Writing Wednesday - Introducing 'The Sorceress and the Squid'

  So it's another "Writing Wednesday", that day once every month where I share some of my writing with the wonderful people who follow this blog. Just so y'all know that I actually am writing things and not just pretending or anything of that sort. Also so I can find out whether or not I'm any good at this whole writing thing. :P

  Last month I shared my complete 1500 word short story, The Door-Sleeper, which you can find here. It is contemporary short fiction featuring a guy named Adam struggling to work through his wife's debilitating mental condition. And that's all I'll say, you'll have to go check it out for yourself. I would be honored if you did. :)

  In any case, this month's debut is a sample chapter from my second novel, The Sorceress and the Squid. A fairy-tale story centering on the escapades of sorceress, Estrella, and Jalen, the warrior she turns into a squid. You can read the full synopsis here on my "About My Writing" page.

  I am working on the edits for this one and am looking to self-publish it, probably on Amazon, within this year if possible. It's a really light-hearted work (it IS called The Sorceress and the Squid after all) but I really enjoyed writing it and I think it's a fun story worth sharing.

  I've even hired an artist friend to do some illustrations for me, which is super exciting! Micah Jonsson is a fellow homeschooler and fledgling concept artist who has graciously agreed to provide some art for my colorful little tale. I couldn't be more happy about it! Here are examples of some of his great designs below...

  I really love them, I think they are adorable renderings and I can't wait to see the full on illustrations!

  In any case, this novel has a bit of a backstory to it. The idea of a warrior squid came from a late-night messaging conversation I was having with my (then not) boyfriend, Jonathan. To make a long story less long, we basically came away with the decision that he was a secret ninja squid warrior and...yeah. My imagination is weird, okay? It sort of took off from there...

  So now, a year and a half later, I am working on the second draft of this rather creative piece of fiction. With the backstory I just mentioned I am rather fond of this story and even though it sounds a little ridiculous probably, I believe it's still an enjoyable and even educational read with themes like racial/species prejudice, betrayal and trust, the importance of knowing where to put your loyalties and some good old Spiderman-like "with great power comes great responsibility" stuff. Also, I think it's pretty entertaining too. I hope it will be anyways. 

  I should probably stop babbling now and just let you guys get to actually reading the darned thing! :P I have uploaded it to a Google Drive document which you can open and even make comments on if you see any typos or inconsistencies or have any questions or feedback. Any of that would be superbly appreciated. 

   Here is the link with which I am sending my baby out into the world. 

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read and maybe even leave a comment! It means so much to me to receive feedback. What sorts of stories are you working on and what has been the weirdest story of inspiration for you? Tell me about it in the comments!