Writing, kindness, and new chapters that surprised me

[LeslieLevendale]

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re all having a gentle day.

I’ve recently posted new chapters of The Shape of Kindness, and I wanted to leave a small note here. Partly to share the update, partly because these chapter meant more to me than I expected.

I’m not naturally gifted at self‑promotion (decades in England will do that to a person), but I’m learning that sharing the writing journey is part of being in a community. So here I am, quietly stepping out of my comfort zone.

These chapters touch on a moment where my protagonist and co-protagonist emotional worlds shift. Writing it reminded me why I started this story in the first place: to explore gentleness, resilience, and the way love grows quietly but unavoidably.

If you’re following Adesh's and William's journey, I hope this chapter resonates with you.

And if you’re writing your own stories, I’d love to hear how you navigate the moments that surprise you on the page.

Wishing you all warmth and steady words,
Leslie

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2228157/the-shape-of-kindness/

 

[Bayleyrockstar]

Hey Leslie. Proper Kudos to the new chapter. Not my cup of tea, but any book written with the heart is a book worth existing. Despite any criticism I might give it. I'm in the same boat. Been writing fiction most of my life, but today I decided to start making something of a proper career out of it.

I believe my writing style is different from yours. But no doubt has some resonant potential. As a non-Chinese, I'm writing a genre that is steeped in their culture and history, and attempting to do my best to stay true to their values while injecting my own.

Which is why I perhaps don't have moments that surprise me on the page, but moments that resonate harder than I intended, because the first reader you write for should be yourself. Currently I am writing a story about a Father's Love shaped by immortality and healthy ambition. And such a story is obviously shaped by my own view of fatherhood and love.

 

[Peagreene]

Hi Leslie, welcome. Nice to meet a fellow English on here - I'm on the southeast coast, though, so nowhere near Yorkshire. It's very refreshing to see your kind of story on here, and one that clearly has a lot of heart behind it.

 

[LeslieLevendale]

Hi Bayleyroskstar,

Your thoughtful words mean a lot.

One of the things I’ve always believed is that stories carry a responsibility, when they touch cultures that aren’t our own. The hardest part of writing The Shape of Kindness was making sure I honoured Gurung culture with as much accuracy and respect as I could manage. I never wanted to fall into stereotypes or shortcuts; I wanted to write with care, humility, and gratitude for the world I was borrowing from. This took a lot of research.

And I completely agree with what you said about the first reader you write for being yourself. That’s exactly how this story began. Which is why I’m still a little surprised by my surprise after reading the chapters.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s kindness of the community like this that makes the writing journey feel a little less solitary.

Warmly,
Leslie

Hi Leslie, welcome. Nice to meet a fellow English on here - I'm on the southeast coast, though, so nowhere near Yorkshire. It's very refreshing to see your kind of story on here, and one that clearly has a lot of heart behind it.

Dear Peagreene,
Thanks ever so much. That’s incredibly kind of you to say. And it’s lovely to meet another writer from this side of the world, even if we’re separated by a few counties :-).
Best wishes,
Leslie

 

[CharlesEBrown]

There are few moments that surprise me in my own writing, ever since I stopped over planning and started "listening" to the characters (I still sometimes force them to take certain paths, but not always the way I'd intended at the outset), but there are some, like realizing a side character was demanding to become one of the central characters in one story.
Or knowing I'd created a character just to kill him off and found it harder to let him go than I'd expected (happened in two stories so far - in one, he got a chapter more than I'd planned, in the other ... well, it was supposed to be a three book series with him dead by book two, but book two kind of started - and made more sense - with him still around, so a different villain was brought in instead).

 

[LeslieLevendale]

There are few moments that surprise me in my own writing, ever since I stopped over planning and started "listening" to the characters (I still sometimes force them to take certain paths, but not always the way I'd intended at the outset), but there are some, like realizing a side character was demanding to become one of the central characters in one story.
Or knowing I'd created a character just to kill him off and found it harder to let him go than I'd expected (happened in two stories so far - in one, he got a chapter more than I'd planned, in the other ... well, it was supposed to be a three book series with him dead by book two, but book two kind of started - and made more sense - with him still around, so a different villain was brought in instead).

Charles,
You have put it aptly: "listening" to the characters. I do that a lot. While I have in my head where I'm going with the story my characters often have their own life. It's probably my conscious and subconscious are in constant battle for domination. Haha

 

[TinaMigarlo]

There are few moments that surprise me in my own writing, ever since I stopped over planning and started "listening" to the characters (I still sometimes force them to take certain paths, but not always the way I'd intended at the outset), but there are some, like realizing a side character was demanding to become one of the central characters in one story.
Or knowing I'd created a character just to kill him off and found it harder to let him go than I'd expected (happened in two stories so far - in one, he got a chapter more than I'd planned, in the other ... well, it was supposed to be a three book series with him dead by book two, but book two kind of started - and made more sense - with him still around, so a different villain was brought in instead).

I laughed at myself, alone. The first time I sat and crossed out 17 thru 20 on my skeleton outline. "My character wouldn't do that, here's why" and went that new way forward. Christ, I'm artistic now. I sound like an actor, my character wouldn't do that. And yes, a side character once "begged" to become a major character, so they did. The random things I assigned to them, to make them their own character? Begged a backstory and reasons that were interesting enough they became most of the big plot for the remaining arcs.

I guess these things happen for everyone, eventually.

and welcome for UK members. I was once active in a forum that had a lot of UK people in it. Got used to the language and ways they were different. British humor is not always obvious, though usually. Must be a england thing.

 

[LeslieLevendale]

I laughed at myself, alone. The first time I sat and crossed out 17 thru 20 on my skeleton outline. "My character wouldn't do that, here's why" and went that new way forward. Christ, I'm artistic now. I sound like an actor, my character wouldn't do that. And yes, a side character once "begged" to become a major character, so they did. The random things I assigned to them, to make them their own character? Begged a backstory and reasons that were interesting enough they became most of the big plot for the remaining arcs.

I guess these things happen for everyone, eventually.

and welcome for UK members. I was once active in a forum that had a lot of UK people in it. Got used to the language and ways they were different. British humor is not always obvious, though usually. Must be a england thing.

English humour? It's an acquired taste. Not everyone's cup of tea.

I've once read somewhere that English humour is saying the opposite of what you mean, in a tone that suggests you barely care either way.

You either live in England, or watch a lot of British sitcoms, or read stuff, or all of these... You might not grow to like this kind of humour but you can get used to it. Which for a Brit is basically the same. haha

 

[TinaMigarlo]

everyone knows Benny Hill. Yet, I used to watch old re-runs of this "Dave Allen at Large" guy. (the one missing a finger, and he always drank whiskey on ice, and told 'gags' sitting on a stool, between his skits). then of course who doesn't know Monty python and some of the more famous members and their later careers. I also used to watch old re runs of "Get Smart" and he was late in life in some kind of a supermarket comedy show. Then, there were these middle aged "white trash" ladies had a sitcom. And I own four of the Bean movies. Both Johnny English's, the one where he goes to Cannes, and rat race he was good.

Everyone *thinks* Pierce Brosnan is english, I know he's actually just irish, but speaks "High Irish" not the low Irish.
Thus endeth the pea sized knowledge I have of english entertainment. i know, like the world needed yet another pedestrian appreciator.
Oh. And my dad once had the "hots" for "Fergie".
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Back on thread topic though, I found characters to be some of the more important things in writing any story. The oldest common trope of a plot is good with great characters. But the best plot in the world can't do anything with cardboard cutout characters. I think a lot of the seasoning or development of the writer, is just them getting used to working with characters. I'm not sure one can "read" their way into using characters well or get it out of a textbook. Might be experience only, with guidelines helping. A new writer that can write, will have a decent MC that's an author self insert. The rest of the characters will suffer, until they learn that end of things. Just my opinion.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I thought Dave Allen was Canadian - at least his show was on the CBC and his accent seemed to come and go and even vary, depending on the skit.
Recall an episode where he did a bunch of "mailman" skits. Mailman delivering weird stuff, or encountering weird things ... or being drawn into a threesome. The real standout was one where he saw a Beware of Dog sign and then avoided all the traps the dog had set for him... and later see's a "Beware of God" sign, laughs at it. Walks up to the door, sets down the package, sees the sign again, laughs ... and is struck by lightning.

And a "horror" themed episode where one skit was "The Curse of Dracula." Dressed in a traditional Dracula costume, he wanders around a castle, hissing at the camera, then climbs into his coffin, pulls the lid shut ... on his fingers ... and a loud BEEP censors out the actual curse of Dracula...

Or a werewolf skit that was later pretty much copied exactly in the movie Teen Wolf.