Journeys of Four is officially published! It’s finished, done, complete. The cover is made, the interior edited, the bound copy in my hands.
I praise the LORD for where I am at in my writing journey. I now have four books, not only finished, but in published form. Journeys of Four is my fourth book and second novel.
Yet, in the midst of the rejoicing, there is a tinge of sadness. Why? Because I already miss my characters.
Journeys of Four started under a completely different title when I was about seventeen. Since then, the story has evolved and changed so much that I never would have dreamed it possible. Still, through it all, one part remained: the story of Christine Spurgeon as she has her entire Christianity shaken, when her family begins attending a new church.
The above was my basic premise when I first started all those years ago. Then, along came Claudette Crutch, the girl who claimed Christianity, but didn’t act the part. At first, Claudette was going to be a short trial for Christine in the early chapters, then disappear. She wasn’t a main character, a minor character, or even a side character. She was little more than a cameo. That was the plan anyway. By the time I had finished the first draft, Claudette had managed to work herself into the entire book with her own plotline.
When I decided to give Claudette a brother, I imagined that he would disappear even faster than his sister. A young man with a terrible temper and no story. Just a face to fill in a paragraph void. I didn’t give him much thought. Until he threatened to take over half my book. Now, Claudius is nearly as much a main character as Christine Spurgeon.
My last edition came more recently. Seven to nine months before publishing, in fact. Towards the end of the original draft, I had a very minor character. So minor that he didn’t even have a name and you only caught a glimpse of him in one tragic scene. Until a brilliant idea lit up my brain one cold night and Peter Alan Gottswald’s story began to grow, adding to my book, filling it out, and changing it in ways I didn’t expect.
Now, after all of these years, I have to stop. There can be no more weaving, no more additional characters, no more changing, tweaking, or adding to story-lines. The book is done. True, I may drag my characters into another book sometime – after all, most of my books take place in the same “world” – I’ve even given a few of them a short scene or two. Christine, for instance, appears in at least two upcoming books and is mentioned in another published book. Still, I miss exploring this book, dreaming about what I can add and improve.
However, at the end of the day, despite some slightly silly sorrow, I am thankful. So, so thankful that this book has reached publication. The LORD has been gracious to let me get this far. So, now, I’m off to the next book. A Christmas celebration month and a murder investigation, meeting in the small town of Poinsettia. I’m excited already!
Note: This post is old. Six to seven months old. But I wanted to post it anyway.
To the KING be all the glory!