The Evolution of the Weaver
When I first started writing the Weaver, I probably didn’t do anything “by the book” or how it’s supposed to be done. I had a story to tell and I wrote it. As Laney, my main character would say, “the things created by an artist’s hand, whether a piece of music, a painting, an antique, or a story, all hold part of the creator within them.” That’s how I feel about my stories, but most intensely about the Weaver.
In 2008, after I finished my master’s degree, work on the Weaver began. As a full-time teacher, I found every weekend moment I could find that I wasn’t spending with my two young children and husband. I spent a lot of time researching different aspects of the story including the Revolutionary War time period that Laney’s book is written in. I also spent a lot of time looking into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s stories and found some interesting concepts that connected with my world. I used some, others I ultimately cut.
I never really plotted out the story. For me, it felt a lot more organic to let the characters propel the story forward. Laney is a lot like me. She’s passionate and loyal, but has trouble being the outgoing life of the party like her roommate Missy. Her college is based off the college I attended and was what I pictured when I wrote the story. William is fun-loving in Laney’s book, but takes on a more serious side when he realizes he’s part of something more–like the Revolutionary War or the supernatural world of the Weavers. There’s not much to like about Jonas’ character in the Weaver. He’s basically a drunk intent on revenge and his interactions with Laney are limited. His role takes on a whole new life in The Watcher and The Ender where his POV is presented and he becomes one of my favorite characters.
The cover above is from my first rendition of the story. It was told in the first person and was only in Laney’s POV. The final version is in the third person and is also in Jason’s POV. I chose Jason because The Weaver is really a transition from the real world and the supernatural world of the Weavers. The Watcher and the Ender are told from Laney, Jonas, and William’s points of views now that Laney is fully immersed in the world of the Weavers. Ten years ago, I handed the story to five different friends and asked them to mark it up and give me feedback. The story has changed A LOT. If you’re a writer, take the feedback of others, even if the story is your baby.
Winning a contest and publishing the second book I wrote, Ruby Slips and Poker Chips, gave me the confidence I needed to pursue publication of the Weaver. With a full-time job, I currently have all three books of the Weaver trilogy written and am almost finished with the first book in a new series called The Green Door.
The Weaver has come a long way over the past ten years. It is a true testament to never give up your dreams. Even though I had to change landlines to cellphones, the editing process has been well worth it and I love the way the story has evolved.
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