Dear my faithful readers,
Hello!
It felt like I haven't show up here for years. As the title says, I would like to apologize to my faithful readers for the terribly long delay of the chapter (when was my last update? I even forgot!). Anyways, I have a confession to make.
As you see, I haven't continue Kim's story for eons and I started to forget how it goes. As a result, I printed all my chapters, from chapter 1 until 13 (plus one chapter that was in the making). I read it over and over again, and I felt like IT WAS A CATASTROPHE AND SUPER CHEESY. Oh no.
That's not even the confession.
My confession is that I started writing down the story WITHOUT ANY PLOT planning AT ALL. I started writing this book when I was a 9th grader, and now I'm a 6th semester student in my beloved campus Sanata Dharma University (in Indonesia), majoring English Literature. That time, I tried to write some fantasy fiction because I was totally in love with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles. However, as I grow up, my work of fantasy fiction didn't make any sense to me at all. Well, fantasy fictions aren't supposed to make any sense. I know. That was also the same period of time when I read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, John Green-s, Nicholas Sparks-es, Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and Sharon Dogar's Annexed. They all seemed more realistic to me and felt so much more easier to compose (since I don't have to remember all the details of my own created universe full of kids with superpowers). Thus, I started off to write about Kim and Chris, mistaking that romance stories do not need any perfectly planned plot. I also thought that maybe each of my chapters were fulfillment of my inner desire of romance, depending on the romantic situation that I was trapped in. Well, I got no problem with that since real-life contexts are the main key of making daydreams come true on paper, with a little makeover here and there. However, my real-life, romantic, realistic contexts kept developing as I am (or as we are) maturing-- and of course, it developed rapidly as I kept delaying the continuity of each chapter.
But the thing was, I had no idea of what climax or conflicts that my characters would face in the future. Yes, it was my fault as an author for not planning it all well. I tried to figure it out day and night, and scribbled random notes in my special Wattpad notebook. I also drew a spider-web of interrelated characters with the significant events. Still, I couldn't find the answer because I couldn't elaborate on the foreshadowing of the plots because they were heading to nowhere since the beginning. Even The Reason Why was a random title, not making any sense! Hahahaha.
However, Kimberly, Chris and Ethan gave me hope. I don't know why, but I feel a close connection with them. Sometimes I missed them, and forgot what they were like. I shared my problems to several friends who are also Wattpad authors. One of them already published a book of her own (but not from her Wattpad work). She told me to read The Reason Why over and over again until I found an idea. "You need to re-read, and re-write, and re-read, and re-write!" she said. My other friend is also a Wattpad author, but he writes fan fictions of Elsa and Hiccup (lol, that's a random combination). I told him my problem (especially in being consistent), and he said that consistency is the only key to write, no matter what our situation is. He told me that writing (here in Wattpad) has been his mundane routine, and kind of a part of his life. Sometimes he could write 6,000 up to 10,000 words per day -- roughly 4 hours everyday. Sometimes when he was not in the mood, he would only write for 5 minutes. It's a Japanese hack in being consistent. This hack allows me to write for only 5 minutes. But before I start, the requirement is that I need to figure out what am I going to do to maximize that whole 5 minutes. I'm amazed at that brilliant hack. Just. Wow.
Now, you've know what problems I had been facing this whole time. However, I got some good news as well!
It was 1 AM and I was pondering about Kim and Chris on my bed. I was thinking of making a fire catastrophe as their conflict. But I thought, nah, it's lame and cliche. Suddenly I got a brilliant idea. I typed it down on my phone, and that small idea grows into a big, massive story plot that I've been waiting for ALL MY LIFE. Jesus. This could be it! Thanks to my aunt for accidentally inspiring me with the movie night watching If I Stay and Laggies. I got this brilliant idea for my climax as a result.
But, this also means that I have to revise ALL my chapters to elaborate on the foreshadowing as I establish a solid plot in the future chapters. This means that I have to make a minor revision on the entire script. So, all of this comes down to two options:
1) After establishing the literary devices (setting, plot, characterization, theme, etc.), I will write 3 chapters ahead of the current chapter I've published. For example, let's say that I've revised chapter 1 and publish it here, while actually I am now working on 3 chapters ahead.
2) Wait for all my revisions from chapter 1 - 13 to finish, then re-publish all of them here and continue with future chapters (with fixed previous chapters) until the end of the story.
Which one do you choose? 1 or 2? Please comment, I need your help and motivation :") thank you.
P.S.
You're welcome to give any suggestions, ideas, critics or even complaints about particular things from this story (i.e. "I don't like Kim. Why did she cry all the time?"). Thank you for reading this!
P.P.S.
Check out my website! I've moved out from Tumblr because it was previously banned in my country. Then I moved to Wixsite. But, Tumblr was re-opened again :/ Oh well. If you're interested in reading my journals or thoughts or academic writings on English Literature, you're free to visit estherkalauserang.wixsite.com/reverie. Oh yeah, let's be friends on Instagram! Follow @debrakalauserang ;)
Signing out.
Peace.
Your weird friend,
Debss
YOU ARE READING
The Reason Why
Romance"Don't go. Please," he said, failing to hide the plea on the end of the sentence. His voice was shattered now, revealing the original Chris unlike the ones that belonged to the grim boy with crew cut.I wanted to hug him and tell Chris I forgive him...
