Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Know the Novel Part 3 - The Writing of Kings Bleed Gold {NaNoWriMo 2018}


 


Annnnd I am back to go ahead and answer the questions to my Know the Novel linkup, which I posted yesterday if you missed it. *wink, wink*


I have news. Super excited, happy neeews…


I FINISHED WRITING KINGS BLEED GOLD.



Fiiinally. IT. IS. DONE. I mean, the first draft is done… It needs a total uber major rewrite but we’re not thinking about that right now because IT IS WRITTEN AND I AM SO RELIEVED. I feverishly kept writing through all this first week of December and Thursday night, December 6th, I made it to THE END. I may be a teeny tiny bit over enthused. But WHEW. I didn’t know if this beast was ever gonna get finished. Having to keep writing through some of December after non-stop writing alllll of November was, well, overwhelming. But I am stubborn and was determined to not stop until it was done! And strangely? All these last few days of writing went way better than almost any days during NaNo. GO FIGURE. I thiiink it may have been because I was writing super fast-paced, exciting climatic stuff, which always goes really fast for me. BUT STILL. If only writing had been so fast and easy during NaNo. *rolls eyes* Ah well, it’s finished and that’s what matters!


Annnd it ended up being 129,042 words. O_O Yeah. Just HOW? Because, if you’ll remember, this was gonna be a standalone but I decided to split the story into a duology or trilogy. And yet it still ended up being a 130k beast. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??? But I’m just happy to be done. I wrote 36 days in a row. Like…every single day for 36 days straight. I think that’s a record for me. Which may sound pathetic to some of you who write every single day but, sadly, I am not one of those magical writing fairies. Writing every day is nooot I habit I have, unfortunately, so I was pleased with my 36-day record. XD


ANYWAYS. Kings Bleed Gold is FINISHED. AND I AM SO HAPPY!!!! So to celebrate, I shall be doing my own linkup (lolz) and telling you guys allll about how the writing overall went! Woot, woot!



THE WRITING OF
KINGS BLEED GOLD

 

 


1.) Firstly, how did writing this novel go all around?



Well, I think? We’ll pretend? There were some grueling days but, as with every NaNo, now that I look back at it, all I can think of is how fond I am of the story and how much I enjoyed being immersed in it for a month, instead of remembering all the maaany days I really just wanted to lay on the floor and whine instead of write. In fact, I already miss writing it, despite being so, SO ready to be done. Now I just feel kinda empty and desperately miss the characters… I tend to always do this when I finish a novel. Being a writer is an emotional ride. XD


But yeah, overall I’d definitely say it went well. I actually sorta kinda think it’s one of my most polished NaNo novels. Which is hilarious, because it’s a MESS. But I was a liiiittle more careful with the writing than I usually am during NaNo. Still though, I suspect every single word needs rewriting. Eheh.

 

2.) Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?


It actually stayed to my outline for the most part, thank goodness! Though there were a few things, once I started writing, that I realized weren’t going to work and had to be readjusted. I’m weird in that way. I’ll outline something that seems perfectly logical, then once I get in the story and write it, I see all the flaws and holes. Is that just me? I still think I’m a pantser at heart, despite hardcore outlining all my last novels for years now. I just see the story so much clearer once I write.


So the events all stayed along with the outline, but there was some backstory and certain aspects of like the world and magic system that shifted a bit as I wrote. But it all became much better than I had outlined, so that’s good! My stories tend to always tell me what should happen. XD Though some things I decided to change halfway through and just kept writing as if they had already happened so yeah, thank goodness editing is a thing.


Also, some of my characters’ motivations took me by complete surprise, mainly a couple of my antagonists. I thought I knew them, but apparently not???? I liked that though. It kept the process interesting for me.

 

3.) What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)


I mean, OBVIOUSLY the characters. Is that any surprise at all? No, no it is not. Making Midas go from a totally bratty, immature prince to a sacrificial hero got my all emotional. You know how I feel ‘bout them character arcs. Korinna and Syram also had some arcs as they overcame their fears and just alkdjflsjldkjfs I LOVED IT. Characters is seriously the reason I write. I’m obsessed.


Though, I have to say, all the magic and Midas turning things to gold was a super fun aspect to work with. I was worried it’d be stressful having a character who turns eeeverything to gold with a single touch of his skin. Like…how was that even going to work? But, actually? The challenge was a BLAST. The amount of things that he kept accidentally turning to gold were hilarious, and working with someone who could have no physical touch was very interesting and different. This is super bizarre, but I was in his head so much, that when I had other characters interact I sort of forgot they could touch??? Like, I’d have a characters squeeze another’s arm or hug or something and my first instinct was like, “Wait they can’t touch!” And then I realized…they’re not Midas. They’re not going to turn to gold. Touching is fine. Yeah, I don’t even know. But that was a rabbit trail. (Also, Midas wears special fairy-made clothes and gloves, if you’re wondering how he functions day-to-day.)


All that to say, working with a character who turns everything to gold was a very interesting challenge that I surprisingly liked. A lot.

 

My Midas would be horrified to be depicted this way, oh my gracious. XDDD

 

4.) How about your least favorite part?


Hmmm… I kind of had a pretty hard time figuring out how the dragons’ underground home worked and how to describe it all. I had a good picture in my head of everything, but getting it down on words was a whole other story.

 

5.) What do you feel like needs the most work?


*points up* I think the whole underground world thing is gonna need some fleshing out. And, like I said earlier, I ended up changing some things halfway through the story, and I feel like there’s a plot hole or two involving the magic system and the villains’ plans that will need some more brainstorming and smoothing out. This whole plot just hurt my brain.

 

Me during the whole process of creating this book.

 

6.) How do you feel about your characters now that the novel is done? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!


*see questions #3* Eheheheh. I really loved my bbys. I know I’ve been so subtle about it. *grins*


My favorite is Syram, obviously. (#noshame) Although, truthfully, I loved them ALL in different ways. Even the antagonists because, like I said, they really surprised me with their motivations and their thought processes intrigued me greatly. (So vague I know, but #spoilers.) I think ALL of the characters surprised me more so than any cast I’ve ever written. Usually I know my characters really well before writing the novel, and I thought I knew all of them but…wow. Apparently not. It was such a blast exploring them though. I ended up falling in love with them more and more the farther I got into the novel. I can’t really say I have a least favorite. Perhaps a certain villain or two, but they’re supposed to be unlikable so…


I think my most favorite thing was the 3-way relationship between Midas, Korinna, and Syram. Midas learned to care about Korinna and Syram SO MUCH, and Korinna and Midas were constantly like “Syram is our child and must be protected at all times” despite him being a little older than them. Lol. And Korinna and Syram kept teaming up to get Reckless Midas out of all sorts of jams, while Midas and Syram had such a fun buddy-buddy relationship. They all had different dynamics with each other, but worked the best when they were all together and UGH. THEY MAKE ME HAPPY. And break my heart… *cough, cough*

 

7.) What’s your next plan of action with this novel?


Let it sit in the dark recesses of my laptop for…a while. LOLZ. So exciting. But I have other projects clamoring for my attention now that it’s done. I 100% plan on coming back to it and giving it the big, major rewrite it deserves, because I seriously love this story idea and want to turn it into something readable. Buuut I don’t know when said rewrite will happen. For now I’m taking a writing break, then will be diving back into yet another round of edits for Burning Thorns come the new year. So yeah, poor Kings Bleed Gold will have to wait for a bit.

 

8.) If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?


Well, my greatest dream for all my novels is to be traditionally published. I’d loooove that for this one. Though this one is a bit different in that, if I pursue publishing with it (which I hope to do one day!), I’d probably pitch it to the general market instead of the Christian market. Though, yes, naturally it’s got my worldviews in the themes, as anyone’s books would, it’s one of my few books that doesn’t have an outright God figure. And I think Christians should have more books in the general market. But that’s a post for a another day! Haha.

 

9.) Share a snippet of one of your most favorite scenes!


Wellllll, here’s Midas and Syram’s first ever meeting. I was so excited for this scene, because it was my first time to “officially” meet Syram as well. You can tell this is early on in the story from Midas’ bratty-ness. Hehe.



Are you thirsty?”

Midas’ eyes snapped open. When had he even fallen asleep? He winced at the pounding in his head as he pulled it up. A face peered at him through the bars. Sucking in a breath, he leapt to his feet, but the sudden motion sent spikes of pain down his body. He hissed and pressed his gloved hand against the wall to balance himself.

“Oh…dear. Sorry.”

He focused again on the person outside his cell, and was in for another shock. It was one of the strangest people he had every seen. The man seemed to be about his age and height, but with a wild head of shockingly red hair stuffed under a rounded leather cap. His skin was neither fair nor dark, but almost ashen, though that could have been the dim lighting. Though it was his eyes that was the oddest of all. The large, almond-shaped, amber colored things practically glowed in the dark. There was a boyish playfulness to them but something else as well, though he couldn’t pinpoint what. This man was clearly foreign. Or…foreign to Chrysafel anyway.

The man studied him for moment, his head cocked. “You’re the one with the golden touch?”

He blinked. There was now gold woven all throughout the floor and walls of his cell, as well as the floor outside it. “I would think that’s rather obvious.”

The redhead just grinned. “Would you turn something gold for me?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Just because I’m in a cell and you’re not, doesn’t mean I’m some form of entertainment for you.”

“No, of course not. I just thought you might would want some water.” He pulled up a water flask in his hand.

At the sight, his dry tongue scraped over his cracked lips, but even still, he wasn’t pleased with the treatment he was receiving. “So you’re going to let this wounded, dehydrated man go thirsty unless he does something for you?”

The other’s strange eyes flashed in what seemed to be pure surprise. “No, no. That’s not what I meant. I just…well… Never mind. Here.” He held the flask between the bars. “Take all of it. Free of charge.”

He stared at the flask for a moment. What if this was some sort of trick of the dragons? He eyed the man again, who smiled at him and shook the flask like an eager child. Sighing, he took it with his gloved hand, thirst winning out. The water was cold and fresh and glorious. After multiple gulps, he poured the rest down his back and released a sigh of relief as it trickled down his wound and cleared the dirt. Once he had used up every last drop, he handed it back to the man.

“Water does not turn to gold when it touches you?”

“No, liquid never does. Thank the heavens.” He grimaced. “Can you imagine never being able to take a bath?”

Mischief gleamed in the man’s eyes. “Well, truthfully, that’s why I asked. The way you look and smell—doesn’t seem like you’ve bathed in years.”

He opened his mouth to retort, but then looked down at his bloodied, dirt-caked clothes. Maybe it was the relief of the water or the exhaustion or just the completely absurdity of everything, but a laugh escaped him. “You have a point.” Now feeling far more clear-headed, he softened up to the person. “Thank you for the water, by the way. I…suppose it wouldn’t hurt for me to turn just one thing gold for you, since you did bring me water.”

The man’s face broke into pure delight and he dug into his stained, threadbare trousers and pulled out a rough rock with a short point.

Midas frowned at the thing. “That’s what you want gold?”

He nodded enthusiastically.

Shrugging, he reached out his exposed hand. The man dropped the rock into it and his eyes sparked in awe as the rock transformed to pure gold in a matter of seconds. Slowly, he pinched it between two fingers, careful to not touch Midas’ hand, and then held it up to examine it closely.

“It’s perfect!”

Despite himself, Midas couldn’t stop a chuckle escaping his lips. “You’d think I’d be pretty used to the sight of gold by now, but honestly, I never get tired of it.”

 

10.) Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?


Oh goodness, I feel like I learn something new about my writing and myself with every single book. Which is why I love doing NaNo. Because even though it always ends in a ridiculously messy draft that will probably need to be completely rewritten, I’ve grown and learned so much about writing through all my years of NaNo-ing.


I already mentioned in my after NaNo post last week that writing such a dark book in the span of 30 days kinda depressed me. My heavier books miiight should be saved for non-NaNo months, when I’m writing slower.


Another huge thing that struck me was a bit of a surprise. As I’ve said before, I used to be a hardcore pantser, but these days outline my novels to excruciating levels. But, as I was writing this, the few times I ended up having to pants a scene because someone’s motivations and/or backstories decided to change on me, it ended up being way better than anything I plotted out. That got me thinking to the last book I fully pantsed (which was allll the way back in 2014 yeah o.o), and how well the plot unfolded. And it hit me: I think my stories turn out better when they can organically come together, instead of me forcefully trying to come up with a full plot in like a month.

 

Me plotting.


What this means for my future novels… I don’t know. My outlines are my lifelines for NaNo novels, so I still may use them during NaNo. Buuut I might should try to be a little more loose with them, and perhaps attempt a bit of pantsing again and see what happens. I rather miss pantsing, honestly, even though the idea kind of scares me because, again, outline = lifeline because it helps me not run down rabbit trails and chase random subplots that lead nowhere (which deeefinitely happens while pantsing, for me at least). So I don’t know. It’s something I’m pondering right now.


I feel like there were a dozen other little lessons I learned while writing, because there always are, but I’d say that was the big epiphany for this novel. I always have at least one with each story. XD Writing is an adventure for sure!



And here we come to The End. Because…I think I may actually be done blabbering about NaNo and Kings Bleed Gold. :O I’ve only blogged nonstop about them for the past 2 months. *COUGH* You gotta love NaNo season. *grins*


But, well, I really do love NaNo season. It’s such an exciting, crazy time, and it makes it a thousand times better sharing with friends. So THANK YOU for putting up with all my crazed NaNo babbles and repeated talk of KBG. It’s been a wild ride, guys. But WE MADE IT!



NaNo is over, I’ve officially finished KBG, and now I’m allllll set to do all the Christmas-y things, have a refreshing writing break, and enjoy this magical month. I’M EXCITED!


Don’t forgot you can answer these questions and join the linkup yourself HERE!!!

 

TALK WITH ME!

Are you relieved I’m finally done with all my NaNo talk? Bwahahaha. Okay, but really, who’s excited that it’s Christmas time? (Meeeee!) What’s your plans for the month? Anyone still writing? Or are you taking a break for the holidays? (If you need me I’ll be over here reading and watching movies and eating Christmas cookies.)

36 comments:

  1. WHO-HOO!!!! Congrats on finishing your novel!!! It sounds GREAT (of course) and GAH. ALL THE FEELINGS.

    Truthfully, I haven’t even finished my rough draft yet, but it’s fine. I'll probably finish it over Christmas break or something. *shrugs*

    Congratulations again! Have a great Christmas! (Yes, it’s a bit early to say that, but still.)

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    1. Thank you so much, Nicole!!! You're so sweet!

      There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! I probably pushed too hard to get mine done... *cough, cough* But you've got all the time in the world. What matters is that YOU WON NANO!!! And made awesome progress! You totally deserve to take it easy for a bit.

      Thank yooouuu! Congrats to you too! And MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D (Nonsense, I start wishing people a Merry Christmas the second December 1st hits. XD)

      Delete
  2. WOW, over 129,000 words in 36 straight days?? That's IMPRESSIVE, ma'am. What stamina!

    Congratulations on finishing the story! Kings Bleed Gold sounds so amazing--the aesthetic is gorgeous, and the Midas-Korinna-Syram trio is positively adorable.

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    1. Awwww, thanks! I prooobably go overboard and sacrifice too much sleep and, ya know, my life. *sheepish grin* But seriously, thank you so much! ^_^

      That's so sweet of you to say! It was a fun story to write (despite it turning into a BEAST). Thank you again! <3

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  3. HOORAY FOR CHRISTINE!!!!

    I feel you on #2 - I do the exact same thing. It's that inner editor that won't shut up.

    I dearly love that snippet with Syram and Midas - they sound like a fun duo :).

    I'll soon be joining the linkup - just gotta *hem* write it out. LOL.

    Catherine

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    1. THANK YOU, CATHERINE! :D

      I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in this! That inner editor really needs to take a chill pill. >.>

      Awww, thanks! They're seriously so fun. I'm all about those bromances. Hehe.

      YAAAAY!!!! And you've got plenty of time to write it! Can't wait to see your post. ^_^

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  4. YOUR SNIPPET IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST *squeals forever* I just really need to read this book as soon as you're ready for someone to honestly ;)

    CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!!!! And gosh, I'm excited. At the end of this week I'll be unemployed and it's going to be amazing xD Free time and all the edits coming soon!!!!!

    I'm not taking a break, not at all. No, I'm going to be editing ALLLLLL Christmas break, working like a dog to get book 1 of the Pentegreens series through its third draft and book 2 into its second draft. *cries* And maybe book 3 will get done within a year of starting it? So, like...by June? I honestly don't know at this point. All I know is that the one I really want to be writing is book 4.

    Anyway, I'm so glad you finished your book and I LOVED all the updates! I'll be posting my own KTN linkup soon with more little goodies about Watched! ;)

    ~Faith
    thefloridsword.blogspot.com

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    1. *incoherent happy squeals* That just MAKES. MY. DAY. Thank you!!! <3

      YES IT IS. I AM SO HAPPEEEH!!!! And ooooh, free time. Yesss. I know you've been working SO hard and totally deserve some nice free time! But wooooow. I am in AWE at your dedication to your stories. o.o Like...whoa. You work so hard on them! I do hope all the editing goes well! Cheering you on ALL the way! *sends motivational cookies*

      Thanks so much! I can't wait to see your post and learn more about Watched! :D :D :D

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  5. Congratulations on finishing! I didn't finish my novel, though I did manage to win. And I kinda didn't like what I wrote, so I'm storyboarding it (I got the idea from that brilliant article on Go Teen Writers the other day), reoutlining and starting again. I'm also working on the 3rd draft of my NaNo novel from last year, so between those two I'm going to be pretty busy for now.

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    1. Thank you so much! And a HUGE congrats to you to for winning NaNo!!! *throws confetti*

      I'm sorry you didn't like what you wrote! But I am sure there are some gems in there that will help get the rewrite going. I pretty much hate the shape of ALL my first drafts, but getting them down helps me see the full scope of the story and what works and doesn't, so it always feels worthwhile writing them, even though they're a MESS. XD So I completely understand! But I hope the rewrite goes amazingly, as well as working on your 3rd draft! Wow. You've got so much going. I'm in awe! You've totally got this, girl! *fistpump*

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  6. I'm so proud of you for finishing it!!! Omigoodness, you are amazing!
    I am already in love with these characters, and I'm so curious about this story. It sounds fantastic!

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    1. YOU ARE TOO PRECIOUS, SKYE. Thank you! <333 And that makes me so ridiculously happy you like the sound of the characters and are interested in the story. You've been such an encouragement through all this. Just...thank you so much!!! *glomps*

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  7. Congrats!! It's really a big accomplishment to finish a story, I really do respect people who are serious enough to have an idea and actually sit down and write it all the way through.

    Again, loved the snippet! Your characters are always so great <3 and with the perfect amount of wit, I might add.

    I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I always am amazed at how beautiful and fantasy like you titles are! They're always gold ( pun not intended )
    I'm horrible with titles and can never ever decide on a good one, but you really have it down

    Anyway, congrats again and I hope you have a great writing break and maybe rest you poor fingers :)

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    1. Awwww! Thank you!!! Though I'm really not always as dedicated to my stories as I should be. I'll get the first drafts written but then...never edit them. I gotta do better there. XD

      EEP. That makes me happy you think so! Thank you!!!

      Oh my goodness. You really think so? Because I've always struggled so, so hard with titles and fear a lot of them are pretty lame. So this just...I have no words. This makes my LIFE. Lol. Because titles have always been the bane of my existence. XD Thank you so much for telling me this!!! It means a lot!

      Thank you again, Varvare. You're such a blessing. <3 (And yeah, my fingers could probably use a breather. XD)

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    2. I agree. 'Kings Bleed Gold' is an EPIC title--so fantastic.

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    3. Awwww! Thank you, Elanor! You guys are making me smile so much! <333

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  8. I'm kind of sad NaNo talk is coming to an end. I got so used to word sprints and just writing with others that it feels kind of lonely now, still writing my novel when everyone else is done. I find myself getting more distracted these days, who needs to write when they can read a wonderful blog by Christine? Another couple of scenes and I think I'll be halfway through my novel. If you ever feel like pantsing something new, let me know, cause I would love a writing buddy! By the way I'm enjoying Burning Thorns! Just finished Pt. 3 :)

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    1. I know exactly what you mean! I'm happy to be done but at the same time...it feels weird not writing with everyone. That's why I love NaNo so much, that camaraderie is invaluable. There's just something so magical about writing with thousands of others at the same time. I love it! I'm so glad it runs every year. ^_^

      But what you said about my blog--you are so precious! Now I'm grinning. ^___^

      I think my next project will be another round of edits of Burning Thorns (because of all the amazing critiques I'm getting from you guys! So glad you're enjoying it! <333), which I'll tackle in January, but I'd love to keep our Pen Dragon chat going so we can still cheer each other on! I do hope writing the rest of your novel goes well! ^_^

      Delete
  9. Congrats on finally finishing! That's a huge accomplishment every time, no matter how many times it happens. (And it feels equally glorious every time!)

    I generally have the opposite thing happen to me: I think my works will end up being large series or standalone novels, and they end up as novellas. It's generally a nice surprise :) but good luck with your next projects and editing of Burning Thorns!

    (Also....where's that gif of the cartoon Midas from? I KNOW I've seen it before, I just can't place it for the life of me.)

    Eleanor | On the Other Side of Reality

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    1. Thank you! :D And I agree. I don't think finishing writing a whole novel ever becomes not exciting. It's such a great feeling! (Now if only my novels would magically edit themselves. ;D)

      Really? Lol! That's funny! I WISH that happened to me. XDDD Mine are such beasts.

      I actually am not sure where it's from either! I found it on Google, but it's super familiar to me too. I guess it's just one of those old timey cartoons we probably all saw when we were little. Maybe part of Looney Tunes or something? I'm not sure!

      Thanks again for everything! You've really encouraged me through this whole crazy venture. ^_^

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  10. Okay, so I was sooooooooo happy to see a Psych gif. Like, what even?!!

    But man, this story sounds so awesome!! I"m so excited to see where you take it.

    I do have one question, though: how do you even plot a story that's 100k+? Like, mine always fizzle out around 70k.

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    1. YESSSS! *high-fives* Psych = LIFE.

      D'awwww! That just...AWK. I have no words. That makes me so happy you like the idea! Thank you!!! <3

      Oh man, I don't even KNOW. I tend to have multiple villains all with their own goals, each of my characters have subplots and complicated backstories, and I'm really into extremely complex, tangled, overlapping plots and huge worlds. So all of that together ends up turning into a monster novel. XD I honestly wish my stories ended at 70k! I think that's a great size for a novel. But I did a post back in April on expanding stories if that helps! https://musingsofanelf.blogspot.com/2018/04/five-ways-to-expand-your-story.html

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  11. YAAAAAAAY, good going, girl!!! That's awesome! *happy dance* And, wow, that's a high wordcount--very impressive!!! (I still get a kick out of the fact that we both write super long stories...even if we try to keep them shorter! Call it following the legacy of Tolkien. :-) )

    Oh, hey, I'm not one of those magical writing fairies either, good grief. So you're not alone there either! But writing 36 days in a row?--you're awesome!! *plays dramatic piano flourish*

    Once again, I'm fangirling over the collage. It's just so well-designed, with gold being the dominant color, but without having too much gold.

    "Lay on the floor and whine instead of write"--haha, been there, done that! Writing is a strange experience: like, you want to write your fantastic story, but then get bogged down how messy it is so that you DON'T want to write; yet you want the story done, yet don't want to quit hanging out with these characters....*sigh* Yes, writing is a strange emotional experience.

    No, not just you; I do the same thing without outlines! In fact, any alterations are often a last-minute decision!

    Sounds like you got into your characters' heads REALLY well! And that 3-way relationship...so perfect! It also sounds like there were some hilarious moments between the three of them!

    "Christians should have more books in the general market"--YES!! I've thought this for years. Not that we shouldn't write books marketed to other Christians--preaching to the choir it may be, but said choir often needs reminders and encouragement--but sequestering ourselves in our own little market might be the wrong approach. (Any chance we could see that post in the future?)

    Wow, that snippet...the characters' personalities are very clear, and you DID get into Midas's head really well...something about the way you wrote it feels very natural. That's definitly the rection someone would have with Midas's background and circumstances! And I've got such a vivid mental picture of those two talking from opposite sides of the bars...mind if I draw it?

    It's been so great following your progress on this story--and I hope to get my own part of the link-up posted soon!

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    1. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! *glomps* And yeeeah, my monstrously sized novels... *shakes head* It is so funny how we can't contain our stories. Forever destined to write epics. ;D

      I honestly don't know how some people write every single day. Just... *faints* I can't do it! But thank you so much! It was...tiring, but I'm glad I pushed through.

      *BEAMS* Thank you! Making collages is so fun! Hehe.

      YES. Writing is just WEIRD. Because...we say we love to write, then never want to and just complain about it. Like I LOVE it but I also sometimes haaate it. An emotional experience indeed! XD

      Our writing processes sound so similar! I love it!

      I hope I do! I FEEL like I do, but it's hard to tell if you're actually capturing what you're feeling on the page, you know? I may understand my characters inside and out, but translating that to words is the hard part! But I really did love my trio in this one. ^_^

      It's so good to see other Christians with this view! And I 100% agree on everything you said. Christians DO need encouragement and reminders of God's hope and love and whatever else we may find in Christian fiction. I'm glad the CBA exists. Buuut sometimes I think we take it too far and stay in our little "bubble" and not reach out to the world. So yeah, there's a place for all of it. Annnd I would definitely like to make a post on it sometime! It's something that's been percolating in my brain for...a while. It's taken a bit to really get my thoughts into something solid, but I think I'm almost there! Lol.

      Oh my goodness, your thoughts on my snippet make me SO HAPPY! I'm thrilled it felt natural and vivid! :D And do I mind if you drew it??? I'D BE SO HONORED! AWK. I'd love that!!! But ONLY if you want to, of course! ^__^

      You are the SWEETEST! You've shown so much enthusiasm and given me such encouragement through this whole thing. It's been invaluable to me. Just THANK YOU! <333

      Can't wait to see your post! :D

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  12. I’m happy you had a good NaNo despite the slight downness from the darkness of the book. I get that. I can’t watch dark shows for too long or I start getting a bit low. The flaws thing after writing an outline is totally not you. I just did that with my novel during NaNo as well. XD

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    1. Thank you! But yeah, I'm the same. I love me some drama, but I guess we can't fill our minds with PURELY that. Gotta balance it with some happy things too. ^_^

      That makes me feel better! It's really weird how it suddenly makes more sense once the words are officially on the page. But I guess that's why we write first drafts, to figure it all out. Haha.

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  13. So...wow? That is so amazing you managed to write...*scrolls back up to double check*...129,042 words in 36 days?! You are an inspiration. That's just incredible!! Bravo, Christine, bravo! <3

    And, grrrrrr. I want you to share more snippets, but I also don't because it just makes me want to read the whole thing! And I can't. Which is so sad. :( Please, edit and publish this one next!!! (After Burning Thorns, of course.)

    Anyway. You have blown me away, girl. This novel sounds A-MAZE-ING. Congrats on finishing!

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    1. Awwww! *blushes* Thank you so much! I feel more crazy than incredible though. XDDD But seriously, you're so sweet!

      Okay but the fact that you want more snippets and want to read it just SKDJF:LKJSL:KDJ:LFJD. MY DAY IS MADE. I have no words! THANK YOU! That gives me motivation to actually edit it sooner rather than later! ^_^

      I know I keep saying it but THANK YOOOUUU!!! This comment basically made me life. <333

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  14. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Congratulations!!! I'm super excited to hear KBG is complete!! That's awesome!!!!

    Wish I could write more, but I've got a cranky almost 8 month old demanding my attention. <3

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    1. *HAPPY FLAILING* THANK YOU, MY DEAR!!!

      And, giiirl. The fact that you find time to write at all with a baby is utterly awe-inspiring! You are amazing! Hope the little one is doing well. ^_^

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  15. CONGRATZ, MY BEAN! I've been working on a short story, and it's going really well. Hopefully I'll FINISH this one... *glares at Writer Self*

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    1. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

      Aaaahhhhh that's so fun! :D That's fantastic it's going really well. I hope it continues to! You've got this! *waves pompoms*

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  16. Christine,
    I'm fairly new to the blog experience, but yours seems amazing! I did NaNo myself and finished, so that was awesome. Your story, Kings Bleed Gold, sounds like something I would totally read, by the way. You seem like a great writer. Also, I love the Know Your Novel series.

    Kudos for using a gif from Psych, the TV show. One of my favorites ever!

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    1. Hiiii! Welcome to the blogging world! *gives you welcome cookies* It's been a HUGE blessing to me, so I hope it proves to be the same for you. And oh my goodness, you're so sweet! AWK. Thank you! I'm thrilled you like my blog AND my crazy story. Just...MY DAY IS MADE! <3

      Aaaahhhh another Psych fan! It's one of my FAVES. Such a hilarious show! :D

      Thank you for your kind words! I hope you have a Merry Christmas! ^_^

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  17. You can totally keeping gushing about Kings Bleed Gold! I won't get mad. LOL! Also, I'm so glad you plan to work on it again (as this snippet was so fun)! I think it's really cool how you learned more about your writing and yourself with NaNo. :)

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    1. You're such a gem, girl! I just can't with all your niceness! <333

      Thank you so very much! It was a fun NaNo, and you made it extra special. ^_^

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