So here's my plot: FMC is generally happy with her life as a singleton, since the break up of her last relationship. It wasn't serious anyway for either of them, so when The Ex moved away (without telling her he was going) she wasn't exactly beat up about it. She's busy preparing for her Sister's upcoming wedding when she starts getting love letters through the post, addressed to her but according to the post office & public records, the sender has been dead for over 40 years.
She starts dreaming about living in 1942 as a Land Girl and about meeting and falling in love with this mystery man, a farmer & Home Guard soldier. Events she dreams about start appearing in the letters. She starts to research him & his life, trying to figure out how this could be happening. She meets The New Guy (a historian, handsome of course, privately educated, not as rough and ready as The Ex), while researching, and starts flirting, goes on two dates etc, all very early days, but there could be something there. At this point, her boss who's been away on a business trip comes back and introduces her new boyfriend to our FMC - you guessed it, The Ex.
I want there to be some conflict as to who she wants more, The New Guy or The Ex. Seeing him again makes them both realise it could have been more. She also realises how angry she is that he left. He confesses that he was in love with her but terrified (of Something) so ran away. But now he won't make a move while he's with The Boss (he never expected to see her again), he's not that sort of guy.
In the end (... somehow, haven't decided yet) she's going to trace the guys family and find out exactly how Mr 1942 died (illness, not war related) and they find his diary, with mentions of her. And shock, a photo of them together. She gets one last letter, this time with vague mentions of her future life. I want this letter to help her chose which guy she wants, and I haven't decided between her choosing The New Guy, The Ex... or neither of them. I'm thinking she'll go for The Ex (Mr 1942 helping her realise that True Love is worth it or something). Trying not to be all cliched though, so they'll be no falling into bed with him.
Here's where you come in ("Finally!" I hear you cry). I can't figure out a) what job I'm going to give FMC and The Ex and b) why The Ex left. I want to steer clear of the cliched (fashion, journalism etc, that's so Chick Lit). They'll be a subplot about The Sister's wedding being canceled for some reason (The Groom runs off or something, which gives her even more reason to doubt True Love) so maybe she can be the wedding planner idl. I also need a reason for why The Ex left. Why was he scared? Maybe he's been divorce previously... got in too deep this time and ran away from it. Did he get another job elsewhere? I don't want to make him out to be a bad guy, we don't want to hate him when he leaves her.
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So here's my plot: FMC is generally happy with her life as a singleton, since the break up of her last relationship. It wasn't serious anyway for either of them, so when The Ex moved away (without telling her he was going) she wasn't exactly beat up about it. She's busy preparing for her Sister's upcoming wedding when she starts getting love letters through the post, addressed to her but according to the post office & public records, the sender has been dead for over 40 years.
She starts dreaming about living in 1942 as a Land Girl and about meeting and falling in love with this mystery man, a farmer & Home Guard soldier. Events she dreams about start appearing in the letters. She starts to research him & his life, trying to figure out how this could be happening. She meets The New Guy (a historian, handsome of course, privately educated, not as rough and ready as The Ex), while researching, and starts flirting, goes on two dates etc, all very early days, but there could be something there. At this point, her boss who's been away on a business trip comes back and introduces her new boyfriend to our FMC - you guessed it, The Ex.
I want there to be some conflict as to who she wants more, The New Guy or The Ex. Seeing him again makes them both realise it could have been more. She also realises how angry she is that he left. He confesses that he was in love with her but terrified (of Something) so ran away. But now he won't make a move while he's with The Boss (he never expected to see her again), he's not that sort of guy.
In the end (... somehow, haven't decided yet) she's going to trace the guys family and find out exactly how Mr 1942 died (illness, not war related) and they find his diary, with mentions of her. And shock, a photo of them together. She gets one last letter, this time with vague mentions of her future life. I want this letter to help her chose which guy she wants, and I haven't decided between her choosing The New Guy, The Ex... or neither of them. I'm thinking she'll go for The Ex (Mr 1942 helping her realise that True Love is worth it or something). Trying not to be all cliched though, so they'll be no falling into bed with him.
Here's where you come in ("Finally!" I hear you cry). I can't figure out a) what job I'm going to give FMC and The Ex and b) why The Ex left. I want to steer clear of the cliched (fashion, journalism etc, that's so Chick Lit). They'll be a subplot about The Sister's wedding being canceled for some reason (The Groom runs off or something, which gives her even more reason to doubt True Love) so maybe she can be the wedding planner idl. I also need a reason for why The Ex left. Why was he scared? Maybe he's been divorce previously... got in too deep this time and ran away from it. Did he get another job elsewhere? I don't want to make him out to be a bad guy, we don't want to hate him when he leaves her.
Basically I need a brainstorming sesh!