When I started posting these to social media I wrote up intros that cover stuff like new characters or where my brain was at the time or other babble
These are them
Part 1
3.19.2020
Last year at this time I was writing a story for/with a great group of people. For reasons that aren’t relevant I lost that opportunity.
It made me sad for a lot of reasons, one of the biggest being that I felt I’d just hit my stride with this story and was very excited to see how it played out and where it went and find the joy a writer gets when people respond well to what they have created. I’d put a lot of effort in already and it actually ached to let it go.
Over the year I worked out various scenarios where I didn’t have to, eventually realizing I could JUST WRITE IT. Release it like Dickens did back in the day – in installments. Let people, if they wanted to, read it.
I stripped out all references to the world it originated in as I no longer have any connection to it, roughly sketching out a new mostly Urban Fantasy one where people with Magick live alongside those without. And I peopled it with the players I knew/know. Some started this story with me, some I wanted to draw in but never got the chance. I picked six and inserted myself because I “needed” a narrator. Not to say maybe others might not be included eventually – if I need a Bard I know exactly who is getting drawn into my fantasy world; its their damn fault for singing so good they make my soul radiate joy – but a party of seven already is challenging my ability to write as I prefer a more intimate, single pov style and fight to not head hop. If you read it and recognize yourself – congratulations we made a character baby. And if you read it and think “no way I’d say that” let me know – that’s what editing is for.
On that subject, this thing is largely unedited., I wanted to retain the feeling of LARP writing where you get One Chance to tell your story and if you miss something or mess up then you fix it later in the story.
I finished the first part of the story last night – its based on events that happened but with *heavy* edits to add people who weren’t there but should have been in my mind and also to streamline the action. Writing for a LARP you are always aware that if you insert the chance for a quiet moment for one person then you risk the others in the group being disengaged so you throw in some razzle dazzle and some extra monsters to keep them entertained. I didn’t want to do that in a written work because I *want* that quiet, personal, growth moment to shine.
If you are in this and really hate the idea of that let me know. I can edit you out. I’ll be sad, there may be tears, but I can do it. Just know each and every one of you is in there for a reason – mostly because I think you are awesome and I hate not being able to tell my story with you.
*
So in my first post regarding this writing project I’m referring to as my Fan Fiction I indicated if someone had a problem with something I had “their” character which I based off of them but in truth am mostly pulling out of my imagination I’d change it
To that end, based on input, I’ve edited the entirety of what I’ve written. I removed a character, adding a new one in the role. But, being they are a different person some variations had to occur. Same actions, different person and therefore different reactions, personality, and also interaction with other characters.
And, again, I will say, if you want edits let me know. This is a work in progress, a work of fiction but with personal touches that might be wrong. I have no way of knowing if Ben has an issue with mice but it worked for the story so My Ben has this. Nor do I think Gwen would make comments on Ivan’s bu… wait, that would probably happen.
Anyhow, welcome Prairie to the silly little fantasy I’m spinning around people I admire and think are awesome.
Part 2
3.21.2020
The completely unedited Part 2 of Enter the Woods is up
Chapters 7-12
Because I HAD TO – this thing is demanding to be told! Still loosely based on things that actually happened so it almost wrote itself. (real loosely based. super loosely based)
I put Ben and Prairie through some shit. Just a little shit and…
A new character is hovering on the periphery – let’s see what happens next…
Part 3
3.24.2020
Part 3 is up
Chapters 13-17
17 is short but it felt like a chapter. I dunno.
We’ve reached the point that never happened. Its all off-road from here!
You might notice that these read as slightly episodic (Parts 1, 2, & 3 so far) – that’s because I’m breaking them down as if they were mods a PC group would go on in search of threads to reveal and explore a large overarching story.
I also think I’m going to make a separate post listing all the songs because, as Gwen stated, this soundtrack is growing
Part 4
3.27.2020
Just finished and posted the next section of Enter The Woods
Part 4 – Chapters 18-26 (seems like a lot but I tried to keep them short for the sake of posting)
In this part we meet a new character – Patti – and I can genuinely say the story is better for her. Like why wasn’t she there from page 1, Kim?!
Additionally there’ s a short guest pass by Kelly
That’s it. I’m tired. But damn if writing this isn’t giving me something to look forward to every day. I’m really enjoying where its going. I realize a little more with every scene I write because the structure is planned but the action is kind of sketchy and what these characters are going to do? I really don’t know until it pours out of my fingers and into the computer.
Part 5
4.7.2020
Part 5 of Enter The Woods (Chapters 27-34) is finished and I just posted it on my wordpress page
In it someone is put in peril. Then there’s some more peril. And somebody realizes something. Maybe more than one person does. I know I did 
🙂
As I said before everything from Part 2 on has been an exploration of the unknown as I move forward with this story that has been keeping me invested and interested and present in my life.
Every time Patti (and Sassy the mouse) breaks into song makes me happy. Every time someone tells me what they want to do (in this Part that would be Ivan) my heart expands just a little. Every time Gwen does something I *know* she’d do – no, really, she would – I settle in my content.
I am genuinely loving how the story is unfolding. I now know who the villains are (secret? I didn’t at the start). And while there aren’t any new characters in Part 5 there will be in Part 6 as I *finally* figured out where Tom fits into this (I got the BIGGEST smile when it came to me).
I really hope you will enjoy (or have been enjoying) it
Part 6
4.24.2020
It’s been a while for this – Part 6 of Enter The Woods (Chapters 35-45) is finished and I just posted to my wordpress page.
Enter the Woods, for those just joining (or who may have forgotten) is what I’m calling fan fiction written for and about my friends that takes place in a world like ours but where Magick exists (Urban Fantasy)
In Part 6 we meet a new ‘character’ – Dempsey. I was super stoked to figure out how Dempsey fit into this story and even more stoked that he *did* fit once I got writing.
There are 6 Parts to date because I am writing these in an episodic fashion that mirrors how storytelling takes place at a LARP – where adventures play out as mods which then have follow-up in roleplay between characters in a public setting. Part 6 starts with just such roleplay – because Part 5 contained traumatic elements for one of the characters I felt needed processing.
The group is now 9 large – and I think I’m upwards to the max I can write. As it stands I have to keep a list of everybody and then map out where they are within each scene. Worth it though because each of them has a part to play and will be integral to the completion of these adventures.
I might have other people do drive-bys but unless I have a compelling reason to add a *tenth* person this is probably the group that will ride this story out to the end.
I really hope you’ve been reading this and are enjoying it. Again – I am really loving writing it. It gives me something to look forward to daily and also gives me a deep sense of accomplishment to be following through on something.
Part 7
5.29.2020
Just finished Part 7 of Enter The Woods in a sweat of creativity and ambient humidity. That would be Chapters 46-59 – because why not have confusing numbering, right?
This Part was dot dot dot Difficult for me. Not in a bad way, per se, but there is a lot of personal stuff in it that took some slogging to push through. I started writing this as a way to get some stuff out – and its morphed into a way to really get some *stuff* out. It can take skill to distance yourself from your characters when you write – in this case, with me being one of the characters, it makes it even more of a challenge!
Part 7 introduces a new character – Abe – who I’d planned as a cameo because – darn it – ten characters are a LOT to juggle! I have to have a list below what I write telling me where Gwen is and Siobhan is and Ben is (often unconscious – sorry, Ben! The consequences of an adventurous spirit catch up to us sometimes.) and on. I have a hearty respect for people who run tabletops and keep track of all the characters and their actions! Anyhow, back on point – the character of Abe was supposed to be a cameo. I intended for them to get information to Dan about his Magick, because Dan needs to learn about that right quick what with him being the host for Hope, but they add A LOT to the group and maybe that’s not just for this Part.
Music plays a very large part in Part 7 – so, of course, Patti gets a chance to stand out. Boy I hope I did right by this!
Part 7 (hopefully) starts to reveal more of the story and the world (hopefully – needs to be repeated again)
I have not reread this – not at all as – back to the top – this was a difficult Part for me to write. I’m pretty sure I messed up at least one medical thing (even though Prairie Irizarry gave me actual medical facts when I asked for them) and there’s probably some misspellings and potentially grammatical issues so I’ll probably (eventually) go back and read it slash fix it. But, for now, here it is in its unedited “glory”
Part 8
9/10/2020
Part 8 of Enter The Woods is in the bag. On the books. In the can. Whatever applies. It’s long. As in, it’s a book. I’m writing books. Who knew? Not me.
What started out as a project to finish a story I’d begun at a LARP but was unable to complete has become so much more. I’m still telling that story. This is where it would have gone if it had continued to evolve on the “live stage” of the LARP it originated at. Although the action unfolds in a standard narrative storytelling style (I hope!) I can still see how it could have been made to play out at a game.
Part 8 is longer than the others because there’s a lot more story packed in. Things poured from my brain to my fingers to the document that I wasn’t expecting but that’s what you get when you are writing people and not characters, I suspect. Everyone has a chance to shine in some way in Part 8. Abe, who was in theory a “guest star” in Part 7 is back because they fill a gap in the story that I think is very important, so going forward they’re here to stay. That brings the “roster” up to 10 people, which is a big cast but only a slightly large “mod group” (that’s my logic). I just couldn’t find a way to get rid of them! Any of them. Yet. Duh duh duh. Kidding.
Hopefully you find my friends as awesome, funny, smart, and endearing as I do and will keep on checking in on their progress as they explore a mystery which challenges their understanding of themselves, their world, and the forces that threaten to change it and them forever.
Episode 9
(I’m calling these Episodes now because really that’s what they are – Episodes in an overarching story)
11/7/2023
So, its been a DAY since I last posted something along these lines> Enter the Woods Episode 9 is on the books. Or the website.
At this point this story is only probably on my mind – considering how very, very long its been since I finished and posted Episode 8 in 2020 <!>.
Life happened. My creativity dried up. And the harder I pushed to make it flow the drier it got.
So very dry.
I’ve been prodding at it – like a sore tooth – for a few months and making very little headway. Then some of my friends decided to do Nanowrimo. At first I thought “So much pressure. From myself. So. Much. Pressure. I’ll probably block myself WORSE.” But, eh, okay, maybe?
I started back at Chapter 4 on November 1st. The chapter had been sketched out over the years since Episode 8 but I just kept digging at it. Like I do. This time I just wrote. Let myself get back to the storytelling because, darn it, this story feels good to me! It needs an ending.
Today November 7th I officially put her to bed. 10 chapters and I hit that point I knew it needed to be to hook the rest of the story. Thanks, Nanowrimo!
I’ve left at a point which hopefully promises to pull back the curtain in the Episode 10.
Episode 10
3/20/2024
It’s amazing to me how sometimes my fingers know things my brain does not.
That happened a lot in Episode 10. I’d type something. A lot of something maybe. Then I’d stop and frown and go “Uh, how did that happen?” It was usually followed by “Wow. That adds so much.”
When I write I plan things out so for this to happen – for characters to do things I didn’t expect them to do, but that were actually well within the frame of who they are, makes my brain and heart very happy. I really hope when you hit these you don’t think they are jarring but understand that they are a diversion down a path that gives you a deeper insight into the person living the story.
A great deal is revealed in this Episode. The curtain is pulled back. A little. Not completely! But a little. Some secrets are revealed. Some questions are answered. Others are definitely asked. Not going to go further than that because this is an exploration I want you to make on your own – hopefully you really enjoy the deeper trip down the path into The Woods. And hopefully you want to travel further with people who are my friends and I really hope are becoming yours!
Enter The Woods 