As the Sun, So the Moon

Author's Note

This story began when I was 13. 

My overly angsty demeanor, accompanied by incorrect information and lack of formal writing skills, resulted in an overly dramatic story with little to no direction. I was writing just to write, which in itself is not a terrible thing, but when the goal is to actually finish a story, some discipline is necessary.

This story is now six or seven years in the making. Approaching the ripe old age of 20, I've made some very drastic changes to the original, but the basic ideas are all still the same. I wanted to write a story about love and heartache, family and loss, childlike wonder and adventure contrasting with the harsh reality of coming to terms with one's adulthood. I wanted a coming-of-age tale set in a very tough time to come of age.

That being said, the majority of the main plot points have been rewritten time and time again. The problem is the transition between these scenes. This is not due to laziness on my own part, but the absence of time to write. Being a full-time college student has its drawbacks, one of which being the constant homework, and being involved in a college marching band has not helped my lack of free time at all. On top of all that, I'm not even an English major, but a Studio Art major.  So this isn't exactly my area of expertise.

I have given up on other story ideas in the past. There was the one about an artistic orphan who ran away from his foster parents to travel the country (which seemed far too cliché); the story of a boy who met and befriended a mermaid in 1960s America; there was one about the Salem witches being real, involving a lot of cross-dimension travel and descriptions of historical clothing.

But there has always been something about this story - these characters - that has made me adamant about not giving up. 

Charlotte and Andy have given me a lot. Without even fully getting them down on paper, they've already taught me about friendship and loyalty. They've taught me about making mistakes, and forgiving those mistakes. Benjamin helped me grow up, sparking the inspiration to better myself and become more of an adult. Hattie showed me how to be a caregiver, and Anne told me how to stand up for myself and stay true to my own character. They've grown as I myself have and the experience of watching myself develop with these made-up people is far too precious to just... let go. 

So yes, this story is still a work in progress. Yes, this story is still alive (maybe not thriving, but definitely alive). Yes, it's a little jumpy sometimes from one scene to the next, and yes, it's still a little messy. Yes, it's the most important thing I've ever created.

There is something about those fifteen-year-olds with tangled hair and freckled faces that I can't give up, and I don't think I ever will. Whether they actually reach a point of being officially published is something only time will tell, but by God are they going to fight to get there. They're far too big to stay in my head any longer.

And so, as a reader, I hope you connect with these individuals as much as I have. I hope you dig deep in your chest to find that child that tried on their mother's dresses for fun, or used to climb trees and almost break their wrist doing so; I hope you remember the small things you loved about your childhood, things like your favorite plush toy or that one shirt you refused to take off even to get washed. I hope you think about your favorite bedtime story and how it made you feel.

I hope you remember.

Because that is all I want.