new writing project

Well, for those of you that pay attention on other social media fronts, you already know this, but I think I’ve found my next story. It’s a weird mix of The Prince and the Pauper and Aladdin (romance aspect, not flying carpets, genies, and fictional Arabia aspect). That’s the best way to describe it off the top of my head. It’s going to be a sort of fairy tale fantasy set in a small kingdom of no consequence, told from the perspective of a princess and the daughter of an innkeeper as they vie for the prince’s love. I don’t remember exactly when or how the idea came to me, but it did, and I wrote it down. I didn’t have the passion to write it until yesterday, when I sat in front of our movie shelf, looking for something to watch. I wanted to watch a fantasy, something lighthearted and romantic and full of mischief, but none of the movies I owned fit the bill, neither did those on Netflix. So I decided I would tell that story.

I’m excited to start plotting. I already have several plot points and scenes in mind. It’s also going to be a bit of a challenge. I like challenges. I’m one of those people that seek out challenges in any way possible. Three-thousand words a day? I can do that. Graduate college in three years instead of four? Piece of cake. Twenty-two hours a semester? No problem. Write a steampunk novel? Okay, that’s scary, but I’ll do it anyway. I relish in accomplishing challenging tasks. When things are easy, life is boring. So what is my challenge for this novel? Two perspectives. For some, that may not be a big deal, but I’ve never written anything with more than one point-of-view. Writing from the perspectives of two very different people will be a challenge for me. I’ll have to give each of them distinct voices, personalities, and outlooks on life. I can do that for one character, yes, but I’m not so sure about two. It’ll be like writing two books at the same time, or that’s how it seems.

Bring it on.

I think it will be fun to write. I hope so anyway. As research, I’ll be delving into countless fairy tales and variations of those fairy tales, studying character archetypes and story structure. I’m not sure how long it will be before I start writing writing. I have written about five-hundred words already, but it was more of an exploration of the character and the story I wanted to tell, to see if I really wanted to tell it. I need to draw up character sketches—wants, needs, story arcs, relationships, etc. I need to do a bit of world-building. There will be a bit of magic in the story, and I need to establish the rules of that magic. I’ll need to research the goings on of medieval royal courts and their practices. After all that’s done, then I can start plotting. The whole process will probably take two or three weeks. And then, finally, I can start writing writing. 

I expect it may be on the shorter side, but who knows? Maybe I’ll throw in a subplot full of court intrigue. That actually gives me an idea. See? This is the story to write. I can feel it in my bones. It will be a nice breath of fresh air before I write the sequel to The Clockwork Giant. I think it’s important to write the stories you want to tell, not the stories you feel obligated to tell. Yes, this is a job, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it. 

Write with passion. Write with confidence. That’s my new motto.

What are you working on right now? Any new projects on the horizon?