Beautiful Books, Month 1

Hello lovelies!

It's that time of the year where people start gearing up for Nanowrimo, or national novel writing month, in other words, November when crazy people try to write a fifty thousand word book in one month.

As such, Beautiful People turns into Beautiful Books, and we tell you about what we are writing for nano, or else what we are writing in general if we're not quite on full nano level of crazy.

I personally know I'm that crazy, because I've done it before and won it, but have failed since then, and haven't actually tried the last couple years. I'm tempted though. So very tempted.

So for this set of questions I'll tell you about two stories. The one I'm actually writing right now, and the one I'm debating starting up in November. Alright?

The story I'm currently writing is called Code White, a snow white retelling I'm desperately trying to finish in time for the Rooglewood Press contest. (Yes, I want to submit two)

The second is a little tidbit that is currently titled Young Guns, but that will have to change, obviously

But anyway, on to the questions.

What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

Code White: The contest ultimately, but this picture also played a key role 

As for how long I've had the idea? About three months. 

Now Young Guns was actually inspired by the Eye of the Tiger song. Don't ask how. I was just driving home from work with it playing (because I'm cool like that) and this image of cowboy gangsters popped into my head. I've had this idea for at least a year, maybe longer. I cringe to even say that because for as old as it is, it's severely under developed. 

Describe what your novel is about!

Code White is a futuristic retelling of Snow White, but the huntsman is actually an undercover agent for a neighboring country sent to win Snowe over to their side and overthrow the wicked stepmothers rule. 

Young Guns is is about a post apocalyptic town in Wyoming where you're in a gang if you're going to stay alive. One old guy controls the biggest gang around and holds the town. Everyone's afraid of him but follows him because he's like the only one his age around, so if he managed to survive the fallout he must know something. Young guns picks up when a new guy comes to town without a gang and challenges everything the old man says....also, none of them have names yet. And I think there's a girl. 

What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!

Code White

Young Guns 

Introduce us to each of your characters!

We'll start with the easy ones. 

Snowe is princess of Kingdom Sepratum. My notes say she's sixteen. I guess I forgot to mention that in the story. Note to self. When she's in her natural look, she's got black hair, pale skin, and green eyes. She typically likes to stick to this basic look and just accentuate it, with things like sparkling eye lenses, lip colors, and metallic highlights. Her father died several years back, she never knew her mother, and she now lives with her step mother queen Centra. She's a tough sort, not overly prone to whining, but she doesn't let people get away with much either. 

Vax is my huntsman character. He's seventeen, likes to spike his hair, and he can't manage much of a beard so he grows a gotee. He wears too much eyeliner, and has lots of tattoos and he thinks he's God's gift to the world. Very sassy, but he is hiding a chip on his shoulder beneath the devilish grin. 

And John, because I can't help it. He's one of my dwarf characters and partmof the team of Americans sent into Kingdom sepratum to get Snowe. He's old. Like, seriously old. We're talking like sixty years old, just short of being alive during the second civil war. He's half crazy, and a red blooded hot headed American, though he was not actually alive to see the original. He likes to act like he knows all about the good old days and he drives everyone nuts referencing things none of the others have ever heard of. Did I mention he wears a stuffed fox on his hat?

In Young Guns things get a bit more tricky. I've kicked around at least fifty names by now and can't seem to decide on any. 

One of the main characters is a younger guy, somewhere in his twenties. I think his name starts with a C. Maybe Cole or something. Anyway, his dad was one of the old timers who survived the fallout, and who originally came from the settlement in Cody Wyoming. He died some years back, but he passed on a secret to Cole? And he's set out to expose it. He's very task oriented, doesn't get distracted by much, a very good fast draw, and has absolutely no idea how to have a good time. 

The second main character is a girl who's in her late teens. So far her name is Calgary but we'll see. She lives in Cody and is one of the saloon girls for the gang boss. She's fiesty, and a dang good shot if you make her mad. 

And the villain, has no name, but he's an old timer and basically stays in power by reputation and an army of young guns who can whip his enemies for him, beause he's actually too washed up to do so. He's built his empire around the idea that he's got some secret knowledge to survive the world they live in, and that there's no where else to go if the people cross his wishes. Which kind of backfires when possibly Cole marches into town from the place that was supposedly uninhabitable. 

How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)

Well for code white I did some research on the terrain and climate of Massachusetts. Not to mention Pinterest. I needed lots of futuristic technology ideas. I also looked through hundreds of pictures from Paris Fashion week.

For Young Guns, I mostly listen to music.

Eye of the tiger

Undefeated by skillet

And

Money and fame

Hard love

Great night

By needtobreathe have all been crucial story development songs

What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

For Code White, the end! Not because I hate it, I just want to get it done. But also getting to introduce John more. He's hilarious in my imagination. 

For Young Guns, I'm really looking forward to developing the story, and finding out more about the characters. Plus gun fights. 

List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

Code white takes place in what used to be Massachusetts. Most of the story so far has taken place in a bunker under a tree. Fashion is a large part of the setting. 

Young guns, think old West reenactment town. 

It's in the pretty part of Wyoming, near Cody.

There doesn't appear to be any civilizations anywhere else. 

What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?

Um, Snowe is a very reluctant accomplice I guess you'd say, but ultimately her goal is to make her people happy, and Queen Centra poses a rather obnoxious threat to that goal. 

Young Guns, the main character is the boy, who really needs a dang name, but his goal is to tell the townspeople the truth, about their own town, and about what else is out there. The big gang Lord old guy is in the way of that goal. 

How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

Snowe turns into a leader, as opposed to the beginning where she's a bit naive and too sassy and entitled for her own good. 

I don't know how HE changes (that's his new name) . I'll figure it out. I feel like part of it involves opening up to people, letting loose a bit and relaxing, living beyond revenge. 

What are your book’s themes? How do you readers to feel when the story is over?

I'm very very bad at either writing themes or identifying them if I accidentally did write a theme. I think truth plays a big role in both of them. For Snowe, it would be so much easier to bury her nose in a story screen and pretend all was well, but that's not in her people's best interest. Also, she discovers a lot of truth about the world, and being open minded and letting some of your preconditioned beliefs down when looking at a new situation. 

Young guns should also have an unhealthy dosage of revenge in there somewhere.