Aaaaaaand I’m back with the next segment of this event, covering my wip A Noble Loyalty!

This month has flown by and the need to post this before December snuck up on me! I have had my nose buried in this book I suppose!

How’s the writing going overall?

I’m going over one of the final rounds of self editing after receiving it back from my editor. Which… that process has been much slower than I anticipated. I want it to be the best it can be but I also may be overthinking certain things too, eh heh heh…

What’s been the most fun aspect of writing this novel so far?

Oh man… there’s been several!! I love the world building and my characters so much!!! I love my beta readers, they’ve been the absolute best cheerleaders, like… seriously the BEST!! And it wouldn’t be what it is without them. Formatting details have been fun tooo! And of course the special edition features!! 

What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

Well, as I mentioned, I adore them(the mc’s I mean, my villain is quite… a stinker)! They’re so vivid in my mind, I feel like I don’t do them or the setting justice when writing it out a lot of the time haha 

Hmm. It’s funny because at first I really liked my MMC so much more but as I’ve really gotten into writing my FMC, I’m afraid she outshines him(“afraid” in that I hope my readers don’t think he’s bland…). It is a bit more about her arc in a lot of ways… but I really love my MMC so much, I loved how she throws him off from his pov when he’s usually so self-assured and that she doesn’t see him as awkward as he feels in certain moments.

Has your novel surprised you in any way?

Oh yes! I’m a plantser so while I may have certain scenes in mind, and/or point A to point B’s, getting there can meander in ways I had no idea they would! Honestly one of the most fun and frustrating parts of my writing hahaha Certain themes and friendships have cropped up that have really become foundational!

Have you come across any problem areas?

I… would say my biggest problem has been estimating my timeline. Or underestimating to be specific, ha! Certain aspects have taken so much longer than I anticipated… and that’s not all bad. But. Having an ever-nearing deadline and feeling behind isn’t great… 

What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Completing the stages it has so far! And that I was able to purchase formatting software, which has been amazing! Probably in general though, is the learning process this has been! I’m so proud of and thankful for the Cornerstone authors!!

If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

Ooo… well. There’s probably a little bit of me in each of my MC’s actually… really thinking about it though, I’d probably most likely be Felina, my MMC’s sister.
She is actually much more extroverted and comfortable with public speaking than myself but still. 

Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

Opening of Chapter One
“Angry flames lit the night sky as Alba Campos watched in horror as her family’s wool mill burned. The bucket of water she had hauled from the nearby well dropped from her grip, useless against the raging inferno. Chaos and smoke surrounded her—the bleating of sheep and other terrified livestock all amid her family’s shouting after the riders that had thrown torches and profanities before they disappeared into the darkness.”

Snippet One—my FMC Bee Durand
“Bee left her horse at the smithy’s stable so she could meander the market in what was sure to be tighter space. She unwrapped her shawl from where she had tucked it in her belt earlier and draped it around her shoulders as the wind picked up. 
It had been the perfect early fall morning–pleasant but with enough bite to tell you the colder weather was making itself known. Vendors called their wares as Bee slowly made her way, the breeze making hanging trinkets jingle together and fluttering scarves into a rainbow of color along the street. She was foolish to have skipped breakfast as the smell of candied castenya wafted in the air. If she wasn’t rationing what money she had, the treat would’ve been her first stop.”

Snippet Two—my MMC Elias Reyes
“Elias stood in the corridor, not wanting to join the banquet yet, or even at all. 
Family portraits lined the walls, and he stared at a likeness of his brother as he tugged at a collar that was much too tight and itched. Lee had loved dressing regally, dancing, schmoozing—everything these events entailed, but Elias would rather be anywhere else. Preferably with a book or pen in hand. 
He was to serve the public as a knight, yes, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being in public like this. He was well aware of his and his brother’s differences, most of which having to do with wishing he was more like him. Adventurous, brave, confident, well-spoken… all of these seemed to always make up for his foolhardy stubbornness, carelessness for the things his parents upheld, and last but not least, disappearance…
Elias sighed as the first notes of the orchestra began to play. He tried to shift his thoughts. 
It was Felina’s birthday, she deserved a happy one without a scowling, obviously uncomfortable younger brother lurking about. She had been feeling so much better and, in hopes it lasted longer this time, their mother planned the party in record time. 
Elias slipped through the doorway to the banquet hall, seeing that his father and sister had opened the dancing, and grimaced knowing he was to escort their mother within just a few stanzas. He wove his way between guests toward her, at whose side he was supposed to have been at several minutes ago. Her posture shifted and she gave him the slightest look of relief and a hint of reproach, which he knew he deserved, before her usual soft smile graced her face once again. Coming along beside her, Elias offered his arm and walked her to the dance floor. 
They went through the first motions, and he had just finished a bit of footwork that would bring him from facing his mother to her side, when he stumbled—having glimpsing a face, those hazel eyes, that he least expected to see.” 

Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

There haven’t been hardly any such exciting moments like those examples actually… I mean there have been plot and theme changes but nothing so dramatic. I did add more interesting creatures/folklore than I had originally intended and those additions have made me so happy!

Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

After lunch and while my kids have their own activities for a little bit and then after supper and family time in the evenings for an hour or so, I sit at our dining table with the beverage of the day(mostly coffee, but sometimes herbal tea) for the former and maybe some ice cream for the latter, and boot up my laptop. I don’t know about anyone else but I have sooooo many tabs open (I was very glad to learn that you can now organize and bunch tabs into groups!!).
Pandora is my favorite music streaming app so that’s one of the first things I bring up. I listen to a variety of music depending on what I’m doing. For writing I like soundtracks, How To Train Your Dragon and Sense & Sensibility, but AudioMachine and PianoGuys are awesome too! For editing I don’t make a point of lyriclessness so it could be country, pop… I’m really enjoying 90’s music right now.
I do get distracted by Pinterest and Canva and my writing groups quite a bit (hides face behind hands). I do very much enjoy the accountability and encouragement of writing with others but sometimes it can be distracting too so it just depends.
After bedtime routine, when my kids are asleep, is when I get the most done though! I’ve always been a night owl. I’m trying to do better about prioritizing sleep but… it is harder when I am more naturally inclined and enjoy staying up haha

This month has gone by far too quickly!!

I feel like I’ve saying things like that a lot lately… I don’t want it to blur all together but sometimes it’s like life is such a whirlwind. Especially since the holidays are starting.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because even the name is like an intentional thing. Giving thanks. And there is so much to be thankful for!
I appreciate you joining me in reading this post and I hope you had a blessed holiday! 

With love, Olivia