Meredith Mansfield, Author

Only two chapters left to go in the current WIP, MAGIC AND POWER. My fingers are starting to get itchy to type that magical “The End”. That never gets old.

Last week I posted a few possibilities for what I might work on next. My terrific critique partner, Donna (whose debut novel A CHANGE OF PLANS comes out the first week in June. Trust me, you want to read this. I’ll be reviewing it here on June 5th to convince you of that) commented her preference for my “weird Oz story.”

What I’ll actually work on next will be some revisions. I’ve got a sequel to BLOOD WILL TELL that needs at least one more pass. My middle grade fantasy adventure, MAGE STORM, goes out to my critique group in June, and by then MAGIC AND POWER may have rested long enough to start the second draft.

However, while I’m doing all of that, I’ll be working on some of the development of my “weird Oz story.” I keep putting that in quotes because, while Oz is part of the inspiration for this story, the actual story may not have much or anything recognizable to do with Oz.

This story got started when I was frustrated. I’d read one too many stories in which the female protagonist sat around an waited for some guy to show her what to do. This earns a throw-the-book-against-the-wall reaction from me. So, I was thinking about under what circumstances it would be okay for the female main character to need this kind of help.

One thing that came to mind was dropping my “Dorothy” into Oz–a world in which all the rules are different than the ones she knows. In that case, she might need someone to get her out of the results of an honest mistake–once or twice. After that, she’d better be smart enough to either keep herself out of trouble or learn to deal with it herself.

So, Oz. But this version won’t have Munchkinland or even a Wicked Witch. What it will have are a lot of folk tale elements turned on their heads. What you think would be cute and fuzzy and safe, will be the most dangerous. And things that look spooky, might just be the only things you can trust.

Before I can start, though, I need to decide what kind of story this will be. Will it just be about “Dorothy” (that probably won’t actually be her name) getting home, like “The Wizard of Oz”? Or will it be about something bigger? And if so, what?

As always, new chapters of FIRE AND EARTH and BLOOD WILL TELL are available on wattpad.

And, before I close,

Happy Memorial Day

My father.