After writing 19 Years, I got to thinking about all of the authors that write POV chapters and decided that perhaps there was a lot more to Ken's story. So, I read over it a few times then decided that I would write a whole book and not just some filler chapters. I really wanted to leave 19 Years untouched and complete. So, the only option was to write a new book. I wrote 24 Years, named after Ken's age when he meets James on his birthday.
It was quite an exercise in writing. I had to go back to 19 Years and use it as reference material to write Ken's POV. There was a lot of weaving two stories together, as both stories actually have different plots. There was a ton of double-checking facts and rewriting. Doing this, I also had to look at James from someone else's point of view. I realized that he has a rather cold personality, like a classic tsundere. That wasn't my intent when I wrote James. Strange how things just work out that way.
Initially, I thought 24 Years would be the roughly the same length, or a tad longer, but the backstory was a lot. Then there were the texting chapters. I didn't want to bore my readers to death with a copy/paste of the text messages, figuring they might even skip those chapters since they just read it in 19 Years. So, I added Ken's feelings into it to change it up.
Also, I officially hate writing in present tense! These will be the only books I ever do it for. If you aren't aware of it, most everything that is written as a story in English language is written in past tense. When we tell someone a story, even in person by word of mouth, we usually speak of it as having already happened. Makes sense, right? However, there has been a huge trend lately of people writing present tense so I thought I would give it a go. Ugh.
There is a lot in this story that is autobiographical in nature, part of doing this for the Wattpad #Unlimited Pride 2019 event. If you want to know, I'm very much like James, but I was also very much like Ken when I was his age. I have personally experienced a lot of both of their stories and used this series to express it.
A bit about the covers of 19 Years and 24 Years. I didn't know what to do. I scoured paid sites for pictures to make a cover, but I didn't really want to pay for another cover like I did for my earlier books. I refuse to use free pictures or other people's copyrighted material because these are wholly my works and I don't want anybody to find any excuse that can allow them to be taken down or away from me. Also, I don't make any money from anything I write, so I have to invest my own funds into book covers if I buy a picture.
Having said all that, I liked the idea of 19 Years being a math problem, so I just wrote that out on a pad and scanned it. Yeah, looks cheap, but after seeing everybody's professional book covers, I figured it would be different. Maybe different enough people might take a look.
It took me hours and hours to think of something for 24 Years' book cover. After much deliberation, I decided that it would be a birthday cake, since Ken's birthday was a major plot point. So, I went to the store, bought a small cake, two candles, and set it up in my room with the black backdrops and took some pictures. I felt somewhat somber. As an author, I get attached to my characters, and I'm very attached to Ken, having spent almost a week with him as I wrote the stories. In a way, it felt like it was me that he was dating, and I when I went to the store, it felt like I was really buying Ken his birthday cake. Pathetic, huh? I even lit the candles and took some more pictures, but I settled on the unlit version for the cover. Sadly, I kind of wish Ken was real, and I don't have to eat his cake alone.
Anyway, I am not sure if I will continue the story. Depends on the response of you, dear readers. I'm also sure that everyone is waiting on me to go back and finish my other books. We'll see.
SHAMELESS PLUG: If you click on the FOLLOW button, you'll be the first two know if I do continue this. Hehehe
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Lastly, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. It means so much to me and all authors when you leave a kind word, or even constructive criticism.
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About the author: Yup, still that same fudanshi living in Seattle. \o/
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24 Years (MxM)
Short StoryAfter a pretty rough and lonely year, Ken goes out on a Friday night, his 24th birthday, to get wasted and forget all his troubles. Little did he know, he would meet James, someone who would challenge Ken's expectations. ----- READ 19 Years First! T...
