I’m not a fast writer.  It takes me a year to finish a medieval romance.  I once finished a paranormal novel, Immortal Death, in three months. 

With that in mind, I’m jumping in to try a novella in a month.  Sigh.  I’ve been writing now for five days.  I have five, single spaced pages, that’s 1100 words, about one single spaced page a day. 

So far, I hate the story.  I don’t much like the characters and I know I’m to blame.  I just jumped in with two feet.  No thought to characters, okay a little but not much.  I can change that in the rewrites.  So, I’m not worried.  I do like the plot.  I’m forging ahead and not letting myself go back and rewrite until I’ve finished.

Here are the characters:

Giles de Mannering – Second son of a nobleman.  He doesn’t want things handed to him, he wants to earn a name for himself, not gain fame through his father’s name.  He is well on his way as the best bowman.  He has never lost a match, until the start of the novella…

Guinevere Hale – Trained with a bow by her grandfather.  She needs the coin she wins from the matches to give to her Grandfather to save his farm.  She is better with a bow and arrow then her brother, so she devised a scheme.  She dresses like her brother, wears a hat so no one can see her face, wins the match and races back to the tent where her brother, Arthur, waits to take her place and claim the prize money. 

Giles knows someone is trying to sabotage him.  Who could it be but the one who beat him?  So, he confronts Arthur about his win.  And then decides to become friends with him, what better way to watch him then to be his friend? 

That’s all I have so far.  I’m glad we’re doing this.  It helps me focus on the characters.  I’m hoping to finish this story by the end of July.  Why don’t you join us in our endeavor?  Write a short story in a month!  It’s worth a shot.

Tell me what bogs you down in your story telling?  What troubles are you having these first few days?

Until next time…hope you’re inspired!

Laurel