WE MADE IT. NaNoWriMo is behind us and December has ARRIVED! And with it comes the 3rd and final part of this year’s Know the Novel!
Are you alive? Am I alive??? Are our characters alive? (Probably not all of them…)
NaNoWriMo is always such a wild ride full of exhausting days and existential crisis days and euphoric days. But, for me, it is always, always worth it for that sense of accomplishment, for knowing I took the time for my stories and made WORDS. But not just words, I grew, I learned, I lived an incredible journey. NaNoWriMo is truly an experience, one full of growth (and yes, plenty of insanity). So wherever you’re at today, I do hope you remember every single word written counts. Every single step you took toward your novel, toward your writing, is one step closer to your writerly goals.
This final part of Know the Novel is all about reflection—looking back at all we accomplished but also dreaming of the future!
So let’s get to the info!
KNOW THE NOVEL
WHAT IS KNOW THE NOVEL?
Know the Novel is a 3-part writers linkup series, 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 linkups go as followed:
OCTOBER
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Part One: Introduction – During the first part everyone shared all the delicious, juicy details about your soon-to-be written novels (and gave me an insane case of story lust. Seriously, so many incredible ideas!) You can find everyone’s links HERE!
NOVEMBER
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Part Two: Within the WIP – The month of insanity itself! And the linkup where we actually took a step away from our novels and let everyone take a peek at how the writing was going (and if we were still alive. It was questionable.) You can find those posts HERE!
DECEMBER
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Part Three: It Is Written – AND HERE WE ARE! The final month and the final linkup where we get to share allll about the overall writing experience! And if those plot bunnies let us survive…
In Summary…
I throw ten novel/writing-related questions your way each of these months that you can take and answer on your own blog, and then share your link in the linkup I’ll attach below so others can read about your delicious novel-y goodness!
QUICK NOTE: I am doing this during National Novel Writing Month season since, ya know, a lot of us did NaNo. BUT. You DID NOT have to participate in NaNoWriMo to join the linkup! You can answer these questions for any WIP you have. It’s all just for fun and to help us share and encourage one another in all our writerly endeavors. I adore seeing the frabjous stories my fellow writers have concocted, so whether you did NaNo or not, please do take the questions if you want and answer them for any WIP you have!
At last, the final set of questions!
KNOW THE NOVEL PART THREE: IT IS WRITTEN
I’d be honored if you used this graphic or the banner at the top of this post for your posts, but it’s certainly not required!
THE QUESTIONS
1. Firstly, how did writing this novel go all around?
2. Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?
3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)
4. How about your least favorite part?
5. What do you feel like needs the most work?
6. How do you feel about your characters now? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!
7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel?
8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?
9. Share some of your favorite snippets!
10. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?
SHARE YOUR LINK
Now for the important bit: ADDING YOUR LINK!
Once your post is published, share the URL in the linkup widget below so we can all read about your fantabulous WIP!
Part 3 of the linkup closes at midnight on December 31st. But absolutely feel free to answer these questions (or the questions in the previous linkups) ANY TIME! They’re free for the taking!
I’ve had such a grand time doing this linkup for the third year in a row. Getting a glimpse into all your amazing stories and sharing all the ups and downs of storytelling with one another just makes this crazy writing thing 9000x better. I adore this community so, so much! <3
And now IT’S DECEMBER!!!! Time to take a breath, listen to alllll the Christmas music, eat cookies to the point of falling into sugar comas, and celebrate because WE MADE IIIIT.
Happy December!
LET’S TALK!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S DECEMBER? Did you survive November? How did your month go overall? And who’s excited it’s December? I AM. SO EXCITED. (If it wasn’t obvious.)
Yayyyyy, the new linkup! And I can’t believe it’s December. XD
I CAN’T EITHER. It is WILD! Buuut I’m also really happy. WE SURVIVED NANO AND MADE IT WOOT!!!
I absolutely cannot believe that it’s December. It seems insane! I’m so excited to hear about everyone’s WIPs, and what the finished product was like.
RIGHT??? How are we already here? It is craziness! But I am EXCITED! I love December so much!
ME TOO, ME TOO. It’s so much fun seeing everyone’s WIPs and things! 😀
Woo-hoo!!! Can’t wait to read how everyone’s stories have gone! 😀 And, um, no. Who allowed it to be December already??? I’m totally excited though! XD
ME EITHER. It’s so much fun reading everyone’s posts!
I am in complete shock that it’s already December. o.o Buuut also kind of relieved. This has been quite the year. I’m really excited to have a happy, Christmas-y month ahead of us!
Ooooh, I CANNOT WAIT TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND I CANNOT WAIT TO READ YOUR ANSWERS! *happy dance*
I’m finally going to participate in this link up this month and just do all three in one kaboodle! It’s too fun to miss out on lol.
OOOOH. That’ll be so FUN! YES YES YESSSS. Do it! I cannot wait to learn more about your book! 😀
What, what??? December already?!! *checks calendar again* Oh man, I thought it was around November 30th…? lol XD
Hi Christine! How did your Thanksgiving go? I’m so sorry I didn’t get to reply to your answer (I got caught up with Thanksgiving and then school stuff!)
That’s cool that you have dogs and a cat. What are your pets’ names?
(I used to have a cat, but she passed away several years ago. BUT we have wild rabbits in our backyard that we feed. The smallest one comes running when it sees the food bag.)
I still can’t believe it’s December. Do you have a favorite Christmas song/artist? And a favorite type of Christmas cookie?
OKAY BUT. I did the same thing yesterday!!! Yesterday morning I had to double check because I feared I was accidentally putting up December 1st posts on November 30th. XD I cannot BELIEVE we’re already on December. IT IS WILD.
Oh goodness, don’t worry a thing about that! I’ve definitely been struggling to keep up with everything myself! Life just happens. But my Thanksgiving was lovely. Very lowkey this year, but it was a very refreshing day just spending time with the family and eating yummy food. I hope you had a good one!
Our cat’s name is Midna (named after a character from The Legend of Zelda video games because my siblings and I are geeks XD). And then our three dogs are Bubbles, Baby, and Ellie. ^_^
Awwww! I am SO sorry about your cat! I had a beloved poodle who passed away a couple of years ago. It’s just so heartbreaking having to say goodbye, but I also wouldn’t trade the time I did have with her for anything.
That’s SO FUN you have wild rabbits!!! 😀 I’ve always wanted a rabbit. They’re just so cute! That sounds absolutely adorable that they come running. TOO PRECIOUS.
RIGHT?? It is insane how fast November passed us by! Ooooh! WELL. I adore the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas. You really can’t go wrong with Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts Christmas music. But I also just love Christmas jazz instrumental music in general like that. That probably sounds really weird, but yeah. I have odd tastes in music. XD As far as Christmas cookies… Goodness, I don’t even know. I love sugar cookies of any kind basically! Honestly, I’m not a huge gingerbread fan. But sugar cookies now? I will DEVOUR them! What about you? What do you like to listen to and eat during this time? ^_^
OOO!! Those are such cute names! Especially Bubbles!
Aww, thanks, we did. Glad your Thanksgiving went well too!
I like instrumental music too. I don’t think it’s weird. Charlie Brown has some fun songs.
I love hot apple cider (since we have wheat/dairy allergies in my family, we enjoy peanut butter cookies with dark chocolate chips!) I like Casting Crowns’ Christmas music (and Michael W. Smith). Oh, have you seen Hallmark Drama’s Christmas Cookie Bake-off?
And congrats on finishing NaNo!!! Are you super excited to reach your goal? Are you sad it’s over already?
D’awww! Thank you! ^_^
I’m so glad to hear it!
Aw man, I’m sorry about all the allergies. My brother has a severe dairy allergy, so I sympathize so hard. But yesssss to peanut butter cookies! I LOVE this! Ooooh Casting Crowns and Michael W. Smith are GREAT. I haven’t listened to them in a while. I need to do that! I have not see that from Hallmark, but it sounds so fun! ^_^ We do like watching some of the Hallmark movies around here. They’re cozy to have on.
EEP. THANK YOU!!! I am honestly ecstatic to have reached my goal. And though part of me already misses spending each day with my characters, it’s really thrilling to be DONE. I’m definitely looking forward to a relaxed December!
Awesome! I hope your December is full of blessings this year!
Thanks so much, Lily! I do hope yours is as well! <3
I wish I had a finished WIP to answer these for…Motivation, I guess! Happy late Thanksgiving and early Christmas!
OH. You definitely don’t have to have a finished WIP to answer these! You can absolutely do it for any book at all, at whatever state it’s in! Only if you want to, of course. But yeah, there are no rules here. It’s all just for fun. ^_^
Awww! Thank you! To you too!
Due to accidentally going on hiatus from blogging, (I didn’t mean to, but here we are with another upcoming Monday and me without a post ready for posting) I may not be able to do this until the end of the month. But I am SO excited to do it soon!!! If it’s alright with you I may be combining this linkup’s questions with the first linkup so I can temporarily wrap up my journey with More Than a Dream and introduce Roses, Thorns, and Curses at the same time.
I hope you are having a lovely December so far!!! ^_^ We’ve had some nice brisk days that I personally loved but my mom hates, she is NOT a Winter person. XD
Hey, that is totally okay! We all need a break from things sometimes, ESPECIALLY after the insanity that was November. o.o Absolutely do this linkup ANY time! And OH MY GOODNESS YES. I would be thrilled to learn more about Roses, Thorns, and Curses! DO IT DO IT DO IT!!! 😀
It has been quite lovely so far! Definitely soaking up having a bit more free time. Awww, your poor mom! My mom is super cold natured and also struggles a bit during the winter, while I’m over here just utterly ecstatic over all the coldness. Lol.
Hehe, thanks! ^_^ I’m still on the sort-of hiatus but am slowly working on the post… it’s a whopper of a big one… >.> XD
Yeah, she has a countdown to spring every year, that she sets up during the fall. XD Awww, make sure to give your mom plent of warm hugs! 😉 Lol, YES. Put me in a coat and gloves and I love the cold! I am praying really hard for a white Christmas this year. I’ve never had one before, though it came really close several years ago, it’s one of the downsides to living in the South. XD
A big post just means more deliciousness to read! 😀
LOL. That is so cute she has a countdown to spring! I always get depressed when spring comes around because that means hot weather is coming which I HATE. Gimme all the cold!
A white Christmas would be AH-MAY-ZING!!! We’ve never had one either, and usually don’t have snow at all. But man, I love snow so much! That would be spectacular if we got some this year!
My post is finally up!!! And it is humongous…! Eheh, enjoy! ;D
I hope you’re having plenty of cold weather then! 😀
We hardly ever have snow either, I’m not sure we even had a flurry last winter. YES! LOVE LOVE LOVE SNOW! ^_^
Just read it and LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! Your stories just sound SO SO GOOD! <333
We actually have had our share of chilly weather and about to have a lot more and I am a happy bean! Now if only it would snow…
Hi Christine! I’m sooo sorry about this, but I accidentally changed my site name without knowing the consequences (oops!) so the new site name is http://www.joycaroline.wordpress.com
If you go to the original website name, it will say it’s been deleted 🙁 So I posted the linkup again. #8 will take you to the post, but #7 will take you to the wrong site.
Again, so sorry about that! So sorry about the inconvenience.
Absolutely NO problem whatsoever, girl! I’m make changes to my site allllll the time, so I totally feel you! <3
Thank you so much for this linkup, Christine! I’ve had so much fun answering them for As the Night Falls. Part One even helped me flesh out my novel some more, so that was awesome. I will most definitely be back next year if you do this again! 😀
Awww! It is my absolute pleasure. I love doing it! And EEP. That thrills me to hear it was helpful for you! I’m so glad. Thank YOU for joining in! I loved reading your posts and learning more about your epic story!
I totally plan on doing this again! I can’t wait!