It always intrigues me when I start out with one goal in mind. . . I think (I don’t really plan or plot. . . I just start writing), then I begin the first draft with a vision in mind of the overall story (or series). . . and when I say I have a vision, I mean that I can see the story in my mind – not necessarily every single tiny little detail, but enough to know more or less where the story is going.
That was the case with the new middle-grade novel I wrote with the help of my sweet daughter Macy.
And, like nearly every other story I have ever worked on, this one took several turns I did not see coming when I started. Thank goodness Macy is a flexible co-author.
I’ll tell you a secret: I have (yes, you saw that right. I said have, not had) a less-than-ideal relationship with my Dad. He doesn’t understand me and he’s never tried to. The things I enjoy either annoy or anger him. And, somewhat like the dad in our story, he only took me for weekend visits because he had to… only in my case it was because my brother wouldn’t go without me, so if he wanted to see my brother, he was stuck with me too.
When I started writing out the story that eventually became The Alien’s Daughter, I intended to use it as a way to vent, to voice all of my frustration about my own relationship with my Dad. I had no intention of ever actually writing something that anyone would read.
But the story changed… quickly morphing into a young teen’s journey into the unknown, an exploration of herself… the person she has always been, but never knew about.
It became a story of discovery, of connection, of healing.
My hope is that this story will appeal to pre-teens (and teens) of all ages, and maybe even some adults, who have felt as if they never really fit in anywhere. I hope it will show them that they are not alone. I hope it will help them feel hope… for themselves, for their future, and for their place in the world.
And I hope they’ll keep reading as Zoe tackles the world as a Teenage Alien Human Hybrid.
until then…
©JCMorrows 2018
JC Morrows 