Facebook cats. Don't ask, but yes—that's where I got this idea from. LOL!
Welcome, everyone, to Milo and Maisie, my very first entry for an open novella contest! I've wanted to try the Open Novella Contest since 2020, when I became active on Wattpad, but school and other stories distracted me. I was so pleased to make the ONC Longlist and Ambassador's Pick that I couldn't wait to expand the story!
Milo and Maisie is an autobiographical book, written in story format, about my experience with the Disney College Program in 2023-2024—my first step in moving on after my brother's tragic death in 2021. Up until May 15th, 2023, I stayed with my family so we could grieve together. Attending the DCP was a massive milestone for me, and I wanted to end it with a bang. Lo and behold, here came the ONC 2024!
Milo, the orange tabby, was inspired by my cat, Tanner, and obviously, Maisie Claire is me. I've learned so much with the DCP and can't wait to share my experiences!
Before you consider joining the DCP, though, let me warn you... It's not easy. I was so overwhelmed my first few weeks that I had to see a therapist for three months. Then again, it was also the first time I had separated from my family since Matthew.
While I'm embarrassed to admit that Disney put me in Custodial at All-Star Sports, I learned to appreciate it later. There was so much leeway with the job, and what made the Program were the people I worked with. Disney is a fantastic place to make friends, but they're tough on their CPs. Prepare for good and bad days, late nights, and almost no time off.
With that said, we need to help Milo and Maisie through this life-changing event so they can learn to appreciate the DCP as much as I do.
FYI, for the privacy of my family and brother, I'm not going to explain how Maisie's brother died, so please do not tell me to.
Also FYI, like most of my writing, this book is plot and character-driven with a screenplay-like format, so expect minimal descriptions and shorter chapters. This is my writing style, and as long as it works for me, that's all that matters.
Now, let's get the ball rolling and see what happens! I'll see y'all on the other side!
- Victoria/Viktoria
Review:
"Hey, Victoria! I read a portion of Milo and Maisie because it was already backed up on my other reading, and... Surprise! It is much better than I imagined it would be. Good sentence structure, plot development, and conversation flow, which is hard to do—action, always action. Patting the cat on the nose was good, for example. Grammar was good; most importantly, you wrote about what you know. We will consider publishing it on Kindle, but it's very good. In realizing that very good still needs work, you might be able to make a career of this."
- John S. Gilbertson (published author)
Wattpad Achievements:
🏅 ONC 2024 Round 1 Qualifier!
🏅 ONC 2024 Round 2 Qualifier!
🏅 ONC 2024 Ambassadors' Pick!
🏅 ONC 2024 Longlist!
🏅Reached #3 in the #onc2024 tag (March 27th, 2024)!
🏅 The Nano Watt 2024 Longlist!
🏅 Proud Walt Disney World Adult!
⭐ Featured on @CelestiaCove || It's All New | New Adult Reading List (March 1st, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @CelestiaCove || Short But Sweet | Short Stories, One-Shots, and Poetry (May 29th, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @CelestiaCove || Pride Month Special Feature | Happy Pride Reading List (June 3rd, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @WackyWriters || Undiscovered Gems Under 1K Reading List (March 2nd, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @WackyWriters || Daring Dramas Reading List (March 2nd, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @Project_Athena || Everyday Life | General Fiction Reading List (March 9th, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @The_Reading_Room || Feast on Fiction | Historical Fiction/Non-Fiction/General Fiction Reading List (May 1st, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @OpenNovellaContest | Longlist 1 Reading List (May 23rd, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @ShortStory | Novelettes (10K-20K Words) (May 27th, 2024).
⭐ Featured by @MermaidAriel13 || Pride Month | Celebrating LGBTQ+ Characters Reading List (June 4th, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @AstaniaCommunity || Unforgettable Journeys | Adventure Reading List (June 21st, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @adventure | LGBTQIAP+ Adventures Reading List (July 9th, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @adventure | Contemporary Reading List (July 9th, 2024).
⭐ Featured on @BlueBirdAwards | Boss Ladies Reading List (October 6th, 2024, 2024).
All rights reserved! Please do NOT plagiarize this story! I do NOT want to have to turn on my bad side—just FYI.