Know the Novel -- part THREE

 yes, I switched the language for the number again... don't judge me.

WELL WE'RE BACK. 

Yes, I forgot to post again. BUUUUUT hopefully a little forgiveness? I've been rather busy the last month. 

Anyways, it's the month we've all been waiting for! At least, I've been waiting for it since school started... Happy December, y'all! I'm so excited for advent this year, as I have given myself a challenge that I will share in a later post, but I'm also pumped just for the holiday season. Anyone else? Just me? HOPE NOT.

But, I'm not here to fangirl about Advent, am I? not yet at least

I'm here to finish off the Know your Novel tag! And I have to say, I was waiting very eagerly for this one. I get to tell y'all all about the rest of Take Up your Cross, which has been AMAZING, just saying. So, thank you, Christine, for creating this wonderful idea.

ANYWAYS anyone else think i have a favorite word to start paragraphs with???

OFF WE GO

Know the Novel is a 3-part linkup series for writers, one for each of these last three months of the year. Each part will feature ten questions you can answer on your own blog (or anywhere else on social media, if you’d like!). The questions will be focusing on different parts of your novel and how the writing is going.

THE QUESTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. How did writing this novel go all around?

Um, it was fairly straight forward. The was a patch right in the middle I had a hard time wading through, but there wasn't much blockadge. Finding a good time to just WRITE was the hardest part. i blame school work Other than that, I had a fun time hanging out with the NOT chaotic crew. EMPHASIS ON NOT. THEY WERE NOT CHAOTIC IN THE SLIGHTEST. 

heh

MOVING ON

2. Did it turn out as you expected or completely different? How do you feel about the outcome?

Well, I wasn't expecting them to spend the whole book running like wild beasties through the forest. I also wasn't expecting part of the end climax to be basically the same thing as something that happens in To Die is Gain. I also wasn't expecting the person who died to be the one who actually DID die. I ALSO wasn't expecting the random character twist that sprung itself on me at the end. SO, let's just say the climax had me completely surprised. And I liked it! It was really good. I think...

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

I always like writing stories in the forest. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I myself adore the woods? I really don't know. This one though... I might have given them a little too much woods. It was a big part of the plot, but I don't think I elaborated on the setting as much as I have in other stories. If it wasn't entirely critical to what was happening, it wasn't mentioned. 

I do love my characters, though. I've said it before, but some of these characters were the reason I decided to continue this series. I wasn't as able to go as in depth with some of them, since they weren't POV characters in this book, but I love my new cast. Sienna is a mix of one of my most generic characters, a lust for glory and recognition, and pure... Sienna-ness. I just love her. And I love my character arcs. I'm very happy with my characters.

4. What was your least favorite part?

Oh shoot, didn't I just answer this above? I don't like that I mostly ignored the setting. I mean, it WAS there, but it wasn't... really... there...? Also, I don't love that they were running the whole time. But, it is what it is... for now.

5. What do you feel needs the most work?

Wow, I should have read these questions before I started answering. I really need to work on... DUNDUHDUNAAA the setting and the setting. And the side characters. In To Die is Gain, I adored my side characters. They were strong and had more personality and explained reasons for why they were how they were. I did that in this one with some of my main-side characters...iiiiiish? But I kinda ignored some of the other less important folk. So.... probably those two things the most.

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

Welp, anyone notice I am good at answering questions before they are asked? 

By now, I really love Sienna. She has a softer character arc than some of my other characters, but she's still delightful to write. She's just the right level of snarky, smart, and sweet, with a dash of recklessness thrown in. 

My least favorite..... ughhhhhhhhhh. I LOVE MY CHARACTERS. ALL OF THEM. I guess I'll say Wilson. Which is sad, since he's one of the ones who made me keep writing the series. But I've never really known what his inner conflict was, so he's always been a little dull, but I was hoping I'd manage to make him awesomely great in this one. I mean, the whole plot is basically what he does best! But, I was still trying to figure him out at times, so he's not as strong as I would have liked.

Well... the real character to surprise me is a biiiiig spoiler. But I was a little surprised with how Ethan turned out. He was originally one of the villains in the first book, and his side switcheroo surprised me then, but I thought, "Why not? This'll be fun! They can have a nice, mature chaperone." And he tried. Ethan tried very hard to keep everyone calm. But...you just can't control Lyra. Ever. No one can. So he ended up being the one who started most of my favorite quips and snarky one-liners. So, yeah.

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

I'm gonna need to edit it at some point. That's a big number one plan. After that, probably a few hundred more rounds of edits. Then potential publishing. I don't really know where else it's gonna go. I will mention that there will be a book after this one, titled Follow the Son, and a... prequel? I guess...? I don't know what to call it, it's gonna be the book BEFORE To Die is Gain, but I'm.... you know, I don't even know how to explain it. The order is gonna be To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain, Take Up your Cross, Follow the Son.

And yes, the fact that they're all from Bible verses is intentional. Originally, they were going to be smaller series, but I decided to combine them.

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

Traditionally published.

That's my biggest goal right now. My sister says I should edit it and then self-publish it, which I might do, but I want it to be traditionally published so bad.

9. Share some of your favorite snippets!

Uhh I already did most of my favorites last post........ Lemme see what I can scrounge up....

“I saw that, Enna!” Cody sang out. “Wilson, did you seriously not see that?”

“I did.” Wilson’s voice, right behind her.

Sienna turned and came face to face with him. She yelped, tried to scramble away, tripped over the box, and toppled to the ground. Somehow on the way down, her flailing legs managed to connect with Wilson’s kneecap, sending him to the ground as well. 

A snort echoed behind them. “That was possibly the highlight of all of your fails.”

Sienna pulled her legs out from under Wilson and stood up, rubbing a sore spot on her elbow. “What was the previous best?”

“Um, probably when you accidentally electrocuted yourself.” Lyra, Wilson’s other friend, was lounging on a nearby crate, her leg in a cast. “This one only tops it because you made Wilson fall over as well.”

~

“One last thing, boy. You’re not a Christain, are you?”

Keith’s heart froze. The melting ice down his back solidified into an icicle, tip sharp as a sword, ready to immobilize him with fear.

Tell the truth! One side of his heart yelled.

No! They’ll kill you! The other side protested.

It doesn’t matter, don’t be a coward! 

I don't even have to mean it, do I? I can lie.

Let these beasts see the truth. Be brave!

But Felicity. I have to take care of Felicity.

The argument ceased. Both sides loved Felicity.

He swallowed hard and shook his head. “No, sir. I’m not.”

~

“A trail.” Sienna rustled the leaves back across her etching and hopped to her feet. “What are we waiting for? Let’s find those fish!”

“Do we even know where to start?” Wilson’s eyes roved around the trees, his shoulders slumping wearily. “There are dozens of places they could be.”

A crack cut off anymore discussion.

The group turned to see Lyra on the ground again, the aspen now broken and at a crooked angle.

Nevertheless, Lyra pushed herself back up with a triumphant smirk and pointed to a small, light shape at the base of a tree across from them. “There’s one.”

~

Soldiers who had gone one direction came stampeding back under their oak to see what the fuss was.

“I saw one! Major, there was one of the smugglers, right over there!”

Just like little kids at an Easter egg hunt, Sienna thought, a mixture of amusement and fear slinking through her bones.

Wilson began descending from his perch. “Now we go.”

“You knew that would happen?” Felicity’s voice was skeptical.

“I knew Packer was going to cause his diversion soon. I just didn’t know when.”

~

Sienna let out a silent groan and tapped his shoulder, pulling him and Lyra into the shadows. She raised her hands toward Wilson’s face and signed, I have an idea.

“I’m guessing that means, ‘Lyra is a nitwit?’” Their companion mumbled. 

Wilson glared at her before signing back, Tell me it’s better than asking them out to dinner.

Sienna considered saying they offer Lyra in exchange, but decided this wasn’t the best time for such jests. I did think of that, but I have a better plan. And it involves fire.

“Fire?” Wilson whispered out loud, staring at her as if she had three heads. “Are you insane?”

Sienna smirked. “Tell me one person who ever answered yes to that question.”

Lyra crossed her arms. “Reading between the lines here, because no one is being decent enough to tell me what’s going on, I’m thinking you want to burn that place down.”

~

Sienna lifted her chin. “I’m not giving up.”

Wilson pushed himself to his feet and gave her a firm nod. “I won’t either.”

“It’s a death trap.” Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. “You two are insane.”

“Maybe.” Wilson turned to look at Lyra. She was curled up into a tiny ball, no longer crying, just staring at the leaves with a completely blank expression. “But I’m feeling a little… reckless right now, if ya know what I mean.”

Sienna studied the part of his face that she could see. The tear she’d seen earlier while in the tree was gone, concealed by layers of dirt and sweat. But as she stared at him, a thin line in the filth became apparent. She wasn’t certain if it was sweat or a tear, but it was in a place where it could be either. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered.

He turned and met her gaze. “I’d never be able to live with myself if I didn’t,” he responded. 

Sienna blinked hard and shook her head to clear the memory. Maybe Wilson wasn’t ready, but she could be ready for the both of them.

~

Keith's legs crumpled under the sudden slam against the ground and he toppled over.

He lay there on his back, watching Wilson make his way down with a trained grace. Once the older boy was on the ground, Keith let out a groan and tried to force himself to sit up. 

Wilson snickered. “That looked painful.”

Keith managed to push himself to his feet and rubbed his aching knees. “What are you talking about, it was super fun.” The burns on his hands stung again, and he winced. “I could do without the pain though.”

“Like I said, painful.” Wilson shook his head and helped discard the rope. “Let’s go find the others.”

Keith took a half step, but stopped at Wilson’s quirked eyebrow. “Let me guess. We need to run.”

“Running is a smuggler’s number one hobby,” he agreed. 

Keith sighed and shook his aching legs until they felt a bit readier to run. “Then what are we waiting for?”

And anything after this point is spoilers. But, hope you enjoyed those tasty little nibbles.

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

I learned I could make myself cry. And hate my own villain. And I just managed to delve deeper into my faith. Seriously though. I forced myself to think so hard. I just... don't know how to describe any of it.

SO there you have it! My final post for Know the Novel. Make sure you check out Christine's blog to experience some other funzies. Thank you, Christine, for making this delightful experience. I think I said that already. I don't care.

Anyways, prepare yourself for chaos in the days coming when you visit this blog. 

Shoot, I almost made it the whole post without any gifs... :\

ANYWAYS THANKS FOR READING!