Beautiful Books: NaNoWriMo Plotting Questionare

So with all this NaNo stuff swinging into action, there is a lot of help out there. I am so grateful to all the bloggers and YouTubers that made this so much easier!
What I am going to do on this post, is answering some questions regarding my novel planning! That the amazing blog Notebook Sisters have set up. They have set up a challenge, or something like that; for bloggers doing NaNoWriMo, or just writing in general. The description about it is on their blog here. The thing is that they will post a series of questions once a month for three months. (October: Planning (November: Writing (December: Editing! 15 questions about ones work in progress. Here is my October one (seeing that November is only 4 days away)

Question one: What came first: characters or plot idea? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am most definitely a plotter! I like to have my ideas mostly ready before starting something. Well to be fair, my characters came first. After signing up, I went straight into the planning. I didn't really know what I wanted. All I knew, was that it had to be a beautiful tale. But my character came to mind first thing. A girl with white hair. And it all started from there!

Question two: Do you have a title and/or a "back-cover-blurb"?

Yes I have a title. It took me a while to come up with one. But after a decent amount of planning, and outlining, I stumbled over a word that became my title. It works in every aspect to the story than I could ever imagine. Blurb is yet to be properly written out. Doing that seems like less of a priority at the moment, and would proffer to do it at the end. (Title: Clandestine)

Question three: What word count are you aiming for when your novel is finished?

The goal of NaNoWriMo is to hit the 50,000 mark. But after all the editing is done, I hope to have over 80,000 words. I can see that after going over everything, there will be a lot to fill in.

Question four: Sum up your novel in three sentences.

Iris finds out the dirty secrets of her past, the secrets her father has vouched to hide for so long. Iris and her sister set out to find the evidence of what really happened. Iris founds out who she really is, and has to understand that as dark as the secrets may be, they make her who she is!

Question five: Sum up your characters in one word each.

Levi: Cold
Alice: Broken
Jolene: Stunning
Jack: Straight forward
Iris: Concealed
Priss: Extrovert
Loy: Humorous
Fray: Protective

Question six: which character are you most exited to write? Tell us about them!

To be honest I would have to says its Alice. Its weird, cause she's dead. But her letters and Journal tell the situation from how she saw it. I really grieve for her! Even in her death, she holds so much.

Question seven: What about your villain? Who is he, and what is his goal?

Hard one! I don't really have a "Villain"! Levi is the closest I have to a villain/bad guy! The thing that makes him bad is what he did in the past. And keeping Iris from her true self. He his not overly nice to Iris (hard on her). But what makes him really bad, is his pride. I watch men fall from their pride all to often.

Questions eight: What is your Protagonist's goal? And what stands in the way?

I don't really know for sure. I think the main goal Iris has is to find out who she really is. And the thing keeping her from having it is her Father.

Question nine: What inciting incident begins your protagonist's journey?

Meeting her mother!  (screams internally)

Question ten: Where is your novel set?

A fictional city (am yet to name) I am going to have to say (if I have to name a country) Europe!
Future time unknown. But much later on...

Question eleven: What are three big sense in your novel that change the game completely?

1. Jack seeing Iris in a shadow Jacket!
2. Seeing her mother
And I'm unsure of what else at the moment!

Question twelve: What is the most dynamic relationship your character has? Who else to they come into contact with or become close to during the story?

I would have to say Iris and Priss. Their relationship is the one that goes through the most. She becomes very close to Jack, the shadow boy. Their relationship starts to take a romantic turn later on in the story.

Question thirteen:  How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

I don't know for sure! I don't know her well enough, to know how she will change along with the truth. Though I think she becomes stronger.

Question fourteen: Do you have a ending in mind? Or do you plan to see what happens?

For a matter of fact, I do have an ending in mind! But I am flexible enough to change it if needs be!

Question Fifteen: What are your hopes and dreams for your book? What impression are you hoping this novel will leave on your readers and yourself?

Excellent question! I want to have it published one day... I feel like it has a great potential! It will not just finish with the one book. I have already organized the general idea for the second and third book. Impression: I want it to move people. But the main dream is to get it finished! And for it to be amazing! And for people to love it!


-Rachel