Happy Friday!

Can anyone believe that NaNo is over TODAY??? It feels surreal, honestly.

But first, before this crazy month wraps up, I present to you:

AESTHETICS AND PLAYLISTS.


I genuinely don’t know how to do this. I haven’t had any time to make actual, picture aesthetics. So . . . words will abound!

THE GENERAL STORY: shadows // rebellion // kings // fugitives // trust // teamwork // gardens // stress // secrets // lies

FAYE: quiet // mind-reading // loyal // naive // empathetic // healing // distrustful // peace-loving

WHIT: cocky // hurting inside // flirtatious // family-oriented // fickle // knives // artistic // wary

ROWAN: insecure // scholar // reader // leader // diplomat // intellectual // grief of dead father and brother // night person

ERIN: curious // blunt // brave // righteous // self-image issues // hard-working // animal lover // enthusiastic

LORCAN: jealousy // loyalty // courage // analytical // ambitious // arrogant // coward // organized // insect phobia

https://open.spotify.com/user/qp0b227mmzr868ah0jb6yfix4/playlist/2kLqzKcZsX8Ow835cMHj2z

(Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to link it so you could actually see the songs.)

And, of course, here are some character "theme songs!" (These may not be the same as the ones I wrote in Part 2. I’ve since added songs and re-evaluated.) They are all included in the playlist above as well.

FAYE'S THEME: Trust Goes Both Ways by Michael Giacchino

WHIT'S THEME: Now We Are Free by Lisa Gerrard and Delirium by Music Junkies

ROWAN'S THEME: Sons of Odin by Patrick Doyle

ERIN'S THEME: Fireworks by Nicholas Hooper

LORCAN'S THEME: Shadows of Loki by Brian Tyler

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Wow, I can’t believe this series is over! It’s been truly epic reading all your posts about your stories, guys.

Speaking of which, here are the links to everyone else's aesthetics posts!

Jules @ Saver of Memories
Ceci @ Ceci Creates
Gray @ Writing is Life
Julia @ Lit Aflame
Jem @ Jem Jones, Writer
Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer
Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessings
Ariel @ Scribes and Archers
Keturah @ Keturah’s Korner
Sarah @ Pen of a Ready Writer

Well, I wish you luck during this last day of NaNo! Push through to the end! You’ve got this! (And congratulations to everyone who has already CRUSHED the word-count goal!)

(And just a quick reminder that although there will be no post this Sunday, I will resume posting then afterwards.)

-Nicole

Happy Friday!

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re surviving NaNoWriMo! Just a little over a week (I think.... I’ve lost track of time at this point) and the challenge will be over!

But before you get back to writing, I thought I might share with you a little bit about my side characters and setting of The Silver Sword...

also, whoever can spot the Hamilton reference in this post, congratulations! The search begins....now!



I’m going to use the two main side characters, Whit and Erin.

Whit's favorite hobby is whittling. (Pun not intended, I promise!) He has a short attention span and constantly needs to do something with his hands. He’s actually surprisingly artistic.

Whit helps Faye open up and see the good in herself. I won’t say too much more than that, except that she rarely spends time around good influences and people her age.

Erin, on the other hand, absolutely ADORES playing the swashind. (That’s a musical instrument not unlike the piccolo) or working on a project. She’s not very good at music, but once she sets her mind to something, she does it.

Through Erin, Rowan learns to see the good things in life. He also learns determination and patience



I would guess that out of the two pairs, Whit is closer to Faye than Erin is to Rowan. Rowan is very hesitant about being "matched" to Erin and doesn’t really believe in the matchmaking system. He kind of discounts Erin because of it. Faye, on the other hand, has to entrust her life to Whit multiple times (of course) and they grow a bond through it.



Whit is very much flirtatious and cocky. He shows no hesitation in going up to people and having a two-hour conversation with them. He’s just like that.

Erin is very aloof and acts like she is of higher status. She will wait for people to come to her. Once they do, though, they won’t be able to shut her up.



Whit is a "act before thinking" person, and Faye prefers to think before acting. Boom. Conflict. (I’m sorry, I’m tired.)

Erin and Rowan's relationship gets a little bit more interesting. Rowan is very reluctant to become king, although he knows that he should. Erin will do whatever it takes to become queen, so she is trying to shove him more in that general direction. Obviously, he resists. She also wants to know what he is hiding.... #spoilers.

(I’m realizing that I make it sound like Erin is this very arrogant, ambitious person, and she's really not. But let’s be honest: who of us WOULDN'T want to be queen if given the chance? She comes from a poor background. She is not going to throw away her shot!) 



Well, at the beginning of the story, Rowan would die for Erin only out of honor. Faye definitely wouldn’t die for Whit. But as the story progresses, things change . . . *rubs hands together*



If the book was about Whit, it would be about his journey to find SPOILERS after his captivity in the Xylem Garden. It would be a very sarcastic book.

The Silver Sword from Erin's POV would be an inspiring tale about a girl who gets a chance to become queen, but becomes worried that she may not get the chance. It would be very serious and probably heartbreaking. I don’t know.



The magic is probably my favorite part. In this world, magic is actually forbidden and considered evil. While there's not a lot of magic in The Silver Sword, it becomes a major plot point in the next book. 😏



Probably all the locations. I actually used to despise worldbuilding, and although I enjoy it slightly more now, I still struggle with naming and such.



......not really? I’m not sure, honestly. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

Happy Friday, everyone!

We’re almost halfway through NaNo. Hard to believe. This month has been lasting forever!

But here’s your Friday procrastination post that’s covering a rather fun topic:

Villains.


In my story, the villain (although he doesn’t have a huge part to play yet) is the Steward of Kianda’s throne, Lorcan. The Steward of the throne is a stand-in for the King until Rowan comes of age (the King is dead, by the way).



Um . . . Well. That’s *nervous laughter* a good question.

I would say that we both fight for our beliefs and become offended when people oppose us. He pretends to be tough, but inside he’s very sensitive against criticism. And we also both over-plan certain things, but don’t even think about others.

And, as for differences, he’s more murderous than I am??? #dontask



Lorcan gets very physical when he is angry. His favorite pastime is throwing new wooden chairs against a stone wall, thoroughly breaking them. XD Yeah, he might have slight anger issues....

As for a soft spot, I discuss that later down. Read on....



Lorcan's worst enemy is kind of himself, and also his family.

Himself - he never really tries to better himself. He thinks that the condition he is in right now is perfect, so he doesn’t need to grow.

His family - he feels like his brother stole the throne from him, and has never forgiven him or his children for that "wrongdoing".



Lorcan's weapon of choice would be (this will sound weird) other people. He doesn’t really like to personally hurt someone, but he would 10/10 send someone else to do the dirty work for him. One of his philosophy is that he shouldn’t be guilty for something that he made his servants do. (Definitely not problematic, no sirree.)



As I said above, he has a soft spot - a woman from the village. Usually he dislikes villagers and thinks they’re peasants and weak. But he wishes to marry a younger woman who - is a villager.

I have no idea how this guy justifies things.



He would never do the dirty work of killing someone himself.

Lorcan would also never stoop to "women's work." Although most people believe that women should be respected and that the work they do is honorable, he holds to an old, demeaning tradition that women are inferior.



Lorcan has never met Faye, but he thinks that Rowan is just like his father: a usurper and too self-righteous for his own good.



I like how Lorcan has the courage to do what he believes is right. And he also likes music (although it’s more rap-like than actual music, but still).

Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome back for Round 2 of Julian’s Shared WIP Tag!

I hope NaNoWriMo is treating you all well thus far. We’re a little more than a week in, guys! It’s hard to believe it’s been about ten days already. You can do it!

But, I’m assuming you’re procrastinating from your novel right now, so I’ll cut this intro short and get into Round 2’s questions, which deals with the main characters.....

Since this book has two main characters, I’m going to answer the questions for both Faye and Rowan. It should be fun!

*pulls up character sheets for reference*


(Both are fifteen, by the way.)

So, Faye is a Xi herbalist. She’s got rough hands from all the time spent in the gardens, and she’s fairly tanned. Her waist-length curly blond hair is usually in a bun. And - because she’s a Xi - her blue eyes glow in the dark. (Honestly, that would be really creepy.) As for something quirky . . . it’s not exactly a quirk, but a power of Xi is that they can read a person’s mind when they’re touching him or her. So she never - and I mean never - touches anyone.

Now, Rowan is the future king of Kianda. As is custom for the kings of that country, he’s tall (a solid six foot high) and has bright red hair. Since Kianda is under the threat of war, he has premature worry lines across his forehead. And one of his quirks is that he talks to himself. A lot. Even when others are around. Totally not based off myself, no sirree.



Faye values people accepting her for who she is, since most shun her for her Xi parentage.

Rowan values learning above all else. We have a definite Ravenclaw right here, guys.



Faye’s wildest dream is to become an acclaimed Xylem Garden herbalist and discover a new medicinal plant. Along with that goes being popular and famous, and no one caring that she’s a Xi. Her greatest fear is being hated by all, even those who don’t know her. Anyone seeing a trend?

As for Rowan . . . he wants there to be complete world peace when he becomes king. He doesn’t really want to have to deal with war in his lifetime. And he most fears that when people need him most, he will fail.



Faye is an excellent cook, actually, and although she’s an herbalist, she really likes meat. She doesn’t really care what kind it is - although cow is always beloved.

Rowan . . . *laughs*. That kid couldn’t cook even if he tried. And he’s a very picky eater, unlike Faye, so he really only likes:
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Fish

That’s really it. But, he did grow up in a palace, so some of that could be understandable.



Faye and I both don’t trust someone immediately, but once we do, we’re loyal for life. We also both hate prejudice. On the flip side, Faye is definitely more put-together than I am, and, you know, she can cook. Also, she’s illiterate (the Xylem Garden taught her to identify plants by appearence, so she doesn’t need to read labels).

Rowan and I both love learning and reading, are Ravenclaws, have conspiracy theories but keep it to ourselves, don’t like being leaders, and don’t like letting people down.

*glances at list*

Well. That’s interesting.

However, Rowan is more athletic than I am, and he’s also a fan of nonfiction. He likes reading history books - FOR FUN.

Something is clearly wrong with this kid. XD



Faye believes that no one in the world could like a Xi, and that her life will always be hindered by her parentage.

Rowan believes that failure is a form of weakness, and that to fail means to let down everyone you love.



Faye’s “best friend” at the beginning of the story is this one boy who lives in the same village (and I haven’t named the village or the boy yet....). She kind of has a crush on him, and they wrote letters back and forth to each other when her apprenticeship began. However, that’s kind of died out now....

Rowan’s best friend is the palace librarian. XD



*frantically shuffles through Spotify* *realizes that all my songs are instrumentals* *picks randomly*

Faye’s “theme song,” if you will, would be “Trust Goes Both Ways” by Michael Giacchino.

Rowan’s would be “Loyal to the Throne” by Ludwig Goransson.



Faye is an ISFJ-T. Rowan is an ENTJ-A.



I hope that the people who read this can connect to Faye and Rowan and see their flaws and struggles mirrored. Also, they’re both well-meaning teens who are thrust into awful scenarios. *evil author laugh*

—————————————————————————————————————

Now that I’m done sharing my answers, you guys NEED to check out the epic main characters the other participants have crafted:

Jules @ Saver of Memories
Ceci @ Ceci Creates
Lisa @ Inkwell
Gray @ Writing is Life
Julia @ Lit Aflame
Jem @ Jem Jones, Writer
Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer
Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessings
Ariel @ Scribes and Archers
Keturah @ Keturah’s Korner
Sarah @ Pen of a Ready Writer

See you guys next week for round three, in which we talk about VILLAINS! And good luck with your story endeavors!

-Nicole

Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome to National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo!

(For those of you unaware, this is a month-long challenge designed to make writers go insane and lose lots of sleep while trying to cram out 50,000 words in one month. Why everyone loves it, I have no idea. XD)

During NaNo, Julian over at Saver of Memories is once again hosting her 5-Part Shared WIP Tag! This week’s topic is “General Questions.”


Okay, here’s my attempt at a blurb:

Faye Grenswick has a secret: She belongs to the diminishing race of Xi, known for their mental powers. Unfortunately, they are also highly persecuted. If she told anyone of her ancestry, she would lose everything in her life, including her job at the magical Xylem Garden. However, when she accidentally releases a dangerous criminal from his binds, she has no choice but to leave her life and maybe, just maybe, trust the criminal.
Prince Rowan also has a secret: He doesn’t want to be matched. But he has no choice in the matter - all kings must have a queen. His potential wife, Erin, will do almost anything to become queen. The situation gets even more complicated when a figure from Rowan’s past arrives at the castle, threatening the truth of everything he thought he knew.
Faye and Rowan don’t know each other, but they have a common purpose - keep the throne of Kianda safe. But this might just prove harder than either of them thought.

For now, my working title for this story is "The Silver Sword," because SPOILERS. :)



This is rather interesting. Usually, when I get ideas, it’s nicely hand-wrapped, with a conflict, characters, and a villain all rolled into one. This time was different.

The idea for Faye to release a criminal came from a Band trip to Nashville, TN my freshman year. We were touring some weird hotel that had a lot of plant life in it, and we were all kind of bored. At one point, I noticed that in the middle of the greenery, there was a creepy door than led down into darkness. I wondered why it would be there, in the middle of a garden, and Faye and the criminal (who’s name is Whit) were born.

Rowan and Erin's story used to be about a girl who was matched to a prince, but fell in love with the prince’s brother instead.

Yeah, it’s changed a lot from where it used to be.

I knew that both stories were set in the same world, but each tale was missing something, and I wasn’t sure what it was.

So one day I decided to combine them together. And voila.

(As a side note, I don’t really regret combining the stories, but Rowan and Erin's story had a rather unique aspect to it that I had to cut in the Silver Sword outlining process.



Um . . . I walked around a Nashville hotel.

That’s about it, come to think of it. Most of the “research” I’ve done involves Google and my imagination (like, for instance, what a spear wound would be like).

I’m not an adventurous person, okay???



I’ve been thinking about this story a lot recently, and ever since combining the two storylines I’ve really wanted to write it.

I also didn’t have any better idea for what to write, so I just picked it and went with it.



Usually during, but I may just make stuff up just to hit my first-draft word-count. I’m not really sure how I’m going to handle the research portion yet. I’ll figure it out. ;)

Haven’t done any research, but it usually consists of me Googling stuff.



So, I have a different way of “plotting.” I figure out the major points of the story, but don’t plan any more than that. It usually turns into one big mess.

I’ll probably write a post on this one day, but my basic plotting process is this:
1. Get a story idea
2. Wait two or three days to make sure this is a good idea
3. Go outside and play around with a basketball while I figure out scenes. (Sometimes moving around helps me think.)
4. On nights when I can’t sleep, role-play certain scenes that are emotionally charged (because if they’re physically charged, I just wake up more)
5. Repeat steps three and four until I know most of the book by heart.
6. I don’t write it down for some weird reason.
7. Six months later, I regret not writing the story idea details down.
8. Repeat for the next idea.



Definitely type. I edit things too much while I’m writing to hand-write the draft. (And I usually wear out my pencil erasers.) I’m pretty sure my Spanish teacher is sick of seeing 5000 scribbles on my homework assignments. XD



Unfortunately, no. But that’s a good idea!



I honestly don’t know. “Faye” just came to me; it seemed like a good healer name.

“Whit” is actually a play on words, because - get this - Whit has a sense of humor. Get it? He’s witty?

(Just pretend that my sense of humor is funny and move along...)

“Erin” is an Irish word for “peace,” since at one point I was trying to base Kianda on Ireland. So is “Rowan,” which means “red-haired.”



One theme that will come up in the duology (oh, did I forget to mention that this is going to be a duology?) is forgiveness, like in the Inhumans. But others are self-acceptance, teamwork and relying on others, giving second changes, and that good will always win out.

As for how I find themes, I’m honestly not quite sure. They’re usually just there and come with the characters. *shrug*

————————————————————————————————

Well, there’s the first part in the Shared WIP Tag! Here are the others who are doing the tag:

Jules @ Saver of Memories
Ceci @ Ceci Creates
Lisa @ Inkwell
Gray @ Writing is Life
Julia @ Lit Aflame
Jem @ Jem Jones, Writer
Melissa @ Quill Pen Writer
Brooklyne @ Showers of Blessings
Ariel @ Scribes and Archers
Keturah @ Keturah’s Korner
Sarah @ Pen of a Ready Writer

Definitely go check out their awesome stories, and don’t forget to check back with all of us next week, because the next segment is about MAIN CHARACTERS.

-Nicole

GUYS.

NANOWRIMO IS IN FOUR DAYS.

I AM NOT READY.

*existensial crisis*

But, before we go diving into all the NaNo craziness, let’s take a look at the craziness of October....

Wow. October has been INSANELY busy. This has been, by far, the busiest month of the year.

I went on my first ever college visit. I AM NOT READY YET. But the college was actually really nice - and the town had a book store. So I bought more books. XD

My family had their annual reunion in the middle of a cow pasture. (That sounds really weird when I read that.) But it was fun! And extremely cold - but that’s why we built a fire.

I went to go see my cousin's school play!

Yesterday I took the ACT. *screaming*

Also, remember back in my last wrap-up post when I said I got my wisdom teeth taken out?

I genuinely thought that my tooth problems would be over.

NOPE.

So, while we were visiting the college, it turned out that the right side of my mouth got infected. *facepalm* I have no idea how, or why, but it happened. So I had to go on meds for another week.

And then I had to have ANOTHER oral surgery to take out these two little gum flaps that were covering parts of two of my teeth.

It gets worse.

When I finished the second surgery, the surgeon told me, "Oh, yeah, you can pretty much eat whatever you want." So I went home and ate - literally everything over the weekend.

Fast-forward to Tuesday morning. I woke up, and the right side of my mouth hurt and was swollen.

Guess what. It got infected. AGAIN.

And guess why?

Well, when the surgeon was trying to figure out why, he saw a LOT of food back there.

Hmmm... maybe I’ll just avoid solid foods for a while.

BUT, it’s on the way to recovery again, So, HOPEFULLY this is all done and I won’t have to worry about my teeth anymore. #famouslastwords

(I apologize for that. I needed to rant.)  

Out of Time series. If you haven’t read this series yet, YOU NEED TO. I’ve read the first and second (because my library only has those two) and they are so inspiring. <3

Lord of the Rings. My family just finished watching the three Hobbit movies. I cried, to say the least. And I’m FINALLY finishing up The Two Towers book (it's been taking me forever, for some weird reason).

Amulet. You guys - I READ SUPERNOVA!!!!! (I think I was the first in the library to check it out. That’s a great feeling.) You can read my short review on Goodreads HERE, but in case you don’t want to, here’s the condensed version: I liked it, but it needed more Trellis.

So, not much actual writing happened in October, but I DID plan my novel for NaNoWriMo! It’s confusing (I virtually did no worldbuilding - it’s going to be great), but I love my main characters and plot. *sighs happily*

I’ve also been scheduling the posts for Julian's 5-Part Shared WIP Tag! But I’ll talk about that more below.

Here are the posts I wrote this month:


And, around the blogosphere.....

Ivie did an AMAZING inspirational writing series that you NEED to read. (Check out parts ONE, TWO, THREE, and FOUR.)

Gray Marie also did a short series on writing spooky stories that’s perfect for Halloween! (Here are the links to part ONE and TWO.)

And I know this happened in September, but both Nora and Lacy started new blogs, so definitely go check them out!