Of Unlikely Beginnings and a Possessive Mother's Rants

Recently, yet another reader commented on the fact that my main WIP, Alomina, is almost finished. WAAAAAAAA!!!!!! And... like the possessive mother that I am, I lamented. Because I have a complex about finishing the story. I don't want to finish it because it feels like it's my baby growing up. Which I don't want to happen, naturally (again, I'm a very possessive mother. Heaven help my actual kids someday). :P But, as often happens with mothers, in thinking of my babies growing up, my thoughts reverted to memories of their beginnings...
Actually, most of my stories began absolutely nothing like they are now. Let's just say my babies changed a whole lot over the years. In fact, let me show you...

***

Alomina walked up the spiraled staircase, to her brother's room. He had been absent all day, and for days had gone out little. She finally reached Percy's room. She took a deep breath, knocked, and entered. Percy had his back to her, gazing at the window. Then he seemed to sense her presence, and he quickly turned around. Alomina nearly gasped. Her brother's usually strong face was thin and pale, and his dark brown eyes were deeply set with shadows under them. His hands were cold and thin-looking, his cheekbones were set even higher against his face than usual, and his slightly-curled dark brown hair was untidy and distraught-looking.

"Yes, what is it?" Even his voice sounded exhausted and depressed.

"It - it is time for supper", Alomina said, and then she hurried out of the room to stop herself from crying.

Percy was pining for her! - a girl he'd been with some nights ago... Alomina choked a sob and started going down the stairs. Oh, why did he have to fall in love with that girl?! He was eating less, sleeping less, speaking little, and staying in his room. Why did this have to happen?! Alomina shed another tear. She hated that lady, who had made her Percy this way. Alomina knew that she could never rest until this was ended...

***

Hahaha, and what you just read was the mostly unfiltered original idea scene for Alomina (from a little over three years ago). ;) Wanna know what happened? Celeise, cruel and heartless beauty that she was in this draft (who never actually made an appearance in what I wrote), lured Percy to her side and then broke his heart, abandoning him to the dust scornfully. Then Alomina finds out, gets furious for Percy, and she goes and secretly murders Celeise. Then chaos outbreaks, because Celeise is the princess, and then Percy finds out Alomina did it, he confronts her with angry reproach, and Alomina kills herself shortly afterwards in guilt and sorrow (with a confession), leaving Percy alone now mourning even more, and the blame is put on him for Celeise's murder and he is executed. Haha, cheerful right? And exactly like it is now, too, huh? ;) I can practically see the jaws dropping here (except that I've probably told this story a bajillion times, right?). :) Little, timid Mina, murderous? Suicidal? Celeise, a cruel despot of hearts? Haha, it's always hilarious to me when I think about it. Also, Percy's original name was Romero (because I planned on connecting the story to a play I had written, in which the main character's name was Romero). But my best friend and writing confidante - well, she didn't think it was such a good idea to connect them, and even requested that I write them separately. And, whether begrudgingly or willingly, I usually listen to her (because she is just about always right in these matters somehow), and so I changed his name to Percy and decided to write it as a separate story (which is good, because I trashed said play within the next few months of writing that first Alomina scene).

And so a new drama was born, called Alomina after the tragic (and melodramatically off) heroine. And then, somehow, as I started writing it, developing that deep bond between Percy and Alomina (to later be cultivated in her murdering someone for him, lol), it started dawning on me. These two are too good. Their bond just started coming through so brilliantly, I couldn't destroy it. I started thinking. This lady wouldn't murder anybody! This guy wouldn't allow it! These two can't get broken up! (In truth, they were actually mostly boring and void of personality characters at that time in the writing, but in my head they were much more vivid.) And so as I wrote the ball scene where the heartless beauty and Percy were supposed to meet, I broke off with all my previous plans. And I reverted to an old movie. What's the best way to bring a couple together? Make them fall apart. And so on their very first meeting, Percy and Celeise fought (mostly Celeise, though). And then I had to improvise (because I had just on a whim thrown away an entire nicely planned-out storyline). So I made Alomina meet somebody too. And he was supposed to make it still dramatic. He was the main villain who was against Percy and Alomina, and Alomina would fall in love with him and story could still be a drama. But then... I fell in love with him too somehow. So I took apart that plot as well, making a new main villain (and no weird murderous romances going on). But Montefore - as the original villain was called - remained a villain, just not the main one (which, of course, makes him more likeable). And from there, I'm sure you can see where it went. :)

And that's just Alomina.

Alagna also came from highly unlikely roots. I went out for ice-cream with my best friend/writing confidant (poor her - she was witness to all my dumb and crazy story ideas, haha). ;) And I had an idea for a poem.

Alas, she fell, to live no more -

For love a price she paid.

And all have told in ancient lore

The terror of that crimson blade.

The dramatic second-to-last stanza of a mini-epic poem. The poem - which later became a saga of long poems to be continued for a while - became an ancient Tresintan (yes, the country in Alomina) legend, called the Ellian the Fair (followed by The Tale of Ellian, Ellian's Demise, and last but not least, the Ballad of Ellian). It was a very cheesy poem, yes, but it's what Alagna takes roots from. When I played a game of "10-Page Story" (exactly what it sounds like) not long after, I used Ellian's tale again. Which was basically the tale of the most beautiful woman in the world who was desperate for true love - which no one gave her - and spurned most suitors because of this - driving one of them out of his mind - and then finally found a true love in the one man in her life that had never been her suitor before - only to be stabbed and killed by said insane suitor the night before her wedded bliss was to take place.

I know - hilarious, right? :P But there was this one adorable scene between her and King Edgar (who was said Mr. Right) when he was talking to her, and once I had trashed Ellian's story, my best friend (again right about my stories - as always) reminisced about that adorable scene lovingly. Of course, I was surprised that anything out of that story could be worthwhile, but I trusted the all-knowing oracle friend of mine once more and took that one scene. I changed the people, changed the names, and changed the background. And it was a miracle.  It was a brand-new story. So I then began the story from its proper beginning with these new characters, and it became Alagna (actually, there are several nods to Ellian's story within Alagna, which most people don't - and aren't meant to - know the back story of. For instance, there is a scene where Alagna is singing, and she sings a ballad - the Ballad of Ellian, in fact, which was the last and only one even relatively worth salvaging of the Ellian poem saga. And then Blakely's looks; he was based off of Edgar - although, unlike Edgar, is not any more than in his fancies beyond friendship with Alagna in the story). Also, in the very first prototype Alagna scene, it was spelled as a Nova-Italianization of Ellian's name, Elagna (but then my best friend took interest very vehemently in the story and insisted Alagna's name be spelled with an 'A', which I allowed and then later absolutely loved... I am lucky my best friend is so opinionated, haha). :P

And then the story of The Pain of a Memory. It started out as me cramming all my writing prompts into one story as well as I could and improvising completely other than that, but somehow it turned out as one of my neater, more put-together novels. Also, originally Rogan was going to reform and marry Anwynne. Weird. And kinda gross. :P But in defense of that, he was little younger in my head then, too. He's better as a villain, trust me. ;) Also, Angelo was going to be not that good, but then it started sounding too much like another novel of mine... *cough cough Alomina cough* Now, Angelo is pretty loveable. Can't wait for you guys to meet him! :)

Anywho. I could tell you a good few more stories about my babies, but I won't bore you so. I suppose the vague point of this rant post is that no matter how bad or weird your stories start out, they can change immensely. So don't trash them. Just... work on them. Who knows, they may be the best book you've ever written with some work! :) After all, on my side,

• Alomina de Blyrwen of Alomina was originally a suicidal murderess
• Celeise of Alomina was originally a cruel heart-collector
• Alagna was originally based off of an epic poem chronicling the assassination of a ridiculously pestered and exaggerated princess
• Blakely from Alagna originally existed because of a simple scene in which a sweet guy said "I love you" very cheesily
• Rogan from The Pain of a Memory was once a romantic interest for the person that despises him most now in the story
• Percy de Blyrwen's name was originally Romero, and he was originally Spanish (<---WEIRD)
• I used to end all my stories with everybody either committing suicide or getting murdered or being miserable for the rest of their puny lives because everyone else around them did those former two options

So! Just remember that a story can change pretty darn drastically - believe me, I know! ;) And... also remember how much a proud mother can rant about her children... :P
What did you think? Were you bored? Do you feel the same way about your characters? Am I the only one thinking that a movie (preferably containing Gary Cooper) sounds amazing right now? ;) (P.S. Yay! I just had my birthday today, and I am now convinced that my sister can make the most delicious and filling cakes on the planet - ever hear of her, you have to try her goods!) ;D