I've Been Working on a Young Adult Novel... by jessicakluthe

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· @jessicakluthe · (edited)
$32.53
I've Been Working on a Young Adult Novel...
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<p>https://steemitimages.com/DQmWrqWkYgz4HDuX37tmjVqqrNkqtU28xQ5Tz4xaKMYhcds/nighttime.jpg&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>I have been working on a young adult novel for a few years...</strong></p>
<p>I teach full-time. I don’t write as often as I’d like to when classes are in full swing but being busy is only one of the reasons. The other reason is that teaching requires a lot of my creative energy (and I’m okay with that). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>Since I published a book with a literary press in 2013, I’ve had this young adult book project ratting around in my brain. I’ve published some shorter pieces since I started writing this next book, but there have been lots of stops and starts on this project. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>I’ve been sharing writing prompts, tips, and exercises here on Steemit. </strong>Since joining this community, working on these materials has actually helped me get back to creative writing again. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>So, I dusted off the manuscript and started to get back into the story. For me, this requires a lot of re-reading so that I can get back into the story itself. I’ve re-read the first chapter <em>so many </em>times now. <strong>The first chapter, to me, is </strong><em><strong>the</strong></em><strong> chance a writer has to hook a reader. It determines the tone, the voice, the style... It’s hard work (just like the first paragraph is hard work in a short story). &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>I thought I’d share the first three paragraphs of the first chapter (tentatively titled "Headlights"). I want to know: would you keep reading?</p>
<p><br></p>
<h1>HEADLIGHTS &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h1>
<p>How could I have let myself fall asleep here? I opened my eyes wide into the dark, as if I could discover some daylight. I couldn’t adjust. I squinted, trying to make out some shapes, and I remembered how my foster mom, when I used to call her into my bedroom, a bad dream or thirsty for anything but tap water, would always claim that it was midnight. I had thought it amazing to wake the exact minute that marked The Middle of the Night. I rolled my body—stretched across the dry grass—onto the side, hip bones to tree roots and rocks, and put one arm up into the dark to feel for trees or that picnic table somewhere around there. I pushed myself up and shuffled forward. I moved through The Middle of the Night, thirsty again.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When I felt my feet bump from field to gravel, I pulled my sweaty shirt from my stomach and a scent of unshowered skin hit my face. With each step, I repeated, <em>car, car, car </em>until my hand was on the metal roof. Then I fiddled for the keys in the bottom of my bag—wallet, papers, packets of sugar, cellphone, pencil, keys. &nbsp;</p>
<p>With the car and hazards on, I gulped a day-old inch of coffee that tasted like ashes and smoke and stuck to my teeth. The headlights burst forward with my car, two parallel lines of yellow light that reached a few meters ahead and reminded me of the two lives I was chasing. Around both were complete, lamp-less, moonless nighttime. And then I was watching myself, observing, a habit I had formed as an uncomfortable child: a tiny grey car, a stretch of road, and nowhere, really, to go. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>So, would you keep reading? What qualities make a strong opening for you? </em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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vote details (32)
@enjar ·
$0.12
While I do not find “foster mom” relatable to my own life situations. That right there is a hook that I think a lot of struggling young adults can relate with. With how many kids end up in foster homes, and divorce rates just those two words could draw them in.

I am rather curious about “How could I have let myself. . .” Where is here? Why should you not have been resting there? I do love a good mystery! 

The hook for me here is “two lives I was chasing” it’s how I always felt in life. Now, I want know more behind the story of that line and hope it gets answer further in the book!

There is a reason I never have been much of a writer myself. I re-read and rewrite things to death. I had a teacher in middle school share with us a book she wrote. She rewrote the entire thing a few times, and swore the first chapter a few hundred. Her final rewrite of it was closer to the first rewrite of the book then the last. 

I look forward to hearing your progress on this book. I hope you are able to find a time to set aside to keep working on it.
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vote details (2)
@jessicakluthe ·
$0.10
Thank you for taking the time to give me such in-depth feedback--I appreciate it.

For the relatability--I always tell my students that any situation can become relatable if you convey the emotions of it (for instance, loss or a struggle with identity) even if the particulars are not familiar to a reader. But I am pleased you do think young readers would connect.

And yes, re-reading... in this case, after a school year of teaching I know I need to reread to get back to the voice I was writing in... but I could reread it to death.  I rewrote the first chapter of my first book 13 times (and some of the later chapters, that I think have better flow, only once). 

I just had a baby, so I'm needing to carve our writing time but it's very limited. Fingers crossed I can pull this off! 

Again, thank you!
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vote details (2)
@pitterpatter · (edited)
$0.05
I need more of a hook to get me on board. The first sentence made me uneasy. 
*"How could I have let myself sleep fall asleep here?"* I had to read it a couple of times to see if I read it right. The first sentence should make me speed off to the second sentence with eager anticipation but I was stuck on the first. Who knows. I am an odd person with an odd background so maybe this is not going to be helpful to you. . . but, I started it and so I will finish my feedback. 

I was waiting for the hook to grab me and take my breath away. Where's the  danger > It's got to be around the corner > When is it going to hit me? I'm getting frustrated wanting to know why she's sleeping outdoors alone long enough to need a bath? 
You picked up the flow and my eyes were pleased to speed off  > until these words > *" I squinted, trying to make out some shapes, and I remembered how my foster mom, when I used to call her into my bedroom, a bad dream or thirsty for anything but tap water, would always claim that it was midnight"* I think this sentence is too long and disjointed. I am sure it's important. > A jem to know but it seem disruptive to me. Maybe break the sentence up or revise it.

Example > I squinted, trying to make out some familar shapes to make my way to the car as fast as I could, but my mind was not going to help me. Without my permission it reached back into my crazy past and pulled out memories of me crying out to my Foster Grandmother after a bad dream or wanting anything cold to drink but the luke warm tap water."* 
After that I caught another wave of words and everthing went smoothly.

![NIGHTtimeDriver_500.gif](https://steemitimages.com/DQmY2cpcvgn2GAUPneJBftfVFV9CdrPm9osJBfu32a87ajT/NIGHTtimeDriver_500.gif)

I think I needed more mystery to capture me and stuff me in the girl's trunk looking for adventures > Ready to read more.
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vote details (1)
@jessicakluthe ·
$0.06
Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it.  Your line suggestions are really useful. 

I agree that very first sentence starts off a bit too slow and I will work on a stronger hook.

Thank you! Thank you!
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@pitterpatter ·
$0.05
Thank you. I know I can learn a lot from you. All I have to suggest is push your envelope and let your imagination go wilder than it is now.
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vote details (1)
@bree1042 ·
$0.06
I don't know much about novels, but this is what I felt. 
He found himself fall asleep where he shouldn't have. It's  very intriguing. I thought maybe he fell to the victim or he's been staking out or in any kind of danger. Then it turns out he got his bag, wallet, cellphone, and a car. So it's not that 'dangerous situation' I thought it would be. And why did he fall asleep on the ground when he had a car? If he's chasing two lives it's safe to assume that he has to move quickly. Then what made him get out of the car in the first place?
I'm sure there's more to the story and this is only three paragraphs, but it was difficult for me to set the tone of the story. 
Again, I don't know much about novels, so you shouldn't take my comment seriously. But I just want to mention what I felt. :)
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@jessicakluthe ·
Thanks for your input-I appreciate it!

I want the opening to raise questions but I certainly don't want it to be confusing or unclear. Thanks again!
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