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Today’s song is one that YouTube put in the “You Should Watch This” (or as they call it Recommended) section of my front page about a week ago, and it has been replaying in my brain a lot — over and over and over.  That has, of course, led me to rewatch the video and reinforce that replay. 🙂  It’s a “vicious” cycle, but one with a purpose — a writing purpose.

JoJoMasonVEVO. “JoJo Mason – Something to Wrap My Heart Around.” YouTube. YouTube, 09 June 2017. Web. 08 July 2017.

When I heard the song, it just seemed to embody the sort of idea I wished to convey for the hero in my current work in progress, so listening to the song was a great way to focus my mind as I got ready to write this week (before I switched over to the instrumental music for writing.)

And it was a great week of writing for me. The best I have had in about two months!

The result is that the first draft of Henry’s story is complete! Completing that draft is always an exciting moment. Of course, that means I must now start first round edits on it — that part is not as exciting. LOL I am hoping that if all goes well, this story will be available in August.

That is what I have to work on this weekend (I am writing this on Saturday) — planning.

I have once again finished all the projects that were on my 90-day plan (all the sticky notes on the calendars above my desk have been removed!), and I must create a new 90-day plan.  The only things I know for certain will show up on the plan for August, September, and October are the publication of His Beautiful Bea as well as Henry’s story in August and the final Thursday Three Hundred post of With the Colonel’s Help (with publication shortly after).  So the slate is pretty blank.  I have a list of things from which to chose —

Another Dash of Darcy story

One of the stories that have been circling in my brain and follow Henry’s story

Another Touches of Austen story based on Sense and Sensibility

Some short stories

Or…

There’s that list of plot bunny ideas I could revisit

Though I have all those options, I’m always open to suggestions of what readers would like to read, so feel free to drop ideas in the comments if you would like.

Now, for a bit of what I wrote this last week. I can’t share what I wrote in my last writing session as that was the conclusion of the story and, unlike me, not everyone likes to read the end of the book before reading all the rest of it.  🙂 So, I will give you what I wrote in my first writing session last week…which happens to star the young lady the Henry has found his heart wrapped around.

On a personal side note: I’m rather excited about this book. I know I started out very nervous about it, and those nerves are still there.  However, the story was great fun to write, and I actually found myself liking this Henry Crawford and was happy to see him finally get his HEA.  Hopefully, when it is ready to publish, there will be readers who will also be ready to take a chance on a reformed Henry.  🙂

AN EXCERPT from Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy:  Continue reading Music Monday: Something to Wrap My Heart Around, JoJo Mason

I have made a few additions to my Music to Write By Playlist over the last few weeks.  One of those songs is the one below. Not only is it a new song on my playlist and beautifully performed, but the idea of the song’s lyrics kind of goes with the story I have been working on this week.

ThePianoGuys. “Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis) – The Piano Guys.” YouTube. YouTube, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 01 July 2017.

But first, one writing news note — Tomorrow, June 4, 2017, is my day to post at Austen Authors. I will be talking about a favourite movie I watched last week and sharing a bit of history about Canada while I explain what I admire about the antagonist of the film.  I hope you get a chance to stop by.

Now, back to why I chose the video above.

If you have been following along with the Monday posts, you know I have been focusing on Mansfield Park related stories and that the subject my current work in progress is Henry Crawford.  I am attempting to help him find happiness.  His disastrous affair with Maria Bertram and the subsequent loss of any hope of ever gaining Fanny Price’s love left him somewhat miserable according to Jane Austen.

…we may fairly consider a man of sense, like Henry Crawford, to be providing for himself no small portion of vexation and regret: vexation that must rise sometimes to self-reproach, self-reproach, and regret to wretchedness, in having so requited hospitality, so injured family peace, so forfeited his best, most estimable, and endeared acquaintance, and so lost the woman whom he had rationally as well as passionately loved.

Austen, Jane. Mansfield Park (p. 334). . Kindle Edition.

Now, in Mansfied Park, Henry was not supposed to fall in love with Fanny. He was supposed to make her fall in love with him — I’m not sure what he planned to do after she fell in love with him. Break her heart, perhaps? It seemed rather important for Henry to be loved by women and looked at with fondness. I mean, it is the coldness of his reception from Mrs. Rushworth that makes him wish to make her Miss Bertram, the girl who loved him, once more.

My story is based on the premise that Henry’s wretchedness was his turning point, and after some soul-searching, he has begun his transformation into a respectable fellow before page one of my story. From there, he must prove that he is worthy of a respectable lady.  He has enlisted the help of a friend’s sister to help him learn the sort of gentlemen a respectable lady prefers.

He and she are both warned that such arrangements can be dangerous. Hearts can become engaged where you least expect them to.  Henry should know this from his time with Fanny, but…sigh…Henry seems a bit of a slow learner on that count.  He finds himself once again falling in love with a lady he never intended to love.

EXCERPT from Henry: To Prove Himself Worthy: Continue reading Music Monday: Can’t Help Falling in Love, The Piano Guys