WRITING REALITY CHECK: 42,897 Words & A Plot That Surprised Me

Sometimes your story has other plans When I started The 19th Prince, I thought I knew exactly what I was writing: a dark, spicy enemies-to-lovers romance where Prince Ahleed would be at King Hassan's beck and call. Simple. Steamy. Straightforward.
Then my characters threw me a curveball. 

What began as sexual tension in the Crystal Palace suddenly involved children in peril and a conspiracy that goes straight to Hassan's inner circle. Someone is trafficking people right under the king's nose, and now I have a full-blown thriller/mystery subplot that I... honestly didn't think all the way through. 😅
The struggle is real
I know romance. I can write enemies-to-lovers in my sleep. But weaving a suspense subplot that actually makes sense? That's pushing me into new territory, and I'm learning that "pantsing" a mystery is way harder than pantsing a romance!

Thank goodness for writer friends who specialize in suspense - currently getting schooled on proper subplot structure so this story can be both the dark romance AND the thriller it wants to be. 📚

Sometimes the best stories are the ones that challenge us as writers, even when they make us want to pull our hair out
Fellow writers
Ever had a story completely change direction on you? How do you handle when your characters hijack your plot? 

​

Until next time...
...happy reading!

​~ Stephy​