Titan and the Lost Manuscript

I recently found one of the very early drafts of Titan: The Midnight Hour. I can't believe I even sent it to literary agents the way it was. So much changed from this draft, which had to have been my 2nd or 3rd draft of the book.

 Michael and his friends were 17-18 yrs old and just graduating high school. I felt that the teen superhero story was so overdone. I wanted something a little more fresh, and I thought that was the best age. How many kids envision themselves as they are about to enter the first stage of adulthood. I know I did. In the end I felt that the editors were right and that I 14-15 yr old kid was more relatable to my target audience. Plus, how can I write an authentic 18 yr old when I can't have him do anything more sexually than kiss (no tongue) without becoming an adult book.

Also, in chapter 2: The Museum Heist, I started right in the museum and followed the character of Ned as he found the power ring and was drawn to it and the crooks chase across the city to Michael's street. This whole first section was cut, and all we ended up seeing was the end of the chase and whatever Michael and Carly saw on TV. I was trying to show the power and draw of the ring as it made its way to Michael, but in the end I don't think it worked as I wanted it to.

There were also whole other chapters and sections that were missing from the final draft such as the basketball tournament, the rooftop showdown with Titan and Mr. Midnight and Kaizen. Also, the character of Mr. Edwards very much liked Michael. That was changed though when I realised in that first book that their relationship had to challenges to overcome. I needed someone who opposed Michael. I think that changed worked great too. I was able to have Mr. Edwards view Michael in the same frame of mind as his brother Vince which of course would not sit well with Michael to be compared to him.

As I round the end of Titan 2's writing process I can assure that there is nowhere near as much that changed. I think much of it had to do with how much I had to learn about writing, plot structure, and character development.