Melody Writes

Hello! Once again, life has shifted my plans. Some personal stuff has been going on, but also I am deep into Crystal Lake's Author's Journey Novella Writing Course  and am enjoying it immensely. Not only does my novella benefit from the eyes of experienced editors, but we get regular webinars on a variety of writing topics.  My novella is a retelling of the Sisyphus myth (the guy who pushes the rock) and his adventures in the Underworld. It feels good to possibly be able to finish a long form Greek Myth retelling. I'm about halfway to my projected word count and actually have the rest of the story plotted out. More to come as I continue... But, this blog post is about catching up. I have decided to do something new - a reading plan for the month of July. Usually, I read by the seat of my pants. I pull books on whims, start new ones without finishing the old, bounce around, realize an ARC is due... etc. No real plan. But I was watching a fun Youtube channel - Cliff's Dar...

When I was younger, I often felt like stories focusing sibling relationships were hard to find. There was often too much emphasis on romantic relationships or friend groups. I am not sure how much of that is true, or just in my memory. I have a brother who I am close to and because of all of this, I am drawn to stories that centre sibling relationships. I also enjoy stories about characters who experienced something while they were young that returns to haunt them in adulthood (thankfully, that preference is not based on my real life). Children of the Fog hits on both these themes. Lizzy and Dylan went through a traumatic experience together when they were children, and it tore them apart. Lizzy dreams of a "normal life" where she can forget the scars of her past and Dylan refuses to let go. Lizzy has a career and a loving partner, while Dylan is a homeless nomad, existing in the less acceptable parts of society. But the sinister presence that ruined their childhood is ba...