One of my favorite (yet probably the most grueling) part of writing is being in the middle of the draft, with an outline in hand while still making changes as I go along. It's a balancing act--how long do I make this chapter, what is really this character's motivation, should I put more or less description here, etc.
I probably take longer than most writers to finish a draft because I'm never sure how a scene will go until I write it. Sometimes it takes me in new and interesting directions, other times I hit a dead end. So some days I delete more than I write, even as I go along, because I've changed my mind on how a chapter should go.
So far things are going well with Saturnine--and hopefully they stay that way. I'm done with the first part, which leaves three more to go. Writing a thriller is a new experience for me, but I love writing fiction that's at a fast pace. Hopefully someday people can enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
You Killed Wesley Payne: Book Review
A few months ago, I plucked a book off a shelf of a bookstore and bought it, only because the back cover copy made it look fascinating. It was. The book was You Killed Wesley Payne (by Sean Beaudoin), a YA noir detective novel. I finished reading it today, and I loved it.
The novel takes place in a high school torn apart by rival cliques, as private detective Dalton Rev rolls in on a scooter to solve the murder of a popular senior. The language is whip-smart, filled with clever slang and often lovely language, but is always at a brisk, no-nonsense pace. Dalton is a teenaged writer who has to make money as a detective to support his family, and he has a tough exterior but is just an average kid trying to navigate a cutthroat world.
There are so many minor characters with conflicting motivations and plot twists that I found myself having to stop and think at times, and I wish some of the characters (including love interest Macy) and motivations were fleshed out more, but above all it's a satisfying book with an endearing protagonist. Highly recommended.
The novel takes place in a high school torn apart by rival cliques, as private detective Dalton Rev rolls in on a scooter to solve the murder of a popular senior. The language is whip-smart, filled with clever slang and often lovely language, but is always at a brisk, no-nonsense pace. Dalton is a teenaged writer who has to make money as a detective to support his family, and he has a tough exterior but is just an average kid trying to navigate a cutthroat world.
There are so many minor characters with conflicting motivations and plot twists that I found myself having to stop and think at times, and I wish some of the characters (including love interest Macy) and motivations were fleshed out more, but above all it's a satisfying book with an endearing protagonist. Highly recommended.
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