Just Like a Star

So I'm in the middle of re-writes. Not a boat load of fun, but a challenge sure enough. Lately the challenge has been finding the time to actually get some writing done. Work is always super busy this time of year, and I think that I might have a better opportunity to finish the book up in the spring. It is something that I will just have to dedicate myself to for a while.

One thing that has been really fun about the re-writes is building the back stories. Character building was hard enough to start with, but to make your readers fall completely in love with the characters is a real challenge. The cool part is that I read enough to know when I can really be in touch with the reader. I know when something I write starts to suck, and then I have to change it up. Otherwise called a re-write.

So a big part of what I have done is take the story line which went from death, back to youth, and straight lined the whole life story and shattered it a bit. We jump from death to young adult, childhood, and elderly Ethan Huckins. It breaks up the story much better, makes it easier to drop clues or throw the reader off the trail, and I think makes the story much more fascinating. Plus, it gave me really good opportunities to build the characters in Ethan's life. Particularly one of them.

So, there's the progress on the book. Life has been busy lately. The house is coming together nicely, and I have had a chance to meet a lot of new people recently. That has been a good and bad thing, but all in all a good thing I guess. Other than working, writing, and going to the gym, I do not have a lot going on these days. I tend to be a little homesick for Alabama some days. I realize that I really like where I live though. Alpharetta is a nice place to hang your hat.

On another note, I am going back to T-town for homecoming this weekend. That should be a lot of fun. I think that I will get to catch up with some classmates that I haven't seen in quite a while, and mom is even making the trip down to go with me. Should be good times.

You know, I think a lot about the times I used to sit up on the roof of my childhood home and stare at the stars on a cool night this time of year. I always did like gazing at them. Staring up at the stars is like taking in something that happened millions of years ago. It's an incredible thing. So is writing. I think that a published work gets to live on through the generations. I think that it gets passed down through the ages for people far removed from the times and circumstances to look at, and that is a special thing. Just like a star.