Much like the heroine of this story, I've been away for a few years, though I've definitely been writing. After finishing the first draft of the dark gothic soap opera I published here on Wattpad, I moved on to a career ghostwriting novels and short stories, mostly in the dark romance genre.

I made so many friends and created so much-- good and bad --- during my years on Wattpad, it's been impossible not to miss it. Still, I didn't mean to return, just to peek in and say hello. It just so happened that the day I peeked, the announcement of the ONC was at the top of my feed. It was impossible not to read through the prompts, and it didn't take long before one caught my attention.

This particular story is more lighthearted than my usual work, or at least I intend it to be. Although I'm a bit younger than Vivian, I've been around long enough to know one of the best pieces of advice given to aspiring writers is to "write what you know". When deciding what to write about, I borrowed very heavily from the story of my own life, added a requisite dash of New York sarcasm, ate a lot of chocolate, and tried to bring substance to a cast of memorable characters in search of a novel.

This story is based on the following prompt:

99. Imagine you're a cursed author where every word you write changes reality itself. It's thrilling, until your characters rebel. One complains about his "overly tragic backstory", while another demands endless twists and turns your narrative into pure chaos. Can you finish your story without losing your mind, or your control?

Honestly, I don't know! However, I'm fully determined to give it a try and to make this year the first that I complete an ONC. This story will undoubtedly be longer than the number of words being judged, but I hope a few of you will follow along the journey with me.

I'm happy to read your entries, as well, so please point me in the right direction.

Good luck to all, and so happy to be back.

- Alayna <3