When I was very young, I borrowed a book about ballet. One of the plays covered was Coppelia, about a young couple almost torn apart by a life-like doll and her soul-stealing creator. I had mostly forgotten about it until I reached uni, where we covered the ballet’s inspiration, "The Sandman" by E. T. A. Hoffmann. It made me wonder what the story would be like if the doll actually had a soul, rather than being a very convincing automata.

As such, the premise of Coppelia starts when Doctor Nathaniel Spallanzani resurrects his daughter’s soul into a life-size dancing automata. Convinced that she needs to seize her new life and be the perfect daughter that her father deserves, the doll finds herself torn between emulating her old personality and exploring new facets of herself that have appeared since her rebirth.

With regards to my draft chapters, I will be posting new content when I feel that it’s decent enough for outside perspectives to take a look at. Speaking from previous experience, I find that I tend to underwrite at times, so if anyone can see something that I haven’t elaborated on enough, then I would really appreciate your feedback. Any other constructive criticism would also be gratefully accepted. With all that said, I hope you enjoy Coppelia.