Update On Novel Two

I have shared quite a bit about Dyed Blue, the first novel I ever finished and the first novel for The Author Conservatory. Dyed Blue was a work of blood, sweat, and a few tears from October, to February. It was a book of many firsts, lots of learning curves, and a whole lot of growth for me as a writer, and a person.

But, it's May - as crazy and surprising and shocking as that may be. And what, you might be wondering, have I been working on this whole time, since I posted that I was practically finished with Dyed Blue?

I have not been editing Dyed Blue just yet, I have not been looking to start pitching it or publish it - that won't happen for a few years.

Instead, I have been working on... drafting a second novel, and I just wanted to share a little bit about this story that has grown me even more, taught me so much, and showed me that yes, I can not just write one full-length novel, but I can write two. And I can write three, four, five - and so on.

It's all about consistency. Consistency in the little things, like getting out of bed, making breakfast, taking walks, playing with your siblings - I could go on and on. It's the little things that matter.

The little things that come together to make something big. The little things that create something big. The one hundred words, after one hundred words, that suddenly turns into a thousand words, that turns into 80 some thousand words.

That is what matters. We have to start small, to get big. We have to start at the beginning, to get anywhere. The most important step, is the first one, and then consistently, faithfully, taking one more step, after one more step.

God does not call us to change the world overnight, make a monumental difference in a day, or write a book in one sitting - no, He calls us to faithfully follow Him day, after day, after day. He calls us to do the little things, that add up to big things; do the boring things, that matter to Him; love in the simple, mundane moments, that will one day create a lifetime of glorifying and serving our Father.

Life is made up of tiny, inconsequential moments that we will probably forget about. But someone else might not. God might use one tiny action, to create a landslide, He might take a hundred ordinary tasks, to transform you into His image.

So don't discredit the small things. Don't make less of "boring" or "unimportant" or "small" moments, accomplishments, or deeds - He cares. He is using every word you write, every action you do, and every kind of way you love on His children, for His glory.

Project: Wrapped

Now that I've gone on my little, seemingly unimportant rant (that maybe God will use to bless you :) let me tell you a little bit more about this second novel, under the working title/project title Project: Wrapped.

I have been mulling on, dreaming about, and imagining this novel since probably last fall on a random walk in the woods, and started outlining it in the middle of January. And as it went through the concept and synopsis rounds, it changed quite a bit, much like my last one, but now, as I'm just 15k words away from writing The End, I can't imagine it any other way.

Many thanks goes to all my incredible instructors, but especially Joanne Bischoff (who is an incredible author and I would totally recommend checking out her books), and a sweet, sweet friend of mine who loved my characters and got excited over them, even when I wasn't.

I started drafting beginning of March, and had planned to have it finished by end of April... which obviously did not happen! I'm still between 10k and 15k words away from the end, but I'm learning to be okay with that. To take breaks and read, to play with my siblings and go on adventures and not stress so much about finishing it by a certain deadline.

In other words, I'm learning to enjoy the process of writing, and that life is writing just as much as writing is writing. It's important to live, and do other things, and work on new projects, while still pushing yourself and finishing what you started.

It's important to give yourself breaks and love what you're doing... but also do it when you don't love it.

Project: Wrapped though was definitely something I loved doing (most of the time). It's a contemporary, which I'm learning is definitely the easiest genre for me to write, and revolves around the theme of having control over your choices and the theme of how your worth doesn't revolve around what other people say about you or define you as.

The two main characters are also in high school so it's just... a fun age, fun atmosphere, to write about. It also has quite a bit more humor and funky high school-ness than Dyed Blue, while still having deep themes.

There's fake dating, child proteges, a controlling aunt, highschool vibes, songwriting, bodyguards, break ups, and... it is very loosely a Tangled retelling.

The Official Info

Concept

With a father in prison, all Archer Finley wants is to prove that he isn’t like him by gaining fame through music writing, rather than crime. When he meets Cadence Jade, or CJ, a pop singer living with her overbearing aunt, he finally has his opportunity, and yet, something about this girl is... different. She hates music, and he can't just let that go un answered.

Abandoned when she was three by her parents, Cadence has one of the most stunning voices in the industry and... she hates music. Once she turns eighteen, she never wants to sing again. But slowly, as Archer's enthusiasm and love for music awaken a deep, long-forgotten passion that has so-long been buried beneath her fears, she dares to believe that maybe, she can sing as Cadence. Maybe, people will love Cadence, and not just use CJ.

But Cadence's aunt will stop at nothing to get her niece back in her clutches

She threatens Archer into breaking CJ’s heart and Archer, terrified of having his musical dreams stolen, pushes her away, even though it just makes him more like his father. Cadence is crushed that no one will see her as a person - no one will choose her - yet she determines to keep choosing Archer, no matter what.

But no one knows just how far people will go to hurt Cadence and how much it will cost her to choose to sing as Cadence, not CJ.

No one knows that, as Archer realizes that Cadence is his dream and vows to protect her, they might have to risk everything to choose to love music again.

Comp Titles

Tangled meets Letters to the Lost meets Coral

Genre

YA Contemporary (Tangled) Retelling

Word Count

Currently sitting at around 87k and hoping to finish at 95k

Some Un-Official Snippets And Collages

And in conclusion, a few character collages I made up, and some fun snippets to get me excited to write those last few thousand words and finish!

Preston chuckles. “No, not at all, but then again, that’s just my opinion. If you asked anyone else they’d say he’s most definitely not okay—”

“I’m fine.” Archer’s voice, not Preston’s. It’s thick and deep and bordering on angry, but it’s also almost… cautious. Careful.

He should be, I think, turning to keep the phone away from Max’s snatching reach. I’m about to throw this phone across the room and burst into tears.

“Hey Archer,” I say quietly, my own voice a thick rasp

I shrug, slightly irked at his aggressive anger. “Maybe we like a challenge—I mean, we did just stand up for Claremont High’s most infamous bad boys.”

Archer steps toward me, fury coiling off of him. “We didn’t ask you to.”

“And I didn’t ask you to push me in a pool last night, so I guess we’re even—oh no wait.” My own voice slides toward sarcasm, a dangerous cut to my words. “We didn’t ask to get detention because of you either.”

Archer sets me down gently and then steps back, looking at me through curly wet hair that is illegally cute in this coldness. A wide grin is bringing those dimples out in his cheeks that are flushed with the cold and the exhilaration of winning.

I’m suddenly not so frozen on the inside anymore.

"Here,” he says, reaching to the bag slung around his shoulders and pulling out a gray hoodie. “Put this on—don’t want my homecoming date freezing at a football game.”

“Haha,” I say dryly, rolling my eyes while literally lunging for the hoodie and diving into it. Surprisingly, it doesn’t smell like a guy’s locker room or old socks, but like a mom’s laundry detergent and freshly cut grass. It dwarfs me, reaching to the edge of my skirt as I pull the hood up over my wet hair and wrap my arms around myself again, letting the long sleeves hang. “Thanks,” I breathe, looking up at him again.

“Couldn’t have you walking around looking like a drenched puppy dog,” Max says smirking from her perch on the back of a bench. A bench that she most definitely coerced Preston into drying off for her.

“Yeah and now I look like a tiny ragamuffin puppy dog,” I snark back, sticking my tongue out at her.

“A cute tiny ragamuffin puppy dog,” Archer corrects.

“You already have me!” I shout, eyelashes trembling with fury. “You already have me and my life and my name—what more do you want?” My voice drops into a shaking whisper. I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, and yet here I am, on the verge of losing it right in front of Emmet. “What do you want?” I whisper.

“I want you.” His voice is fierce, but he’s lying. We’re all lying.

Waking up in a house that isn’t yours is always a strange feeling. Disorienting. But waking up in a house that isn’t yours, on a couch that isn't yours, with over a dozen missed phone calls and two dozen furious texts from Gail… that’s just plain annoying.

I toss my phone back across the couch with a groan, and run a hand through my messy hair as I blink to bring my surroundings into focus. Archer’s guitars. His stacks of music and sticky notes of lyrics. An old-fashioned clock, complete with Roman numerals, displaying 7:15 in long, shadowy hands. Posters of famous musicians next to drag racers. Model cars lined up along a shelf. A perfectly organized mess. Just like him.

I lean my chin in my hand, a small, sleepy smile warming my lips. I could get lost in this room—get lost in trying to figure out every tiny piece of him.

“Bro, are you serious?” Preston asks incredulously, mouth agape. “She’s barely said a word to you because you’ve been avoiding her like she’s the one who pushed you into a pool! And you put on that little scowl-pout-bad-boy face every time she crosses your path.”

I’m quiet, my jaw working to keep in the barrage of words, because he’s right. I have been avoiding her. Because she lied to me.

Preston waits for my response, and then shakes his head. “You walk around school like a ticking time-bomb, waiting to light someone up or throw a punch—if you’re trying to shove off dad’s shadow, you are failing.”

So, that's a big about Project: Wrapped, a book I hope to someday hold in my hands and put up on my shelf - and I have to keep reminding myself, one step at a time.

One word, one day, one smile and laugh and workout at a time.

And I hope that all of you, would do that to. I hope that you would live every day, taking one step after another, trusting your Savior and remembering that He's got you.

You don't have to worry about anything other than one foot, in front of the other. And when you don't think you can keep going, don't worry He'll carry you.