Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 27

As I get closer to releasing the ending on Wattpad, I get more nervous.  I have put a lot of time and effort into my novel (I’m talking years) and I really want people to enjoy it.  

Originally the ending was the new midpoint.  My early version left ended on a cliff hanger as I wished to my readers wanting the next novel.  But, then I realised that is really unfair on my readers. 

So, I cut a lot and added a lot to make a new ending.  But, I still wasn’t pleased with the new ending.  It fell flat from how I saw it in my head.

I will confess, I do struggle with endings.  I don’t like saying goodbye to my characters.  But, I rewrote the ending and it is so much better.  I pray my readers feel the same. 

The new version is a whole story – no cliff hanger ending.  I have hidden elements within the novel to enable me to write a sequel for those that wanting more.  My plan is that by delivering a good debut that keeps its promises, my readers will want more and they will become fans.

How many times have you changed the ending of your novel?  Have you read a good novel that was spoiled by a poor ending?

Click here to read chapter 27

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 26

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 25

My best kept writing secret of last year (Happily Ever Author)

A Group For Writers with a Side Hustle

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 26

Today, I released another chapter.  Mariah is starting to get suspicious of her mum.  Head over to Wattpad if you have an account to have a look.  

I am cross with myself that I haven’t celebrated finishing editing my novel.  It is because, although it is finished I know I need to get it into a suitable format and then I will be looking for beta readers.  Then, I will have to edit again and it feels like it is never ending.  In addition, I would like to give the new content another once over…

The task of querying is on the horizon and that is putting me off doing anything.  Instead of formatting I am researching agents.  Anything to delay querying.  This time would be better spent working on my query letter which I am certain is what holds me back.

On a more positive note, here was my Instagram post about celebrating triumphs no matter how small.  Writing this post did help perk me up.  I really should listen to my own advice.    

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I was thinking too big. Thinking that a triumph has to be an award or publication but you know what, writing every day and not giving up is a writer that’s winning. It is too easy to give in to self doubt, to feel you are wasting your time, to keep going when you aren’t getting anywhere but this year I’ve not given up. I’ve blogged, written or edited every day, I’ve pitched, I’ve entered competitions and I’ve put my writing out there for all to see. That is my triumph this year. I will continue to triumph every day because dreams don’t work unless you do. Each days those wins are small but overall they are gargantuan. This is my post for day 10 #authorschallenge2019 asking for a writing triumph. What’s your triumph? NB: This is one of my favourite images on Unsplash and it is by Lacie Slezak and edited by me in Canva. #writingtriumph #triumphofwriting #mondaymotivation #mondaymotivations #mondaymotivationalquote #dreamsdontworkunlessyoudo #triumph #motivationalquotes #motivationmonday

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Do you find you are great at giving other people advice but struggle to swallow your own truth pill? 

Click here to read chapter 26

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 25

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 24

A little post on how I am doing…

Spotlight on Summer Literary Dates calendar

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 25

This is the chapter where the snippet comes from:

Still crouching under the table like a naughty little fairy, I had enough happy thoughts to fly me to Neverland.  

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”Still crouching under the table like a naughty fairy, I had enough happy thoughts to fly me to Neverland.” #jewelofthesea This quote is from the scene where Mariah and Jace are painting the nursery and flirting. Things are finally going well and she is on cloud nine. If you would like to read more the story is on Wattpad (link in bio). This is a #Repost from January but I have a lot of new followers since then and today’s prompt is to post a happy scene for womenwritingfiction #wwfchallenge2019 #writerslife #writer #instagramwriters #writersofinstagram #writerschallenge #aspiringwriter #writerscommunity #writersgram #writersofig #instagramwriters #igwriter #writingcomnmunityofinstagram #discoverunder3k #redheadwriter #hustlingwriterscommunity #fellowcreativeminds #writingproject #workinprprogress #amediting #wattpadstories #wattpad #yafiction #yafantasy #paranormalromance #mermaidstory #contemporaryfantasy #urbanfantasy

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So, all the chapters are finished now although I’d like to go over the new content once more as I find when the writing is fresh it is hard for me to spot my own mistakes.  Then, I will be putting the manuscript together and preparing to query.

Today, I attended a live workshop with Kathy Ver Eecke called Secrets of Getting a Book Deal.  I sat there with my notepad taking notes on the 20 things that writers do wrong when querying.  This webinar was a sales pitch for her paid services but she spent an hour demonstrating her wealth of knowledge and answering questions.  She made some brilliant points and if I wasn’t on zero money right now, I would have been very tempted by her offers.  Would you pay for help with getting a Literary Agent?

Click here to read chapter 25

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 24

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 23

The Story Snippets Challenge

I did #FebWritersChallenge

I did #JanWritersChallenge

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 24

Editing is coming to an end, just in time for PitMad.  I have been working hard on my pitch which I will share with you in a later post.    

I am now getting the final chapters of Jewel of the Sea finished and saving them in draft to be published on Wattpad.  I didn’t want to overwhelm readers by doing it all in one go.    

Does your personal life affect your novel writing – any tips for dealing with that?  Anyone doing PitMad this month? 

Click here to read chapter 24

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 23

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 22

I went to YALC – did you?

Book Review: Who runs the world by Virginia Bergolt

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 23

Last week, I was a little distracted and didn’t get as much editing done.  I was feeling anxious about my flexible working request to reduce my hours.  Today, I had the meeting with HR and it couldn’t have gone better. I was almost dancing out of the office.

I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders and can now relax and focus on my novel.  As a result, it is only Tuesday but already I feel this week is being so productive.  This is the second chapter I’ve edited and I’ve already made a start of the next chapter. Plus, I have been working on my Pitch for PitMad (Pitch Wars).

I probably won’t take part in PitMad on 6 June as I don’t think my novel will be edited in time, however, it doesn’t hurt to get my pitch ready.  You can join the PitMad Challenge Facebook group and get help from Kathy Ver Eecke on your pitch.  

Does your personal life affect your novel writing – any tips for dealing with that?  Anyone doing PitMad this month? 

Click here to read chapter 23

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 22

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 21

#PitMad – October 2016

#PitMad – December 2018

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 22

I tried to edit this chapter yesterday but something strange was up with Google Drive and it left me feeling a little paranoid about whether it would save my progress. 

It kept saying there was an error when it opened my documents or tried to create a new one.  

Everything seems back to normal today and I got it finished.   Have you ever worried about technology losing your work? 

Click here to read chapter 22

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 21

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 19 & 20

Seven tips for querying agents

#PitMad – December 2018

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

The Story Snippets Challenge

I love the photo prompt challenges on Instagram, especially those that inspire and encourage me to share my writing.

The #StorySnippetsChallenge was hosted by the following authors on Instagram: @amandalyncreek , @bridieblake , @jjotisauthor , @sireyourstory and @son_dae_writes .

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Tomorrow is the start of #StrorySnippetChallenge. I'm going to join in. To find details of the writers hosting the event and how to take part, see below: Repost from @amandalyncreek using @RepostRegramApp – So excited to co-host the #storysnippetschallenge with @bridieblake, @jjotisauthor, @sireyourstory, and @son_dae_writes! ⁣⠀And a big thanks to @authorbrittanywang for bringing us together in her Patreon group. ⁣⠀ The challenge will happen during the week of May 20th- 26th if you want to join us. This will also be the first time I reveal anything about my work in progress. I'm what I like to call nervcited to share, although I've received good feedback so far from my teacher and my classmates. ?⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Each day of the challenge has a prompt and a corresponding hashtag. Here they are:⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Day 1: #MeettheMainCharacter (tell us anything you want about your protagonist!)⁣⠀ Day 2: #TeaserTuesday (Share something that will make your audience want to read your work in progress!)⁣⠀ Day⁣ 3: #SettingSetup (Describe your world/setting to show the mood/tone of your WIP)⁣⠀ Day 4: #FirstLines (She a snippet of the beginning.)⁣⠀ Day 5: #ThemeStated (What's your overall theme in your WIP?)⁣⠀ Day 6: #ExcitingMoment (This can be your inciting incident or midpoint. No spoilers, though.)⁣⠀ Day 7: FunDialogue (Show off one of your favorite conversations in your WIP)⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ If you're an author and want to join, be sure to share this image and use the hashtag #storysnippetschallenge!⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Let's do this! :)⁣⠀

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My story snippets

Here, in this blog post I am going to collate and share all my snippets in one place that I posted during Monday, 20 May 2019 to Sunday, 26 May 2019. These are snippets from a work in progress so may change by the final edited version:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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Today’s prompt for the #storysnippetschallenge is #themestated I only recently learnt about this concept of novel writing from #savethecatwritesanovel , so I hope I have got this right. In chapter one an unexpected thunder storm strikes the removal van and cuts the engine. This postpones her best friend (& neighbour) Jace from moving away. The storm is a hint at Marian’s powers awakening early. Only Gwyn is aware of her being a #mermaid. She gives Mariah this advice/warning but Mariah shrugs it off angrily as she thinks her mum doesn’t get how upset she is about the situation. She heads off to enjoy the extra time she now has with Jace. Later in Act 3, Mariah will need to learn to control her emotions to master her powers. #contemporaryfantasy #paranormalromance #jewelofthesea

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Saturday

Sunday

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Today is the last day of the #storysnippetschallenge . Today’s prompt was #FunDialogue : He laughed and leapt off his swing at the highest point, flying into the air and then landing on his feet a few yards in front. I followed suit. My dress floated up around my waist, before falling back to my knees. "I saw your knickers," Jace smirked. I blushed, "How old are you?" "Thought you were a lady now?" He teased, "Flashing isn't very lady like." "At least I act my age and not my shoe size!" Childishly, Jace stuck out his tongue. Laughing, he grabbed my hand and all the anger washed away in a second, replaced by a fast running bubbling brook that was turning a whirlpool inside me, "I want to show you the duck pond." #jewelofthesea #yafiction #paranormalromance #contemporaryfantasy

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Reflecting on the challenge

I really enjoyed this challenge. It made me think about different parts of my story. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have edited my manuscript but I was still checking over and fine tuning the snippets before posting.

Most of all, I love sharing my writing and this was a great opportunity to give my followers snippets and tease them into wanting to read more. I think using snippets like this would be a great way to promote a published book too as it gives people a taste of your writing and the story, like a little appetiser.

It was great fun seeing what others writers were working on too. Writing a novel can be lonely but taking part gave a sense of being part of something bigger – I was not alone in my writing journey. It gave something to connect with other writers over.

I was flattered when someone commented on how much they liked the way I presented my snippets. This was a huge compliment as I am no professional. They are all created for free in Canva. On Thursday, I created my image in Canva and then used the Video Typer app to animate my text – again this was free.

Have you ever shared snippets of your novel?

If you enjoyed this, you may enjoy:

Create with Canva Beginners Course Review

Instagram For Writers — Ally Aldridge

April, I featured poets – what’s next?

Camp NaNoWriMo Diary (midpoint April 2019)

Camp NaNoWriMo Diary (middle to end)

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 21

I rushed editing this chapter so I have made a note on my spreadsheet to come back and look at it again before I finish.

I’m right in the middle of the novel and I feel like I have come so far but still have a long way to go.  It’s like the midweek hump.  I just have to get through it to see the end.

The second half of the novel is very distinctive as it has a very different feel to it.  Mariah thinks she has got what she wants but is suffering memory loss.  She knows something isn’t quite right but doesn’t know why.  

Is you midpoint distinctive?  

Click here to read chapter 21

If you enjoyed this chapter, you may like:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 19 & 20

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 18

Tips on naming your character

Handwrite to boost creativity

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 19 & 20

Earlier this week I published the new improved chapter 19 and 20 but I didn’t have time to write about it on my blog.

Chapter 19 is told from Gwyn’s perspective in third person which is different from the rest of the novel.  I wondered whether to cut this chapter out completely but I decided to keep it as the foreshadowing is important for the readers tension.  

How do you feel about changing the point of view within a novel?

Click here to read chapter 19

Chapter 20 took a little longer to edit as the original chapter was a whopping 5k words.  Often my chapters are quite short and I have to merge them together to make a better length.  This is because I’m naturally a fan of short chapters, so I have no idea how this happened.  And, I need to add in more content between the scenes so this word count is going to get bigger.  I decided to cut it into two chapters but it may even become three chapters.

Do you prefer long or short chapters?

Click here to read chapter 20.

If you like this post, you may enjoy:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 18

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 17

How to Write a Synopsis

How to handle rejection

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Ally Aldridge Novel, Writing

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 18

Yay!  I hit my goal of editing three chapters a week.

I really enjoyed working on this chapter as well. I forgot how intense the emotions are and her powers coming to life and the promise of a beatiful romance.

But… is this the midpoint?  The false win?  You’ll have to read it and see.  

If you would like to see the new chapter on Wattpad, click here.

If you like this post, you may enjoy:

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 17

Jewel of the Sea – Chapter 16

A Group For Writers with a Side Hustle

My best kept writing secret of last year (Happily Ever Author)

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