Lucy Mitchell's Blog, page 3

📚 The Lies I Am Telling Myself About My Recent Notebook Purchases #MondayBlogs #Writer

My lifelong notebook addiction is over, readers (Lie 1 ). I thought I’d pop in here and tell you that I won’t be buying any new notebooks from now on (Lie 2).

I have purchased two new leather notebooks. One pocket-sized, which can go in my handbag, and one A5-sized, which will be my writing notebook. As these notebooks contain refills and they also allow me to insert other refills, I won’t need to buy any new notebooks.

Ignore my judgy Harris – the brass hare, in the photo. Harris knows nothing about my notebook addiction.

These notebooks whispered to me, ‘You’re the kind of woman who writes important thoughts.’

With these beautiful notebooks I won’t have that worry about spoiling them. I mean, I have had them a week or so, and both are still empty, but the ideas will soon start flooding, and they will be well used in no time (Lie 3).

I don’t need lots of notebooks in life. I can work on 2 maximum. (Lie 4).

Up until now buying a new notebook has been my go-to response at the sign of a life problem. Whenever my life has chucked a curve ball at me I will pop out and buy a notebook, These new notebooks will stop this. (Lie 5)

Big ideas are coming, readers. My new notebooks and I are ready for them.

I can’t wait to update you all on….my failed attempts at not buying anymore new notebooks

Harris the brass hare needs to stop giving me judgy looks as I sit here and stroke my new notebooks.

😳 Sliding Door Moments: How To Nail Alternate Reality Plots

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if… You had turned down that job, stayed with that love interest, gone travelling instead of going to university, or taken a different life path?

Would you love to glimpse at what I refer to as the road not taken?

I am reflecting on the crossroads in my life and the roads I didn’t take;

What would have happened if, at seventeen, I had stayed with the handsome lifeguard who was great to look at but didn’t talk much? When he did talk (not that often) it was one maybe two word type answers. I couldn’t cope with the lengthy silences…

What would have happened if I had not gone to university and remained a till girl in the teenage clothing department of C&A?

What would have happened if I had self published my first ever novel – a space romcom which defied the laws of science but was like – Bridget Jones in space – and I had become famous because of it? Plus the famous scene where they are doing saucy things whilst passing by the rings of Saturn would be like a legendary film clip.

My mind is boggling.

There are lots of good examples of alternate reality stories. In one of my favourite books, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Nora steps into a library filled with books representing different versions of her life. She gets to glimpse at the roads she didn’t take in life. In the film Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character misses or catches a train, leading to two different life outcomes.

I love how small moments can have a profound impact on your life; the text message you didn’t send, the bus or train you missed, the party invite you declined or the notebook you didn’t buy – the one which you would have taken to a writer conference and as you proudly waved it about you would have caught the eye of someone significant (my notebook addiction coming through here – sorry).

Can you imagine being able to see what would have happened if you had got on the bus or gone to the party?

Why do we love these types of stories? I suppose they tap into deeper emotions, such as regret and curiosity, and they make us ask whether there is such a thing as destiny? Or is everything down to chance?

Here are some things to consider when writing stories where the character gets to see an alternate reality:

What lesson is the alternate reality TEACHING your character? It’s not about how things could have been; it is about what the character needed to LEARN. Think about why your story needs alternate realities. It is a tool and it must be used to explore a character’s inner journey. It’s not just a gimmick.Think about what your character will think by the end? How has it changed them? Don’t go alternate reality crazy. Limit the number.

Good Luck …

Learn more about me..

😳 Is That How My Life Could Have Turned Out? Writing About Characters Who See Alternate Realities

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if… You had turned down that job, stayed with that love interest, gone travelling instead of going to university, or taken a different life path?

Would you love to glimpse at what I refer to as the road not taken?

I am reflecting on the crossroads in my life and the roads I didn’t take;

What would have happened if, at seventeen, I had stayed with the handsome lifeguard who was great to look at but didn’t talk much? When he did talk (not that often) it was one maybe two word type answers. I couldn’t cope with the lengthy silences…

What would have happened if I had not gone to university and remained a till girl in the teenage clothing department of C&A?

What would have happened if I had self published my first ever novel – a space romcom which defied the laws of science but was like – Bridget Jones in space – and I had become famous because of it? Plus the famous scene where they are doing saucy things whilst passing by the rings of Saturn would be like a legendary film clip.

My mind is boggling.

There are lots of good examples of alternate reality stories. In one of my favourite books, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Nora steps into a library filled with books representing different versions of her life. She gets to glimpse at the roads she didn’t take in life. In the film Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character misses or catches a train, leading to two different life outcomes.

I love how small moments can have a profound impact on your life; the text message you didn’t send, the bus or train you missed, the party invite you declined or the notebook you didn’t buy – the one which you would have taken to a writer conference and as you proudly waved it about you would have caught the eye of someone significant (my notebook addiction coming through here – sorry).

Can you imagine being able to see what would have happened if you had got on the bus or gone to the party?

Why do we love these types of stories? I suppose they tap into deeper emotions, such as regret and curiosity, and they make us ask whether there is such a thing as destiny? Or is everything down to chance?

Here are some things to consider when writing stories where the character gets to see an alternate reality:

What lesson is the alternate reality TEACHING your character? It’s not about how things could have been; it is about what the character needed to LEARN. Think about why your story needs alternate realities. It is a tool and it must be used to explore a character’s inner journey. It’s not just a gimmick.Think about what your character will think by the end? How has it changed them? Don’t go alternate reality crazy. Limit the number.

I will now go away and see if I can glimpse my alternate reality where I am a famous author of a space romcom which disregards minor things such as gravity, speed and time, has a legion of adoring fans who stop me in supermarkets to talk about that scene which took place as the spaceship flew past the rings of Saturn…

😳 Is That How My Life Could Have Turned Out? Writing About Characters Who See Alternate Realities #MondayBlogs 👀

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if… You had turned down that job, stayed with that love interest, gone travelling instead of going to university, or taken a different life path?

Would you love to glimpse at what I refer to as the road not taken?

I am reflecting on the crossroads in my life and the roads I didn’t take;

What would have happened if, at seventeen, I had stayed with the handsome lifeguard who was great to look at but didn’t talk much? When he did talk (not that often) it was one maybe two word type answers. I couldn’t cope with the lengthy silences…

What would have happened if I had not gone to university and remained a till girl in the teenage clothing department of C&A?

What would have happened if I had self published my first ever novel – a space romcom which defied the laws of science but was like – Bridget Jones in space – and I had become famous because of it? Plus the famous scene where they are doing saucy things whilst passing by the rings of Saturn would be like a legendary film clip.

My mind is boggling.

There are lots of good examples of alternate reality stories. In one of my favourite books, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Nora steps into a library filled with books representing different versions of her life. She gets to glimpse at the roads she didn’t take in life. In the film Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character misses or catches a train, leading to two different life outcomes.

I love how small moments can have a profound impact on your life; the text message you didn’t send, the bus or train you missed, the party invite you declined or the notebook you didn’t buy – the one which you would have taken to a writer conference and as you proudly waved it about you would have caught the eye of someone significant (my notebook addiction coming through here – sorry).

Can you imagine being able to see what would have happened if you had got on the bus or gone to the party?

Why do we love these types of stories? I suppose they tap into deeper emotions, such as regret and curiosity, and they make us ask whether there is such a thing as destiny? Or is everything down to chance?

Here are some things to consider when writing stories where the character gets to see an alternate reality:

What lesson is the alternate reality TEACHING your character? It’s not about how things could have been; it is about what the character needed to LEARN. Think about why your story needs alternate realities. It is a tool and it must be used to explore a character’s inner journey. It’s not just a gimmick.Think about what your character will think by the end? How has it changed them? Don’t go alternate reality crazy. Limit the number.

I will now go away and see if I can glimpse my alternate reality where I am a famous author of a space romcom which disregards minor things such as gravity, speed and time, has a legion of adoring fans who stop me in supermarkets to talk about that scene which took place as the spaceship flew past the rings of Saturn…

😳 Is That How My Life Could Have Turned Out? Writing About Characters Who See Alternate Realities #MondayBlogs 👀

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if… You had turned down that job, stayed with that love interest, gone travelling instead of going to university, or taken a different life path?

Would you love to glimpse at what I refer to as the road not taken?

I am reflecting on the crossroads in my life and the roads I didn’t take;

What would have happened if, at seventeen, I had stayed with the handsome lifeguard who was great to look at but didn’t talk much? When he did talk (not that often) it was one maybe two word type answers. I couldn’t cope with the lengthy silences…

What would have happened if I had not gone to university and remained a till girl in the teenage clothing department of C&A?

What would have happened if I had self published my first ever novel – a space romcom which defied the laws of science but was like – Bridget Jones in space – and I had become famous because of it? Plus the famous scene where they are doing saucy things whilst passing by the rings of Saturn would be like a legendary film clip.

My mind is boggling.

There are lots of good examples of alternate reality stories. In one of my favourite books, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Nora steps into a library filled with books representing different versions of her life. She gets to glimpse at the roads she didn’t take in life. In the film Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character misses or catches a train, leading to two different life outcomes.

I love how small moments can have a profound impact on your life; the text message you didn’t send, the bus or train you missed, the party invite you declined or the notebook you didn’t buy – the one which you would have taken to a writer conference and as you proudly waved it about you would have caught the eye of someone significant (my notebook addiction coming through here – sorry).

Can you imagine being able to see what would have happened if you had got on the bus or gone to the party?

Why do we love these types of stories? I suppose they tap into deeper emotions, such as regret and curiosity, and they make us ask whether there is such a thing as destiny? Or is everything down to chance?

Here are some things to consider when writing stories where the character gets to see an alternate reality:

What lesson is the alternate reality TEACHING your character? It’s not about how things could have been; it is about what the character needed to LEARN. Think about why your story needs alternate realities. It is a tool and it must be used to explore a character’s inner journey. It’s not just a gimmick.Think about what your character will think by the end? How has it changed them? Don’t go alternate reality crazy. Limit the number.

I will now go away and see if I can glimpse my alternate reality where I am a famous author of a space romcom which disregards minor things such as gravity, speed and time, has a legion of adoring fans who stop me in supermarkets to talk about that scene which took place as the spaceship flew past the rings of Saturn…

🪞 Writing About Magical Mirrors

Mondays have become a lot more interesting for me now that I can share my writerly thoughts on cool topics like time loops, curses (future posts), and now, magical mirrors.

I need a magical mirror in my house. One that guarantees me a reflection where I look 10 years younger and two stone lighter – ha! Waking up and gazing at my reflection would be such a wonderful experience. There would be no more groans, sighs, counting of new wrinkles, grey hair spotting, gasps or screams (when I am in my allergy season).

Let’s talk about magical mirrors and adding them to your stories.

Mirrors can bring tension, symbolism and wonder to your tale. With a sprinkling of creative magic you can do all sorts of fun things using your magical mirror. It can distort reality, explore a mysterious part of the person gazing into it, reveal hidden truths or act as a doorway to another world.

If you looking at add a magical mirror here are some things to think about:

Decide the mirror’s primary function is: is it a portal or a doorway to another world? Does it reveal hidden truths about a person’s character, or does it show something about the future?Use it to explore interesting things: Shame or regret (oooooh!) or who I could have been? (Oh gosh!) Characters who are lying to themselves are so much fun to write. Use the mirror to show them things they don’t want to see or accept. Cracked mirror fun: Let the mirror crack to signal the end of something or someone – gasp! For me, as a romance writer, it could signal the end of a relationship. Cracked mirrors are so unsettling as well so you will be building tension. Shake things up a bit: Maybe it could show someone else? Or another place or time? This is a common theme amongst magic mirrors generally: mirrors don’t lie – well maybe your mirror could lie?

Now I do love a spoonful of romance so here’s some considerations:

Does the mirror show a future love?

Does it show a romantic betrayal (oh gosh!)

Does it show their wedding day but they are not marrying their love interest

A mirror that shows what your love interest dislikes about you (enjoy! )

It cracks to show the love is over

Get those magical mirrors in your stories

I am off to search for a magical mirror which makes me look like a supermodel – sigh!

I am going to add the link to a fascinating post from my friend Icy Sedgwick – called Spells & Scrying: Mirrors in Magic, Mythology & Folklore. The Mirror Superstitions section is fabulous!

🪞 Writing About Magical Mirrors 🪞 #MondayBlogs

Mondays have become a lot more interesting for me now that I can share my writerly thoughts on cool topics like time loops, curses (future posts), and now, magical mirrors.

I need a magical mirror in my house. One that guarantees me a reflection where I look 10 years younger and two stone lighter – ha! Waking up and gazing at my reflection would be such a wonderful experience. There would be no more groans, sighs, counting of new wrinkles, grey hair spotting, gasps or screams (when I am in my allergy season).

Let’s talk about magical mirrors and adding them to your stories.

Mirrors can bring tension, symbolism and wonder to your tale. With a sprinkling of creative magic you can do all sorts of fun things using your magical mirror. It can distort reality, explore a mysterious part of the person gazing into it, reveal hidden truths or act as a doorway to another world.

If you looking at add a magical mirror here are some things to think about:

Decide the mirror’s primary function is: is it a portal or a doorway to another world? Does it reveal hidden truths about a person’s character, or does it show something about the future?Use it to explore interesting things: Shame or regret (oooooh!) or who I could have been? (Oh gosh!) Characters who are lying to themselves are so much fun to write. Use the mirror to show them things they don’t want to see or accept. Cracked mirror fun: Let the mirror crack to signal the end of something or someone – gasp! For me, as a romance writer, it could signal the end of a relationship. Cracked mirrors are so unsettling as well so you will be building tension. Shake things up a bit: Maybe it could show someone else? Or another place or time? This is a common theme amongst magic mirrors generally: mirrors don’t lie – well maybe your mirror could lie?

Now I do love a spoonful of romance so here’s some considerations:

Does the mirror show a future love?

Does it show a romantic betrayal (oh gosh!)

Does it show their wedding day but they are not marrying their love interest

A mirror that shows what your love interest dislikes about you (enjoy! )

It cracks to show the love is over

Get those magical mirrors in your stories

I am off to search for a magical mirror which makes me look like a supermodel – sigh!

I am going to add the link to a fascinating post from my friend Icy Sedgwick – called Spells & Scrying: Mirrors in Magic, Mythology & Folklore. The Mirror Superstitions section is fabulous!

⏰ Trapped in Time – 📝Writing Time Loops

I am a fan of books and films where characters get stuck in a time loop and are forced to relive the same moments.

My love of time loops probably stems from watching the movie Groundhog Day. I can still remember sitting on the sofa, shovelling popcorn into my mouth and watching that 1993 comedy with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It is a story of a man, Phil Connors, who lives the same day over and over again. Initially, he is a cynical and selfish weatherman, but by the end, after reliving the same day repeatedly, he begins to help and connect with others.

I love time loop stories because the characters get to learn from past mistakes, see the consequences of actions and immediately put that knowledge to good use.

Over the years I have read some great time loop stories:

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Every time Harry dies, he’s reborn into the same life.Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The character relives the day of her death over and over again until she can rewrite her legacy. The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. The character keeps reliving the moment his girlfriend dies.In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.
Her character is stuck reliving the same Christmas holiday until she figures out what (and who) she really wants.

As I am in my speculative writing era, here are some things to think about if you are writing a time loop:

Time loops are not gimmicks. They are clever tools for character transformation. It took me a while to see this, but it is true. The time loop forces a character to change. The character isn’t in charge of the time loop and this is what makes it cool. The only control they have is their reaction to the loops and doing unpredictable things to find a way of breaking it. You need to think about what sort of transformation you want your character to have. Is the time loop a tool for helping your character process grief? Facing an emotional truth? Or fixing a broken relationship? Think about Groundhog Day and the transformation Phil Connors goes through.Make the repetition feel fresh. There is a real danger with time loops that readers will get bored of the repeated moments. Don’t replay full scenes unless something significant changes.Make your character relatable and interesting. The reader is going to go through a lot for this character.The stages of your character accepting they are in a time loop and getting out of it. 1. repetition / confusion. 2. Fun experimentation. 3. Frustration. 4. A new hope. 5. Resolution. Rules of the time loop are key. You need to establish these early on: when does the loop get reset (examples might include death, midnight, or a specific decision)? Who remembers the time loop? Is it just the main character, or are there others who also remember it? It’s all about the exit strategy. How does your character break the loop? This is so important. To break the loop do they need to have learned something about themselves? Have they decided to change themselves? Or have they decided to forgive? This goes back to the purpose of the time loop and the transformation it is giving to your character.

As a romance author here’s some of my thoughts on how we can use time loops:

Exploring -The One That Got Away.’ Fate gives your characters a second chance at a break up they never got over or a confession they need to have made. Love this! To let someone go. Think lost love or processing grief, perhaps. Yes please and I will bring my box of tissues. Forced proximity. Trapped with your ex in a time loop – yikes! This has great potential and the stakes are high if enemies to lovers. Choosing the wrong person. The time loop forces them to see the error of their ways. Yes, yes, yes!

Enjoy writing your time loops.

⏰ Trapped in Time – 📝Writing Time Loops #MondayBlogs

I am a fan of books and films where characters get stuck in a time loop and are forced to relive the same moments.

My love of time loops probably stems from watching the movie Groundhog Day. I can still remember sitting on the sofa, shovelling popcorn into my mouth and watching that 1993 comedy with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It is a story of a man, Phil Connors, who lives the same day over and over again. Initially, he is a cynical and selfish weatherman, but by the end, after reliving the same day repeatedly, he begins to help and connect with others.

I love time loop stories because the characters get to learn from past mistakes, see the consequences of actions and immediately put that knowledge to good use.

Over the years I have read some great time loop stories:

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Every time Harry dies, he’s reborn into the same life.Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. The character relives the day of her death over and over again until she can rewrite her legacy. The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds. The character keeps reliving the moment his girlfriend dies.In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren.
Her character is stuck reliving the same Christmas holiday until she figures out what (and who) she really wants.

As I am in my speculative writing era, here are some things to think about if you are writing a time loop:

Time loops are not gimmicks. They are clever tools for character transformation. It took me a while to see this, but it is true. The time loop forces a character to change. The character isn’t in charge of the time loop and this is what makes it cool. The only control they have is their reaction to the loops and doing unpredictable things to find a way of breaking it. You need to think about what sort of transformation you want your character to have. Is the time loop a tool for helping your character process grief? Facing an emotional truth? Or fixing a broken relationship? Think about Groundhog Day and the transformation Phil Connors goes through.Make the repetition feel fresh. There is a real danger with time loops that readers will get bored of the repeated moments. Don’t replay full scenes unless something significant changes.Make your character relatable and interesting. The reader is going to go through a lot for this character.The stages of your character accepting they are in a time loop and getting out of it. 1. repetition / confusion. 2. Fun experimentation. 3. Frustration. 4. A new hope. 5. Resolution. Rules of the time loop are key. You need to establish these early on: when does the loop get reset (examples might include death, midnight, or a specific decision)? Who remembers the time loop? Is it just the main character, or are there others who also remember it? It’s all about the exit strategy. How does your character break the loop? This is so important. To break the loop do they need to have learned something about themselves? Have they decided to change themselves? Or have they decided to forgive? This goes back to the purpose of the time loop and the transformation it is giving to your character.

As a romance author here’s some of my thoughts on how we can use time loops:

Exploring -The One That Got Away.’ Fate gives your characters a second chance at a break up they never got over or a confession they need to have made. Love this! To let someone go. Think lost love or processing grief, perhaps. Yes please and I will bring my box of tissues. Forced proximity. Trapped with your ex in a time loop – yikes! This has great potential and the stakes are high if enemies to lovers. Choosing the wrong person. The time loop forces them to see the error of their ways. Yes, yes, yes!

Enjoy writing your time loops.

Speculative Concepts and Themes #MondayBlogs

I am obsessed with writing romance with a speculative twist. They are so much fun and a joy to write.

I have compiled a list of speculative concepts and themes that might be helpful for other writers considering similar projects. They may also prompt you to think of books you have read that incorporate these concepts or simply spark your imagination.

I only have to read the list below, and my fingers start to itch.

Time and Memory

Time loops. This is where a character relives the same day, date or event until emotional growth occurs.Selective Memory Loss. This is where a character forgets a person, relationship, or a single emotion.Memory sharing/transfer. This is where a character can touch an object/person and that lets them access someone else’s memories. Reliving alternate outcomes. This is where you explore “what ifs” from past decisions.Borrowed time. This is where a character is loaned moments from another’s life or timeline.

Parallel Lives and Multiverse

Split reality decisions. This is where you explore different reality outcomes. What would have happened if I had stayed or left?Finding a portal to a version of life. This is where you find a portal to a life you have lived differently.

Magical Realism and Objects

Mirrors, clocks that replay parts of life. Locked boxes or letters that open at the right point in life.App generared relationships that change something about reality.

Romance Spec Themes

Second chance romance under impossible conditionsChosen love versus destined loveEmotional amnesia and rediscoveryThe love that waited. Can you fall in love the same way twice?Undoing a mistake

I have no idea where this era will take me. All I do know that I can only write what I enjoy and what excites me.