Announcing My Spiraling Into Writerly Madness: NaNo 2017 and Volume 3

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Well, that will probably go down as one of my most creative post titles yet! Anyway, I have officially declared a project for NaNoWriMo (whatiswrongwithme), and if you’re also participating and wish to comiserate  help cheer each other on, you can find me on NaNo’s website as The Invisible Moth. (Fancy that…)

Although I have not yet finished Volume 2, I am going to begin work on Volume 3 as my NaNo project this year. I figure this is a good way to keep the flow going, since I do hope to complete at least drafts for the rest of the series in the very near future. And I needed to do another blog post, to let you all know I’m still alive (more or less, in the midst of drowning in revisions), so I’ll be following the prompts provided by Paper Fury’s “Beautiful Books”…

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

Well, I’ve had the idea for quite a while for this series; mostly I was inspired by indulging too much in Warriors, Warehouse 13, Supernatural, Harry Potter, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.

2. Describe what your novel is about.

This one will pick up soon after the events of Volume 2 (you’ll just have to wait to find out what those are, mwhahaha), and build more on the character interactions and growth of Flynn, Sophie, Alex, Gwen, their families, and the new characters I introduce in Volume 2. And there will still be mythical creatures, faeries, magic, and of course the talking cat sith!

3. What is your book’s aesthetic?

Toby, naturally. And these clouds/this rainbow were considerations for the cover, way back when (about 8 months ago). (Although that will probably completely change by the time I actually get this document to the pre-printing stage. Sorry, Kyle!)

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4. Introduce us to each of your characters.

Well, since many of you have already met Sophie and Flynn, Alex and Gwen and their families, I think I’ll bring up some of the new folks that you’ll soon meet in Volume 2. There’s Avery McKinnon, who has a past connection to the Annex, and her husband, Crispin, who is the Crown Prince of the Seelie Court. (Go ahead, start drooling now…)

5. How do you prepare to write?

I think way too much about my themes, try to imagine my characters in certain scenes, their reactions, their motivations, and usually glare at the blank page or screen for approximately 2.3 hours.

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

That in Volume 3 there’s going to be a MAJOR secret revealed, and I’m excited to write it.

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

Ohio. London. The faery realm. (Yes, that’s it, keep drooling, I won’t judge you.)

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

Well, if we’re talking about Sophie and Flynn, it’s trying to uncover secrets that they feel are preventing them from being able to help their friends. Their parents and other relatives are actually standing in their way, though it’s not intentionally to stop them from helping; it’s more a case of the adults wanting to protect their kids.

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

In terms of Emma (yes, I couldn’t forget about her!), it’s to learn more about her background, her family, and her own magical abilities. This is an ongoing journey for her, and my hope is for her to feel much more confident by the conclusion of Volume 3.

10. What are your book’s themes? What do you want readers to feel?

My themes mostly focus on sacrifice and redemption, on what’s worth fighting for and knowing when to pick your battles. When readers survive the trauma — ahem, finish, I want them to better understand some of the things I’ve only hinted at or kept under wraps, and the motivations of the characters involved. Also I want them to be sobbing uncontrolledly, and demanding that someone get them cheesecake. Or, at least saying they really enjoyed the book.

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