Writing a book has never been an easy task. You’re constantly evolving, editing, and then ideas come to mind that have you starting from the beginning. In 2020, I spent most of the pandemic writing a story I started in 2019 or prior. Honestly, I can’t remember. I’d have to look up the very first draft I wrote on my external drive. Since that first draft, I have been working on editing it. Then one day I decided to change it. This time, from a third-person to a first-person point of view. As well as writing from the point of view of both main characters. You now have to convey the character’s own emotions, feelings, and thoughts into every chapter. Something I hadn’t done before. I’ve realized most romance books are in first person, and I felt that would help make my story better.
The reason for this change was the romance books I’ve read and the young adult show that has been a hit for Amazon Prime, The Summer I Turned Pretty. They have also inspired the way I write. Thus making changes to scenes to improve the overall feel. To give readers more depth and more insight to the characters. I was reading the books while I watched the show’s last season. The books did not have the same impact as the show. The books felt short, the chapters were short.
The story I am working on is about a male pop star and a young woman who is trying to make it in the music industry. Yet, their lives are what make the story. What happens to them, what causes pain, and their happiness. Sure, there will be aspects of what a pop star’s life is like in the spotlight, but it’s his life outside of it that leads him to this woman.
You might wonder what The Summer I Turned Pretty has to do with writing about a pop star? Well, it’s obvious the books and show are about a young girl navigating her life and two brothers who both want to be with her. Nothing about that relates to my story, but watching the show, you saw the emotions the characters gave during the last season. Seeing their conflicts, seeing how in denial Belly was regarding Conrad. You saw her push him away by being with his brother, Jeremiah. In a way, try to erase him, but that was impossible when he was Jeremiah’s older brother. Even by marrying Jeremiah.
We saw Conrad deal with anxiety and panic attacks in other seasons of the show. Then, during the last season, we saw him still in love with her, still wanting to be with her. Even though he tried to put his feelings aside. He knew she was in denial and continued to defend Jeremiah after he cheated on her. Conrad knew this was not her. Belly was turning into someone that wasn’t her. Always pleasing Jeremiah. She didn’t go to Paris during college because of him. It was her dream, and she put that aside.
What I loved about the show was just how much you saw of their internal struggles. One would say oh, this is just a teen show, it’s not that deep. Yet, you saw them grow up, and you saw them get through the death of Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother. You saw Conrad going to therapy to better himself. You saw the struggles that teens and young adults go through and often keep those struggles to themselves.
It was those things that made me want to dive deeper into my characters emotions, feelings, and internal struggles. It also made me want to change how the story is done. Eliminating certain scenes to give one character’s perspective on a situation. Looking back at the story there were things that felt unnecessary to the plot.
The influence of the books I’ve read led me to switch from third-person to first-person point of view in my writing. I noticed that most romance novels are first-person or alternate between the two main characters’ perspectives. When I started writing fan fiction over 20 years ago, I wrote in third person because that was likely what I saw in the stories I read—though I can’t recall exactly which POV those fan fictions used. My fan fiction rarely received feedback or reviews, but looking back, I see it as a learning process. The lack of feedback didn’t bother me then; I wrote those stories because I enjoyed writing. The plots were there, but my writing needed major improvement. Over time I stopped writing as other things took priority.
As with The Summer I Turned Pretty, the romance books I was reading showed more of the characters’ feelings, and you felt them more. Felt like you were a part of their lives, knew who they were, and maybe you would even relate to them. This is something I wanted to convey with my story. I may not be the greatest writer out there, but that’s the thing with writing. You read books, get inspired by the authors you enjoy, and you learn to improve your own writing as you read their work.
Normally, I would read romance novels about rock stars, pop stars, and celebrities, as mine is centered on a famous pop star, but lately, I have found it difficult to find these kinds of novels. At least for the past few years. I do have some romance novels about musicians on my Goodeads that were recently released. While I took me sometime to find more novels on musicians and celebrities, I began reading small-town, sports, contemporary, billionaire, romantic suspense, and some historical romance. I’ve also begun reading more fantasy. Either historical fantasy with past and present timelines or YA fantasy. I haven’t dived into romantasy just yet. I do however have some on my Kindle waiting to be read.
I’ve heard to read books in your genre, but I’ve learned you can take inspiration from books that aren’t necessarily in your sub-genre. These are some of the books I’ve read last year and this year that have inspired me to change how I write.
Burning Daylight by Emily McIntyre is the first novel I’ve read by her. She is mostly known for her Never After series. Retelling of fictional stories with a contemporary twist. Burning Daylight is a Romeo & Juliet retelling. The main characters are from rival families and are forbidden to be together. I was never into the Romeo and Juliet movies. Shakespeare? Not for me. Yet, the way it was written and the plot made me think about changing how I write. The story was intriguing, and it kept me engaged. Wanting to read more and see how it ended. Reading this made me see how I could improve and entice readers.
Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann explores how a young actor facing trauma and betrayal adjusts to small-town life and grows close to a girl with big dreams as they work together in their high school play. The narrative reveals the darker aspects of fame, and the actor turns their story into a TV series. Due to the show’s popularity, the two have to fake date. While the plot differs from mine, seeing the character’s struggles with fame has inspired me to deepen the emotional impact of my own MMC’s experiences. How his life impacted who he is.
I’m currently reading another book by Jennifer Hartmann called Pieces of the Night. I’ve read 64% so far, and I’ve found myself seeing things I can draw inspiration from. It’s about young adults and their love of music, and how their midnight meetings working on music lead to more. The main female character is in a long-term relationship with someone who thinks music is a waste of time. Her brother is a musician trying to make his dreams happen. He does not like the main male character after an incident. You see the MMC dealing with his own issues and doubts. You see these character’s deal with what’s certain in their lives and their dreams. They eventually get the opportunity of a lifetime that changes things for them. As I continue to read this, I find some similarities to my novel.
What I learned by reading is what I can take from each story and use as inspiration for my own work. It’s not about copying, but learning from others to improve yourself. As a writer, you always want to improve yourself. When I looked at my second draft, before I began writing in first person, I saw what I could do to make it better. The writing specifically needed improvement. Now it wasn’t completely terrible, but I knew if I wanted this to be the best it could be, I needed to work on the dialogue, the character’s inner thoughts, and the plot in general.
It’s a process that will take time, and sometimes, with time, you come out with something that you’ll ultimately love. Rather than rush it just to have something out there. Will I get it done this year? That’s the goal, but in the end, you never know where your story will take you and what will inspire you next.