I recently finished my latest book, Always in my Heart, which I am especially happy with. It was an intense and emotional experience
and in the first draft , one of my main,
and most loveable, characters (Alice) is killed in a tragic accident. Both my editor and publisher loved the book
but they also loved the character and didn’t want her to die. They thought it would have an adverse effect
on the other characters and my readers. So
I was asked to rewrite the ending so that she lives.
This was not a situation I had found myself in before. At
first, I wasn’t too sure about changing anything. I was pleased with my original ending and
reluctant to alter it. Then I did some
soul searching and examined my motives for killing off Alice. They weren’t good. Events in my personal life had caused me to
feel cynical. By having my character die it was like
saying, “Life can be hard, and bad things happen to good people. Get used to it.” I was trying to push a harsh message through,
but for the wrong reasons.
After a lot of consideration, I found a way to rewrite my
story. I’m really pleased I did. Alice lives,
and my agent and publisher were happy too.
I have a new perspective on the story and am bubbling with ideas for the
sequels.
A further reflection: writers can play god, deciding the fate of their characters. It’s a fantasy role, but maybe it’s part of
why we write, some quirk of our psychological make-up; that power, that control, which we lack in everyday
events. If only real life were life
that. If only we could rewrite real
life, so we can bring back the people we love and have lost forever.
