Writing in Reverse

Finishing Handcuffed

Handcuffed was coming along somewhat on it's own as I kept writing.  It was always like that - with the story writing itself in a way.  But I started to notice Luke and Albany's relationship evolving and I rolled with what I knew was instinct and right for the story. By the time I was nearing chapter 40, they had become much more flirtatious and closer.  And with it, came more conflict.

Things needed to start building up along with their feelings.  And they did.  Mark tried killing her, Clare was pressuring Luke for a baby, and Albany was heading back to school.  It was nearing the end.  But for the first time I can remember, I got completely stuck heading towards the end.  I couldn't stick with an outline - I tried over and over and it didn't work.  So I was writing from where I knew this story was heading.

I knew that Luke was going to find out the truth about Clare.  But I also knew Mark was going to die.  I knew Albany was going to get with Luke eventually.  I was just stuck on picking what needed to happen by the end of the first book.  Three in total, I needed to space these things out perfectly.  I didn't know whether I should end it with them getting together before he knew the truth or not.  Or have him learn the truth first.  Of whether to kill Mark after everything happened with their relationship or to do it sooner.  All these decisions would depend on what the next book was going to be about so it was a very frustrating time because I was struggling with that for weeks thinking about. 

I eventually went with Mark dies, Luke finds out the truth, and they don't get together - it was way too soon for that I realized.  When I figured that out, how to follow through and end it was what I needed to handle.  And like always, it just comes to me each chapter at a time.  Something big needed to happen to end the conflict with Mark but spark another huge one among the group.  I decided to have everything happen in kind of a chain reaction.  Luke finding out the truth and Albany running away, them finally kissing after that, then have Francis interrupt knowing Mark was coming and they needed to kill him.

By the time it was nearing the end and I was in the process of writing the last ten or so chapters, I had a personal goal in my head.  To finish the book by the time this concert came that I was going to. 

Me and my best friend Destiny got tickets to see Marilyn Manson.  It was a miracle for one considering my parents weren't in favor of it, especially my dad, but somehow we pulled it off.  I was in complete shock.  But I was just so excited to finally be able to see my idol live.  It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life and I'll never forget it.  But leading up to that, I tried pushing myself to write more.  Not out of pressure; just because I was sick of not being able to upload as much as I wanted.  I hadn't had the chances or time to write like I wanted so that was my goal - to finish it by the time the concert came on June 29th.  And I reached it.  By the end of May, I finished the book.

I raced passed the finish line and didn't slow by the time I was at the last few chapters.  Finishing my second book was very exciting obviously but it's also very sad.  Like Island Rush was, once I finished, I needed to go and move on.  I loved the world I created and though the next book was taking place in the same place, with the same characters, it isn't the same.  I take pleasure and thrive in the world that exists based on the conflict and the time it's going on.  And when conflict changes in the story, it's like a goodbye in a sense because things are always changing.  As strange as that sounds, that's how it always is.  Especially at the end of Handcuffed.

Like by the end of Island Rush, I had many things I still needed to improve on in the next book, Handcuffed.  Same thing with Handcuffed ending, there was still much work I needed to improve on.  I even regretted some things in Handcuffed.  I wish I hadn't involved Janice because it gave away some things that if you hadn't read Island Rush, it spoiled part of the ending - which I was stupid for doing and plan to change that when I go back and work on it.  I also knew I needed to go back and clarify the drug issue at the beginning.  My goal was to try having no regrets for this sequel I was about to write.  I knew I still needed to work on length and continue on with character development which was natural as well as many more things.  But content wise, I was going to try to make it as good as I could.

I ended this book more excited than I had Island Rush - because I knew Handcuffed was an improvement and not as much of a wreck that Island Rush kind of was.  I'm not satisfied with Handcuffed and can never accept how I write as just my way of writing.  I needed to always try to improve and that's how it's always going to be. 

I finished it at the end of May, and usually, I want to try to wait and get everything prepared for the next book.  But like before with Island Rush, I just couldn't.  I was too excited and like for the other books before, an outline did no good for me.  I started Fractured in the middle of June, even still before the concert and was ready to take this story in my head and run with it, get it out and written. 

Handcuffed, I knew, was the beginning.  It brought Albany home, introduced major problems, and got the ball rolling.  It set everything up.  Fractured... was going to be the biggest book of the three concerning how much was about to happen.  It would be the main book.  And I was so ready to start it.