Playing Cards is the first fully completed novella I published on Protagonize.com - a thriving online community of writers from around the World.
How do you tell yourself that you're pregnant, when you're only fifteen-years-old? For Casey, learning this knowledge is the worst thing that could possibly happen to her life, what with exams pre-occupying her mind and a mother that wants her to make smart decisions. How will she possibly be able to find the time, or stability, to care and look after a child, when she is still one herself? Following her heart, and risking the life she once knew, she sets out to keep her pregnancy a secret from everyone she knows and loves - including Ben; the father of her child.
The way in which I wrote the story enables the reader to really get inside Casey's head and witness each event on a much more personal level. I wrote the story in a first person format in a style that is written how it is spoken. Ways that I've shown this in my writing are by adding pauses and straining particularly words or phrases in the writing and also adding a sub-conscious, private thought that only Casey, and the reader, can follow as the story progresses. In addition to the classic first person format, I've incorporated different styles such as E-mail formats and multiple narration, giving other characters, featured in the story, a chance to give their first hand reports on the events happening throughout the story. I felt that certain characters had a lot more to bring to the story and that their input would enable the reader to understand the characters and their background stories in much more depth.
Personally, I think that Playing Cards stands out from other stories as the simple, yet detailed, storytelling allows the reader to sink their teeth into the storyline and connect with the characters on a personal level.
I finished the first draft in August 2009 and have been editing it for the past two years. I now feel proud to say that I have finally finished this story and see very little error when reading it back to myself. Although short, it's packed with all the emotion, drama, and excitement that everyday people might face in reality.
Playing Cards can be found on www.protagonize.com on my author profile (MichaelaJakeReynolds) or through the search bar on the homepage. Please feel free to comment, rate and subscribe.
Much love,
MJReynolds.
