Nora and Patch's story in Hush, Hush isn't the reason I seriously love Becca Fitzpatrick, though. I'm crazy impressed with anyone that can dedicate 5 years to a single book, never giving up on her dream. That's an intense dedication, and I only hope I'll be able to hold on to the same drive for my own books. In fact, if you have a second, check out her web site, here, and read about the story behind Hush, Hush. She wrote the first draft in a matter of weeks, but was really unhappy with most of the story.
What's a newbie writer to do when she hates most of her story? Shelve it for a few months. Then come back and cut all but the first three chapters. Then shelve it again. How disheartening, right?
Finally, months after initially writing the first draft for Hush, Hush Becca Fitzpatrick figured out the last piece of the puzzle. She'd struggled from the beginning with what Patch's secret was going to be, and with that secret finally revealed, the story opened up.
Now that is what I call extreme editing. She cut everything but the first three chapters. I don't know what the story was before she made that call, but I can't imagine Vee being a backstabbing, fake best friend, and I can't picture Patch as anything but a fallen angel. Still, to cut so much of a story must have been heartbreaking.
Ultimately, Becca Fitzpatrick is a great example of sacrifice and dedication, putting the story before herself. It's easy to fall in love with every word you write, but if you want to have the best possible story on the page, it's important to remember sometimes you have to delete paragraphs, pages, chapters, even entire sub-plots to make room for the true story. That way, when you start querying agents, you're giving them the best you've got. Who knows, maybe you, too, will end up with a four book deal and a movie optioned by LD Entertainment.
