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Beautiful Books – The Prophet’s Key

Tracey Dyck 23 Comments

I haven’t participated in Beautiful People for a while, have I? And even though this month’s questions were written with Nano in mind–which I’m sadly not participating in this year because I want to keep my sanity, thank you very much–they were a great tool to get to know my current WIP better. The Prophet’s Key has been trickier to write than I expected, so the more help I find, the better!

Link-up hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In.

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

I’d have to look back at my old notes to see when I first got the idea, but it struck when I sat down on the old wooden swinging bench on my back porch as a young teen and started brainstorming ideas for The Prophet’s Quest (untitled at the time). The Prophet itself needed some exploration, and somehow the idea of there being a key to unlock all its mysteries struck me. I pursued that trail further, and the winding paths of brainstorming led to the five Shifters too.

Funny thing: The Prophet’s Quest was initially going to be called The Prophet’s Key, until I actually wrote the thing and realized all those ideas about the key didn’t fit, and thus were moved into the sequel.

2. Describe what your novel is about!

I don’t have an official synopsis yet. The inner journeys of the two MCs are still a bit foggy to me, so that will have to wait. But here’s the general idea:

Aileen and Josiah are searching Earth for five hidden elementals called Shifters. These powerful individuals may be Demetria’s only chance in the battle hovering at the nation’s doorstep. All the while, the two teens struggle to reconcile their chosen status to their old lives and find a way to succeed without the advantages of dragon form.

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

I don’t have a lot of photos gathered right now, beyond some boring maps. But it’s set mostly on Earth this time, and yet the realism is infused with the fantastical: elementals, espionage, an ancient evil, and other (rather spoilery) stuff.

4. Introduce us to each of your characters!

We’d be here a long time if I trotted out every single person in this book’s large cast of characters! So I’ll just say a short blurb on all the main ones.

Aileen McKay: Sixteen years old. Brown hair, brown eyes. Introverted, intense personality, makes thoughtful decisions. Was once a white dragon with ice breath.

Josiah Williams: Sixteen years old. Blond-ish hair, grey eyes. Bold, self-assured, makes snap decisions. Was once a red dragon with fiery breath.


Mr. Hawkins: White hair, steely eyes. Guardian of the Prophet and all-around epic person. Skilled in geography.


Diver: Talking otter considered the leader of all Demetrian otters. Wears a smooth grey stone on a cord around his neck to indicate status. Spunky, adventurous, and afraid of heights.


Wimwhile: Wind Shifter. Long white beard. Always wears a long, shabby coat. Cranky, arrogant, but noble at heart.


Skaes: Water Shifter. Auburn hair. Scottish accent. Soft-hearted and fluid. Read more HERE.


Cauxle: Plant Shifter. Dark hair, mismatched eyes. Has a piratical air to him. Excellent in hand-to-hand combat.


Nisi: Light Shifter. Pale blonde hair. Cold, brusque personality concealing inner pain.


Brollier: Fire Shifter. Brown beard, eyes perpetually crinkled in a smile. Warm and jovial and courageous.


Mr. Spencer: Leader of the Sagire (a group of my main villain, Criffel’s, men employed as hunters on Earth). Middle-aged. Looks harmless, but is actually secretive and deadly.

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

Back in the summer of 2015, I wrote a new and improved outline. (TPK was actually written four years ago, but that draft is so outdated I have to start from scratch.) At the beginning of 2016, I started researching my various settings. Much howling has been involved in this first draft. Heh. I also try to remember to pray before I write, which helps.

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

Finishing the first draft! Ha, no, I’m actually looking forward to the climax. The crew will finally be together, some of the villains’ advantages will be revealed, and everything will come to a head. It’s gonna be good!

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

Well, there are lots of exotic Earth locations . . . The crags of the Rocky Mountains, the rolling Highlands of Scotland, the verdant Daintree Rainforest in Australia, the urban sprawl of Moscow, and the rugged landscape of Iceland. (That’s more than three. Guess I’m a rebel.)

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

Their goal is to find all five Shifters before the Sagire do. Not only do the Sagire (with all their prowess and resources) stand in their way, but so does the mystery of each Shifter’s location. All Aileen and Josiah have is a journal full of riddles and unlabelled maps to guide them.

I’d have to say another thing standing in their way is themselves: their own fear, their inadequacies, and their self-doubt. Which flows seamlessly into the next question . . .

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

Both of them lose faith in themselves throughout the novel, but by the end, they will have (at least partially) resolved that. They both learn to lead. Josiah begins to come to grips with his father’s rejection. Aileen learns to hold both her home and Alewar in her heart without being completely torn apart. As you can see, neither of them are anywhere close to truly grasping these lessons, but they are slowly transforming. The issues they face in this book will only escalate as the series goes on! Poor charries.

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

Facing failure and fear, confidence in yourself, faith, perseverance–all are present in this novel. I want readers to walk away realizing they’re not alone in these things, and that fear can be beaten.

***

Now would be the time I wrap this up, but a new thought just struck me. Fear can be beaten. The moment I typed those words, I realized how impactful they are for me. In life, of course, but also as the writer of this story. I’ve been afraid to write this book. Afraid of handling a large cast and a sprawling, real-life setting. Afraid of failing to keep the pace going. Afraid to disappoint future readers by featuring less of Demetria than in the first book.

But really, there’s no need to fear any of that. How many times have I talked about giving yourself permission to write garbage in the first draft? It’s about time I take my own advice. Cast and setting and pace can be smoothed out during editing. And I actually have an idea or two to up the “other world content” in this book–again, during editing. IT’S TIME TO JUST HAVE FUN WRITING.

Let that be a lesson to all of you, questerlings. 😉

Oh, before I go, one more thing. Make that two.

First: I’m sorry I’ve had a couple of late posts, and that I’ve been slower in replying to comments. I’m trying to fit blogging in on meal breaks at college.

Second: writer friends of mine told me about a really sweet giveaway, so I thought I’d keep spreading the news. You can win up to $3000 of cover design, editing, proofreading, and content editing! How sweet would that be? And, as a little extra sweetness, if you enter through THIS LINK, I get extra entries. Which is not an entirely self-serving request, because by entering you get your own shareable link that can get you extra entries as well. It’s a lovely snowballing method.

That’s it, now. Promise. Till next week!

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Beautiful People – Skaes

Tracey Dyck 24 Comments

Since I introduced you to The Prophet’s Quest not too long ago (and now you finally know what the Dickens this girl is working on), and since I’ve been rewriting The Prophet’s Key (the second book in the series), and since I haven’t done a Beautiful People post in approximately five and three-quarter eons (my last one was in February), and since I appear to be overly fond of parentheses . . .

Let’s do another Beautiful People, shall we? Today I’m introducing Skaes, a young but not-so-young woman from The Prophet’s Key. She is a part of the Five Shifters, a group of individuals blessed with elemental-type powers. Born in Demetria but currently living secretly on Earth (because reasons), she has the ability to shift/control water. I’ve loved her since she appeared on the handwritten pages of the first draft, and coincidentally, her character will probably need the least amount of refining. Nevertheless, I need to get to know her better, because that penciled-in first version of her is sorely lacking in details.

Anyway. Some pertinent details before we begin:

Beautiful People is a monthly link-up hosted byï»ż Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Each month, they come up with ten questions to help us get to know our characters better. For more info, follow the links!
Natalie Portman would make a good Skaes, I think. The
dress here is perfect for her Demetrian attire.
ï»ż
How often do they smile? Would they smile at a stranger?
Skaes is the sort of person who smiles often, at friends and strangers alike. She revels in the little joys of life. Nowadays, though, she smiles less frequently. Centuries of living alone in hiding, watching generations go by, will do that to a person.

What is the cruelest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
Skaes is very tender-hearted, and most people can’t help but like her. So she hasn’t been directly told many cruel things. The cruelest jabs are those of silence, omittance, and cold shoulders. The only other female Shifter, Nisi (who controls light), is a dear friend of Skaes’s . . . but Nisi is often guarded and unaffectionate. There are times Skaes wants to reach out for companionship, but Nisi’s standoffishness hurts her.


What is the kindest thing they’ve ever been told? And what was their reaction?
The words Skaes holds most dear, the words that have stayed in her heart over her long life, are from King Jirus (the Jesus-figure in this series). When she and the other four were first called to the Garden to accept their shifting abilities and learn how to wield them, King Jirus’s words of wisdom and affirmation washed over her like sunlight. And they have never left. They’re what she clings to now in the years of waiting.


What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?
As a little girl in Demetria, long before she became a Shifter, she lived in a village on the coast. The song of the sea was ever present, drawing her to the shore on a daily basis. She would stand in the shallows, deep enough that her fingertips brushed the water, and look out to the horizon. The vastness of the sea has always fascinated her. And when storms would fall upon the village, she was perhaps the only one unafraid of the power of water. Even though she can harness it now, she still has that childlike wonder and fascination with it.


What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?
I think she would find Bryan Davis’s Eye of the Oracle very comforting. She has much in common with Sapphira Adi, as far as long lifespans and the need for patience/contentment goes. Sapphira would be a good fictional companion for her.

How I imagine her on Earth.
Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?
Yes. She has seen many battles on Demetrian soil, and thusly has been injured numerous times. Whereas some of her fellow Shifters would stubbornly keep fighting with a broken leg or fatal wound, she is quicker to accept her weakness, adapt to it, and do what she can from the sidelines instead. (See? She’s fluid. Ha. Ha. Ha.) That doesn’t mean she cares any less, just that she will naturally bend with the circumstances and find a way around it, even if that means taking on lowly tasks like dishing out rations to the knights. She realizes that she doesn’t have to be on the battlefield to advance the cause.

Do they like and get along with their neighbours?
Because it’s vital that she lives a solitary life, she doesn’t have many neighbors at all. In fact, she lives on the coast of Scotland (I’m working out the exact details, to be honest), in a sparsely populated area. She has minimal contact with outsiders, and has had to move several times to avoid suspicion. (“What’s with that lady in the cottage? I could’ve sworn she looked just as young when I was a wee child, and now I’m getting up to sixty.”) All that said, if she could have contact with her neighbors, she would get along with them very well. She likes almost everybody, after all.

On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?
Oh, probably a 2. She’s a kind, quiet soul. Like I said, she likes people and they like her.

If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?
Well, she’d rather travel out of this world she’s been forced to live in so long. She would give anything to return to Alewar, to her homeland of Demetria.



Who was the last person they held hands with?
ï»żProbably some young, sweet-faced chap in her old Demetrian village. But that was ages ago. Having a prominent place in the military as one of the Shifters took up all of her time and attention, and then of course, she came to Earth and took up life as a hermit. So romance has not had a chance to blossom in her life. Besides, who could she be with? Anyone she falls in love with would be a mortal. (Speaking of which, I’m not exactly sure if she’s immortal, per se. But she does have a ridiculously long lifespan.) And the three male Shifters are out of the question. Two are like brothers to her, and one is an old man. (Technically speaking, they’re all old, but he was already getting on in years when he became a Shifter, and the role has kind of pickled him. He has spent most of his life looking elderly. Not that he minds much.) (But now I’m overusing parentheses again. Ahem.)

****
I hope you enjoyed meeting Skaes! I may have to feature her fellow Shifters sometime. What do you think? And hey, would any of your own characters make a good friend for Skaes? Poor girl is lonely. But not for long . . . Just as soon as I iron out some details and hammer out, oh, another ten thousand words or so, she’ll find herself anything but lonely. But that’s a story I can’t tell you yet.ï»ż *wink*
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Beautiful People – Valentine’s Edition – Will + Emi

Tracey Dyck 32 Comments

We interrupt the regular broadcast of Lovely Books
with another round of Beautiful People…

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but it’s still not too late to join in with this month’s edition of Beautiful People! Our wizardly hosts Cait and Sky have mixed up a love potion series of questions aimed at character couples. If you’re a writer, and you haven’t yet checked out this linkup, dash off and do that now! BP has been such a fun and helpful tool for me, a way to get to know my characters better and give others a chance to meet them.

ï»żï»żï»ż

Sort of how Will looks.
Usually I like to feature characters from whatever I happen to be working on at the moment, but seeing as I’m not actively writing anything this month (it’s research and plans and quite a lot of thinking about research and plans right now . . .), I elected to dust off one of my favorite romantic pairs. Today you get to meet Will and Emi!
Long ago, in the distant history of 2014, before Adventure Awaits was born, I wrote a novella-sized retelling of Beauty and the Beast for the Rooglewood Press contest. Blood Rose is the tale of how Emi, a young scientist, finds herself stranded in the countryside, where the only refuge is an ancient manor belonging to the mysterious and charming William Thornburgh. Events conspire to keep her there, but with each passing day, Will’s behavior grows stranger. Secrets lurk in the manor’s dark corners. In desperate need of Emi’s knowledge and skill, Will locks her up. Escape is not an option. Can she fulfill his seemingly impossible demands? And can a broken, beastly man ever be made whole again?

Sort of how Will looks when a particularly beastly
side of him surfaces…

ï»ż

Kind of how I imagine Emi. (There’s too many sort
ofs and kind ofs when it comes to character models!)

I had such a blast writing this novella, so I’m excited to give you a glimpse of the protagonists! If I go crazy with snippets, I apologize.

1. How did they first meet?
Emi, recently graduated from university, was driving to her hometown in search of a meaningful job, when her car broke down.
Forty miles from the nearest hint of civilization.
Right in front of a creepy old manor.

That creepy old manor happened to be the home of Will, a reclusive but nonetheless well-mannered young man. (Well, he looks young, anyway.) He offered to give her a place to spend the night, which she warily declined, choosing to sleep in her car rather than in the house of some stranger. But then, you know, the next day she ends up injuring herself. With a twisted ankle and slight concussion, she has no choice but to let Will care for her.

As he stepped through the doorway, Emi turned her head toward him. “Will?”

He looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Why did you run out into the woods?”

Although his gaze never wavered, layers of shadows seemed to shift in his eyes. “Lost something.” He gave her a slight smile, clapped a hand against the doorframe, and walked on.

Emi stared at the spot where he’d stood and listened to his footsteps fade down the hall.

2. What were their first impressions of each other?

He scared the living daylights out of her, but after that initial shock, she found him strange. Oddly dressed (old-fashioned breeches and a billowy shirt), for one thing. Rather kind and gentlemanly, for another. All this is shaded by her wariness, of course, because as a lone female miles from civilization, she’s in a vulnerable position. But Will’s actions seem to indicate he is entirely noble.

Will sees her as a beautiful young lady, deserving of respect, but a certain desperation reminds him that she may be just what he needs. It’s not long before he also realizes how smart and kind-hearted she is. There’s a lot of conflicting emotions on his part.

3. How long have they been a couple?
I never know how to answer this kind of question. What timeline am I supposed to use? At the beginning of the story, they’re not a couple at all. That doesn’t happen until the very end of the story. It’s hard to see your captor in a romantic light when he’s already come close to killing you. (Heh. Spoiler alert.)

4. How committed/loyal are they to each other? Would they break up over a secret or a disagreement? Could stress drive them apart? Would they die for each other?

Loaded question! And very spoilery, too, I might add! Their relationship is rife with secrets, particularly on Will’s part. Stress? There’s a whole whackload of that too. But commitment and loyalty do slowly grow between them. (I refuse to answer that last question about death. One day you may get a chance to read Blood Rose, and then you can see for yourself.)

5. List 5 “food quirks” they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they’re allergic to something, etc
.and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)
Will knows that she glows when she’s excited. He knows her well enough to realize at a certain point in the story that when she stops wearing the old-fashioned gowns he provided her, and instead wears the jeans and sweater in which she arrived, that she’s planning to leave. He’s good at reading her emotions and the underlying thoughts behind them. One thing he does not know is that she prefers her fried eggs hard, not runny.
Emi knows that he eats a lot. As she gets to know him better, she starts to read between the lines, picking up on the hurt and the secrets he doesn’t express. And as the story progresses, she learns the warning signs–the clues that he’s about to turn beastly.
I know that’s not five for either of them, but that’s all I could recall from their story at this point.

[source]
6. Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?
There’s not really anyone around to disapprove. Emi is very much a loner, with practically no close friends. Her parents died in a fire. Will is a complete hermit, and his parents have passed away as well.
7. What would be an ideal date?
I’ll answer this one from the perspective of what happens after The End, because as I said earlier, they’re not a couple until then. An ideal date would be a long stroll through the woods, where Emi is far from her books and projects. Afterwards, they’d make a simple meal at home and cuddle by the fireplace.

8. What are their personality dynamics? Similar? Contrasting? Do they fight a lot or mesh perfectly?
Both are very intense people, but it manifests in different ways. Will is deeply loyal to those closest to him–though that includes very few. He carries the weight of past mistakes, and it is a heavy burden indeed. Emi is the kind of person who grasps at stars, a person who lives poised on the line between hope and discouragement. She is driven, but kind. She sees beauty where others see only ugly brokenness.

They have a number of fights–some actual, physical fights and some merely verbal–but I have a feeling that further down the road, their relationship will be largely peaceful. They will eventually mesh well, with Emi giving grace to Will, and Will helping Emi to relax and just be.

9. What have been their best and worst moments together as a couple?
To answer that definitively would be to spoil the entire story, but I will let these two snippets speak for themselves.

Here’s a good moment (not the best, mind you):

Will was grinning at her, shaking his head slowly.

She grinned back uncertainly. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just—you glow when you are excited.”

Emi touched her warm cheeks. Drat, I’m blushing.

His smile softened, and he reached over to clasp her wrist. “There is no need to feel embarrassed. I think your ideas are brilliant. You have much to offer the world.”

Sitting there in the old kitchen, with crisp autumn air filtering through the barely open window and a low fire crackling at her back, Emi laid aside her doubts for the moment and simply let the next breath be her focus. “Thank you,” she said softly.



And a bad moment, though not the very worst:

He cut her off with a sweep of his hand. “Quiet!” he bellowed. “Ever since you arrived, you have defied me and stirred up things of which you have no part.”

Emi backed against the wall, putting as much space between her and Will’s hulking frame as possible. “You want me to keep my nose out of things? Fine, I’m leaving anyway. See?” She lifted the potato sack. “Now open those doors.”

Will’s dark eyes pinned her to the wall as effectively as manacles. “You will not leave,” he said between tight lips.

She uttered a short, incredulous laugh. “What?”

“You stay here until your purpose is accomplished.”

“Purpose? What purpose?” Emi swallowed, more acutely aware of her vulnerability now than she’d been on day one.

Will leaned in until his face was only inches from hers. He opened his mouth to speak, but winced instead as if struck. He clenched his eyes shut. When they opened, his dark brown irises flickered with red light. “You stay,” he growled, “as long as I need you.”


10. Where do they see themselves and their relationship in the next few years?
Will and Emi, as of the time of Blood Rose, wouldn’t really have an answer to this question. I would like to see them happily married, working together to advance medical science and heal people. In fact, I wanted to see that so much, that I once wrote a little piece of ‘fanfiction’ to get a glimpse of their lives a couple years down the road. (Can you write fanfiction of your own stories??)

Thanks for taking the time to meet my beastly Will and beautiful Emi!

What are your thoughts on Beauty and the Beast? Have you entered any of the Rooglewood Press contests? Speaking of which, the announcement of the winners is now two weeks away! *cue inner screaming*
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Beautiful People – 2016 plans

Tracey Dyck 32 Comments
It’s time for Beautiful People! I’ve missed doing these link-ups. I skipped the last three months, partially due to the Nano focus of the questions, but at last I’m participating again.

This round of questions is about writing plans and goals, which is perfectly timed. On my way home from the city earlier this week, I was talking out loud to myself and making plans for this year’s writing. (What? You guys don’t talk to yourself when you’re driving alone?) They’re rather ambitious, and I have to wonder if it’s insane to ask so much of myself, especially when 2016 is full of so many unknowns. But I want to aim high, and if Life has other ideas, so be it. Contrary to my usual thinking, goals can be adjusted.

Hosted by the lively gals Cait & Sky!


What were your writing achievements last year?

I finished up a couple rounds of edits on book 1. I read over book 2, outlined a new version of it, and had way too much fun masterminding stuff about the series as a whole. I completed a novella-sized retelling of Sleeping Beauty and entered it in the Five Magic Spindles writing contest. I also helped both my brother and a friend of mine edit their entries.

Tell us about your top priority writing project for this year.

I have three, actually! And now’s as good a time as any to whip out my 2016 Writing Goals.

January: Finish editing book 1.

February: Begin querying agents for book 1. (Yipes!) Review the outline of book 2 and do some research.
March-May: Draft book 2.
June: Draft Rooglewood entry.
July: Edit Rooglewood entry and send it off. (I’d like to be much more on the ball this year, so I’m going to try finishing it in two months. Two and a half, tops.)
August-December: Finish drafting book 2, and if I’ve actually managed to meet my monthly goals, I’d like to do a round or two of edits on it as well.
So to directly answer the question, my writing priorities are books 1 & 2 plus a fairy tale novella. Because these plans must be balanced with things called Work and (very hopefully) School, I’m trying to remember to take my own advice and have grace for myself if circumstances change and crowd out writing.
List 5 areas you’d like to work the hardest to improve this year.

Efficiency. I’d like to write more often, and write better when I do write. Even if all I can do is a little bit here and there, I want to be more consistent.

Moving forward. I’d like book 1 to be ready for the next phase.

Writing first drafts that aren’t littered with dragon-sized plot holes. It’s been about four-ish years since I’ve actually written a first draft for my fantasy series, and the most recent was possibly one of my worst. But I’ve grown since then, and I know a lot more about my fantasy world, so maybe the new book 2’s first draft will be more structurally sound. We can hope.


Continuing to cultivate my writing craft in general. One should never stop growing, after all.

Poetry. I wrote only seven poems last year, but I’d like to do more this year. Stretch my poet muscles. Try new techniques.
Are you participating in any writing challenges?
Only if you count the annual Rooglewood Press contest. Nano might be a possibility this year, but I’m not putting any expectations on myself.
What’s your critique partner/beta reader situation like and do you have plans to expand this year?
I stumbled into a wonderful Pack of writer gals online a year and a half ago, and have since had the pleasure of beta reading a number of their stories. Some of the girls have been betas for me too, which is heaps of fun. (My goodness, that sounds British: heaps of fun.) I’m quite content with my current situation, so no, I don’t have expansion plans.
Do you have plans to read any writer-related books this year? Or are there specific books you want to read for research?
Finish Gail Carson Levine’s “Writer to Writer,” which I started last year. I’ve heard that “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon is good, so maybe that too? I don’t have many specific titles in mind. I’ll probably look for some good books on mental illness (specifically delusion-related stuff, though there’s probably a nicer word for that). I have a character whose parents believe he’s crazy, resulting in psychologist appointments. I’d like to at least sound like I know what I’m talking about.
Pick one character you want to get to know better, and how are you going to achieve this?

Basically my entire supporting cast of book 2! Aileen’s and Josiah’s family members. The Shifters, a group of five elementals. Rex Nelson, the pilot. Yeah. Basically everyone. I’ll get to know them better by writing their story and doing character sketches.
Do you plan to edit or query, and what’s your plan of attack?
Some of both. See question #2. As for a plan of attack . . . with editing, it’ll be the usual process. With querying–well, that’s a whole new arena for me. So I have no idea!
Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”  What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?
More clean, excellent fantasy. Whether it’s Christian or not is almost besides the point. I want to see good fantasy–without all the foul language and sleazy content so many of them seem to carry.
More steampunk, because the genre is awesome and quite underrated.
And I don’t know if this is a hole, exactly . . . But I want to see an off-kilter story that plays with mind. One part crazed humor, one part creepy, and one part deeply hidden meaning. I have something like this cooking in my brain, but it’ll be a while before it’s ready to be written.
What do you hope to have achieved by the end of 2016?
I hope to have book 1 actually, for real complete–and if all goes well, I want to either have an agent or at least be actively querying. I hope to have another fairy-tale novella completed, and I also want to have book 2 drafted. Somewhat edited too, if I have the time. Like I said before, it really depends on how these next several months pan out.
If nothing else, I want to be able to look back on 2016 and say that I made good use of the writing time I had. (But if I’m honest, I’d really, really like that whole querying thing to . . . you know, be a thing.)
What do you think? Insane or doable? (Wait . . . don’t answer that.) What are your writing plans for the year?
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