As Purity is my largest project on the go right now, here’s a little update. As the title states, this is my third time rewriting it – my fourth time writing it altogether – and this had better be the last because I’m getting sick of rewrites. They are no fun. However, I was using the second rewrite as a template, as it was obviously the best so far. It took a while, but finally, nearly 130 000 words in, the second rewrite template is over and the rest of Purity is up to me alone. I made changes along the way, but for the most part it was copied. I imagine it will be around 200 000 words by the time I’m done, but that’s typical for me, so it should be good.

I started Purity a long time ago – at least six years. Think about it: I was, what, 13, 14? I had no business writing a novel at that age, but I didn’t know. I had to look at the original finished copy as a reference for something in this most recent rewrite, and not only did the juvenile writing and plot horrify me, but I was amazed at just how much it has changed since then. Here are a few examples:

Plot

Original Purity: The Main Bad Guy was Alfred Blade, a sinister businessman who lived in Sicily – despite being English – and who went out of his way to uproot his business rival Gabriel Negrescu – who is Main Character Caitlyn’s father. Blade used anything and everything he could to get his hands on Gabriel’s work, up to and including having his wife, Caitlyn’s mother, killed before the story started, and kidnapping Caitlyn in hopes she would know something. He also used a rebellious werewolf and his henchmen to stir up trouble and be his muscle.

New Purity: There are two Main Bad Guys, and two minor: Alfred Blade, Heinrich Abendroth; Patrick O’Callaghan and the O’Callaghan Organization, and the Catholic Church. Alfred Blade is still a businessman, but he now lives in London (appropriately enough), and while he does still try to take Gabriel’s work, it’s because his business is bankrupt and he’s become desperate, and Gabriel won’t sell his work because he thinks it’s unfinished. He did not kill Caitlyn’s mother in this one, but he is vital in royally screwing over Caitlyn’s life. He still teams up with a rebellious werewolf, but for more than just protection. This leads to Heinrich Abendroth, a respected member of the werewolf community who is unsatisfied with how the vampires rule things, and intends to secede from vampiric rule. His rebellion coincides with Blade’s attempts to gain access to Gabriel’s work, and they work together to help each other out. There is a third member of their alliance, Patrick O’Callaghan and the O’Callaghan Organization, but they back out early and are not major players in the story, nor is the Catholic Church.

Caitlyn

Original Purity: She was 18, unemployed, barely out of school, a stoner, partier, emotionally unstable after the death of her mother, and bitter toward her father’s happiness with his employee, Abby. She was emotionally immature, and kind of prudish. She befriended the unnatural beings too easily, and supported a love triangle ew.

New Purity: She’s 22 – because she has no business being younger than me – unemployed but going to school to become a mechanic, misses her mother but has gotten over it, responsible, and quite enjoys her stepmother, Abby. She’s mature but prone to goofiness, and wildly inappropriate at the wrong times. She does not befriend the unnatural beings easily, and no longer supports a love triangle. Thank God.

Fane

Original Purity: He was young – only 250ish – and sort of a spoiled brat. He was promiscuous, cuddly, and entirely too tender.

New Purity: He’s older – around 430ish – and had a brutal youth, treated like shit by a cruel father. He’s got a long memory and doesn’t let go easily, and chooses solitude over company. He’s quiet and cruel, and rarely smiles except much later in the story.

Setting

Original Purity: Caitlyn was from Leeds (only because I like their accents), the vampires were in Romania, the fights with werewolves were in Bulgaria and Romania, and the final battle was in Sicily. It took place in our modern age, when I wrote it – like 2006 or something.

New Purity: Caitlyn is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, here in Canada, but lives in London because her father’s business moved them there, the vampires are in Romania, the fights with werewolves are in France and Germany, and the final battle – I have no idea yet. Not there. It started out taking place in 1988, then I decided to make it 1989 to fit more pop culture references I’m familiar with, and now I’m going to change it to 1990, because Soviet-related communist riots happened in Brasov at the end of 1989, which is right around the place and time the story is set.

I’m glad I waited until now to rewrite/finish Purity. I love the story and characters, and I didn’t really want to set it aside when I did thanks for that, Twilight. But by God, it was fucking awful the first time through. Being emotionally and mentally mature helps when writing a novel. If you meet a child wanting to write a story, encourage them and all that – but do NOT let them even DREAM of publishing it or showing the world until it’s ready. If I had published Original Purity when I wanted, Present Me would have to kill herself.