Schemes and Dreams

It's wonderful to see you back.? I hadn't seen you post anywhere in a while and I was hoping you were ok.

The way this arc unfolded was unexpected for everyone, Rayvn and Judith, the readers, and even me. I started with the idea that the residents of Forgotten Hollow were going to have an Addam's Family kind of eccentric energy. When I first started playing out different directions the story could go, one of them was to have Elle and Lilith being dedicated cosplay fanatics who played this to the hilt in an attempt to impress Judith and get themselves included in the movie. When I got to the point where Judith and Rayvn meet Elle I wasn't entirely set on which way to go with the story. I had a better idea of how the darker arc played out but I was still open to a lighthearted arc. As that scene unfolded and I ramped up the tension I still had it where I could have Elle and Lilith's attack be a 'Ha! fooled you!' moment. But in the moment I followed the other arc. I think it may have been because I had it outlined better, but I feel like the biggest reason was it was I got caught up in the novelty of trying something new. In all honesty I don't think I could have kept up that dark tone, it's simply not me. I have tried darker stories before and I've never been able to keep them going.

I have been wanting to tone down Judith's raging ego a little bit from the outline. I want to be out of touch a bit and total diva, but I also want her to have some redeeming qualities, even if they aren't always obvious. That's where I made her someone who mentors other young actresses. I wanted her selfishness to have some complexity to it, and in a way this arc gave me a great opportunity to start showcasing that.