Merry Christmas

Hello everyone! 

Just a quick post to let you know I’m taking a break until January. 

I hope you all have a happy Christmas and New Years! 

Know The Novel part 3

Hi guys! 
It’s time for the last installment of Know the Novel, hosted by Christine.

This set of questions focuses on the finished product. 

1.  Firstly, how did writing this novel go all around? 

All around? It went pretty good. It took almost a year to finish Bad Boy since I was interrupted by edits on Red as Blood, but I’ve got a decent first draft. During nano though it went terrible. The ending is a mess. Mad Hatter didn’t go very well. The story is playing out like I want it too. I’m not connecting with the characters or plot, but I’m not quite sure why yet. 

2. Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?

Overall Bad Boy turned out like I expected. I had a rough outline when I started and I kept to it for the most part. Tamille’s relationship to the king, a background villain, and a few world building details were the only things that really changed and I’m generally happy with the direction it’s going. Mad Hatter is nothing like I thought it would be, and it’s driving me crazy. 

3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)

I loved the characters in Bad

Boy. Tamille and Brass are so colorful. 

For Mad Hatter...I don’t even know yet. I haven’t enjoyed it much at all. 

4. How about your least favorite part?

In Bad Boy it was the chapters leading up to the last one. They were so blah, and I had to move a lot of characters into place really fast. 

For Mad Hatter, writing it. 

5. What do you feel like needs the most work?

Bad Boy, smoothing it all out. I have like three separate sections of story. In the first Tamille is a princess, then she turns into a duke’s daughter, then some guy is suddenly the villain. I need to make it all match. 

The plot is definitely the problem with Mad Hatter. The characters right now are just reacting, they’re not acting on their own. 

6. How do you feel about your characters now that the novel is done? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!

Brass is still my favorite. Overall I like the characters in Bad Boy and they all behaved relatively like they were supposed to. I can’t stand Prince Rulan. 

For Mad Hatter, Molly is my favorite. Hatter is unfortunately my least favorite at the moment. He’s not turning out at all like I want him, and I can’t find my original notes about his character. 

7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel?

I need to go through and edit Bad Boy a bit so it makes some sense, then send it off to beta readers. 

Reevaluate the plot and such for Mad Hatter and see if I can bring it to life. 

8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?

Bad Boy: Get it cleaned up and published! 

Mad Hatter: At the moment, to get a first draft down that I’m happy with. 

9. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?

If I can survive fixing both of them, I’m sure I’ll have learned a lot writing wise. Both of them present problems I’ve never ran into before and if I can fix it I’ll be happy. 

So, that’s what I’ve got for today. How are things going for you? 

Suddenly it was December

 

 

Hello everyone!

 

I cannot believe how fast last month went. Or how fast this month is already going. It's getting a bit ridiculous.

 

 

 

Ariel Masters asked to interview me, and was wonderful enough to squeeze me in last minute when I didn't get her message. You can find the interview here. 

 

I had an article published on Story Embers about common Christian practices that can kill a story. You can find that here. 

 

Five Poisoned Apples launched and is officially out in paperback and e-formats. You can find both on Amazon. (This was technically in December, on the 1st, but it feels like ages ago)

 

We had thanksgiving with Jarod's side of the family and had a wonderful time, then snuck to my parents' house last minute and had another wonderful time.

 

I set up Christmas decorations.

 

I had a lunch date with a dear friend and got to talk about mom life, wife life, and adulting. It was much needed.

 

I finished NaNoWriMo with 43,977 words. I was sad I was so close and still fell short, but it's all right. Next year.

 

 

 

This month went from having one thing on the calendar to about fifty.

 

Our church women's Christmas party was rescheduled due to a blizzard. We've got snow, people. Not buried by any means, but plenty. Depressing fact, it's the dry, powdery kind of snow that you can't build a snowman out of.

 

The church women's party was rescheduled to this weekend. I am in charge of games. Wish me luck.

 

There is a reindeer petting day in town, at the same time as the women's party, so it's possibly I might leave early from one and arrive late at the other. Because Henry needs to pet a reindeer.

 

Next weekend me and Jarod are going to try to go to a couples Bible study/retreat. We've been trying to go the last several months and farming got in the way. But now the farm is buried under snow, so I am determined.

 

Jarod's boss/aunt is going on a trip to an island. We're not going, but it's usually pretty interesting to see her pictures and hear the stories when she gets back.

 

We'll be heading to Oklahoma right before Christmas. I've got my Pioneer Woman trip all planned out. The wedding is the 22nd, so we'll go to that and then haul butt back to Nebraska. Because I'm a complete homebody when it comes to Christmas. No one else but my family cooks the food properly, I'm convinced, and I refuse to go a whole year without having Christmas dinner.

 

I've got about half of my Christmas shopping done. I'm hoping to finish up the last half soon. I would like for the presents to actually arrive on time, but Amazon ordering is one thing that I'm usually late at.

 

I participated in #FaithPitch on twitter, where you can pitch your Christian novel to Christian agents, and had several people interested.

 

I've had the soundtracks for Turn, and The Greatest Showman on repeat. The 100 has not left my TV screen. And Bad Boy is so close to being done I can taste it. I'm not really enjoying Mad Hatter, which is the most depressing thing I've written in a while. But, I'll push on.

 

 

 

Next month I'm doing another interview with Kristena Mears.  I'll post the link for everyone when it's up.

 

 

How was your month? Do you have any fun plans for December?

 

 

Counting Down

 

Hi guys!

 

The launch for Five Poisoned Apples is just three short days away. I'm bouncing off the walls with excitement.

 

So here is the inside scoop for everything you need to know on launch day.

 

We are having a Facebook party!

 

It will take place December 1st, starting at 7 PM, EST. All you have to do to take part is join the Rooglewood Fairytale Contest page.

All five of the Apple authors will be there. There will be a chance for Q&A, as well as fun games.

And let's talk about prizes for just a minute.

Rooglewood Press is hosting a game for each story in the collection, and giving away five print copies for the winners.

Alongside that, the authors are providing prizes handpicked to represent their individual stories.

Here's a look at what I'm offering up.

 

 

I had a hard time finding prizes I thought the majority of people would like. Since Red as Blood has a Victorian gothic type setting, some of the things I considered were just a little too creepy.

 

The other prizes are all fantastic as well, and I'm really sad I can't take part in the games too, because I would be thrilled to win any of them.

 

The book is now available for preorder.

 

If you just can't wait another moment, you can preorder the kindle copy now on Amazon.

The print copy is going through the final approval, and should be available at any minute, so stay tuned if you're waiting for a book you can display on your shelf.

I should also probably mention, since there has been a little confusion, that I'm not making any money off of this book. Since these collections are of contest winners, we received our prize initially and the profits go to the publisher.

Don't let that dissuade you from buying the book. You are still supporting me and the other authors by reading our work, leaving reviews, and spreading our name around. Some of us have  other published works you can look into, and others have more projects up and coming. So even though we aren't gaining any sales through this collection, the publicity and reader base is invaluable.

So if you decide to buy a copy, thank you very much.

 

Not sure what to expect?

 

I've had several people ask for more details about the book before they buy it for their children/grandchildren.

The stories in the collection are all considered Young Adult, but we were specifically told to write with an age of 13+ in mind, so there's nothing horrifically graphic, in my opinion.

These are Snow White retellings after all, so there is the usual variations of poisoning, cutting out hearts, witches, and magic.

The authors are all lovely ladies and did an excellent job of crafting deep stories, while still keeping the idea of a fairytale happily ever after.

 

I love each and every one of the stories. Falling Snow is probably one of my favorite since I've seen it grow and develop since the very early stages, but the others are each so unique and put a completely different spin on the fairytale.

 

Here are the teaser blurbs for each story.

 

A TALE SO DARK AND LOVELY.

Falling Snow: The strange dark circus is the only life she’s ever known—but is Snow a performer or a prisoner?
Raven’s Heir: Taking her in could risk the lives of his rebel band—but how can Damien leave the young woman at the huntsman’s mercy?
The Fairest One: Her people look for the prophesied Fairest One—but can Livna find courage to step out of the shadows and save her nation?
Red as Blood: He’s been hired to assassinate the princess, no questions asked—but how can Zaig take the life of one so young, so innocent?
Snowbird and the Red Slippers: She longs to be worthy of the scholarship that changed her life—but can Jeong Hayan survive the bitter rivalry of a prestigious New York dance school?

Experience the haunting beauty of Snow White in five thrilling retellings.

 

A bit about the authors.

 

I can't very well talk about the book all day without also talking about the authors who created it.

 

Skye Hoffert

Skye Hoffert is a dreamer, who always had her nose in a book and her head in the clouds. She has spent more time in Narnia and Middle Earth than in reality. She makes her home in Canada, with her family of ten.  She spends her days writing, painting, and procrastinating.

She blogs here.

 

Jenelle Hovde

A former audiologist, Jenelle Hovde decided to take the road less travelled and return to a love of all things creative. She currently juggles many hats as a pastor’s wife, a homeschooling mother of three, and a writer in her spare time. She lives on the windswept prairies with her family and one very large Great Dane who insists on being a lapdog. Her favorite pastimes include sketching characters from books, reading historical romance and YA fantasy, and exploring the Great Outdoors.

You can find her blog here.

 

Cortney Manning

Cortney Manning resides in Kansas City, Missouri with her amazing family and a grown Labrador who still thinks he is a puppy.  When not at home, she can be found teaching, studying at college, or working at a magical place in Orlando.  She has loved exploring different stories from a young age and is excited to share her own writing with the world.  In her free time, Cortney enjoys drawing, traveling, and afternoon tea.

Her blog is here.

 

Rachael Wallen

Rachael Wallen lives in New Zealand, with her husband Andy, in a house full of books. She is a full-time Christian and Paramedic, a part-time ballet student, photographer, and world traveler. An alumni of Writer's Window, "Snowbird and the Red Slippers" is her first published work.

You can find her here.

 

And then there's me!

 

I've had so much fun this last year with these ladies. It's been scary, hectic, and mind boggling at times, but we've all been able to talk it out together. They are all such sweethearts, and I'm so glad there were five of us because I think I might have gone off the deep end if I was trying to navigate edits alone.

I'm so thankful for Anne and the rest of the Rooglewood team. They've been so helpful and gracious, and have pushed me to make Red as Blood into the best story it can be.

I've loved getting to work with the editors and really come to understand how the process works and to continue to grow in my writing through it.

 

I am beyond excited to be bringing Red as Blood to you all this weekend. The characters are special to me and I can't wait to share their story with you.

Red as Blood was the first real writing I've done since a two year break and it's more than a little frightening to be sending it off into the world.

But at the end of the day, I know I did my very best with writing it and that's all I can do.

I'm excited to move forward now and keep writing and pursuing other avenues of publishing.

 

Are you ready to party?

 

 

 

 

Know the Novel Part 2

Hi guys!

 I hope you’ve all had a fantastic week leading up to Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we head off for Lincoln to celebrate with Jarod’s mom’s side of the family. It’s been two years since we’ve met with them, so it’s going to be fun for everyone to meet Henry. I’ve had a great, albeit busy, week of deer hunting, Christmas shopping, and spending time with family.

 For today’s post I’m taking part in the second installation of the Know The Novel linkup, hosted by Christine.

1. How’s the writing going?
Hehe what writing? I did good the first half of the month. It wasn’t perfect or pretty, but I was on track. Then I got sick, deer season started, and Jarod’s mom got in from Washington, so I have done little writing since. I’m sitting at 17,807 words with Bad Boy and 17,787 with Mad Hatter. I’m definitely not going to win nano. But you know, I’m ok with that. I’m glad for the words I’ve got down. I’ve run into some things with the stories that I need to deal with and have learned a lot about where my characters need to be. Once the holiday festivities are over Monday I’m going to start back writing again like I’m supposed to and be happy with whatever the outcome is.

2. What’s been the most fun aspect about writing this novel so far?
Um...honestly, there wasn’t much fun in it. Bad Boy is nearing the end and I’m trying to tie up all the plot threads. Mad Hatter is falling flat of what I had planned. There were a few snarky parts I had fun with, and it was fun to reach 10k on both pieces.

3. Has your novel surprised you in any way?
Yes. Mad Hatter surprised me when I couldn’t find Hatter’s voice. I’ve had such a clear picture of him in my mind, for years, and now that I’m trying to write him it’s not working. It also surprised me that he isn’t a love interest.

4. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?
I love Brass, even though he’s being a boring, temperamental little brat. I’ve got some plot issues to work out with him. Once that’s resolved I think he’ll go back to having my undying love. And I’m really enjoying Molly. Way more than I thought I would, actually.

5. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?
I desperately want to say Brass or Malec (Hatter) but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be either of those. I’d be Tamille and Molly. They’re both fairly reasonable, but when they do get emotional it’s over the top. Bossy, motherly. Me, essentially. I think if I was Tamille I wouldn't have kissed Brass. And if I were Molly, I would have told my boyfriend what is going on instead of hiding it.

6. Give us the first sentence or paragraph and then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!
*sweats*

 

Bad Boy

I've posted the very first paragraph of Bad Boy before, so this is the first paragraph of what I've written in it for NaNo.

 

His skin crawled like insects had replaced the nerves in his body and he stood quickly. “I need some fresh air.”
He ducked out into the hallway without waiting for an answer from Tamille, and headed out to the street.
He should have known better than to allow her so much importance to him. He’d changed his entire plan and strategy to get her back first, and now he was reaping the consequences. He should have known.

Brass put the wrapped cheese in his pocket and started back down the street toward the inn. So they wanted to try and catch Brass Talan, did they? Well maybe he would take their bait and see if they were strong enough to reel him in.

“Do you think he’ll come?” The same nervous voice who had spoken first asked.

Brass started toward them. “For the chance of making three Lords squirm? He wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

The three men spun to face him but it took a moment for anyone to find their bravery and tongue.

 

Mad Hatter.
 

She must have been high when she decided she could run a diner. Molly grabbed the carafe of coffee and headed back out to the tables. They were chuck full, mostly of old men who didn’t want to cook their own meals, but there were also some women who didn’t want to cook either, and a few younger couples.

 

 

The little bell on the door announced an incoming customer. Molly turned to look and nearly dropped her stack of dishes. What the heck was he wearing? The man who walked in was a stranger. Blakely Nebraska only boasted a population of two hundred and she knew them all. None of them dressed like that. He wore a ratty grayish jacket covered in more buttons and zippers than it seemed to merit, and perched on his shaggy brown hair was an honest to goodness top hat that could have belonged to Abe Lincoln.

Molly pulled her notepad from her grease stained apron pocket and walked over to him. “Hi. Can I get you started with something to drink?”
“Do you have tea?”
His accent was strange and one she couldn’t quite place though she was sure she recognized it. “Ice tea, yes.”
She started to turn away but his voice stopped her. “No, not iced tea. Whoever came up with this idea of putting ice into perfectly good tea is an abomination.”
Molly raised an eyebrow at him.

He raised a pierced eyebrow right back at her.

 

7. Have you come across any problem areas?

Haha hahah ahahaha. All the areas. Malec is flatter than road kill. The story lacks color.
Brass is across the country from where he’s supposed to be in the outline. Tamille is stuck in a spiritual hard place that I’m not sure how to get her out of. It’s a mess.

 8. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?
Making it this far without dying.

 

9. Be honest, have you killed any characters off yet?

10. Take us on a tour of a what a normal writing day for this particular novel has looked like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!
Well, when I was writing, I’d get up at six in the morning and write until Henry woke up. Then I’d write what I could throughout the day on my phone, or on my laptop during nap time. Evenings were for catchup if I missed word count. Most of the writing was done at the kitchen table or in the living room. And ungodly amounts of coffee were drank.

So that’s the extent of my NaNo experience.
In other news, the launch date for Five Poisoned Apples is set for December 1st, and we are having a party to celebrate. Be sure to join the Rooglewood Fairytale Contest page on Facebook by 7 pm EST. We are doing author Q&A, games (the prizes you guys. So good), and behind the scenes sneak peeks. It’s going to be great.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! Don’t eat too much! Joking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buck Fever

         

Hi guys!

 

This last Saturday started deer season here. I love deer hunting. It's probably one of my favorite things about fall. Everything gets put on hold for deer season: NaNoWriMo, housework, socializing. I become that really annoying daughter/sister that wants her kid babysat every single day.

 

This year has been no exception.

This year though, I've had the worst luck of my life.

I'm starting to question whether I am meant to be hunting.

It's been ridiculous.

 

Opening morning Jarod had to haul cows all day so he asked a couple of his friends if I could tag along with them. They were awesome enough to say yes and came to pick me up. They've got a nice little blind with windows and a heater in it. The only trouble was, it was 12 degrees, with a wind chill of 1. The windows were completely frozen shut, and the heater didn't feel like working. So if there were any deer out there, we didn't see them because the windows were frosted over. As hard as the wind was blowing though, I'd say they were hunkered down like any sane creature would be.

 

That evening I went out by myself and sat in a little spot. It had warmed up to a whopping 23 degrees, and the wind had died down, so it felt pretty good. All I saw were two does. They walked up close enough to chuck a rock at if I wanted to, then they must have figured out what I was because they ran off. And guys, they made this noise I've never heard in my life. It scared the tar out of me. Go look up a deer warning call on Youtube.

 

Day two I got out too late, and the deer were all over the place while I was trying to get to my spot. I ended up hunkering down in some fallen branches (and a sticker patch, just saying) and hunting like that. Still only saw does.

 

That evening Jarod and I went and sat in tree stands. His stand is close enough that I can see him through the trees. So as we're sitting there, I see him lift his gun and aim at something. Cue me panicking, trying to see whatever he's looking at. I can't see anything. But he's obviously aiming at something. So I'm over in my tree stand dying, and suddenly I see a squirrel bopping along through the trees.

 My husband gave me a heart attack because he wanted to watch a little squirrel through his scope.

 

Then a doe came through. I waited. It stands to reason that if there is a doe, there should be a buck. But this year it hasn't really been working. I don't think they're truly in rut yet.

But for this particular doe a buck did come along.

He was big enough I thought I'd take a shot if he would just come out in the open.

But do you think he would do that? No. He stood behind a tree and peeked around it.

Not even joking. Then he left the way he'd come and I never got a shot.

 

Cue Maddie starting to get just a little bit on edge and crabby.

 

After that we got to the week and I didn't get to go hunting in the mornings anymore.

Monday evening I went out and sat in a different spot where I would have a good view of the trail that buck had come in on.

Way out across a field, way further than a person could shoot, I saw a deer come out. I could see enough through my scope to know he was a buck, but a little guy. No big deal.

Next deer that came out was a doe.

Then another buck. This one only had one antler. Carry on my lopsided friend.

Then up popped another buck. Except for this one didn't come out. I could see his head. I knew he was a buck. And then he went back in the trees. He's a smart one. So I'd say he was probably big. Big deer are always cagey like that.

Then a doe came down the trail next to me. She sat about twenty feet away for nearly half an hour, just eating away like nobody's business.

I thought for sure a buck would follow her, but no such luck.

 

Then I hear something crunching in the thickets down where my tree stand is. There's a little bit of a ditch that runs through there, and walking through the ditch I could see horns. Just horns. No body to shoot at. That deer went right down in where my tree stand was and just made himself to home.

I was so stinking upset.

Then a doe comes out of those same trees, so I'm thinking surely he'll follow her out.

But no, not surely.

Out comes a tiny little spike buck.

He's being all hormonal and does not want her to go back in the trees.

Now in my mind, it would have been absolutely reasonable for the big buck to come out and thrash this little punk and assert his dominance, therefore letting me shoot him.

But he had other ideas. Never did see him.

 

Meanwhile the punk is chasing this doe around and being a general brat.

Well, amidst all that chaos he saw me and boy did he get ticked.

He stood about twenty feet away, stomping and shaking his head like he was hot stuff.

When he started to march closer, I'd had quite enough.

I waved at him and he took off like a scared little twerp, only to stop a few feet away and go back to throwing his tantrum at me.

I was starting to think I was going to have a throw down and waste good ammunition on this little punk who couldn't get his act together.

One more wave did the trick though and he finally ran off.

By then it was dark, so I headed for the pickup.

 

Last night Jarod babysat for me, so I went out and sat in my tree stand. (It's really hard to outguess deer, guys. Don't try it.)

I sat. And I sat. And I sat.

Now normally, I like nature. I think squirrels are cute, woodpeckers are amazing, and field mice are fine as long as they stay away from the house.

During deer season, all of that goodwill goes away.

I hate them.

Every single one of them.

Nothing drives me insane like thinking I'm hearing a trophy buck marching through the brush, only to discover that mice are playing acrobatics in the leaves.

Squirrels make about as much racket as a stampede of elephants, and I don't know, there's just something about being on edge and then adding a woodpecker incessantly tap, tap, tapping.

I was on the threshold of losing my mind and opening fire on mice.

I didn't see anything. Nothing came by my tree. Nothing came by beyond my tree.

 

Then a hawk came in and dive bombed a little covey of quail. The quail panicked and took off, making a bunch of racket on the way out.

And you know what happened when they did?

They scared away a buck and a doe that had been sleeping completely undetected  out in the thickets.

 

I very nearly threw my gun out of the tree.

 

So that's my story for the week.

 

What about you?

Tell me you've had better luck in your endeavors than I have.

 

 

Hello There, November

Hi guys!

I really can't believe it is already November. Where has this year gone?

According to my calendar, October was pretty slow. There was only one thing written on it the whole month (Trim Flint's feet).

Despite the empty look of the calendar, October was fairly busy.

We were harvesting pretty much all October long, (just finished yesterday. Yay!) so me and Henry were busy making and delivering lunches for the guys. We got to ride in the combine with Jarod a few times, and Henry had a blast seeing the corn fill up the bin.

Me and Henry also went with my dad and youngest sister to a horse sale in Quinter Kansas. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, and really enjoyed it. The horses were gorgeous, and the food was outstanding. Seriously, even if you have no interest in buying horses, you need to go just for the apple cake.

I took Henry Trick or Treating. He was a turtle, and I went as Abby from NCIS. It was really fun this year, since he actually kind of knew what was going on. The first few houses he was kind of shy, and then he figured it out and was excited to go from door to door.

I also started writing on my phone in the Notes app, and oh my goodness it adds so many words to my word count. I'm usually only on my phone when I'm rocking Henry or something like that, but I can get a lot written during those times that I would normally be on Facebook.

As empty as October was, November is pretty much covered from start to finish with things to do. Go to the doctor, meet people, holidays, family coming. Not to mention Nano is overlapping all of it.

 Perhaps the most obvious one is NaNoWriMo. I'm on track with word count but not ahead, so I'm hoping I can get some extra writing time in before all the holiday craziness starts.

 Jarod's mom and her boyfriend will be visiting us for Thanksgiving and we're all going to go see Jarod's aunt and cousins on that side of the family. I'm really excited for everyone to see how much Henry has changed since the last time they were together.

I have another article launching with Story Embers this month that I am very excited about, so I'll keep you all up to date on when it's coming out.

I've been listening to The Greatest Showman soundtrack on repeat for days.

My sister and dad have back-to-back birthdays, the 21st and 22nd, so amidst all the turkey and gravy we will have to fit in some birthday cake as well.

Deer hunting season starts this weekend! I am ready guys. I am so ready.

I'm not sure what all December is gonna hold, other than the obvious Christmas.

We will be attending a wedding in Oklahoma, which means I'm going to go see the Pioneer Woman Mercantile.

Right before Christmas.

It's like a dream come true.

What are you guys doing this month?

I want to hear about it.

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.