We've all had those days when the last thing we want to do in the world is write. Where characters misbehave and you've had a writers' block for the last week and you have that huge gaping plot hole that you have absolutely no idea how to fix and then you go check your blogger feed and everyone is posting on how they wrote 20k words in a day and how everything is going really well and you just want to chuck your computer out of the window.
Well, first of all, please don't throw your poor computer #computerlivesmatter
And second of all, we all have those days
TRUST ME
But there are usually some things that always keep us writing even when we vow to never write again. Here are 3 things that keep me writing.
1. My Characters
Even though I put my characters through a lot of trauma, I still really love them. And like, they are one of the major things that make me return to my stories time and time again. Characters are basically our children! Who am I kidding, they are! We created these people. Came up with their looks, their personalities, their dreams, their fears.
And it's no wonder we get attached to our characters. First, we created them, and then we spend a LOT of time with them.
2. My Imagination
HONESTLY
MY MIND WON'T LET ME STOP WRITING
Every single book I read, every movie I watch, they all cause a million little ideas to come to life in my head. I couldn't stop writing even if I tried.
That's one of the most beautiful things I find about being a writer: Having an imagination that can come up with whole worlds! Whole histories, lives, people. And then filling in thousands of little details.
3. My Desire To See How The Story Ends
Okay, yeah.
We might have weirdly detailed outlines but that doesn't mean writers know EXACTLY how the story is going to end. They might have a pretty good idea, but ask any author and my guess is that they'll tell you that they didn't expect their story to end the way it did.
So yeah! Those are 3 things that bring me back to my writing. What about you? What are some things that get you to write again even when you never want to look at your WIPS ever in existence?
Oh my goodness y'all, I am soooo excited about this post!!! It has been quite a journey to finish this first draft and I can't believe it. Well, I hope you enjoy this!
So yes, our setting is Hampshire, England. I was looking at pictures and it looks like it is a very green, very pretty place.
Ashby Manor (name subject to change)
And most of this novella (basically all if I'm being honest) is set in Ashby Manor. Because I messed up with the title (the title of a person and their last name are different), it will probably *something else* Manor once I figure out what title to give the Ashby's. There is this manor in England (not sure where) called Gravetye Manor and it fits my mental picture of Ashby Manor to a t.
Time Period
1857-1859
Characters
Ava Pennington
(Anna Popplewell)
The only difference between Popplewell and Ava is that Ava has bright green eyes. Besides that, Anna Popplewell IS Ava Pennington.
She is my FMC. A very sweet, very mellow person. She can be funny when she wants and she loves to read.
Mr. Charles Pennington
(Tim Pigott-Smith)
He is Ava's father. A lawyer. He cares a lot for Ava and is also worried about her health. His wife died a few hours after giving birth to Ava.
Jameson Ashby
(William Moseley)
My MMC. He's also rather mellow and doesn't get angry very easily. He cares a great deal about the Penningtons and for his family.
Johnathon Ashby
(Ansel Elgort)
Jameson's younger brother. He turned out to be most people's favorite character and will be getting his very own sequel.
Lord James Ashby
(Michael Gambon)
He is Jameson and Johnathon's father, Mr. Pennington's best friend, and Ava's godfather. He is the 7th Earl of something (STILL COMING UP WITH THAT PART).
Lady Amelia Ashby
(Sharon Stone)
Married to Lord Ashby. Mother to Jameson, Johnathon, and John. Motherly figure for Ava.
John Ashby
(Matt Czuchry)
Older brother to Jameson and Johnathon. Was never really the same after being sent away.
Oh my gosh y'all. I am so freaking excited about this!!! I really hope you enjoy What Time We Have Left, because I really enjoyed writing it.
Here are just some stats if you were wondering how long it was and other things.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Chapters: 20 + Epilogue
Word Count: 32,963
Other: There is one part that I tried to make vague, but a friend told me that I had made it too vague and it made it seem like something else happened, so yeah. Still need some opinions on that.
Ahhh, I hope you enjoyed this and I hope you sign up! What did you think about all the info I gave you? Are you interested? Think this might be right up your alley? If you do sign up to be a beta, I'll be sending out an email sometime before May 10th!
EDIT: Wow.....y'all have blown me away with your sign ups! Unfortunately for those who did not get a chance to sign up, I am closing the form.
Character's Backstory Tasha has a rather tragic early childhood (well, not as tragic as some of my other character's backstories but still tragic). Since this is a Cinderella re-telling (haha, how is that going to work???) I made sure to get rid of the mother (haha why???). Okay, so, Tasha Hope's (she goes by Tasha tho) mom (also named Tasha) met Tasha's dad Mark. So Tasha (the mother) was a really famous dancer and Mark was the owner of a large company that made dance-wear (pointe shoes, leotards, tights, costumes, you get the picture). Anywho, Mark is several years older (twenty to be precise) than Tasha and they don't really marry for love?? (Tasha marries him because she was infatuated with his wealth, Mark marries her because he was infatuated with her). Anywho, they are on the brink of divorce when they discover Tasha is pregnant. [Enter Tasha Hope]. Short-story-even-shorter, Tasha (the mother) runs away with a fellow dancer and files for divorce. So it's just Mark and Tasha (the daughter) (WHY DID I GIVE TWO CHARACTERS THE SAME NAME????) until Mark marries Katherine Chandler who has two daughters, Hailey and Aubrey. Mark dies and our story begins. Biggest Dream Her biggest dream is to find her mother again. Worst Fear Finding her mother again. Doubts She doubts that her mother loves her
That she is a good enough dancer
That she is smart enough
That she is kind enough
That she is too selfish Quirks To calm herself down before performing, she has to recite the alphabet backward
She can recite the periodic table by memory
She hates gummy bears
She is a sucker for romance books Talents
She's an amazing dancer
Her best subject is biology
She can make almost anyone smile
Dante Cummings
A song that represents them Me, Who Am I?
Character's Backstory Okay (*coughs*) so, Dante's life hasn't been all that easy also. I still haven't fleshed out all his details but this is basically the story. He has a younger sister (who's basically the fairy-godmother) (I have a thing for snarky little sisters) named Maybel. Anywho, his parents fight a lot. His mom is a huge fashion designer (this is a bery important detail) and his dad.....um....does something. But yeah. His parents stay together but it's obvious that it's for show. Oh, and he also dances but his dad thinks it's for football (which is what Dante's dad wants him to do) but Dante loves to dance. Biggest Dream To dance (THERE ARE MANLY DANCERS K???) Worst Fear Disappointing his parents
Failing Doubts If he's good enough
If his parents really love him for him
If he can protect his sister
If he really knows himself Quirks He secretly loves Jane Austen
He doesn't like ice cream
Talents
Football
Dance
Teasing his sister (it's a legitimate talent)
About Them As a Couple
A song that represents them Bless the Broken Road
How they met They met because Tasha tutors Maybel in biology and coaches her in dance. They also go to the same school and after Tasha's dad dies, she takes more dance classes (Dante is in several of those new classes) Similarities They both dance and care maybe a little too much for other people Differences So Tasha is really quiet and not that popular while Dante is pretty outgoing and popular Did they start off on the wrong foot Nope
Um
Actually
Can I answer that question later? Did they start out as friends
Yes Who realized that they were in love/like first Uuuuuuuum
Tasha?
I think? How do they help each other
Dante makes Tasha more outgoing and Tasha anchors Dante down. He pushes her to new limits and she is a rock that he can reach out for stability.
Project: The Moon Cover: Goal: 25,000 Words Written: 12,281 Words Left: 12,719 Notes: Y'ALL
JOANNA
IS
THE
BEST Character of the Week: CHRISTOPHER HARRIS 19 years old. His birthday is November 9th. His brother is Jack Harris. He’s a senior. He lives with his father. Every now and then, he stays with his mother. He is the goalie for the Mockingbirds varsity soccer team. He is the founder of the band The Outcasts and is the lead singer/guitarist for it. Snippet:
“Hurry up, J! We’re going to be late!” Gerald yelled from downstairs.
“Almost!” Joanna paused to give her eyeliner the finishing touch, “Done!” Uncapping her mascara, she ran the brush over her top eyelashes. And then did the same for the bottom ones. Studying her reflection in the mirror, Joanna deemed herself ready to go.
“Let’s go,” she sang out as she sat in the passenger seat of her brother’s car. Gerald rolled his eyes and started the engine.
“What do you think about Emilie?” Joanna asked as they drove down the street.
“She’s pretty-”
“Is that all you guys think about?”
“No!” Gerald gave her a sharp look, “You didn’t let me finish! She’s pretty and she looks really talented. She’s a great addition to the team.” “Well, with Stanley and Janice Stanton as her parents, of course she’s going to be an amazing addition!” she gasped, “Do you think she’ll tell us of some of her parent’s missions?!”
“You can ask her.” Joanna squealed. “I will! I don’t have her in any of my classes but I’ll ask her at lunch or at band practice.” “She’s part of The Outcasts?” “Yeah. Today is our first practice with her.” As they pulled into the school parking lot, Joanna spotted Emilie’s car already there. A few cars down, Jack leaned against his car and laughed alongside her. “Is it me,” Gerald said slyly, shutting the car door, “Or is Jack totally into her?” Joanna studied the pair. “Oh yeah,” she confirmed, “He’s into her.” “Finally! “What?” she whipped her head to look at her brother. “Jack hasn’t liked a girl in forever. I can finally tease him.” “You are such a,” Joanna searched for the right adjective to describe her brother. “A what?” Gerald prompted. “A boy!” “No way!” he feigned mock horror, “I would have never guessed!” “But I have bad news.” “What?! We ran out of ice cream!” Joanna punched him playfully. “I think Christopher likes her too.” Gerald cackled evilly. Giving him a concerned look, she said, “What is it? Something bad is going on if you use your Darth Sidious laugh.” “This is going to be so much fun to watch.” The sibling duo had reached Jack and Emilie at that point, so Joanna wasn’t able to ask him what he meant. “Hey guys!” Gerald said, giving Jack a fist-bump, “What’s up?” “Eh,” Jack shrugged, Joanna hugged Emilie, “Nothing much. Em and I were just talking about how hilarious Mr. Ortega is.” “Oh my gosh,” Joanna laughed, “I have him in my third period, he cracks the best jokes!” “Did he tell you guys the toe one?” Emilie asked. “No! Tell!” “Okay,” Emilie laughed and cleared her throat, “So it went like this: What did one cell say to his sister cell when she stepped on his toe? Ouch, Mitosis!” There was a brief pause before everyone burst out into laughter. “Oh, gosh,” Gerald wiped away a tear in the corner of his eye, “That’s one of the jokes that’s so bad it’s good.” “Mr. Ortega is the best,” Joanna laughed. Then something Jack had said a few minutes ago snagged her attention. “Wait,” she said, “Jack, what did you call Emilie?” “Um,” he looked extremely confused, “I called her Em. Why?” “You nicknamed her?” “Yes.” She pressed her hands to her face and gave a soundless scream. Both Jack and Emilie turned red. “J,” Gerald said in mock-sternness, “leave them alone.” “But it’s begging me to tease them!” “I’m going to class,” Emilie began to inch away once the first bell rang. Joanna hooked her arm around Emilie's. “We’re going to have a girl-chat,” Joanna announced. Emilie shot the boys a look that clearly said, ‘I’m being kidnapped. HELP!!!’ as Joanna dragged her away.
“I am allowed to be slightly panicked?” she asked.
“Yes,” Joanna replied immediately.
“So what did you want to ‘girl-chat’ about?”
“Do you like Jack?”
“Um, of course I do.”
Joanna gave her a hard stare and Emilie spluttered.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, “You mean like him, like him?”
“Duh! Do you?”
“No!” “Do you like Christopher?”
The tops of Emily's ears went red.
“Maybe,” was all she said. Joanna squealed.
“I am so happy! Christopher needs a good girlfriend. His last one was awful.”
“Hold your horses!” Emilie stopped walking and held her hands up in protest, “No one said anything about dating he-who-shall-not-be-named. I just said that I might, - hear that? MIGHT - like him.” “Yeah, yeah,” Joanna waved her hand, “It always starts like that. You’ll see.” EDIT: Don't forget to leave a question on my Would I Rather.... post if you haven't yet!! I love all the questions so far!
