This is my first time participating in the Writer In Motion event. Back in the spring I had a lot going on, and while I wanted to do it, things just didn't work out. When K.J. Harrowick told our writing group it was happening again I made it a goal to participate. So here I am! To add the cherry on top, I was chosen in a raffle to receive a professional edit from the wonderful Jeni Chappelle.
What is Writer In Motion?
It's an event that encourages writers to show their process of writing a short scene or story from first draft to final draft. It begins with a prompt and each week writers draft, edit, and revise their draft until it is polished and shiny. You can read all the details here.
The Prompt
This is the image chosen by Jeni Chappelle. When I saw this image a thousand and one ideas flooded my mind (I was at work and should have been doing other day job things, but I was too excited for WIM). The only problem was none of them were a story.
I saw a mom lighting the way for something. I saw a woman reaching for help. I saw an artist drawing in the clouds. I noticed the black of her clothes and the bright blue and white of the sky, post, and ledge she's standing on. All great observations, but none of them anything I felt like I could work with.
As soon as I decided to participate in WIM I knew I wanted to write something related to my next work in progress. It's a darker path than I'm used to, but a story I can't wait to write. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to kick it off. While that has caused me to be somewhat particular with the interpretation of the prompt, I'm determined to make it work. So with the ideas from above swirling around in my brain I got back to the day job. They say sometimes it's best to let ideas marinate. In this case, it worked--kind of.
Later that afternoon as I gazed not-so-longingly at an Excel spreadsheet a short clip of the opening of my next work in progress played through my mind. (Here's a little tease of the first line Azami was the killer, but it would be a long time before she solved the puzzle.) From there I decided to work backward. Write the scene that happens just before the clip I'd envisioned.
So it was born...my WIM story. I'm about halfway through the first draft. You'll have to wait until Friday to read it. I can tell you this much, there are witches and it is dark, and it's a middle grade fantasy.
See you soon!
Witches!!! Score!!!!