Fall’s FicFrenzy is nearly upon us! Soon I’ll be taking advantage of the motivation fall always brings me to type madly away at a new project! Sooo today I’m answering the Know the Novel prompts to introduce you all to the thing that may or may not turn me into a hermit for a month.

I’m so excited, guys. Last year, I didn’t heavily join in on Fall’s FicFrenzy due to life and health and other priorities taking precedence, which is perfectly fine. But boy, do I miss the mad rush of immersing in a first draft for the entirety of a month. So this year I’m hoping to go full-in again. Though Life, Health, and Other Things are still quite the factor so…we’ll see how much I’m able to get done. But either way, I do hope to use the month to make as much progress on a new draft as I can.

The question is, what will I be writing???

WELL. That’s why we’re here today!

Introducing…

UNWIND THE SHADOWS

What first sparked the idea for this novel?

One morning about a month ago, I woke up far earlier than I would have liked due to my brain deciding it was a great time to think about a dozen different things at 90 miles an hour, as one does. All these thoughts led to pondering my writing and stories and somewhere in the midst of it all, I got this random sentence in my head.

Three balls…three chances to get her slippers back.

With the sentence came an image of a girl hunched over a desk pouring some magic into some dancing slippers while her pet cat perched nearby and watched.

And thus this story idea was born.

I could not get the image out of my head or that sentence. Said sentence, of course, was inspired by Cinderella—three balls, magical slippers. Obviously Cinderella. I wasn’t even thinking of Cinderella at the time, so do not ask where that sentence came from. More likely than not, this is how my stories come into existence, just the most random thing that pops into my brain from seemingly out of nowhere and bursts into…something. Half the time that first seed of an idea doesn’t even stick to the actual story, but hey, it was the first stepping stone to the real story so who am I to question the method? 😅

ANYWAY.

That sentence and image almost immediately exploded in my mind, and I spent the next couple of hours that morning typing out ideas, already getting a Pinterest storyboard going, and hardly able to contain my excitement. I haven’t had a new story idea attack me so quickly and vividly in a while. I knew it couldn’t be ignored, and with FicFrenzy right around the corner? WELL. How could I not chase this idea, I ask you?

Also, Unwind the Shadows is very much a working title. I’m having the hardest time titling this thing #halp

Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

As I pants my novels pretty heavily, writing a blurb before they’re written does, erm, not always go well. But I’ll give some form of a summary!

The story follows fun-loving chaos child Amelia Octavia Charity Godwin, a young lady raised by her three eccentric, magical aunts and long-suffering, non-magical uncle in an alternate Regency London filled with magic, mayhem, secrets, and plenty of interpersonal drama and romance. Amelia, in her quest to use her own special magical abilities for, what she thinks, is people’s good, makes quite a mess with a pair of enchanted slippers she creates that were supposed to speed up a match of affection but instead aid in a sinister plot.

The original story ideas started as a fun, whimsical, magical Regency Cinderella retelling. But because I am me and can’t keep my novels simple apparently, it’s turned into an enormous tale with an ensemble cast, some pretty dark threads, shadowy beings, complex magic, and twisty in every direction. The goal is to still create something whimsical and magical in an alternate Regency England backdrop. It’s just also…dark and twisty.

And I’m EXCITED. 😁

Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

As mentioned, it takes place in an alternate magical version of Regency England. I hope to keep to some historical aspects and stay fairly true to the Regency period. But as it is magical, naturally there will be changes. It’s my first foray into historical fantasy and I know it’s going to stretch me, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

I think my favorite aspect of the setting will be taking all the aesthetics of the Regency period and blending it with whimsy and magic. A big goal for this story is to really embrace a whimsical, dreamy, darkly enchanting type of aesthetic for the world and narrative. I have so many images for it in my head that I hope I can capture in words.

Tell us about your protagonist(s).

The original idea was for the main character to be Amelia, with her love interest appearing a fair amount. But as I’ve done some planning, it’s turning into quite the ensemble cast. I think we’ll be getting points-of-view from a fair amount of people. But since I don’t want to give too much away, today I’ll just stick to introducing you to my original two main characters who are still the centerpiece of the overall story.

AMELIA OCTAVIA CHARITY GODWIN

A fun-loving, charming, ESFJ, Amelia is a free spirit, loving niece, and loyal friend. Her passion is people, and at her best, she is there with a helping hand and a comforting word. At her worst, she can be too quick to judge and controlling of how others should live their lives. Due to some deep-seated grief, Amelia struggles with the need to control others, often thinking she knows best for everyone. Let’s just say this belief of hers causes some…problems, and she has to learn to let people make their own decisions and to listen more.

CONNOLLY KNOTTS

Warm, caring, impish, ENFJ Connolly does his best to always do the right thing buuuut sometimes takes people-pleasing too far as he bends to other’s will and doesn’t always stand up for himself. He struggles with believing that if he disappoints others, he won’t be loved. But being so people-oriented, he is quick to make friends, often the lively one amongst a group, and is never above some teasing and snark (and maybe some good old-fashioned light flirting). When push comes to shove, he is highly loyal and there for others, especially anyone he particularly cares about. At his worst, he is a pushover. At his best, he is a loyal, loving, warm presence.

I am very excited to put these two and their opposite problems—Amelia’s need to control others’ actions “for their good”, Connolly always people-pleasing—together and seeing them clash until, ultimately, they find a balance between the two things.

Who (or what) is the antagonist?

Well, well, well. I can’t just very well go and reveal that, now can I? One would think the stepmother, being as how this is a Cinderella story (of sorts). Buuut there is some interesting role-reversal stuff going on in this story and quite possibly a hidden villain (or two or three).

What excites you the most about this novel?

SO MANY THINGS.

How about a list of some fun things I have planned (because who doesn’t love lists)?

• Amelia is not Cinderella but, in fact, the fairy godmother character! AND is not exactly helping but causing the Cinderella events to happen in a disastrous way (I’m extra excited about this)
• There are some Jane Austen Emma vibes going on as Amelia has to learn that she can’t just control everyone’s lives even if she thinks she knows better
• As mentioned, the AESTHETICS. Lots of whimsical magic and vibes but with some darker threads throughout
• There will be a friends to enemies to lovers banter-y romance
• BROMANCE
• Many moral questions and consequences for one’s actions
• Everyone has their own type of magic and I am excited to explore some unique concepts with individual magic users
• Amelia’s magic is time-based, because, hello? The magic runs out at midnight, anyone? I have IDEAS to play with that concept from Cinderella. But also the use of plants is involved to draw in her magic. (It makes sense in my head, I promise.)
• Connolly’s magic has to do with memories
• Dark themes shot through with light and hope
• Telling a Cinderella story with an ensemble cast and some interesting twists and role-reversals
• MOST IMPORTANTLY, Amelia has the most adorable fluffy white shapeshifting cat named Dove due to her propensity for shapeshifting into a dove

It’s a dark, chaotic, complex Cinderella reimagining heavily told from the “fairy godmother’s” POV and there is an adorable shapeshifting cat. So like. I’m just really excited.

Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

My greatest hope is to contain this whole thing into a single story. I would love for it to be able to be read as a standalone. But we all know how this goes…

NOW. I am not opposed at all to some spin-off stories. In fact, I may already have vague ideas there. *hides face* BUT. I still hope that I can keep this overall story as one that is contained and satisfying to read by itself.

Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

We are chaotically pantsing, baby!

I mean. I do have some notes on the characters and magic and things. Some backstory stuff vaguely figured out. But probably not nearly as much as I should. *cough* It’s a good thing I thrive on pantsing and chaos drafts, because this one is veryyy much going to be a discovery process.

I’m just gonna start typing and see what comes. It usually works out. 😅

Name a few unique elements in this story.

Ah! I think I already touched on this when I listed the things I’m excited about. One is the central character being the fairy godmother, not Cinderella herself. Amelia’s time-based magic is going to be pretty unique, I think, the way I’m going to use it, as well as some other types of magic. I also believe some of the role-reversals I’ll be playing with are going to make it a fairly unique take on Cinderella. (But #SPOILERS)

Basically, it’s gone from a Cinderella retelling to a Cinderella reimagining with some other fairy tale threads thrown in. 😅

Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

AESTHETICS

clocks | ballrooms | sparks of magic | midnight escapades | tea | soft cat fur | dancing slippers | shadows | moral questions | rainy walks | handwritten letters | well-loved books | plants | the wild smells of horses | secrets | hidden love

– My Playlist –

It’s all a bunch of instrumental songs, lots of piano and strings, that are solely based off vibes. I had hoped to make a playlist with lyrical songs too but am having the hardest time finding any songs that suit the story. *sigh* Ah well, I am pleased with how the instrumental playlist is coming along! It fits the overall vibes perfectly.

And there we go, my friends! My FicFrenzy project. I am in shock I’ll be writing the first words of this thing in less than a week, but I am so looking forward to digging into it!

Speaking of…

FicFrenzy starts on October 15th and runs to November 15th and is open to ALL. The Discord group is hopping, and we’d be delighted to have you join us. You can find all the details HERE.

What do you think, friends? Who all is joining in a writing challenge this fall? I hope to be back in November to do part 2 of the Know the Novel tag and share how the writing is going!

Don’t forget you can join in this tag yourself HERE!