I've made two grown women cry and I couldn't be happier about it.
Now before you get mad and me and think I'm a monster, hear me out. You'll understand in a moment.
If you know anything about my book's backstory, you know that there are scenes that are emotional. It is what it is. I can't tell the story I have to tell without pulling at the heart strings. I wish it was a happier story, I really do. There are parts that are downright joyous, and there are parts that are really funny (at least I think they are), but at the center of the story is pain, and overcoming it through brotherhood, endurance and faith.
So, there's one scene in particular that is going to be hard for a lot of people to read. If you get invested in the characters, it will make the tears flow. I had a feeling that I was on to something when my editor read it and told me she balled. Nicole has been doing the editing thing for a while, but it got to her.
Today I got a text my friend Leslie, who is beta reading the book for me. She's been tearing through it over the last couple of days and today she reached that scene. She felt compelled to text me.
My response was in regards to a warning I gave her the day before. She told me where she was in the book, and I told her to be ready, the tough part was coming.
As a writer I'm feeling pretty good right now. If you're getting that kind of a response you've done your job. Now I just hope she likes the rest of it. I hope everyone does. It's kind of stressful having this thing out to real people for the first time reading it to critique it. Okay, it's really stressful.
Every day we're getting closer. Just because it feels like forever doesn't mean it is. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
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