Beautiful Books ~ 2017 Writing Goals

   If you're one of the few people who frequently reads this blog, you already know this, but I'm SUPER EXCITED about it so I'm gonna say it again. For my birthday, my parents are paying for me to go to the Minneapolis Young Writers Workshop this summer! Which means I'm going to meet Aimee, Katie, Hannah, Caroline, and Olivia!! I am beyond thrilled to meet you* girls, as well as all the authors who will be at the conference(including Shannon freaking Hale oh my gosh).

*"you" because you're really the only ones who read this blog

   The only problem with this is that I have to have a draft ready way sooner than expected. Which is scary. So instead of actually writing, I'm going to blog about my writing goals for 2017 by joining the Beautiful Books linkup!

1. What were your writing achievements last year? 
I actually did a lot of writing last year, including the beginning of a few stories that I'll post about later. And, because I'm sure you want to know everything I did, I'm going to make a list.

• Children of the Nameless draft one (72,739 words) This is the first first draft I've ever finished, so I'm understandably thrilled. I also won Camp NaNo(the first NaNo event I've ever won) while writing this draft. Those 72k words were actually written over a two-year period of time, but I still finished in 2016 and I'm really proud of that.
• Children of the Nameless draft two (17,546 words) Draft two is a thing, guys, and I love it. I have wonderful betas, the plot is coming together, and the writing is infinitely better. And yes, some of that 17k was written in 2017. Sue me.
• Unnamed NaNoWriMo novel (10,695 words) I obviously didn't win NaNo, but it was really nice to focus on something other than CotN for the first time in 2 years. And, when I reread it the other day, it was a lot better than I remember. So perhaps there's hope for the future for this story.
• Rust, Blood, and Stardust (2125 words) This is a lovely sci-fi about three best friends that has aBSOLUTELY NO PLOT but I love it so much.
• We Are The Summer (3456 words) I normally don't write contemporary, but when it's a novella, I actually trust myself to finish. Also it's very fluffy and cute and summery(obviously) and I kinda love it.
• (also there was some fanfic, some of which I'm actually really proud of)

2. What’s on your writerly “to-do list” for 2017? 
Finish draft two by April 15 and then edit the first few chapters for the conference in June. I plan on finishing draft three as well, possibly working on one of my other projects, and writing more fanfiction because gosh dang it, fanfic is really fun.


3. Tell us about your top-priority writing projects for this year!
I kinda already answered that? I have several projects I might work on after CotN, but I won't decide until the time comes.


4. How do you hope to improve as a writer? Where do you see yourself at the end of 2017?
I want to get more consistent at writing. I'm coming to terms with being a slow writer, but my inconsistency is annoying and detrimental. By the end of the year, I want to be writing every day and have draft three(or maybe even draft four) of CotN finished.


5. Describe your general editing process.
This is kind of a complicated question, because the beginning of CotN was so messed up that I'm having to completely rewrite it in draft two. Draft three will probably be tightening up loose plot stuff. After that, I want to print it out so I can make notes on the actual manuscript like a cool person.


6. On a scale of 1-10, how do you think this draft turned out?
Honestly, 6-7. Draft one was such a mess, but it has lots of good parts and lots of potential and I'm SO PUMPED.


7. What aspect of your draft needs the most work?
The beginning of both drafts need some work. Draft one has a lot of plot holes and I'm working on fixing those in this draft.


8. What do you like the most about your draft?
Well the fact that draft one exists is pretty spectacular. And honestly I really like the kissing scenes, even if the romances were rather abrupt. *sighs at myself for not planning better*


9. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?
More edits! Take it to a writer's conference for people to look at! (*screams*) Even more edits! More betas! Repeat cycle until published! 

I couldn't get away with not using a gif in this post

10. What’s your top piece of advice for those just finished writing a first draft?
For the love of all that's holy, take a break. You won't want to, but you need to. Also, it's not as bad as you think. I promise.

   How did your writing go in 2016? What are your plans for 2017? Would you actually be interested in hearing about my many plot bunnies/future projects? Also, it's not midnight for be yet so this totally counts as posting two weeks in a row. #virtualskittlesforme

Beautiful Books — NaNoWriMo 2016 Edition

   In case you didn't notice, October has arrived. For most people, this means pumpkin spice everything, sweaters, my birthday, and Halloween. But for the odd breed of humans called "writers", it means something completely different.
   NaNoWriMo prep.
   Some plot their novels like the world depends on it. Some do nothing but scream and create a Pinterest board. Still others do a weird combination of the two. Either way, there's lot of panic involved.
   I'm doing NaNo again this year. And to keep my mind off the impending terror, I'm joining Cait and Sky for their annual linkup, Beautiful Books.

   "Oh no," I hear you secretly moaning. "Not another chance for Krissy to ramble about Children of the Nameless."
   Cease your moaning, my little blogglings.   Because I'M NOT WRITING CHILDREN OF THE NAMELESS FOR NANO.

   I see the disbelief on your faces, but it's true. Truth be told, I've felt stuck with CotN for a while. It's not that I don't love the characters(I do) or don't think it has potential(it definitely does). But I've been writing this story since I was fifteen. I'm almost eighteen now. I need something else to work on. I need to expand my writing horizons and explore new stories.
   Also, my friend Emily demanded that I write it now and I am easily peer pressured.
   So, without further ado, onto the questions!!

Describe what your novel is about!

   The short version? Disabled, mostly POC fairytale retellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood, all squooshed into one book.
   Okay, that was a lot longer than I expected. And, if you think I'm biting off a lot more than I can chew, you're probably right don't worry. Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood only make small cameos in the story.
   I also a quick, sloppy synopsis. But hey I tried.

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

   A large conglomeration of things, honestly. The first part came to me a year or two ago. It went like this.
   "Whoa, what if the prince couldn't recognize Cinderella, the girl he'd danced with all night and was apparently in love with, because he was blind?"
   Genius, I tell you.
   So, I made a Pinterest board but promptly got distracted by all the other shiny new ideas. Then, not too long ago, I had another brilliant idea.
   "What if Ariel was a paralyzed girl who worked on the first floor of a library and had a crush on one of the workers from the upper stories?"
   A bit more specific, mind you, but still a good idea.
   So, I combined the two ideas and made a new Pinterest board, because that's what I do with my plot bunnies. Then, a few weeks ago, my mom and I were talking about fairy tale retellings (because she's a Cool Mom), and I remembered my idea and sUDDENLY I WAS SCREECHING WITH EXCITEMENT ABOUT IT and I haven't stopped since.

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

   The aesthetic is very lovely but rather...odd. (you can check out the Pinterest board or Spotify playlist to get a feel for the feel of it. ha I'm funny.)

   rustic. victorian. magic and technology all at once. tiny skulls and old books. souls and barbed wire. dirt and anger and fear. rusty wheels and bright smiles. rough stone walls and old gowns. household dragons and love.

Introduce us to each of your characters!

   So, if you didn't know already, I think I am physically incapable of writing anything but ensemble casts. When I was first brainstorming for the story, there were ten potential main characters.

   I almost cried, I tell you.

   After doing some brainstorming/planning, all of the characters are still in the book, but with varying levels of importance/POV time. The Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty characters play minor roles, so I'm not going to include them below. And since the girls are the only ones who really get any POV time, they're the only ones who get collages. Deal with it.

Jane

"Beauty". the Stern Mom Friend. sharp-witted and a hard worker. caring words hidden behind a sharp tongue. barbed wire and dirt under your fingernails. the responsible one. her trust is a treasure: hard to earn and something to be valued. loves with all her strength.

Thayer

"The Beast". quiet, cautious. thinks it's easier for people to fear him than love him. has epilepsy. a good leader with a good heart. a mask of strength, the night sky, a hand to hold. misses his family.

Clara

"Ariel". book lover. lonely like a winter night. organized, punctual, sticks to the rules. the scent of old books, the squeal of a rusty wheel, a soft sigh that no one else hears. longs for something more. uses a wheelchair. clever words swallowed by a fear of speaking up.

Cole

"Prince Eric". a little too prideful and a little too selfless. loves to laugh, which isn't the best idea when you work in a library. is friend to everyone but has no one to confide in. hushed laughter, a sly wink, the comfort of everything being in its place.

Essini

"Rapunzel". lover of the strange, the peculiar, the unusual. definitely a dog person. speaks her mind, even though there's no one around to hear it. longs for freedom. could totally shoot you but probably won't. long wild hair, dry and cracking earth, freckles. a toothy grin.

Ryker

"Flynn/Eugene". angry. doesn't know what he's doing 90% of the time, should probably chill. born with only one leg, resistant to all kinds of magic. an outcast, but it's partly his fault. bitter words, bunched-up anger, rough leather, a deep breath. loves his little sister.

Afrah

"Cinderella". tries so hard to be brave and kind. slave to a coven of witches. keeps her own magic mostly hidden. a shy smile, a newly hatched dragon, thick dark hair, fragile hope. no stranger to sacrifice. believes the world is a good place, despite everything.

Kendrick

"Prince Charming". if sunshine could be contained in a human form, it would be him. blind. next in line for the throne. piano music, soft wax, a steady hand. wants to do the right thing, always. mama's boy. a smile as warm as a summer's day.

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

   Outlining. In past NaNo events, I only wrote Children of the Nameless. I haven't worked on a new story for over two years. Because I'd been working on CotN for so long, I had a basic idea of the plot, and that was enough. But I have less than a month to figure out this story's plot, so I'm doing I'm doing some serious planning. 
   Plotting this story is a little tricky. I know the villain's goal and how she plans to accomplish it, and I know the plot lines of each of the main characters, but it's tricky weaving it all together. I'm using this story format from the GTW blog to make sure I include all the main points of a good story, and I'm also outlining it like I would an essay for school. Each section is a chapter, and I write down the things I want to happen in that chapter.

What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

   I've felt a little trapped by Children of the Nameless. It's really the only thing I've allowed myself to think about for almost two and a half years. So it feels good to break out of that rut and explore a new world. This one doesn't deal with so many heavy themes, which means there's less mostly self-imposed pressure. Also, there won't be as many fight scenes. Thank goodness. I suck at fight scenes.

List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

1. Stone cities, full of people
2. Open fields full of golden grass
3. Dry earth and hardy trees growing in a thousand shades of green and brown and red

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

   Oh boy. 
   Jane's initial goal is to earn enough money to help her father, and while that never goes away, helping Thayer soon becomes very important to her. #ishipit The main thing that stands in the way of her second goal is everyone's disapproval of a servant girl and a lord having a relationship.
   Clara's main goal is to get Cole to fall in love with her, which is hard because she, y'know, can't talk.
   Essi's main goal is for freedom and happiness. Ryker is both a help and a hinderance. He encourages her to escape and is a good friend, but he freaks out slightly at the idea of a relationship. And by slightly I mean that he yells at her and runs away. He's got issues. We're working on it.
   Afrah just wants to be a good person, but when she discovers that her owner may or may not be attempting treason, her goal because to uncover the plot, no matter the cost. Which is difficult, because no one trusts a slave.

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

   Jane becomes more selfless, Clara changes bodies twice, Essi becomes smarter and stronger, and Afrah gets braver. Beyond that, I've got no idea.

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

   Do people actually know their book's themes before they write it? Everyone I've heard from is like "I've got no idea, man.". 
   For real though, I want people to be happy when they finish it. It's a fairy tale retelling, for heaven's sake. I want it to be fun but terrifying at times. Because what's the point of a book without some drama?
   And, if I had to pick one thing I want the readers to come away with, it's that ordinary people can make a big difference. You don't have to be incredibly special or unique to do something big.

   So, congratulations if you made it to the end of this post. I didn't mean for it to get so long. *hands you congratulatory Skittles* But hey, I had fun writing it, and hopefully you had fun reading it. I probably won't post again before November, so good luck to all of those doing NaNo! Speedy writing, frens.

In which I return from the deep dark hole that was November and talk about NaNo again

   Yes! I have returned. After a month.

   November was wild. The first half of the month was consumed with being sick, NaNo-ing, and packing. The second half was driving from Texas to Utah(a very long drive let me assure you), visiting family and friends, finding out that my dad's cousin is also a writer and getting to read her first chapter, and having almost no wifi for two weeks. That last part was not so fun.
   But I'm back now, and I'm all ready to tell you about what happened with NaNo by linking up with Cait and Sky's Beautiful Books meme.

1. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), how did the book turn out? Did anything defy your expectations?

   Ha.
   Hahahhahah.
   Word count wise, it was awful. I got 11k instead of my goal of 25k. So that was lame.
   HOWEVER.
   I got to write some freaking awesome scenes that I've been wanting to write for foreverrrr. Including, but not limited to: kissing, almost-kissing, backstory revealing, and risking your life to save your friend.
   So I'd say seven.


2. Comparative title time: what published books, movies, or TV shows are like your book? (Ex: Inkheart meets X-Men.)

   THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY HARD, GUYS. I've been thinking about it for dayyyssss and can't really think of anything specific. Just, any generic fantasy story meets a generic coming-of-age YA story. That makes it sound way lame but I swear it's not.


3. Do you enjoy working with deadlines and pressure (aka NaNoWriMo)? Or do you prefer to write-as-you’re-inspired?

   Give me alllll the deadlines, precious. I really like the tracking-my-progress part of NaNo too. Which is why I use myWriteClub during the non-NaNo months. If I just wrote whenever I felt like it...I would never get anything done.


4. How do you go about editing? Give us an insight into your editing process.

   When I find out, I'll tell you. I've actually....never made it to the editing part? But I'm getting there, which is terrifyingly exciting.

Actually me right now

   I do have a plan though.
   1. Get critiques from my alpha readers(hint hint, you guys)
   2. Read through Children of the Nameless after a break and take note of things I need to change/fix/get rid of
   3.  Change/fix/get rid of those things
   4. Cry
   5. Wonder why I'm writing this stupid thing
   6. Remember how much I love it
   7. Send it to my betas
   8. Panic
   9. Get their critiques
   10. Repeat steps 2-9 until I find it satisfactory


5. What aspect of your story needs the most work?

Also me. All three expressions. Me.

   Lots of things. All the things. It's my first book ever; what do you expect? To be honest, though, the characters and storyworld really need to be fleshed out more, and I need more character development. I have most of a plot (read: most), so I'm pretty good on that aspect. But all in all I'm terrified excited to fix this.


6. What aspect of your story did you love the most?

   The fact that it exists? The fact that people like it? The fact that I'm 71% done?
   Okay but in all honesty, I think I love my characters most. Because in the end, that's what matters most. If someone loves the plot but hates the characters, they probably won't like the book. True, a lame plot can't really hold awesome characters, but to me, characters are the most important part of a book.

7. Give us a brief run down on your main characters and how you think they turned out. Do you think they’ll need changes in edits?

   Speaking of characters. Ah, my babies. I can never talk about them enough. I apologize in advance for the length of this section.

   First off, we have Kaleth. Pretty boy, courageous, protective, strong Kaleth. I struggle with writing him a lot, despite my love for him. I want him to come across as a strong, fearless, calculating leader, but in my efforts to make him seem like that, he became....one-dimensional. And, with help from some awesome friends(looking at you, Emily and Sierra!), I'm realizing that I need to stop panicking. He's barely seventeen! He's human! Let him write himself! Leaders can still have fun and joke around with their friends! Especially when they're teenagers!

   And then there's Barrow(who does not look or dress quite like this gif, but it's adorable and something he'd do and I wanted to use a gif). He's a player, a flirt, and an obnoxious jerk. But oh how I love him. He's gone through hell, and hasn't quite come out of it, but he's getting there(with help from *cough*certain people*cough*). He's got issues. He's destructive, and caring, and annoying, and brave. He's a jumbled mess, and I'm really proud of how he's come through in this draft. I just need to make his friendships/crushes more gradual and less out of the blue.

Why do I only have one gif for her. I need to fix this.

   Ah, Danica. My lovely precious child. She's brilliant but doesn't believe it, beautiful but can't see it. She's incredibly smart, caring, and gentle. She came across as a bit of a pushover in the beginning, instead of just shy like I'd intended, so I need to fix that. I'm also sad her genius didn't make its appearance as much as I'd want it to(mostly due to my fear/hate of writing planning meetings). I'm still struggling to figure out how exactly to write her POV, but all in all she did quite well in this first draft.

   Allorie is Cinderella. Seriously. She's had a super sucky life(sorry darling), has a nasty mother, is forced to live and work wayyyy below her station, but through it all, she's still one of the kindest, sweetest, most selfless people ever. "Have courage and be kind" is pretty much her life motto. I understand her really well...in theory. When I'm not writing. I haven't quite found her voice, or how she works, but I'm getting there. I love the child to bits, though.

   This is Katria. Sort of. She doesn't dress or look quite like this, but it shows you how gloriously kickbutt the girl is. She's violent, sarcastic, anti-social, and easily angered. She's a quick thinker and loves a thrill. She's in love with her childhood best friend, but no one(not even she) knows it. Somehow, despite the fact that she's almost my complete opposite...she's one of the easiest to write. It's weird. But I love it. I love her sass, her knife obsession, and the way she thinks about said best friend all the time(resulting in me screeching "WOULD YOU HURRY UP AND FIGURE IT OUT AND JUST KISS HIM ALREADY" despite the fact that they're hundreds of miles apart). She did really well this draft.

   And last but not least is Egin. He is a "Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure". Literally. He's got asthma and really bad social anxiety. He can do a little magic, mostly just making pretty things to calm him down when he has panic attacks. He loves his family, especially his little sister, who he'd do anything for. But...he came across as really really really whiny. He's only had a few chapters but he has a panic attack in each one. Yeah, he's not as brave now as he will be in later books, but I don't want him to seem like an obnoxious wimp. And the traditional writing structure kinda goes out the window when I'm writing from his POV, and I'm afraid that'll annoy people. So, Egin as a character is perfect. The way I write him is not.

8. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?

   Edits! All the edits! I wanna get this baby published eventually(in which case I might actually cry).


9. Share a favourite snippet!

   Oh boy. I shall attempt to find something not full of spoilers.

#Ishipit

I got to write an entire chapter of her daring stunts. It was glorious. 

10. What are your writing goals and plans for 2016?

   Originally, my plan was to finish the first draft of Children of the Nameless before the end of 2015, but I don't think that's going to happen. Sadly. I want to finish it as soon as possible, and then get started on edits before I start writing the second book at the end of next year. Someone hold me I can't believe this is happening.

   So there you have it! A basic rundown of my November. I am so ready for Christmas break(which will hopefully translate to "lots of writing time").

Did you do NaNoWriMo? How did it go? Are you excited for the holidays?

Beautiful Books #2

   Hey guys! I'm back with another post about NaNo. I'm almost to 10k! So please forgive any mistakes in this Beautiful Books post, since I wrote it as quickly as possible to allow more time for writing Children of the Nameless.

1. Is the book turning out how you thought it would be, or is it defying your expectations? 

   I don't know what to expect. I don't know what I was expecting. But it's turning out great. My word count is slowly increasing. A little too slow my my liking, but I'm writing more than I usually do.

2. What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)? 

 First paragraph of the book:

"It was a time of war. No one was safe. It was a time of blood, but the only glory came to those who delighted in death. Some fought for power. The rest fought to keep themselves and their loved ones alive."

First paragraph that I wrote for NaNo:

 Katria couldn’t help being slightly relieved that the two idiots were still alive. She’d thought Kaleth had lost his mind when he’d jumped off the ship, until she realized Barrow wasn’t on the ship either.

3. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Have you ever tried both methods and how did it turn out?

   Plonster, definitely. I have to have a basic idea of where the chapter is going before I start writing or I panic. And can't write. At all. But when I have an idea, I use it to guide me, and the characters just do whatever they want. Which sometimes involves broken arms. I'm not too happy about that one.

4. What do you reward yourself with after meeting a goal? 

   A piece of candy for every 500 words I write in a day. 

5. What do you look for in a name? Do you have themes and where do you find your names? 

   Most of the time, I look up traditional names from the real-life country I've based the fictional country on. It's a lot easier than making things up(which i did for all of the main characters). I like the names to have meaning, too.

6. What is your favorite to write: beginning, middle, or end — and why? 

   So far, I like the middle best. I get to write things that I've been planning for years no joke. Things are finally starting to happen!

Things not unlike this.

7. Who’s your current favorite character in your novel? 

8. What kind of things have you researched for this project, and how do you go about researching? (What’s the weirdest thing you’ve researched?!) 

   I...don't really research that much? Usually I ask on my writers' group to see if anyone's already done the work for me. I do look up things sometimes though, like mental disorders and weaponry.

9. Do you write better alone or with others? Do you share your work or prefer to keep it to yourself? 

   I can't write when other people are doing distracting things in the room, and I abhor when people watch me write, but I love love love word warring with my writer friends! You know who you are.  And I absolutely have to have people read my stuff. Even though it sucks sometimes. I'm really pushy about getting my alphas to read stuff so they can tell me it's not too horrible and/or flail with me.

10. What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!

   Always music. Always. And I can write whenever, pretty much. My favorite place to write is on the comfy couch in my living room right next to the window.

It is the comfiest of all comfy chairs.

How is your November going, my blogglings? Any plans for Thanksgiving? I'm driving up to Utah on Saturday, and I don't know if I'll have wifi there, but I'll be back in December with all the details about how NaNo went!

Beautiful Books #1 - In which I flail uncontrollably about my book

   One of my favorite linkups of all times is Beautiful People, run by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. In November, they switch it up a little and change it to Beautiful Books, so we get to flail about our books instead of our characters. I'm very excited about this, because I don't think I've told you guys very much about my book(that's not a good excuse though I could talk about my book for forever and not be bored).

1. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

   I got the idea in February(I think) of 2014, while I was doing math. I was listening to samples of Audiomachine songs on iTunes(because I was an uneducated child and knew nothing of the joys of Spotify and Pandora), when, due to my overactive imagination and strong inclination to getting distracted, I started imagining a scene to go along with the song. That scene became the prologue, and the song title, Nameless Heroes, inspired the whole premise of the story.

2. Why are you excited to write this novel?

    So, sooooo many reasons. This is the first story I've written where I've gotten past the first chapter. I've put so much of my heart and soul into it already, and it means so much to me, and to other people already as well(*glances at Emily*). I love the characters so much, and they mean so much to me, and I'm so excited to see them grow(and to have them kiss). This is the first story where I really feel capable of writing the whole thing.

3. What is your novel about, and what is the title?

   The title is Children of the Nameless, and I actually wrote a little back cover thing a while back.

   Mum tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed.
   "You've heard the stories of the Nameless? The mysterious heroes who worked so hard to stop the war, and then disappeared?"
   "Of course." What was she saying?
   Years of loneliness filled her eyes when she looked at him.
   "Your father was one of the Nameless."

   Every child knows the stories of the Nameless, a legendary group of young men and women who rescued those in need, only to disappear without a trace, never giving their name. Kaleth has heard the stories all his life, one of the only rays of hope as war threatens to destroy his country and the whole world.
   But he never expected to learn that one of them was his father. Or that the other five Nameless had children as well.
   And so, with their world teetering on the brink of destruction, the six children of the Nameless team up to try to continue the legend their parents left for them. But when tempers flare, hearts are broken, and destruction threatens everything, is there any hope?


   This first book(it's a trilogy) is about friendships and being brave and doing the right thing no matter the cost and I have so many feelings over it.

4. Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)

   Oooooh boy. I could talk about my characters for hours but I will condense them to one word if I must. And I included links because some of the words are weird.

Kaleth: Leader

Danica: Oracular

Barrow: Eccedentesiast 

Allorie: selfless

Katria: Liberosis

Egin: Aesthete

5. Which character(s) do you think will be your favorite to write? Tell us about them!

   Really, I'm excited to right about all of my babies, but so far, I think I like Egin the best. I get to play around with formatting the words, which I  l o v e. Also, he is a precious child and I love anything that has to do with him, so.

6. What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?

   Their main goal is to end the war, although all six of them have more personal, emotional goals as well. Their main obstacle is the Feor, the people who started the war, and the fact that no one really wants to listen to a bunch of teenagers, no matter who their parents were.

7. Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)

   There's a lot of traveling. And a lot of forests. And a city inspired by 1800s steampunk London with some Asian influences. There's also a country based on Japan/China who owns provinces like England used to. And an Irish Viking city. And torture chambers. And lots and lots of forests.

8. What is the most important relationship your character has?

   Barrow's most important relationship is with Danica. Egin's is with his cousin/adopted little sister Lisbet. Kaleth and Allorie's is with each other. And Katria's is with her best friend(*cough*totally just friends*cough*), Conryn.

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

   For Barrow, things are getting better and he's happier. Egin is becoming a lot braver. Allorie is finally learning to stand up for herself and isn't letting herself get pushed around. Danica is becoming more confident and is learning to trust herself more. Katria really cares about the cause, and her new friends(although she never stops missing *cough*a certain someone*cough*). And Kaleth...is getting more prideful.

10. What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?

  Heh. What do you mean, themes? I can barely write; I can't think of themes. That's for later drafts. But as for how my readers feel... *evil laugh* I want them to be panicked/angry, since I'm kinda going to leave them on a terrible cliffhanger. And I really want them to care about the characters. That's pretty much the most important thing to me.

11. BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.

1. Don't listen to me I don't know what I'm doing
2. Find a way to motivate yourself
3. Write. A lot.

So, what do you think of my baby? I'm super excited to keep writing it. Did you do Beautiful Books too? Drop the link below and we can flail about our books together.