A lot can change in one year
Which is what happened to me when I wrote my second novel
Last month I shared about the first novel I carried through to completion (writing, revising, and polishing), called This Year. I adored writing three unique love stories that came together under larger themes of friendship, family, and grief. So much so, that I set out to do something similar in the next story I drafted.
At the time, I had been neck-deep in church culture and had just heard God speak to me about my own identity. I lived for the small group that had become my family away from own biological relatives.
Then the world shut down. And I have so much more I could write about that, but it’s the inspiration for another novel, so you’ll hear about it in the future.
For now, let me introduce you to the foursome in One Year.
One Year
Four seasons, four love stories, one group of friends discovering their identities.
Rule-following Mabel convinces everyone that getting jobs lifeguarding at the local water park is how they’re going to connect and make the most of their summer. When she draws on her personal experience to save a park guest from hypoglycemia, she doesn’t expect to be confronted with her deep-seated fears of losing those she loves, which sets her on a mission to live out her identity in every way she can.
Adventurous Lea lives life to the fullest, jumping at every opportunity that comes her way. When unexpected news at the doctor’s office pulls her physical activity level to a halt, she’s forced to slow down and think about what it means to commit to something. Or someone. But how does she reconcile that with how she was designed?
Perceptive Ash recognizes that she’s not the most exciting corner of their friend quad. In fact, she’s overlooked and left out more than she’d care to admit, even within her family. After her friends get jobs as lifeguards for the summer and she’s stuck slinging burgers at the water park, she decides having a part-time job isn’t so bad. Queue the arcade and a quest to find her own identity. But what if she doesn’t?
Brutally honest Justine is well-known as the one you go to for the truth. She’s used to being blunt and taking names. She’s also used to her people: her three best friends and steadfast boyfriend. When he drops a truth-bomb of his own, Justine has to reckon with who she thought she was and who she truly is.
At the end of the year, these four friends will either come out stronger than ever, or completely fall apart.
This book needs more revision. I wrote a draft, revised it, sent it to my critique group, and haven’t touched it since they gave me feedback. I was coming to the end of querying the prior novel and losing motivation with this series. If no one wanted to publish the first one, why keep writing more? Well, I did anyway and I’ll tell you about it in February.
I hope the new year is bringing lots of good climate juju to your neck of the woods. We’re finally getting snow, which is much needed. Praise!
Love, Heidi