My Thoughts on Writing Historical Fiction

A Disclaimer before you start: This might a slightly controversial blog post. These are 100% my opinions and I'm not trying to shove them down anyone's throat or say that you are wholly mistaken for taking the opposite view. I'm just offering my perspective on a subject that I have thought deeply about. I'm also not bashing anyone or trying to make anyone sound/feel bad, or say that anyone's a bad writer for not doing this. It's just my thoughts. :)

Historical Fiction is my favourite genre. I love Historical Fiction. I read a lot of it, both old and modern. 90% of my favourite books are Historical Fiction. It makes up a huge portion of what I read. 

But although I've read a TON of really good Historical Fictions, I've also read some that were really not that great. And often, what makes or breaks a Historical Fiction book for me are these two things disregarded. 

#1: Improper Language.

There is nothing so irritating as picking up a medieval story and finding the characters talk like 21th Century teenagers! I can’t repeat too often that to write believable historical fiction you must read old books. Are you writing a story set in 1400s England? “The Prince & the Pauper” by Mark Twain. Are your characters Scottish? “Rob Roy” and “Kidnapped” are indispensable. Are you writing about a knight and his fair lady? “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott can be a big help. I could go on and on but I think I’ll save that for another blog post. But you get the point. To write believable historical fiction, your characters must talk like the people of that era! That doesn’t mean you need to drag up exact replicas of their language! But using older, more formal words mixed with their archaic or obsolete language will boost your historical fiction. Don’t go overboard, but better more than not enough, in my opinion. Add a glossary, if you have to! I strongly recommend reading Henty’s medieval stories if you’re writing anything set during the Middle Ages.

Consider also where your story is set. Dutch sailors don’t act or talk like English ones. Frenchmen aren’t Americans. Their language will depend on their roots. It’s extremely annoying to read about Englishmen who sound like Americans living casually in London, or Americans who sound like they were exported from England! This is a very important topic which I may discuss in another blog post as well. 

And the language of the narrator should be dignified. By which I mean, don’t have the narrating voice full of "‘twas" and "nay" and such unless you’re paraphrasing the thoughts of a character. But don’t go along with too many modern expressions and words. The narrator should straddle the middle. I think being formal and dignified is really the key. Study the old books and pattern your writing after theirs. It will make it feel more authentic. 

There are some geniuses who can pull off modern language in an old setting, like Esther Forbes in Johnny Tremain. But unless you known you're a genius, I don't recommend believing you can pull it off. 

#2 Improper Feelings.

The other most annoying thing in historical fiction is improper feelings. Middle Ages people saw nothing shocking in 13-year-olds getting married. Everyone in the 1700s saw nothing wrong with hard drinking. Smoking was everywhere in the 1930s. And so on. What happened in the era was commonplace to them. If it’s a wrong thing (drinking, for example), by every means have your character refuse to do it! But he shouldn’t be shocked. It was normality. For example, I don’t agree with speeding, but it’s not shocking to me to see people doing it. It’s normality in our world, sadly. And so forth. You can doubtless thing of more examples for this one. 

And consider the historical prejudices. In 1770s England, there was nothing unusual with having a higher class and a lower class. No one thought anything of it, or of changing it. It was life. Again, your character can disagree with prejudices & common ideas, but don't make him too avant-garde. 

It all boils down to one word:

Read.

Read about the culture of the place. Read about the happenings of the time. Read about the history around the time. Read about the language of the time. 

Read the old books. Read the research. 

I promise that it’s worth it. Even if for some reason your historical fiction story isn’t liked (although it would be hard for that to happen, in my opinion), you will have grown and learned yourself in your studying. You get much food for thought as you study history. 

And finally, yes, it is possible to write a book that is very un-historical and have people love it. But it's also a sort of cheating. If I pick up a book about 1830 Australia, I expect a book that will make 1830 Australia live for me. A honest, true book, with accurate information. Historical fiction is just teaching history under the guise of a story. Make it true. This is your chance to make an impact. To change history. To remind people of what mistakes or great things were done. It's a chance to make a difference. 

So be worthy of the charge upon you. 

~ / / ~

So there are my thoughts on it. What are yours? I'd love to hear your opinion. 

A Letter to my Book "The Colour Red"

If you’ve been around for a while, you remember when I wrote letters to my two other finished books: Chords, and Broken. I stole this idea from Hailey Rose, who stole this from someone else. Today’s letter is addressed to my latest WIP, The Colour Red.

Dear Colour Red (a.k.a. CR),

I have a history of having sudden flash fiction ideas that snowball into novels. But I really didn’t expect you to. You see, I have a habit of making up random stories and scenes in my head and just writing them out and seeing where they go. They can get rather elaborate and even long-lasting. Originally, that’s what you were. I started a random story about a girl writer who was writing... and as I began to think out the words she was writing, she was forgotten and only her story remained. Looking back now, I see that story was the product of many videos, a contemporary police book I’d just read (Healing Their Hearts by Cleopatra Margot), the current WIP of a friend, and a story-in-my-head that had been going on for a long time. But at the time, the story was utterly new and quite dazzling. 

I soon got off my swing, where I do most of this story-spinning, and went inside to help with supper. But I didn’t forget my story. And that night when I sat down to write with my friends, I told them of my story and how I wished I could write it.

“So why don’t you?” demanded Kassie. 

“I don’t know how. I can’t. It’s all stuff I haven’t experienced,” I answered.

Nevertheless, Kass insisted I write down the scenes anyways before I forgot them. (Thank her for me.) 

So I wrote out my rough outline. And I wrote out the scenes I remembered, bemoaning that I’d forgotten some and also forgotten the best parts. And then I went back to the beginning and started writing the story.

If I remember correctly, I got over 2,000 words written that night. And we were off. I had my message, my plot, and my characters. 

This was on the second-to-last week of May. As social media and the entire U.S. (or so it seemed to me) erupted into chaos, I was burdened with the message that filled my heart: Stop judging people by anything but what they are themselves. And I kept writing. 

I ran into some obstacles. You took place in my made-up country of Kalsyia, but… what was Kalsyia?? I had to figure that out. So I did world-building. I drew a map. It was fun and frustrating. Slowly things began to come together… the people, the history, the geography, the current events… 

And I kept writing. The words just poured out. I had easily over 1,000 words almost every night. But I also hit places where the words wouldn’t come and I didn’t know what to do… and had to brainstorm and look at my outline and ask for ideas. 

I feel like I say this every time, but you were a book of big firsts.

I wrote you during my first and second university courses, and in the midst of a lot of other issues. You were a way God used to help me manage the stress and fear of adulting, university, the whole riots/police defunding, the coronavirus, and more. He used you to bring me a lot of peace as I focused on love and comfort instead of hatred and uncertainty. 

You had my first official Pinterest mood board and I love it so insanely much. 

You made me cry so much while writing you. Even more than Broken did. 

You didn’t hit much further than 50k—only 65,000 or so. But for once I didn’t care. Your size didn’t really matter. Your message mattered. 

You were the WIP I wrote during our first King’s Daughters’ Writing Camp. You had the largest group of fangirls I ever had. You also started an awful lot of conversations and gained me an everlasting reputation as a conversation starter. 

But more importantly: you tackled one of my biggest writing handicaps. The “I don’t rewrite” handicap. For years I told myself that having to rewrite a book meant it was bad. But as I wrote you I realized that I really had to rewrite Chords. And that was okay. I hadn’t had all the puzzle pieces back then. But it had had to be written anyways. It was bad, but God had really used it so mightily in my writing life. It hadn’t been a waste. As I wrote you, I had to keep going back and writing big and small scenes that I had forgotten but were necessary. Over and over and over. You were the book that, more than any other, tackled topics I really had no clue about and had to swallow my pride, backtrack, and rewrite. It was frustrating. But I knew it was okay. It was just part of the writing process.

You were the first book where I got into disagreements with dear friends over the theology. You drove me to the Bible to find answers for myself. You made me pore over Bible verses to figure things out.

You were the first story where I had official beta-readers. That was fantastically exciting. Their critique was a huge blow to my pride, even if it’s barely begun. But that was needed. I had to be reminded that critique was necessary. That’s why last year critique was so hard for me. It was to prepare me. To show me that it’s okay if the first draft is trash. 

You drove me to do actual research, even more than Broken did. (But why do you two insist on making me research that horrible medical stuff?)

You were the book that God used to snap together the puzzle pieces for things that had been really frustrating me. 

You were the first of my stories that didn’t teach me a huge message I’d been needing. Rather, God used you to show me how far He’s taken me. To show me that last year, awful as it was, was really useful to me. That His plans are perfect and no trial is ever wasted. 

You took a trope I adored and finally crafted a story about it. 

You took my silly story in my head that will never be written out and wrote it out in another way. 

You were the first time I wrote out a message that God has really been lying hard on my heart. 

And you fulfilled my lifelong goal of writing about policemen.

You were a story I put both a lot and a very little of myself into. 

You brought me heartbreak towards the end, when something I badly wanted didn’t happen. But God got me through it, and now I have no bitterness.

Again, God used you to show me how far He has brought me since this time a year ago, with my puny 48k novel that needs to be severely rewritten. I can’t even begin to list all the ways I’ve grown since then.

I don’t know who you’ll touch. I don’t even know who’ll read you. I don’t know who will hear and heed your message. I don’t know what other message God will use you to teach. I don’t know if you’ll fulfill my goal and be published or not. I don’t know if you’ll end up having to be totally rewritten. I don’t know anything. 

Except this:

God gave me this story for a reason. My time has not been wasted writing it, no matter what. He’s gonna use you, or has used you, somehow, for me or for somebody else. 

And His plan is perfect. 

I love all my characters. But Jay is my “baby,” now and forever. Officer Randall will forever be special to me… for a very special reason that maybe someday I’ll share. And Orlando will always have a very special corner of my heart… for another special reason that I may never share. 

You, CR, are the first book of many. 

It’s sad to say goodbye.

But I can’t wait to start your sequel.

So, goodbye, CR. I don’t know where you’re heading or what your journey will be. But I know that the Master Storyteller has a perfect plan for this little book I’ve written. 

Lovingly,

Your author

My 5 Favourite Bookish Twists || Clichés & Twists 02

Today is part two of my clichés & twists series. Be sure to read part one if you haven't yet. As I stated last week, I like the "perfect" things. Beautiful heroine, handsome hero, predictable romance, happy-ever-after, villain-is-caught type of books. And yet... I also love the not-what-I-expected, bittersweet, realistic, unusual type of books too. There's a place for both. I firmly believe we need books that show different point-of-views--the unheard, unthought-of, forgotten POVs. Books that show life as it is, but reminds you that whatever happens, God is there and He reigns. Books that challenge your opinions and prejudices. Books that show you things you didn't think about. And books that are just frankly exciting and unusual. Today, I'll be listing my five favourite book twists--things that make a book stand out or hit hard. 

1. Blemished hero.

Henty's heroes are almost always handsome, strong, brave, and skilled. And yet one of my favourite of his heroes is the only flawed one--Ralph Bathurst. Bathurst is clever, handsome, and strong; but he has an innate and helpless horror of noise. Yells, gunshots, roars. drumbeats--loud noises he cannot stand. Talk about a serious defect during the Indian Mutiny! Bathurst's struggles to overcome his flaw are excellent. Heroes who struggle, in any way, are very relatable.

2.  Flawed heroine.  
This, again, ties in with number one. The Little Women from the classic are all flawed--pride, temper,  shyness. And yet, don't we all relate to them and love them? Anne Shirley is beautiful, but she struggles against her "romanticness" and her pride. A flawed heroine, whether in her face or her character, is much more "living" than a perfect one. The "perfect" characters often tend to be boring, if not irritating. 

3. Different POV.

There are some topics that we are used to seeing through the eyes of the same type of person. A WWII book is generally through the eyes of an Ally. An American Revolution book tends to be (on the American side at least) to be from an American's POV. The French-Indian wars in the 1600s are typically written from the French standpoint. But a book that shows WWII through the eyes of an German. Or the American Revolution from the POV of an Englishman or a Canadian. Or the French-Indian wars from the standpoint of an Iroquois. Now that is new and fascinating--and, if well done, though-provoking--even to the author himself, perhaps. 

4. Unexpected twist.

Rather a vague title, but let me explain. By this I mean when you, the reader, is expecting something to happen and the book takes a strong turn to the left or right of that and you are left gaping in astonishment. Unless it has nothing whatsoever to do with the story, that is a fascinating place. 

5. Bittersweet ending. 
Your "ship" didn't happen. The MC's best friend died. They didn't strike gold. The homestead was filed by someone else. Loss. Loss in any way. Bittersweet endings can be so well done. In real life, things don't turn out the way we want. In books, the same can happen--and remind us that there is still hope and beauty. 

So let the villain get away. Make your Nazi captain nice instead of devilish. Marry your main character to someone else than her childhood friend or her dashing rescuer. Give you hero a fatal character defect. Make them unusual and real. 

~ / / ~

What are your thoughts on this series? Have you any favourite twists?

My Writing Journey: My Advice to Young Aspiring Authors

As a child, I took scenes and passages and descriptions from various books and move them into a story. I usually ended up with it unfinished, but at the time it pleased me very much. Then I began to write little stories—2 or 3 pages, probably less than 500 words. When I was about 10, I started my first written-all-out-of-my-own-head book. I never got past chapter three, but it wasn't a bad plot. 

Then when I was twelve, I met a girl. She was a teenager, and writing books and stories. Inspired by her, I decided to start writing. My first book was from a writing prompt. At the moment I was deep into Scottish history, and very much in love with Sir William Wallace. (Not much has changed). So I wrote out about twenty different story titles and sat down to write the stories, the first one being the story of the girls in the tower.

Around the same time, I read this story (Morning in the Trenches) and decided I could write better than the young lady who wrote it, so I began a WWI story set in France. The story morphed into a book, and then I laid plans for a six-book series, each chronicling a year of the war. My Scottish book reached about 12k or so—I never finished it—and my French WWI book was about that or less. 

Thus began my writing journey. I wrote many short stories and began several short story collections. My average length was 10,000 words (usually attained with some difficulty) for a long story and 300-500 for a short story. I was a solitary writer. I told family and friends about my writing and sometimes they read it and praised it, which made me so happy. 

I was introduced to NaNoWriMo when I was around thirteen. At this moment my model was that girl and I was striving to be like her (writing books, writing every day, etc). Of course my life was very different from hers, and I was discontented and frustrated. While she wrote 50,000 words for NaNo, finished books, and even published books, I could hardly write 10,000 words, I had no good books, and I struggled to write every day. I neglected other things and grew angry and upset when my writing time was restricted, threatened, or taken away. I was often depressed and angry. But I kept writing and enjoyed my new stories. I participated in Victoria's monthly writing challenges and was always so happy when she commented about my stories. At one time I had an email thread where I sent monthly updates of my writing to various family and friends, and sometimes they answered. 

In 2016, as a fifteen-year-old, I began to do NaNoWriMo. My first story, a pretend biography, was 15,151 words long. I kept writing. My best friend was a staunch supporter, and so were some family members; and I kept writing stories for Victoria's challenges. My word counts still stayed around 10,000 maximum, though I usually had shorter stories that that. 

Earlier that year I had begun to follow Amanda Tero. The first post from her blog that I ever read was this one. It struck me hard, because it was exactly what I needed, though I didn’t like it. Some time after I read this one and was again hit hard—it was so my story and so what I didn't want to do. I did not want to give up my writing. But finally, after struggling for years, I began to let go of my writing. I’m not sure when exactly, but it was some time after this. I wrote for the pleasure of writing, most of the time; didn’t strive to be the same as my model; and was much happier. And I finally surrendered my writing time. I still kept learning all I could about writing, and followed many writers' blogs. But writing became a hobby instead of my obsession.

In 2017 I began to write longer stories, and began a trilogy. Story #1 was 8 or 9,000 words long; story #3 was about the same; and I wrote story #2 for NaNoWriMo. I did Camp NaNo in July (I don’t know how much I wrote; somehow I have no records), and during NaNoWriMo I wrote 14,172 words. I was ecstatic—I had almost reached novella (15k) length! I was also very happy to have written a story that had been in my head for a long time. This was the first time I began to write stories that I had written in my head. 

In 2018 the pattern continued. My word count varied between 500-10,000 words. I didn’t write very much. In July I wrote a 12k story in a 100-for-100 (writing 100 words every day for 100 days). I missed only 3 days, even if we were traveling across the U.S. & Canada on vacation, and ended up with 12,436 words. And it was a story with characters from a story in my head. I also had some of my stories published on a blog and I was so happy--especially when people commented that they liked my stories. 

During NaNo 2018, I wrote 18,504 words in 12 days and was almost speechless with happiness. Not only had I passed 15k, I had also written a good story and I’d written an average of 1,542 words a day. That story ended up at 19,110 words and I went on to write 21,190 words’ worth of Flash Fiction. So I finished up with 40,300 words’ worth of writing in 30 days. My dream was still to write a 50,000 word book, but I could only hope in the distant future that this would happen. And I dreamed of writing 50,000 words for NaNo—all on the same project—but this also seemed a distant achievement.

In April 2019 I participated in Camp NaNo again and this time I joined a cabin. I wrote 40,682 words in 30 days, and it was all on the same story—which was not yet finished!!! My goal was suddenly much nearer. I had a story good enough to publish—so I thought. And I had fangirls and a writing club. I was blissfully happy. I kept writing until I was at 45,000+. I couldn't figure out how to end it, so I sent it to alpha-readers—and when I got their response, I realized my book wasn't good enough to be published yet and was full of flaws. I was intensely discouraged and I stopped writing in it. In May or June a sweet friend read my book and left me a ton of compliments and fangirly comments. I found that there was good in my story and I was happy—but I still didn't write.

Then, in Camp NaNo July, I started a random short story, was very uninspired, plowed through, and then randomly decided to finish Chords. I dreamed of reaching 45,000 and this story fulfilled that dream, topping out at 46,526 words. 

I edited this story and sent it to beta-readers. I also edited a Christmas short story and gave it to friends to read, and a well-known published author (!!!) loved it and asked me to publish it so she could add it in her Christmas book recommendations. (A post on a well-known blog about my little story. Can you imagine?!) I was even able to have a proofreader read it and I made it available to the world. 

I was blessed beyond measure. My old dreams were becoming real. I had a (sort of) published book, I had a fan club, I had almost reached my dream of a 50,000 word book. And that’s when God decided to bless me even more. 

I started writing a new story. Like Chords, it went from a short story to a novel. It passed 19,000 words and it still wasn’t anywhere near done. I decide to finish it for NaNo and then work on some other WIPs I had. 

NaNo began. Broken passed 30,000 words—40,000 words—45,000 words—and my dream came true. As of 2:14 p.m. on November 14^th, Broken sits at 50,245 words. 

NaNo is not yet over. I have passed the halfway mark—I’m currently at 26,140 words. I’m writing more than the necessary 1,667 words a day, averaging at 1,800 words a day. I’m on track to reach that dazzling 50,000 words goal and I might even pass it. Broken is still not done and might end up at—who knows?—that gorgeous 60,000 words. I don’t know ye.

But I do know that I have been blessed. And I know that it was worth surrendering my dreams and aspirations to God. And I know that with time, perseverance, and hard work, dreams can come true. 

I’m writing this post for you, the young teen who wants to become an author. I’m telling you, learn all you can about your craft. Write as much as you can. Pray about your writing and surrender it to God. Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Write what the Lord would have you write. Accept when He gives you seasons of little or no writing. Keep working. Don’t give up. Don’t neglect your responsibilities or miss out on life.

God is good, and if it is the right thing for you, He will make your wildest dream true. Trust His timing and rest in His promises. 

Because the Lord is good, and worthy of trust. 

My 5 Favourite Bookish Clichés || Clichés & Twists 01

Hello, everyone! Today we're going to have a bit more of a writer/bookish post where I share about my five favourite clichés! We're also starting something that will hopefully become a series... ;) 

We all know what clichés are. (<< please note the accent on the e. "Cliche" is not a word.)  They are the things that show up a lot in books. They are the things that writers are often told to avoid "like the plague." They're like stereotypes. 

My opinion on clichés is divided. On one hand, I like certain clichés. (That's what this post is about). I like certain phrases that tend to come up a lot. "Like the plague," "sadder and wiser," "teeth like pearls," etc, etc. I like those because they're very descriptive. On the other hand, I also like cliché breakers. The description that points something out in a way I've never seen it before. The character that breaks the stereotype. The story plot that twists and turns. 

Clichés can be annoying if they're overused. But they can also just be comforting sometimes. Yes, I read books to learn. To see things through other people's eyes. To find out what it was like to live in those circumstances. But sometimes I read books to escape reality. Sometimes I want a happy little story where everything ties up in a pretty bow. A satisfying story. We need both books. We need books that will show new POVs, new settings, new characters, new storylines, new countries... but we also need the books that just make you go, "Ahhh ^_^." The ones that divert while they bless you. 

And now that I've wandered away from my subject a little and probably got a bit confusing and rambly... on to the clichés! These are things that make me happy when I meet them in a book, no matter how popular they are. 

1. Beau idéal of a hero.
*coughs* It's true. It's always delightful to know that the male half of your character ship is handsome. I like to have my heroes big and manly and handsome and courageous and skilful with his weapons and all that kind of lovely thing. 

2. Beautiful heroine.  
This ties in with number one. I've seen people complain because L.M. Montgomery's heroines are always beautiful. But I like when my heroine is pretty. I love pretty things. I love seeing beautiful people. Why begrudge a non-living *coughs* character her beauty? 

3. Predictable romance.
I like being able to ship characters. I like being able to pick out early that they're going to be married. I love when Henty introduces me early to the hero's better half and it annoys me when he doesn't. Happy love stories are beautiful, and I love to see them. 


4. The hero gets out of scrapes often & easily enough.
Henty is very guilty of this cliché. But it's very comforting to know that Malcolm will be sure to get away from the robbers and get back on them. That there's no way Ronald will get killed by the Duke. That at the worst Harry will get a ball through his body or lose a finger, but he's certain not to be hors de combat for life. It's nice not to have to worry over your babies. ;)


5. Happily ever after. 
The kind of book that just ties everything up in a pretty bow. The kind where the characters you care about live. Where the couple you shipped get married. Where the mystery is solved satisfactorily. Just a happy ending. One that makes you smile. 

You might have noticed a theme with these clichés that I love. They're all a bit... unrealistic. Storyland-only. But they're also just happy. "All end's well" type. It's a bit like an ice cream cone. Familiar and refreshing and just happy stuff.

Stay tuned for part two: My Five Favourite Twists! 

~ / / ~

That's why I say, don't always eschew clichés. Some have been around for years for a reason. This is my opinion, and I understand that it may not be everyone's. What are your thoughts on these clichés? Have you some pet clichés? 

The NaNoWriMo 20 Questions Tag

So we have an unexpected tag today because I saw this the other night and decided to answer it. ;D

Rules: 

1. Thank the person that tagged you. (Sarah left this tag open.)
2. Link back to the creator of this tag, Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner. 
3. Feel free to use the NaNoWriMo 20 Questions Tag graphics!
4. Answer the questions.
5. Tag some friends who are also doing NaNo this year.
6. And have fun!!!

1. Tell me about your NaNoWriMo project this year! Give me a blurb!

I am being a NaNo Reb this year and instead of doing once project, I'm doing several. I am finishing my WIP, Broken; I'm finishing an Untitled Australian Bushranger WIP; a short story about Jerry & J.C. from Chords; a novella about Jerry & Jennifer after they're married; and then I plan to do some flash fiction. We'll see if any of those stories end up into a 50k novel. xD 

*I literally just made up three of these blurbs right now* 

~ Broken ~

Nathaniel Kemp is drowning in the darkness that surrounds him. Crime, abuse, grief, and violence have buried him in a deep slough of depression and bitterness. When hitchhiking to see his sister for the last time before taking his own life, Nathan is picked up by two unusual brothers. James, the eldest, insists that Jesus Christ died to save Nathan from his sins and can give him a new life. As the years roll on and Nathan continues to battle his past, he wonders... can there be forgiveness and healing even for him? 

~ Untitled Bushranger WIP ~

Three brothers faced by tragedy. Which one will prove the strongest?

Roland, William, and Zephaniah Edwards have only a last name in common. Roland is a first lieutenant aboard one of Her Majesty’s ships, polished and gentlemanly, with a good-natured, tolerant contempt for the lower class. Will is a stolid, silent gentleman farmer in Australia, hard and reserved. And Zeph is a long-legged, merry-tongued boy with a warm heart in which lurks no interest in rank and class.

When the three brothers visit their uncle, a wealthy settler in rural Australia, the brothers create very different impressions. Roland plays the cavalier to his cousin and her friend, while ignoring the blacks and ex-convict servants. Will lends his uncle his advice, and riles the hands by his harshness. And Zeph, not content with befriending every creature on the place, decides to worm his way into the heart of his uncle’s right-hand man—a silent, rough ex-convict. 

When unexpected tragedy befall the family, each young man is forced to sound for his foundation and reassess his character. Which one will emerge victorious over his foes within and without?

~ Strains ~

Jared Gray and his little brother J.C. have been kidnapped by their uncle and handed over to an underground crime corporation. Still grieving over the tragical death of his parents two months ago, Jared finds his bitter and morose attitude raises many difficulties. For the sake of his brother, he becomes skilled in carrying out the coercion, blackmailing, and harassing he is ordered to do. J.C., however, persistently refuses to stop to crime. Jared cannot bear to see his brother harmed, and when God fails to answer his prayers, he considers himself abandoned by the Lord and hands himself over to the darkness, to J.C.'s dismay. Sparks begin to fly as Jared confronts Mathieson, the chief of the establishment, concerning his brother. Jared is caught between J.C.'s instances that they do what is right, and Mathieson's assurances that one should look out for himself. Can God still watch over and care for them, forsaken as they are? Or is Mathieson correct in saying there is no God? 

~Notes~

Dave has always been obliged to watch out for himself. His dad is dead, his mother abandoned him, and his big brother uses him to help commit the arson he plans out. Dave lives only for his little brother, Anthony. When the chance of a lifetime arrives, he seizes it and runs away with Anthony. It isn't as easy as it sounds. Two weeks later, Dave is in despair. Winter has decide to return, and as street-savvy as he is, Dave is unable to scrounge out the food they need. Finding shelter in an unlocked shed seems a good idea, until the owner decides to come put his shovels back inside. 

But Mr. Gray is unlike anyone Dave has ever seen before, and so is his wife. They are kind, smart, and firm. Still, he is suspicious of their willingness to take two runaways in. Determined to make them show their true colours, he does everything he can think of and goes as far as he can to provoke them. In spite of everything, they remain just and caring. As the months stretch on, Dave begins to wonder if he is mistaken. Anthony is completely happy and already calls the Grays his parents; and Dave struggles against his growing trust and affection for them. Could it be that true love exists in the world? And can someone like him be made a new person?

2. What’s the genre?

Broken: Christian contemporary. 

Bushranger WIP: Christian historical fiction. 

Strains & Notes: Fantasized contemporary dystopian. xD

3. Describe your MC in three words.

Broken: Angry, bitter, hopeless. 

Bushranger WIP: Well, there are three, so...

R: Polished, proud, competent. 

W: Silent, hard, bitter.

Z: Loving, cheerful, Christian.

Strains: Frustrated, hurting, afraid. 

Notes: Suspicious, hard, passionate. 

4. Without spoilers, describe your villain in three words.

Broken: Alcohol, crime, neglect.

Bushranger WIP: *coughs* Wily, unscrupulous, passionate. 

Strains: Smooth, unscrupulous, manoeuvering. 

Notes: Anger, abuse, emotions. 

5. What is your goal? (the traditional 50K? 20K? 5K? or……. 100K?)

I'd like to reach 50k. We'll see if that happens. :) 

6. Is this your first draft? Second? Third?

It's my first draft for Broken, but I think I will rewrite the Australian WIP. First draft with Notes; rewrite for Strains. 

7. Are you starting a new project (or draft), or continuing an existing one?

Bushranger & Strains are old projects, Broken & Notes are new. 

8. What is your favourite time to write in the day?

Evening. 7:30-9:30. 

9. Where are you going to write?

At the laptop or the desktop on may desk; or on my phone, in which case I can be anywhere. 

10. Computer or paper?

Computer. No transcribing that way. :)

11. NaNoWriMo is a huge commitment!! How are you going to make time to write?

Uhhh... just make time for it! Other hobbies will have to be put aside and wait. :) 

12. Are you going to participate in local or online NaNoWriMo events? (e.g. kick-off parties in your city, write-ins, virtual writing sprints…)

I will very likely do many sprints with my writing buddies, which will be so fun! 

13. Do you write from beginning to end or skip around?

I always write beginning to end. I'm a plantser and I usually find out what's happening in my story as I write. I seldom have an idea of where I'm going when I start. 

14. Planner or pantser? (or plantser?)

Plantser all the way! I need to have the big plot points decided, or at least know what major things will happen, but I can't plan it all. It comes as I write. 

15. What will be your go-to NaNoWriMo snack?

I'm hoping that my sister & I will make some peanut butter cups for NaNo. XD But I don't snack as I write. I love to snack while I read, but snacking while I write... no, thanks. 

16. Choice of caffeine? (or no caffeine?)

No caffeine. I don't like hot beverages. 

17. Any rewards for milestone achievements? For finishing NaNoWriMo?

Hm, I haven't thought of that. When I finish NaNo I will probably read a book I've been wanting to read for a while, or something. :) As for milestones, the excitement of having reached them is reward enough.
Update: I just decided my reward. It'll be the permission to work another project guilt-free instead of reading or writing. xP 

18. Share a tip for other NaNo-ers!

Decide in advance what you're writing, but don't feel bad about switching projects. NaNo is about writing, not getting burned out. Write extra when its's really flowing, so then you have a good bumper for bad days. And be excited. :) 

19. How are you feeling about NaNoWriMo? (Excited?! Nervous!? Terrified?!)

Excited! I'm eager to dive into these stories!! 

20. Share an aesthetic for your NaNoWriMo novel!

I've only got a little one for Broken...

And I tag... whoever is doing NaNo!