Know the Novel 2023
Know the Novel: Part 1
Well… I started writing this in October… does that count? heheh
Better late than never, I guess.
It’s time for Know the Novel! And this year, I’m talking about something other than the Turrim Archive!!! (try not to faint)
Know the Novel is an annual blog tag hosted by the marvelous Christine Smith as a place to talk about the stories we are working on. This year, I am officially participating in her #FicFrenzy event, and even though my goal is teensy, I have been enjoying it as a motivation to get back to drafting something new!
My goal has been to work on writing new words in this story for 5 minutes each day. I have a secondary goal of getting 5,000 new words written by the end of the 31-day challenge. Though I recently already passed that goal, so now I’m hoping to get to 10,000 before November 16th!
But first, an announcement!
We are having a party and YOU are invited!
This Saturday, November 11, at... let's see if I can get the Time Zones right...
3pm Hawaii time, 4pm PST, 5pm MST, 6pm CST, 7pm EST, Midnight in London, and 11am Sunday morning in Australia....
Yes, I did have far too much fun with figuring all that out.
Anyway, the A Classic Retold authors and I are having a zoom party to celebrate the closing of this chapter, the release of the final book in the series, and just the winding down of this epic, two-year adventure we've all been on together.
Come join us! Grab a mug of something hot and tasty, a cozy blanket, (dinner for some of us / midnight snack or breakfast for others), and bring your questions!
We would love to see you there!
There will be games! We will be giving away copies of the final 4 e-books in the series! There will be fun!
Click the “join the party” box below to fill out the (very short) google form and get your special code (keep it secret, keep it safe!) that will let you into the zoom call!
And now, without further ado….
THE QUESTIONS
1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
The very first spark? Probably when my nieces (ok, they’re my first cousins-once-removed, but that’s a mouthful) Kristina and Kate finished reading An Echo of the Fae and demanded to know when the next book would be coming out!
I had always intended An Echo of the Fae to be a stand-alone. However, their question made me wonder if there could be any further story.
2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!
Be careful what you wish for…
Kidnapped as an infant and raised as a princess in the Summer Court, Jana is now back with her human family. Although the home she was born into is filled with love, she can’t help but miss the prestige of being a princess.
An invitation to a Sea Fae ball seems like a chance for Jana to catch hold of a bit of her old life. When her beloved tiny dragon appears bearing a gift from Queen Titania, Jana’s happiness is complete.
However, reality rarely lives up to expectations. At the ball, it is shy, introverted Echo who is the center of attention, as everyone wants to hear about her daring adventure into the heart of the Faelands to rescue Jana.
In frustration, Jana makes a reckless wish… but when Titania’s gift grants it, Jana suddenly finds that a wish made in haste can have dire consequences. If she cannot find a way to reverse the wish, she will lose her new family forever.
3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?
The story will take place in a variety of locations:
Ennis Rosliath - an island country heavily based on Scotland (or maybe it would be more accurate to say the small islands around Scotland)
The Sea Fae realm - there will be an under the sea ball.
Faerthain - the Summer Court
Vetirheim - of course we have to go back to the Winter King’s domain
And a few new places I’m not ready to give away yet
4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).
The protagonist for this book will be Jana. We met her in book one, but she was very ill throughout the story and not really up to her normal amount of vim and vigour. However, it would have been hard not to fall in love with this character. Writing her was so fun, and I knew as soon as I started thinking about a sequel that she would be the point-of-view character.
Jana was the Summer Princess, and as such, she’s used to a certain kind of life. Being in the mortal realm is a massive adjustment for her. Being surrounded by a loving family helps, but there are still lessons to learn and some she might have to learn the hard way.
Jana is a very spunky protagonist, she’s an extravert to the extreme, kind of a dare-devil, the sort to leap before she looks, and she just has a lot of energy. She’s super fun to write and I can imagine she might be a bit exhausting to be around.
5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?
I can’t really say because spoilers.
6. What excites you the most about this novel?
Just getting to go back to Ennis Rosliath and the realms surrounding it is super exciting. Getting to hang out more with Echo and Jana and Mamai and Dadai… these characters are so very dear to my heart, and I’m excited to explore more of their story.
7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?
Well, it’s the sequel to An Echo of the Fae, which was totally supposed to be a stand-alone. grin And I also have ideas for at least one more story (maybe two) so this is quickly turning into a series…
8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?
I am plotting this story out more than I have ever plotted before. I have a very extensive outline, but as I cannot handle too much organization or structure, there is plenty of room for my characters to dive off the path and take the story wherever they will. The basic plot will most likely stay pretty similar to what the outline looks like, though.
9. Name a few unique elements in this story.
Well, there will be an actual under-the-sea ball… which, you know… as a child of the 80s and 90s just seems fitting, somehow.
There is a magic mirror.
There is a reckless wish that gets granted in an unexpected way and causes many-much problems.
10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).
Hmmm. Well, there’s going to be some serious self-examination that happens for Jana. One of the themes I’m planning to incorporate is the importance of honesty. It has some Sleeping Beauty and some Snow White vibes. Other than that… I don’t want to give away too much just yet. I don’t have playlists/aesthetics made for this one yet…
I do have a title though….
JANA OF SEA AND SUMMER