Ivy's Inkwell: Vol. 1 Issue 1
Writing updates and other notes from the voice behind Rowena's Song and Romantasy Realms
It’s GIVEAWAY time!!! If you would like a chance to win a signed copy of my debut novel Rowena’s Song and some bookish swag, subscribe to this publication by May 7, 2026. One subscriber will be chosen at random and contacted via the messaging app on Substack, which hosts this newsletter. Open to residents of the US only.
Welcome to the first post on my website that actually looks like an author’s newsletter. I’ve decided to call it Ivy’s Inkwell, which will focus on my fiction writing and life as an author. Despite the fact the world is crazy, I believe it is more important than ever to keep an open heart. I’m promoting voices—mine included—that are at odds with the fear mongering and hate that has somehow become in vogue. There are many moments my heart is heavy, but I also have had moments of joy with my family and inspired writing sessions.
While it may seem odd that I’m starting this new adventure in April rather than on, say, January 1st, I prefer to follow the calendar wheel of old like my FMC Rowena.
According to this manner of looking at time, its Aries season. Spring has sprung, the days are getting longer, and the world is feeling fresh and fertile. Everyone is ready to move forward, perhaps with a touch of impatience. Instead of a “ready, steady, go,” vibe, it’s been a bit more “ready, go—woah—what are you doing?”
But I thrive in the chaos (well, not political chaos…but I digress). Behind the scenes, I’ve been doing a LOT:
Updates on Rowena 2:
It’s been a slow, slow start, but I’ve passed a MAJOR MILESTONE. Even though my girl is right miserable at the moment, I’ve hit the 45K word mark on Rowena 2!!!
While this is going slower than I had hoped, I made major changes to the underlying structure, which forced me to go back to the beginning.
Why overhaul the story even before the first draft is finished, you ask? Great question!
Since Rowena’s Song is a legend retelling, I’m using historical texts from the Anglo-Saxon period to provide some of my major moments in the narrative, with a bit of Norse mythology mixed to fill in the gaps concerning the religious practices of the Anglo-Saxons prior to converting to Christianity.
The fun part for me is deciding what to keep the same and what to subvert.
In doing this, I realized the plot elements I needed to include were not lining up with a straight three or five act structure. After reviewing my notes from a writing workshop that I took at Writer Therapy in Utah, I decided to add a pre-story, and then redo my three-act structure beats.
Was this fun? Actually—yes. After working with Writer Therapy and Author Accelerator, I have fallen in love with story structure. Building up a solid base for Rowena and the crew is so important to me, especially since this is the book that introduces King Vortigern.
UK readers know what this means, but since my audience is mostly American, I am begging you not to Google it and go in blind.
Subscribe to Ivy Charlotte Dally for further updates, including a title and cover reveal!
Indie Author in the Wild: C2E2
Last weekend, I stepped away from my laptop to attend this year’s Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, known here in the Windy City as C2E2. In addition to enjoying all of the indie author and romantasy offerings, I had a blast dressing up with my family and being a big nerd.
It’s good to be with your people! And if you’re wondering, yes, I did catch them all.
Media Matters
I do love me a good romantasy, but there’s so many other things to read and watch. Here are a few of my recent favorites to give you an idea of what I put into my head, so you understand what comes out on the page.
Dungeon Crawler Carl (and the second installment, Carl’s Doomsday Scenario) is, without a doubt, the most absurd storyline I’ve ever read. Unhinged, off-the-charts ridiculous. How so? Our main characters Carl, his talking cat Princess Donut, and her pet dinosaur are competing on an alien reality TV show after Planet Earth gets the Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe treatment. However, behind this insane premise is one of the best found family stories I’ve ever read. The political commentary about the dangers of media being owned by corporate entities in the government’s pocket really hits home right now.
When the Tides Held the Moon: I originally read this waaay to fast in an attempt to get it finished for an end of the year article at Romantasy Realms. This time, I’m savoring the artwork and going back and forth between the book and the audio to get a better feel for Benny’s accent. Also I can’t hype this book about falling in love with a merman enough—who doesn’t love a “from different worlds” romance? Finally, this book makes me want to take an illustration class so I too can someday produce a novel this exquisite.
Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From an American. Honest to goodness, HCR is my main source for learning about current events. She imbues all of her commentary with a knowledge of US history and the Constitution that has no equal. If you don’t have time to read it on Substack, there is an audio version available on YouTube.
Bridgerton Series 4: I enjoyed Benedict and Sophie’s season, and thought the cinematography used to present the Woman in Silver was exquisite. The bathtub scene was hot without being cringe, and the sets and costumes were a delight as always. My only complaint is that Benedict’s journey felt a bit forced. I enjoyed the cad of prior seasons, and his sudden desire to be with one woman and one woman alone felt like it was happening because the book said so instead of being the natural conclusion to the internal arc he had on the show.
Oracle Card
Every month, this newsletter will feature an oracle card meant to help all the members of my reading community. This month I chose the Dragon Oracle Card set by Diana Cooper. The red dragon featured on the box felt like it was embodying the fire and no-holds-barred energy of this Aries season. This was the card I picked from the online deck:
What a perfect message for my first fully formed newsletter! Truly, my dream as an indie author is to create a dedicated community of readers with whom to share my stories, and spread a little hope and joy in the process. To receive the message that orange dragon is here to “bring soul families and communities together” warms my heart.
While I am not 100% sure of what is coming from the dragon’s talons, it sure looks like orbs of light to me. Things feel pretty dark right now, so I appreciate the promise of better things to come. I hope this dragon’s magic helps spread a sense of belonging to you as well. And he is perched upon what appears to be a stone bridge—another sign representing unity, joining, and coming together.
I hope this message resonates with you too.
Thank you for being here 🧡 And don’t forget to SUBCRIBE so you can be entered to win a copy of Rowena’s Song.