Know the Novel 1

Hi guys!

 So NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! I’m so excited. Today I’m gonna talk about my project(s).
Christine took up the banner after Beautiful Books went on hiatus and she’s turned out this amazing link-up designed to help authors talk about their nano projects. This is a three part series that will take place over the next two months and update you to my progress. This is also the last day for me to join the first linkup, so without a moment to spare, I give you

 Know The Novel

I am /this/ close to finishing Bad Boy, and the pole results were so close, so for Nano I’m going to start by finishing Bad Boy and then dive right into this new story idea. So we’ll see how it goes. I’m a rebel.

Now, for the questions, and answers for each story.


1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
Bad Boy: Six of Crows. I liked the idea of having a criminal main character, but I preferred one that wasn’t quite so dark as Kaz.

 

Mad Hatter: A prompt and the piece I wrote from it. I can no longer find or remember the prompt, and the snippet I wrote has disappeared, but I know it involved a shaggy haired guy walking into a bar wearing a top hat, and talking in a Chicago accent. He's been the Mad Hatter ever since.

2. Share a blurb!

Bad Boy: When the royal advisor insults him as a common criminal, Brass Talan has no choice but to kidnap the advisors daughter.
But then the trick is keeping her, and an old nemesis is intent on recruiting him for a rebellion he wants nothing to do with. All he wants is to wreak his own destruction his own way. But the game changes when he discovers his captive has no desire to get home, and the rebellion he’s been avoiding all along might just be the weapon he needs.

Mad Hatter: When an eccentric young man sporting a top hat and Chicago accent wanders into Molly’s diner spouting nonsense about tears in the realm, the raven queen, and fae destruction, Molly thinks he’s had too much to drink.
But there’s something odd about the man that she can’t quite explain. Something hovers over him that she can’t quite bring into focus, and he seems to know she can see it.
Then monsters start invading her life. Monsters that no one else can see. Molly has to find the mysterious Hatter and discover what is happening to her world.

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?

Bad Boy:  The Spills. How grungy and cutthroat it is.

Mad Hatter: Molly’s diner and small town Nebraska. I'm excited for the fae realm. All kinds of fun creatures, plus the gossipy out in the sticks feel of little Nebraska.

4. Tell us about your protagonist.

Bad Boy: Brass is a criminal with dreams for a big prize. He's secretly got a good heart. And I mean very secretly. Deep down where he doesn't even know it exists.

Mad Hatter: Molly is rundown, world weary, downtrodden, but when someone believes in her she comes alive and is a bright fun person. This diner is her last chance at making people proud of her, and it's not off to a great start.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?
Bad Boy: Fram Dulin, leader of the rebels, is the main antagonist, but also the kind and dukes.

Mad Hatter: The Queen of Ravens.

6. What excites you the most about this novel?
Bad Boy: Brass.

Mad Hatter: Writing Hatter’s crazy character.

7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?

Standalone’s all.

8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plansting?
Plantsing!!!

9. Name a few things that makes this story unique.

Bad Boy: The Christian theme underlying it. Being from a bad person's POV. Non-magical fantasy.

Mad Hatter: It’s an Alice in wonderland retelling. It’s modern fantasy. The setting (NE)

10. Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

I could totally bombard you with music playlists, pictures, maps, etc. but I'm on a bit of a time crunch, so I'll keep it simple.
You can find Bad Boy's Pinterest board here  and Mad Hatter's here.


Thank you Christine for hosting this link-up! You guys should go check out the other links and read what everyone else is up to.

What about you? What are you planning for November? Are you participating in Nanowrimmo, or do you think those of us who are have lost their minds?
Let me hear your thoughts!

 

 

 

    

An Impromptu Guide to Surviving Nano

 

Hello everyone!

We are just a week away from November, and consequently, NaNoWriMo.

If you don't know, NaNoWriMo (hereafter referred to as Nano, because that's too much typing) is when people from around the world all set out to write a fifty thousand word novel during the month of November. It's the most stressful fun of a writer's life.

 

I've been doing Nano for four years.

The first year I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and ended up with a word count of zero.

 Yep. Zero.

 

The second year, I had a little better plan, and made it to 40k.

Let me tell you, it's depressing to come that close to the goal and still fall short.

 

Third year was a nightmare of trying to plan a wedding and work a full time job, so I wrote three thousand words.

 

But the fourth year. Ah, the fourth year. That year (last year) I won. It was my Blood and Dust (The Guns) story that I'm now querying. Last year I found a groove that worked for me and it turned out fabulous.

 

I've also participated in Camp Nano (writing a novel during months other than November) three times, and won each year with goals of 20, 25, and 50k.

 

So, here are some of my tips and tricks for surviving the craziness of Nano and meeting your goals.

 

 Hide the first day.

Just lock the door and don't let anyone in. Or, if it helps, have someone lock you in and don't let you out. Write as much as you can the first day. It's November. Odds are there are going to be holiday celebrations and family gatherings. Those are going to cut into your writing time, so you want to give yourself a good head start so you're still okay on the slow days. I try to shoot for about 8-10 thousand to start off with, because it seems like that's how short I tend to be toward the end of the month, but sometimes I don't get that much written.

 

Schedule.

Find a time of the day that works best for you to write and stick to it. The rest of life must go on, even if Nano is in full swing, so you have to prioritize and make time for writing and the rest of life's responsibilities.

 

Explain to your family ahead of time.

Not everyone gets what the big deal is about Nano. Frankly, sometimes I don't even get it. Why am I stressing over 50k words when winning only earns me bragging rights? There's not a million dollars on the line here. If we think those things, our non-writing family members certainly will. Let them know why this important to you, and come to an agreement with them on when it is okay to be missing in action (off writing) and when your presence is expected. It might cut into your time some, but that's ok. You can't get any writing done if you're having an argument about how many hours you've been at the computer.

 

Outline.

Even if you're a hardcore pantser, you're going to have to do some planning if you want to succeed at Nano. It's just too intense to not have a clear idea of where you're going. That doesn't mean you have to kill yourself filling out every character questionnaire and word building sheet that comes your way. In fact, I'd discourage it. You want to still be excited over your story once Nano starts, and if you burn yourself out with all the crazy minor details ahead of time it's going to be hard for you to get a lot of writing done. This is important whether you are a Nano Rebel (using a project that's already been started) or working from scratch. Make sure you know where the story is heading.

The outline for my current project (which may or may not be my Nano project)  looks something like this:

• Kidnaps Tamille.
• Disguises her and hides her in his haunt.
• King offers ransom that Brass ignores.
• Dukes are trying to catch him.
• Betrothed prince gets involved.

That's pretty vague. Some of those aren't even going to get their own full scene. But it just gives me a general idea of what I'm heading for in each scenario, and helps me if I get stuck.

 

Pinterest.

Start a board for your project and fill it with inspiration. Quotes. Pictures. Settings. Whatever you need. Spend time looking at them. Envision scenes. Jot down any idea that comes to you. If you're somewhere that you can't write, but you can be on your phone, tablet, etc. scroll through them. Keep that story fresh in your mind. But then when Nano starts, get off Pinterest. It's too distracting. What I usually do (unless my board has a ridiculous number of pins) is to screenshot the board. You can usually fit four pins in one phone screenshot. I keep them saved to an album on my phone for the month of November. That way if I want to look back at a character reference I can, but I'm not going to get distracted by my Pinterest homepage. And it's also available to me without internet.

 

Make a playlist.

Find songs that remind you of your story. Songs with words, or plain instrumentals. Get them all. Play is loud. All day long.

 

Keep your writing handy at all times.

During Nano my laptop does not leave the kitchen counter. I plug it in and it stays on all day long so that even if I'm writing one line at a time in between changing diapers, cooking, cleaning, etc. I'm still writing. It's easier to write on a laptop because you don't have to worry about counting words, but keep a notebook with you too if you're doing any kind of traveling. You can always count the words later on the last day and get them logged. Just get the words put down somewhere. Utilize whatever tools are available to you. If I'm cooking and its messy I write in a notebook on the kitchen table. When Henry needs rocked or nursed, I write in the notes app on my phone. Once he's down for a nap I sit down and write at my laptop. Yes, it's chaotic and the story is spread out, but that's okay. Getting the words down is all that matters, and you want to make the best of all those spare minutes. Just jot a note down in whatever device you're writing that tells you what place this chunk goes into in the whole manuscript so you can easily piece it together later.

 

Find a buddy who can cheer you on.

They don't have to be available 24/7. They have to write too after all. But if you can shoot someone a message at some point throughout the day when you're stuck and they'll help you out, that is great. Make sure you're available for them as well.

 

Utilize the extra recourses on the Nano website, but don't get swamped by them.

The first year I did Nano I thought I had to listen to every pep talk and take part in every brain storming session the website hosted. That's why I had zero for a word count. Those things are great, and if you're feeling stuck and need to brainstorm, definitely sit in on a session. But if you don't need it, don't waste time on it.

 

Take a break.

Yes. A break. Stop writing. Every day at whatever time works best for you (mine are dinner and late evening) set aside your writing and do something for fun. Read a chapter of someone else's book. Watch an episode of your favorite tv show. Scroll through Facebook. Whatever you need to do to relax and let your brain focus on something other than word counts and plot lines. You can't hit your goals if you burn out.

 

Go easy on yourself.

Yes, the main goal is to reach 50K. But you know what? Who cares if you don't. You do the best you can do, and don't worry if you don't reach 50. Words written are always a good thing. It doesn't matter how many, and it doesn't matter how sloppy. Yes, we want to try and make word count and have a neat and orderly first draft, but that doesn't always happen, and that is okay. Don't get so upset about where you're at that you don't get any writing done at all.  Have fun.

 

Coffee.

Always coffee. You'll need it when you've been awake for hours on end.

Also, duct tape. Because coffee only works for so long, and you'll need something to hold your eyelids open.

 

Another great thing to do in order to survive Nano is to have a story to write. I don't have that right now, and I'm trying to decide between a couple ideas. Care to help me out? Just take this survey and let me know which one you would choose. I'd really appreciate it.

 

Whew! Now that all of that is out of the way, tell me about your plans. Are you participating in Nano? Do you have a system that works for you? Do you want to be buddies?

 I want to hear all about it.

 

Also, I'm now offering a free novella to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter. Just drop your email in the box at the top right hand corner and it should arrive in your inbox within a few hours. It's a steampunk retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and 75% of it was written with Galway Piper playing in the background, so it's possible that there's a bit of a Scottish highlands feel to it. I'd love for you to check it out.

 

 

A Mid-Autumn Crisis

 

Hello all!

 

Relient K has a song called High of 75, and in it there is a line that says:

"Lately the weather has been so bipolar and consequently so have I."

 

That's kind of my motto lately.

 

The weather went from raining for a week straight, to snow, to t-shirt weather.

It was warmer here in Nebraska than it was in Arizona.

I, on the other hand, went from task to task and never really got any of it done.

 Except binge watching an entire four season series on Netflix in five days. I did do that.

Two of my three favorite characters died. I was emotionally unstable for days after.

 

Ahem.

 

Moving on.

 

I've been frantically editing and re-editing the super secret project I mentioned earlier. It's so close to being done, so be on the lookout over the coming week. (Don't need to look too hard. I'll make it blatantly obvious to the world when its finished.)

 

We also got our Author ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) from the Five Poisoned Apples contest.

You guys, it is going to be such a good collection.

I turned in my last round of revisions on it yesterday, and it has been so much fun getting to read the other winning entries.

They are fantastic, and I can't wait for you all to get to read it in December.

 

I keep telling myself I'm prepping for NaNo, but this is a lie. I don't even know what I'm going to write. I always have Bad Boy to fall back on, since he does technically need finished, but I like starting a fresh idea for NaNo, so we shall see.

 

I tore down the garden, filled my yard with pumpkins, and the neighbors are harvesting so now it officially feels like fall. You know, after we had spring and winter last week.

 

My beloved Nebraska Huskers are 0 and 6 for the first time in their history, and it's giving me trauma. They are playing so hard and I love what I'm seeing, but the losses just keep piling up.

 

It's just been a crazy couple of weeks. It kind of feels like I'm having a mid-autumn crisis.

I'm even thinking about dying my hair.

 

 

This was, in fact, a ramble post. I had no idea what to blog about this morning. I have things in the works for the next two weeks, they're just not quite ready yet.

So I apologize for this rather boring filler post, and send with it a promise to do better next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Language of Worlds

 

First of all, my apologies. I thought it was Tuesday. 

Second of all, it’s time for the next installment of Language of Worlds, a bi-monthly linkup tailored for Christian speculative fiction writers. 

I’ll be continuing with Brass Talan from my Bad Boy WIP. For fun though, I’m going to include Tamille’s answers as well. 

Now for the questions. 

What does your character fear the most?

Brass says he’s not afraid of anything. He’s also an impulsive liar. He most fears being discovered. He has a secret in his past that he guards like a maniac. 

Tamille is afraid normal human things, but she’s mostly scared of being trapped in a life where she’s not able to be herself. 

How would they handle it if they were to face their fear?

Not well. He’ll have to face it sooner or later. I imagine it won’t be pretty. 

Tamille would fret and worry about upsetting her family, and then she would stand up for herself and do what she knew was right. 

Do they want to get married? Why or why not?

Oh heavens no. No, no, no. Marriage would require feelings, and feelings means admitting he’s human, and Brass would never do that. 

This is tricky, because Tamille is actually engaged to be married to the Prince of Ellillian. She does want to marry someday, but not him. 

What is their love language (i.e. words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, quality time, acts of service)?

Do sarcasm and anger count as a love language? Cuz that’s what he’s got. I think though, that his would be acts of service. 

Tamille’s is a mix physical touch and words of affirmation. 

On a scale from 1 (messy) to 5 (organized), how do they rate?

Tamille is a 5. 

Brass is....he’s a five in his own mind. He knows where everything is and he’s very meticulous in his plans. But to anyone else looking, he’s definitely a 1. 

How do they feel about debates/disagreements?

Both of them are more than game to engage in a heated debate. Which is good, because they have a lot of them. 

What do they bring to a battle (figurative or literal)?

Brass brings his killer wit and an arsenal of discreet weapons and poisons. 

Tamille brings the voice of reason, and admirable stubbornness.  

What's their favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

Tamille likes fruit pastries, but they’re hard to come by in The Spills. 

Brass doesn’t usually eat breakfast. 

How do they treat themself after a long day?

Normally Tamille would want some sweets and a hot bath, but now she’s happy if she can settle down in a real bed. 

Brass doesn’t know how to relax so I doubt he’d do anything special. 

What do you most want readers to glean from this story?

 

I want them to not want to put it down, fall in love with the characters, and ultimately see the deeper story of their redemption and growth. 

 

Make sure you check out Liv's Blog to read the other linkups over the next month!

Farewell, September

Google

Hi guys!

 

I kid you not, I think September only lasted about two weeks. We're missing the rest of it somewhere.

Here it is, already October. *throws spiders like confetti*

October rolled in with some very foggy, mist filled days and fifty degree weather, so I'm going to talk about what happened last month, while wearing fuzzy pajama pants and sitting next to the heater.

 

 

 

During September I did quite a bit of horse riding. We're in the middle of weaning calves, so Flint got put to work. Henry loves getting to see him.

 

Jarod's dad, Roger, and his wife Michelle came from Tuscan AZ for a two week visit. We had a lot of fun, and they were super helpful, as they happened to come right in the middle of chopping silage.

 

Silage chopping was started and completed! I successfully survived feeding 7-11 people, two meals a day.

 

I saw my first NeedtoBreathe concert, and it was hands down the best thing I've ever gone to see. So good.

 

 

Me and my sisters went Junk Jaunting, which is like state wide antique garage sales. So much cute stuff. So little money. I did find a few great things, and they look absolutely darling in my house.

 

My first article was published on Story Embers. If you haven't read it yet, I'd love if you'd go take a look. I had so much fun this first month with the team there, and I'm even more excited for the rest of this internship.

The blog got updated, which you probably already noticed. The new header was designed by Savannah Grace and I love it. Thanks, Savannah!

 

And perhaps the most important thing.

The leaves changed color.

 

 

 

Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch released his solo album, I Am The Storm: Fight Musik vol. 1, and so I've had that playing on my ipod. It's good. It's not exactly what I'm used to hearing from him, but its growing on me.

 

I finally finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It only took me two months. I started it on Netflix, then ended up not turning Netflix on for a frighteningly long time, so I just got back to it yesterday, and my goodness. The feels. It was such a good movie. Go watch it.

 

I didn't do a huge amount of reading last month, but I did finish The Farseer Trilogy. I have so many emotions right now. I feel like I need to start a GoFundMe so I can raise support to go buy every other book Robin Hobb has ever written.

I also read How's Moving Castle, and it was the best. I have such a strange feeling toward Howl. I love him. But not exactly in an 'I want to marry this fictional character' way. He's so unique from anything I've read lately, and that just makes me really happy.

 

 

 

Halloween!!! I'm so excited. I've got Henry's costume, and I'm working on mine. Jarod doesn't think he's going to get in on the whole trick or treat thing. He is so wrong.

 

Harvest. Now that chopping is out of the way, the menfolk will be getting ready to pick corn and beans. I like that way better than chopping, for some reason. I still cook for the crew, but picking just isn't as intense as chopping.

 

Top secret project that I plan to have done within the next couple weeks, and then I will let you all know.

 

Preparing for Nano. AKA, trying to decide which story to write.

 

 

What did you do last month? Do you have any fantastic plans for October? Are you dressing up for Halloween? Give me all the details!