Hello everyone!

WHAT?! I finished writing Children of the Sun!? FINALLY? *wobble wobble faint*

The thing is, this is a manuscript that I’ve been working on for a long, long time. I wrote the first draft during Nanowrimo 10 years ago, put it aside and didn’t look at it again.

Until one day my fiance said to me, “Um, you know that novel you wrote 10 years ago? It’s the best story you’ve written so far.”

I pretended to not be offended that apparently I wrote my best work when I was 16.

So I decided to dig it out from the depths of my email inbox… and rewrite it.

Now, five months later, it’s DONE. Compared to the first draft, I’m glad to say that character names stay consistent, not everyone dies, and the story kind of makes sense 🙂

So what is it about?

Since the discovery of DNA in the 1950s, there has been tremendous interest in the potential of modifying the human genome. How soon can genetic diseases be eradicated? Can we push the boundaries of human fitness and intelligence? Now, in the year 2018, genetic modification of human embryos for medically necessary purposes is endorsed by the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, there are rumours of a new genetic disease, one that can give rise to spontaneous combustion and allow its host to breathe underwater. Those that carry these mutations, Deviants, must be medicated and controlled. It is the job of the Deviant Investigation Unit to track these people down.

Fifteen-year-old Meredith doesn’t have a last name or a passport. The only family she knows is Rio, Edene, and the other detectives in the Unit. When Edene, her best friend and guardian disappears, Meredith investigates the unexplained deaths of three young women, and uncovers her own past and the darkest secret in the history of genetic modification.

A Snippet

“Can I go to school this year? I think tomorrow’s the first day of the second semester of grade nine.”

“Meredith, honey,” Edene says. “We’ll go through your lessons at home again.”

Meredith deflates, her shoulder sinking.

“But you know what,” Edene adds. “We’ll get Mickey from the Unit to teach you science. Didn’t you love him last year? And I bet Rio wants to take you to the zoo again for another biology lesson.”

Meredith perks up. “And see the pandas? Remember the pandas last year, Edene? Weren’t they the cutest? I read in the news that they are going back to China in March this year. I really really want to see them before they go!”

“Oh I didn’t realize. That’s a shame isn’t it?” Edene says. She slams down the brake pedal and the car comes to a sharp stop before a red light.

“And oh, do you think Rio could take me to the observatory? It’s really close to here, just several streets away. I read on the Internet that you can see Neptune in the evenings in January. I actually really really want to see Saturn, but we’ll have to wait until June.”

“I don’t see why not. Why don’t you ask him?”

Meredith sends a text to Rio right away, adding in the part about his brother and the Nobel prize. She goes home giddy and excited, especially when Rio replies, agreeing to their field trip. After their split pea soup dinner, Meredith watches TV with Edene, falling asleep on the couch with a smile on her mouth. She dreams of going to the observatory with Rio and a trio of pandas. They see Saturn in the night sky.

If Meredith had known that this is her last day with Edene, she would have helped out more in the kitchen, talked less in the car, or at the very least fought to stay awake for longer to spend more time in her company.

What Now?!

I am planning a new novel, which I am super excited for since I haven’t written a first draft in ages! However, my issue with writing first (and for that matter, second and third and fourth) drafts is that, despite my attempts to outline, I always always veer off-course. And because of that, my novel structure tends to suffer. Because of this, I am hoping to try something different with this new novel by planning it out first. More info coming up 🙂

Are you working on a writing project and how is it going so far? Are you participating in Nanowrimo this year (July or November)? Are you a planner or a pantser, or somewhere in between?