Beautiful Books (THAT'S MINE FOR SURE!) - The Fur Slipper

It has been sooooo long since I did a link-up with these lovely people (to think I used to do it almost every month!) But I had so many of my own posts to share... and, well... you, know... writing is like life, it is constantly changing and growing.

But, guys, for the first time I'm doing NaNo!!! And I thought that this would be a fun way to share about it all!!! - Don't worry... I'll do a better update on my novel later ;D

Go here to join the fun!!

First off, this novel has been in my mind since I was 14... that means the plot has had lots of time to "ferment" and become perfected... even though I did no writing on it. It started out with me discovering that the first Cinderella story was most likely set in ancient Egypt, and about a girl named Rhodopis... her slipper was Fur. 

It wasn't until a later mistranslation was the slipper made glass. 

Anyways, I got this brilliant idea of a twist of the original story, the Biblical Esther story, and lots of my imagination. 

And it has a moral... one  that goes against the whole theme of the modern day "Cinderella's True Love is the Way."

1. Overall, how is your mental state, and how is your novel going?
Mental state? I barely even feel like I'm doing anything different. I get up early (5am) to run and write my 1600 words. Then I go to work. My life feels great right now... balanced and perfect.

And my novel? It's going so splendid! I made out a simple chapter outline in October, and a word graph to follow. And the words are just flowing so smoothly! I'm loving everything! Of course, it's only a first draft... but it's still a pretty good first draft.

And words are coming out just as I need them... I have an hour and a half to get them all, and get them I do :)

My NaNo Cover

2. What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)?

A petite girl walked towards the naked children, splashing in the waters of the Nile. She smiled at them all, keeping up a sweet melody. She carried the water skin as if it were a baby, one that she loved taking care of.

It needs some (A LOT) of work, I know. In fact, when I actually rewrite this thing, this won't be even close to what the finished project looks like... but hey, it's NaNo. It's about word count and finishing right now... not beautiful flowing words.

And the first bit always takes a while for me to perfect. But I'll get it after November is over. :D

3. Who’s your current favourite character in your novel?
That's pretty hard... I love a few of them. I mean all of them, haha.

Um... but my fairy god-mother figure, Horus is pretty awesome. He is a priest for the Egyptian Falcon god, and takes a special fancy to my MC, Estella. He has some wise things to say, and really makes her feel at home when she has to *do something really hard*.

He also has some growing to do, though. In some drastic ways. Remember, he's a priest for a false god. I'm a Believer in the One True God... so of course, if any of my characters believe in something false, they'd have some growing to do!!! :D




4. What do you love about your novel so far?
That's it's ancient Egypt. That it is a fairy tale, yet has a new twist on romance. That I have some unique characters. And that I was able to add a thread of mystery!!!

Yes, mystery - The Fur Slipper, my inspiration, my title, my mystery.




5. Have you made any hilarious typos or other mistakes?
Not really... Even though I'm not to paranoid about getting the words out perfect, I don't let too many typos set... and also, I'm a half way decent typer... so, I don't make to many mistakes, lol.

Though, the other day, when I was doing this thing with Go Teen Writer's on facebook called a fifty headed hydra - meaning we tried to write 500 words in 5 minutes. First off, don't ask me why it was called that. And secondly, not I did not get 500 words.. only 188.

But I wrote "I am, dead." instead of  "I am, dear". So that was sort of funny... a little, I guess.




6. What is your favourite to write: beginning, middle, or end — and why?
I love writing ends... they used to be so hard for me... but now they feel like the part that holds the most feeling... the part that has all the beauty wrapped up into it.

I also enjoy the beginnings of my later drafts.

Middles take the write mindset, and can be enjoyable if you know where you're going. And if you don't - well, they can still be enjoyable... you never know what adventure you might stumble along ;) (I'm a Pantser ;b)

7. What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!
Writing habits??? Um... I write... Lol. Seriously... I used to write by hand. Then I got a phone. So then I typed my stories on this neat app with my thumbs. And then I got a laptop. Anyways, I just write... haha.

I don't eat... that would be too distracting. Besides, I prefer to have my food at meal times. Also, as a writer... we tend to things that are less active... so it's wise to not snack too much ;D

If I happen to have to write in the afternoon or evening, I do take my meals with me, sometimes, to double up on time ;)

And of course I listen to music!! Owl City is a main. Movie soundtracks. Christian. And a huge mix of songs that have gorgeous melodies and touching words. I'm sort of addicted to my ear buds.

write best in the early mornings, when my mind is just fresh. I have found that I do better getting some fresh air and exercise and water first.

My writing space is my room and bed, so yeah, you aren't getting a picture of that. Lol. Private ;D




8. How private are you about your novel while you’re writing? Do you need a cheer squad or do you work alone (like, ahem, Batman)?
Neither. Or mixture.

No-one reads my stuff until it is done. And when done, I mean a couple drafts done.

But I have like three friends that I talk to all the time about my writing, and I get a lot of encouragement from them. So, my work isn't a secret... though I haven't told them any of the spoilers :D

And Batman is awesome :D




9. What keeps you writing even when it’s hard?
Pride.

I have this push... I don't know if it is good or bad... but I have to finish something once I start it. I don't give up on anything, least of all my writing. Once I've set my mind to something I do it.

That's why I'm careful about accepting challenges. It's also why I'm extremely busy and over committed. I think I can do everything, and all at once.

And besides paying for it all with lack of sleep, I usually fail in little. ;/ Not a bragging matter though... it's draining, haha.




10. What are your top 3 pieces of writing advice?
Let's just go cliche for the first one: WRITE. I'm serious though... the best advice for writing is to just do it people. Don't let excuses rule. I don't care if you write best by hand or by typing - use what you have and write. Put up with what you don't like. Sometimes the process will be slow... but who cares? Discipline yourself. Put up with those little irritations of starting out... because if you want ot get any where in the writing world, the discipline and determination skills of just writing will end up being very, VERY, essential.

Second: Prioritize. Make use of your time. When I houseclean, I don't just listen to music or let my mind wander where ever it wants. I make my self focus on my story and characters and think. For hours I brainstorm, energized by the quick work I'm doing. When prioritizing I figure out what I have to do, what I want to do, and line it up with my time. I put thing in order of what has to be done. I look for ways to double up. I discover what can be done when, and which things can all be done at once - this might be hard if you aren't a multi-tasker. But, still... prioritizing, even if you can't shove things together, is a good habit, that leads to more accomplishments.

Third: Remember to live. Yeah, we are writers. But life isn't all about are fictional people. There are real people out there, too. And adventures waiting to happen. Sometimes it's so easy for writers to get stuck in their own world. We have to remember that writing is a beautiful art, but it's not our god. And it should not be an escape route to hiding from everything real. Breath. Live. Do things for others. Love. And find good reasons to keep writing so it is not just for you, but others' too.

And that's all folks... for now ;) I hope you enjoyed this... let me know what you thought!