The Ember Queen

The Ember Queen - Origins

Hey guys! I thought it would be cool to release one more bonus chapter-this time talking about the origins of The Ember Queen. This will cover where my inspo came from, and what went on before I came to Wattpad with this story.
Here's the story:

It was early November of 2022. I was sitting in my seventh-grade Introduction to Theatre Arts class, waiting for our director-we'll call her Mrs. Green-to tell us about our next project. We had just finished our unit on stage production, and Mrs. Green had been promising us that we would finally get to perform a monologue for the class. She told us that she was debating the idea of making us write our monologue or just performing one that we found online.

The idea of getting to write my own script and then perform it made me so excited I went home that day and started working. I brainstormed and wrote for two hours straight without taking a break. I loved the idea of a fiery, strong-willed but still in-training queen, and decided to name her Fiona after two of my good friends at the time. Gabriel was the protective and masculine bodyguard who had a toxic and controlling side. Abraham was the charming and mysterious rebel who would win over the queen to fight against her own country. It was all coming together so nicely, and keep in mind this was my second attempt at a full novel. I was in love with the world, the characters, and the process of writing. It was so cool to be back into writing after my first book (The Stone) burnt me out.

That evening I excitedly told my family about the project and my idea over dinner. My parents encouraged me, and my older sister gave me some advice. I continued working into the nighttime until my mom told me that I needed to go to bed. I worked all weekend sketching and writing lines on notecards. By Sunday evening I had finished the scene where Abraham was taken to the palace to be interrogated and ended up kissing Fiona and escaping. I was so excited to go to school the next day and show Mrs. Green my progress. Theatre was my last class of the day, and the whole day I was doodling masquerade masks and crowns on all of my papers and in all of my notebooks. I took the whole advisory and lunch periods to draw Fiona's dress. My drawing skills were-and still are-not the best, but I was able to get the basic idea out of my head.

The time finally came for Theatre class. After several days of work, I trusted that I was well ahead of my peers and would be able to spend more time perfecting my scene. I sat down in class and waited for Mrs. Green to begin the class. To my great disappointment, she announced that that day we would be searching online for our monologues-indicating that writing our own script was no longer an option. This frustrated me because I had already spent so much time writing and planning, but I decided that I could put my idea to better use than a monologue that I would perform one time for a junior high drama class.

In the following weeks, I began working on more parts of the story. The ball at the Chairman's, Gabby's death, Gabriel's attempt to capture Fiona, and much more. In the months that followed I pieced the chapters together, making filler scenes and collecting images and inspiration for the characters. I studied government structure and worked on the formation of the rebels. I designed their base and mapped out the sectors around the palace.

By the time I was halfway through the book, I decided that I needed some feedback. I shared the Google document with my cousin and a good friend, both of whom showered my story with love and support. I appreciated their enthusiasm, and all of their help gathering ideas for the advancement of the plot, but I needed more criticism. So, I went online and published the first few chapters on Wattpad. I published chapters every Friday and then on Mondays, too as I got more reads. I was so excited and was getting the extra support and criticism I needed.

I finished the first draft on May 17, 2022. A total of sixteen chapters and forty-five pages, I was so proud of my work. I finished posting all of the chapters to Wattpad, and then the bonus features (character analysis chapters) came in the next couple of months. I made minimal edits and continued getting feedback from my personal and online readers.

By this time, I was a little burnt out with this story. I still loved it with a passion, but I was tired of writing. A podcast that I had recently discovered (Fiction Writing Unleached by Savannah Gilbo - on Spotify) explained that once you finish your first draft the best thing you can do is step away and take a breather. This would allow you to regain your energy for writing and for new ideas to flow. I happily obliged, not coming back to the story until April of 2023. I was ready to start my second draft, which takes us right up to where we are now.

Hope you guys enjoyed, look forward to the second draft being posted <3 your support means a lot to me!!