Preptober Plans and Inspo for Victoria's mysteries

Oct 6th 23 : How to start your story

Dear readers,

I will be calling you dear writers after today since I do believe that today's step is such a commitment to your story, it will make you the writer of your idea. This is the end of the week, you are all probably tired and stretched thin. That's good, I like it. When exploring the process of creation, we often find our limits more permeable when our head is empty from exhaustion. Our characters have more voices and sometimes, the twist we were looking for, which will make each reader stay into your story, will appear.

And so let's start your story. Like the first act. Just notes, points, little description. What scenes need to appear? Where should they take place? With who?

I always think of this process as a painting:

where will the shadow and the light? We need balanced characters with hopes and dreams but also a whole lot of traumas and fears. Maybe not over explain but sprinkle some hints.

Who is the subject? I know nowadays we don't recognize the people in the painting. But we used to find hints about their social position, their place in the family, their wealth and occupations.

What is the overall ambience of the painting? Happy? Depressing? Uncanny? What is the tone of the colors? What colors represent which character?

How are they standing to one another? I always find it fascinating how posing in painting is so weird but still tells us so so much.

So don't worry about getting it right, you can still correct it while you are writing in November or go with it and change it in the second draft process. What you want most is for it to be clear in your head.

I personally picture a seemingly nice family picture of an English nobility during the regency era. The mother and the oldest daughter are represented in dark colors making them appear very pale and faint. The father is well lit with a seemingly white and blue outfit, only the corners of the clothes seem dirty and oily. The second daughter is a yard away, in a bright red dress, looking very alive and watching her father with daggers in her eyes. A man is holding her wrist, trying to stop her from doing anything stupid. There is a beautiful red-headed boy in a corner, nobody seems to see him.

I feel that I am giving enough away, I will be creating a more comprehensive list of chapters and scenes for myself. Just bullet points of who is here, where and what is happening. My biggest advice is to ...

Vote for this story and keep it simple, you are gonna have multiple occasions to flesh those notes during october.

Until tomorrow, may you find your bed warm and welcoming.

Lady Light