☕✨ The notebooks are filling fast, and the playlist is dangerously long, so you know that means the characters have arrived.
This Preptober, I’m not prepping this year’s Christmas story (that one’s already written and heading into edits before its December release). Nope, this round of plotting chaos belongs to next year’s Christmas story. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned as an author, it’s that I’m always living a year ahead of my readers.
And this new Waldon Springs tale? It’s shaping up to be a cozy, snow-dusted romance full of banter, stubborn hearts, and a little unexpected magic. Meet Holly and Layton, the hearts (and occasional headaches) of the story I’ll be drafting this November.
Meet Holly
Holly is the kind of woman who keeps her planner color-coded and her heart wide open, even when life doesn’t go according to plan. She’s practical, passionate, and a little too stubborn for her own good. She’s on her way home for Christmas after a challenging year, determined to make this holiday one that feels like hope again.
She loves small traditions: cocoa by the fire, wrapping gifts late at night, the smell of pine trees. What she doesn’t love? Being stranded halfway home with a total stranger and no cell signal, after just finding out she’s losing her job.
Meet Layton
Layton’s the quieter type. A man who’s used to keeping his thoughts to himself and staying on the move. He’s got that unshakable calm people notice immediately, steady, intense, a little mysterious. There’s a weariness in him, though, like someone who’s carried too much for too long.
He doesn’t talk much about where he’s headed… or what he’s leaving behind. But he notices more than he says, especially when it comes to one stranded stranger who can’t help trying to fix everything around her.
There’s an undeniable pull between them, even when they’re both pretending not to notice. And maybe, just maybe, getting stuck in Waldon Springs isn’t such bad luck after all.
❄️ Reflections from the Plotting Desk
I’m still deep in character work, journaling their backstories, sketching the first spark scene, and figuring out what they each need before they can find what they’re looking for.
It’s equal parts chaos and magic right now: sticky notes, playlists, a hot mug of coffee, and the kind of story energy that makes me giddy to open Scrivener.
Meanwhile, my current Christmas story (the one I wrote last Preptober) is in the editing phase, and I can’t wait to share more about that soon. So yes, I’m living in two Christmases at once, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Next Entry: Preptober Diaries 2025, Entry #4 — Plotting, Playlists & the Perfect Snowstorm
Coming soon: how I’m outlining this story, what songs are inspiring it, and why I always need at least three highlighters to survive plotting week.
