A Tale of the Shapeshifters

𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆

Most of you don't know the story of how A Tale of the Shapeshifters began. Well, at one point in my life, I owned my own Discord server for writers (I deleted it because it became inactive). But my then-boyfriend (we will hear more about him later), who was a mod, decided it would be fun to hold a short story contest.

The premise of the contest seemed interesting enough. He had a list of multiple characters, settings, and plots. And then when someone wanted to enter the contest, he would roll the die to create a prompt for them.

My prompt? "A dragon", "a kingdom", and "saving someone from turning to stone". Well, I hope you can all see how that panned out. The dragon obviously became Sir Claudius; the kingdom was the United Kingdom, and then Athena saved Claudius from turning to stone by finding out who she was and learning to accept his death.

Lots of people entered into the contest but... only two people actually wrote anything, including myself. The other person had a one-page story which was complete but then mine... about a 50-page incomplete novella.

I had initially planned for this to be a short story—roughly thirty pages, but my mind just took off! I had more to do with Sir Claudius and Athena. It went from a short story to a novelette, to a novella, and now a complete, 100k novel.

The other person won that contest sheerly because their story was complete. I don't think anyone had planned (not even myself) that I would write an entire novel all based on a short story contest.

Moving on from that introduction, this is pretty much my COVID and post-COVID novel. I began writing the day after the March shutdown. I woke up, decided to begin my short story, went out on the front porch, sprayed a ton of bug spray, sat down in my rocking chair, and with my orange tabby (Leo), I began writing. Over the course of several hours, I wrote Part I as well as Chapters I and II. I've never changed that first line.

I wrote throughout COVID—my characters were with me, making sure I wasn't alone.

The whole time, I knew that this was an accomplishable goal. I never had a doubt I wouldn't finish it I think because I had never planned for it to be as long as it was. And so, voilà! It is complete! My first novel! After so many starts and stops, and tries and re-tries, finally, an original idea that I'd never dabbled in before—I've finally accomplished something.

As many of my readers know, I took a break when I started college and didn't write again until winter break. But I immediately started back up during the winter of 2020-21. It felt great to revisit these characters who I've grown to love and adore so very much.

But then, a tragedy happened. Remember my ex-boyfriend I told you about? He was the love of my life, I thought. He was the main inspiration for Sir Claudius. The two main characters' relationship was based on my own. So many of their interactions—even down to their first kiss—were the same ones as my ex and I had.

He read the novel, encouraged me to continue writing it, edited it. Heck, he even gave me the idea for it! He was so central to this novel that I still feel as though I should dedicate it to him!

Well, as life goes... the boy broke up with me.

Right on our two-year anniversary, on a phone call, while I was alone in my dorm late at night, at the beginning of the second semester of my freshman year.

I didn't know how to live for several months. I developed an eating disorder, I stayed in bed all day, I didn't talk to anyone. I wanted to die.

Athena's grief and misery when Claudius dies are reflective of my own grief I felt when my ex broke up with me. I didn't want to live because he had been so very much a part of me. I stopped writing during that time because I didn't want to write the last few lovey-dovey chapters Athena and Claudius had before he died.

But just as Athena accepted his death, I had to accept my ex-boyfriend didn't want anything to do with me. The old person was dead. The one I loved and who loved me was dead and gone. Athena processing this was also me processing this.

Of course, since this is a Beauty and the Beast tale, Claudius comes back to her. But I consider Claudius not as my ex coming back to me, but rather, someone new. Someone else will come into my life who will love me and I will love them. I won't give all of myself to them this time so that I can still be a whole person. I've learned better than that. I think that is the theme of this novel. There are multiple of course, but I believe this is one of the main ones.

I do still want to thank my ex (whose name will not be mentioned) for making me realize that I was loveable and that love is a beautiful, wonderful thing. Thank you also for giving me this idea for my first novel ever.

But other than that, goodbye.

Now, onto the acknowledgments of people who I do truly care about and are still in my life.

First of all, thank you to the wonderful people of the Bittersweet and Strange forum/Discord server for workshopping this piece and encouraging me as I wrote it. I truly appreciate all of the work and effort they put into editing the chapters they have. Love you guys!

Second of all, I'd like to thank everyone on the Quotev server that I am a part of, run by my dear friend, Red. They have helped me come up with ideas and brainstorm for this novel, as well as edit and do readthroughs of it. Thank you, Blue for reading the novel in its entirety (very quickly, might I add!) and being such a wonderful supporter. Thanks for also being there on vc to write with me! Thank you, Oli for being one of the first readers of this novel! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Your comments are always so supportive and make me laugh so hard. Thank you to Red for reading this novel and leaving such great, critical comments.

A BIG HUGE thank you to my best friend Fritz. I don't know what I'd do without you! This novel definitely wouldn't have been completed without your consistent encouragement, editing, brainstorming, idea sharing, and so forth. Literally, every time I updated, even if it's 2 am, you will be there to read it and comment. Thank you for all of your support and lovely words. You have no idea how much it means to me.

Thank you also to everyone who has read it and continued to read and leave comments. I appreciate you all so much.

Now, for some exciting announcements.

I have a few new things planned. First of all, I am currently writing a couple of new projects. One is a new Beauty and the Beast story. I will be beginning that soon.

I am also starting up a collab novel with Fritz. It will essentially be an Ice Age and Jurassic Park crossover!

I am not sure if I will pick When Lilies Pierce Thorns back up. I had planned to for a while, but I am not sure now since my heart isn't in it, but oh well. Keep on the lookout for that, though, if I do plan to continue it.

Y'all will love this. I am planning a short story that details the honeymoon of Sir Claudius and Athena! I've been planning this for months now, so it's not new. And... hint hint, wink wink, it will be rated M.

Now, for the most exciting announcement! A few weeks ago, while I was planning revisions for this novel (this is just the first draft that has been complete), I came up with a new title! And I've been waiting until this moment to share it with you all.

The new title is:

As the Wild Rose Blooms

I felt it was a bit more fitting and a bit more in line with Athena's character development.

Well, I believe that is all for now, folks! Keep on the lookout for the short story that will be upcoming as well as my new novels.

It has been quite the journey. Farewell.

~❦︎~ a lass with class ~❦︎~