The Untitled NaNoWriMo Novel of Paranormal Insanity

It's my favorite time of year: NaNoWriMo season! I've spent the past week creating my characters, outlining my novel, and wondering why in the world I can't find a title for it yet. Although most of my ideas are pretty vague, I have a good feeling about this one. On with the questions!

1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
 
Last year's novel was a total disaster. Between a busy Thanksgiving with relatives, my first semester of studying for finals with my dual enrollment classes, and an overall unpreparedness on my part, I ended up with a flaming pile of 20,000-words worth of garbage. I swear, only 1,000 of those words were salvageable.

So I decided to take the best elements of last year's novel and mush them into this year's novel. I also have four protagonists instead of one, because I always prefer ensemble casts. It's much easier to hop around different chapters if you're feeling stuck with one character.

And the last bit of inspiration came from an overall frustration of the lack of LGBTQ+ teen representation in genre fiction. I love the contemporary books I've read lately with gay teens (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, History is All You Left Me, etc.), but I'd really love to see that but with more, you know, dragons and ghosts and stuff. So I'm fixing that.

2. Describe what your novel is about!
 
I wrote an extremely rough draft of a blurb. Extremely rough. You've been warned.

Wesley, Sonya, Ryan, and Eleanor are strangers to each other when they each acquire an ability they never asked for. Wesley relies on his precision for his dream of becoming a chef and suddenly gains superhuman strength that he can’t control. Sonya, an out-and-proud lesbian, is cursed with invisibility that acts at random, making her feel like she’s in the closet all over again. Ryan, already nervous about reconciling her stage fright with her passion to sing, obtains the power to see into the future, adding to her anxious mind. Eleanor is confused by her own feelings, but now has to sort through everyone else’s as well as her own when she becomes an emotional telepath.

The school musical is the only thing these four have in common when they’re thrown together. It’s not just the strange things happening in their lives they have to figure out; something weird is happening to the town, too. Houses appear overnight, birds grow second heads, graffiti turns into magic sigils, and the high school’s principal wanders the streets in the early morning. It’s up to four teens, who definitely did not sign up for this, to change things back to the way they were. Or maybe change things for the better.

3. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!
 
I am oh-so-very proud of my Pinterest board this year, so you should definitely check that out! But I'll leave you a few pictures as a teaser.

4. Introduce us to each of your characters!
 

Meet Sonya: valedictorian, playing Cosette in the school's production of "Les Misérables," and a Yale-bound actress. She's also extremely superstitious, outgoing, and settled in her sexuality (she's been out as a lesbian all through high school), which is part of why it's so awful when she's cursed with invisibility that acts at random.

This is Eleanor. She's a science whiz with her heart set on becoming a neurosurgeon. Sometime after being cast as Eponine, she found herself falling for Cosette instead of Marius. But right when she started to ask herself what she really felt, she gained the unwanted gift of emotional telepathy, which added everyone else's feelings to the mix.

Wesley has big dreams of being a chef someday, so his house always smells like freshly-baked bread or spices or something unidentifiably delicious. When he's not watching a variety of cooking shows, he's helping out with light and sound for the school musical. Not only does he require precision to cook his masterpieces, but he's also quiet and empathetic, so his sudden superhuman strength is more of a hindrance than a help.

Ryan constantly has to deal with two contrasting parts of herself: she's shy and riddled with stage fright but she also wants to be a singer. Even though she's fully capable of being onstage with Eleanor and Sonya, Ryan stays behind the curtain where she can help with costuming. She can always sing in the safety of her room where her dog is her only audience. Now, though, her newfound ability of seeing the future (well, not the future, but every single possibility of how the future could turn out) only adds to her growing anxiety.

And this is Ryan's dog, Dodie. She's a Havanese and I am not one of those monsters who kills off the dog, so rest assured, Dodie is safe.

5. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)
 
All of the above??? Part of my problem last year was I had no outline to follow, so when 15,000 words in I started losing direction, I lost so much direction. The book by the middle resembled nothing like the beginning. This time, I made sure I at least knew how the story started and ended. It may change, but at least now I have something to guide me. I'll probably spend the next month filling in details as I think of them.

6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?
 
The characters! I love them all so much. (Dodie is definitely my favorite, but shh, don't tell the others that.) I'm also looking forward to channeling my theatre obsession through Sonya and the school musical. My urban witches are also going to be pretty cool, too. They create magic sigils through graffiti.

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.
 
1. Not quite right
2. Ever changing
3. Definitely haunted

8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?
 
Ha, I already answered this question in the character bios! Internal conflict is one of my favorite ways to handle my stories because I suck so hard at writing good, well-rounded villains, even though I love reading/watching them.

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
 
Well that would ruin the whole surprise . . .

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

My themes usually come through more during revisions. Unless you're a very special author who has this down to a science, I've found that when somebody sets out on a mission to carry a theme through a book, it comes across as heavy-handed. I do have a feeling that this novel is going to be breaking a lot of stereotypes, though.

What's your NaNoWriMo book about this year? What are you most excited for? Leave a comment!

What's Easily Missed--My NaNoWriMo Novel

Because my brain likes to torture me, I've switched to an entirely different NaNoWriMo novel idea within the past week. Which means I scrambled to vaguely write out a plot. Which also means I procrastinated a lot on Pinterest. Which means I've looked a little something like this:

So anyways.

Cait from "Paper Fury" and Sky from "Further Up and Further In" host a linkup every month called "Beautiful People" to help you learn more about your characters. This month is "Beautiful Books," which helps you to learn more about your NaNoWriMo before November hits (AND IT'S IN FOUR DAYS, PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT A DRILL).

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

Rain from "Ivyclad Ideas" wrote about gothic novel tropes over the summer and it got me thinking about things like possibly haunted libraries and hags and nightmares, which collided with my recent obsession with musicals, which brewed for a while in the back of my mind. But of course it only came crashing to the forefront of my mind once I managed to completely plot out an entirely different novel idea.

Isn't deciding to write a totally vague novel idea in 30 days SO much more better than writing one that's already plotted out???

2. Describe what your novel is about!

What's Easily Missed is a YA fantasy romance with a gothic/horror twist featuring a decaying and possibly haunted library, hags, nightmares that have the possibility of being manipulated, a high school production of "Les Misérables," puppiespuppiespuppies, British boys, and magic normalized in everyday human society. For example, every single Starbucks is primarily run by fairies, who can not only add shots of caramel syrup to your coffee, but shots of charisma.

3. What is your book’s aesthetic?

I'll show you a few pictures, but you can also see the whole Pinterest board HERE. 

4. Introduce us to your characters!

Meredith Lockheart - Protagonist, still healing from her brother's death, going after her dream of being on Broadway, extremely claustrophobic, works at a possibly haunted library, keeps a collection of fun mugs and fun socks, likes coffee and waffles, has things to say but nobody seems to hear her say them.

Levi Waters - Love interest, nerdy, optimistic, likes to think he's smooth and charming but really he's more likely to stick his foot in his mouth and knock over a lamp while he's at it, inspiring, appears in seemingly random places (like in Meredith's nightmares, for example), likes junk food and crossword puzzles and tea.

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

I relentlessly outline for days on end while guzzling something like coffee or tea, I grumble a little, I pretend I'm being productive while creating my Pinterest board, and then I collapse a few days before November to give my brain a rest so I can write something semi-good.

6. What are you looking forward to about this novel?

All the quirky little details! I'm excited to figure out which fun socks Meredith is going to wear each day, how many musicals I can sneakily reference, what books Levi and Meredith read in the library, what food they'll eat, what mischief Meredith's dogs (Gavroche--or Gavvy, for short--and Ogie) will get into, etc.

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

The book will mostly be set in three places.

1. The library, which is slowly falling apart.
2. The theater in Meredith's school, which has always been her safe place but hasn't been quite the same lately.
3. Meredith's house, where she's usually curled up in her room with a good book, her dogs, and a Broadway musical soundtrack playing.

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

Let's do another list (because who doesn't love lists?).

Goals:

1. To get through her senior year and be happy again, because she's tired of feeling sad.

2. To be heard, because she has things to say.

3. To have the spotlight on her in the musical, because the stage can help her say those things.

What stands in her way:

1. She's still so heartbroken.

2. Nobody seems to hear her, no matter how hard she tries.

3. Georgia Pynes, who, as much as Meredith hates to admit it, is just as good of an actress as she is.

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

Spoiler alert much? ;)

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

I don't like to plan out themes too much, because I think that's something that happens naturally. If you try to force a theme into a book where it doesn't belong, readers will notice. Themes emerge when the story is right.

But like most of my books, I like my stories to have an ambiguous ending that's bittersweet with a hopeful undertone. I know the ending of this book will have a big question mark and a fill-in-the-blank ending that only the readers can fill in.

Your turn! What's your NaNo novel about? Leave a comment!

Beautiful Books Linkup--November

Cait at "Paper Fury" is co-hosting a linkup called "Beautiful Books." It's a lot like her "Beautiful People" linkup, except focused more on the actual book than the characters. It's also great for answering questions about your NaNoWriMo book, which I'll be doing this month. It's called Ms. Holmes.

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


Yes and no. The book is very much following the original outline I wrote in October, but as always, my characters run the show. Recently my villain's love interest tried to tell me that she was actually my secondary character, too, and has been disguising herself as her in order to screw my main character over. I shut that one down pretty quickly because it was insane and would require a massive overhaul on the last hundred pages or so, but it did spark some ideas.

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


The morning was cold, but the fire crackling across the room kept the place above chilly levels. There hadn’t been a day this week that wasn’t rainy or grey. It was just another November in London, but I hardly noticed it. My face had been buried in sketches for weeks. My fingertips, smudged with pencil, matched the color of the sky. Raindrops pelted the window with a kind of ferocity that made it sound like kids throwing pebbles at it again. I shut the curtains and moved my plans by the fire to read.


As you can see, it needs lots of work.

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

I started out as a complete pantser. I'd have the smallest idea in mind and I would run with it until I got bored, which means I have a lot of unfinished novels in the depths of my documents. I tried plotting a few years ago--for NaNoWriMo, actually--and really liked it, because it made it easier to push through certain scenes since I knew what was coming next. Now I consider myself a "plantser." I almost always write an outline for my book before starting, but I'm flexible enough to change it as I go if something isn't working out. This has helped me actually finish a lot more stories.

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

Netflix, usually. I recently got into "The 100," so I don't let myself watch another episode until I reach my word count.

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

It totally depends on the character. Sometimes I'll go for name meanings, but that limits me a lot, so I usually just pick a name I like for my main characters. I try to go for something unique enough to be remembered, but not so crazy that you can't pronounce or spell it. I used baby naming books a lot when I was younger and compiled a list of names I liked that I keep in my inspiration folder. Whenever I hear a name I want to use, I write it down, then I go through the list when it's time to create characters. I have to make a note of which names I use and in what books now so I don't reuse them accidentally!

Here's a page from my "Awesome First Names" list. I have one for last names, as well, but this one is definitely more extensive.

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

Usually it depends on the story, but I love to write endings, especially of the bittersweet variety. Finding that perfect last line or scene that'll make your readers cry sparks my creativity like nothing else. But beginnings are always fun, too, because I'm always so excited to start this new and shiny project. I can knock out 5,000 words in an hour. But once I hit the 15,000-20,000 word mark, I start slowing down. I like the idea of middles more than I like writing it.

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


I'm really liking the one-eyed cat (whose name is Sir Mittens, but Astrid refuses to call him anything but "it" or "the cat") and Mr. Hudson. Sir Mittens is like my dog in the sense that he's a little neurotic and likes to lie down on anything, even if it's the project you're working on at that very moment. And Mr. Hudson is just so happy and welcoming to everyone, and he and his boyfriend are adorable together.

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?!)

Google is my best friend. I can find anything with it, including when rubber bands were invented and the effects of certain slow-acting poisons. I think if anyone outside my family and writerly friends had seen just how excited I was to find a page all about poisons and what they smell/look like, they would've been seriously concerned.

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

I get more excited about my work when I'm with other writer friends, but I think I'm actually more productive alone. And I share my work all the time, but usually just with my critique partners who I know will give me helpful and honest advice without being harsh about it. I'll share snippets on my blog, but generally not much more than that.

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!

I live off of Cheez-Its and mochas in November, although right now with Christmas coming up I'm enjoying holiday cookies (like biscoitos, yum!). I almost always listen to music (a lot of "Sherlock" soundtrack music has been showing up on my playlists recently), unless I'm really trying to focus on a complicated plot point or tricky wording in a sentence. Then the lyrics can get really distracting. I don't think the time of day matters much, since I can write whenever, but it's definitely easier to focus when I get up earlier than everyone else.

Biscoitos, a Portuguese holiday cookie. It's similar to a shortbread, but really soft and chewy. My dog loves them, too.

I love my writing space. It's tucked away, cozy, and has a very creative feel to it when I sit down at my desk. Plus, everything I need is within arm's reach, so I don't even have to get up and ruin my flow to grab something.

A closer look at one side of the desk. My handy whiteboard is up on the wall, pencils and a notepad by my keyboard, inspirational quotes framed where I can see them.

And the other side. My corkboard has been super helpful when I'm trying to organize all of the edits my CPs give me, plus I can switch out fun pictures for an inspiration boost. I keep those "You should be writing" pictures right where I can see them so if I'm ever tempted to get distracted, they put me back on track.

Your turn! Feel free to answer some or all of the questions in the comments below. :) I love hearing from other writers!

Beautiful Books Linkup--October

Cait at "Paper Fury" is co-hosting a linkup called "Beautiful Books." It's a lot like her "Beautiful People" linkup, except focused more on the actual book than the characters.

Today I'll be talking about my NaNoWriMo book, Ms. Holmes. I'm so excited to write it. 

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


I don't know exactly how I got the idea for the novel, except that I've had four different things I've been wanting to experiment with in my writing: 1. Retellings 2. Time travel 3. The steampunk genre and 4. Genderbending. So I mixed them all up and here we are.

2. Why are you excited to write this novel?


BECAUSE TIME TRAVEL. And also Sherlock Holmes. I've been obsessed with "Doctor Who" and "Sherlock" for a while now, and the idea of a female Sherlock Holmes has always fascinated me. There will also be a one-eyed cat, a gossipy landlord, and tea. Lots and lots of tea.

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


The title of the book is Ms. Holmes (which I'm extremely pleased with, since it's one of the few NaNoWriMo titles I had in mind right from the start), and as for what it's about, I'll just post my summary here:

What’s the best way to solve a murder? Stop it from happening in the first place. Astrid Holmes, teenage inventor and consulting detective, has spent years helping Scotland Yard’s best catch criminals and murderers and put them behind bars where they belong. But recently she’s been able to perfect a new invention that could help them even more: a time machine. Astrid and her most trusted companion, Dawn Watson, test their steam-powered machine, disguised as a train, and travel back in time to prevent said murders from ever happening. Little does Astrid know that she has a new and even more threatening enemy.

Faye Moriarty treats time as her plaything. Messing about with both past and future, Faye threatens everything Astrid’s put her life into rebuilding, and it won’t be easy to catch her. She’s slippery as an eel and deadly as the dragon she’s working night and day to build. Can Astrid and Dawn catch Faye before it’s too late? Or will time make monsters of them all?

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


I have a lot of characters in mind right now, but here we go:

Astrid Holmes (consulting detective/inventor) - Brilliant

Dawn Watson (investigative journalist) - Compassionate

Faye Moriarty (inventor) - Megalomaniac

Sahara Moran (sniper/assassin) - Loyal

Natalie Lestrade (Detective Inspector) - Stubborn

Mr. Hudson (landlord/“housekeeper”) - Welcoming

Cecily Forester (Clock-keeper) - Outcast

Emily Forester (Clock-keeper’s daughter) - Shy

Mia Holmes (Astrid’s little sister) - Sweet

Olive Harrington (Timekeeper for train station) - Odd

Kelsey and Lance Stark (Train conductors, husband and wife) - strong and adventurous, respectively

Jeffrey Stark (Son of Kelsey and Lance Stark) - Filterless

Griffon Geller (Serial killer) - Psychotic

Sir Mittens (Dawn’s one-eyed cat) - Cunning

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

Ack, this is so hard to choose! I love each of my characters for different reasons, but side characters tend to be my favorites. So other than Astrid (especially her fighting with Sir Mittens when he gets in the way of her projects), I think my favorites are going to be Cecily (because she's a quirky klutz and just a bouncy, fun character) and Natalie (because she can get easily grumpy and irritable, which is always fun to write). Faye is also a villain I'm really excited to play with since I haven't ever written anyone like her.


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


Astrid wants to solve the various murders and crimes Faye is carrying out with her newly completed time machine, but time is complicated and Faye is just as brilliant as she is. Not only are both past and future being messed with by Faye, but there's a problem in the present. A serial killer by the name of Griffon Geller has recently escaped from prison, and Astrid's made it her personal mission to capture him again.

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



Victorian London! Mainly at 221B Baker Street, Big Ben, and the train station.

If you want to see more pictures, click HERE to go to my Pinterest board.

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


Astrid's most important relationship was with her little sister Mia, but her most important current relationship is hands down with Dawn. She's the first person Astrid could even consider calling her friend.

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


Through Dawn's influence, Astrid will grow more and more compassionate, when before she was more closed off and cold.

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


I don't usually go into a book with specific themes in mind. The best themes seem to be the ones that aren't planned, but emerge as you're writing the story. So I have no idea how to answer this question, but I know friendship is always something that's a big deal in my novels, no matter the genre or story.


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

1. Forget perfection. That's what editing is for. If you're one of those writers who can't stand to move on until everything's just how you want it to be, leave yourself a note to go fix it later. But there's no way you'll be able to write as quickly as you want to if you can't move past a plot hole.

2. Don't procrastinate. Hit your daily word goal ASAP before doing anything else, if you can avoid it. I've had years where I had to scramble to write 7,000+ words on the last day because I'd had such bad writer's block throughout the month. It never turns out as well as it would've otherwise.

3. Have fun! Win or "lose," NaNoWriMo is tons of fun. You can meet so many great people and get all of these ideas, so try not to let stressing out about your goal the main point of the event. Participate in Word Wars online, talk to other writers, and type like crazy. You'll love it even more if you do.

Your turn! Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Is it your first time or are you a NaNo pro? What's your book about? Leave a comment!