Chapter 49 of Evening Star Is Posted!

I just posted Chapter 49 of Evening Star on both Wattpad and FanFiction.net--links for this story on both sites can be found in the sidebar.


I can't believe that I've written almost fifty chapters for Evening Star. I've composed this story the same way I tackle stories for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo): completely off-the-cuff, with no outlining and just a Post-It note reminder of a plot twist here and there. I mull over the next chapter during the course of the week, and then I sit down and write it, usually in a short sitting or two. Then I revise a couple of times, expanding some areas and editing others (but usually adding material), and I post. That's it.


I have approximately five chapters left in order to complete Evening Star, and most of it will be occurring within the context of Meyer's New Moon. I must finish Evening Star by November 30 in order to qualify for the Watty Awards on Wattpad, and I think I'll make the deadline fairly easily. I definitely want to complete it before Breaking Dawn Part 1 hits the theaters.


Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I'm planning to write the rough draft of Pinned but Fluttering during the month of November, or at least 50,000 words of it. With Evening Star approaching 115,000 words, I may not complete Pinned but Fluttering. But I will get a good portion of it roughed out during NaNoWriMo. I have at least three former students joining me at NaNoWriMo and possibly one new student trying it as well.


I love doing NaNoWriMo with students; I've done it in the past with current students as "friends" so that we can compete against each other in finishing our 50,000 words. So that's my plan for getting a good bit of Pinned but Fluttering in rough draft form at least. I still hope to post 3-4 chapters before the start of NaNoWriMo; in fact, I'm going to get started on Chapter Five right now. :)


Speaking of Pinned but Fluttering, I was quite pleased with its ranking on Wattpad this week after I posted Chapter 4 on Tuesday: #2 on the Thrillers list, #8 on the Fan Fiction list, and #161 on What's Hot, which encompasses all of the stories in all genres posted on Wattpad. Those are some impressive numbers!


And I think I may have figured out one reason why my stories do so much better on Wattpad versus FanFiction.net. The popular stories on the latter site tend to be rated "M" (Mature) and contain truly "mature" content--as in sex. The stories on Wattpad, however, tend to be a little more innocent. And the old proverb "Sex Sells" seems to apply as much to fan fiction as it does to advertising. I don't necessarily have a problem with the steamier stories; I just don't care to write them. I'd rather imply than describe in detail, and I appreciate those stories that do the same. It's one theory, anyway, as to why my stories are quite popular on one site and are barely noticed on another.


So, I'm off to write start another chapter of Pinned but Fluttering now that Evening Star is properly updated.


Have a wonderful week, everyone!


--Cassandra