As you may know, I am somewhat of a writer. : ) I've never posted any of my writings on this blog before, but I have just had a new idea for a story, so I thought I would do just that. Over the years I've had many ideas for many different novels, none of which really have titles- the most promising being (in my own affectionate terms): The Mount Bedford Story, The Mountain Story, and now just recently, The Colorado Story. I've always had difficulty beginning stories, but a few days ago I had a sudden inspiration (don't you just love those!) for the preface of an entirely new story about a young woman named Alice Rose Hampton who moves west to Colorado in the 1870's to take over her deceased father's farm. I haven't established the particulars of the story or all the characters yet, but I think it's my favourite idea yet and I'm quite excited about it, so I decided to share it with you. Here is the preface- it's not definitely finished yet and will probably be quite a bit longer, but this is at least part of it:
Alice Rose Hampton stepped out of the stuffy train car and on to the small platform below, surveying the landscape before her. The train station of Colorado Springs was near the edge of town, situated in just such a way so that when you stepped out of the train, you could clearly see all the way down the town's main street, the shops and houses on either side, and the majestic, towering blue mountains in the distance. It was a pleasant view, and Alice guessed someone must have planned it this way so that visitors and newcomers to Colorado Springs, such as herself, would see the town displayed to its best advantage. She smiled, momentarily forgetting her initial reluctance at moving west.
She must have stood there on the platform admiring the view for longer than necessary, because a rather large and impatient looking woman behind her gave her a slight shove, indicating that it was high time she stepped off the train. Alice picked up her trunk and valise, which she had unwittingly set down, gathered her skirts as best she could while managing the two rather heavy items, and tumbled clumsily off the train and into the dusty street. She looked around, surveying her surroundings once again and desperately hoping no one had seen how ungraceful she had managed the descent off the train, luggage in tow. She would so hate to make a bad first impression on these people who would soon be her neighbours. But there was no one to carry her luggage for her, so she finally gave up her pride, hung her valise on her arm and firmly grasped the large wooden trunk with both hands, letting her skirts trail in the dust. If Aunt Cecily were here she would surely have a fit, but at the moment Alice was beyond caring.
Of course there was no one there to meet her- she hadn't expected there would be. She knew no one here in Colorado Springs besides her sister Claire, who had already informed her that she was going to be out of town for her mother-in-law's funeral and wouldn't return until tomorrow. Alice thought her sister had extremely unfortunate timing- or rather, her mother-in-law did. She hadn't the slightest idea where her father's farm was located, although she supposed it was likely to be somewhere on the outskirts of town. She would have no choice but to ask someone for directions. The thought of speaking to strangers made Alice anxious all over again, but what had she expected? If Claire were here, Alice could rely on her to help her get settled. But as it was, she was entirely on her own.
On my own. The thought was certainly not a new one, but still it made Alice uncomfortable inside, and a whole new feeling of loneliness washed over her, as though a great ocean liner had deposited her in a life boat all alone in the middle of a vast ocean. She shook her head to clear the unsettling visual. She would make the best of this.
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I am planning on posting more about it in the future! First, however, I need to establish a story line, characters, and all that fun stuff. :P I would love to hear what you think of it!
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