Did you know that Cait is doing this awesome NaNo blogger thing? (With someone else I don't know. Sorry...) So I decided to do this! Even though my story is an unofficial NaNo. (I can't do NaNo officially since I'll be using my iPad to write. Haha. Bus rides are good for writing. You get my meaning?)
How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?
My beauty idea is called Trixie's To-Do-Before-You-Drop-Dead List. It's about a girl who will die and her completion of her bucket list. Including kissing a girl and getting married. (And she's a teenager. Woohoo!) I personally wanted to make a bucket list, but I'm so lazy. So I thought of this girl who would complete her bucket list. And I also like the name Trixie. Heh heh. It's a brand new idea. (I have this one idea called Ravensoul which has been my baby since two years ago or so. So yeaaah. It'll be written. One day.)
Why are you excited to write this novel?
Because I'm a better writer than you, Cait. Oh wait what? I also like writing dark contemporaries. I really like the idea of a bucket list. (As I said.) I also ADORE unnamed narrators. For some reason. I think it's because anyone can relate to the character without any defining features. So the other character McLaughan is named but not really described. You'll be surprised who McLaughan turns out to be.
What is your novel about, and what is the title?
Oh. I already kinda answered this. It's called Trixie's To-Do-Before-You-Drop-Dead List. It's about Trixie who has a disease that might kill her one day. She starts a bucket list and starts to complete them. It's about love and death and poetry and books and writing and road trips and freedom and disobeying and life and grades and school and LGBT and I should stop now.
Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)
Trixie: brave-fantastic-funny-fabulous. The hyphen makes it one word. (Wink wink.)
McLaughan: cautious-but-also-a-little-risky-since-oppressive-parents (Pronounced mick-la-h-an. A little weird throat thing on the laugh part. It's not la-ff but la-h. Yeah...)
Faith: adorable-in-the-bubbly-way
Ardor: let's-teenagers-get-tattoos-without-permission
And there are many more.
And I don't have pictures. Yet. Pinterest sucks me in and wears me out. So I waste hours liking photos.
Which character(s) do you think will be your favourite to write? Tell us about them!
First. Favourite. Haha.
Second. I think I'll like writing Trixie. She's flirty and fun and out-there. But she's also a reader and a writer. She knows she's going to die, so she's a little negative. But she always tries to be happy. I'm as shy as can be. (It took me forever to try out my new TKD place. I kept procrastinating.) My imagination makes me worry so much about how people will react. In the end, I miss the chance to say things. Which sucks. Trixie is very in the moment, my polar opposite. I write characters who are like me, so it'll be different. For sure. And I get to use sarcasm! Yay!
What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?
Will I sound weird if I say not dying? Maybe? She wants to truly live her life. She knows she doesn't have time. She knows her life could send soon. Many are killed by her disease. Not telling which, though! And, duh, her disease stands in the way. Also school and family. And money and time and whatnots.
And my other leading roll McLaughan just wants to get out of Texas. McLaughan wants to be free from the parents and his/her life. (Can't reveal anything about our darling McL, can I?)
Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)
Where? It's in Texas. They also spend time on the Loneliest Road in America and in Vegas. Yaay. You wanted a cooler answer? Sucks. It's a contemporary fiction story.
Again, no pictures. Sorry...
What is the most important relationship your character has?
Most important relationship. Hm. A toughie. I want to say something like McLaughan and Trixie.
But I'll be cheesy and say Trixie and Books. Because books are life, bro. Haha. Kidding.
If I'm being a little more serious, Trixie and her disease is important. It's seeped into her life and spreads harm and hate. She is seriously affected by this. It does change her life entirely.
But. Completely serious mode activated. (Haha. As if.) It's Trixie and McLaughan. These two are polar opposites. One bubbly and fun and crazy and brave. The other more of a stick in the mud. And McLaughan changes because of Trixie. For better or worse, I can't say.How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
How does she change? Well, the answer you're hoping for is if she dies or not, am I right? And I can't tell you that you I'd have to kill you. Haha.
Honestly, Trixie doesn't change too much. That sounds so bad, but it's kinda true. Something she does realize is that
And if we're gonna talk about McLaughan, that's a different story. McLaughan completely changes. The character starts out as a reluctant friend. Someone who doesn't take a walk on the wild side a lot. Then, McLaughan is someone else.
What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?
Holy pizzacake I feel like I'm in English. Geez, Cait. Why do you have to do this to me?
I'm just going to answer that second question here.
I want my readers to feel a little warm and fuzzy. I want them to feel like you can change. I want them to feel as if life is worth living and that friends are there for you. I want people to feel as if anything is possible and that there is always a helping hand.
Wow. That's so serious yet cheesy.
BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.
As someone who has done and won NaNo twice (in years gone by), I have to say just keep writing. Honestly. It seems so stupid, but you gotta just keep writing. This year, this is an informal NaNo for me, unofficial. I can't write a lot except during bus rides and after studying, and that's mostly on my iPad. This year, I have no goals except for writing. I had a year-long break that left me drained and exhausted. I only read and went to school. It wasn't a fun year. Then, I got back into writing this year. So TTDBYDDL this year! And then, maybe in the future, Ravensoul. And maybe my gender bent Sleeping Beauty and fangirl story.
Another piece of advice: you're not alone. People all over are doing NaNo as well. Internationally even. (For example, Cait who started this feature. She's in Australia.) You can find a NaNo chapter near you. And you can meet other local NaNo-ers. Don't feel discouraged. There is a built-in support group for you. You just gotta meet them. Don't matter your age. It truly doesn't. Writing is writing. The struggles are real.
And more advice: the worst critic of your story is yourself. It's cheesy, I know, but it's true. You will slam down your story, but you gotta let it grow and cultivate. It's your child. Would you call your child disgraceful? If yes, well den. If no, you get my point.
My last piece of advice: your characters will take control of the story. They have their own personalities and backstories. Let them take control. It's their story to tell not yours. Technically, it's yours. But that's semantics.
So to simplify: (cue Don't Stop Believing)
Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)
Trixie: brave-fantastic-funny-fabulous. The hyphen makes it one word. (Wink wink.)
McLaughan: cautious-but-also-a-little-risky-since-oppressive-parents (Pronounced mick-la-h-an. A little weird throat thing on the laugh part. It's not la-ff but la-h. Yeah...)
Faith: adorable-in-the-bubbly-way
Ardor: let's-teenagers-get-tattoos-without-permission
And there are many more.
And I don't have pictures. Yet. Pinterest sucks me in and wears me out. So I waste hours liking photos.
Which character(s) do you think will be your favourite to write? Tell us about them!
First. Favourite. Haha.
Second. I think I'll like writing Trixie. She's flirty and fun and out-there. But she's also a reader and a writer. She knows she's going to die, so she's a little negative. But she always tries to be happy. I'm as shy as can be. (It took me forever to try out my new TKD place. I kept procrastinating.) My imagination makes me worry so much about how people will react. In the end, I miss the chance to say things. Which sucks. Trixie is very in the moment, my polar opposite. I write characters who are like me, so it'll be different. For sure. And I get to use sarcasm! Yay!
What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?
Will I sound weird if I say not dying? Maybe? She wants to truly live her life. She knows she doesn't have time. She knows her life could send soon. Many are killed by her disease. Not telling which, though! And, duh, her disease stands in the way. Also school and family. And money and time and whatnots.
And my other leading roll McLaughan just wants to get out of Texas. McLaughan wants to be free from the parents and his/her life. (Can't reveal anything about our darling McL, can I?)
Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)
Where? It's in Texas. They also spend time on the Loneliest Road in America and in Vegas. Yaay. You wanted a cooler answer? Sucks. It's a contemporary fiction story.
Again, no pictures. Sorry...
What is the most important relationship your character has?
Most important relationship. Hm. A toughie. I want to say something like McLaughan and Trixie.
But I'll be cheesy and say Trixie and Books. Because books are life, bro. Haha. Kidding.
If I'm being a little more serious, Trixie and her disease is important. It's seeped into her life and spreads harm and hate. She is seriously affected by this. It does change her life entirely.
But. Completely serious mode activated. (Haha. As if.) It's Trixie and McLaughan. These two are polar opposites. One bubbly and fun and crazy and brave. The other more of a stick in the mud. And McLaughan changes because of Trixie. For better or worse, I can't say.How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
How does she change? Well, the answer you're hoping for is if she dies or not, am I right? And I can't tell you that you I'd have to kill you. Haha.
Honestly, Trixie doesn't change too much. That sounds so bad, but it's kinda true. Something she does realize is that
And if we're gonna talk about McLaughan, that's a different story. McLaughan completely changes. The character starts out as a reluctant friend. Someone who doesn't take a walk on the wild side a lot. Then, McLaughan is someone else.
What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?
Holy pizzacake I feel like I'm in English. Geez, Cait. Why do you have to do this to me?
I'm just going to answer that second question here.
I want my readers to feel a little warm and fuzzy. I want them to feel like you can change. I want them to feel as if life is worth living and that friends are there for you. I want people to feel as if anything is possible and that there is always a helping hand.
Wow. That's so serious yet cheesy.
BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.
As someone who has done and won NaNo twice (in years gone by), I have to say just keep writing. Honestly. It seems so stupid, but you gotta just keep writing. This year, this is an informal NaNo for me, unofficial. I can't write a lot except during bus rides and after studying, and that's mostly on my iPad. This year, I have no goals except for writing. I had a year-long break that left me drained and exhausted. I only read and went to school. It wasn't a fun year. Then, I got back into writing this year. So TTDBYDDL this year! And then, maybe in the future, Ravensoul. And maybe my gender bent Sleeping Beauty and fangirl story.
Another piece of advice: you're not alone. People all over are doing NaNo as well. Internationally even. (For example, Cait who started this feature. She's in Australia.) You can find a NaNo chapter near you. And you can meet other local NaNo-ers. Don't feel discouraged. There is a built-in support group for you. You just gotta meet them. Don't matter your age. It truly doesn't. Writing is writing. The struggles are real.
And more advice: the worst critic of your story is yourself. It's cheesy, I know, but it's true. You will slam down your story, but you gotta let it grow and cultivate. It's your child. Would you call your child disgraceful? If yes, well den. If no, you get my point.
My last piece of advice: your characters will take control of the story. They have their own personalities and backstories. Let them take control. It's their story to tell not yours. Technically, it's yours. But that's semantics.
So to simplify: (cue Don't Stop Believing)
Keep writing. You're not alone. The worst critic of your story is yourself. Your character will take control of the story.
Good luck, NaNoers!
(Sassy Beckett. Love it!)
Yaaaay you did THE THING!! (And Sky is the other co-host! :D She is splendid and wonderful.) I really like your title, as I've mentioned on twitter, hehe, and I love the idea of bucket lists too!! It's one of my FAVOURITE plot devices, tbh, which is why I'm so excited about your book. :P And also fabulous advice. I think it's entirely wonderful to know there are people ALL over the world writing at the same time. I think that's the real reason I do NaNo...all those words that get typed over nano...omg. :')
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in the linkup! :D