Once Upon a Time...October Road

"Well I'm going back down maybe one more time/ Deep down home/ October road/ And I might like to see that little friend of mine/ That I left behind/ Once upon a time/ Oh promised land and me still standing/ It's a test of time/ It's a real good sign/...October road." - "October Road" by James Taylor

After not working on my latest novel for about three months (it makes me a little sick to admit that it's been that long), I'm getting back into the groove of things. Who We Thought We Were is a change for me since it's not part of the "Willow Ryan" series, but I am once again very excited about this novel. I reread the pages I had written last autumn and am pretty sure where I need to go next. I have a good idea of what direction the story is taking, who the characters are, and most importantly at this point, why I am writing this book. I'm putting a little piece of myself and my high school history down on paper. But just a little piece.

The Willow series is completely fictional. Sure, there are elements of the books that are taken from real life experiences, but the town of Santa Elena is fictional and the characters come entirely from my imagination. Who We Thought We Were is a little different. For those of you out there who are familiar with the short-lived TV show "October Road", I am kind of taking the Nick Garret route and creating a fictional story based on the people and places I knew in high school and events that took place during that time. None of my characters are based solely on one person I knew and the vast majority of the novel will come purely from my overactive imagination, but there will be elements of truth there as well. The book takes place in the same town I went to high school in. One of the main characters dreams of being a writer, is very sarcastic, and wasn't exactly a full of school spirit, peppy cheerleader type of teenager. Sound like someone you may recognize? (Hint: She's a fictional version of yours truly.)

Now that I mentioned "October Road", I can't let it go without recommending it to all of you. This drama starring Bryan Greenberg (from "One Tree Hill") and Laura Prepon ("That 70s Show") was only on for two seasons, but it made a big impact on me. The main character, Nick Garret, left his small hometown for New York after high school and eventually wrote a huge bestselling novel based on the town he grew up in and the people he knew. When he finally goes back to his old hometown after several years, he realizes that some people aren't that happy about his book, some people's circumstances have changed (like the fact that his ex-girlfriend is now a mother), and some people haven't changed at all. It was really a unique, well-acted, wonderful show, but for some reason it just didn't catch on. Thankfully it is available on DVD, and I encourage all of you to check it out. "October Road" was a very special show.

So, to wrap things up, I'm back on track with my writing, I'm super excited about continuing Who We Thought We Were, and don't forget to check out "October Road". Have a great day, everybody!