to those previous versions as “the poorly written version”. I’m a firm believer that practically the most important part of the writing process is editing… I can’t imagine how I’ll ever reach a point where I’ll be 100% satisfied with my work. I will say that THE MOST helpful thing is the input of others… I don’t know how I’d find some of my problem areas without them. I do hope that this blog helps you find more people that can help you refine this first novel.
I think it is so cool that you’ve always had this character. It’s so amazing that your literary ideas are literally a part of you. You should go back to your fourth grade teacher and thank her, though. ☺ I agree that the extra C bogs down the name. I like Briok, the name.
I think it’s lame that you got a B because it was supposed to be a novel but wasn’t. How I actually got off my lazy butt and started writing out my idea was rather similar to yours... I gotta say, he’s the other person you should thank. Your fourth grade teacher, your eighth grade teacher and of course yourself. ☺ I’m also glad that I’m not the only one that refers to the first draft completed as the “skeleton”. And as for doing the high school thing instead of throwing yourself into your novel…well…good for you. ☺ Nothing better for good writing than real life experiences. It sounds like your real life very much affects your writing so you certainly need as much of it as you can. Do you remember which books/movies so profoundly affected you? Do you like that Briok is a doppelganger for yourself? I had expected that my characters would turn out like me…but they really didn’t. They very much grew into their own people and I love it that way. Still, it would have been kind of cool to see myself in my characters, like most authors do.
Magna, it is so cool that this story is as much a part of you as it is. I really do think that because it so desperately need to be shared, it’s going to be a stand-apart book series. I think you’re on the verge of something incredible. You’re going to MAKE people care, not just because it’s good, but because it has something special…and that something special is who you are, distilled into literary form.