Sept. 4, 2008
On August 30, Stephenie Meyer posted a notice on her official website saying that someone close to her who she had given an early draft of her upcoming novel, “Midnight Sun,” had leaked it onto the internet. “It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I’ve decided to make the draft available [on her website],” she said in her statement. “This way, my readers don’t have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest.”
“So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue,” she wrote. “In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.”
After reading the draft of “Midnight Sun” that was posted, I only have three words for Ms. Meyer: Please finish it.
For those readers who are not familiar with the concept of the novel, “Midnight Sun” is a rewrite of Meyer’s first novel, “Twilight,” from its hero’s perspective: Edward instead of Bella. She has even said before that, once she started writing “Midnight Sun,” she realized that she should have told the story from Edward’s perspective all along. She was right.
What made “Twilight” so interesting was the dynamic between Edward and Bella. Edward was torn between his “wants” for Bella; he was in love with her, and yet he wanted to kill her. In “Twilight,” the reader got a confusing take on his confusion from Bella. She was unsure of his emotions and reactions towards her, and so were we. Did he want to kiss her or kill her? Was it lust or bloodlust?
“Midnight Sun” clears those up. Finally, the enigma that is Edward begins to make sense. Sure, the novel remains about a third completed (the draft is only 264 pages long), but even only telling the story until the drive home after the tense Biology Movie Class Scene, so many puzzle pieces fell into place: What Edward did when he went North to escape Bella. Edward’s hand in Angela and Ben’s relationship. Edward’s real excuse for following Bella to Port Angeles. The extent of Edward’s love for Bella, and the explanation behind it.
Sure, Edward still is a creepy stalker who can’t get enough of watching Bella sleep, but it works because we have an explanation for it. Just like writing Bella’s pregnancy in “Breaking Dawn” from Jacob’s perspective led to some confusion and irritation over Bella’s motives for giving birth to what Jacob thought was a monster, writing “Twilight” from Bella’s perspective led to confusion and harsh claims against Edward’s character. Edward’s perspective is much more fun than it should be as it shows how he rediscovers his 17-year-old side after being trapped in the same body for almost a century. And that includes hormones.
While Edward’s voice is a lot more interesting than Bella’s (and significantly less annoying), “Midnight Sun” is still very much a chick read. I can’t see 14 to 21 year old boys going to a book store and wanting to swoon over Edward’s endless monologue about his love for Bella, but anyone who enjoyed the Twilight saga will definitely enjoy this installment.
The part of “Midnight Sun” that was the most fun was reading everyone’s minds (except Bella, of course) alongside Edward. Meyer is able to include scenes that Edward was unable to see by having him watch it from someone else’s perspective. It is fun to see how all the pieces that were missing from “Twilight” fall into place, and of course we don’t have the same frustration Edward has because if a reader wants to know how Bella is feeling, they can just flip to that scene in “Twilight.”
It is almost funny to see how Edward’s bias of Bella is almost as severe as Bella’s is of him. To Bella, Edward is the most attractive, perfect man in the realm of existence. To Edward, no one else can anywhere near compare to how delicate, pretty, and selfless Bella is. Seeing their views of one another makes it clearer that the “perfection” they find in each other is mostly their mutual love and a decent percentage exaggerated.
“Midnight Sun” is nothing more than a companion piece; don’t think that you can just skip over the Twilight saga and just start from Edward’s perspective because there are a lot of missing details that were explained in previous books and did not need to be explained again. For example, Peter and Charlotte are introduced early on in “Midnight Sun,” while Bella did not know that they existed until “Eclipse.” “Midnight Sun” is a fun way for Twilight fans to re-explore the universe that they had come to love in a new way, a way that will lead to many, many “Oh, well that makes more sense” moments.
So please, Stephanie, please finish writing “Midnight Sun.” After all, you can’t leave us hanging by not sharing The Meadow Scene from Edward’s perspective with us.
Terri Schwartz is a Blast critic. You can follow her on Twitter.
FINISH THE BOOK…. I NEED MORE EDWARD AND BELLA
Please please, finish it. just the thought of u holding it back is giveing me a heartache
please finish it. Ur books are my drugs, can’t live without em 
—> :’( ur killin me here…… I won’t even read the leaked chapters. I wanna hav the finished peice in my hands. I don’t mind waiting as long as u say u will finish it. Please…..give me hope 
the second i finished Breaking Dawn, i cried. and i know it wasnt sad. but i was sad. sad because i knew that it was all over, the only upside was knowing Midnight Sun would be out in due course.
when it ended, mere days before the meadow scene. I felt distraught in all honesty, i wanted to know so much about edwards thoughts as he finally gave in to his desires. what it felt like to him to smell her throat, to have his lips on her skin, when she was stroking him, how it felt for him when they kissed and her going too far. his thoughts as she slept that night.
i physically need more. i’m actually begging.
I loved reading th “twilight saga” I couldn’t put them down. I think it is the fastest I have read 4 books in my entire life. I read the first chapter that you put on your site of “Midnight Sun” and like everyone else I need more of it. I could read all 4 books over again in Edwards perspective. And I would LOVE every minute of it. I know a lot more people that would too. Please do it for your fans. We are sorry you got hurt. But WE NEED MORE EDWARD AND BELLA.
Oh my god! You have to finish the book!!!! please, I can’t read the draft. I don’t want to!!!!!! I want to read it when it’s publishes and I can read it all at the same time!!!! You have to finish it!!! I need it.. All I know is that it’s from Edwards point of view. But I just CAN’T read it unless it’s all there and the way it’s supposed to be written!!! I hope you killed the mindless fool who put it on the internet.! I wish I could!!!
Oh Stephenie! You see how many fans you have, from all over the world people read and adore your books! We do understand that this was in no way your fault, though I don’t think that poor kid that leaked it meant any harm, surely only wanted to share or even attention. Who knows? But just don’t give up. Please finish Midnight Sun. Go all the way – Publish it. This is my opinion though I know that I am speaking for thousands of unanimous people. We support you Stephenie.
Sincerely Rosa
stephanie..u r like the best author ever i love your book seroes and i heard about the draft that was sent out and i havent even read it….PLEASE dont stop writing more books to the series..there are alot of people who didnt even read the draft and are hoping u will still write im one of them….so please look back on your decision and keep writing for all those fans out there that u have
with all my love danielle
Stephenie, please get it together. I have read your first 12 chapters from your site because of the event of its leak online, which I had no idea in the first place and I am sorry to hear that it has happened. But are you going to let this defeat you? By all mean, take a break because you deserved it. Hopefully, in time, you will have the chance to take back the ball in your hands and prove to us that you’re bigger than this. I, for one, don’t believe in throwing the towel because it’s easier to give up than trying. I am sure you wouldn’t want your kids to give up on something they are great at. You have a gift and an once-in-a-life-time opportunity that not many of us have the privilege to earn…yet. Please don’t go down the road where your name will become “pulling a Stephenie Meyer” on all future authors’ readers.
Stephanie, Please Please Please finish Midnight Sun!! I read the first 13 chapters on your website, and I’m soo hooked. I have read your other books over and over again because, there are no books in the world that matches up to their greatness. You are a wonderful and talented author, better that Tamora Peirce, JK Rowling and every one else. I dont care what any one says, I’m your number one fan and you inspire me in my writing. Keep on writing girlfriend!!!!!!! And please finish your Midnight Sun Masterpiece.
-an utterly obsessed Fan
And if you dont believe my last comment (obsessed) well then listen to this:
On September 23 my school had a fire drill and Twilight was in my Bag. I was up at the teachers desk getting my test when the fire alarm went off.I literally knocked over one girl while running r to get the book from my bag. Then my bag was not opening so i ripped it and grabbed Twilight. I ran out of the building to catch up with my class. The funniest part was that i left my purse in the classroom, on my desk. It had my I pod, cell phone and 75 dollars in it. (Then i got yelled at by the teacher) I did not even care, because i had my book.
-just me again
please finish it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i always wanted to know what was in Edward’s mind!
please please please please finish it!!!!!!
oh yes please finish it Mrs. Meyer, i’m a 13 year old fan of Twilight i need to see what Edward is thinking.
hi Mrs Meyer. i read your blog on why it’s not coming out (the ending would be different cauz you have a different mind set now.) and i just wanted to say that i have read what you posted of midnight sun. IT WAS AMAZING but i know that the edited and completely finished copy would be better. i have read the entire series about six times please finish it for us ( you rabid readers who are basically obsessed) I AM DYING TO SEE WHAT THE MEADOW PART OF THE BOOK WILL BE LIKE. please please please please PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
everything twilight is like air. need it to live! i read the whole online part and it was as fantastic as expected. PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT. how could it not be? edward cullen and twilight = life. there are a million die hard fans that NEED TO KNOW! you enticed them and now they NEED TO FINISH MIDNIGHT SUN! or will cry forever and never get over it. its like losing a loved one! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE publish it.
I LOVE all four books I seriously am not lying when I say I get about 4 to maybe 6 hours of sleep every night since I discovered the best books in the world!!! I am so glad you were blessed with talent and I’m blessed I found these books that’s all I think about all day edward and bella’s life since I read Midnight Sun in your website there’s nothing in the world that I will be able to think about now pleeeeaaassseeee finish Midnight Sun I will go insane and have sleepless nights wondering what could have been of the book but I will still keep searching the internet to see if there’s any updates on releasing Midnight Sun I LOVE them so much like no other book I have ever read before but please don’t punish us for that person’s mistake of leaking part of midnight sun even though I am truly sorry for what that person has put you through and broke your trust. I am a huge fan and God bless you!!!
After I finished Midnight Sun I looked at my husband and all I could say was “She has to finish this book, it is so good, and I think I perfer it from Edwards point of view so much more.” In fact i had read the series, but I had borrowed the books except one, that I ended up buying. I told my husband to get the keys that I had to go get TWILGHT right now that I wanted to reread the two of them chapter to chapter.
I have to agree with everyone I really wanted to hear about the meadow scene and what he is thinking when they are kissing, esp. for the first time. So Please If you haven’t heard it from everyone else yet. Please finish MIDNIGHT SUN. It is an amazing book like all your other books.
Stephenie i do very hope you can finish writing this part of the series because i haven’t actually touched any novels for the most part of my life especially when the the whole twilight saga is 1 foot long stacked together. this is the book that had me running home for, it is the book that makes me stay home and read and read until i sleep so please i really hope you can finish midnightsun.
i know they person that leaked it out did a very terrible thing and it hurted you but why would you let other people’s mistakes take away your talent? something that you, yourself really enjoy doing for the most part.
Stephenie please finish midnight sun. I CANT STAN NOT KNOWING. I love these books and i need to know what happens. Your series is pretty much all my friends an i talk about at school and when we text each other. Stephenie we need more to talk about. So finish it please. I understand why you don’t want to finish it you where hurt by the person who posted midnight sun online. there are so many reasons not to finish midnight sun, but there are so many more reasons to finish it> So, lease im begging please finnish your book.
What you guys have to understand is that (being a writer meself) it’s hard to write with a broken heart, her trust was broken and that’s hard to get through. Let her heart mend for a while and I bet the story will be even better.
Good luck Steph!
I pray that Mrs. Meyers will realize that no one sought out the rough draft of Midnight Sun with any idea of hurting her, or violating her rights as an author. The majority of this fan base is fairly young, and they don’t understand copyright rules and regulations. All they know is that they are not ready to let go of these characters. After reading Breaking Dawn, and seeing that final “The End”, it left fans happy, yet still yearning for more. This is a direct result of your own ability to enthrall readers, Stephenie, so maybe you can forgive them their adoration for your work, and finish the beautiful story that you began. It is unsettleing to think that you would allow your entire fan base to be punished for the actions of one, or maybe a couple of individuals who illegally posted the draft. Please have mercy on your supporters, and let us know when we can look forward to this completed work. Thank you!
your a great writer.
please finish, the book.
& keep writing more/
i love them all!!! ;]]
cant wait for the movieeeee!!!
:]
wow, mrs. meyer. your books are so amazzing.
i am sooo happppy about your movie.
keep them cominggg!
ps. finish the ‘midnight sun ‘ pleeaaaseee!!!!!
we love you, thanks!
gurl your books are grate. i dont like ta read but when i read yours i feltt so alive felt like i was in de book. lolz.
i hope you keep them comng girl .
toodles.
Mrs. Meyers,
I belive you are an amazing women for doing what you do.
You take time out of your day to write things for other people.
You have the best imagination in the whole entire world.
Can’t wait for your movie, keep it up steph.
:]-Hellen,
Hm. It’s an improvement over the rest of the series, I suppose. As usual though, the description of the love interest is just over the top. She should probably improve her writing style as well.
I couldn’t finish reading the draft though. For a published author, her writing is a bit subpar. At least there’s some improvement…
And hopefully she’s actually managed to validate what looks like, for all intents and purposes, a very abusive relationship.
… Unfortunately, Bella’s character is probably unsalvageable at this point.