Writing Fiction Again After A Very Long Pause

Hi guys. Happy Sunday!

Today I am struggling with what to write, what to share, and in all honesty nothing new has happened. I have done very little besides work in the last few weeks. But I have been reflecting on writing, and I want to start writing fiction again. I lost so many story ideas, notes and actual story content because my notebook was in my handbag that was stolen and I am still feeling lost without it. I have not purchased a new notebook or attempted to write anything new. This is something I am changing.

Outside of my job as Content/Features Writer and creating posts here on My Jamaican Vignettes, I have not been writing much.  I want to get back into the groove of writing fiction and push myself beyond flash fiction.

 In July of this year, I joined a bite-sized writing class on Skillshare. The class, Writing For Consistency: Finding Your Voice was taught by wattpad star romance writer Ninya Tippet. In under 20 minutes of video instructions and tips, Tippet outlined her method of drafting story outlines and a creative brief.

The course offered downloadable examples of the creative briefs and outlines and links to Tippet’s stories as guides/inspiration for completing the class project, drafting a creative brief within the genre of magical realism with the theme ‘lost love.’

I was fired up and excited about planning, when for most of my writing I simply start and let the writing take we wherever it will. I am a pantser by nature.  So in early July, I wrote the creative brief and outline and then I didn’t do anything else. I simply stopped working on the project.

Now I am trying reignite my interest in the story idea that I loved just two months ago.

I decided to share my creative brief with hope that members in the My Jamaican Vignettes community will push me, remind me to write, ask me about the story and help me keep on track. Please do so. Read the story’s creative brief and share your thoughts:

Abbreviated Creative Brief- The Sixth Culling 

Parameters:

1. Story Theme: Magic realism and mystery wherein the main character is meta-human, known as the Dibentes, who live an average of 270 years and have heightened senses and mental acumen. The Dibentes live among us but we are not aware of them. They are among the brightest and most ingenious in the arts and sciences. The Dibentes do not gather together but remain in small family groupings. The main character is the last of her family. She is a loner and has been isolated most of her adult life. This changes when other Dibentes return to the island and strange disappearances and killings occur in what is known as the Sixth Culling, the resurgence of the Dibentes to mate and reclaim positions of power. The main character is forced to choose between protecting the humans she has lived among for close to two centuries or her own people.

2. Story Categories: Romance, Magic Realism, Speculative Fiction

3. Word Count: 60, 000-80,000 words, told in four parts

4. Story Rating: PG 16

• Some sexual contact
• Mild violence

5. Timelines and Deliverables – 3,000 to 3,500 words per chapter

• Story title– July 1
• Story description and blurb– July 4
• Story Overview – July 10
• Character Sketches– July 17 August 31
• Story Parts
  • Part one- September 18
  • Part two-October 9
  • Part three-October 30
  • Part 4- November 20
• Review complete -November 27
• Share with beta readers – December 4, 2016
• Cover design– December 4, 2016
• Publish on wattpad, share cover and blurb and chapters one to three, January 1, 2017
• Publish Part one in full– January 23, 2017
• Publish Part two – February 5, 2017
• Publish Part three – March 5, 2017
• Publish Part four– April 2, 2017

So what do you think of the creative brief? Is the Sixth Culling something you would read? Are you interested in being a beta reader and giving feedback before I share it on wattpad? If yes, please complete the form below and I will add you to the list of beta readers.

[contact-form to=’dacostachantel@gmail.com’ subject=’Beta Readers Feedback’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]

Are any of you guys wattpad community members (readers and/or writers? Please share a link to your profiles or recommend what you are reading now. I am on wattpad at ChantelDaCosta87

Thanks for connecting.

Talk again on Wednesday for a book discussion on romance novels and a review of Dreaming About  Daran (Whitsborough Bay #3) by Jessica Redland.