Reintroducing, Ava

“I’d like to write a book someday.”

That thought has been rattling around in my noggin for at least 10 years.

Since the idea first arose, I’ve managed to narrow that broad, unspecific idea down to something a bit more clear: A fantasy novella.

A fantasy novella containing the kind of story that keeps you up reading well past your bedtime—with a main character who steals your heart, who you find yourself wanting to eat magic mushrooms and tip into the beyond with, and who you get frustrated with when they’re being a bumbling fool.

I love the novella format—short, sweet, and usually weird in some way.

So 6ish years ago, on the heels of reading Ann Lamott’s Bird By Bird, I heeded her advice to begin by getting to know your character(s), and began developing Ava. I defined her physical appearance, scratched the surface of her inner world, and took her on an adventure—which I handwrote—deep into the forest to figure out how she’d respond to adventure and adversity.

Due to a combo of flailing mental health, feeling daunted by the process of creating a full-fledged story, the time and energy demands of my paid writing work, and tending to the relentless business of staying alive, I set Ava aside.

Until…

After a pizza-fuelled conversation last Sunday with Old Friend and Whimsy reader, Scott, I decided to pay Ava a visit with no expectations and get caught up on what’s happened to her during our years apart. She’s no doubt changed since she last flowed through my pen—as have I and the world.

To take you behind the scenes and give you a glimpse of who Ava was, while laying a foundation for her evolution, I thought it’d be interesting to share the (untouched, unedited) introduction I wrote for her once upon a time in 2019.

Here she be:

~

Ava is eight, with wavy, sparkling blonde hair (which is somehow always pristine, even though she can often be found wrestling with her dog, Jesso).

Her smile is bright like a thousand lit candles, and her laugh is delicate, joyous, and carefree, blessed with the youthful enthusiasm and bliss only an innocent child can possess.

Ava’s blue-green eyes are shaped like icy spheres—like the kind you might find in drinks at a high-end cocktail bar.

Her favourite colours are deep blue like the Aegean sea, and the shade of pink you sometimes see in the sky around sunset. She prefers to wear dresses in either colour, and absolutely hates jeans. So much so that her parents have long-since given up getting her to wear anything other than dresses.

Around her neck hangs one of her most prized possessions: a rose gold corded necklace, with a small, sparkling palm tree pendant.

When Ava isn’t reading books past her bedtime or playing piano, she can often be found exploring the woods, meadows, and lakes on the land her parents own. Despite her age, it’s not uncommon for Ava to wake up early, often before the stars go to sleep, pack a bag with snacks (she loves salted pistachios and dried mango), water, her current book, and head off into the forested hills around her home.

A day recently passed was one such day: Ava woke up with the stars, packed a bag with her usual supplies, slipped a big, loose, grey sweater over her dress to ward off the morning chill, roused Jesso from his slumber, and departed for the day.

(Ava’s parents only permit her woodland adventures if she’s accompanied by Jesso, who has proven to be quite defensive in the past).

While this day in question began like many other days for Ava, nothing unfolded as per usual.

~

So there we have our starting point, and I can already tell that growth aplenty is coming Ava’s way. I hope to share who she’s become with you soon.

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander Mullan