The Trilogy

As a history major, I love to read and to write historical novels. Therefore, it was odd that the first manuscript I wrote was a contemporary novel about Isaac, a young teen who gets into trouble and is sent by the courts to live with a older couple on a farm for six months. I always say the the story found me, because it's not a story I would have chosen. I've gone back through Promise many times to edit and revise. So, when I recently pulled it out to get it ready to publish, it didn't need anything more than to be polished a bit.

This week, I pulled out the second book in the Farmers trilogy to reread it. I hadn't realized it, but I haven't done anything to it in at least four years, and I was amazed at the mistakes I found. The good side is that I've been able to see how much progress I've made as a writer. I had no idea. I found a few instances of unmarked point of view changes, using "said" too often instead of using beats, not varying the sentence structure enough, using past perfect tense too often, using "was" too often, and telling when I should be showing. Needless to say, I've been working hard on revisions, but Peace is already looking much better. It continues with Isaac's story but is also about his sister, Jasmine, who begins college.

I know the last book in the trilogy, Pardon, will also need lots of rewrites. I haven't been back through it any more times than I have Peace. This is the story of Isaac's younger brother, Kevin, who runs away to live on the streets for a while. As with all my books, these all have a definite ending. I don't like cliffhangers at the end of a book. Also like my others, the profits will go a scholarship for missionary children. I hope to have Promise out in January, Peace in March, and Pardon in May; and I'll be putting out more information about them.

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