Category Archives: Writing

Camp NaNoWriMo 2019

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It’s that time of year again friends when I say I’m going to do the thing and then fail horribly!

BUT NO MORE!

I’m determined this year to write the hell out of my novel for Camp and I’m going to DO IT, DAMMIT. No more excuses. No more games. I’m going to write this novel if it’s the last thing I do!

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk writing and such!

First of all, what is Camp NaNoWriMo? Camp NaNoWriMo takes place every April and July and is a more relaxed (or stressful) version of NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month) takes place every November where the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but Camp NaNo allows you to set your own word count goal on their website, so if you just want to write a short 5,000 word story, go for it! If you want to be ambitious and hit 100,000 words, go for it! It’s a fun, community type of event that focuses on writing and creativity.

What am I writing this year?

The same thing I began working on last year but didn’t get farther than just over 1,600 words. Its working title is called “Dark & Burning” and I really like my concept of elemental magic, mental illness, love, friendship, family, and the balances between light and dark.

Here’s the synopsis:

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.


Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.


In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

The synopsis will probably change as time goes on and I write more of the story, but for now that’s what I’ve got.

As of the time of writing this post, I’ve actually written a decent amount since my first attempt at this storyline. I’ve been slowly working on bits and pieces, scenes and chapters as they’ve come to me, so right now I have 15,423 words written. That’s, uh, way more than I thought??? When did I write this much???

Of course I’m going to use this number towards my 50,000 word goal for Camp. Why should I knock my own progress just because I started before the event itself? I’m not going to do that, but I’m also not going to stop myself just because I might reach that goal, you know?

The Stats

There’s a bit of stats that go into Camp and NaNo every year, so let’s break it down:

  • To reach my 50k goal I’ll need to write 1,667 words per day during the month.
  • Since I’ve written 15,423 words, to reach the 50k goal I only need 34,577 words.
  • BUT because I’m allowing my novel to flow for however long it needs to be to be told until I’m satisfied, I’m still aiming to reach 50k NEW words written for the month. So that means that if I write anything more between now and next week, then I’m still aiming to write 50k new words, even if my word count total is above 20k… you get it?

Let’s break it down more into goals because why not? I’m just using this as a guideline than an obligation to stick to:

  • By the end of week one, Sunday April 7th, I want to have 12,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week two, Sunday April 14th, I want to have 24,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week three, Sunday April 21st, I want to have 36,000 new words total.
  • By the end of week four, Sunday April 28th, I want to have 48,000 new words total.
  • By the end of the month I want to have 50,000 new words total.

And to incentivize myself, I’m going to award myself small prizes for achieving said goals each week! Whether that be a treat-yo-self day, watching an episode or two of Critical Role campaign one, watching a movie, whatever, I want to give myself rewards for reaching my milestones.

The Survival Kit

Alright, well, since I’ve turned much into a “mood” reader and writer the last couple of years, I’m making a conscious decision to push that aside in order to pursue my dreams, SO, with that, let’s talk about some of the essential things I’ll want to use during Camp:

  1. Music – I’m under the firm belief that every writer needs music, whether it be pop ballads, sensual R&B, lo-fi, grunge, classical, nature sounds, whatever, I think music really helps to get into the right headspace and focus. So me, personally, I’ll listen to a lot of lo-fi playlists or fantasy music playlists that I can easily tune out to just have as background noise while I write.
  2. My very vague synopsis, character listings, and major plot points documents – I seriously wouldn’t get very far without these because, yes, I forget my own characters’ names. Whoops. I also have these as a way to remind myself of the general direction I want things to go in, but they are by no means an obligation to the story at hand. I’m a writer that likes to have the characters and world lead, even with some guidelines.
  3. Food – Okay, you know this one’s a given. I can’t write if I don’t have the energy or brain power. Food is good, and not junk food! I mean like means and veggies and stuff.
  4. The support of fellow writers, my husband, and friends and family – Now, I’m not usually a person super big on community. I prefer to be alone in many things and in many ways, but this year I’m trying to change it up and involve people in my creative process and my creative endeavors. For example, I had an in depth discussion with my husband when we went out to dinner one night about my story and what I want to write for it, and he’s practically demanding that I write it! He’s seriously excited to read it, and not just because I’m his wife lol
  5. The USB drive to hold all of my work – ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP. NO exceptions. If you’re going to write and work on something important, you better have a backup somewhere in case your computer decides to not turn on again one day. You never know, and then you’ll be out that hard work.
    • An alternative option to this is to write in Google Drive’s documents option where it autosaves your work. You’ll just have to remember your Google password and such if you’re bouncing from computer to computer.
  6. Forest app – This app is very cute and cool because you can grow a tree as much as you want for as long as you’re productive. It’ll yell at you to stop looking at it, but will also give you little bits of motivation. You can set your time for how long you want to be productive and not look at your phone and stuff, which is cool.

That’s it! I’m excited to start Camp next month (next week!), but I’m also excited to just have this passion back for writing again. I seriously missed it.

Let’s Chat!

Are you participating in Camp NaNoWriMo? What’s genre are you writing? Care to share a synopsis or general idea of what your story’s about? Let me know!

Fan Fiction Galore & Why You Should Read Some

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So, as I briefly mentioned in my last post, I’ve been reading – and writing! – a lot of fan fiction lately. Like. A lot, a lot. I’ve kind of slowed down, though, but I still find fan fiction to be a very interesting genre.

What’s fan fiction?

Simply that! It’s a work of fiction based on characters or a setting from a published book that fans write their own story on, either with those characters or in that setting.

It’s all non-canon and really just fun bits of story for the fans to enjoy and divulge theirselves in when the story is over.

What kind of fan fiction is out there?

Well, there are various websites dedicated to fan fiction, such as:

And many more, I’m sure. But what kinds of stories of fan fiction can you find out there?

Pretty much if there’s a fandom for something, there’s bound to be fan fiction for it, such as:

  • Book/manga/comic fandoms: Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments, My Hero Academia, etc.
  • Video games: Final Fantasy, League of Legends, etc.
  • Movies/TV: Arrow, Supernatural, etc.
  • Celebrities/Real People: BTS, EXO, etc.

If you have a favorite of anything you can probably find a fanfic or two written about the characters from that series somewhere, which also means you can most likely find your favorite ships that may not be canon in those other forms of media.

There’s the soft, fluffy kind of writing that gives you all the warm fuzzies and makes you want to snuggle your dog close to you, and then there’s the hard smut that makes you heated and want to take a cool shower. But don’t be fooled: not all writing is well done, just like a book would be. Some stories have no plot, some just have horrible grammar, and others are just a mess and why do they exist?

But when you do find those gems? Oof, be prepared for the rabbit hole you’re about to fall into.

But doesn’t it take away from the original at all?

Not at all! There have been instances that I’ve heard of where the fanfic is better than the original, but that’s not always the case at all. It’s really just a fun and engaging way to keep the hype of the fandom thriving, to reach out to a community of likeminded people, and to just have fun.

The whole reason I got into one of my favorite anime/manga pairings, Bakugo Katsuki x Uraraka Ochako (aka Kacchako) from My Hero Academia, was because of fan fiction. I just happened to be scrolling through the tag on tumblr one day and saw someone post the next chapter to their story there. I’d never read fan fiction before that day, and boy was I sad I hadn’t done since then because WOW was it good! The writing was very atmospheric, very well done, and just had you wanting to read the next chapter and the next chapter without stopping.

That fanfic is “Two Black Dots” by Tharros. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to either get into the pairing or just as a way to see what fan fiction is like.

Through this work, I found many others like it that were written well, had a fun and engaging story, and brought me closer to the community as a whole. That’s how I found a bunch of friends that I’ve made in recent months, and even why I started to write my own fan fiction!

Here’s a few more recommendations of Kacchako fanfics:

I could link some dirty stuff, but I’m not going to. You’ll have to find that on your own lol

Writing fan fiction is…

Fun. It’s so fun! Seriously, I get to take these two characters (or more or less), whom I love, and have them engage with one another in a situation that I’ve cooked up in my head and that’s just so incredibly amazing to me. It’s like I’m writing my own personal stories, but just borrowing the characters and setting/world from someone else.

Of course I would never claim these characters to be my own. Their not, and I don’t want that kind of responsibility for such a huge series right now, haha!

But I’ve found something in writing fan fiction that I hadn’t expected to: happiness.

I had forgotten the joy of writing and how bringing a smile and happiness to other people could really just make me feel fulfilled. That’s why I mostly write fluff pieces that involve cute romances, flustered bad boys, and brave sweet girls. Seriously, it’s great.

Here’s a few of my favorites that I’ve personally written:

  • Show Me More – (ongoing series) In this pop idol AU, Bakugou Katsuki is still hellbent on becoming the number one hero and proving to himself and Japan just what kind of hero he can be. That is, until one day when he saves Uravity, a pop idol sensation that he really likes (but would never admit publicly) from a drunk man at his favorite ramen shop that everything begins to change. But will his goals be so affected from this chance encounter that he loses sight of what he’s craved most in the world since his childhood?

    As for Uraraka Ochako, living lift as an idol was something she had been doing for years now – and she loved it. She was finally able to provide for her family and make so many people happy with her music. But the longer she’s in the spotlight, the more she longs for a quiet life outside of it. She just wants to live a life where she isn’t constantly being hounded by paparazzi or having to please everyone around her. So when she meets a grumpy-faced young man at a ramen shop she snuck off to without anyone knowing, she could have never guessed how much her life would change as result.

  • Puppy Love – Bakugou gets hit by a quirk that can turn the person hit with it into any animal or object the person who hit them with it desires. Well, they turned him into a Pomeranian and he is NOT having it. Plus, someone has to take care of him until the quirk’s effects wear off in about a week, but who’s going to take care of him? Certainly not any of his friends. But then Uraraka offers and he figures it’s better than the alternative. But while in this form he realizes a few things about the brunette that he hadn’t been willing to admit before.
  • I’m Here – A group of villains attacks the facilities in which Melissa Shield works, causing a lot of destruction in the process of their endeavors, including injuring Melissa. One particular streak of green lightning comes in to save them all, but can he? And what can Melissa do to try to help, if at all?

To check out the rest of my works, you can check them out here!

Overall, I can’t believe I never gave fan fiction the chance until several months ago when I just happened upon that one link on tumblr. Since then, I’ve been supporting my friends by reading their works, writing my own, and just having a lot of fun with it.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

If you haven’t checked out any fan fiction before, what’s stopping you? You should really try a few and see how you like it. It’s fun to see what people can come up with outside of what the author originally did in their work. Let me know in the comments about your thoughts on the topic!

NaNoWriMo 2018

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Guess who’s participating in NaNoWriMo again this year? Meeeee~

Hey guys, how’s it going? Long time no see. Hope you’re all doing well!

So what’s NaNoWriMo you ask? National Novel Writing Month is a 30 day writing challenge that takes place from November 1-30 where you are challenging yourself to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s a super fun (and kind of exhausting) challenge, and if you love to write or you have a story idea that you’ve been dying to tell, then this is probably the challenge for you!

Of course you don’t have to write 50,000 words if you’re unable to or if your story doesn’t need to be that long, but the goal is to reach that word count if you can in 30 days.

I’m determined this year to reach that goal (and beyond) because last year I did terribly (only over 500 words, ouch), and they weren’t even good words. BUT THIS YEAR (since I’m writing this on the 3rd of November) I already have over 6k words of content for my story. I’ll admit that most of those words were written over the last couple of months when I had the inspiration to write them, but eh, who cares? They’re still part of my story and they still count toward my end goal, so that’s all that matters.

What’s my story about?

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.

Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.

In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

It’s a fantasy story full of elemental magic, inner and outer demons, discovering yourself, saving those you love, and the power that darkness and fear can hold and just how one simple thing can change it.

I don’t want to share too much about it as I have a lot of ideas and I want to write them all out to see what path comes into fruition and which one doesn’t. I have high hopes for this novel, though, because it deals with a lot of real emotions and themes that I have dealt with myself (depression and anxiety), so I want to take my time but also rush through it to get it all out, you know?

What are some of my goals for the month?

Here’s what I’m aiming for and hoping to make happen:

Word Count Goals

  • By 11:59PM November 3rd: Have 5k words written – COMPLETE
  • By 11:59PM November 10th: Have 15k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 17th: Have 30k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 24th: Have 45k words written
  • By 11:59PM November 30th: Have 50k words written

I’m giving myself full week stretches to reach these goals. I think they’re realistic to my writing style, and they’re in line with the actual NaNoWriMo word count goals.

Other Goals

  • Reach one major plot point by each word count goal above.
  • Flesh out the need and cause of the war more.
  • Determine what is actually going to happen at the end or toward the end, and how will it play out after that.

I think that having these simple goals in mind will help me to successfully write my novel this month.

Anyway, I’m excited about this novel. I’ve already got good response from my husband (who isn’t just hyping me because he’s my husband but because he’s genuinely interested in my story) and some friends and acquaintances from snippets I’ve shown. I finally found a character that can handle the darkness I want to write about, and with elements (literally) that I love.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you participating in NaNo this year? What genre is your story? Do you have any goals that you want to reach this month that doesn’t involve the word count? Let me know in the comments below!

Camp NaNoWriMo 2018

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Hey guys, I’m participating in Camp NaNoWriMo again this year! I have an idea I was trying to work on last year for NaNoWriMo in November, I think, but I’m deciding to revisit it because I never got farther than about 500 words into the first chapter.

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. 

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

What is Camp NaNoWriMo?

Camp NaNoWriMo is a virtual writer’s retreat, designed for maximum flexibility and creativity. We have Camp sessions in both April and July, and we welcome word-count goals between 30 and 1,000,000. In addition, writers can tackle any project they’d like, including new novel drafts, revision, poetry, scripts, and short stories.

With that being said, here are some of the basics of what my story is going to be about this time:

Word Count Goal: 10,000 words

I hope to reach 10,000 words by the end of the month. Of course, I know my story is going to be much more than 10k words, but I am out of practice with writing, so I want to give myself an easier pace and an easier time with really focusing on the story and not rushing just to reach the 50k goal.

This means I only have to write 333-334 words per day every day this month to reach that goal. Considering I can very easily write 1,000 words in a half hour if I’m on a roll and really excited for the chapter I’m writing? Yeah, it’ll be easy. I hope.

Rough Synopsis:

Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.

Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.

In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.

I know this doesn’t give a lot of information, but I’m still working on it haha!

I also have a Pinterest Board that shows the kind of feel and aesthetic I’m going for with this story.

So there you have it! I hope I’m successful this time around because I really want to get back into writing and creating again. I want to work on an outline before the start of the month, so I hope I’ll be able to get that done before the first (not that I’ll be able to work on it because I’ll be busy and gone all day since it’s Easter and have plans already).

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you participating in Camp NaNo this month? Even if you’re not, do you have any writing projects you’re working on? Are you trying to write more character-driven stories, or more plot-driven? Tell me all about what you’re writing!

Beautiful Books 2017 | Introduce the Novel

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Hey peeps and welcome to Beautiful Books, hosted by the lovely Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up & Further In. What is Beautiful Books? It’s very similar to the monthly link up of Beautiful People, but this month it focuses on NaNoWriMo writing projects rather than specific characters in the novels. You obviously don’t have to be participating in NaNo in order to join; it can be any writing project. Click here or the picture to be taken back to the most recent Beautiful Books linkup page!

It’s time to talk about what I’m going to be writing this year and frankly… I needed this post because I’m still working out a few kinks in what I want to write and I’m just a mess. Ha.

Here’s the questions!

  1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
    • I’ve been wanting to write a character with dark powers since I started working on my NaNo novel last year. I had a character who was able to manipulate shadows and use darkness as a power, but it just didn’t fit right with the character and the world (of course I didn’t realize this until later on). And then… well, I wanted a way to cope with my depression, and so I decided to write about a character that uses darkness as a power, but this power controls her and consumes her (much like depression does with me). So… yeah.
  2. Describe what your novel is about!
    • Mahlia is unknown. She blends in with the crowd as much as possible and tries to just go through her day to day life without bothering anyone. But she has a secret that she can’t make known unless she wants to forfeit not only this life that she’s made, but also her freedom. If she keeps this secret any longer, though, it may just consume her – body and soul.
    • Vex is the third prince in line for the throne, and as such he gets away with pretty much whatever he can. As he was forced to choose between priesthood and the military, he decides to join the royal army alongside his second eldest brother. Fire courses through his veins just as it does through his second brother and his mother, but his magic is stronger, different, and one that could ignite a change he hadn’t expected.
    • In a world where elemental magic is abundant, the threat of war is upon the country of Arkin from their neighbors across the sea – Nyrrin, who craves their lands and their very prosperous resources. But these once comrades of Arkin come with weapons unlike that which Arkin has ever seen, and it could change the outcome of the war for the worse for Arkin.
  3. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!
  4. Introduce us to each of your characters!
    • Mahlia is a 19 year old apprentice to a weapons maker. She’s been under his care for the last six years and has been learning the ins and outs of how to make weapons suited for the person based on their power: swords that can hold fire for fire wielders so as to not melt the steel; bows and arrows for wind users that are both lithe and powerful and have secrets within them to carry farther than the average arrow; and so on. She has a good sense of humor and is often complimented on her smile. She loves to make others laugh and forget their worries because she knows what it’s like to be so down in darkness that looking for a light is near impossible. Her power is Darkness, a path from Spirit that is very dangerous and unknown to many. She wears gloves often because her hands are tainted with the black mark that signifies a Darkness user. As such, she rarely uses her power because it feels like a living thing, something that will consume her from the inside out – the marks on her hands prove that. She often has depressive episodes as a result, but she doesn’t often speak her mind when she’s in those moods because she doesn’t want to burden others.
    • Vex is a 23 year old prince, the youngest in the line of succession, and is a high spirited young man. He has three elder siblings: two brothers and a sister, and cares for each of them deeply. Family is very important to him and he couldn’t imagine his life without any of them, especially his second eldest brother, Maks, whom is also like a best friend to him. Vex is a Fire user like his brother and mother, and though their flames are strong, his seems to be stronger and he sometimes likes to show it off. He is part of the Royal Army, second to his brother, but he didn’t just earn the spot because of who he is, but he fought and earned his right to be there. He works alongside men and women who have varying powers and he views them as family. He has an easy going smile and attitude, but can be very serious when the situation calls for it.
    • Maks is the second eldest sibling of the four royal siblings at 28 years old. He has a good head on his shoulders and uses logic over emotions in almost all situations. He loves his family dearly and views his little brother as a comrade in arms as well as a friend. He is strong physically and in power, his flames very potent when used. He has a wife, Kema, who is 26 years old, and a two year old daughter named Camile.
    • Tilla is the only daughter of the four siblings and is 25 years old. She is very gracious and loving, but she’s also a fighter. She trained with her brothers with weapons from a young age with both of her parents’ blessings. But she much prefers being in dresses and being a woman of the court than being a soldier. She enjoys shopping and gossip, but she is also an artist and loves to paint and create. She is a Water user and her magic is fairly strong.
    • Berol is the eldest son of Arkin at 30 years old and is a Wood user. He is strong physically and in power and he has a good head on his shoulders. As he is the first heir to the throne, he has been trained in politics, military tactics, and general ruling of the country. He is married to his childhood friend, Sera, and they have three children ages 6, 4, and 1, two daughters and a son.
    • Geron is the king of Arkin and is a Water user who is incredibly strong in power and physically. He is a kind and generous king who truly cares for his people and family. His wife is Queen Sephie who is a Fire user, very powerful, and incredibly warm hearted. She is very family oriented and cares much for the people.
    • Serath is the master weapons maker that Mahlia has been training under and his bark is worse than his bite. He looks like a very bedraggled man in his late fifties, but there are hints of love and tenderness under his skin, especially when it comes to children and those close to him, like Mahlia. In public, though, he is all business and rarely smiles. He is a Metal user (surprise surprise).
    • Jaqar is the king of Nyrrin and a very strict ruler. He believes that power and money are the two things he needs most in life and because of this his view of the world has become warped in ways that have slowly been hurting his people more than helping them. He is an Ice user and is fairly strong in his power, but not strong enough.
    • Lucmer is the eldest son of Nyrrin at 27 years old and is much like his father, but crueler. He was trained under the sword from a very early age, and his power as an Ice user is one that would impress even the tribes living in the northern mountains. He is one that uses strategy and logic in many situations, but he also relies a lot on his power and brute force to get what he wants. He’s short tempered and one not to be crossed.
  5. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)
    • Cry a little. I’ve been trying to outline to make sure I have a loose plot that I want to follow. Once I figure out the main point of the story the rest should hopefully fall into place. Other than that, I get inspiration from other writers when they talk about their own work, and I read in the genre I want to write in to really get a grasp on how other writers write their stories and how I want mine to be, too.
  6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?
    • Just seeing where it goes. I want the story to be about how Mahlia will conquer the darkness eventually, but it’s going to take a lot of trials and heartache to get there, and I don’t know if I’m ready for it. (Also the romance because I’m a super romantic at heart.)
  7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.
    • Two countries are going to be at war with one another: Arkin, a prosperous country with lush fields, forests, and distant mountains with many homes and villages nestled together, where people come to start over; Nyrrin, a strong country with a thirst for gold and greed and power, with tall, stark buildings, crowded streets, and advancing weaponry.
    • Magic is abundant in both lands and across the world, and it’s elemental magic. As such, there are varying “branches” to the elemental magic, such as “Ice” is a branch under “Water.”
    • Many secrets to unlock (for me, too, let’s be real).
  8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?
    • Mahlia’s ultimate goal is to conquer her own power from consuming her. She is what stands in her own way.
    • Vex’s ultimate goal is to make sure his country remains safe. Jaqar and Lucmer stand in his way.
  9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
    • Mahlia will most likely conquer her demons and feel like she can finally breathe again. But will she still have her freedom? That is the question.
    • Vex will go through a lot in the course of the story, and he might change a bit from what he was at the beginning, but one thing is certain: he won’t take life for granted anymore.
  10. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?
    • One theme is going to cover depression, and I’m going to do my best to make it #ownvoices because I’ve had depression for over 10 years now and I want to show what my depression is like through Mahlia. The Darkness is a symbol of that, but she’ll also have it.
    • Sacrifice is going to be another theme and one that I hope readers will understand that tough choices happen in life, especially in unforeseen circumstances.
    • Redemption is also going to be poignant because I want Mahlia to be able to overcome the Darkness and how strong of a hold it has on her.
    • Love is another theme, but not just romantic love. I want to also feature familial love because I just don’t see enough of it in books.
    • When the story is over I hope my readers feel a sense of connection with more than one character and that they, too, will find themselves in one of them.

That’s it for this month’s Beautiful Books! I’m very excited and nervous to start NaNoWriMo, but I honestly hope that it goes well and that this story is what I’ve been needing to write this whole time.

Let’s Chat! ^w^

Are you going to be participating in NaNoWriMo this year? How many characters do you have? What are three points about your setting? How do you want readers to think about your story at the end?