My second story with Havok!
I write these blog posts for myself because I want to remember the journey leading up to the day of publication. I want to remember how hard and joyous and hard-fought it was to even submit it. Publishing it is the cherry on top. And I write them for creative whimsical humans, readers, and anyone really who wants a peek into the life of one creative whimsical human. I’m a regular ol’ human like you.
I work and wash dishes, and feed cats three times a day. I happen to also love words and putting them together to create stories, much like you can sing or bake, paint or read, edit YouTube videos, or use your God-given intellect to draft houses and buildings and bridges, create/design games, raise babies, run a business, sell curriculum, perform surgeries. We all have something we love. This is mine.
Note: We are in the middle of Season 12 at Havok, Multiversal. Ethel Grieves is the prompt/theme for this month. Every weekday of June there will be a different story featuring Ethel. She is an original character created by Kara Swanson. We wrote stories about her based on the information Kara provided. There’s another key character in this story: Miriel Takkenridge, another original character created by Gillian Bronte Adams; her stories will be featured on Havok next month.
When I read about both of them, they felt like perfect opposites and also perfect compliments. If anyone could be Ethel’s friend it’s Miriel, and if anyone can get Miriel home it’s Ethel. I reallyyyyy wanted to write and submit a story for Miriel, but I’m still learning how to manage my time with revisions and drafting, so it didn’t get finished, but one day I’ll write the continuation from Miriel’s point of view. We wrote their stories based on the Character Profiles their authors provided.
My version of Ethel in “Friend and Foe” will be available to read all day on Havok Publishing’s homepage. Thank you for taking the time to read it and this blog post.
Dear Ethel,
Whooooo girl, what a journey! I believed in this story so much. I can’t even believe we’re here.
Friday, 3/21/25
~7:30am // Before my daycare shift, I sat myself on the living room floor, my writing group on Zoom, and cut up the final-ish draft to try and figure out a better order for the story. Still sitting at 2,200 words.
8:30pm // Ant read it for the last time that night because it was still too long and some details felt too convenient. I had my own Dark Night of the Soul moment (that moment where the main characters think all is lost): I debated not seeing it through to the end because it still felt sooo messy. Too hard. But I believed in this story so much. I believed that this version of Ethel could find hope.
9:30pm-ish // It’s down to 1,200 words! Still going!
10:38pm // Got it down to 975 words and no spelling mistakes that I noticed at 10:30 at night. Finally hit submit on Havok’s submission form for my Ethel Grieves story, originally titled “Used to Being Used.”
Monday, April 7th
I read the email that it had been accepted *tears* And the entire month of April was spent revising and editing. It was so fun! The story looks a bit different than the original version I submitted, mainly in structure/formatting. It’s told in chronological order now instead of starting with a dramatic end scene and telling critical information through a flash back. But the bones of the story are the same. Also, Henry and the chess scene got to stay. They were in the original draft and I’m so glad Henry got to stay in.
I’m so thankful I saw Ethel’s story through to submission. I’m so excited to share my version of her with readers. The best way to support a writer’s story: read it, share it, leave a comment. It would so appreciated!
…
This story is dedicated to:
To God // “Won’t he do it!” in the words of Annie F. Downs because it’s by his love and kindness that this story I submitted with an hour and a half to go before the deadline was accepted and became the story you’re reading today. I’ve listened to my playlist full of worship songs and hymns this morning because it’s right to give him the glory for this. He instilled in me this desire to write and create worlds and characters and stories, and only He truly knows how much it brings peace and contentment to my heart and soul.
Anthony // who read the original versions many times and let his creative whimsical wife cancel movie night so I could submit this story on time. And then he read later drafts and might’ve helped me come up with the new title. Thank you! I love you to the moon and back, babe 🙂
To the Havok editors // Techno Tuesday Team, you were a dream to work with! Thank you so much for caring for my story and letting me ask questions and put my thoughts right back into the Word doc every time I sent it back.
Andrea Renae // The amazing cover designer! Andrea is a beautiful writer of novels and flash fiction herself and she recently-ish joined the Havok Hive as a graphic designer and it’s amazing. Uh-maze-ing. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the beautiful representation of “Friend and Foe”. The entire design team at Havok are brilliant!
Hedgies coming in hot here!
Tamara // That week of submission, you asked about how this story was coming along A TON! And I am so grateful. Without that, I’m not sure I would’ve committed to it.
BFF Hannah T // for waiting so patiently for the original draft in March and then helping me edit and revise a google doc in real time mid-April to get revisions back to the editor in a timely manner.
Jess J // That Friday night of the dealine, Jess was on the zoom link with me writing her own story while I wrote Ethel’s. It was so nice to have a hedgie for company 🙂
Bestie! // My best friend across the pond (multiple ponds?). I asked a question about something one night while writing together and that prompted us to come off mute and chat about it, and then she asked if she could read it. And I was like, “Oh my gosh, yes please!” The story is better for her feedback.
AJ // Back in February when I submitted a story for Havok’s prompt for the character of Phezznibbet Maplebark, I asked my writing friends in the zoom chat for the name of an oceanside town, and AJ gave the idea of Searock Grove and I have carried it onto Ethel’s story.
Lastly, to my family and friends // Who always ask how my writing is even when I have no good answers and cheer me on regardless, and then let me bombard them with info like this when a story actually goes live. I love you all. Thanks for the support ❤
To anyone who takes the time to read this, thank you. Thank you. It never ceases to amaze me that creative whimsical humans can pour their heart and soul into a story and someone can read it. What an incredibly cool thing.
Happy reading! Happy creating! Until next time, let’s go wreck some Havok! In however many words you’re choosing to wield *cheers*
Mrs. Writer 