In 2020, I adapted the Spencer, 1928 screenplay into a novel. It was time to write another book in the Behold the Eye series (for middle grade readers), and I love this story!
Unfortunately, once I finished the adaptation, I ran into a problem.
I couldn’t rewrite it. Every time I sat down to change the first line, my mind would go blank.
I was beginning to worry, and I mean really worry, until I finally had a breakthrough and was able to change:
It was quite the epiphany, that Edwin had.
There were two kinds of fun!
-TO-
“It’s my birthday and I’m having fun! It’s my birthday and I’m having fun!”
The words of Edwin’s little song danced around in his head, and only in his head, which was okay with Edwin. He was a quiet boy who tended to keep his thoughts to himself. Never would he dream that he should, or even could, open his mouth and belt out a song, just because he felt like singing.
No, singing aloud was not Edwin-like at all.
Instead, he smiled a secretive little smile as he shoved his trowel into the hard dirt and gave it a little twist to work it loose.
“It’s my birthday and I’m having fun!”
The smile grew slightly wider and more secretive as he carefully moved the scoop to a nearby dirt pile and dumped it on top.
“It’s my birthday and I’m having fun!”
And he was having fun, too. The fact that his head was full of music showed just how special this day was to him.
He moved the trowel back to the hole to dislodge another scoop when an idea leaped out of the sky and struck him like a bolt of lightning.
There were two kinds of fun!
Phew! That was close!
That poor little novel almost had to sit on my computer, undressed with rewrites, forever!