Know the Novel: Part 1 and 2

Hey everyone! A while back I saw some other young author bloggers doing this, and I thought I would give it a try! (I've been looking forward to this post for a while now, lol). There are three parts to this, but I will only be doing parts 1 and 2. I will be showcasing my WIP, Where the Tunnel Ends.

Let's get started!

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What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Daydreaming. This was after I published Country Girl, and I needed another book to work on. Finally, I decided on something, but one thing was certain: it had to include horses.

Share a blurb (or just an overall summary!)

One girl.

One key.

One destiny.

Fourteen-year-old Laura is just an ordinary teenage girl living a normal, everyday life in 1920s America. One day when she finds a key and map hidden under a floorboard in her bedroom, she doesn't suspect anything important. But little does she know that the map leads to a door…

…and the key unlocks a world behind it—Lileria.

That's when Laura meets Kara and Noah, two twins who quickly become her best friends. However, someone in the twins’ family doesn't quite trust her, due to a broken world that the Enemy threatens to control.

Can Laura prove she’s not a spy?

As Laura explores the world of Lileria, she makes startling discoveries. What seems to be a harmless key that leads to another world is really a sacred treasure—one that connects Elves, Dwarves, and Humans.

And the Enemy wants it.

Can three teenagers save Lileria before it's too late?

Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

It originally takes place in America, but when the main character, Laura, discovers a fantasy world, it moves to that world, the world of Lileria.

Some of my favorite aspects of the setting would have to be the names and places of the story (towns, forests, mountains, etc.). They're so much fun to brainstorm and I love the worldbuilding too!

Tell us about your protagonist(s)

I have quite a few protagonists in WtTE, but I'm going to have to stick with the main three for now. (These are my personal favorites XD).

Laura: Laura is 14 years old, and an orphan. She is a brunette with brown eyes and loves the mountains. Due to a rough backstory, she often feels like she doesn't have any true friends, and can get very emotional at times. She loves being outdoors!

Kara: Kara is 15 and has blonde hair and blue eyes, just like her twin brother, Noah. She is really sweet and loves horses (she's also fond of singing).

Noah: Like his twin sister Kara, Noah has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is also 15 and loves adventuring but refuses to disobey if it means losing a meal. He's fiercely protective of his sister, aunt and uncle, due to a tragic past.

Who (or what) is the antagonist?

Ok... I'm still figuring this guy out, lol. But he's really powerful and has a whole "army" (the Shadow Riders) under his command. Believe me, you do not want to mess with this guy.

What excites you most about this novel?

The worldbuilding! I love worldbuilding so much, so creating Lileria was awesome. I'm also super excited about the character arcs, especially Laura's.

Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

I was originally aiming for this to be a trilogy, but now I'm planning on it being a four-book series😁

Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

Plansting, definitely! I've found this works best for me--a mixture of plotting and pantsing. Plotting can be helpful, but every once in a while that one unexpected plot twist pops out that even I didn't see coming.

Name a few unique elements in this story

Hmm... I need to think about this one 😄 Ya know, I'm going to have to go with the Elves (think LotR elves). Elves have always fascinated me, so I decided to incorporate them into my story. (And yeah, definitely not "Santa's elves". These are mythical, Lord of the Rings-type elves, though no worries, I'm not copying Tolkien ;)

Share some fun "extras" of the story (a song or full playlist, a collage, a map you've made, a special theme you're going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!)

This is a collage I had someone make for Laura:

And here's one that was made for the entire book:

~Part 2~

How's the writing going overall?

Good! Right now, I'm in the editing process, which includes rewriting a few scenes. I'm hoping to finish by the end of next week.

What's been the most fun aspect of writing this novel so far?

I'm going to have to say writing about and describing different fantasy creatures, because you can literally let your imagination roam! It's awesome!

What do you think about your characters at this point? Who's your favorite to write about?

I love my characters (the good ones at least) soooo much! *huggles all my charries*. They've been through a lot, that's for sure. I admire them for it. My favorite to write about is Noah, because honestly, he has so much going on, but he's still loving and adventurous. He's almost like an older brother to Laura.

Has your novel surprised you in any way?

Not that I can remember... I've been working on WtTE since April or May of 2023, so if it did surprise me, I forgot. But the second book in the series, which I'm currently writing, has given me MANY unexpected plot twists.

Have you come across any problem areas?

If I'm being honest, then yes. I've had to rewrite the first chapter several times because there were some important things I needed to fix (including a suspenseful opening). But I've got a pretty strong foundation now!

What's your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

Getting so many people excited about it! *Cheers to everyone on YDubs*. This has been such a long journey--writing WtTE--and I really hope to make an impact on readers' lives. To tell people that there's still hope in this world.

If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you'd be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

This is such a deep question, and a hard one to answer! I'd honestly want to be Kara, or even Laura, but for now I think I'll stick with Kara. I don't think I would take any different actions, except to convince Kara's uncle that Laura isn't a spy, for goodness' sake.

Give us the first sentence or paragraph, then 2 (or 3!) favorite snippets!

Laura knew they were watching. Waiting. Waiting for her to mess up, to prove she was wrong.

. . .

That's my first sentence.

. . .

Laura was beginning to feel sleepy when the horses pulling the wagon slowed and stopped near the orphanage. She stood up and, gathering her books in her arms, got off the wagon. Several others did the same.

            A few moments later the wagon pulled away, and Laura glanced at it one last time, glad to know that since school was out for the summer, she wouldn’t have to ride it again. Well, for a few months at least.

            She walked up the path, stopping at the door. A light summer breeze gently kissed her face, tugging at her hair and rustling the hem of her skirt. Mmmm, that breeze feels good. Laura’s face brightened, and she smiled—her first real smile of the day.

. . .

And that's one of the snippets from my first chapter. It was one of my favorites to write!

This next one was one I wrote the other day, and just in case you're wondering, it's part of a very intense scene. I didn't include the whole paragraph, though, because I didn't want to give away spoilers.

. . .

Destiny was gaining speed, tail streaming behind her and hooves a blur as they thundered along the ground. Laura let out a half-sob. Never had she ridden this fast, and the thrill of it was so exhilarating that she almost felt she was flying.

            It was amazing.

Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

I did make a funny typo--there was a sentence I wrote that included the words "food bag" but I had typed it as "good bag". LOL.

Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Tell all!

Right now I'm on the editing process for this novel, but when I edit/write, its usually in the evening/at night alone in my bedroom. I mostly write alone, because when I do write around others (which is my family), I make weird expressions, trying to figure out how to describe my character in that moment, and then I have to explain to my family what on earth I'm doing. XD.

I do drink tea when I write, and sometimes hot cocoa, though it usually depends on my mood. And about music--sometimes I play a LotR soundtrack in the background, but music usually distracts me when writing, so normally I write without it. I do listen to music if I need inspiration, though :)

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That's all I have for today! What did y'all think? Which character sounds most interesting? Do you drink tea (or coffee) when you write? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,

Maya