Beautiful Books #3

1. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best) how well do you think this book turned out?

Right now, before editing, it’s probably a 5 or 6, if that.
2. Have you ever rewritten or editing one of your books before? If so, what do you do to prepare yourself? If not, what’s your plan?

I’ve never edited before [this is my second novel], but this is my plan:

Look at scenes and figure out which ones to keep, edit, and trash. Also add scenes as needed.

Pick apart scenes and get to the technical stuff.

Focus on wording and how it flows.

And drink lots of tea. :D
3. What’s your final wordcount? Do you plan to lengthen or trim your book?

My final word count is 40,000 words. I will lengthen it, definitely.
4. What’s are you most proud of? Plot, characters, or pacing?

I think the characters are this novel’s best aspect. They all really have a personality. I’m very proud of them.
5. What’s your favourite bit of prose or line from this novel?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a quote right now because of computer issues, but I really do love the lines when they all meet up at Starbucks for the first time.
6. What aspect of your book needs the most work?

The plot. ‘Nuff said.
7. What aspect of your book is your favourite?

The romance. DUH.
8. How are your characters? Well-rounded, or do they still need to be fleshed-out?

I think most of my characters are well-rounded, but the ones that don’t have major parts will be deleted. [Sorry!] I do need to work on backstory, though.
 9. If you had to do it over again, what would you change about the whole process?

I would probably manage my time better and not procrastinate as much.
10. Did anything happen in your book that completely surprised you? Have any scenes or characters turned out differently to what you planned? Good or bad?

One of the characters, Jaz, snagged a bigger role than planned, and others faded into the background. Cait’s aunt is way crazier than planned. And I added a whole new character: Emile!
11. What was the theme and message? Do you think it came across? If not, is there anything you could do to bring it out more?

The theme and message was, um, Starbucks is awesome! And don’t date jerks! I think that definitely came across. ;) [Honestly, this book isn’t about learning a lesson. It is about having fun with friends, learning about each other, and experiencing first love.]
12. Do you like writing with a deadline (like NaNoWriMo) or do you prefer to write-as-it-comes?

I do better writing with a deadline, because otherwise I will just procrastinate.
13. Comparative title time! What published books, movies, or TV shows are like your book? (Ex: Inkheart meets X-Men, etc.)

Fangirl meets The Summer I Learned to Fly with a bit of The Kind of Friends We Used to Be. Kind of. XD
14. How do you celebrate a finished novel?!

Well, I finished in the middle of the night, so I couldn’t exactly party or anything… But I think I silent-screamed. XD I will also be ordering those three Stephanie Perkins books ASAP.
15. When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

Happiness. :)

I hope you liked this tag! If you didn’t, then too bad. I had a lot of fun, at least. Toodles!

TCWT November 2014 Blog Chain|Lots of Random Cool Stuff

[I know, I should not be blogging–I should be writing. But I just have to post stuffs! I’m really behind. Also, I apologize in advance for the length of this post.]

It’s that time of the month again–the Teens Can Write, Too! blog chain. This month’s theme is the meaning of being a teenager, expressed in words and images. I took this to a different level and added in not just personal and positive things, but the negative aspects of being a teenager that don’t always apply to me. I made a Wordle!

Yeah, how awesome is that? Now let’s get on with things. Oh, btw, here’s the list of other awesome peoples who are participating in the linkup:

5th – http://vergeofexisting.wordpress.com/

6th – http://irisbloomsblog.wordpress.com/

7th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

8th – https://freeasagirlwithwings.wordpress.com/

9th – http://clockworkdesires.wordpress.com/

10th – http://www.pamelanicolewrites.com/

11th – http://randommorbidinsanity.blogspot.com/

12th – http://www.kirabudge.weebly.com/my-blog

13th – http://semilegacy.blogspot.com/

14th – http://oliviarivers.wordpress.com/

15th – http://miriamjoywrites.com/

16th – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/

17th – http://maralaurey.wordpress.com/

18th – http://quirkyteenwriter.wordpress.com/

19th – http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/

20th – http://www.juliathewritergirl.com/

21st – http://whileishouldbedoingprecal.weebly.com/

22nd – http://paperdaydreams.com/

23rd – http://theedfiles.blogspot.com/

24th – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for December’s chain!)

1. Be honest: how is your writing going?

I’m mostly on-target and I am trying not to be distracted. It’s fairly easy to write, but that will change very soon, I think…

2. What’s your first sentence/paragraph?

“Hey, honey,” my mom said, entering the kitchen, “your aunt, Lindsay, just emailed me to tell me that Jessica—you know, your cousin—has just reached the one year anniversary of her blog. Isn’t that great?”

I know, it’s a quite uneventful first sentence. But it’s in the prologue.

3. Do you have a book cover, and/or pictures that reflect your book?

 I know, it’s beautiful. I made it on PicMonkey and I’m so proud of myself.

4. Do you have pictures of each of your characters?

I have pictures of the main thirteen bloggers, but I will not show you all of them.

Cait, the MC; Belle, Cait’s BFF; Dean, the love interest; Jazmine (Jaz), the lesbian book blogger who wants to marry Starbucks.

[Guess who’s my favorite. :P]

5. What scene are you most excited to write?

The scene when Cait finds out about…the surprise, and basically the entire night. I get to describe beautiful gowns, a dazzling night, and an overall glamorous night.

6. Share a snippet or scene that you really enjoyed writing!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw shaggy black hair and blue eyes and shirt that very clearly read, “Hi, I’m Dean.” I dropped my purse and partially-full Starbucks cup and sprinted into his arms. I didn’t care that my friends were there, that they were definitely staring. It was him. Dean.

            “Caity?”

            “Dean.”

            I looked up to see him smile wildly.

            “Damn.”

            “What?”

            “You’re even better in real life.”

            I giggled, embarrassed yet relieved, and before I could catch my breath, Dean dropped his bags and picked me up by the waist—he was so strong—and spun me around. When he set me down, I was all smiles and blushing.

            And he kissed me.

            My world melted before my eyes into one shapeless puddle of color and noise. But the sounds of people were muted, just Dean and me, and his soft lips, the way he gripped my shoulder, my hands around his torso, my feet on tiptoe. My eyes closed, fluttering quietly.

            When we finally broke apart, I still hugged his body. I nestled my head into the crook of his arm.

            Annoyingly, Belle applauded. Several people whistled. I blushed a deep crimson, but Dean didn’t seem to mind. He just pecked me quickly on the cheek and picked up his bags. We walked back to our friends, my hand on his arm, his gaze mostly on me, like I was the only person in the world. And to him, maybe I was.

            Dean bro-hugged the guys, and one-armed hugged the girls. But he saved most of his affection for me.

            Jaz pulled me aside for a second and said quietly, “You were really worried?” before grinning and making her way back to the group.

            I got a good look at Dean as he gazed at me. He had a strong jawline, black hair that was the perfect balance of short and long. His eyes were an electric blue framed by long, dark eyelashes. His skin was pale, probably from living in Seattle.

            “Damn,” he said again, “you’re just so beautiful.”

            I blushed happily.

It’s just so adorable. <3

7. Now that you’re writing, have any of the plot details, or the process itself, turned out different from what you planned or imagined?

1. Shelly, Cait’s aunt who lives in NYC, is a bit strange. That was made up on the spot, and it seems to be working, so…
2. Dean is nicer. Grr. WHY IS HE SO NICE AND SWEET AND ADORABLE???

8. Is there a character or aspect of your plot that’s difficult to write?

I have thirteen characters interacting at one time, which is very hard to write because:

a) I forget that some characters are here

and

b) They all have to speak!

So it’s not easy. I have to check who’s there, and separate them more.

I also have a hard time writing humor, which I really want to be in this piece. I always love funny books. But I’m not very good at writing funny things.

9. What’s your favorite aspect of the novel so far? Favorite character?

I just love the romance. I am a total romantic, and this is everything I want in a relationship [Well, except the drama].

Choosing a favorite character is like choosing a favorite child! But I LOVE Jazmine. She’s lesbian/gay/whatever, which I really wanted to be in this book. And she’s the perfect mix of maturity and immaturity. She’s also Indian, so is a bit reserved because of her background. She was originally going to be a background character, but she has begun to be Cait’s good friend.

10. Have you drawn off any life experiences or people you know to create your novel and your characters?

Definitely experiences. I wanted to really be able to connect to Cait’s feelings when I was planning this novel, and her experiences are based off my own. I love to put pain and crying into words [is that weird?], too, and I try to draw from my experiences of that feeling of helplessness and dread.

I didn’t realize this until I started writing, but if you follow Notebook Sisters, an awesome blog, you know that the main contributor is named Cait. Like my MC. Oops. This didn’t even cross my mind, I swear! I just love the name.

Belle is kind of like Evi @ Where Books never End, because she is my good friend, just like Cait and Belle are good friends. :) In retrospect, I see similarities between Jaz and Engie @ Musings From Neville’s Navel. They’re both respected and accomplished bloggers, but have a silly side, too. Kat has Cait @ Notebook Sisters silliness. :P

11. Do you have a playlist or certain song for your novel and/or characters?

I actually have a playlist titled “Bloggish” on my iPhone. It consists of these twenty songs:

“All You Had to Do Was Stay”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“Amnesia”, 5 Seconds of Summer, 5 Seconds of Summer

“Back to December”, Speak Now, Taylor Swift

“Bad Blood”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“Blank Space”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“Classic”, MKTO, MKTO

“Come In With the Rain”, Fearless (Platinum Edition), Taylor Swift

“Enchanted”, Speak Now, Taylor Swift

“I Knew You Were Trouble”, Red, Taylor Swift

“If This Was a Movie”, If This Was a Movie-Single, Taylor Swift

“Jump Then Fall”, Fearless (Platinum Edition), Taylor Swift

“Mine”, Speak Now, Taylor Swift

“Out of the Woods”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“Red”, Red, Taylor Swift

“Round & Round”, A Year Without Rain, Selena Gomez and the Scene

“Shake It Off”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“The Story of Us”, Speak Now, Taylor Swift

“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”, Stronger (Deluxe Version), Kelly Clarkson

“Style”, 1989, Taylor Swift

“Welcome to New York”, 1989, Taylor Swift

12. Let’s have some fun: imagine you are transported into your book’s world. Which character are you most likely to be found hanging out with?

I would be at Starbucks with Jazmine. Duh.

13. How do you keep yourself motivated to finish your daily word count? (Pinterest? Internet breaks? Chocolate?)

A Tip: Don’t do what I’m doing right now. Do not blog.

I set my timer on my phone for 20-30 minutes, turn on my music, and write. Then I take a 5-minute break and play on my phone, check my email, etc. I am actually very disciplined, believe it or not. I do have chocolate that I eat frequently. Maybe that’s the secret.

14. What’s your favourite writing quote or piece of writing advice?

For NaNoWriMo: “It is perfectly okay to write garbage–as long as you edit brilliantly.”

I had to search on Google, but one that I remember seeing before and I love is: “If I waited till I felt like writing, I’d never write at all.” -Anne Taylor

It is so true.

15. How does this book make you feel so far? Are you laughing? Crying? Frustrated?

It makes me feel:

• nostalgic
• happy
• pink [there’s no way to describe it]

Basically, it’s a fluffy pink ConRom, and it’s absolutely adorable and heart-wrenching and unpredictable. >:)

You know what these tweets mean? Yeah, I only heard today.

ELEANOR AND PARK IS BECOMING A MOVIE!

I am sooooo excited. They better not mess it up. For more details, click here. I am just really scared that Eleanor will be Hollywood-thin, and the entire movie will be messed up. In the comments section of this article, some people suggested in the comments that Jennifer Stone be Eleanor, and I think that would be amazing. I mean, doesn’t it just work? Anyway, I’m just so excited about the movie. YAAY!!!!! Anybody else psyched?

See?

This blog will be experiencing some changes soon. Hopefully this week.

1. I am going to get the customizable thingy so my colors of text and size and stuff will be different. It will just look cooler and more amazing.
2. I will not be switching to a new domain.
3. I am considering changing my blog name to “Writerly,” so it’s a bit more bookish. It isn’t very bookish right now. Tell me what you think in the comments! :D

I have decided that if I win NaNoWriMo 2014, I will buy myself these three Stephanie Perkins books that go together.

I have heard good things about them and am eager to read them. So lets hope I win!

One last before I end this extremely long post.

Today was the first day of #MortalsMonday on Instagram! Assuming you don’t know, #MortalsMonday is a day where PJO/HoO fans look up hashtags like #hooverdam and #mtsthelens on IG and comment, “The mortals don’t even know.” If someone who is not in the fandom responds cluelessly, we respond with, “It’s a dam Percy Jackson thing, cupcake.” :)

 See? It’s hilarious! I encourage you to join in on the fun. :)

I. Hate. WordPress.|More About My NaNo Novel :)

So, WordPress kind of sucks right now. My posts are not posting! And I need them to post! I’m sorry I posted my wrap-up, like, way too late, but WordPress died on me. Grr. Makes me want to punch it!!!! [Or send an angry letter.]

Anyway. Enough of my ranting. I have stuff to do!

~MY BIRTHDAY’S IN 3 DAYS!!!~

I am so off-topic right now. GOD.

So, Cait over at The Notebook Sisters recently told us about her NaNo novel. I know I’ve told you about mine and my outlining [which I’m falling behind on], but I’ve decided to elaborate with a Beautiful Books Linkup. :) Sound fun? Let’s go!

A brief synopsis of my novel [from YWP]:

Cait is attending WeBlogCon, and is prepared for a normal convention. Her idea of normal consists of meeting her online friends, attending a few talks, and talking a bit herself, all while exploring NYC with her friends. But Cait isn’t prepared for Dean, whom she thought was boyfriend-potential. He is so different from his online self. And then there’s the offer from the TV company and WeBlog. Can Cait handle the stress? And will she agree to what WeBlog has to offer? Or will she retreat to her home in California?

What came first: characters or plot idea? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I think the plot came first. I want to do something I know about and am familiar with, and I want to do a contemporary. [Since Nakoma is kind of intense.] My dad actually helped me come up with a conflict.

In the past, I’ve been an almost complete panster. That is what Nakoma was born from. But for this NaNo, I want to be a plotter, because I don’t have much time, what with school and everything, to go on a whim, especially if it’s only a month.

Do you have a title and/or a “back-cover-blurb”?

Title: Bloggish

It’s like bookish, but for bloggers! Are you bloggish?

Synopsis:

Cait is attending WeBlogCon, and is prepared for a normal convention. Her idea of normal consists of meeting her online friends, attending a few talks, and talking a bit herself, all while exploring NYC with her friends. But Cait isn’t prepared for Dean, whom she thought was boyfriend-potential. He is so different from his online self. And then there’s the offer from the TV company and WeBlog. Can Cait handle the stress? And will she agree to what WeBlog has to offer? Or will she retreat to her home in California?

What wordcount are you aiming for when your novel is finished?

40k to 50k. I’m going to set the bar at 40k.

Sum up your novel in 3 sentences.

A convention in NYC.

A boy with secrets.

And a surprise.

[I know, it’s very vague.]

Sum up your characters in one word each.

Cait [MC, and narrator]: Bookcake.

Bloggy friends:

Dean: Different.

Belle: Smiley.

Kai: Mainstream.

Gracelyn: Pink.

Xavier: Adorable.

Jazmine: Perfect.

Brandon: Short. [:P]

Amanda: Fangirl.

Loren: Ocean.

Kat: Fun. :D

Kelly: Serious.

Margot-Willa: Autumn.

Which character are you most excited to write? Tell us about them!

I’m really excited to write the twins, Kat and Kelly, because they’re kind of opposites. I really need to work on their dialogue, though.

What about your villain? Who is s/he, what is his/her goal?

The only “villain” or “bad guy” is Cait and her uncertainty. I guess Dean is also kind of a villain, but not quite.

What is your protagonist’s goal? And what stands in the way?

Cait has a few goals: to make up her mind about some stuff I can’t say, and to figure out Dean. What stands in her way is herself.

What inciting incident begins your protagonist’s journey?

I don’t know if it’s “inciting” but Cait’s journey as a blogger begins in June 2009 when her cousin, Jessica [this name may change], celebrates her 1-year blogoversary. Then Cait meets all these fantastic people online and has BUCKETS of fun. :)

Where is your novel set?

In the US, partly in Monterey, California, and partly in NYC.

What are three big scenes in your novel that change the game completely?

1. When Cait meets Dean in real life for the first time.
2. When WeBlog offers her…something [no spoilers!].
3. When a TV company ALSO offers Cait…something.

[These subject to change at any given time.]

What is the most dynamic relationship your character has? Who else do they come in contact with or become close to during the story?

I think the most “dynamic” relationship my character has would be with Belle, who is her friend on the internet, and when they meet, it’s like friend-love at first sight. <3

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

Cait:

• becomes more confident
• becomes more open
• is a little sadder
• knows more about the “real world”

Do you have an ending in mind, or do you plan to see what happens?

I have a vague happily-ever-after, but it’s VERY vague. :P

What are your hopes and dreams for your book? What impressions are you hoping this novel will leave on your readers and yourself?

I just hope to finish it during NaNo, and to have it be as warm and fuzzy as I want it to be, along with a little sadness and bittersweetness. I want it to follow my outline, and I want to just be happy about it in general. :)

I’m hoping readers will come away with the knowledge that although the world isn’t going to be all rainbows and sunshine, you can make a happy ending the best you can, and that you can be successful.

I also hope that readers/fans will make quote-thingies with quotes from the book, because many accomplished authors have that.

I hope you enjoyed the lovely tag. :)

Before we go:

• I’m getting my iPhone 5c today! As soon as I get home! Almost as good as getting books. :)
• I will be changing to my own domain soon! Let me know if you think I should change my blog name to something more bookish. And if anyone has moved to their own domain [Hey, Sam!], I was wondering how to move followers, posts, and the like. Thanks bunches!
• I love you soo much. <3