Welcome to the A to Z Challenge. This year I’m blogging about the Behind the Scenes for the Echoes Trilogy – a story a started writing about six years ago.
When it comes to writing, having people around to encourage you and keep you going is pretty epically important. Somehow, without even trying to or fully realizing what I was doing, I ended up with having the best writing/editing buddy ever. A writing/editing buddy who doesn’t do any writing or editing, strangely enough.
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Her name is Hosanna, and although she hasn’t technically written a single word in the Echoes series, I have to give her a lot of credit for how the books are taking shape. Especially the horrible plot twist I’m adding to the third book. *smiles angelically*
When I write first drafts, I generally don’t share them with people – at least not until I’m finished with them. But Hosanna is an exception. She’s actually my back up plan. You low how you’re supposed to save your work as you write it? Well, my form of saving my work is emailing it to Hosanna. She reads it and sometimes rants about how horrible the characters are behaving, but mostly she just encourages me to keep going.
With Hosanna being properly horrified at the terrible things some of the characters do, I’ve allowed myself to dream big and come up with some plot twists that I probably would have never had the nerve to do on my own. The other day I literally got tears in my eyes while thinking what was going to happen to one of the characters in the third book. I haven’t told Hosanna about it yet, but I can only imagine her reaction when she finds out. No worries though – I’m not doing anything merely for shock value – what the characters do will always be very consistent with who they are. That doesn’t make me any less giddy about the prospect, though… (Okay, okay, in all reality if I do go ahead with the plot twist I’m thinking about, it will be only because it makes the book better, not cause I want to get a reaction from Hosanna.)
And there you have it folks, a bit of the “behind the scenes” of my writing world. Thanks, Hosanna, for making plotting so much more fun! 😉
Praise the Lord for Hosanna!!! She’s awesome! (Although you are already making me so sad and freaked out about your plot twist…now I won’t be able to sleep tonight wondering what you are gonna do, and what character you are going to make do what, oh dear! Not my favorites!! Ah! Good way to keep me in suspense, Lydia! 🙂 )
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Ah yes, Hosanna is wonderful indeed! And being freaked out and sad about the plot twist? #missionaccomplished Thankfully I am still able to sleep at night. Although when I finally do write that plot twist? Who knows if I’ll be able to get any sleep then. 😉
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Aww you are so sweet, Lyds! I’m so thankful I have you! But really, another plot twist??? Haven’t you put them (and me) through enough already?? 🙂 I can’t wait to hear about it though!
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No, no. I haven’t put you through enough. You should be scared of the future in these books. 😉
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Plot twist??? Now I’m really worried… XD
But how lovely to have such a great writing buddy!
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=) It’s fun to already have a group of people who like the book and characters. It makes writing so much more fun! 😉
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Annnnndddd it helps that you two look so much a like 🙂
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Hosanna and I?
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Yay for good friends to cheer you on! That’s just awesome. Haha, poor Hosanna, with all the torture you’re putting her through with all of those plot twists. How agonizing! 😀 😉
-Bekah
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Haha, yep! Hosanna puts up with a lot from me when it comes to writing. 😉 She’s a sweetheart about it though. =)
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