Back in the Groove

Not so persistent lately, though. Sorry about that. Well, persistent at this, anyway. On the other hand, I have been writing the new thing, which I think I really ought to title one of these days. (Originally, years ago when I first started the original draft, it was going to be linked together with several other stories I was musing over, all dealing with the same group of friends in high school. I'd been referring to the series as "Senior Year" in my head, but that's out the window now: Samantha lost a year during this recent revision, and is now a junior instead. Back to the drawing board, I suppose.)

The Halloween scene I've been hammering away at all weekend is about half done, and it's going well. Part of it is Samantha finally allowing Alex to see how badly she was injured in the crash that killed her friend Harriet; part of it is just more of them getting to know each other; part of it is the two of them experiencing their first fight; and part of it is some fairly heavy making out.

That bit I haven't quite got to yet, though I did pre-write it a few months ago while I was stuck on something else. I'll plug it in when I get there, with editing to reflect how the build-up to that scene has changed since then. They're not going to have sex, but other than that I'm not too sure what it is they are going to do. I keep going back and forth between reminding myself that the characters are both 16, and that this is allegedly a YA novel whose theoretical readers will be about the same age; and knowing that real 16 year olds have sex all the time, and trying not to make parts of this book seem corny, even though my own values are likely a little out of synch with the times, hooking-up-wise.

There's an interesting dichotomy there. If I were 16 again now, knowing what I know and remember at 42, I would likely be cutting myself a horny swath through the girls at whatever high school I was at. (In my head, at least.) And yet, though that's how I think, my characters are always more shy and reserved, modest and honorable. Which isn't to suggest I'm, like, the complete opposite of all that, or anything. My characters tend to be hyper-realized versions of good people. Their flaws tend to be a little hyper as well.

Anyway; blah blah. Finishing this chapter won't take too long, unless I get stuck on another tangent like in the previous chapter (which I still haven't solved, or excised). That will pretty much end Chapter 11. Chapter 12 will deal with the aftermath, both good and bad; Samantha learning something nice about two of her friends (which I'm attempting to hint at in that damned scene from the previous chapter I may of may not keep); and yet another surgery to repair her hand. Tally ho!