Talking to Myself
By Sarah Beth Durst - September 26, 2011
Last week I celebrated the book birthday for my latest YA novel, DRINK, SLAY, LOVE, so I thought I'd take a moment to tell the story of how this book came to be. Here's a rough transcript:
MY BRAIN: So, what are we writing about next?
ME: I really like unicorns.
MY BRAIN: What are you, four years old?
ME: What's wrong with unicorns?
MY BRAIN: Unicorns are not cool. Unicorns are sparkly.
ME: My unicorns would be cool!
MY BRAIN: You just miss your Lisa Frank sticker collection from your Trapper Keeper.
ME: I loved those stickers.
MY BRAIN: Think of something else.
ME: Okay.
*crickets chirp*
MY BRAIN: I'm waiting.
ME: I really like vampires.
MY BRAIN: No. Also too sparkly.
ME: You're just mad because you had that dream again, the one where you're convinced you're at a carnival and it's dark and the clowns are scary and you can't find the bathroom.
MY BRAIN: I'm not mad. And clowns are scary.
ME: So are vampires.
MY BRAIN: We are not writing about vampires! Everyone writes about vampires! You can't write about vampires!
ME: Unicorns could hunt vampires.
*crickets fall silent*
ME: Think about it. Built-in stake. Unicorns are badass vampire hunters.
MY BRAIN: We're writing about vampires.
ME: And unicorns.
MY BRAIN: Vampires and unicorns. Go! Write, write, WRITE!
And I did. I wrote this novel in a frenzy. Every day. Every weekend. Late at night. Early morning. I'd pass by my computer on the way to brush my teeth, and I'd dart in to add or edit a paragraph or bit of dialogue. It became the story of Pearl, a sixteen-year old vampire, fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night she is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn's horn and begins to develop a conscience. And Pearl simply would not stop talking in my head. She wanted her story to be told. She wanted to come out of the darkness and meet the world.
Usually, my writing process involves ups and downs and doubts and wrong turns and all the typical writer angst that you hear about. But not with this book. I loved every second of writing this book -- by a mile, the most enjoyable writing experience I've ever had.
MY BRAIN: So, what are we writing about next?
ME: I really like unicorns.
MY BRAIN: What are you, four years old?
ME: What's wrong with unicorns?
MY BRAIN: Unicorns are not cool. Unicorns are sparkly.
ME: My unicorns would be cool!
MY BRAIN: You just miss your Lisa Frank sticker collection from your Trapper Keeper.
ME: I loved those stickers.
MY BRAIN: Think of something else.
ME: Okay.
*crickets chirp*
MY BRAIN: I'm waiting.
ME: I really like vampires.
MY BRAIN: No. Also too sparkly.
ME: You're just mad because you had that dream again, the one where you're convinced you're at a carnival and it's dark and the clowns are scary and you can't find the bathroom.
MY BRAIN: I'm not mad. And clowns are scary.
ME: So are vampires.
MY BRAIN: We are not writing about vampires! Everyone writes about vampires! You can't write about vampires!
ME: Unicorns could hunt vampires.
*crickets fall silent*
ME: Think about it. Built-in stake. Unicorns are badass vampire hunters.
MY BRAIN: We're writing about vampires.
ME: And unicorns.
MY BRAIN: Vampires and unicorns. Go! Write, write, WRITE!
And I did. I wrote this novel in a frenzy. Every day. Every weekend. Late at night. Early morning. I'd pass by my computer on the way to brush my teeth, and I'd dart in to add or edit a paragraph or bit of dialogue. It became the story of Pearl, a sixteen-year old vampire, fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night she is stabbed through the heart by a were-unicorn's horn and begins to develop a conscience. And Pearl simply would not stop talking in my head. She wanted her story to be told. She wanted to come out of the darkness and meet the world.
Usually, my writing process involves ups and downs and doubts and wrong turns and all the typical writer angst that you hear about. But not with this book. I loved every second of writing this book -- by a mile, the most enjoyable writing experience I've ever had.
