Dearest Gentle Reader . . .
If you have watched any episode of the blockbuster, award-winning Netflix series Bridgerton, you are familiar with this greeting. Now in its third season, Bridgerton is adapted from a series of novels by historical romance writer Julia Quinn and features the romantic escapades of the eight Bridgerton siblings, who must navigate London high society in search of love, surrounded by friends and challenged by rivals. The book series was culturally reimagined and brilliantly brought to life by the phenomenally talented Shonda Rhimes. What is most unique about the series is that it is set during the early 1800s in London’s Regency era, where King George III has established racial equality and granted many people of African descent aristocratic titles due to the African heritage of his wife, Queen Charlotte.
In May, Bridergton’s third season was released and I owe a big thank you to Shonda – yes, we’re on a first-name basis – for these captivating episodes. Not only did they provide great entertainment, but they also helped me break through my months-long writer’s block.
Let me share a bit of background. In 2016, after being snowed in for nearly a week, I decided to read three books from my personal library. One of them was “Year of Yes,” by Shonda Rhimes, a candid memoir that traces her journey from her bookish childhood to her impactful television career. Inspired by Shonda’s Year of Yes, I had my own moment of bravery, leading to the completion of my first novel, The Other Twin. It took three years to write and two more to edit and publish. None of that would have been possible if I had not embraced the power of saying “yes.”
In 2022, I embarked on writing my second novel, Beyond Betrayal. The initial draft fell short, and after some very tough love from my editor, I decided “Beyond Betrayal” was beyond repair and considered shelving it forever. Months passed, and I had no desire to go back to its pages or tackle the daunting task of rewriting.
It’s hard to say exactly what changed, but in early 2023, my creative spark and enthusiasm were suddenly rekindled. I had found my rhythm, regained my mojo, and was in my groove again. For weeks, I wrote consistently, developing a much-needed back story for the original narrative. This back story explored the main character’s life and her relationship with her best friend, the betrayal of whom was the central theme of the original storyline.
Crafting what I thought was a strong backstory should have been a cause for celebration. Yet, it soon became evident that the detailed and captivating lives I had developed for my characters altered the storyline in such a way that there was no longer a clear connection to the original narrative. This disconnection left me frustrated and again unable to write for months as I grappled with the challenge of bridging these two distinct parts.
Then came the May 2024 release of Bridgerton’s third season, with its mesmerizing storytelling, superb acting, and contemporary and culturally diverse take on historical drama. Like millions of others, I was engrossed in the escapades of “the ton.” The lively episodes sparked my creativity, motivating me to revisit my unfinished novel.
Over the past several weeks I have been diligently exploring ideas, and writing and rewriting sentences on pages, still amazed that Bridgerton of all things energized me to write. My novel has little in common with the Bridgerton story, but apparently uncommon, unexpected sources can spark the brightest ideas.
So, this author is back at the davenport, quill in hand, with renewed determination, inspired once again. Just as Shonda and her “Year of Yes” motivated the writing and publishing of “The Other Twin,” this author remains full with hope that her influence through the “Bridgerton series” will prove elucidative and make haste to bring “Beyond Betrayal” out of the shadows of discord and into the hands of you, my dearest reader.
Very truly yours, Lady Turner
References:
https://www.shondaland.com/about/a12258201/what-we-do/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgerton
Glad you got your writing groove back Soror Attorney Karen. We look forward to buying Beyond Betrayal.