This morning I read about Stephenie Meyer’s new novella that’s being released on June 5th. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella.It’s the story of Bree Tanner, one of the newborn vampires featured at the end of Eclipse.
Umm, who?
Apparently I wasn’t paying attention to the thirdary (yes, I’m making it a word) characters, because I don’t remember Bree. If Bree was a secondary character I might know who this novella is about, but honestly I barely remember the newborn vampires, much less that they had names.
Does this mean I’m a bad reader? Or, does it mean that any character in our stories has the potential to evolve into more important characters with their own story to be told.
My uber fantastic writing group pointed out a character in my latest MS that didn’t need to be there. I gave this character her own whopping big POV and everything. Then I found out I had to kill one of my darlings. My story would be better for it. When my writing group speaks, I listen.
Goodbye precious darling. I bid you adieu.
Maybe some day, if my WIP gets published, my story will turn into a series. My recently killed darling could appear in book 2 with her own big role, issues, arc, and all that other fun stuff. She’s a fabulous character. She has a great story to tell. BUT, not right now. In my current storyline she became a distraction, and interruption, and if I would have insisted on keeping her she most likely would have been forgotten by readers.
Kind of like Bree Tanner.
I’m sure many readers do remember Bree, so I’m not knocking her role in Eclipse. I think I may have skimmed over any scenes that didn’t include Edward, Alice, Jasper, or Emmett. And really, I was just trying to find Edward most of the time.
I’m sure this new novella will be great. It’s that next quick fix of Twilight that fans need, and I’m sure I will read it so I can find out who the heck Bree was and what’s so important that she has her own novella. BUT, my real—and most important—question is, will Edward be in this book?
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Hmmm. Interesting. I remember her, but never would have thought that Stephenie would have made a book for her. Huh. I guess I'm stumped too...
I remembered Bree right away but that probably makes me more pathetic than cool. I also have characters that can be deleted. Its a bit of a pain sometimes when you have to look through everything and delete any references.
I try not to give someone a name unless I need to reader to remember them. Otherwise they are just that "that girl shouting profanities from the back of the room."
Also, I read on Stephenie Meyer's website a long time ago that she wanted to rewrite eclipse from Victoria's perspective and I thought that sounded really cool.
Bree is a new vampire that gets killed by the Volturi so maybe its her story before she's a vampire. But we already know how it ends so I'm not wanting to get too attached to her just to have her get her limbs torn off (literally).
LOL when I saw your post in my Dashboard, I had the same reaction: erm... who's Bree again? Hah!
I definitely think that darling you murdered could make an appearance as a more major character in later books of yours! That's a great idea, especially since having already written POV and everything for her, you know a lot about her. :)
I remember hearing that S.Meyer wanted to Bree's story, but I didn't hear it was actually being published. Great find!
(and I think your character in question needs to be there!! just not as a POV. yet.)
I hear the sound of money pouring into the Twilight machine. I don't remember Bree either, but I'm sure that fans who've read the books repeatedly have. I'll probably pass this time around since I find it disturbing that every bookstore has a Twilight shrine and it's hard to find other authors I go looking for. Sorry if that is a bit of a rant but I had a list of recommended books and couldn't find one of them last time I went to my local store and I had to circumnavigate the massive Twi-display. I guess you could say I'm suffering Twi-burnout.
Anyway, you raise an interesting point about minor characters--whether their stories are too big or distracting from the initial novel or if they might have a book of their own. That reminded me of the other famous vampire author, Anne Rice, who wrote a number of books starring minor characters from previous books.
It sounds like you've made a brave move in the removal of your character, and I hope she gets the spotlight in the next book, which I will happily buy. Just saying. :D
I have to say I remember Bree vividly - then again Eclipse is my favorite in the series & I have read it more than an unhealthy amount of times...
I also remember Stephenie saying she had in her mind so much more for Bree but that it was not needed in Eclipse - more for her own character development. On that note, I think it is pretty cool that she did the novella. I have characters that hang with me who will never see but a paragraph of time on the page but in my head - they live.
As for your own story - it is so hard to cull one that we have for some reason become attached to...but they know they are there for a reason and that even if their time is short they served a purpose. ;o)
Visit My Kingdom Anytime
Bree who? Yeah, exactly. 'Course, I read Eclipse when it came out, which was almost 3 years ago, so my memory is fuzzy to say the least.
Killing a darling hurts. But like all the abovers said, maybe she can come back later when you're writing a never-ending series, a la Laurell K. Hamilton.
I do remember Bree but let me just say great job, S. Meyer, for making everyone go back and read Eclipse. It was my favorite in the series and yes-- if Edward, Jasper or Alice was not in a scene then things may have become a little hazy but what a great way to get the readers to go back to the book before the movie.
Thanks for finding this.
I guess I'd better get with the program and actually read these books. It's just that I've heard such harsh critique about Meyer's literary style, but I'll climb down off my high horse and give it a go ;-)
Haha, I actually do remember Bree, that's sort of intriguing...hey, she has the world built, might as well play with it. Im guessint it will follow from the moment she's a new vampire to her death? Interesting...
Huh. I don't remember Bree either, but I'll admit I read the entire Twilight series in a matter of days. It was like bad crack.
I've had to delete characters too. It's painful, but the story is definitely better for it!
Thirdary.. ha! This is why I love your blog so much Karen.
I remember Bree. I think it will be a good fix for the Twihards....
Looks like I may be the only one here so far who hasn't read any of these books. But now I can put this little Bree factoid into a conversation and sound like I know what I am talking about. Hehehe.
Also, I think it may be "tertiary."
Keep your darling for your Bree moment in the future!
Well, if you missed Bree Tanner in Eclipse, you're REALLY going to wonder about Steph's (yes, we're on an abbreviated first name basis--she calls me Si) next novella: The Zany Adventures of Eduardo, Edward's Cloned Spanish Vampire Twin. What? He totally had a bit part in New Eclipse. Or was it Breaking Moon? I forget which novel it was. Um... yeah.
Karen, In your left sidebar, I found the book lover's chair (available right here in South Florida) but I can't find the blanket, which I absolutely love. Can you help me find the link?
Wendy--I emailed your bellsouth address. :)
That does throw me a bit. I remember Bree, but an entire novella for her? How bizarre. Especially considering how it all ended for her.
I too had characters that got the chop from my first manuscript. Maybe they'll get revived, maybe not. How sad, though, huh? To spend time creating lives and then delete, delete, delete, and goodbye. Creator and murderer all at once.
Darn, I was pulling for Midnight Sun, the book from Edward's perspective that S. Meyer stopped writing because it leaked out on the Interet. I sort of remember Bree. I'm kind of torn about books from others' perspectives. I think you have to REALLY be a fan to want to read the story again...but through somebody else's eyes.
Bree was a small role, but wow, I didn't even know about this novel! So exciting!
I have a character that is going to get axed when I start revisions. It's going to be hard, but she's is simply not necessary to the story right now.
Yeah, that is weird about Bree. I vaguely remember the character, but I can't imagine why she needs a whole story to herself.
Ha! The only reason I remember Bree is because I just watched a making of Eclipse and the actor who is playing Bree was talking. Thanks for sharing!
It's so crazy that she wrote a book about Bree, since you know, she was in Eclipse all of two seconds. But... I'll still read it! :)
Dude, I so feel you. I have no freaking clue who Bree is. Like at all. But I think I'll definitely be downloading it for free since I'm such a fan. *snarf*
:)
Wait. Those books chairs and book blankets are REAL? As in people sell them? I just assumed they were gimmicks.
Now I need you to send me those links too. Pretty please!
Bree is the "so you think you want to be a vampire this is what you'll be like" character from the end of book 3.
Why doesn't Stephenie just finish Edward's Twilight? That is the book I want to read.
Your post is most amusing. Please don't laugh: is this sarcasm or are you being serious?
Dude, who the f is Bree? When I read about it last night I was completely stumped. The only new vampire I could remember was some blonde guy with Victoria, but Bree??
No idea.
I'm also curious to see if Meyer will ever write outside the Twilight world again or if she'll be a victim of her own success.
That woman could write anything about anything and it would sell right now. She's riding the wave and who can blame her?
I remember Bree, but only because I saw the Eclipse trailor and she's in it. Good call on nixing the unnecessary character. I did that with my 4th novel. I nixed one character altogether and meshed her important scenes with anther character and ended up with one dynamic character, instead of two flat ones. Hard work. But very worthwhile. :)
I didn't read the books, but I def. think you can take a character and give them their own story. I think Meyer can write anything, but the for us others, I think it would be better to take a more memorable character, one readers would be interested in reading about again.
I have a lot of characters in my current manuscript. I've been wondering if I should cut some... Good post!
I don't remember her either, you're not alone ;o) I think since they said the Cullens and Bella are in it, then most definitely Edward will be ;o) Looking forward to it, and it will be free online! Bonus ;o)
I don't know if you've gotten wind of the blog challenge that starts tomorrow but I thought you should know about it:
I’d like to invite you and your readers to join us in a blogging challenge for the month of April. Check it out at Blogging From A to Z. It’s not too late too join up with us and we’d be honored to have you with us.
Lee
Bre- who? o.o I only read all the books once...and started Twilight again but never finished it so I don't remember anyone of that name. Nope. So you're not alone in that sense.
I don't remember Bree at all. The only baby vampire I can remember is the one Bella gave birth to and gave that bizarre name.
I had to remove a major character from my novel too and I feel like I just put him away for awhile...his time will come.
I gave up on the TWILIGHT series about 100 pages into the third book, so alas, I don't remember Bree.
But I am always fascinated by how secondary (or thirdary) characters can take on a life of their own. I'll sometimes write one thinking the person is completely disposable, and then inevitably, one of my CPs will say, "I totally loved so-and-so, why didn't he/she have more scenes." There's just no predicting, I guess!
Tawna
I'm no help with Bree. But it looks like you have everything you need though.
This post was an interesting comment on characters and story lines and stuff like that.
I don't remember Bree either. When I first heard the news about this novella, I was like, "Bree who?"
You said some really interesting things about killing our darlings. I guess authors have a tendency to fall in love with their own words (I'm guilty of that) which makes deleting them so much harder.
I still in the air about this one. FUN post
blatant cash grab in my opinion. Probably due to the fact this authors other novels aren't any where near as "good" as this series. Why not suck every bit of life out of it (no pun intended)
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