I changed my mind, how did that happen?

Either I've changed my mind, or become indecisive. Let's put it up for a vote!

You may or may not have noticed, but I've posted another letter nine. Within this alternate Universe you will find Ange receiving some advise from a caterpillar and then growing and shrinking by eating his mushrooms and she learns the secret to how the little crocodile improves his shining tail. . . . just joking.

This alternate letter nine is actually Ange's next letter, the one I told you before I wasn't going to post yet, (the one I tried to postpone because I didn't think it fit in the manuscript right at this point in time.) Perhaps it does. I'd like your opinion about it. Terrwyn which one should we choose?

This Nine or the other one.

AH. What do we do? Which one do we pick? Hmmm. You're going to have to delete one when you want to post Letter Ten.

If you don't mind, can you also review the Alternate Number Nine letter, make your usual or unusual comments and any suggestions to improve it. If it isn't letter nine, then it will be pushed back to letter eleven.

I edited the letter somewhat. No big changes mind you, just grammar stuff, and cutting out unnecessary words like 'over', 'up', 'it matted little', 'out', 'so' 'at first', etc. Please feel free to cut out any redundant words you find. Chop chop them all away. I'll pay 25cents for each word you take out.

This letter is ridiculously long, my longest yet. It's less like a letter and more like a narrative in 1st person. Can you think of ways to shrink it down? Also I wonder what time of year it is in this letter. I may have to investigate, write down the timeline or something silly like that.

Next, Letter Nine

It's up. I've been thinking really hard about what to do and this is what I decided. The new letter number nine.

I decided to pass on this letter, well... at least postpone the dramatic stuff a little. I can't possibly put the original letter number nine up, because it just won't work... yet.

Terrwyn I love this new development you're working into Mirth story. It's so very exciting. I'm hoping you'll be willing to write the next bit of Mirth's story - and then I'll have Ange respond to that.

Right now, I can't have Ange responding to such a happy gleeful letter from Mirth with her own tale of doom and gloom and woe is me. I can't picture that at all. At least it doesn't fit the dramatic curve of the story, over all.

So, basically I'm passing the baton back to you rather quickly. I hope you don't mind.

Oh, and, I'm don't mean to be bothersome - but can you possibly somehow get Lackscroft and Roe into your the next letter (or the one after that would be ok too.) Because I must have them meet Mirth - so she can be their dark maiden. It's vital to a future letter.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense.

My Little Obsessions

As I work on the next letter, a puzzle to be sure, I'm finding myself obsessing over the same little things. I remember writing the first draft I was careful to make each greeting to Mirth different each time.

It makes sense, because when you're writing in strict form - i.e. letters, which have the same basic structure - you have to do something to mix it up a little. Having the 'envelopes' does that of course, but it wouldn't be good if each greeting was the same.

For instance, here are the greetings we've used so far:

1) Dear Cousin,

2) Sweet Coz,

3) Brave Cousin,

4) My dearest Ange,

5) Unfortunate cousin,

6) Oh my only true friend,

7) My poor troubled cousin,

8) Oh my beautiful Princess Angevine,

9) ???

And the closings:

1)Yours ever, Ange.

2) Ever keeping up appearances, Mirth

3) Ever hopeful, Ange

4) Horses whinny, yours forever, Mirth

5) ever yours, Ange

6) Your silly cousin, Mirth

7) Weary yours,Ange

8) Your frightfully LATE cousin, Mirthyane Anthaina of Carentas! 

I made a list of all greetings and closings. (I wonder where those notes went?) Crazy of me, I know. Still, sometimes it's the little things that make the difference, and this is something only an author should obsess over, not the reader.

It's important to be consistent too, especially with spelling of names, country, and any colloquialisms. I know I mention it in the notes of Letter 8, about the spelling of ladyes vs ladies. I did a search through the manuscript so far and I'm happy to let you know that Letter 8 is the first time we've used the word 'ladyes'. We use the word Lady several times, but not the plural. So, you can spell it however you want, we just have to remember to spell it the same way for the rest of the manuscript.

Still, for all my obsessing over the little things, right now I should maybe focus on making the story and the characters the best they can be. We can always go back and tweak the spelling of things. That's what Find and Replace is for.

Character comes first, and the story will follow. Now, on to Letter Nine.

(And then I can get back to Iana's story.)

Disaster strikes! (Iana #5)

continuing from the journals of Iantheia, Princess of Winding...


She was avoiding me. Lady Hildegale must have known my intentions, and I couldn't find a moment alone with her. After my brief rest in the library Lady Hildegale had welcomed me back to the circle, but there was no chance to get close to her.

Perhaps my distress at this made me careless, or the encounter in the library put me off, his words still drummed in my head 'She has nothing to gain from a girl like you.' I don't know how else to explain the disaster that happened next.

I stared at him across the room (Iana # 4)

Continuing from the journals of Princess Iantheia . . . .

"What is it now?" Lady Hildegale scuttled over to us. Prince Flairon swept her a low bow.

I lowered my face trying to hide my embarrassment at Prince Flairon's outburst. As I curtsied to Lady Hildegale I said, "I wished to speak to you Lady Hildegale, regarding a private, personal matter."

It was the wrong thing to say if I hoped to have a private conversation with Lady Hildegale, now everyone near us would want to listen in.

Lady Hildegale came closer to me. "My dear Iana, are you all right? What's wrong?"

"You see I - It's - " All of a sudden, to further my embarrassment, my throat seized up. I couldn't speak. I bit back tears. My chin wobbled.

I couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried. I'm sure I would have put everyone off bumbling around with words. As it was my near breakdown had a remarkable effect on Lady Hildegale.

"I became so desperate that..." (Iana's Story #3)

Continuing from the journals of Iantheia, Princess of Winding . . .

Finding Lady Hildegale was the easy part. Off season she practically lived in her sitting room. She was always entertaining; food and drinks at the ready, exotic fruits and delicate sweets. I could go to Lady Hildegale's any hour of the day and expect to see people there. Important people sometimes, the up and rising, the latest singing sensation or the brightest new poet. No one entertained more than Lady Hildegale, except maybe the King.

The hard part was getting to speak to her. Everyone wanted to speak to Lady Hildegale. She was exactly the kind of woman I wished was my godmother. She knew everyone, and could introduce you to anyone in the Circle Kingdom. Since we arrived in Catha I'd been trying to get Lady Hildegale to take me and Joli under her wing. Every day I got a little closer to her. Now would be my last chance.

I took a deep breath as the footman announced my name and I entered Lady Hildegale's sitting room.

My Life in the Circle Kingdom (Iana's Story #2)

From the journals of Ianathia, Princess of Winding...

"My life is over Joli, completely over." I dropped mother's letter to the round table. It didn't matter how many times I read it. It had ruined my life and I couldn't unread it.

I moved to the window, wishing we had a pleasant view to distract me.

"It's not over." Joli said from her cozy chair. She curled her feet underneath her and her hands were busy stitching a dress. "We just have to go home. At least its not a bethrothal."

"If it was a good match then I wouldn't mind a bethrothal." I said leaning my head on the window taking in the bleak view. The oval window looked out to a narrow stone stairwell, and the tall walls of the castle keep, only a small circle of sky was visible above them.

Hardly anyone used these stairs, no one important I might wish to see. Only distant relative of Catha's king were housed in this part of the castle, like us. We had no choice but to live here. We couldn't afford to rent rooms in town. Just as we couldn't afford a footman, or even a maid. Joli had taken on that role, and she served as my handmaiden whenever I needed one. We hadn't fooled anyone by it, it was plain to see  Joli and I were sisters, only a year apart in age.

"Extravagances." I muttered, looking back at Joli and our tiny room, with one bed in the corner, a wardrobe of minimal portortions and a cracked looking glass over the dressing table. Mother's letter said we had too many extravagances. I could pull my hair out. "What extravagances was she talking about? We live on breadcrumbs and sleep on box springs." I kicked at the bed we shared, sending a stabbing pain through my foot. "The only reason our clothes are half way decent is thanks to you."