My Friend Sam

The other book I’m rewriting in 2022 is My Friend Sam. This is a fun story to rewrite. I’m laughing as I do it. A sign the story will be an amusing read or I’m mad. The reader of course will be the decider.

My work on the Wolf of Old Town, also confirms my previous unpublished manuscripts including My Friend Sam were only ever first drafts. I wince at the poor writing of some of the passages and shake my head at the structure.

Before I discuss the issues and challenges, to be addressed in the next drafts I want to specify two things I liked about the first draft.

It opens at a cracking pace. My Friend Sam sets up the premise and introduces the main character economically and vividly. Before you know it, the reader is in head of Charles Western, understands how he came to be in his position and sees him attempting to achieve his primary goal.

Secondly, Charles Western is a wonderful protagonist, sweet, naïve, imaginative and romantic. I really do love this young man and the varied characters he comes up against. I’m especially enjoying rewriting his grandmother, drawing her out more in the second draft, beefing her character more.

Also, the premise of Charles alter ego Sam works well and is a fun dynamic.

My issue in writing this book is developing a suitable ending. This is the opposite issue I had for the Dream Artist which ended brilliantly but struggled structurally at the start. My Friend Sam in the first draft peters out into a passive voice so different from its opening pages.

How do I end it is the question I’m now trying to work through?

I don’t want an overly long novel with many twists and turns. I want something no more than 50k. I’m looking for the easiest but most convincing way out.

Part of the desire to find an ending is to have a direction in which I can move the middle of the book towards.

A picture of Chloe from the Young and Jackson Bar opposite Flinders Street Station. Chloe is an amusing plot point in the novel.