Quick Novel Writing Update & Story Time


Big Ben Struck Nine Recording

Today, Ai was late for work. It was meant to be business as usual – deadlines, spreadsheets and a few simple telephone conversations. And it would be so… if the wind didn’t frustrate her clients by delaying deliveries from France. One of them kept yelling at Ai for half an hour.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Smith. I know it’s your sofa, but our vendors cannot deliver today because of the storm, in France.” Ai kept apologising for the delay whenever her client paused to catch a breath. 

“I paid fifty thousand pounds!” Mrs. Smith insisted. “That’s a five with four zeros, Ai!”

“Yes, I know. And, I’m sorry,” she answered while thinking – ‘I will let the wind know how much you paid!’

After work, Ai mounted her bike with great effort and began cycling down Brompton Road – slowly. Again, she thought about mother’s bulletproof plan for her life. University. Good job. Happiness. Done! She had followed that path to a T but now she was certain that the plan wasn’t that bulletproof, after all.

Suddenly, a paper bag flew across the road and landed on Ai’s face, blinding her. She snatched it and sent it flying in the air. Once again, the wind brought her back to reality. Too forcefully. Ai felt angry at the invisible bully, especially that she could not just report its abuse! But she kept on cycling – vigilantly.

Monika Ribeiro © 2020

So, that was yet another short excerpt from my novel in the making. Its title? Hmmm… I’ve been thinking about changing it – from “Everywhere & Always” to “Come Wind or Come Sun”. What do you think?

The title is not set in stone just yet, but chapter one is… And, I have shared it with my email subscribers. Yuppie! Please click here to READ IT RIGHT NOW.

Alternatively, I started posting short reading sessions on my socials like so…

 

Monika Ribeiro (writer/poet)2 Comments

Stuck at home? Don’t worry… I’ll tell you a story.


Big Ben struck nine. Ai caught herself smiling. Again.

Novel - Everywhere & Always

She knew that cycling to work was a bad idea but was going to do it anyway… A vigorous wind gust pushed her sideways when she attempted to mount her bike, but she tried again – successfully, this time…

The wind came back with a vengeance. Without further warning, between Sloane Square and Knightsbridge, it blew her out of her lane, again. Her heart stopped as a parked car’s door swung open… A tall man grew out of the fancy machine she’d bumped into. Ai apologised profusely and loudly as the wind’s angry howling insisted on silencing her words.

Like a medical doctor, the man examined his possession. “It’s okay, but you must be careful,”  he said.

Ai nodded remorsefully and then cycled away – wishing she had heeded the wind’s very first warning. She cautiously picked up her pace.

Ai worked at Harrods. Getting there took ages that morning, and the hand of the wind moved furiously across Knightsbridge. It triggered a trip down memory lane – taking her back to the day when she visited the famous store with her mother.

“Mum, the wind is telling me where to go!”  she cried out, barely holding onto her mother’s hand as the tempest kept trying to separate them by blowing teenage Ai away.

“Don’t listen! You tell the wind where you’re going,” mother replied with great seriousness, as if she was talking not just about the gale.

Mother tightened her grip and Ai felt safe, again. Then, she stood her ground and pressed against the wind as it pressed against her. Ai shadowed her with determination. She was going to get to where she was going and nothing, not even a hurricane, would stop her!

It happened over a decade ago, but Ai remembered everything clearly as if it happened yesterday. That day, she thought her mother had power over the wind.

Monika Ribeiro © 2020

 

Take some time to distract yourself from the bad news, and isolate yourself from fear…♥ Subscribe here to receive the first chapter of My Novel “Everywhere & Always” Now.

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Novel Writing Update – Story Time


“…but she did wonder if indeed one needed ‘all that money’. And if not, what did one need to be happy?” © Monika Ribeiro 2020

In a nutshell, my novel (in the making) titled “Everywhere & Always” is about the pursuit of happiness. And, you’ll probably agree that it’s almost impossible to explore happiness without addressing money…

So, I decided to throw some of my characters into riches and luxury to see who they really are… It gets interesting… That’s all I will say for now.😉

To begin introducing this theme, I gave Ai (one of those characters) a job at Harrods Knightsbridge which is where I used to work (in my early twenties)… Hmmm… I still remember dealing with vendors from the UK, Germany, France… chasing deliveries of 35,000 GBP sofas…

I used to wonder if I’d be happier sitting on a 35k sofa as opposed to a 1,5k sofa… 🤔 Well, my novel is fictional, but Ai too finds herself asking similar questions i.e. if one really needs ‘all that money’. And if not, what does one need to be happy?

I have been posting brief novel updates on my socials. Here… not so much, but I’ll do my best to change that. With that said, please Join me on Instagram too if you’d like to get regular glimpses into what’s cooking – glimpses like this one, below.

Back to my novel update though, I have received feedback regarding its first chapter. Aaaand, it was slightly underwhelming but fair. So, I decided to re-write the weaker parts of my opening, aaagain.

Honestly, novel writing turns out to be slightly more complicated than I thought it’d be… However, I am making progress. Accidentally, my rewritten first page has already earned the love of author and English teacher Desiri Okobia who said she’d use it for Year 11s’ creative writing lessons. Exciting!

So, to summarise my novel writing Update: I am rewriting… Aaagain. The promised first chapter of “Everywhere & Always” will drop in your inbox… in all its glory… soon! If… you have subscribed that is. Please do RIGHT HERE.

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