Here we are at last with my FINAL NaNoWriMo 2019 post! It has been a whirlwind of a venture, but an absolutely amazing one. So today I’m going to be discussing alllll the things via my Know the Novel linkup.
First up, I have some uberly happy news…
I FINISHED THE TIMEKEEPER & THE LIBRARIAN
As if Tuesday night, December 3rd, the first draft of T&L is done.
I. AM. SO. HAPPY.
I really wanted to finish it by the end of November, but the last week of November was craaaazy and not providing for long amounts of writing time to wrap it up. Thankfully, Tuesday proved to be a free day and I literally pounded out 8k words (my most wordiest writing day for this whole book x_x) and made it to “The End”. It was glorious! The draft ended at 115,715 words, and that’s by far not my biggest book sooo yeah, basically I need help. Eheheheh. BUT IT’S DONE.
Okay, as ecstatic as I am to be free, I did so love writing this novel. I’m having a hard time adjusting to not spending each day with dear Everly and Luka and the others. It was time-consuming, ridiculous, and so very messy, but man did I love writing this book. I feel like it was the perfect one to spend my 10th NaNo on! And I am a very happy wrimo. ^_^
SO. Let’s get to the linkup questions and dig deeper into how this thing went down!
THE TIMEKEEPER & THE LIBRARIAN
Absolutely fantabulously! I was just thoroughly enjoying myself with this one. The characters were adorable, the concept was a really fun one to play with, the world (though could definitely use a lot more fleshing out) was delightful. It was just FUN. It proved to be one of my most lighthearted stories to date, and I really liked it. The second half definitely got a lot heavier buuut I do love me some feels, so they had to slip in there eventually. *grins* It was a good balance for me though, of lighthearted cuteness and Feels. It felt very different from all my other novels and…I liked that. It was nice veering a bit from my usual heavy fantasy stuff and trying something more whimsical.
This draft is a disaster, there are plot holes everywhere, the whole first half probably needs to have a lot cut and the second half needs a lot more fleshing out, but I loved every bit of it. I keep reliving scenes in my head and grinning as I remember how much fun they were to write.
I just really, really loved writing this story! It’s one that’s been in my head for literal YEARS and it feels so surreal at last having it on paper.
Lolololol. Being as how I went into this thing 94% blind, everything was unexpected. AND I LOVED THAT.
I didn’t know what to expect from pantsing a NaNo novel. Every other novel I pantsed, I had no time limit on it and could just write as ideas came. I’ve never done this with NaNo so…I was worried I’d get stuck and not be able to get through to the end. But no such tragedy occurred. I got into a routine of brainstorming that day’s words as I got ready for the day each morning or often things would come to me as I wrote and somehow I ended up with a finished draft so here we are.
I am so glad I pantsed this. I think it turned out much better discovering the story as I went, instead of forcing an outline on myself. I do still believe I am pantser at heart. My plots always turn out more interesting when I let the story drag me behind it, instead of me trying to be the driver. So this experiment of pantsing for NaNo proved to be a success! I don’t know if I’ll always pants my NaNo novels. I’ll probably take it story by story. But this one turned out great!
As far as how I feel about the outcome, I am muchly pleased! There is a LOT I’ll be changing come revision time, but the whole point of this draft was to find the story. And now I have it. The strange thing about this story is, the idea of rewrites doesn’t totally overwhelm me. Usually when I finish a first draft I can’t even think about rewrites because the very thought makes me want to go bury myself underneath the sea. But with this one, I’m already getting ideas of how to work out some plot holes, flesh out some story threads, and strengthen a few character arcs. I just love this story so much and I think it’ll be a joy to fix up…one day. For now though, I’m going to let it rest (and by “it” I mean ME).
CHARACTERS. DUH. Oh my gracious, these adorkable beans were soooooo much fun. And actually turned out a little bit differently than I expected, but not in a bad way! I’ll save all my gushing for question #6 though.
As far as other aspects I loved, I really enjoyed the concept of the time dimension and the Clock and how time works and all that stuff. I’m such a huge fan of timey wimey plots and working out complicated time thiiiings. #NerdAlert It was an utter blast playing with the idea of a person literally keeping all of time running smoothly. By the end there things got really timey wimey and I was LOVIN’ IT!
Um… I have been sitting here for like five minutes and scrolling through my book trying to think of an answer to this question, but I am coming up short. Like, I loved ALL of it.
I guess the writing style itself could be a lot better. My brain was not cooperating in coming up with clever ways to word…anything. The writing is a bit too simplistic and dry and I feel like I used the same five words a thousand times over.
But as far as the story and characters and concept? I loved it ALL!
*points to answer above* The writing style needs WORK. But I was just trying to figure out the story. I can pretty it up later, so that’s fine. Half of that stuff probably won’t even stay the same ANYWAY, so why waste time making it pretty at this stage, you know?
There are also some little plot holes that will need filling in. Between the complex plot and all the time wimey-ness of it all and literally figuring it out as I went, things got MESSY. I’m not sure if anything lines up. But now that I know the full story, I don’t think it’ll be that hard to fill things in.
I’d also like to flesh some more stuff out, especially in the second half. A couple of characters more or less got dropped by the climax, so I need to find a way to bring them in more.
But overall, I’m very happy with the plot. Now that I know it in full, I now have all the freedom to play with it!
Yesssss. Here we go!
Everly – Most of the novel was in Everly’s POV and I got so fond of seeing the world through her eyes. I have to say though, I expected her to be a little more temperamental and no-nonsense than she was, but I actually LOVED how she turned out. Most of the time she was just confused and tired and wanted to go read instead of face the complete and utter insanity that her life had become. For basically over half the book she was like, “You know what, I’m just gonna go read and think about that later.” #relatable I do feel like at the beginning she was all no-nonsense, and by the end you could really see Luka’s influences on her as she accepted the nonsense and just rolled with it and it was great. Oh, and her philosophy was always: Tea first, explanations later. I declare the characters drank half a continent’s worth of tea within the span of the story.
Luka – My disaster cinnamon roll boi! Ugh. MY HEART. He turned out a little differently as he was not nearly as much of a drama king as I suspected. In fact, he was chill like 95% of the time and I’m just like, “Um, Luka, shouldn’t you be a little more worried about THE WORLD ENDING?” But it was a perfect balance to Everly’s uptightness. She needed someone chill. Well, I say he’s chill, but he’s more like a rambunctious puppy. He had a habit of grabbing her hand and dragging her through all sort of craziness and it was adorable. AND HE’S SUCH A SWEETIE. He basically puts everyone else before himself, almost to an unhealthy level and and and skdjflskjd;fs. I just love him so much. D’: D’: D’: (He’s probably my favorite but shhhh don’t tell the others.)
Sage – Sage surprised me the MOST. I 100% expected him to be my signature snarky antihero character but…his snark was very low. He sort of reminded me of Flynn Rider, in that he thought he was this cool, suave person but in reality is a total dork. And, like, so badly wanted to be everyone’s friend. He was kinda needy, in a totally adorable way, and I was not expecting that. I LOVED how he turned out though! It was so very different but totally worked. I wish I could say more but, well, spoilers. *grins*
There were quite a few others too, all with their own surprises. Two, in fact, threw some MAJORRRR plot twists my way and I’m just like WUT WUT WUT. It was great though! This is why I love pantsing. You just never know what your characters will surprise you with.
I do feel like one of my villains didn’t get as fleshed out as I would have liked him to. Everyone else kept taking over the pages, so that is another thing that will need work. I think it’ll be a blast bringing his character out more though come revision time. I could only focus on so much while writing nearly 116k words in 33 days. Heh. It’ll be great to flesh everyone out a bit more now that I don’t have to balance figuring out the entire plot while doing it.
But, all in all, I ADORE THIS CAST WITH MY WHOLE HEART. And I already miss these disaster children. <333
Letting it sit in the dark recesses of my laptop for the unforeseeable future. Lololol. I’m so professional.
But, really, for now I need a break from it. And come the new year I’ll probably be focusing on another project. But I love this story too much to never do anything with it. I WILL come back to it for rewrites one day. It just may be a year or so from now I fear… We will see though!
My dream for all my novels is to have them traditionally published. That is absolutely the hopeful goal for this one.
And, I mean, if Netflix wanted to pick this up for a series, I certainly wouldn’t complain. The way it’s setup, I think it’d work as a mini series or something.
But, ahem, yes. Having it fully edited and traditionally published is the dream.
[Here are some of my favorite not-very-spoilery scenes. Just remember, I wrote this in a 33 day blur so, um, don’t expect high quality writing…]
Everly swerved around, brandishing her book in both hands like a weapon as the boy approached. He stopped short at the sight of her, eyes wide in genuine alarm.
Her body shook from confusion? fear? anger? That was it. Anger. At least, that’s the one she chose to focus on lest she feel faint again. Letting the anger course through her, she shook her book-weapon threateningly. “Make it stop. No, wait! Make it go again. I mean, just. Ugh! Fix this. Right now! Or I’ll…I’ll…” She hadn’t the faintest idea what she’d do. Not beat him with her precious book, that was for sure. But he didn’t need to know that. She held it up higher, hoping that looked intimidating.
He still held the watch in his hand, and looked from it to her and back again, brow scrunched. “Um. Well.” He scratched his head, mussing up his hair all the more. “This is very odd,” he murmured, as if talking to himself. “Have you ever experienced this before?”
“What? You’re completely off your trolley! No I most certainly have not. What did you do to me?” She stepped forward. Maybe she should beat him with the book. It was what Adeline would do.
“Nothing. I mean, I don’t think I did.” He leaned forward, eyes squinting at her as if she were a bug he examined under a microscope. He reached out as if to touch her.
She smacked his hand with the book, and he snatched it back, startled.
“Get away from me, you loon,” she shouted, or tried to, but her voice shook, killing the effect. It most definitely wasn’t from fear though. It was the anger. Absolutely. “I will have no more of this nonsense. Are you going to fix this or will I have to seek the authorities?” Except the authorities were probably frozen. The thought made her blood feel like it was going to chill over and freeze her as well. What in Aldemere was happening? “Just fix it!”
He still watched her with that absentminded, probing stare. “What’s your name?”
“What’s my— Are you not listening to a word I’m saying to you? I want you to end this nonsense right now.” Who was this boy? He had to have done something to her when she wasn’t paying attention. Was she even conscious right now? Was this some sort of hallucination? He could be a potions master. The white spots crept back in her vision. “Just…just stop it.” Her words dropped as tears threatened. No. She would not cry. She had to show him she was strong and would fight.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He moved as if to touch her again but seemed to think better of it. “I know this is very confusing.”
“Confusing? The world stopped! What potion did you use on me?”
“Potion?” He drew his head back, blinking. “Oh, no, no. It’s nothing like that. See?” He held up the watch and gave it a few taps.
Something hefty barreled into Everly’s back and she stumbled forward. Someone caught her before she fell on her face.
“Oh! ‘Scuse me, miss. Didn’t see you there.”
She gasped and looked up as the large man she had ran into before now lumbered past her, shooting her a puzzled look. “It’s like you appeared out of thin air.” He tipped his hat and plodded on.
A wave of sound rushed over here. The hum of chatter, shuffling feet, a bird’s song. A fly buzzed past her ear and shot up into the air. Heart pounding, she looked around as the world moved again. Yet not a soul seemed confused or concerned. It was like nothing had even happened.
“Are you all right?”
The voice snapped her head around and she started to see a pair of concerned blue eyes uncomfortably close to her face. That was when she realized both the boy’s hands were grasping her upper arms, holding her up. She hadn’t even realized he was the one who caught her.
Gasping, she stumbled backward out of his reach and opened her mouth, but it was like the gears in her mind had jammed. She could just stare, jaw open.
He had the gall to actually smile. “See? No potions. It just helps to find the time quirks when everything is stopped. And, well, clearly it worked. Because you—”
She ran. The gears had finally started moving again and her mind had one word for her: Run. She had to get away from this crazy person.
She had gotten a little lost halfway through his rambles, the first part taking up most of her thinking space. That sea out there was time. All of time. She wanted to deny it. To call him crazy. To claim once more that this was some sort of hallucination. Yet when she looked out at those colorful, shifting waves of sand, her heart stirred with a depth of feelings she had never known before. Both inconsolable sorrow and exuberant joy. Dreaded fear and immeasurable peace. Abysmal despair and glorious, infinite hope. No amount of potions, hallucinations, or anything in the whole of the universe could produce such fathomless emotions.
The ocean before her, the Sands of Time, was real. Possibly the most real thing her eyes had ever witnessed. Which meant the Clock had to be real, too. And in turn…
She moved her gaze back to the boy before her. For the first time, she really, truly looked. Beyond the round, boyish face, the mussy blond hair, the playful blue eyes, the sideways smile, there was something else. Something old, wise. Timeless.
She laughed. A nervous, reckless, hysterical laugh. Maybe she was the mad one. “You really are the the Timekeeper, aren’t you? This is all actually real.” She laughed again, and then pulled her cup up with shaking hands and took a long, long sip.
The boy—the Timekeeper—responded with a grin. “Yes and yes.”
She took another sip and then set her nearly empty cup down, staring at him for several more seconds, trying to sort out her feelings on the matter. Strangely, her high-strung emotions had loosened. Perhaps finally accepting and embracing the nonsense was less stressful than fighting it. Or maybe just the calming effects of the chamomile were setting in. “It’s funny,” she said at last, “I always thought Father Time looked like an old man with a long white beard.”
He bristled, though a mischievous gleam glinted in his eyes. “Most certainly not. He’s a very dashing, young looking man.”
She shook her head, chuckling. With his hair sticking up on all manner of directions, she wasn’t sure ‘dashing’ was the right word. Though she supposed he did have a certain charm to him. She straightened at the though. Good heavens, what a long day it had been. She pulled her cup up and slurped the final sip, eyeing him over the rim. “But, really, you said you’re just the keeper of time. The mechanic, right?”
“Technically speaking, yes.”
“The Timekeeper is just your title, not your name.”
“Can’t it be both?”
“Most certainly not. And I’m not just going to go around calling you the Timekeeper. That’s absurd.”
“Time works just fine too.”
She frowned. “That’s even more absurd. Surely you weren’t born as the Timekeeper. You have to have a name. A real name,” she added as he opened his mouth to protest.
“Well.” He squirmed in his seat.
“Out with it.”
He dropped his gaze to the table and murmured something under his breath.
“Pardon?”
“Luka,” he finally said with a heavy sigh. “It’s Luka.”
“There. Was that so hard? What’s wrong with Luka?”
“It’s boring.”
“Boring? It’s a perfectly respectable name.”
“That’s the problem. Time or the Timekeeper sounds much grander.”
“Stuff and nonsense.”
“Shall we dance?”
Luka’s voice near her ear startled her from her thoughts. He leaned in close, watching the room with excitement.
Her heart leapt to her throat. “Dance?” she squeaked. She took in the hundreds of swirling couples and butterflies churned in her stomach. “I have no idea how to dance.”
“How convenient! I haven’t the faintest idea either. Let’s figure it out together!” He pulled her forward.
“But…but…” It was true, she didn’t know how to dance, but that wasn’t the only reason she didn’t want to go.
Luka dragged her through the crowd, and she ducked, trying to make herself as small as she could against the overwhelming amount of crushing bodies. He took her to practically the middle of the floor, right in the thick of things.
A couple swirled by and she crashed into Luka to get out of their way. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He helped steady her back on her feet. “Of course! You can’t come to a ball without dancing! Besides, we’ve got to show off how great we look,” he said with another flourish of his cloak.
This almost brought out a laugh. “Maybe you do, but I fear I’m under dressed.”
The ball gowns around her rivaled the chandelier in brilliance, and the women themselves sparkled with jewelry and gems on their arms, necks, and even in their complicated hairstyles. Her one little hair comb suddenly felt very inadequate.
“What are you talking about? You look beautiful.”
The butterflies returned with a vengeance, in addition to burning heat in her cheeks. The way he said it sounded so…genuine. Not as if he were just trying to make her feel better. This reckless abandon in which he complimented her had to stop.
“Come on.” He faced her, holding up her hand he still held and placing his other on her waist. “This looks like the right position.”
“Oh. Um.” Her cheeks burned worse than ever. She studied the twirling couples, and then carefully set her hand on his shoulder.
He grinned. “Ready?”
“Nooo—whooooa.”
He lurched her into a twirl so violent she nearly flew out of his grip. She stumbled into him, making them both nearly collide with a nearby couple. The man and woman shot them an annoyed glare before waltzing farther away.
“Whoops.” Luka chuckled.
A giggle bubbled out of Everly’s own throat. “I’m not sure we’re doing it right. Maybe we should go a little slower?”
“Ah, but what’s the fun in that?” He pulled her into another spin.
“Ack, Luka!” She pressed against him, clutching his shoulder for dear life as he spun round and round the room. “Stop!” she said, even as another bout of giggles took hold of her.
Luka grinned all the more. “Shall we try a dip?”
“Don’t you dare!”
His eyes gleamed. “I don’t know. Could be fun.”
“I will leave you on this dance floor by yourself.”
“Awwww.” He puckered out his bottom lip.
She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t quite hold in the smile.
They continued to twirl. After a few minutes of watching the other dancers, and much stepping on each other’s feet, they got a little more accustomed to the movements, even if Luka kept trying to the complicated dips and spins. He even let her go and did a spin himself, causing his cape to slap her in the face. Many of the guests shot them side-eyed glares at their antics, but Everly was laughing too hard to care.
“We are terrible dancers!” she said after they nearly slipped on the slick floor. Her feet ached, she was out of breath, sweat dampened her brow, and her cheeks hurt from grinning, though she couldn’t seem to stop.
Luka moved her in a slower circle, a little out of breath himself. “It’s a true tragedy.” He shook his head in mock disappointment. “I can’t sing or dance. I guess I’ll never make it in the theatrical arts.”
“Such a shame. I guess you’ll have to pursue something else. I hear repairing clocks is good, honest work.”
“Is that so? Think I can make it in the business?”
“Mmm. I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Ouch. Right in the heart.”
[Dorks. The both of them.]
I always gain some new revelation with each novel. I’m a firm believer in that no words are wasted words, even if they never see the light of day. Because when we write, we are literally practicing our craft, just like practicing a musical instrument.
With T&L, I think one thing is that it showed me I can still pants a novel. I literally have not pantsed a full-length novel since 2014. Yeah. 2014. I’ve recently been pantsing my Faylinn short stories, but just a full novel? Nope. It’s been yeeears. So I had no clue what to expect. But it went swimmingly and was a great reminder that I am still a pantser at the core.
And, as I talked about in a recent post, it showed me that I am in fact capable of writing every single day, no matter how insane the day is. I managed to write every day from the day I started the novel to the day I finished. 33 days straight of writing. That’s probably not that big of a deal for so many of you amazing people, but for me, who can go months without writing, I was really happy to manage it. Even just setting a timer for 10 minutes and plowing out a few words adds up (which is what I had to do for one particularly crazy day. I literally spent only 15 minutes writing that day, but ended with 500 words which helped a lot!). ALL writing is progress.
Lastly, I was reminded that the reason I love to write is to really get to the hearts of the characters. Some days I felt like I was rushing scenes, just trying to get to the end and not really digging deep into the HEART of the scene, the emotion. I was just making things happen to get the plot moving along. But when I slowed down to look at why the scene mattered, to truly explore the heart of my characters, that is when I had the most fun writing. Every single scene should matter to the characters in some form or fashion, and sometimes I forgot that.
These are all things I definitely want to remember as I hopefully get started on a new project come 2020.
And thus ends another NaNo season!
Wow, guys, this was such a good one. Probably one of my top 5! (Am I the only one who ranks their NaNos?)
My plan now is to take a BREAK and just enjoy the Christmas season, and then jump back into writing things come January or February. I have had an insanelyyyy full year (mostly good things, just FULL) and my poor brain is dry. I feel like I’ve squeezed out every last ounce of creativity and energy left in the poor noggin of mine and it’s time to refill it up so I don’t enter 2020 looking like a dried up mummy.
I am EXCITED! Movie watching and Christmas celebrating and reading and all the fun things are in my future and it’s gonna be great!
But, truly, I loved this NaNo so, soooo much! This last week of it proved to be a little crazy just because I had a lot going, but the climax was a BLAST to write and all the rest of the month was actually pretty quiet. No major disasters. A MIRACLE.
I’m calling my 10th NaNoWriMo a huge success!!!
Well, guys, you survived another year of my NaNo rambles! CONGRATULATIONS. Okay, but seriously, all the support and encouragement you spread is what keeps me going through this crazy time. Thank you so much for being here with me through this journey! I’m SO grateful for my peeps! <3 So TELL ME. How was your November? Are you excited it’s DECEMBER?! Do you have any fun plans for the month?
Don’t forget you can join this linkup yourself! All details HERE.
*standing ovation* CONGRATULATIONS on finishing TTATL!! (that acronym sounded better in my head. oh well. XD) 33 days straight of writing is INCREDIBLE!
And I AM SCREAMING OVER THESE CHARACTERS. Luka has already stolen my heart, and I haven’t even read the book. XD And SAGE! I could ramble on about my feelings forever, but I’ll just leave it at this: if you need a beta-reader, you know where to look. 😉
AAAAHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH, NICOLE, YOU PRECIOUS BEAN YOU!!!!! (The book title is so long, even as an acronym. XD I’ve been calling it T&L for short to try to contain that ridiculous title. Lol.)
I am so insanely honored you love the characters and would want to beta-read. THANK YOU!!! I have nooo clue when it will be ready for beta-readers, but I would be THRILLED to have you on the team when the time comes! <333
(*whispers* I will join Nicole on the want-to-beta-read list! xD)
AWK! THANK YOU! You guys are making my day right and left! <333
YAY! I’ve been looking forward to hearing more about this story ever since I heard its title (which is amazing by the way)
haha, your problems with Sage sound similar to mine with Sebastian 😀
It’s so good that you were able to write every day! I have the same problem, where I can go months without writing, and this NaNo I was reminded that I CAN make myself write every day, even if its just a little bit.
Congrats!!!
Awwww! *squeals and blushes* Thank you!!!
Oh my goodness, that is so funny we both had guys who changed up their personalities! And both with S names at that. Too great! XDD
Yes, exactly! Every other time of the year the idea of writing every day seems impossible, then during NaNo it’s totally possible. I guess it’s all in the attitude. If only I can remember that during the other 11 months. XD
Thanks again, girl! A huge congrats to you too! <3
AHHHHHH I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!!! Congrats so many times over on finishing *flails* You’re so amazing, girl.
OKAY BUT THESE CHARACTERS. They sound BRILLIANT. The way they keep changing personalities feels way too much like my own struggles with a couple of my own characters in book 4 xD But YES!!!!! I LOVE THEM ALLLLLLLL. Especially Luka, I think, but I won’t tell him that either because I wouldn’t want any of the others to think he’s better xD You are such a queen of characters and these dorks sound amazing!!!!!!
Writing a light and slightly less feelsy book…oh, wouldn’t that be nice??? This is why I need to finish Not the Chosen One xD I need a break *ignores the fact that my primary WIPs for 2020 are going to be extremely dark and heavy books whatever okay* The tone of this story sounds PERFECT. I love it so much.
Okay but this post is so amazing and just CONGRATS AGAIN ON FINISHING AND JUST Adkfjadk;ghadsjfdakfjdasjfkadsjf so awesome *flails* *fires confetti cannon* HAVE SOME COFFEE
THANK YOU SO VERY MUUUUCCCHHHH!!! BUT YOU ARE THE AMAZING ONE. <333
Oh my goodness gracious. *squeals and flails around* You are too sweet! It is always the best feeling in the world when other people love your characters. Just just just....THANK YOU! So very happy you like the sound of them! (But yes, the struggle is REAL with characters switching around their personalities. Silly beans... *shakes head*)
Ahahahaha! Yeeeeah. Most of the time I'm working on heavier books as well, so this was a nice change of pace. Although I do love me some dark, heavy stories. It's just, ya know, good to have a balance now and again. Maybe. ;D
THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!!! You've been such a cheerleader through all of this and I am so grateful for all the enthusiasm and support! You're such a good friend! <333 (And no worries, muuuch coffee has and will be consumed. XD)
AHH CONGRATULATIONS!! I’m so happy for you that you’ve finished it and the snippets are ADORABLE and :’-) This sounds so awesome!
EEP. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, BECKY!!!! You are too kind! <3
I am IN AWE at your ability to finish an entire novel in such a short amount of time!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯😍😍😍😍😍😍 WHAT IS THIS POWER YOU WIELD
But seriously, CONGRATS! When I first read the “Introduction” to The Timekeeper and the Librarian back a few months ago, I already fell in love with it! (Also, I really like your writing style. I’m jealous of how effortless it is. 😍)
CONGRATS, Christine!!! 💕
OH and I need to mention: I really want Everluka to be canon by the end of the book because oh my shipper HEART 🤧🤧🤧😍
Lololol. I’m not sure it’s a “power”. More like “insanity”. XDD BUT THANK YOU! And goodness me, I don’t think anyone has ever called my writing style effortless. I feel like it’s a MESS. But but but…that just makes my day!!!! YOU ARE TOO SWEET. Thank you so muuuuch! <3
"Everluka"! You are the first to give them a ship name! And JUST. It's like the biggest honor to have people ship my characters and love them enough to give them ship names. I'm just squealing and giggling and grinning over here. 😀 😀 😀
Way to go, Christine! You inspire us all. I can’t wait for your dream of being published happens so we can enjoy all your lovely stories.
JENNNNNN. Day = MADE. That is the nicest thing of you to say! Thank you so much!!! It’s precious comments like these that give me the motivation to keep pursuing that dream. <3
CHRISTIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!! CONGRATS ON BLASTING THIS NANO TO THE MOOOOON!!!!!!!!! Wow, and WELL DONE, dear girl! Your snippets were LITERALLY DEVOURED & I love love LOVE both Everly & Luka So. MUCH. Seriously, I need an entire BOOK of them. ;D xD (hahaha, whenever you’re ready, of course!) This NaNo sounded like an absolute blast for you, and I’m so pleased it was!!!
Love how you dig into the wheels & gears of the stories with these questions. I’m hoping to get to them this week. Thanks again for hosting this link-up! <333
AAAAHHHHH THANK YOU!!!!! I AM GRINNING SO HARD. You encourage me so much, Sarah! Thank you for being here cheering me on through all the insanity! It was so great taking on this quest together! ^_^ A huge congrats to YOU for your awesome win!!!
I cannot wait to see your answers to these questions. It’s been a JOY hosting this. Thank you for participating! I am thrilled you guys enjoy them.
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re done ALREADY!!! Congratulations, Christine! Everything about this novel sounds so fun and intriguing!
YOU ARE TOO SWEET! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! <3
You’re welcome! <3 😀
*jaw drops* W O W
THIS IS AMAZING. <3
MERIE. YOU ARE THE SWEETEST SOUL. THANK YOU!!!
“How convenient! I haven’t the faintest idea either.” OH MY GOODNESS. THAT SCENE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND I CAN’T WAIT TO READ THE WHOLE BOOK SOMEDAY AND GET TO THAT SCENE BECAUSE IT’S THE MOST ADORABLE AND SHIPPIEST THING OF EVER.
OKAY I still love Luka so much and I love how he’s just a big carefree puppy (even though he’s literally in charge of time???) and I need to read this whole book like RIGHT now. First draft and all. xD
I’ve said it before but I’m so glad you had such a good NaNo! And CONGRATS ON FINISHING YOUR BOOK!!! I’m still on the fence about whether I want to try to finish mine this month. xD On one hand I’d love to have it finished so I can move on to something else in the new year, and on the other hand I’m really enjoying this break from novel-writing after NaNo ate me. So. Probably what will end up happening is I won’t write anything until after Christmas and so definitely won’t finish the book. But that’s okay. xD
My grand plans for December include Christmas cookies, fuzzy pajamas, and Hallmark movies. xD Although I do get out of the house now and then… my mom and I did bell-ringing for the Salvation Army last week aaaand it looks like we’re going to be doing it again this week because we apparently showed up for the wrong day. XD We also went to our town’s tree lighting, which is apparently a thing??? I literally had no idea we had a tree lighting and I’ve lived in the same town for 21 years. o.o
Basically, I’m just fully enjoying the Christmas season and soaking it all in.
I hope you’re having an amazing season too, Christine!! <3 <3
theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com
Also, when you mentioned Faylinn I realized that IT’S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE A FAYLINN STORY AND I’VE ACTUALLY MISSED THEM SO MUCH??? Like, there weren’t prompts the past couple months and then the last story you did was about Zayd. Which of course, was great, but I didn’t realize how much I miss my precious couple. xD
*BEAMS* THANK YOU!!!! Gonna be real, that was one of my tippity top favorite scenes to write. Luka is such a dork, I just can’t even. And yes, he’s a carefree puppy in charge of TIME and just ??? I don’t even know. It’s a mess. XD BUT ALL YOUR SWEET WORDS ABOUT THE STORY AND HIM AND EVERYTHING ALKJS:LDJF:LJLSJDF. This whole comment is making me so happy! <3
Thank you for all the congrats! I feel you on trying to decide if to finish or take a break. It's such a hard thing to decide. I personally think Christmas breaks are FABULOUS things though! I totally get you wanting to finish your book, but if you're enjoying your break, than you should absolutely embrace it and just enjoy the Christmas season! I think everyone deserves a Christmas break!
Cookies, fuzzy pajamas, and Hallmark movies sounds like THE best plans of ever! We love having Hallmark movies on as well. They're so cozy. ^_^ Oooh, bell-ringing for Salvation Army. That is awesome! But oh no! I'm sorry you went the wrong day. Well...twice the volunteering fun, yeah? ;D
OH MY GOODNESS. Would you believe I JUST found out our town has a tree lighting too, and I've lived here MY ENTIRE LIFE. That is HILARIOUS we both had no idea about our town. That makes me feel better though! XDD
I'm soooo happy you're just enjoying the holidays! Sounds absolutely perfect. ^_^
D'AWWWW!!! Okay, but that just makes me so insanely happy you enjoy my Faylinn stories and miss those two. ASLDKJLFJL:SDJKJFD. THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME! They will absolutely be back probably January or February! Seriously, this means so much to me. It totally makes it worth it writing those stories. Thank you, Emily! <3
That snippet about the dance! Gaaaahhhh! I can’t even. I am grinning too hard right now.
This sounds so amazing, and I wish it were published so I could run over to the nearest Barnes & Noble and snatch it up to read over Christmas break. Not even kidding. I’ve loved reading about all your past NaNos since I’ve been following you, but THIS–this might be my favorite! <3 <3 <3
Anyway. Congrats on finishing!!! Great job!
NOW I AM GRINNING. SO HARD!!!! AAAHHHHH, ELANOR. THIS WHOLE COMMENT. I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO RESPOND. That just makes me ridiculously happy you enjoy my NaNo rambles and like the sound of this book. Just…GAH. I HAVE NO WORDS. Thank you so, sooo much for following along and encouraging me. It means the world! <3
Congrats again on finishiiiiing! YOU’RE AMAZING! 😀 And aaahh I loved this post so much! Hearing all about how it went was just DELIGHTFUL. AND I NEED THIS BOOOOK!!! :O Also, that dancing snippet! MY HEART. IT’S SO PERFECT. DED. <3 Thanks for sharing aaaall the things and I can't wait to meet Luka and Everly and co. for reals, SOMEDAY! CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESSFUL 10TH NANO, YOU MAGICAL UNICORN NINJA ELF, YOU! <3333
AAAAAAHHHHHH, CELTI. YOU MAKE ME SMILE SO BIG. Just just just…that makes me so happy you want to meet them all one day and liked the snippet and asl;kjd;lfj;lsdjkjf. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! <3
CONGRATS ON FINISHING <3! You are one speedy writer, I mean seriously o.o
I really really hope someday I'll be able to read it, the characters sound seriously wonderful!
SARAAAAH. You’ve been so encouraging through all of this. And knowing people actually want to READ my novels just…it means the world, and makes it all worth it. Thank you so, so much! <3
YOU FINISHED! CONGRATULATIONS!!! *showers you in confetti and glitter*
Reading this post…the snippets… I’m in LOVE with all your characters!!! Everly and Luka had me laughing out loud (in public tehee) and I am shipping them already. The humour! The setting! Books and tea! You’ve captured my heart in a story. <3 I cannot wait to see where this story takes you. Rest up; you deserve it! <3
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! *twirls in confetti and glitter*
AWWWWKKKK. I feel like my face is gonna fall off from all the smiling. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you like the sound of it and everything. Thank you so much, Melissa. You’re always so encouraging. <333
I love it!!!! And the snippets were gold! Especially the dance scene!!!! XD Now I really want to read the whole thing! Who am I kidding, I’ve wanted to read it since the beginning. ;D
HANNAH. YOU’RE TOO NICE. It makes it so motivating knowing people actually want to READ this thing one day. Just…AWK. I have no words. Thank you so, so much! <333
YAYYY!!! A million congratulations and ALL the confetti for FINISHING, Christine!!! (And can I join Merie and Nicole on the want-to-beta-read list? 😉 ) Those snippets were AMAZING. THE DANCE SCENE. *heart eyes*
I am so glad that pantsing this novel was a success! That’s one reason I love pantsing so much: you can be surprised and also absolutely thrilled with how something turns out. 🙂
Congratulations again, dear Christine! 🙂
AWWWWWK. THANK YOU, AMELIE!!!! Oh my goodness, I’m just blown away you guys want to read this. SO SO HONORED. :’D
Pantsing is sooooo much fun! It was a blast seeing things unfold and surprise me. I’m definitely happy I went the pantsing route this go round.
Thank you so very much! This made my day! <3
I LOVE YOUR SNIPPETS SO MUCH!!! Your characters sound like SOOO MUCH FUUNNN! Ack! I wanted so badly to read more… and that’s saying a LOT because usually snippets without the context of the rest of the story make my eyes glaze over a bit and I end up skimming them. But these just tugged me right into the story and made me want to spend more time with the characters and know ALL THE THINGS that are happening, like what happened in the first scene and why did he stop time, and why didn’t she freeze with everyone? (I’m assuming it is part of her being the librarian in the title, and it’s why they end up hanging out more), and him being all embarrassed and thinking his name is boring… awwww. And I LOVED the dancing scene!!! So fun. So so so fun.
I am in awe of your writing speed. Congrats on a super successful Nano! I’m still working towards the end of my book and hoping to have it finished before Christmas…. and then maybe I can join your lovely link-up 🙂
OH MY GRACIOUS GOODNESS. IF YOU COULD SEE MY GRIN RIGHT NOW. JENELLLLLEEEEE. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Just just just…EEEEEE!!! THANK YOU. This motivates me SO MUCH to revise this thing sooner rather than later!
Annnnd the reason she didn’t freeze is indeed a mystery. *grins* But YES. She’s the librarian in the title and her not freezing started the whole thing. You totally guessed it! 😀
Thank you SO much, Jenelle. Seriously. This made my day…week…month…LIFE. I cannot stop grinning!
I am so utterly in awe at your dedication to keep writing through the month. YOU’VE TOTALLY GOT THIS!!! Cheering you on all the way!
Yay!!! (student of stories that I am, I like being able to guess things, it makes me happy) 🙂
Thanks for the cheering! I’m sooooooo close!
You totally nailed it! 😀
AAAAAHHH GO, JENELLE, GO!!!
I AM SO LATE, BUT HI, HELLO. I finally get to read all the details on how The Timekeeper and the Librarian turned out! <3
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I’m with you—my Nano draft needs a lot of trimming in the first half and fleshing out in the second half. It’s like we start out muddling around and padding it with fluff, and then realize what time it is and how much story we have left to tell, and fly through the rest. XD
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And I’m so glad you actually WANT to revise this story sometime! That’s a good, hopeful feeling.
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Okay but EVERLEY. She sounds so relatable and awesome. (And the tea! Yes!) And LUKA. The whole cast sounds delightful, but what else would I expect from a Christine novel? You excel at creating lovable characters!!!
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A… a Netflix mini series. O.O *grabby hands*
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OH MY GOSH, THAT SCENE WHERE LUKA STOPPED TIME. They are adorable together and I already want to read the entire book. “How convenient! I haven’t the faintest idea either. Let’s figure it out together!” < — LOOK, I LOVE THIS BOY.
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I love that you rediscovered your love of pantsing! And this seems like it was the perfect story to pants, too. And ohhh, that’s such a good reminder about getting to the heart of the characters in every scene. I definitely had some “just get to the end” scenes in Dead Magic last November, but all my favorite scenes are the ones where I connected to that heart and meaning!
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P.S. The periods between paragraphs are me attempting to make paragraph breaks the way I do on Instagram. XD
NONSENSE. You’re a wizard and, as we know, wizards are NEVER late. 😉 And aaaahhhh! This whole comment made me smile so much!
That is EXACTLY how it went down. At the beginning of the month it feels like we have all the time in the world, and then suddenly you’re like, “Oh man, NaNo ends in a week. I GOTTA FINISH THIS THING.” It’s a wild ride. XD
I’m honestly SHOCKED I actually want to revise this thing. Usually it takes me like 3 years to want to get back to a story. Eheheh.
D’AWWWW! *blushes* I’m so glad you like the sound of these characters and the snippets. These dorks were certainly enjoyable to spend the month with. ^_^
YES to getting to the heart of the scenes. During NaNo I’m so bad about just writing scenes to get through them, instead of truly engaging in the emotion. But then I’m not enjoying the writing process nearly as much so, like, why do I do this??? We humans are silly things. XD
(The periods are great! Haha. I actually just changed my commenting plugin so now it adds paragraph breaks. Hallelujah! They’re kinda SMALL paragraph breaks though so…mmm. I don’t know why I’m having so much trouble with my commenting section. >.>)
I am soooo unbelievably late to this!!!! AHHHHHH!!! YOU’VE FINISHED!! *happy dances* I mean of course, you did!
I love everything about this story! The tea, copious amounts of it, the premise, and of course the characters. Your splendid characters!!! And the snippets!!! UTTERLY FANTASTIC!
I ship it!!!
NONSENSE. There is no time limit to comment on posts. And I’m always so thrilled to see your comments, at ANY time!
EEEEEE!!! THANK YOU! You should see the goofy grin your comment has put on my face. To know you love the idea just makes me so very happy. Thank you SO much for all the sweet words! <3