I’m taking on a new challenge
I’m always up for a new challenge. In the past, it’s always been NaNoWriMo. But lately, I don’t find that challenge very fulfilling. Instead, it’s felt more like a burden. This year, I am trying something different – the Write Brave challenge with Writer’s Atelier.
Most of you know that the last few months have been challenging for me. My mother lost her battle with brain and lung cancer last December. Since then, I’ve been trying to stay focused on navigating the journey of the grief process – and what a bumpy road it has been.
Last October/November, when my mom was in respite care while my older sister and her daughter were on a cruise, I told my my mom about the idea I had for a new novel – it was something that I’d been thinking about for a few years. It initially began as a story with three timelines – but soon I realized that one of the timelines (set in England and Denmark in the 1800s) would work better as a standalone novella.
Together, we discussed the timeline for the 1960s-1970s and the present. She gave me some background information that I am using now to mold my story. And this story has been my sanctuary after so many months of dealing with grief and depression. No, it’s not a sad story. It’s two love stories that are interconnected.
But dealing with grief and sometimes being hit with bouts of writer’s block has meant that I haven’t made as much progress as I’d hoped.
Enter Write Brave challenge
When I saw Racquel Henry‘s post about it on Instagram, I knew it was what I needed. From September 15 until October 15, I will be one of many writers taking part in the Write Brave challenge. It’s part of my goal (together with my grief counselor) to stay focused on what makes me happy – and writing is one of the things that always brings me joy.
My intention
So this is my intention for the Write Brave challenge. I want to write at least 25,000 words of the first draft of my new novel, which has the working title of Villa dei Ricordei (yes, it’s partially set in Italy). What does the title mean? The Villa of Memories. My initial working title was The Keepsake House. Not as romantic but it means pretty much the same thing.
Yes, I will share with you excerpts of what I write. Please remember that they wuill be in their roughest state – so do NOT appropach them as though they were tweaked and edited to perfection. They will NOT be perfect.
What else I will be doing
While doing the challenge, I will be working together with Nia Forrester, who is a dear friend, one of my faorite authors and a trusted beta reader. She will be working with me as a developmental editor to make sure that the story is as tight and as enchanting as I want it to be.
In the meantime…
While I am working on this story, I will also be working on re-releasing a novella I wrote for the Happily Ever After Collective. Some of you may have read Marry Me when it came out in January 2023. I love this marriage of convenience story and want to make sure that more people can fall in love with it. It will soon be tweaked a bit and get a new cover. I’ll keep you posted on when I will be releasing it.
