Chapter One of What Lay Beyond the Woods

Hello readers, Maggie here!!!! I’m so happy for you to be joining me for the continuation of my Robin Hood reimagining, What Lay Beyond the Woods!! Because of all of you guys excitement for chp. 1, I decided to get it up a little early. Cue the fanfare!!! 😉 Anyway, for any of you who are new. I’m releasing a new chapter for my story every two weeks. To stay up to date with announcements, don’t forget to subscribe to TWN’s email list. You know, guys, I feel like one of them YouTubers, who are always like don’t forget to like and subscribe and ring that bell for notifications and stuff. You get what I mean? 

Also, if you missed the prologue, totally check that out. Although, I must admit, the plot’s changing a little bit, and I’m not sure if my prologue even fits into the story anymore. I say throw it out the window. And I wanted to add, since I’m having to write the chapters pretty quickly, you’re probably gonna find a lot of things wrong with it. Just saying, it’s probably not my best work, but feedback is ALWAYS appreciated. 

Without further ado, the FIRST CHAPTER!!!!! (Oh, and don’t forget to tell me your thoughts in the comments.)

 

CHAPTER ONE

Deep breaths. I readjusted my aim, gripping the bow tighter. My eyes never wavered from my target. The rambunctiousness of the men around me demanded my attention, but I couldn’t offer even a side glance. I was well aware of the wealthy merchant’s eyes upon me. Another hard reminder not to mess this up. Like I rarely did.

I pulled back and released. The arrow drove straight into the center of the target. The men around me let out a loud cheer, shouting my name. I beamed.

“Anyone else wanna try? Maybe one of you can do better than me?” I doubted it, but maybe it gave them some confidence. 

“I would be a fool to think so, Mistress Robyn,” a boy around seventeen years of age clad in scarlet stated. 

“Ah, so are you a coward to admit defeat before you even tried?” I smirked. None of my men said anything, eyeing Will Scarlet to see how he would take my words.

“How ‘bout it, Scarlet,” Little John jested, reaching for a bow and stray arrow. “Don’t be so cowardly as to avoid a competition.”

Will Scarlet hesitated, eyeing the merchant sitting at the rough table a few feet away. He looked at each one of the men gathered around before landing his eyes on me. Finally, he grabbed the bow and knocked an arrow in it.

I laughed at Will Scarlet’s nervous face, watching him turn pinker. As he took his stance, I drifted over to the merchant with Little John right on my heels. The merchant glared at me with disgust, eyeing the length of my skirt. I gazed down at it, too, as if I didn’t understand what his problem was. Truth was, I actually didn’t. Sure, it was ‘proper’ for a woman’s skirt to cover her ankles, but I lived in a forest. The thought of it was ridiculous. He should be glad that I chose to wear my lincoln green skirt that went halfway to my ankles and not the one I normally wear that barely goes past the knees.

“Have you enjoyed tonight?” I spread my arms out wide.

The man warily watched Little John. My right hand man reached almost three feet above him. The man had a good reason to keep his eye on Little John. If his broad shoulders and muscular arms were any indication, he could beat this man up without breaking a sweat. I smirked, glad he was on my side. 

“Let me go.” The man’s voice barely reached above desperation.

I let out a good round of laughter, slapping my knee. One could always find a good jest in almost anything. “I only wished to give you a merry feast. Not take you as a prisoner.  When you are ready to leave, you are more than welcome to go.” I gestured to his horse that couldn’t seem to keep still. Every shifting of its hooves made me also feel the need to move. To run. To do almost anything other than speak with this merchant.

The man rose onto shaky legs. He slowly took a step toward his horse, his escape from Sherwood, like he wanted to test the sincerity of my words. I followed him to his horse. Right as he reached for the reign, I made my move, pulling it out of his reach.

“Wait, you seem to be forgetting something.” I grinned, enjoying this merry sport a little too much. “All who feast in Sherwood Forest must pay.”

Hastily, the man dug into his satchel and pulled out a leather pouch. He tossed it to me. I caught it, weighing it in my hand. Coins clinked together, but if he thought he could get by with such a small payment, he was badly mistaken. I reached into his satchel ignoring the protests he shouted, and grabbed a second pouch of coins. This one wasn’t as worn as the one he gave me. Maybe new? Or…my heart sped faster. A bribe? One he might’ve received from some well-off friends. My enemies. 

“I’ll be taking this as well,” I said. Then I turned to Little John. “Search him. I want those plans.”

Little John nodded and moved to carry out my order. 

The man shrank back. “I have nothing that should concern you.”

“Oh, I think I might disagree.”

Little John slipped a piece of parchment rolled up and tied with a coarse piece of string out of the man’s coat pocket. In response, the merchant gasped and reached for it. But Little John handed it to me before our prize could be stolen. No, if anyone did the stealing around here, it was me. I tucked the parchment away into one of the many pockets my skirt concealed. Another reason for my choice of wear. 

“You rotten thief!” the man cried. “I can’t wait for the day when I see your neck hanging in a noose.”

I tapped my finger on my chin, like I was giving his words some serious consideration. Like maybe I actually cared what his wishes were for me. Which I didn’t.

“Your sheriff is going to have to get a few wits before that can happen.” I remembered back to my many run-ins with the Sheriff of Nottingham. He was more laughable, in my opinion, than this merchant. And I still believed that was an overstatement.

“Ah, so you haven’t heard the news.”

“What news?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. Hopefully, he would provide me with something interesting. I’d rather he just climb on his horse and make his way back home. Before my patience ran out for his sake.

“Let’s say Nottingham has a new Sheriff.”

“Well, I hope he’ll be more of an opponent than the last one.” I crossed my arms.

The man locked eyes with me, and the vulnerability in them faded. My pulse quickened. People only looked that way, when they thought they had the upper hand.

“His name is Calvin Taylor. A son of a merchant in Locksley Town, I believe.”

My heart froze. Time stopped. All I was aware of was the rattling of coins as the two pouches slipped from my hands and crashed to the ground. I think my lungs wanted to stop allowing me to breathe. I felt like gasping for air, but I couldn’t do anything. Except stare on in stunned silence.

“He’s…he’s s-ss-supposed to be…dead,” I blurted. Calvin Taylor? Not the Calvin Taylor I had known. No! This man was messing with me. He had to be. 

“You know him?” he asked. 

“No,” I shouted, because sometimes that’s the only way to make yourself believe a lie.

I abruptly turned and walked back to my men. Little John would make sure the man left. I didn’t have another ounce of patience to deal with him. 

Will Stutely, a member of my band of men, rushed forward. 

“Did we score somethin’ good.”

I tossed the two pouches of money to him. “One bag goes to us, the other to the poor.” Some of the men jumped forward, sending a thousand questions my way. I ignored them all and stormed away from the festivities. Besides, the answers to them didn’t matter. No one asked the questions that really mattered: How was Calvin here? And what did he want?

***

Little John found me sitting beside the creek that wound behind our camp. The sound of water trickling down to some unknown destination, calmed my nerves. A little bit, at least. The piece of parchment I stole from the merchant was laid out in front of me. A few stones had been placed on the corners to keep it still. I stared at the markings. They were supposed to form words, but the language was beyond my comprehension.

“Who is Calvin Taylor?” Little John asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.” Little John sat beside me. He watched me closely. I turned away. How could he always see behind my disguises and lies? 

“All you need to know is that now we have a serious threat.”

“I thought the assassination plan was serious.”

Avoiding his statement, I stared back at the plans. “I need to be able to read them. It’s the only way we can stop it.” I didn’t have to clarify what ‘it’ was. Ever since I had found out that a group of people were planning to assassinate King Henry, the very thought of ‘it’ had taken up permanent residence in my head. 

“Even if we knew exactly when and where they were going to strike, how can we stop them? We’re not knights or warriors. We’re a band of outlaws. We’re not heroes.”

“I believe you have forgotten, we are the best band of outlaws in all of merry England. I made sure of that.” Then I sighed. “Besides, aren’t you tired?”

“Of what?”

I brushed a piece of stray brown hair out of my face. “Of being outlaws. Wouldn’t it be nice to be recognized for something more than breaking the law?”

“I think you’re forgetting what ‘outlaws’ mean.”

Again, I moved my eyes back to the plans. The real reason I wanted to stop these treasonous plans was more than saving England. I was almost sick of living this life that had fallen into my lap. I never much had a say in anything about my life. I didn’t choose this, I never asked to be a thief, an outlaw. For once, I wanted to do something the world would view as ‘right.’ 

I rubbed my forehead. “I think we need to visit an old friend of mine.”

“Are you sure you want to follow through with this, Robyn? I mean, you’re asking for trouble.”

I stared hard into his bright blue eyes. Even if he chose not to come with me, I planned to stop this and save our king. But then I remembered the merchant and his words. I remembered Calvin Taylor. “Trouble has already found us.” I watched the water from the creek in front of me skidding over stones, continuing its path onward. Sometimes that’s all we could do in life. Keep moving forward. “Trouble can’t be avoided. But it can be stopped.”

ALRIGHT HUNTERS!!!!!!! YOU FOUND IT!!!!! Be sure to be at the next blog tomorrow which you can find HERE!!!

72 Comments

  • Ally M.J.

    LOVE IT! I am even more convinced that you’re a genius. I adore strong female leads, so Robyn and I will probably get along great. The first chapter was witty, sarcastic, and cleanly introduces characters. The only thing I noticed was a punctuation error. “ “Did we score somethin’ good.” “ There should be a question mark. But other than that, it was flawless. I loved it. Please show me the next chapter, cause I don’t wanna wait.

    • Maggie

      THANK YOU!!!! Aw, once again, I’m not sure about the ‘genius’ thing, but I’m SOOOOO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED IT!!!!! You are just so, so sweet!!! <3 <3 <3 I'm soo with you on that. I love when we have strong females taking over the story. I think Robyn and you would get along very well, too. That's exactly what I was hoping for. *slaps forehead* I don't know what's wrong with me, but I ALWAYS forget to put my question marks in. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY!! Thank you a bunch for pointing it out!! 👍 Aaaaahhhh, THANK YOU, I'm sure that's not true though, but THANK YOU!!!!! The only problem with that is that I have no idea what's gonna happen in the second chapter. 😂 But maybe I'll try to get it up early, 'cause two weeks is a long time to wait. If that's what everyone would like, that is.

  • Ally M.J.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! ♥️
    You are further convincing me that you’re a genius. It was amazing! The first chapter is witty, sarcastic, and introduces characters neatly. I adore strong female leads, so Robyn and I will probably get along great. The only this I noticed was a punctuation error. ‘“Did we score somethin’ good.”’ Missed question mark. But seriously, Maggie, this is incredible. Please give me the next chapter ASAP because I need more of this.

      • Maggie

        Haha, no big deal. It makes me SUPER HAPPY to see your enthusiasm. I’ve actually submitted double comments before, so really no worries. THANK YOU!!!! Maybe if I get started on it, I can give some sneak peeks or something. I don’t know. Sorry if I’m gonna make you live in suspense for the next two weeks. 😉
        If you have any ideas on a sneak peek you might wanna see, let me know!

  • Jen

    This was great, Maggie!!! I love how Robyn is still the leader of a group of men, not that I don’t like the Robin Hood retellings where they go full-on genderbent, but I like what you’re doing. 😀 Everything was written clearly and I didn’t have any trouble following along. The only thing I noticed was that Robyn let the bags fall to the ground when she found out about the new sheriff but then she turns around and tosses them to Will Stutely without mention of picking them back up. But other than that and the already addressed missing question mark, this was really good! ^_^ I can’t wait to find out how Robyn knows Calvin and why he’s supposed to be dead! (This is random, but does anyone else read ‘he’s supposed to be dead’ in Izma’s voice from Emperor’s New Groove? Meh, I’m probably just weird. ;p)

    Also, have you seen BBC’s Robin Hood? Because this is reminding me a little of that show, though I’ve only watched season 1 and a portion of season 2 as of right now.

    • Maggie

      THANK YOU, JEN!!!! YAY!! Huh, I didn’t notice that with the bag of coins thing. THANK YOU FOR POINTING IT OUT!!! I’ll definitely fix that. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (I might just end up filling this comment with a bunch of thank yous. 😄) I can’t wait to FIGURE out how Robyn knows Calvin and all of that stuff. Yes, I only put it in there ’cause I thought it sounded good. This might be one of the first things I fully pants, so it’ll be fun to see how that turns out. But be warned, there will probably be a lot of plot holes. 😁 (Actually, I didn’t think about Izma, but that’s really funny. LOL! 😂 I L O V E the Emperor’s New Groove. And Izma; she’s one of the best villains EVER!!!)

      Actually, no I haven’t seen the BBC version. So, if I accidentally take any of their ideas, it’s completely coincidental. XD The only Robin Hood movie I’ve seen is Disney’s 1952 version. (If any of you haven’t seen it HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!! It was FANTABULOUS!!! Yes, I literally tried my hardest to find a spot to stick that word. XD) THANK YOU for reading and commenting!!!

      • Ally M.J.

        I’ve never really pantsed (pants? Pantst?) a story before, but I’m also not a rigorous planner. I usually just do a quick outline, a short character file for my MC’s and sides, and a motivation speech for myself. Coffee is optional, but it’s nice to have on hand. Like chocolate.

      • Jen

        ^_^ You’re welcome! I’m glad my critiques are coming across okay, I’m always terrified I will word something wrong and hurt someone’s feelings. 🙂 And no worries about plot holes, that comes with the pantsing territory. 😉

        YES! Emperor’s New Groove is AWESOME! Izma is one of my favourite villains too! Right up there with Scar from Lion King.

        Oh, cool. Don’t worry, it’s not too similar. 😉 It was mostly the fact that there’s a new sheriff, they did that in BBC but I’m not familiar with the original Robin Hood tales to know if that is a normal Robin Hood thing. If that Robin Hood is the one where Robin is a fox then YES! One of my (and my sister’s) all-time favourite childhood movies! 😀 Hehe, yes, it is indeed fantabulous! ;D

        • Maggie

          Oh, no. You won’t hurt my feelings. I mean unless you said my writing just stinks and I need to hide it away forever. But I doubt you’d do that. (Though, I wouldn’t really deny it.) Aaahh plot holes!! My greatest enemy. XD

          Scar, oh yes. BE PREPARED. That could be my motto. For everyone to be prepared, ’cause you never know what’s gonna happen in my posts and writings. Even I don’t know what’s gonna happen half the time. 😂

          Phew! Good to know. Actually, no, it’s not in the Robin Hood books (as far as I know). I just wanted to add some more personal connections with the sheriff and Robyn. So, actually no, it’s a live-action one. But yeah, the animated fox Robin is pretty cool. Man, I’ve actually been meaning to watch it again. It’s be AGES since I’ve seen that one. I don’t know if I even remember what happens. Okay, I’m putting watching that on my priorities list. (Funny what I define as priority….) I say Robin Hood in general is fantabulous. (I just LOVE THAT WORD.) 😄

          • Jen

            I would never, ever tell that to anyone! Because even if what someone wrote needs work we are supposed to give constructive feedback, not destructive criticism. If someone ever tells you your writing stinks or is garbage, just know they are being mean and you should pray for them. Whew, didn’t mean to rant there, I just get a little worked up even thinking about how mean people can be. 😉 One more thing, I don’t want to overstep, but you shouldn’t think you’re writing needs to be hidden away. You may not be as far along as others, but what you’re putting out there is good. And the more you write, the more you put out there, the more you will grow and learn and one day you will look back at your old writing with fondness because you are no longer where you once were. We all have our own writing journey, don’t compare yours with someone else’s. ^_^

            Lol! Yeah, [Maggie], we’ll be prepared. Prepared for what? XD I love that whole song.

            Oh, haha, I guess I should have googled it first, huh? 😉 If you say it’s fantabulous, I should probably look into watching it! 😀 (^_^ I’m happy you’re enjoying using it!) 😀

            • Maggie

              I would NEVER tell that to anyone, either! It’s okay. Ranting is totally fine here. Oh, yeah, sometimes I get the same way. You’re sooo right. (And don’t even think YOU could ever overstep!) This is true. Great advice!

              Prepared for wacky, crazy, insane ridiculous. ‘Cause it’s coming. XD Me, too.

              Oh, yes, you should. I’ve seen it like maybe five times already. (And that’s all this year, ’cause I first discovered it back in the spring.) Oh, yes, fantabulous totally rules!!

            • Katherine

              Hey, Jen. I know this comment wasn’t to me, but I wanted to say thank you for saying the part about not comparing our writings to someone else. I really needed to hear that so thank you. 🙂

              • Jen

                You are SO welcome Katherine! What I said is for every writer as well, I am so, so glad it helped you! As I wrote that I prayed for God to give me the right words to say, so you really have Him to thank. ;D <333 You are on your own beautifully unique writing journey and if everyone's journey looked the same, well, we'd have a lot of the same stories out there. 😉 I pray God guides you, and anyone else reading this, as you continue to write! ^_^

                • Katherine

                  Yes, I’m thanking God and thanking Him for giving you the right words. <3 <3 <3 Awwww, I'm gonna cry. You are just soooo sweet! Thank you. Thank you for your encouragement!!!!!!!❤️ You are so right! I'll remember that. Thank you for your prayers! I'll pray for God to guide you as well. He answers are prayers. Blessings!!!!❤️

                  • Jen

                    You are very welcome! <3 Comparison is something I struggle with, in writing and in life, so I always try to encourage others so they don't go down the same path I did. Something I read recently is about not comparing your beginning to someone else's middle, as in, don't compare yourself to someone who is futher along than you, they had to start somewhere too. Aww! Thank you so much for the prayers! Blessings to you too!!! ^_^ <333

                    • Katherine

                      God has sent you to us, Jen!❤️ I believe He was trying to tell me what you said about comparison and He told me through you.🙂 Thank you so so much! Thank you for your encouragement! 🙂 Thank you for sharing what you read recently. I’ll remember it. Aw, you’re welcome. God bless! <3!

                • Lily

                  Hi Jen! I’m Lily and I also want to say I totally agree with what you said about constructive criticism! And you’re right; the more we keep writing and putting our words out there, the more we can grow as writers. Thanks so much for the encouragement!. 🙂

    • Ally M.J.

      The Emperors Groove is one of my favorite animated movies! Haha, yes, now that you mention it, yeah, it does sound like Yzma. In words, not personality. Do you remember this part? “Oh right, the poison, the poison for Kuzco, the poison chosen specially to kill Kuzco, Kuzco’s poison”

    • Katherine

      Yeah, I noticed about the bag of coins thing. *slaps forehead* I probably should have said something about it to Maggie before she put the chapter up. *shakes head* What was I thinking? “He’s supposed to be dead.” LOL! I love The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s one of my favorite movies!!!!!!!!!!

  • Ally M.J.

    The new Keeper book is out. ITS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. I already read it (thank you, speed reading!) and it’s SO GOOD. IT TELLS YOU HOW TO MAKE (humanized) CINNECREME. AND IT HAS PORTRAITS OF SANDOR AND GRIZEL AND FLORI AND BO AND RO AND KEEFE MEMORIES AND THE SONGS BEFORE THE BANISHMENT AND SOPHIE’S HUMAN FAMILY AND ALL THE OTHER GOOD STUFF.

    *pants for breath*

  • Lily

    Hi Maggie! How are you?

    I notice someone else mentioned the bag of coins that were dropped and then tossed to someone else. So that’s basically covered! So, other than that, I didn’t notice anything major.

    I think you did a really good job of jumping right into the conflict within the first chapter. And I love the idea of going into first person POV. You have a strong character. You showed her strengths and you showed her weakness (being rattled by the mention of ‘Calvin’ was a good way to show her vulnerability, especially when she went off to sit by the creek.)

    My favorite lines were these (please keep them in the final draft!) :

    “Of being outlaws. Wouldn’t it be nice to be recognized for something more than breaking the law?”

    “I think you’re forgetting what ‘outlaws’ mean.”

    And this one:

    For once, I wanted to do something the world would view as ‘right.’

    And finally, this is a really good line (Keep this one pleease!!!):

    Sometimes that’s all we could do in life. Keep moving forward. “Trouble can’t be avoided. But it can be stopped.”

    🙂

    • Maggie

      Hi, Lily!!! I’m doing pretty good. I’m sooooo close to finishing the second draft of my WIP. I’m already getting things ready to start submitting to literary agents again, so, you know kind of nervous and excited at the same time about all of that. How are things going for you? I hope writing is going really AMAZING!!! And, you know, I hope your characters are doing their best to listen to you. I mean, they try, right?

      THANK YOU, GIRL!!!!! Yeah, first person is DEFINITELY my stronger side. (Okay, I don’t think that came out right.) YES!! I was soooo hoping Robyn’s character was going to start off really well!!! *happy dance* (Sweet! I do LOVE showing all of my characters flaws and weaknesses. I don’t ever want them to be the ‘typical’ hero.)

      Ooooh, these were some of my FAVORITE LINES, TOO!!!! I’m just so, so, so, so happy you liked them also. As long as the plot doesn’t completely change, I hope I can keep them in the final draft. (Especially that last one. It was just one of my FAVORITES!!!! That’s why I made that graphic thing with it.) I’M JUST SO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED THE STORY!!! THANK YOU FOR READING AND COMMENTING!!!! Your comments ALWAYS put a smile on my face.
      🙂

      • Lily

        Ooo, that’s so exciting that you’re going to submit to agents (I recently saw your post on your writing journey. Good for you for getting your work out there! It was also very encouraging; I sent out an article beforehand which some editors politely rejected 🙁 But, I’m hoping to try again after I graduate these college writing classes!)

        As for my characters, they’re doing their best to listen… to nothing I say XD And yes, I get what you mean by first POV being your stronger side. Flawed characters are also the best!

        And you’re sooo welcome! I enjoyed reading this post! 🙂

        • Maggie

          Yes, exciting and very scary and nervous at the same time. Yeah!! I’m so glad it encouraged you!! Oh, yes, I TOTALLY understand. The short story under the page titled “The World of Before” was a story I sent to an online magazine that was rejected. I’m SUPER SORRY, though. 🙁 I wish you the best of luck if you do end up trying again. You go, Girl!!!! YOU’VE GOT THIS MORE THAN YOU THINK!!!!! I’m cheering you on!

          XD I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND!!!! Characters can be so stubborn in having their way at times. Agreed!!
          YAY!!! I’m sooo glad you enjoyed it!!

    • Maggie

      Aww, THANK YOU, SHANESSA!!!! I REALLY like your blog as well. I’m soooo glad you think that. I always get worried that people are gonna think my site’s just strange and crazy. (Probably because I’m pretty crazy…🤔) SO THANK YOU AGAIN!!! And thanks a BUNCH for commenting. I don’t think most people realize HOW MUCH comments just make my day!!!!

  • Jen

    (Hey, Katherine, I’m commenting here because for some reason the reply button has disappeared on you last comment, technology is so weird *shrugs*.)

    Awww! Now YOU’RE gonna make ME cry! *^_^* I am just so so happy what I said helped and encouraged you! God is SO good, isn’t He? God bless you too! <333

    • Katherine

      (Hi, Jen! I know, technology is so weird. I don’t always get it. Although, it’s possible if you click reply on your own comment it would just appear under my name; I’m not sure. *shrugs* Oh, well, we’ll just go with the flow. Amiright?🙂)

      🙂 You are a such blessing, Jen!❤️ YES, God is SO GOOD!!!!!!!!! Thank you!🙂 <3

  • Jane

    It was so good!! Now the critiquing,
    all I could find was that it said that Will Scarlet was wearing scarlet, did you mean to do that? or is that was why he was called will scarlet? and then there were only a few grammar things, like one time I think you forgot to paragraph between someone talking, and then just a few missing commas and question marks but that was all I noticed, otherwise it was great, I loved Robyn’s personality and her leadership skills, it was AWESOME!!! I can’t wait for the second chapter!!
    I hope this helps! <3 🙂

    • Maggie

      THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!!
      In the Robin Hood book by Howard Pyle (and I’m pretty sure in the other stories about Robin) Will Scarlet gets that part of his name because he was always wearing scarlet colored clothes and the others wore lincoln green. Oooh, punctuation. My WORSE ENEMY! I’m serious. You’ll find grammatical errors in just about everything you read of mine. 😉
      YAY!! I’m sooo happy you’re enjoying Robyn!! AW, THANK YOU A BUNCH!!!! Eeep! I can’t actually wait to write the second chapter. Yes, I’m telling everyone chapter two is coming up on Sunday, and all I have is a general idea about what I want to happen. Oh, well. We’ll see what happens.
      It does!! THANK YOU!! <333 Though, from our previous conversation, I wanted to point out, that even if your comments here are filled with nothing but encouragement, that helps, too. More than you'll probably ever know.

      • Jane

        Your so welcome!! That makes since that Will Scarlet would wear scarlet, I’ll have to read Robin hood sometime.
        Punctuation is the worst! I almost always forget it! I would have wrote the book to if it wasn’t for those meddling commas (I have no idea why I’m quoting scoody doo, it just popped in to my head and sounded funny) 😛
        Yes, I love Robyn!! Shes fantabulous! *Gets in time machine, goes to future, comes back* don’t worry, you get the second chapter done. 😛
        if you don’t mind I think I’ll stick to encouragement 🙂
        You’ve go this!! *Throws confetti and party streamers at Maggie* <33

        • Maggie

          Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I LOVE YOUR SCOOBY DOO QUOTING!!! I’m gonna have to remember that one next time my writing isn’t working. Blame it on the commas!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Punctuation is the absolute worst.
          I REALLY LOVE ROBYN, TOO!!!! When Colin’s not listening or doing what I’m wanting, I just move to her. She’s easier to write. Phew! I’m glad you went into the future to make sure it worked out. 😉
          I TOTALLY DON’T MIND!!!! In fact, on my days when it’s hard to write INTO THE LAMP, I just remember all the encouragement I’ve gotten from all my readers and that comment you sent on the portion of the opening chapter. It’s been really helping me to keep writing. (Since I had to take the chapter down, I ended up copying what you wrote and emailing it to myself to read over when I get stressed.) I’m writing this for God and for all of you!! It really helps me get back to work on it. So, THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER!!!!!
          Thank you sooooo much, Jane!! <3333

  • LittleNovelist36

    <3 <3 <3 That's all I have to say. XD I love it! I think your Robyn and my Scarlet (from my red riding hood retelling) could be friends. XD But maybe I should actually write Scarlet's story first. *facepalm* XD

    • Maggie

      Aw, just a MILLION THANKS TO YOU!!!!!!!! You’re just TOO SWEET!!!! <33 <33 Oooh, I don't know much about your Scarlet, but from the sounds of it, I'd bet they'd be AWESOME friends!!!!! (Hold on!!! A Riding Hood retelling??!!! THAT'S JUST SUPER AWESOME!!!!! LOVE the idea!!!!) Ha!! 🤣 Yeah, you should probably stick to writing Scarlet's story first. XD GOOD LUCK with that!!!!! WHOOO!!!

      • LittleNovelist36

        It’s amazing!!
        Scarlet kinda came out of nowhere with amazing ideas and she is stuck waiting for a legit plot currently. I’m working on it. XD But Hey! Two feisty girls going by “hood”! XD XD

        • Maggie

          <33 THANK YOU!!!!!!!
          *gasp* THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH WHAT LAY BEYOND THE WOODS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've started this story with too many plots to count before I found kind of where I wanted it to go. Well, I REALLY hope you find that legit plot you're looking for!!! *crossing fingers* YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two feisty girls going by "hood," the world better look out!!! XD ;)

          • LittleNovelist36

            *gasps with you* I is amazed. XD XD I think you inspired me… I’m going to go work on it. XD Yes! World, we have warned you. XD

            • Maggie

              TOTALLY AMAZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aw, really? I hope so!!!!!!! YESS!!! I hope writing goes absolutely AMAZING for you!!!!!!!! YES, YES, YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! World, you have been warned! XD

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