Enthusiasm, optimism and drive to write have been in short supply recently. Re-defining relationships, holding on through good times, bad times and long distances became the more immediate concern; all while clinging to the blood sucking 9 to 5.  It almost feels like a trade; self development and understanding through human connection instead of creativity.  Human connections help to re-fuel, inspire confidence and increase personal growth. Without them I could not enjoy a family Sunday dinner or casually start writing at one ‘o’clock in the afternoon instead of ten ‘o’ clock in the morning thinking: it’s okay to just get a few things down without worrying about quantity. In truth that should have been last week’s fear but I was reminded that some days you have to go with what you’ve got.

The fairy godmother has been ditched, there was not enough time to explain the presence of the required wand, plus my protagonist needs support to pursue her career dream not her dream man. More importantly the fairy godmother is usually a part of a bigger story, it is a pivotal role and she deserves more respect than she was getting in a short story. Instead there is a re-imagined take on the role of the guardian angel in today’s world. The irony has not escaped me, but I have reasoned that this new twist is more believable, possibly because it spans across various religious beliefs worldwide and it can be a comforting thought in trying times.

With 10 days to go before the deadline the ending is taking shape, although other elements need better interlinks so the whole thing hangs together. After a slow but good start the rest feels like a mad scramble to the finish and final reveal; but to be fair it’s an active story with lots of characters, so maybe it is just a reflection of the action. Adding more dialogue will help the structure and character development and ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ is always better. It is not quite crunch time yet, but a step up in pace is required.  This is what happens when writing starts before brainstorming is finished; not the ideal situation to be in and it goes against everything I have been taught. Hopefully there is time for a cheeky deadline extension request, if the chips are really down.