Wattpad Block Party - Winter Edition III

Shaunallan Presents: On a Wing and a Play Day

On a Wing and a PlayDay

Some people, when they come to ask you to join them in a venture – or an adventure – you can't say no.  @KellyAnneBlount is just such a person.  After being a fan of hers already, and participating in the last Block Party (and now the upcoming one), I was overjoyed when she won the chance to write the final chapter in my Incarnate story on Wattpad.  And she smashed it.

So, when she asked if I'd like to be a part of an amazing new anthology, there was no way I could refuse and, looking at my fellow authors who are also taking part, I'm honoured to have my name up there with theirs.

And so, this is how the epic path to the completed story was walked...

A year ago and more, my daughter, 12 at the time, gave me an idea for a story.  A mermaid would, instead of gaining legs by magic, have her tail hacked off and have human legs sewn on – legs stolen from someone she'd murdered.

My twelve, now thirteen, year old gave me that idea.  Can you tell she's my girl?  I'm so proud.

Anywho.  We were at a place called the Captain's Cove.  It's a play area for children – all ball pools and slides – and we were talking about that story, And the Meek Shall Walk.  I told her how amazing it was that she'd given me something which had become so popular, being called both 'savage' and 'beautiful.'  I was already planning on moving on to Red Queen, my retelling of Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts story (with some Mortal Sin thrown in).  But that wasn't enough for Meg.  No, she wasn't content with me already having projects.  She wanted to throw another literary spanner in my plans.

Ed Sheeran was playing over the Cove's speakers.  He was singing about love gone wrong.  A nice cheery tune, as you can imagine.  Wings popped into her head, randomly it seems.  She connected the two and, whilst running around after her little sister, it developed.

When she came back to where I was sitting, writing, her mouth, as it's wont to do, erupted.  In about three seconds flat, she told me a story.  Or the barest bones of one, at least.  I had to ask questions.  She had pretty much vomited the words in my face – in a good way, of course.

Still, Meg had given me the start of something.  I liked it.  A lot.  The problem was, I had enough on.  Since finishing And the Meek Shall Walk, I've written for no less than seven anthologies.  Sharing Nightmares.  Dark Dreams.  Dark December.  The Cryptic.  The Decameron.  I'd also produced the story Tender Walks The Demon (which the amazing Kelly Anne Blount, host of this here Block Party, kindly finished) for the movie Incarnate.  Plus I had a birthday and a trip to Iceland.  It was a busy time, even without working on Red Queen and And the Meek Shall Swim.  So the story got was put to one side.  Id work on it later.  Possibly much later.

You notice I only mentioned six anthologies above?  Oh, you didn't?  Go check.  See?  Yes, six.  The seventh was a little beauty, coming March, called Snow.  I needed to write a story to a specific criteria.  When I thought about it, with a little modification, Meg's story fitted perfectly.  So what if I was busy?  So what if her idea had been put to one side until such a time as I could fit it in.

Now was that time.

I asked Meg to go over her idea.  She wrote some notes for me but left them at her grandparents'.  So she wrote some more.  I took her jottings and started the story, changing the bits I needed to, to suit the criteria set out by Kelly.  By the time I'd finished, I have to admit, I liked what I'd produced.  Not that I shouldn't, but this was a story unlike others I've written.  There's heartbreak, lost love and a choice which could change the fate of the world.

OK, so not entirely different.

Either way, below is the opening of Wings.  Mary Iamandi, who was good enough to edit the piece, has done a fabulous job of tightening up the flow.  Lucy Rhodes has, quite simply, blown me away with the stunning cover she created.  I hope it appeals to you.