Featured Story of the Week: Three Incantations

Three Incantations is a Once Upon a Time fan fiction that focuses on the character Rumpelstiltskin. In this week's Featured Story, we take a closer look at this work.

Give us a brief summary of Three Incantations.

Referencing the television show Once Upon a Time, Three Incantations is a fan fiction in which Rumpelstiltskin sacrifices his relationship with Belle when she loses her memory, and begins to learn that easy mechanisms of defense such as magic are no longer capable of solving his problems. Through this, he discovers that he values her well-being over his own insatiable desires, and uses three incantations to try to bring back her memory. Though all are acts of desperation, one is a very dangerous last resort.

What inspired you to write Three Incantations?

The concept of defense mechanisms inspires me. We learn that they are successful in getting us what we want, so we repeat them, never realizing we're destroying our ability to work through our issues. I was excited to write about what happens when we're forced to revoke them.

How long have you been working on this story?

Since February of 2013, so about eight months!

What is your favorite thing about writing Three Incantations?

I like reviewing the flares I put into this story, such as certain spells I invent, different uses of wordplay, and minor details that later become very relevant to the plot.

What is the most challenging thing about writing it?

This story never had a lot of direction. It was a side-story that I just happened to never stop writing, so if I stop the writing process and try to think about all the details of where I want it to go, I get stuck.

Have you ever experienced writer's block with this story? If so, how did you overcome it?

Yes, a lot of times. To get over it, I would just idly write down random ideas and suddenly they would build into grander plans, which got my focus back.

Do you write with an outline, or just wing it?

I usually never write outlines, but I do keep notes about ideas that I don't want to forget.

Do you have any pre/post writing rituals?

I like to write in public, at least in the case of this work. Being surrounded by sound and energy helps me focus on what I'm writing. When I'm finished with a chapter or segment, I usually walk around and try to imagine any modifications I can make or ideas for what should happen next.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you so much for keeping my morale up, and I'm sorry I have so many boring responsibilities that get in the way of writing! I always feel inspired by my audience, and I'm stoked to share my creations with anybody interested in them.

Special thanks to stargaze. and chibs telford for editing!

Latest articles