People say you should write what you know…

Well, I don’t know anything about being a hidden god, navigating the literal underworld, or how to properly manage a celestial pantheon. And honestly? I didn’t want to learn.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love folklore, creepy local legends, and ancient myths. I’m obsessed with Jorge Rivera-Herran’s EPIC: The Musical, but every time I tried to write something rooted in existing mythology, I found myself spiralling into a black hole of research and getting muddled.

Do you know how much homework it takes to write about Greek or Norse gods without someone on the internet yelling at you because you got a family tree wrong? It’s too much unnecessary stress! I commend authors who do retellings of existing mythology; I wouldn’t be able to handle that pressure. So, instead, I made up my own.

Welcome to my blog! I’m Alice, an aspiring writer with a lifelong dream of writing and publishing a novel (one of the top goals on my bucket list since I was a teenager). Although I’ve tried many times before, I often struggled to stay focused and finish my work.

But now, I have something exciting to share: I’ve completed my first full draft! This is just the beginning, though; it marks the start of my journey through rereads and edits. I’m determined to share my progress with you and transform this story into one that won’t remain confined to my imagination. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

The book is called The Heart of the Blood Moon, and it’s an urban fantasy born entirely out of my desire to combine atmospheric folklore together with my own made-up mythological world.

Here is my quick elevator pitch:

The story unfolds around Lenora, a woman concealing a golden-eyed, immortal secret, who finds herself entwined with a wealthy family amidst events that force her out of hiding and put her on a mission: to protect her home, the Underworld.

Our journey kicks off in the mortal world, filled with spooky stories and intriguing legends. There are hidden ancient artefacts, a ghost that’s been hanging around a graveyard for centuries, and a super handsome but kind of awkward guy named Thaddeus Moon, who might just have the solution to all of Lenora’s problems, including fixing her broken heart.

Because I made the world up from scratch, I got to invent the magic, the rules, and the gods (meaning no one can fact-check me on Wikipedia). I’ve been hoarding this manuscript on my laptop for months, but writing is a lonely business. I’m starting this blog to keep myself accountable as I dive into the editing process, and to share the behind-the-scenes chaos of building a universe.

Moving forward, you can expect:

• Sneak Peeks: Actual dialogue and scenes from the draft.
• World-Building Dumps: Snippets of the custom lore, gods, and rules I’ve made for the Underworld.
• Honest Updates: A look at the editing process (and the chapters I inevitably have to brutally delete).

If you love dark fantasy, custom mythology, eerie vibes, or just fancy watching a stranger organise their own chaotic imagination and thought processes, then you’re in the right place.

Hit that follow/subscribe button so you don’t miss the updates!

A question for you: If you could create your own mythological realm, what would be the number one rule of your world? Let me know below!