ONWARD AND DOWNWARD

I failed to get on yesterday where I wrote two more chapters. Before writing them, I decided that Chapter 9 needed to be broken up into two chapters (9 and 10). I did that and then wrote chapters 11 and 12.

In Chapter 11, Erica gets enrolled in private school ... just what the alien told her she'd have to do. She's introduced to her first period class and when given a choice to sit next to a redheaded girl, Meredith, who looks like she wants to be Erica’s friend, he chooses the only other empty seat ... surrounded by boys, and they don't take too well to receiving her in their male-dominated part of the room.

In Chapter 12, at lunch, Erica shuns Meredith's attempts at friendship again and tries to fit in with the boys by asking to play softball with them. The boys give Erica a test try, but when she hits a homerun, they all walk off and leave her.

In chapter 13, Erica is waiting to be picked up by her mother. in her teacher's room. Meredith stays behind and starts talking to her. Mrs. Katzenmeister, their teacher, asks Erica embarrassing questions that are better asked of girls. Jared, the principal's thirteen-year-old son, enters. He has a crush on Mrs. Katzenmeister ... that is until he sees Erica and falls head-over-heels-in love with her. Frustrated, Eric runs out.

In Chapter 14, Erica gets home and confronts Mr. Aleen in his room and begs to be made a boy again. The alien disregards that request, reminds her the only way out is to be a real girl, and he gives her another assignment. She's to get Meredith to invite her over on a sleepover and to get Tabitha, the neighborhood girl, invited as well.

I decided to change the title to My Substitute Teacher is an Alien, but I found out that a very popular book exists titled, My Teacher is an Alien. There is no copyright on titles, and it might be considered wise to pick a title that is similar to a successful book, but I don't feel comfortable with it. However, a title is something that changes ... and indeed a publisher usually settles on a title other than the author's choice. We'll see what happens.

The onward and downward refers to writing on the computer, which is the way I write. To go onward in the story, the text must go downward.

Yesterday, I mailed the submission to Writers House.