Meredith Mansfield, Author

Well, I’ve started a little of my weird Oz story, but it’s not really flowing yet. So, I jumped in the way-back machine (fifty totally meaningless points if you get that reference) and pulled up my first novel (not counting the thing I did in college, of course). It’s THE SHAMAN’S CURSE.

Now, I’ve taken a couple of whacks at rewriting this before. I pulled out part of the story arc and wrote it as a middle grade novel I called MAGIC’S FOOL. I liked that pretty well, but I was persuaded that the age of the protagonist (thirteen in that version) would be a problem. I’m no longer sure that’s true, though. I’ve read other recently-published books that start with thirteen-year-old protagonists.

I tried again with a young adult version which started with the protagonist at fifteen, just like the original. I never got very far with that one.

Then I just got tired of trying to shoehorn the story (which I still love) into either of those categories. I like the original plot line better. Not that it can’t benefit from a few revisions and some tightening. Still, overall it’s the writing in that first version that’s the problem, not the plot.

So, that’s what I’m doing right now. I’m trying a rewrite of THE SHAMAN’S CURSE. It’s an interesting experience for a discovery writer to have essentially a 100,000-word outline to work from.

Reminder: You can read the first four chapters of BLOOD IS THICKER free on wattpad. I really have to get down to some serious planning for the launch. I might have to slip the release date back a little if I don’t make some definite plans by the end of this month. I can do that at this point, but it’ll get harder later.