Today I am participating in this "Beautiful Books" link-up for writers - you can read more about this link-up and its creators by clicking on that button above. (I'm a tad bit late to the party, as this was supposed to be a post for October... but I'm hoping nobody minds too much)!I'm not really taking part in Nanowrimo this year, because... life. And really, why set impossible goals for myself? That's a good way to send myself into a spiraling tizzy of depression. However, I do want to sort of participate in Nano, at least a little bit... and I have a book that needs to be written, which makes this the first time November has hit and I haven't already been in the middle of a project.So, what am I working on this Nano? I'm going to be starting the sequel to The Orb and the Airship. I'm setting myself the completely reasonable goal of writing just 500 words per weekday (thanks for the idea, Anne Elisabeth!) If all goes well, that means I should have approximately 10,000 words written on this book by the end of November. I think that's definitely doable. I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing!(Yes, I did just have a baby. Yes, I am a bit insane. No, I cannot help myself... if I don't have something to write I start to go a little more crazy than usual)So... the link-up.1. What came first: characters or plot idea? Are you a plotter or a pantser?For this story, the world came first. And really, I can't take a lot of credit for the idea of this story, as it was one my husband started tossing around way back at the beginning. He spent many years trying to convince me to take and write the story (I resisted at first, because I was afraid that he wouldn't like what I did with the story, especially if I changed things that he had come up with. However, eventually he convinced me that he had no real designs on the story, he just enjoyed creating the world... and he was willing to relinquish plot and character development to me).I am a blend of both plotter and pantser. I like to have a general idea of where the story is going. I like to know a lot of the main characters in advance, and I usually create some sort of outline for the story.However, once the writing starts, the outline may or may not fly out the window. New characters introduce themselves to me in the midst of the story, sometimes they remain secondary, sometimes they become the most interesting characters in the story. 2. Do you have a title and/or a back cover blurb?Not for this story. I've played around a little with the idea of titling this one something like "The Traitor and the Tower" or "The Tower and the Tree" - but I am not sure if either of those will even work. I might have to save that for book 3.As far as back cover blurb... ugh. So far all I have is that there will be a race between the good guys and the bad guys to acquire the lost magical items, and everyone is preparing for war.That sounds so lame. But I can't do even a half-hearted attempt at a back-cover blub until the story is completely written. It's a rule. 3. What word count are you aiming for when your novel is finished?The Orb and the Airship was around 125,000-words. I'm aiming for somewhere near that ballpark - at least to begin with. My word counts always change by a few thousand during the editing phase. 4. Sum up your novel in three sentences.Although Dalmir has spent the past 6 years advising the West on what to do in the impending war, there is more that must be done. Of the seven orbs of power, three have been lost. Now Dalmir must race against his enemy to acquire the missing orbs before the balance of power is tipped in Uun's favor.(Or something like that) 5. Sum up your characters in one word each:Dalmir - mysteriousGrayden - leaderWynn - engineerBeren - strongMarik - pirateRaisa - thiefOleck - growlyShaesta - suspectUun - villainEricole Niveya - crimelordThere are probably more characters, but I don't know them yet. 6. Which character are you most excited to write? Tell us about them!Oh, it is hard. I love all of these characters. However, I'm probably most excited to write more about Marik. He started out as a fairly minor character - or at least he was supposed to be - but he ended up sharing quite a lot of page-time with Grayden (who was supposed to be the main character) in book 1. I'm not entirely sure what his role will be in book 2, but he's definitely going to be a major player.Who is Marik? Well, he's a rogue, a scoundrel, a pirate. He is from the East, and was once a part of the Warlord's military, but something in his past made him leave the military and take up piracy instead. He is now a mercenary, taking jobs for pay, but he also has a personal vendetta against the Warlord himself and will not hesitate to strike against him so long as it does not endanger his small crew. 7. What about your villain? Who is he, what is his goal?I have a couple of villains. The Warlord - his goal is to expand his empire and defeat the Western world. Niveya - his goal is to accumulate power and wealth and continue to be one of the most feared men on the planet. And then there's Uun - who basically wants to rule the world and make all its inhabitants bow before him. His first goal, however, is to somehow get Dalmir out of the picture so he can rise up uncontested to the place that he believes is his right. 8. What is your protagonist's goal? And what stands in his way?Dalmir's goal is to retrieve the lost orbs before Uun does. What stands in his way? Impending war. The fact that they are "lost" orbs and nobody knows where they are. 9. What inciting incident begins your protagonist's journey?The East makes its first move towards open war. 10. Where is your novel set?In a land called Aelon Ere. 11. What are three big scenes in your novel that change the game completely?I have no idea. 12. What is the most dynamic relationship your character has? Who else do they come in contact with or become close to during the story?Erm... the most dynamic relationship is probably the one between Marik and Raisa. Marik also comes in contact with Dalmir, Grayden, Wynn, Beren, and Oleck. Who else he will become close to during the story is anybody's guess - as I'm not sure yet what exactly Marik is doing during this installment. 13. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?Again, it depends on which protagonist you're talking about. Dalmir will become more determined. Grayden will have to decide where he can best serve his country. Beren will ... well, I don't want to give that away yet. Marik... well, he will continue on the journey he began at the end of book 1. 14. Do you have an ending in mind, or do you plan to wait and see what happens?I have an idea for an ending, but it could change as I write the story. I'm not as certain where this story is going as I was with book 1, but I do have a general idea of how things will stand when this book is finished. 15. What are your hopes and dreams for your book? What impressions are you hoping this novel will leave on your readers and yourself?I am hoping that this story is a fun adventure that families will enjoy reading together over and over again. That is my hope for any and all of my books. More specifically, I'd love to see this book and series be worthy sequels to my Minstrel's Song series.
