Soooo. . . I've unintentionally been under blogger silence for the past -- er, two weeks? Yeah. Basically, Life kinda barged in. My old home church hosted a drama presentation that my family and I have been involved in from the start maybe ten seasons ago. It went on over the course of two consecutive weekends, and lemme tell ya: we were exhausted by the time it was past. And even afterwards, my sisters and I did not find any time to rest due to a catering job the following Monday & Tuesday. But both the drama and the catering gig went extremely well. Lives were changed, God is good, and the food awesome as usual. :]
And here I am today! Enjoying my one out of two days off from work at the office, cleaning house, catching up on laundry, and OH YEAH
writing.
We are basically HALFWAY THROUGH NANO, guys. Halfway through November!! Thanksgiving Day is just over a week away, and Christmas is practically around the corner. O_O Did you sign up for the chaotic insanity marvelous challenge of NaNo? I did! And, while I'm not quite up to par on my word count, I've had a blast writing every day. (Why don't I actually do the writing thing without the accountability of story challenges? Oh yeah, I 'spose it's because I'm a kind of procrastinator. . . heheh)
Read on if you are interested in my faerietale retelling titled Noya. Hopefully, you'll regret nothing. :]
Overall, how is your mental state, and how is your novel going?
I would say I'm doing quite well all considering. In signing up for NaNo, I was completely unprepared & last minute. But this is so the challenge I needed in order to get somewhere with my story. As to the story itself, it's progressing. And surprising me along the way. I keep having these ideas of throwing in random stuff/things that I would NEVER think of doing ever. Maybe I'll go along with it, or maybe not. Still not sure at the moment. My goal right now is to write as much as possible.
What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)?
Wellllll. . . Technically, the following paragraph is the first I've written beginning with NaNo. But this story was in my head, and already underway, when NaNo began, so it's not the FIRST sentence/paragraph.
Noya stole away to the shoreline. Part of her was excited at the thought of a new adventure. But the more logical, practical side of herself felt rather frightened and sad. Meyrn was the only home she had ever known.
Who’s your current favourite character in your novel?
Oh my. I love Noya, of course, as she's the MC. But I've attempted to flesh out some minor characters as well. With the exception of Noya, we read from the point of view of two other characters: the Beast, and one of her brothers -- Brom. I LOVES Brom. He's like the older brother I never had. But the Beast's character is growing on me as well! He's gonna be one of those sarcastic, temperamental guys. . .
With a growl he had not intended, he gestured for her to follow, “Come.”
Spinning on his heels, he walked ten paces before he turned to find her standing stock still. Excellent. He'd frightened her. Again.
“Come,” he tried again, this time hoping his voice sounded a great deal softer than it felt. She followed, much like when she had first arrived. Like an obedient little pup.
What was wrong with him?
Oh, that's right. He was no generous host with a gift for hospitality.
There was only a Beast.
Oh-ho-ho! Such horrible self-pity this Beastie has. *cackles* Can't wait for the redemption!
What do you love about your novel so far?
It's my own personal retelling of my all-time favorite faerietale, Beauty & the Beast. 'Nuff said.
Aaaaaaaaannnnnnnddddd. . . it's pure Fantasy! With ELVES. And Griffins. And maybeeee a dragon. . .
Have you made any hilarious typos or other mistakes?
Oh yes! But I'm usually pretty good at catching them before continuing too much further down the written road.
What is your favourite to write: beginning, middle, or end — and why?
Wow. I've never really thought about this. . . (Probably because I've never actually completed a story. . .) I'd have to say the Middle, because it's usually chock-full of juicyness. Right smack in the middle of the action and what characters are made of. Am I right? But I also enjoy writing the Endings. Simply because they have the triumphs, redemption, and peace that the characters lived, died, sweated, and bled for -- making it all worth it in the end.
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!
I try to keep my water on hand. And my browser ready, just in case I need a Pinterest visual of a character, place, building, etc. And then I try to exit said Pinterest as quickly as possible to continue my story and pursue the goal of upping my word count for the day. Not really any specific snacks, although Reeses peanut butter cups have been my one weakness as of late. . .
The only time I've found best for me, on the days I work especially, has been in the evenings. I take from 8:00-10:00pm (and sometimes till 11:00) to write as much as possible. If I don't get my sleep, I'm basically a sloth come the morn. . . (Plus, I have a hubby now who also needs his sleep. Though there have been nights where he'll stay up reading while I write, and I'll finish up, snuggle under the blankets, and he's STILL reading. It's nice to have a man who enjoys his books as much as I!) :]
No photo. . . Sorry. But I usually crash on the couch. Hmmm. . . no music either, really. I get distracted way too easily. But when I am in the mood, I'll pull up YouTube movie soundtracks. How to Train Your Dragon is a fave for writing anything.
How private are you about your novel while you’re writing? Do you need a cheer squad or do you work alone (like, ahem, Batman)?
I definitely need encouragement. And my hubby has been just that. As well as my blogger/writing buddies! Couldn't do it without y'all. Seriously. One of my love languages is Words of Affirmation. If I didn't have your encouragement, I'd be a wailing mess.
Regarding privacy. . . Well, I used to be very secretive with my stories. It was hard to share with my family what I was working on, because I was afraid of what they might think. But over the years, that has changed and I crave the feedback!
What keeps you writing even when it’s hard?
My ultimate goal: PUBLISHING. I don't know when it will happen. I don't really know IF it will happen. But that will always be my goal. My life has taken on many new and exciting chapters, and who knows exactly what's to come? I've found that when the words are tough in coming, and I would rather just lay down and read or surf the web, I remind myself of my current goal of reaching 50k and then the ultimate prize of publication. Others have accomplished this. Why can't I??
What are your top 3 pieces of writing advice?- Have fun. No matter what! I've had to remind myself to do this. Even if, by the end of November, my word count is quite a bit under 50k, I want to be able to say I've had a blast and my story has progressed considerably.
- Aim high & aim for the goal. There's no shame in reaching for the high expectations. But there is in how you react regarding whether or not you've made it. I don't want to consider myself a complete failure if there's not 50k words written by November's end. But if I aim straight for it, and give my best, then I can say with all my heart, "Well done. That was great fun!"
- Go for the unpredictable. Try it! That's what makes a great story. No need to explain further. :]
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So. How's your NaNo progressing?? What are your personal writing goals? Are you participating this year? And if so, what is your story about? I welcome comments!
Oh & by the way, what do you think of this new design??
I know I've changed designs rather recently already, but the other one just had too many glitches I couldn't think straight. Extremely pleased with this one. Thank you, Etsy!
EEP. I LOVED READING THIS! It was so fun seeing how things are going! But wow, it sounds like you've had a craaazy November already, NaNo or no NaNo. WOW. I am so in awe of you consistently writing even amidst the insanity! You are awesome, girl!
ReplyDeleteI looooved the snippets. I think I already love your Beast. o.o I always go for the sarcastic ones. XD I can only imagine how epic his character arc is going to be! :D The other characters sound so great, too. Noya is just a sweetie, and a I LOOOOVE big brothers in books. :D
ALSO. ELVES. GRIFFINS. POSSIBLY A DRAGON???? And all a B&B retelling. THIS IS LIKE ALL MY FAVORITEST THINGS OF EVER!
I absolutely adored the advice you gave. I totally agree to go for the unpredictable. I think that's the key to making a good book a great one. Plus it's just fun to write. ;D
I hope the second half of NaNo goes wonderfully for you! You're doing AMAZING!!! <3333 (But hoooowwww are we already halfway done?! :O)
(OH. And the blog design! I AM IN LOVE. I thought the other design was absolutely gorgeous and I'm sad to hear it was being glitchy. But honestly? I think I love this one even MORE. All the pretty pink and crisp design and breathtaking header and just YES. SO MUCH LOVE! <3 You always make your blog so appealing and lovely!)
The new blog design is lovely, Sarah! I love the watercolor effect of the colors.
ReplyDeleteThe challenge of NaNo is definitely a motivator! :D It's fun to see what new ideas come along in the midst of it though.
Your snippets are so intriguing! I'm super curious to know what's happening!
Elves and Griffins are a fantastic combination. ^_^ I think I've only read a couple of books that had Griffins in them and so it's really cool to hear about more. (Also: A DRAGON!?)
Ooh, yes: Reese's are a most excellent writing snack.
*throws confetti* I'm rooting for you! It sounds like Noya is so much fun to write and I wish you all the best in your writing, dear! :)
Lauri: Aww, thank you, dearie! Your sweet and encouraging comments mean so much. Yes, love mah Beastie. But I'm trying not to make him have such a cliche personality. Who doesn't love B&B retellings?? I mean, COME ON. xD Thanks, girl! You're amazing. Keep dishing out those words! I can't wait to hear more of the Nether Isle!! (And so glad you like the blog design! I'm still in love with it *^ - ^*)
ReplyDeleteJamie: Thank you!! It's such a pleasure to hear of others liking the design as well as I do. Absolutely. That's my goal in NaNo, is to move my story as far as I can. And I know! Griffins are hardly ever in books now. I loves them. Thank you, m'dear! Best wishes to you as well! Can't wait to hear more of your story!
Many thanks for commenting, ladies!