I, like many other bloggers and writers, am once again taking on the daunting, difficult, demanding challenge called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
Why would I attempt to write 50,000 words during one of the busiest months of the year? Because I'm an overachiever like that. For some reason, thousands of writers around the world find it invigorating to take on the stress and insanity of squeezing 1,667 words a day between all of the other obligations we have.
This month, not only am I doing NaNoWriMo, but I'm also:
-Acting as one of the Municipal Liaisons for my NaNoWriMo regions (seriously, I just can't get enough of it)
-Going to rehearsals four times a week for "Charlotte's Web" (to be performed in December)
-Taking voice lessons and rehearsing for a Christmas cabaret with all of the other vocal students
-Going on two out-of-state trips
-Preparing for Christmas
-Applying to scholarships for college
-Continuing all of my other writing commitments (monthly posts for "The Write Practice," book blurbs for my local library newsletter, etc.)
-I should probably try to do dishes and get dressed and stuff each day? Maybe?
-Something else I'm probably forgetting
So with all that in mind, I'm taking a blogging hiatus until December, because I definitely don't have time to write any other blog posts other than this one. Already, it'll be a miracle if I'm able to get to this stage by the end of the month:
Then again, I'm an extremely competitive person by nature, so I'm determined to finish those 50,000 words, no matter the cost. I've already got great strategies in mind for how to conquer this.
And as I write this post, my NaNo novel is calling to me. I'm at 1,100 words right now, so let's see if I can crank out another 600 before I have to leave for vocal rehearsal. I'll be back in December!
I know it's only day 1, but how's your NaNoWriMo novel going? Are you pumped about the upcoming month or already dreading the next 29 days? Leave a comment!
October is here! It's finally fall! And that means it's finally time for me to officially announce my 2018 NaNoWriMo project.
*cue air horns, bells, whistles, and any other obnoxious sound you can think of*
In years past, I've had glimmers of an idea, maybe a title, and a half-finished Pinterest board going into November. That's not to say that's how it was every year, but that's certainly how it's been the past few years. This time, I actually have a completed outline (albeit a rough one), a title, a cover, and a very aesthetically-pleasing Pinterest board. I'm feeling pretty good about this novel.
Blogging world, meet Captain Darling.
My hook (see what I did there?) isn't pretty at all and needs some serious polishing, but it does a decent job summing up what the book is about:
When Mrs. Darling goes to tuck her children in for the
night, she’s shocked to find they’ve flown from their beds and into the night
sky with a sinister boy named Peter Pan. Determined to rescue them from their kidnapper,
Mrs. Darling ventures into Neverland, where she’s returned to her youth, and
meets up with a ragtag pirate crew. The crew has lost their captain to Pan’s
murderous ways, and after she proves her bravery to them, they agree to help
Mrs. Darling in her mission. They’ll both profit from their partnership: she
regains her children and the pirates get revenge on Pan.
But Pan has already poisoned the Darling children against
their mother, insisting they stay with him and the Lost Boys, who cater to Pan’s
every need lest he banish them from Neverland like he has with so many others.
If Mrs. Darling is going to save her children, she has to fight for them. The
longer the war between pirates and Lost Boys rages on, the deeper Mrs. Darling
sinks into darkness and despair. And when Mrs. Darling loses her right hand in
battle against Peter, she becomes as sharp as the hook she now wears.
Proud and insolent
youth, prepare to meet thy doom . . .
This idea came about because of a couple different reasons. The first spark of inspiration came from me performing as Captain Hook in a production of "Peter Pan Jr.," and because I wasn't ready to let that role or story go, I decided to write a Peter Pan retelling from a female Captain Hook's POV.
But the second part of the novel came from me doing research about the origins of Peter Pan. I still can't confirm if this story is completely true or not because the story itself is a little hazy on the details, but I read a couple different articles that said when he was writing his play, J.M. Barrie's first instinct was to have Hook played by a woman. He originally cast the actress playing Mrs. Darling as Captain Hook, thinking it would be a nice touch for Peter Pan, "The Boy Who Hated Mothers" (which was an early title option for the play), to have a mother as his arch-enemy. However, the actor playing Mr. Darling was a bit of a diva and wanted more stage time, so he convinced Barrie to let him play Hook instead. The tradition to have
Mr. Darling double as Hook has stuck ever since because of that.
Whether or not that legend is completely true, I still thought it was fascinating to have Mrs. Darling and Hook be connected in some way. And here we are!
Now for the reason you're all really here . . .
Pinterest aesthetics.
I love how it's the perfect touch of mystical and creepy, which is the balance I'm trying to strike with the book itself. I want it to retain the nostalgic sense of magic and wonder that's in Peter Pan, but with everything slightly twisted and not as it seems.
The characters
Most years, I've cast my characters using either famous actors or random pictures of people I found on Pinterest. This year, though, I've had trouble coming up with anyone to represent my characters, other than Mrs. Darling/Hook and Smee.
Karen Gillan would be the PERFECT choice for Mrs. Darling once she's in Neverland. She's feisty, intimidating, but still sweet and motherly, when she needs to be. Watching her portray a descent into darkness would be all kinds of fun.
You might think Mark Sheppard is an odd choice for Smee, but hear me out. It's easy to picture him as the put-together, suit-wearing king of
Hell from "Supernatural," but I think he has enough comedic timing to
become the loyal sidekick to his captain. He's equal parts hilarious and villainous.
Soundtrack
Other than putting together my Pinterest board, making a soundtrack for my novel is my favorite part about the early planning stages of writing a book. Here are some of the songs I've put on my playlist so far.
"Lost Boy" - Ruth B.
"Enter Sandman" - SHEL
"Never Never Land" - Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
"Pirate Song" - Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
"Hook's Tango" - Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
"Tarantella" - Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
"Captain Hook's Waltz" - Peter Pan (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
"Monster" - Imagine Dragons
"Bleeding Out" - Imagine Dragons
"Glory and Gore" - Lorde
"The Ruler and the Killer" - Kid Cudi
"Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses
"Stay With Me" - Into the Woods (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
"Witch's Lament" - Into the Woods (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
"Here Comes the Reign" - Les Friction
"Save Your Life" - Les Friction
"Come Back to Me" - Les Friction
"Monster" by Imagine Dragons is pretty much Captain Darling's theme song. It sets a good tone for the whole book.
"If I told you what I was Would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous Would you be scared? I get the feeling just because Everything I touch isn't dark enough If this problem lies in me
I'm only a man with a candle to guide me I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me A monster, a monster I've turned into a monster A monster, a monster And it keeps getting stronger"
All in all . . .
What I'm most excited for with this book is the chance to write a novel from a morally gray character's point of view. I love it when I'm able to empathize with a villain in any story. It's the mark of an exceptionally good writer whenever that happens. It's easy to make a reader fall in love with a hero, but when they fall in love with someone a little flawed and twisted, it means you have a well-developed character on your hands. It's going to be interesting writing this unusual good vs. evil story, because it's not so clear who's good and who's bad.
If you're participating in NaNoWriMo, add me as a buddy! My username is sportakate.
What's your NaNoWriMo book about this year? What are you most excited for? Leave a comment!
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.
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 whensomebody 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!
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???
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 inthe 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!
