My Writing Wishlist | A Novelist’s Bucket List

If the whiteboard in The Hollow is any indication, I have a LOT of ideas for writing new projects.

If you haven’t checked out my post on my writing space, one of my favorite features is a magnetic whiteboard measuring about 3×6 feet devoted solely to jotting down my thoughts. Sometimes it might be a line of dialogue or a name or even just a vague concept of something that could turn into a full plot, but it’s always an idea I’m excited to jot down—to the point I’ve been known to run down two flights of stairs and through the garage to get to the laundry-room-turned-writing-space before I forget. Between that, a hoard of sticky notes and scraps of paper scattered pretty much all over the house, and the notepad apps on my phone and computer, I would estimate I have at least half a dozen ideas for stories I could jump on at any given point.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this is why I have such a love/hate relationship with editing already-finished first drafts and like to shift between that and writing the next thing.

It’s not uncommon for these ideas to branch out from projects in progress. I’m already planning a novel revolving around William’s brother Francis based on events in Against His Vows and already know my next project will be getting a spin-off (that will in turn connect to yet another member of my ever-expanding To-Be-Written Pile).

I won’t be going too into details relating to stories I already have in mind for the sake of potential spoilers and the likelihood these ideas will evolve between the writing of this post and the writing of the story they become part of.

But I thought it would be fun to let my readers get a glimpse into my brain, so this is a post is about a handful of things I would love to write but haven’t yet. This post was inspired by the #MSWishlist trend on Twitter, through which agents and editors share the kinds of books they are looking for or interested in representing.

Letting The Dogs Out

Granted, I would love to include more animals in general, but canine companions rank highly on the list.

Apart from horses, which serve as both pets and transportation, the only animals have made a significant appearances would be instances like the cat in Guises to Keep who is a bit of a nuisance to James and the livestock on William and Miranda’s farm in Against His Vows.

In the project I’m planning to tackle once I’ve finished the first draft of Forged in the Salle, I’m intending for one of the protagonists to have a pet hound.

Kissing in the Rain

It’s perhaps a cliche for romance writers and in reality might feel like more of an inconvenience than incredibly romantic, but I would love to write a scene where the story’s love interests share a kiss in the rain.

While it does start sprinkling as one in Guises to Keep comes to an end, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I’m talking about an absolute downpour, with the characters so immersed at the moment they cannot even hear the thunder rumbling overhead.

This idea is in part based on what could happen after the fact. Drying off? Trying to find a place to wait it out?

Who’s to say? There is plenty of potential.

Expanding Horizons

Learning about other cultures and customs and intertwining them with those I am already familiar with is something I definitely want to do more of.

My historical fiction is set in Regency England, so my stories are set in real locations like London or fictitious towns in real counties.

However, I haven’t branched out beyond England, save for a few chapters set in Gretna Green up in Scotland (tied to characters eloping).

One thing I would love to include is characters either visiting other countries or characters from places other than England. At the moment, I have an idea or two for possible characters, but I’m not yet sure what story they are part of yet.

Hero and Leander

Hero and Leander is a Greek myth I first became familiar with through Aaron Tveit’s rendition of a ballad inspired by the titular characters.

To summarize briefly, Hero is a priestess of Aphrodite who resides in a tower in Sestos and Leander is a young man who lives on the opposite side of the Hellespont between her island and his home in Abydos. Leander fell in love with Hero and would swim to her every night. Hero would light a lamp to guide him (like a lighthouse).

Their romance lasted the length of a summer but when the weather turned cold, a wind blew out the flame Hero lit for Leander, causing him to lose his way and drown. Upon seeing his body, she throws herself from her tower and falls to her death.

I’ve made references to Greek myths in my fiction before, as much of Regency and Georgian Era architecture and fashion was influenced by Greek styles, but this is one story that hasn’t made an appearance yet.

I’m intrigued by the idea of flipping this story on its head somehow, particularly in letting both characters live.

Vampires

This is something I’ve had in mind well before I read Twilight (which was only last summer as part of this post), but was fueled by the information we are given about Carlisle’s backstory.

I love the idea of doing a historical fiction work that revolves around vampires. Oftentimes, these vampires have some tie to the Victorian, either that this is when the story itself is set or when one of the characters was turned. Even one of my favorite slot machines at the local casino features a reasonably sexy vampire dressed in Victorian attire.

While I do have an appreciation to the Victorian Era and absolutely love steampunk aesthetics inspired by it, the trend of Victorian vampires can feel overdone at times.

That’s why I would love to write a vampire-centric work set in a different time period. I do have some rough ideas for characters and a few scenes in mind, but I know it would require a lot more research into vampire lore and history than I feel able to do at this point in time. But when I am ready to sink my teeth into a new genre, it’s going to be a bloody good time.

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These are only a few of the things I want to try by hand at in writing. After all, I can’t give away all of my secrets!

I will say, though, that it might be a while before any of these ideas see the light because I have so many projects going as it is. But they could just as easily sneak their way into what is already in progress or become their own thing later down the road. And knowing me, there’s a good chance that a few more ideas are going to be popping up along the way.