I never intended to put a 4-week break between the penultimate and final chapters of this fic, but the reality of fanfiction is that real life sometimes gets in the way. Chapter 28 was penned in November, but taken to pieces several times.
One of the things a canon writer has to face is having a moment that is part of canon, that dozens upon dozens of writers have written before. I was grateful for every review of Chapter 26 that said that this version of Edward’s turning felt new. There is honestly no higher compliment, as far as I’m concerned.
When I first envisioned what would become Stregoni (it was at the time called Absolution), I’d planned to do exactly what almost ever writer who has covered these years has done—begin at Carlisle’s turning, or very near to it, and then barrel through two hundred seventy years of history until I reached Edward. But over the year plus it took me to even put the bones of this story together, I came to realize that the real story of the end of Carlisle’s life was rooted in the relationships he lost, and those he then had to forge anew.
So for that reason, I chose to end Stregoni Benefici at exactly the point others have chosen to begin. For when you are immortal, every ending is really only another beginning.
I will post the epilogue tomorrow, but if you’re chomping at the bit, check the Stregoni main page.Â
I find I don’t have much to say about this chapter except to thank my beta, because that is where my mind is right now.  One of the great things about fan fiction is that the interaction between readers and writers opens the door for you to meet people you end up truly loving as your closest friends.
It’s not my place to say any more, but  I feel the only thing appropriate to do in conjunction with this chapter is to express my extreme gratitude for her help, her guidance, and her friendship.
(I posted this to my tumblr last night, but I think it bears repeating as the notes to this chapter.)
I always find myself amused by what I feel the urge to listen to while I’m editing or writing a particular chapter or scene. I don’t have a set “soundtrack” to anything, and  one gift I always ask for are iTunes gift cards so that I always have a balance ready to purchase exactly the song I want for any particular moment of writing.
When I sat down to edit chapter 26, Â I knew I needed to listen to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s setting of “Pie Jesu.” sung by a boy soprano. It’s a beautiful piece, and something told me this was the piece for this chapter. So I dug around on iTunes until I found a setting I liked, and then put it on one-song repeat.
I had never in my life looked up the meaning of the Latin in this piece, until the moment when I knew *this* was the song I needed to hear as I worked on this chapter. I just knew that I liked it, and that I needed it to do these edits.
This is the translation:
Lord Jesus Who takes on the sins of the world Give them rest
Lamb of God Who takes on the sins of the world Give them rest Everlasting rest
Call me a crazy author, but I think the urge to listen to that was Carlisle. Telling me exactly what he wanted to say to Edward in his turning.
(It was also eerily appropriate given the tragedy in Connecticut yesterday, and these words certainly apply there, as well.)
I posted this one without sending it to my beta to stay on track with getting SB up in December, but she is never undeserving of my thanks. Openhome sits on my shoulder even when I’m self-editing, going, “You’ve already said that three times, move along.”
I’ve mentioned this before in authors’ notes, but it’s especially important here. One of the questions I asked myself, when I began Stregoni, is how did Carlisle become the father he became? It’s not enough simply to say he tried to be the opposite of the man who raised him; not only does that not capture the complexity of how we inherit our parenting styles from our parents, it also renders William merely as a cardboard cut-out foil. The anti-Carlisle, as it were.
So instead, I asked, what if a great deal of who Carlisle is actually does come from his father? After all, he never knew his mother. In many ways, this drives some of the best conflict in the 1667 chapters. When you have opposing characters that are nothing alike, you get a struggle. But when you have opposing characters that are almost exactly alike, you get a really fascinating struggle.
And here the conflict brewing between Carlisle and William finally rears its head.
I apologize for the delay in posting; if I’d planned this slightly better, I’d have posted 25 at the beginning of this month so that 23, 24, and 25 would sit together, as they’re meant to—each being the crux of their respective storylines. But I trust that it will still be an enjoyable read.
From here on out, SB will post weekly; there are three full chapters remaining as well as a sizeable epilogue. Simultaneously, I’ve finished the entirety of a draft of a new Pre-Twilight novella, and am about 40% of the way through with a second one—these were both bid on for Fandom Gives Back, Eclipse Edition, and those who donated have been rather patient with me while I worked out the kinks. So along with SB, we’ll have some new things coming down the pipeline, too.
As always, I owe a great debt to my beta, Openhome, in this instance, for helping me slay my darlings. Just to give you some sense of what revision is like on an SB chapter, this one in draft was 7,820 words. When I sent it to Openhome after my first revision round, it was right at 6300. The one that is posted today is just under 5100. Having a friend whom you can trust when she says, “This all can go,” is worth everything the world over, and I’m grateful for her help.