Gabriella Slade's Blog: The JOY of Writing, page 2

WIP Introduction: Mark Of Genesis

I’m so so sooo excited about today’s blog post. Today, I’m doing an introduction to my WIP: Mark Of Genesis!!!!!

If you follow me on Instagram (@authorgabriellaslade) then you’ve probably heard me talk about my novel more than once. I love this story even though it’s certainly not an easy book to write and I feel like I’m always replotting and re-outlining the story. XD

I actually got mentions from a couple of my followers who are highly anticipating my book’s release that they were admittingly a little bit lost as to the general plot of the story. So, I knew this post would be a fun way to explain my story to you guys.

Anyhoo, I’ve wanted to write this WIP intro for a long time now so I’m really happy to be getting it done. I’m going to share aesthetics, a pitch, songs from the playlist, and a small intro to each of the main characters.

Let’s dive right in!

WHAT IS MARK OF GENESIS ABOUT?

MARK OF GENESIS follows teen felon Kade as he goes undercover as a royal intern while he works to identify and destroy the darkness possessing the palace and the royal family when the moon rises. 

MOG includes…

Angels and demons
A spiritual warfare theme
Forbidden romance
Politics involving clashing magical societies
And more!

 

Aesthetics

I always have so much making aesthetics for Mark Of Genesis. Honestly, I think it’s a bit of a procrastination tool when I’m avoiding writing but want to somehow convince myself I’m being productive.

So, here are the aesthetics I’ve chosen to share. One of them (#2!) was actually created by @evergreen.writing by Instagram and it’s actually one of my favorites!

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Meet the MCs

[image error]Kade Landau: Kade is my snarky, outspoken, rebel of a son. He’s been my MC throughout three total WIPs. I’ve wanted to write his story for SO LONG but I really struggled to determine where his story was and where he belonged. Kade is a troubled guy with a hard, dark past but he has to learn to overcome it all throughout this series. He also has some magical abilities and an unknown heritage he also learns to uncover and grow from. He’s honestly so complicated it’s hard to sum him up in this short paragraph.

 

[image error]Sarena Obed: Sarena is the daughter of a high political figure in Caspia’s capital. She’s an independent, goal-oriented soul, with a struggle to know what she believes both about her self and the world around her. She dealt with a major loss during her childhood and it’s shaped her to be the type of person she is: a cold, proud exterior with a ray of sunshine personality. I love writing her POV and she’s also a part of a large family like myself which is super relatable.

 

Playlist

I’m not going to share my ENTIRE MOG Playlist here, but if you want to listen to it on Spotify, the link is just below.

Instead, I’m choosing my ten favorite songs from the playlist that I think best represent MOG.

The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy
Once Upon A Dream – From “Maleficent” by Lana Del Ray
Monster by Skillet
The Upside by Lindsey Stirling
On Giant’s Shoulders by Future Of Forestry
Dark Horse by Sleeping At Last
Run Boy Run by Woodkid
Born Amidst Magic by Efraim Alencar
Bottom of The Deep Blue Sea by MISSIO
Nocturnal Creatures by Bastille

VIEW FULL PLAYLIST HERE

FAQ

I’m going to end this post by answering a few common questions I get about my WIP on my social platforms.

Q: What inspired you to write MOG?

A: Honestly, I feel like I can’t even pinpoint exactly what it is at this point. The core idea was from so long ago and as I’ve written it, I’ve simply changed what I don’t think suits the story until at this point the original idea isn’t even recognizable. I do think I get a lot of my ideas from the media I consume whether it’s books, movies/TV shows, or even music. I’m creating the story I just want to read.

Q: How is it going?

A: Let’s just say it’s not an easy book to write. I feel like for a while I had this stipulation that if I loved the story enough, it would just be written super quickly but that is most certainly not the case. I get busy, distracted, unmotivated, uninspired, or I just have doubts which are honestly a big hurdle I’m struggling to overcome. It’s coming slowly but surely. As of when I’m writing this post, it is 91K words, but I know a lot of that is going to be cut and rewritten during edits and revisions.

Q: Is MOG part of a series?

A: Yes. MOG is the first in hopefully a seven-book series with a sequel series or at least other stories set in the same storyworld.

Q: What stories would you compare it to?

A: I would compare MOG to Six Of Crows, The Kinsman Chronicles, The Shadowhunter Chronicles, Stranger Things, & Children Of Blood & Bone. It’s got a dark, urban fantasy vibe with maybe a little bit of paranormal thrown in with an overarching Christian theme.

Q: When can I read it?

A: Ideally, in the summer of 2020 but right now I can’t make any promises. I’m working really hard on this right now you guys. There’s a lot to go but I am starting to feel more confident about achieving my personal deadlines.

 

Let’s Chat!

Are you excited about Mark Of Genesis? Do you have any plans to read it when it comes out? I’m so excited knowing there are readers who anticipate reading it soon. If you have further questions about my story, leave them in the comments or even DM me on Instagram and I will get to you!

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19 Things I Learned In 2019

2019 was a very interesting and different year for me. It was a year where I had to learn to step out of my comfort zone and embrace some big changes in my life.

Writing my book was not as big a priority in my life, I feel, as it was in the past. This was mainly because I had some things going on in my personal life including deaths in the family, quitting dance and getting a job, and allowing God to lead me on the upcoming path to adulthood.

With that being said, I still learned a lot this past year, and I thought I would share some of that with you today.

This post was originally titled ’16 Things I Learned At 16′ but I altered it to ’19 Things I Learned in 2019′ because I took an extended hiatus from blogging at the time of my birthday but I still want to share these things because I spent a lot of time putting this list together and I’m very proud of the end result.

Without further ado, here are the 19 Things I Learned In 2019

God’s Got Something Better Planned: I’ve always had a problem with being in control and that’s something God’s been telling me this past year. He’s reminded me that He knows what He’s doing and I just need to let go and let Him be in control. What he has planned is always better anyways.
Black coffee doesn’t taste all that bad
Giving your heart away immaturely will really hurt later
Taking care of your mental health is so important: The internet is helping make mental health more exposed and even though I don’t have any sort of diagnosed anxiety or similar mental illnesses, I learned mental health still needs to be prioritized especially if I don’t want to experience burnout.
My most productive weeks happen when I plan my weeks in-depth
I’m really passionate about missions: There are a whole story and testimony associated with this one that I actually would really like to write a post about soon. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested in it too!
One of my favorite books happens to be a physiological thriller: Any guesses as to what it is?
What people say about you only matters if you allow it to
Constructive criticism is so important for growth
I love change, but I’m scared of leaving the familiar: I stop dancing this year after ten years and that was a MAJOR change for me that honestly, I’m still adjusting to. However, having the extra time to write and even get a job has been very valuable long term.
Don’t rush publishing your debut novel: Earlier in the year, I removed my original debut novel from Amazon with the intention of putting it back up in a month or so after some necessary edits. However, that story has since then been scrapped for a new, improved novel that I would like to publish in the summer of 2020. I’m trying to ensure this time around that I create a good book that is actually ready to be published instead of rushing into it.
Pilates is my favorite way to work out (and I feel so much better when I actually do it!)

Some people are really only here for a season


I really don’t fit into society standards and I don’t understand modern trends


Creativity doesn’t happen in the clutter: I’m going on a journey of minimalism right now because whenever my spaces are a mess, nothing gets done. I’ve already gotten rid of SO much and I feel 100% better. I’m hoping to talk more about this in future blog posts.


Stepping out of your comfort zone really helps you grow in the long run

I’m a night writer (sometimes)

Having a boy you want to impress is not the way to gain confidence: This girl has had a problem with wanting a boy in her life for years. I wasn’t someone who just wanted anyone. I wanted the attention of a boy I was really close to and that actually pushed him away. Since then, I’ve learned more about loving myself and focusing on God. Having a boy is no longer a priority in my life (thankfully!)


The best time to spend time with Jesus is in the morning by myself with a cup of coffee and cuddled in a warm blanket

Let’s Chat!

What are some things you’ve learned either about yourself or otherwise in 2019? How are you going to use these lessons to help you now that we’re in 2020? Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments!

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Project NaNoWriMo Week 2: Character Building

So you’ve committed to being on the journey. You’ve got an idea for a story and now you want to join thousands of other writers on a month of exploring your story. Congratulations!

Now, you’re probably asking, what’s next?

Welcome to Week 2 of The NaNoWriMo Project!

Writing Updates: 

I originally started simply outlining a bunch of scenes for my book after drafting about 40K words of it over the end of summer/beginning of Fall. However, in typical Gabriella Slade Fasion, I began to realize there were things I felt like needed to be changed or clarified to write a stronger story. So, I’ve resorted to writing a full out Save The Cat Beat Sheet (insert link here) and planning out all the scenes based on those beats, plus brainstorming for things like character, magic, world, etc. based on what’s nessecary for the world. But it’s been a delight to work on every evening.

Main Topic

For the next three weeks, we’re going to explore our story in three parts: Character, world, and plot. We’re starting with characters because characters are the foundation of any good story and I write character-driven novels.

Developing a character–much less an entire cast of them is really daunting when you first look at it. I mean, essentially you’re constructing a HUMAN (or elf if your like me XD) from scratch. You have to somehow give them a personality, backstory, family and friends, job, beliefs, quirks, and habits and memorable pieces of dialogue…

Woah. First of all, SLOW DOWN. I know it’s a lot. But there’s one big thing I want you to take into consideration. This is my rule 1 of thumb for writing any characters:

When writing characters, ONLY focus on what matters to the STORY you’re telling, not the unnecessary details like childhood hobbies (unless of course, your hero’s obsession with Legos at age seven is an important detail to your story.)

I love Abbie Emmons’ (insert link) trademarked quote on story:

Story is not about what happens. It’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters.

So, for this NaNo Project, I want you to start by learning three things about your characters (I recommend starting with your Main Character, Love Intrest, and Antagonist):

A Goal
A Motivation
A Fear

This will start to shape not only your characters’ personality but also the plot of your story, which we’ll be covering in two weeks. I’ll share my example for Mark Of Genesis* 2:

Goal: Kade wants to learn to use his Soul Magic so he can find his kidnapped sister after living on the run as a thief.
Motivation: Kade lost his sister to a mysterious kidnapping when he was fourteen and was abandoned by his parents not long afterward and has lived the following two years with this intense guilt for the loss of his family and responsibility for his sister’s kidnapping.
Fear: His fear of being responsible for the pain and loss of people close to his face.

These three things tell me a lot about Kade that’ll allow me to continue with developing his character in the direction of his story. Some examples include:

Kade has some form of Soul Magic but he’s never been trained in it before
Kade’s lived on the run (Why?–These are the types of questions that help create a good story…ask the why questions)
Kade clearly has a heart for his family
Kade’s got clear goals and he’s determined to achieve them
Kade must not get close to people if he’s afraid of people he gets close to will get hurt

I got all of that just from these three prompts. It’s a great diving board to continue developing Kade’s characters in ways that will all lead back to the plot of the story.

Next, divide your character building into two sections: Internal and External

Internal Character Building includes developing:

Fears
Misbeliefs
Perspective/beliefs
Flaws

External Character Building includes developing:

Quirks
Hobbies
Dreams
Desires

But when going through and developing all these various aspects of character building, always draw it back to the story. I recommend only giving characters hobbies, dreams, fears that will directly or indirectly tie into the main story, and your character’s goal. The characters are going to be what drives the story but you don’t want to get out of hand and forget what you’re actually supposed to be writing.

Related Resources: 

Abbie Emmons
Well-Storied
Barely Hare Books

Assignment:

Decide on a Goal, Motivation, and Fear, for your MC, Villain, Love Interest, and any other important characters. (Tip: I recommend focusing mainly on your POVs for these Qs and not any other characters that really don’t matter to the direct plot of the story)
Write down a list of what you’ve learned about your characters based on their Goal, Motivation, and Fear.
Work on Internal and External character building based on the lists above.

 

 

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The NaNoWriMo Project: Introduction

NaNoWriMo–National Novel Writing Month–is one of the most famed months of the year. At least, if you’re a writer. It’s a time when the writing community comes together and works towards writing 50,000 words in 30 days.

I started doing NaNo when I was 12 using the Kid’s edition of the site. I wrote 30,000 words in 30 days and I was very proud of those words. Over time, I’ve transitioned to the ‘normal’ NaNo site and every year since, have worked on writing 50K in 30 days.

I’ve won some years. And, I’ve lost some years. But I’ve learned so much and NaNo has taught me about not just writing, but about myself as a writer. This year, I want to document what I’ve learned and what methods work of me and share that with you.

Now, I know there is no one true method. No, one size fits all. That’s why I’m calling it ‘my process’: because it works for me, and I hope it might work for you too. Honestly too, my writing process is constantly changing and it’s completely possible my process won’t even be the same in five years. Who knows.

So, this is my formal introduction to The NaNoWriMo Project.

Every Thursday for the next seven weeks, plus this one, I’ll be posting an entry to this NaNo project. Here’s the scheduled lineup:

Week One: Introduction
Week Two: Character Building
Week Three: Worldbuilding
Week Four: Plotting/Outlining
Week Five: NaNo Survival Kit
Week Six: How to Plan Writing Sessions 
Week Seven: NaNo Resources I Love
Week Eight: About My NaNo Project

I’m so so excited about this series. Honestly, it kind of just came to me one day and I let the ideas brew in my head over the span of a couple of days before I started drafting this blog post.

I’ve wanted to share more NaNo related topics for a while and this summer, I saw a lot of different blog or video series various entrepreneurs like myself created and hosted and I really wanted to do something like that for myself.

So, how is this going to work?

Every Thursday at 9 AM, I’ll post a new blog post that’s divided into 4 parts:

Writing Updates: Where you should be wordcount wise to be on track to win NaNo, and where I am currently
Main Topic: The main post based on the topic above
Related Resources: Other blog posts, videos, or podcasts I think are helpful as a bonus to go alongside my own main topic.
Assignment: What steps you need to take based on the above topic.

[image error]Throughout this project, I’ll also be using myself as an example, and I’ll be sharing more about my own WIP, Mark Of Genesis. My goal is to add 50K to this book. It’s not a full manuscript, but it’ll allow me to work on it consistently for the next month.

I love when other authors use their own story as an example because authors know their own processes best and I also think it’s a fantastic way to share more about Mark Of Genesis since I know a lot of you are interested in hearing more about it

I’m Back From Blogging Hiatus!! (What To Expect From My Blog+an Intro to ME!)

Hello everyone!! It’s been a while! I’m finally back from my blogging hiatus!!

Before we continue on with this post, I want to do a bit of introduction to myself and who I am since it’s been a while.

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Gabriella Slade is a book fairy, YA author, and big dreamer.  Her first love is for her Father Jesus Christ and is dedicated to spreading that love through her writing and she’s been telling stories since she was six years old. Now writing novels for teens about magic, redemption, and spiritual awakenings, Gabriella aspires to pen new favorites for teens and young adults alike. She’s a Michigan raised homeschooled student, dancer, and avid reader in a home she shares with her six siblings, two parents, and three dogs. If you want to connect with her online, check out her website at gabriellaslade.com where she blogs lifestyle and writing-related posts, and on IG under @authorgabriellaslade

 

If you’re a new follower, I took a well-needed hiatus from my blog in May up to now for a number of reasons. (If you’re interested in knowing more, you can check out this blog post) I never really announced a formal announcement when I planned to come back to blogging because I didn’t want to put pressure on myself if I wasn’t ready to post again.

I’ll be honest: part of me considered letting go of blogging altogether. I kept asking myself “Do I love blogging enough to keep investing time into it?” And I do. I really do. I just hadn’t found the subjects I truly LOVED writing about. I mean REALLY love. If I’m going to invest time and energy into these posts and articles I write, I need to ensure the topics I’m writing I’m PASSIONATE about. I need to ensure the things I’m writing are things I have experience in and feel like I have a thing to say.

I have a voice, and I want this blog to be my platform for my voice.

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So, you’re probably asking “What’s next?”

Good question. Let me explain what my plans and ideas are for the future of my blog.

I went back and narrowed exactly which categories I want to pursue writing. I deleted the rest from my site altogether (hence why most of my older posts now say ‘Uncategorized’

Author Interview: Angela Watts

Hello everyone!!

I’m popping out of my hiatus hole for something really exciting: The Divided Nation Blog Tour! Plus, there’s a GIVEAWAY!! Stay tuned.

Things Are Changing: I’m Taking A Hiatus

Hey guys,

I know it’s been a while since my last blog post. I really fell off the blogging bandwagon recently. These past few months have been very off for me. For a while, I just stopped writing blog posts mainly so I could focus my attention on my YA Fantasy, Mark Of Genesis. However, I still do love my blog and I want to continue getting content out to you guys. BUT, I do think I’m at a point where I believe I need to set a boundary and take a break from my normal blogging schedule.

My season of life is about to take a major shift: It looks like my season as a dancer may be coming to a close. I’d rather not get into why, as these reasons are very personal and I don’t feel like I need to share.

This is going to be a difficult change to adjust to–I’ve been dancing consistently since I was seven and I’m about to be seventeen next month–that’s 10 years of consistency that’ll be gone. I’m not sure what God has in store for me, and while it will be a hard transition, I think it’s for the best. Besides, I really want to shift my priorities to my creative entrepreneur since that’s what I want to do full time.

I’m going to spend some time readjusting to a new schedule. This means I don’t want to pressure myself to force myself to blog until things are a bit more steady for me.

The other reason for this hiatus is because of my book. I really want to just dedicate my time to finish it, and it’ll be easier to do it if I don’t have to stop to write a post in order to get it up on time.

Now I know what you’re probably asking: When are you coming back?

To be honest, I don’t know. At this moment, my guess would be around the end of summer, but it could be sooner or later than that. I haven’t figured that all out yet. Honestly, I don’t feel pressured to make a decision that could very well change later on. I’ll come back when God calls me to.

But, as I said, I do plan on posting a few book reviews this summer, even while on hiatus!

Some Book Reviews to Look Forward to:

50 Days by Brittney Kristina
Fire and Ice: The Kindred Woods by Erin Forbes
Every Bright And Broken Thing by Brian McBride
(Pending) 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

I appreciate you guys SO much, and I hope you know that. I fully intend on coming back when things settle a bit.

I love you all.

Gabriella

 

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I Asked My Favorite Authors For Marketing Advice

Happy Monday, Soul Questers!

I’m really excited, because a while back, I asked some of my favorite authors (mostly indie ones) what their #1 tip for marketing was, and these are the responses!

We’re going to keep this intro nice and short and just jump on in:

Sara Baysinger (Author of The Black Tiger Trilogy):

My number one tip for marketing your novel is to CONNECT. Make virtual friends over social media (or real friends in your home town), find common interests, and support them in their interests. I mean, you don’t have to try and maintain 500 friendships over social media, but find those kindred spirits who you really resonate with and grow them. They will be your forever readers, and you can always count on them to help spread the word, not only because they love your book, but because they value your friendship.

Why I’m Republishing My Debut Novel

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!

I know…the title of this post may have shocked some of you, but please let me explain.

Recently, I was thinking about my book, and how its one-year anniversary will be coming in July. Honestly, in one year, my book hasn’t done as well as I would have liked it too. It’s gotten bad reviews. I’ve yet to read a five-star review from one of my readers. I’ve known since publication that there are things I wished I’d changed. I know there are still obvious grammar errors in the novel.

My pride in my book has fallen a bit these past few months. I still love the story, but for being the start of a series, it’s not the best I could have done.

That is why, I decided to do another brand new round of edits on my book, and republish it in the summer or fall of 2019. At first, I thought I would just do this quietly and not say anything about it. However, I want to be honest with you guys, and my plan has shifted from just fixing the grammar and altering some of the dialogue to actually inputting a lot of time fixing probably one of my biggest flaws within this book…

Worldbuilding.

My book is set in a different world. That being said, I think I did a rather poor job taking the needed time to create a fantasy world different enough from our own. There are character and plot issues as well that I plan on adjusting, but all in all, I think I really need to take the necessary time to learn more about the elven kingdoms and weaving what I learn into my writing.

I don’t show Kade struggling to adjust to a completely new culture as I should have. His only issue is with bullying. But wouldn’t readers relate/care more if they saw him not showing proper elven manners, making an offensive gesture on accident, eating foreign food, etc?

For the past week or two, I’ve spent a lot of time world building for the elven kingdoms. It was sad, realizing how much I’d never known about my elves. Really, their culture was way too similar to our own.

But taking this time to research and reread my book has really helped me fall back in love with the story and the characters. Already, I’m anticipating starting these edits.

Show Me also lacks a good amount of foreshadowing, especially for being the first in a series.

There are some other plot and character things I’m also altering, but they are on a bit of a smaller scale compared to the worldbuilding issue.

I haven’t decided when to remove my book from Amazon. Honestly, there’s no planned timeline as of now. My preference would be to have it back up by its one-year anniversary (July 20th) but I don’t know if that will realistically happen.

Honestly, one of the issues with Show Me’s publication is that I don’t talk about my book enough. I’ve noticed that some of the books I’m most interested in are the ones the authors talk about. The ones the authors are completely and utterly in love with and can’t help but talk about it. An example of this would be Fifty Days by Brittney Kristina (who was actually one of my inspirations for this decision) and Casually Homicidal by Olivia J. Bennett. These ladies talk about their love for this book so much, it makes me curious to read it.

My fear of talking my own book was that if I talked about my book a lot, then readers would probably say I was being too self-promotional. But here’s the thing–if someone follows me, it’s probably because they’re interested in me or my books. Without my book, I wouldn’t even be an author. So, I will really start talking more about my book and not be afraid to promote it. If anyone really has a problem with this can unfollow my account. How will I ever sell my book if I’m scared to talk about it?

I do plan on getting more author blurbs and putting together a new street team so if you’re interested, please comment below or email me at authorgabriellaslade@gmail.com.

That concludes my announcement. I’m honestly so excited to get to ‘start again’ in a sense and open up opportunities for me to change some of Show Me’s flaws. I do think that is one of the biggest pro’s of self-publishing my own book.

If you want to support me and my book, please take the time to comment and share this post! Please tell me if you’re excited about the relaunch and if you’re interested in assisting with it!

 

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Author Interview: AnnMarie Pavese

Happy Saturday, Soul Questers!
Today, I’m coming back to you with another author interview! Today, I’m chatting with AnnMarie Pavese who is the author of So Sang The Dawn, which I read and loved in January. After finishing her book, I went and asked AnnMarie if she would come and talk with me on my blog. So, enjoy!

What, in your opinion, has been your biggest accomplishment so far as an author?

This is a really good question to start with because I’ve actually been in the process of reevaluating success and accomplishment in my writing career. I don’t have a major following or a ton of recognition, but I have an amazing circle of writer friends and readers who are crazy about So Sang The Dawn and will eagerly eat up anything I put out. I think that, right there, is accomplishment for me.


What’s the inspiration behind your novel, So Sang The Dawn?

A lot of things inspired So Sang The Dawn, the main one being my own battle with darkness. I’ve gone through a lot of hard things in my life, things that made me feel like I’d suddenly woke up as a captive in a foreign land, lost and alone, and I felt compelled to write a story about it.

As far as the physical world goes, I was largely inspired by where I live, in the mountains of northern Arizona, and by my affinity for the woods and snow. I’ve also had a lot of fun pulling on all different kinds of cultural elements from around the world and integrating them and letting them mesh together to make something new and intriguing that’s never been done before.

Why did you decide to write books?

I loved reading as a little girl, and I loved the sense of being able to escape to another place. I wanted to be able to give that same level of magic and entertainment to the people around me, while also being able to give my readers a message of hope and a promise that there’s always light, even in the darkest places.


Which character in SSTD was easiest for you to write?

Aurora, my main character, came very easy to me. She’s basically me, just thrown into a fantasy world. Her dialogue flows easy to me, and so does her natural thought process and her reactions to things. Her best friend, Raine, also flows well for me. I always say that Aurora and Raine are a split of my personality — Aurora is steadfast, enduring, and protective, with a weakness for fear on the side, and Raine is the gentle side of me, the peacekeeper, the encourager, the one who always knows how to find the hope and light in every situation.


What are some of your hobbies outside of writing?

I’m a huge gamer girl and being lost in a game world where the settings are so realistic and the storylines are really rich is like reading a book for me — very inspirational. I also love being outside, walking through the woods, studying the wild animals around where I live, and I love growing plants and flowers. That’s where Aurora gets her love of gardening from.