This feels kind of strange, but whatever. I know people like to know how stories are made, and these are some of the bits and pieces that went into the original version of The Siren. Mind you, these are unedited and messy, but I hope you enjoy them all the same. Oh, PS, there may be some spoilers down there.

First up, the original four paragraphs I wrote when I woke up from my nap. You'll notice almost none of this actually appears in the final text. Also, you'll see the Ocean is quoted here. Originally, I was going to have her speak, but it turned out to be more ominous that you had to guess at her vocabulary and tone. It was also more correct that a reader, as a non-siren, would have to rely on Kahlen to relay what the Ocean said.

Next, those four paragraphs later turned into a preface that ended up being cut along with the original first chapter. I can't share the first chapter just yet, as I may write more on Kahlen's world in the future, and it contains some information I'm saving until then (however, here's an early draft of Kahlen's last moments as a human). The reason I share this bit is because lots of people wonder about the editing process, and this is an example of how something tiny grew into something bigger and then was removed completely for the sake of the story. Also, I like what she says about hell.

And finally, this is the original Chapter 13. In this chapter, the Ocean gives Kahlen a break and lets her visit Akinli, so long as she doesn't contact him. I removed it because the story was already very long, and, in the end, she didn't learn anything here that she couldn't learn later. Also, sometimes not knowing is far more interesting/painful/beautiful than being totally aware.

Some other tidbits:

The chapters used to have titles. I took them out because I kept adding chapters in between chapters and merging other ones together, and their vibes changed. But words like Language Barrier, Poker Face, Crippled, and Grave Mistake used to run along beside the numbers.

And the story as a whole played out a bit differently in my mind, a bit sadder maybe. While Kahlen was staying with the Schaefers, Kahlen went to the Ocean and asked to speak to Akinli... you know, without killing him. The Ocean gave her her voice back, but every minute she was gone to speak with Akinli was another year tacked onto her sentence. Kahlen accepted this, running happily back to Aklini only to discover Casey had returned. Hopeless and with decades added to her life as a siren, Kahlen went back to the Ocean and gave up on Akinli for years.