So far my characters have been imprisoned, mocked, tortured, and chased out of one country and into another. Can things really get any worse?
How about starting the story completely over and rewriting it from another point of view?
Yeah, I just did that. Ah, we fickle writers. We can never make up our minds, can we?
What really happened was that my boss, Aaron, made me realize what was in front of me all along but I had refused to acknowledge: that I was telling the wrong person’s story. Instead of focusing on Natalie, the runaway slave, I needed to focus my attentions on Phillip, the orphan prince.
The reason I resisted is becuase the royalty angle is nothing new. Princes and princesses gain thrones everyday. But as much as I’d like to believe that I’m different, I’m not. I’m doing the same old thing, just in a new country with some new characters.
So.
City of Orphans is now 43,000 words into the most recent draft. Fortunately the rewrite has been pretty easy. Phillip, my new main character, is traveling the land of Pocatello with his new friends in search of someone who will believe he is the prince. A boy who was once invisible is now seeking the spotlight.
I won’t go into too much detail, but so far he’s almost been killed a couple of times, lost faith in his friends, and had to regain it. It’s all very lovely and fantastical.
Other news:
Editing Aaron’s latest novel.
Gearing up for NaNoWriMo.
Hopefully I will be posting more in the future regarding both these things.