Author: Autumn
I write 'n stuff.
Finished the first draft
I finished writing the first draft of Alice and the Warden.
I was sorely tempted to procrastinate with writing the last few chapters just to draw the process out longer, but I figured I shouldn’t slip into that trap. Besides, there’s still the second draft to do.
So
I’ve got 70 chapters total, and I most recently posted 52. Rather than make everyone plod along over the next 18 weeks to get to the end, I’ve decided to start posting 2 chapters a weeks.
Heck, I’m tempted to create a pdf of the entire novel for downloading, and I might do that as well. As I’ve said before, this is the first draft and hasn’t had any editing yet, so don’t expect to be blown away — it’s still very much a work in progress. It’s just that I’ve got a feeling. Probably nothing, but I’ve learned to always listen to my feelings.
I just don’t want anything to rob you of being able to read the ending after all of this time, and the world is very chaotic right now.
Thank you for sharing my work!
What AatW isn’t…
My husband and I like each other, so we tend to talk a lot. Like, for at least a couple of hours every day. We’re serious BFFs.
Recently, my husband said, “The only reason Hackett isn’t a cuck is because of his sense of dignity.”
I both laughed and felt mortified.
Because for the last eleven months that I’ve been working on this story, I’ve been worried that it was going to be misconstrued as a cuckolding fantasy, or the MGTOW narration of, “Girl gets pregnant by sexy alpha, then dupes nice guy into financially providing for her.”
It’s not.
One of the main themes of the novel is the value of self-worth. Hackett comes in with a strong sense of who he is, and doesn’t let others belittle or manipulate him. Alice, on the other hand, starts off struggling to figure out her identity, while dealing with the aftermath of “living like she was disposable.” Essentially, Hackett becomes the example that inspires her.
Hackett still expects fidelity, and to be treated fairly and respectfully. He ain’t no cuck.
But I can see how the same scenario with a weak male lead would very easily be along those lines.
Thank you for sharing my work!
Light Eternal – Sweeter than life
Kittens
We kinda didn’t get around to spaying our cat over the last few months.
But look
Babies!
24 hours old.
My life is proof that women CAN have it all; I am both a wife/mother, AND a crazy cat lady.
XD
#OMGtoomanycats
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Just Randomness
The other day, my husband asked me, “What are you thinking about?”
I answered, “It would be fun to write a companion novella for Alice and the Warden, that’s collection of letters written by Damon while he’s in prison, to show how he evolves as a person before he finally meets his daughter when she’s all grown up.”
“This story has got you good,” my husband replied.
I think that I should devote more time to writing every day.
Thank you for sharing my work!
Knitting Patterns
My baby is teething. And I am so tired.
I’m one of those excessively creative sorts, and writing is just *one* of the things I do — since it’s my favorite, it’s the one I blog about. Ostensibly. Since I’m not particularly ‘plugged in,’ I usually work on some sort of yarn project when most others are on their phones. I know that this is an obsolete thing to say now, but once upon a time I used to be the only mom at the playground who wasn’t glued to a screen. You know, back when the world still existed.
Sometimes I think everything really did end back in 2012, and we just didn’t realize it at the time.
Don’t mind me … I’m not getting enough sleep.
So, one of my other dreams is to publish crochet and knitting patterns. I’ve already made a few of my own designs, too.
The problem comes with writing them down. Following a knitting pattern is one thing, but writing one is agonizingly boring. Then, of course, in order to make them more commercially friendly, you need to work out different sizes, as well as gauge. I’ve always found it much easier to simply hand the sweater/scarf/hat over to whichever child I made it for, for them to promptly lose in a giant mess of laundry, never to be seen again.
Then I tell myself that since I can’t take a picture anyway, there’s no point in writing down the pattern.
But I still think that I would like to come up with designs that are based on the stories I write. Like, “Alicia’s baby booties,” or “Gertie’s shawl.” It would be a fun way to share this magical world of mine outside of the stories.
So, I’ve decided that one of my 2021 goals is to design and publish at least one knitting pattern for Alice and the Warden.
Here’s hoping I actually make that happen?
Thank you for sharing my work!
AatW – Worthy of Love
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Romance Genre
I’m not entirely sure which genre Alice and the Warden properly belongs to. I call it Romance because the primary focus is on the relationship between the two main characters, but it’s very different from your stereotypical romance novel — it’s not based on any self-serving fantasies (*cough*50 Shades*cough*) that the ‘romance’ label usually connotes.
I also joke that if AatW were Women’s Fiction, Alice would immediately put her baby in daycare, go to college in pursuit of friendship and career, and desperately seek to regain her “lost” years — while Hackett was relegated to the background as a supportive cardboard cutout. Bonus: She’d call herself a good mother after constantly complaining how much time and energy babies take up.
Then there’s the Damon chapters…
(Yes, I am fully aware that I could never be a Hallmark movie writer.)
It’s always a bit awkward saying, “I write romance,” because people automatically think of books like Twilight — the whole, “Oh, you’re just writing shallow fantasies about rich men off the top of your head,” reaction. Personally, I see it as a very serious topic; one that I’ve applied years of research and real life experience into, because frankly, successfully writing marriage and love actually requires a deep understanding of psychology and relationships, and doing it wrong alienates readers.
And yes, writing romance even requires a philosophical stance, too. I portray “complementary” relationships, instead of the more popular “egalitarian” model.
So maybe it’s time to revamp the “romance” genre to include actual research, to reflect how real relationships work, instead of being purely the realm of self-serving sexual fantasies.
Goal number two: Write romance that appeals to men, lol.
Thank you for sharing my work!
Introversion
I’m very introverted, and sometimes the ability to socialize just isn’t there. Not only am I unable to think of anything to say, I don’t have the energy to listen/read what anyone else has to say either, and I don’t even want to deal with anyone online or through texts. My husband occasionally teases me that if I were any more introverted, I’d be nonfunctional in society.
When I first became a mother, I worried about how I was going to raise and homeschool my children without going crazy. Being an introvert, my social circle is very small. I am also the black sheep of my extended family, so they’ve been a non-factor in my life (which is my polite way of saying I have zero contact with most of my relatives). Babysitting is not easy to come by, especially because I’m extremely distrustful of leaving my children with people I don’t know very well.
It took some time, but I found my zen.
Which wound up leaving me well positioned for the lockdowns.
While others are sobbing for a break from their children, I already have the routine and boundaries in place for me to thrive. Bonus: As an introvert, I don’t require much interaction with others.
What I had initially feared would be a weakness, turned out to be a strength.
Obviously, what works for me probably isn’t going to work for most other people, because my form of recharging involves going inside my own head (usually to explore story ideas), but my advice is:
…
Honestly, I don’t enjoy giving advice; I couldn’t care less what you do. It’s mostly that I’ve seen some people having nervous breakdowns, and thought to myself, “Phew, glad I’m not like that.” I want to share my personal thoughts more, but I worry too much about hurting other people’s feelings. I’m not trying to rub it in.
But seriously, I really don’t care what you do or don’t do. It’s your life, and if you want to have a nervous breakdown and wallow in depression, go right ahead. All power to you.
By Autumn Rain 