Author's note: Often when I start to write I have a basic idea in mind, and the ending. I develop the rest of the story as I go along. Each time I finish writing a new part to the story I save it as a new piece so I have a history of what I have wrote. I also don't post a chapter until I have two or three chapters ready to go after it. Posting in this style helps me to keep the story and characters true and it allows me to change my mind. Writing in this style means I may have an idea that I like one week but not the next. I also may have an idea which conflicts with a chapter I write later. So when this happens I sometimes need to delete ideas or large sections of text. Below are two scenes (ideas) that were scrapped from the final writing of Family Bond.

Deleted from Chapter three:

"So what arrangements did you make?" Pony asked.

Soda told him. "We scheduled a short visitation before the funeral at the church that Grandma and Grandpa Curtis used to go to. Then the reverend will do the service and we will take them to Faith & Hope cemetery for the burial."

I smiled lightly. "That sounds real nice. Pony and I have the obituary done, we just need to add the funeral arrangement information."

Darrel Shaynne Curtis Sr., 40 and Margaret "Maggie" Curtis, 40 of Tulsa, died February 29th as results of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Services will be….

Worked for….

Born…..gradutated

Loved to….hobbies etc. good sense of humor and caring heart

Survining…..

Proceeded in death….

Darry and Soda were very pleased with the work we had done. They agreed that the dual obituary was very fitting for the couple that our parents were.

"Pony, Scout." Darry got our attention. "Soda and I had to bring home a few personal items of mom and dad's and make a decision about their wedding rings."

Soda reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out the jewelry. "If you two agree we want you two to have these. Dad's for Pony and mom's for Scout. We just couldn't see burying these in the ground with them. That wouldn't be the way they would want it."

I took the ring and slide it onto my right handed ring finger. It was too big, not because my mom was a big woman, I was just still a little girl. Across the table Ponyboy accepted his gift as well I heard him say thanks.

I looked over at the clock, it was already two in the afternoon. "I am going to take a quick shower before dinner." Ponyboy and I hadn't showered since yesterday morning. Darry and Soda had showered right before they went to the funeral home.

Author's commentary: At first I wanted to create an obituary that created more history for the Curtis parents. As I worked on writing this I couldn't seem to come up with a background I was satisfied with. Then I decided that I would just add a few elements in of their past as I went along writing. I also felt at that point that knowing less about the Curtis parents was better.

The scene with the rings was also one I debated on. At first I liked the bond that would be enhanced between Pony and Scout with the rings given to each of them. I also planned to have that bond create worry for the reader that Scout would be taken away. Finally I figured it was just too cheesy and as I wrote further chapters I couldn't seem to make a story arc back to the rings. This made the symbolism of the rings unnecessary.

Deleted from Chapter four:

I looked down the long church isle at the caskets that held my parents. I had been at the church for almost an hour and people would be arriving soon to offer their own condolences, but I couldn't bring myself to go up there. For me there is something weird about looking at a dead body to remember a live person. That didn't stop Ponyboy or Soda. When we walked in the church both of them headed there first. They had been there a long time saying good bye and telling mom and dad how much they loved them. I guess that's the difference with boys, they don't say I love you when they should.

Everything was ready to go. There was to be a short wake, followed by a church service and then the burial. With two caskets we needed a lot of pallbearers and the guys in the gang were ready to help. Soda, Ponyboy, Johnny, Steve, Dally and Two-Bit were assigned to carry dads. Darry and two buddies of his from work along with two of dad's buddies from work and mom's boss were going to carry mom's casket. I had the somber duty of walking behind the caskets, alone. I hated being alone.

There was nothing formal about the visitation. We were all just required to stay with our parents at the front of the church and thank people for coming. We were encouraged to listen to the stories others had about our parents because that would help us to feel better, I doubted I would ever feel better.

The door of the church opened and the gang walked in. Everyone was dressed up and Johnny even showered. Dally actually looked decent in the clothes he had borrowed from Buck Merrill. Now when I say dressed up I mean that in a greaser way, by no means did they look like a bunch of socials. Quietly they made their way to the front of the church.

"Hey Scout, how you holding up?" Two-Bit asked and rubbed the top of my head.

"Fine." I lied. The others said hi as well and then moved forward to talk to the others. A lot of people stopped by. Two-Bit and Steve's family, teachers and some students from the high school, everyone my mom and dad worked with was there too. Listening to their stories of the fun times that my parents had given them did help. The stories made it easier to smile and remember my parents.

Just as I started to get comfortable with the whole visitation it was time to be seated for the funeral. As the people in the church began to sing all of the warm memories in my mind turned to grief again as Pony, Soda and I bawled through the entire service. Darry stayed composed as the pillar of strength. The procession, drive to the graveside and burial were just as hard. Almost everyone cried as the caskets were lowered to the ground and the very final goodbyes were said.

Back at the house the gang all came over and hung out. Nothing particular went on. Just TV watching and dinner. Darry cooked for everyone as a way of saying thanks. Soda and Ponyboy didn't eat much, and I ate nothing. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day my parents were killed.

Author's commentary: Again I wasn't comfortable putting to much information into the story about the parents past or the family religion. So I didn't want to say for sure how the funeral would go. This was the very beginning of the chapter and writing it meant I would have a lot to fill in between the wake and the evening when the group came for dinner. Also after writing this scene I didn't feel any emotion from the words so to me it just seemed like babble. I preferred to leave the specifics of the funeral to the reader's imagination. Also with the deletion of this scene I was able to take a new angle and send the gang on their way and Darry and Scout to the diner. This also led to the creation of the character Kathryn and the catalyst that would secure Scout's future with her brothers. Before deleting this scene the diner scene wasn't even in my mind.

I hope this edition is fun to see what may have been and also helps other writers to not be afraid to scrap an idea they have put time into. Often the deletion of one idea will lead you to a better one!

Thanks for reading!

Erin