Without thinking twice about it, I downloaded the manuscript and started reading, along with so many of my online Twilight buddies. And honestly, I really could not contain myself. I was sooooo surprised at how much more I enjoyed reading Twilight from Edward's perspective. So much so that it didn't take much for me to decide that this version of Twilight was far better than original, narrated from Bella's perspective.
In conjunction with reading, I jumped on the forum over at bellaandedward.com and began discussing the manuscript with my friends at great lenght. The general consensus among fans was that, finished or not, this was the best thing we'd ever laid our eyes on. The masses were literally hyperventilating with excitement.
Not for one moment did any of us really stop to consider the ramifications of the document being leaked. Well, after a week, Stephenie Meyer released a statement on her website. And it goes a little something like this:
As some of you may have heard, my partial draft of Midnight Sun was illegally posted on the Internet and has since been virally distributed without my knowledge or permission or the knowledge or permission of my publisher.
I have a good idea of how the leak happened as there were very few copies of Midnight Sun that left my possession and each was unique. Due to little changes I made to the manuscript at different times, I can tell when each left my possession and to whom it was given. The manuscript that was illegally distributed on the Internet was given to trusted individuals for a good purpose. I have no comment beyond that as I believe that there was no malicious intent with the initial distribution.
I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before it was completed, edited and published. I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being. As the author of the Twilight Saga, I control the copyright and it is up to the owner of the copyright to decide when the books should be made public; this is the same for musicians and filmmakers. Just because someone buys a book or movie or song, or gets a download off the Internet, doesn't mean that they own the right to reproduce and distribute it. Unfortunately, with the Internet, it is easy for people to obtain and share items that do not legally belong to them. No matter how this is done, it is still dishonest. This has been a very upsetting experience for me, but I hope it will at least leave my fans with a better understanding of copyright and the importance of artistic control.
So where does this leave Midnight Sun? My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn't like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.
I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? 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 here (at the end of this message on the Midnight Sun page). This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward's head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That's what inspired me to write it in the first place.
I do want to take a moment and thank the wonderful fans who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I cannot begin to tell you how much each of you means to me. I only hope this note will stop all the confusion and online speculation so that the Twilight universe can once again become the happy escape it used to be. After this incredibly busy year, I am now focusing on spending more time with my family and working on some other writing projects.
I am devastated to learn that she does not want to continue writing Midnight Sun. Some are saying that not finishing the project is a bit of an overreaction, but I guess if it were me in her place, I'd be feeling pretty low about the whole thing too. I'm hoping (crossing all my fingers and toes) that she's going to wake up in a few weeks time, when this has all blown over, and decide that her decision was hasty and finish the damn novel. After having a taste of Edward's brain, i'll go absolutely insane if we don't get the rest.
I also feel pretty bad because I was pretty vocal about my thoughts on how it was leaked. I thought it might have been possible that, after the backlash surrounding Breaking Dawn, that someone in the Meyer Camp leaked it on purpose in an effort to win back some of the straying fans. If that was her intention, it completely worked. Every Twilighter I knew that was feeling down about the way the series ended, got straight back on their Twilight horse once they read Midnight Sun. But it would seem, from her statement, that this was never true.
Ugh, I just feel all blah about the whole thing. I feel bad for encouraging people to read it, but I dont feel bad for reading it myself. Before she became a published author, i'm sure if she were put in the same position as myself (Edward dangling in front of her) she'd probably have downloaded it and read it too. But now that she's saying she's not going to finish it .... ugh.
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