It’s the first of May, Beltane, May Day, the beginning of Story-a-Day. In the past I have posted most of my story efforts. I know the pros and cons of posting them. Honestly, the cons outweigh the pros, except that I like to post them.

This time I doing another round of backstory. Well, I say that. It may or may not turn out to be true. The challenge tends to take surprising paths. Surprising to me anyway.

I have a manuscript in need of repairs, and I’ve learned that writing backstories and off-screen scenes helps me find the areas needing the repairs. Today, I wrote a scene that is alluded to in the novel but isn’t in the manuscript. It doesn’t need to be, but it does help me understand the characters’ choices.

Here is a snippet.

Josie filled her coffee mug, stared down into the contents, and then poured the liquid into the sink. She rinsed the mug and set it on the counter. “Mother’s dying,” she said before turning around. Clearing her throat, she strode to the table where her daughter sat, an almost empty mug tight in her hands.

“I know,” Mercie replied. “I mean, I thought so. She’s been sick for a long time.”

“You’ll be glad when she’s dead, I suppose.”

“Of course not. But I won’t be sad.”

“She is my mother.”

Mercie gulped the last of her coffee. “She’s hated me my whole life.” She held up a hand to stop her mom from speaking.”Don’t tell me she didn’t.”

Josie pursed her lips together. “She just never forgave me for not listening to her. That’s how she is. How she’s always been.”

“So she blamed me? It’s not my fault I exist, is it? Even you don’t blame me for that.”

“Mercie, don’t pick a fight.”

The two women sat together in momentary silence each wondering the same thing. Where would they be if Josie had listened to her mother?

Exploring the world of my novel is for me like visiting another world. As much as I can see, there’s a great deal left to explore.

Thanks for taking the journey with me.