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Isabelle Charles

@awaywithadia

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Blogger, avid reader, writer, and ever-changing human. 🎆🇨🇦
"Respect existence or expect resistance."

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I'm officially a quarter of a century and I wrote a blog post about it. Also touched a tiny bit on politics because *gesticulates at the state of the world we are living in* the intersection in which I live my life is political and politics is concerned with every human being. Also, this year marks the centennial of Black History Month. Thank you, Carter G. Woodson. 🖤 The link to my blog post is in my bio if you wish to read it. by @awaywithadia

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8 months ago

Hello! It's been a while. I'm currently in my backyard writing this as the sun is still shining (at 7:30pm!)! In July of last year, I shared that an agent had sent a full request and in January of this year, she very kindly passed. That hurt. A lot. But! At the end of last year, one of my cousin's best friends and a friend of mine, who's a freelance editor, reached out to me and asked if she could read my manuscript and edit it. We chatted on the phone and had a great conversation, and for the next four or five months, she helped me edit my book immensely. I withdrew all of my queries. I rewrote Chapter 1. I wanted to write a certain scene but decided against it; then I was asked, "Isn't it strange that hasn't [redacted] happened at all?" And I thought, "Don't need to tell me twice!" So when the rejection rolled in, it hurt, yes, but it didn't hurt as bad because I knew I was on the right path in editing this manuscript (*especially* with rewriting the first chapter). Plot points are tighter, characters are better fleshed out, and previous repetition that I didn't catch has been deleted. My manuscript went from 107k words to 106k to 108k. I started querying again, so 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼.

I also mentioned that I was drafting a second, utterly different manuscript. I recently (as in two weeks ago or so) hit the midpoint *finally*. It has taken me 84 years to draft because I'm not as disciplined as I should be. I'm not disciplined at all, actually. But that will change because I love the premise and I'm having such fun discovering this world and characters. I've added some of the ✨️vibes✨️ of my WIP in slides four to six. (I dislike Instagram's new grid layout. You can't see whole photos!) Also: so much of Pinterest's "art" is Generative AI (not art at all), so I found what I know is absolutely not GenAI: a lyric from T-Swizzle's "I Hate It Here" and shots from two of my inspirations: The Chronicles of Narnia 🦁 and Star Wars 🤖(specifically the Duel on Mustafar that inspires a dark, deserted place in my WIP).

Here are some snapshots from the moments in between the past months. 🖤 by @awaywithadia

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a year ago

I've been wanting to share this photo for a while. 🗡

After 494 days, I have a new blog post out (link in bio!). It's me saying goodbye to UofT/undergrad, the memories made, and graduation. I graduated in November of last year. In December of last year, I shared that I'd have a new post up in the "near future detailing my four-year experience." Well, it's here now. 🤓 Everyone I met in residence and classes and everyone I befriended shaped my experience tremendously, and I thank you all. 🤍 by @awaywithadia

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2 years ago

Black Water Bay in King's Landing, aka the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik, Croatia 🇭🇷. June 2024.

Hi. Hello! It's been some time. I can't believe the first day of August is on Thursday. ☀️ The months are flying by. A couple of weeks ago, an agent requested my full manuscript(!!) which was exciting for me. I know the agent can still reject me, but after many rejections from my queries and a couple of pages, it's lovely that someone said they want to read more. I've been keeping busy with sending out other queries, and I'm about 11k into a separate manuscript that's magical and fun!

While I'm still receiving rejections, I'm trying hard not to let them drag me down because, as I've said, this new manuscript is fun. It's nothing to do with the one I'm querying, it kinda just snuck up on me. ✨️ taken in Dubrovnik - Old Town by @awaywithadia

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2 years ago

Junebug 🐶❤️ Swipe ➡️ for an excerpt from chapter one.

This is an excerpt from the first chapter of my manuscript. There were a few scenes that I wanted to share, but they were all in later chapters, and I hadn't shared something from the first chapter, so I figured I should do that now.

The true main character is Violet Vale, age 18, but also, her best friend Hailore Collins, 19, is a main character. In this scene, it's the day of The Picking which is an event that happens on the first Tuesday of every month where two of the common folk are chosen to fight in the King of Sareea's army, for, as Violet says, "a war that may never happen." There are five "main" countries/kingdoms in this book and Sareea (where Violet and Hailore are live) is where a lot of the story takes place.

Ethar is south of Sareea, and, like the last line, reads, "It is a state ruin." Once ruled a millennia ago by rulers who became corrupt, then by the Dark Warlock who grew too powerful until he died (was killed?...). Ethar is no longer pretty 😅. No one really lives there, and no one ventures there. Those who do venture there never make it back home.

Something is brewing in this world. Changes are happening...

I've also been querying (!!!) and only rejections are rolling in right now. Not fun. Doesn't feel nice. I'm questioning my writing ability with every agent that tells me "No," but I know I just need one "Yes," so onwards I go. by @awaywithadia

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2 years ago

A German castle we visited back in July of 2022. 🇩🇪

Hello! I have nothing new to say in regard to my manuscript at the moment. It's on my mama's night table as she's been reading it for the past couple of weeks and is finding small things I need to address/and or fix. Once she's done reading it, I'll tweak it once last time, hopefully will have a title for it, and then tweak my query letters and send those off to agents. I still need to write those letters. I was waiting until I was done with my manuscript, so I'll have a title and an updated word count, but I can just add those once I know them.

I've entered a few writing competitions as well. I had fun with my first one last year and entered into another one with that same company last month. I didn't win, and I was a little sad, but such is life. I just have to keep going, keep writing. There's another one that's due tomorrow that I'm nearly done (Fantasy, of course), one that I submitted a week ago where the results will be released I think in May, and other ones I'm looking at. It forces me to get out of my comfort zone (the one from February was a Romance and I've never written Romance before, it was a fun experience!), and write in ways I've never written before or in many, many years (ie., the short story). ✍️🏽💻

I hope everyone's having a good March, and happy Thursday. 💜 by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

Nick Miller is a forever state of mind.

On Friday, I finished my second draft! I took my notes that I wrote on the bounded copy in my manuscript, while some were in a notebook and got to work. I wrote "Explain!" a lot 😅. Sentences were added, and sentences were cut. The second draft is done with a total of 107 372 words, which means I added 6800 words. I also added chapter titles and that was fun and sometimes a bit difficult to do because there were many chapter titles that just came to me, while some I had to skim the chapter and think about the theme of it. Though I still don't have a title for the book. I'm hoping it comes to me once I've reread it again. This time, I'll read it as a reader and see if anything jumps out at me—word choice, another explanation, repetition, for examples.

I'm thinking I'll start querying at the end of this coming week or the beginning of the week after. My parents will also be reading this new bound manuscript, and I'm terrified of their reactions. If they don't like it, if they hate it, if they never want to read another word of mine again. But what if they like it? 💭

I picked its bounded form up from Staples today, and I'll start reading it tomorrow. I did it (again) (kind of)! by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

Photo of my bound manuscript and June/Junie/Junebug. 📒🐶

Last night, I finished my first read through and first round of edits—the big picture edits! I was looking for plot points and to see if things made sense. The beauty was that I didn't hate what I wrote. Of course, there were pages that had more red circles and were underlined than others. I forgot that I finished a sentence with "(DESCRIBE!)". So, I had to describe and explain some things, but other than that, I'm proud of myself!

Today, I began to implement those edits, and so goes the second read through. This time, I'm also looking for word choice and repetition. I'll either have a third read through for grammar and punctuation, or I'll have it a part of this draft and edit as well. I'm still not sure as I'm in the middle of rereading again, lol. I've also decided to have title chapters too because I love when books have chapter titles; I think they're fun. 📚

I'm hoping this edit will be done by the end of next week 🤞🏼, so then I can begin to write query letters, or, if I really need (I'm sure I will), have a third edit and read through. Editing is fun so far. I'm having a joy reading my own words and also thinking, "Does this make sense?" And "On page six, you said this, but on page four, you said that. Make it make sense."

Currently on chapter 2/23. Happy Tuesday, everyone! 💜 by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

A pic of myself from the morning of graduation back in November. Yesterday, I turned 23. A baby in the grand scheme of life but also an adult. 22 was a good age. I did a lot, like...
- Graduating from university!
- Taking writing more seriously and I was able to
- Finish the first draft of my manuscript!
- I started to edit the manuscript
- Having dinner and movie dates with friends
- Moving back home and starting at a new Indigo
- Going to two concerts with one of my greatest friends
- Seeing lots of movies
- Meeting lots of new people and faces and entering new spaces
- Reading lots of books!

Thank you, 22, you were lovely. Hello, 23 and Jordan Year. May you be even brighter. ✨️💖 by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

This past Monday, at exactly 6:05 p.m., I finished the first draft of my manuscript. My first ever first draft. "The End." Immediately after writing those two words, I ran upstairs and told my parents of my accomplishment. I couldn't stop smiling. They were happy and proud of me. I kept saying that I couldn't believe I did it, but at the same time, a part of me could (and can!) because I've wanted to do this for so long. And I did.

There were many, many times I didn't think I'd ever finish the draft. The words wouldn't flow, and I had Writer's Block. One day, I'd easily write two thousand words, and the next, I could barely write one hundred. But I did it. I did the thing! I started writing more seriously, where I set my deadline for January 31st, 2024, back in August—when I was home and school was done. The word count for this draft is 100,572 words. 23 chapters. 246 pages when I went to Staples today to print it. Now, I relish in the fact that I wrote my first ever book/draft/manuscript. It's imperfect, rightfully so, and that's okay. I read some pages here and there and saw where I can and will improve. In the middle of February, I'll return to it, this time as a reader and not the writer, and edit it. And edit it. And edit it. And edit it. Until it's ready to send to agents. And then I'll write query letters and polish those up.

I did the thing I've been wanting to do since I was 11 years old. I wrote and wrote and wrote, and some days I didn't. Now, I have pages and pages of my words! Things that came from my mind! Things I made up! I'm dying to go back and edit now, but no. I need a small break to reset my mind (and a drink 🍻). I'm proud of myself and happy. Also: since I hit 100k and I'm done, here's one more snippet from my manuscript.

(If you're looking at the first slide thinking, "Eight days before January 31st is January 23, two days ago, how can this be?" It's because in the writing software I use, Scrivener, I set the I don't write on the weekends.) by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

Hi. Happy New Year! We're already halfway through January. I have a feeling 2024 is gonna be a great year (even if I was feeling down at the beginning... anyway). ✨️ I've written just over 90k words in my WIP, which means I have just under 10k left to write! Though I have a feeling it'll be over 100k words and I'll have to trim when I edit it in a couple of months. I've gotten to a place in the book, physically, that I dreamt up in the summer of 2020, and I'm so happy that I'm now executing it. It's where the book will end, and I only hope that I'm doing it justice. In my mind, it's a beautiful, magical, enchanting, and mesmerizing place. As I'm typing it, I'm trying my best to visualize it as well. I'm trying to make it perfect. When I reread everything sometime after I've written "The End," I'll be able to see if I did it well.

This photo is from my Pinterest under "WIP." It's part of the vibe and aesthetic of the place my characters are currently in. It's a magic forest, though it's called The Garden of Eelion. I also think I might finish the manuscript before the deadline I set for myself, January 31st, which is something!

I hope January has been kind to you. If it hasn't, may tomorrow be bright and the days that follow brighter. 🎇 by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago

I don't know how to work Canva, so this is the best you're getting right now 😅. I'm sharing this excerpt because I hit 75k words in my WIP (75 843 exactly)! It was between this excerpt and another, but the other I decided not to share because I don't want to give away one of my favourite characters... yet. I'm dying to, I've told some people about this certain character, but not yet. Perhaps when I write "The End."

This scene is of my main character, whose name is subject to chang, meeting an enchanting woman who's a friend of a not exactly friend. I wrote this scene with the inspiration of a drawing of a woman I saw on Pinterest last year that I've had saved, just waiting to introduce this character. I wasn't sure how I was gonna introduce her, but where I was in the story, it just felt right. 🎇 This is a description of Maria. Where my characters are currently is 1450s Italy-adjacent. I tried my best. The next time an excerpt will be shared is when I'm done my WIP! Crossing my fingers 🤞🏼 it's done January 31st.

Happy New Year's Eve and New Year! 🎆 by @awaywithadia

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3 years ago