Have you ever had a story just come to you from the depths of your soul, but you didn’t realize its origin until much later? Well, that’s what happened to me. The day was Friday, May 12th, 2023. I was listening to the same music I always do, but for some reason, that night, the lyrics spoke to me differently than they usually do, and a whole story sprung to life in my mind.
I could see it: three girls were walking together in the twilight, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. One of them stopped to daydream about going away somewhere large and grand, somewhere different from their tiny town in the middle of nowhere. She wanted to find handsome men to dance reels with. Of course, the other two girls were the voice of reason, chiding her for being so unseemly.
The girl didn’t care what her friends thought. In fact, she tried to convince them to come with her. One was firm on not going, but the other was swayed. Just before they were supposed to leave, the dreamer fell in love with someone right there in her small town, and she decided to stay. Her friend she convinced to travel with her still wanted to go on this trip, so the third friend decided to go with her and keep her out of trouble. They would have many adventures along the way, and girl two would fall in love, deciding to stay in the new place. Meanwhile, girl three also fell in love, but her heart was broken by that man, and she was going to end the story realizing her self-worth and the beauty of waiting for true love.
Pretty interesting, right? That was everything; all of that came to my mind like a bowling ball making a strike. I began searching for names, making character portraits, finding more songs as inspiration, putting together a playlist, brainstorming more scenes, and eight days later, I began writing the first draft. The words flew onto the page with furry. Characters I had yet to think of manifested from thin air. Personalities developed and ran wild. Soon enough, most of the story had changed. Suddenly all three friends were traveling together, plus two other characters, one who didn’t exist until chapter two.
I had to stop and reevaluate where this story was going. After a day or two, I regained control, forming a partnership between my inspiration and my logic. Every day I wrote 2,000 or more words. The chapters ranged between 1,500 to 3,000 words each. I hit a groove, and they became consistently 2,000 words each. Six weeks later, on June 30th, I completed draft one of A Week in Galerod, stopping at 33,969 words.
I had never written a story that long that quickly. I knew instantly this was a special story. I didn’t realize until I finished draft two that the story reflected my thoughts and feelings about graduating college, leaving my friends, moving home, and finding a job. The ending events of the story were almost the way I wish my life could go, but metaphorically, it is how my life is going.
I don’t want to give you exact details, that would spoil the story for you, and I would hate to spoil it for you. Now you’re probably wondering why I told you all that if I don’t want to spoil it. I’m glad you asked. It’s because this story holds a special place in my heart, and I wanted to share a glimpse into why. I can’t express enough just how much excitement is seeping from me. It’s too much and I have to release some of the pressure. But I also have exciting news to accompany this exposition.
A Week in Galerod has successfully passed through beta readers, and I am starting draft four (maybe five, I lost count) this week! You might be interested to know that the feedback was wonderfully positive! There are some places that still need some smoothing out, but it’s almost there! Squeals into a pillow. Seriously, I cannot wait for you to read it!
I plan to have this book ready to sell on Saturday, October 21st, 2023*, but you can read it for free if you sign up for my monthly newsletter! When you sign up, You’ll also get exclusive content and the latest updates, as well as cover and other content reveals before I post them to my socials. The next email will be sent out on Friday, October 6th! If you sign up now, you’ll receive the book blurb and advanced cover reveal, both of which will not go live on social media until October 17th! On the 21st, you will receive a link to your free ebook copy of A Week in Galerod. Remember to confirm your address when you sign up so you receive all the emails!
Thank you for choosing to join me on this journey. I can’t wait for you to read this story. Be sure to come back for a new short story this Friday, the 29th. While you wait for that, leave a comment about a time when inspiration struck you and you couldn’t help but follow its every whim. Also, be sure to check out my Instagram to learn more about the songs that helped to inspire A Week in Galerod. Until next time!
-Beth
*Due to unforeseen events, the publication date of A Week in Galerod has been postponed. The new publication date is TBD. Thank you for your patience.
Beth Freemont 