Differences between various drafts of Saturday Morning Forever
Hola.
As we near the date for the physical release of my first novel, Saturday Mornings Forever, I figured it may (or maybe not) be interesting to list some of the major differences between the final draft and previous versions. Throughout its inception, several major plot points were re-worked between various drafts, some uninteresting (to me), while a few others, in my opinion, quite substantial. If you’ve read Saturday Mornings Forever, what follows may surprise you, and if you haven’t, be warned, there are some significant spoilers below.
First off, we’ll start with (some) character names, which evolved between drafts, for a variety of reasons:
Jay Woods, originally with the first name, Mark.
Frances Moorhouse, originally with the first name, Tracy.
Trudy Gunderson, originally with the first name, Cate.
Olympia Farrar, originally named Jamie Bradford.
Michael D’Addario, originally, Perry Freeman (an entirely different character).
Lorie Carpenter, originally with the first name, Laurie.
Tada Okada, originally with the first name, Glenn.
Pablo Rodriguez, originally with the first name, Alex.
Robb Greenbaum, originally, Nick Browne (an entirely different character).
Next, here are some differences with structure and narrative:
The dates and year, 1999, were alluded to, rather than spelled-out.
Months served as acts and broke apart chapters, each with their own title-page. Changed for many reasons.
Initially, there was a prologue (cut), written as an introductory statement for Charlie’s project, as if a thesis.
An epilogue (cut) followed, in the form of professor Carver’s feedback, ultimately grading her a B-minus.
There were more pop-cultural references, cut for the sagacity of readability, among other reasons.
In early drafts, Charlie’s voice was more explicitly erratic, fitfully switching between past and present, both subject matter and tense.
Certain dialogue was adjusted to fit characterization, including tone and style. Sheila was to have a lot more accentuated representations in her speech, while Charlie - especially in the first draft - cursed often, as opposed to how she (purposely) doesn’t in-speech with other characters, sans for one line near the end of the book.
Dream sequences were longer, with a heavier emphasis on visual anachronisms.
Early drafts had (purposely) long, unbroken chapters to symbolize and convey Charlie’s internal-conflict, though it overall distracted from the story, and proved a slog to continue.
The book’s tone at-first, was darker, near-nihilistic (at-points), and what comedy present, underwritten.
Allusions to purgatory, the afterlife, reincarnation, alternate-realities and dreams, also underwritten.
Lastly, I’ll list some deviations regarding earlier drafts of the plot and the final version [SPOILERS AHEAD]:
Instead a playwright, Charlie was initially imagined as a failed writer and/or filmmaker.
Robb was written as a high-level, junior-executive at a financial institution.
In the first draft, Tony was to have died by either a car accident or heart-attack, changed upon rewrites.
Sheila was implied to be exploring her own sexuality in the first draft, later changed.
The gradual reveal of the accident, Heather and her family, were only developed in subsequent drafts.
In the first draft, Charlie and Jay were to get together, continuing to dance on-and-off, for the rest of the book.
Laura was to be less of a pivotal character, and what romantic-inhibitions present, were only to be revealed near the end of the book.
Furthermore, Laura was to die in a car-accident at the end of the book, and there exists a draft of this alternative universe, which was too dark (among other things). Remnants of this plot point are still within the final draft, towards the end of the book during Charlie’s Halloween party.
Though still sexually-ambiguous in the book, initially, Charlie leaned heterosexual, as was to be apparent by her interactions with Jay, however, she was always meant to struggle with her asexuality and identity.
Lorie was initially written as an empathetic, ally-character. Lawrence and her, on better terms.
There can be another section for themes, but I’d like anyone to make their own conclusions, interpretations.
Thanks for reading,
