#themoonshadowandskychallenge

[acorntops]

#MeetMyBookCommunity- As someone who works with scent in my handmade business, @acorn_tops, and enjoys making book swag such as scented bookmarks, I also tend to incorporate scent a bit in my books! So what would my WIP, An Impossible Dream, smell like? Old books and burnt out wicks, blueberry muffins and sugar and citrus of tarts, rosemary and apple blossoms, a kitchen pantry and an apothecary, and overstepped tea! #SpilltheNovelTea/ #TheMoonShadowandSkyChallenge- Weather and romance! Because nothing says romance like rain! A bit of a repost, but I do love this "he thought her eyes were a special sort of magic" moment! Once more, from my WIP, An Impossible Dream! #WriterFriendsChallenge- Unfortunately, I am in between places currently, so my library cannot be found on shelves and my beloved books are safely tucked in stacked bins in a garage. So. Many. Bins!!! #authorgram #writersofinstagram #writingofinstagram #readingofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstack #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #animpossibledream #bebookseries #writingscent #aromatherapy #scentedbookmarks #authorsofinstagram #readingcommunity #readerscommunity #authorcommunity #writerscommunity #WritingCommunity #bookshelves #romanceinwip #romanceandrain #writingrain #wipwednesday #literaryfiction #authorchallenge https://www.instagram.com/p/CfNASmqvfKL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

#FantasyIndiesJune- #firstkiss @intothewickedwoods @chesneyinfalt I don't write very much romance, but there is an element of it in my WIP, An Impossible Dream. There's a bit of a slow burn, I suppose. It does take the characters 5 years to get to this. But BEHOLD!!! Sare and Fra's first kiss! #AroundtheWorldInIndieAuthors- Summer or Winter? In my Basil Basset Books Series, I tackle both seasons with The Lion's Tooth (about dandelions) and in my WIP, The Way the Cookie Crumbles (takes place around Christmas)! #TheMoonShadowandSkyChallenge- #wednesdaysnippet Antagonist's first lines: In my WIP, An Impossible Dream, there are a handful of antagonists to choose from. The big baddie doesn't talk much and, between them all, it's Rochelle that has the best intro, in my opinion... #WriterFriendsChallenge- Setting the Writing Mood: *cue playlist being blasted loudly and snuggles from my furbutt writing companion* Current mood in my WIP is a lot. The characters are an absolute mess. As the MC puts it... "She was having to navigate the muddy waters of emotions that came with each revelation at once and come to terms with the helplessness of not being at her friend's side when she needed her most. The feeling is mutual, Sare wanted to tell her." #MeetMyBookCommunity- Progress Report I'm at 876 pages (will need to resize to a 9x6 instead of 5x8, so page count will definitely change), 217,266 words in my manuscript for An Impossible Dream. I am finishing up quilting for the sixth & final year of the story. My goal is to have it off to beta readers & my editor before the end of June! #wipwednesday #authorgram #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #writersofinstagram #animpossibledream #bebookseries #bassethoundsofinstagram #basilbassetbooksseries #thelionstooth #thewaythecookiecrumbles #antagonistintroduction #writingcompanion #pointersofinstagram #writerslife #writersmood #winterreads #summerreads #kissscene #authorsofinstagram #bookseries #booksofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce1pCxLvzL3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

Day 9 of my six writing challenges! #FantasyIndiesJune: I've already shared some moodboards for my WIP, An Impossible Dream, so I thought I'd make & share a new one for one of the characters, Gracelynn! As on beta-reader recently described her, "she is both the rosebud & the thorn!" 🌹 #WriterFriendsChallenge: I've already shared a little about my handmade fairy & scented business, @acorn_tops, so I'll share another activity I enjoy outside of writing! Gardening! Grew up gardening! It features heavily in a number of my children's books! I, sadly, cannot have a garden as we are currently in between places, but my peace rose is still with me! 🌷 #AroundtheWorldInIndieAuthors: To snack or not to snack might be the question, but the answer is ALWAYS to snack!!! I have a huge sweet tooth and love to gnosh on many a tasty bite... Or three! 😋 #TheMoonShadowandSkyChallenge: Romantic plots or subplots? In general, I prefer a subplot, in both reading, writing, & even watching TV shows. That being said, I have been known to enjoy some romance and I do love a good romance movie. More often than not, though, I opt for no romance or to have it peppered in. #SpilltheNovelTea: I always struggle with not wanting to share too much, but certain beta-readers have complained to me that they lament the fact they will not get a virgin read EVER!!! In my defense, I get very excited about my stories! #MeetMyBookCommunity: Inspiration is everywhere! I'm inspired by EVERYTHING, from reading to shows I watch to daily conversations to a vibrant rose to just everything! #animpossibledream #beseries #bebookseries #wipwednesday #upcomingbook #bookseries #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #readingofinstagram #rosesofinstagram #peacerose #moodboards #bookmoodboard #charactermoodboard #characteraesthetic #bookaesthetics #authorhobbies #authorgram #authorsnacks #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #writingofinstagram #writerinspiration https://www.instagram.com/p/CemGtUlPb-6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

#WriterFriendsChallenge / #MeetMyBookCommunity : Elsbie is one of Sare's best friends from my WIP, An Impossible Dream! I just finished digital-arting a sketch of her! She's brilliant, quick-witted, a voracious reader with an immaculate memory to match, and somehow knows every rumor there is to know. The only thing small about her is her stature, and that can be easily forgotten. She is not someone you'd want to cross when it comes to a prank, words, or a fist! She would burn the world down for those she cares about. A real world friend of mine is one of my most kindred spirits and bosom buddies, Alyse! She's a childhood friend and just one of the best people there is! She is also a reader and has the best book recommendations, too. These include Alosha, The Starless Sea, and The Fault In Our Stars! #themoonshadowandskychallenge- #wednesdaysnippet: It suddenly occurred to Sare that she never saw her friend out of uniform before. She looked pretty and bright, like a sunrise spilling over nighttime's empty-star, cloud-filled sky. More herself than she ever had been in the castle. #SpilltheNovelTea- #writerwednesday: Do I just begin or do I use a structure or template? I dive in, often without even testing the waters first. Full on cannon ball straight into a manuscript. I thrive in chaos and chaos reigns supreme in almost all my creativity. I call my method quilting. I write what comes and then quilt all the different parts together. #FantasyIndiesJune: I really enjoy words that sound like their meaning, but not in an onomatopoeia sense. Lackadaisical, bumble, melancholy... If we want to stick with the friends theme, though, (more of a phrase than a single word) I'd go with "kindred spirit and bosom buddy" from Anne of Green Gables, as only Anne Shirley could put it! #bestfriendday #bookstagram #authorgram #readersofinstagram #writerscommunity #writersofinstagram #readingofinstagram #animpossibledream #beseries #bebookseries #digitalartist #authorchallenge #writerschallenge #readerscommunity #kindredspirits #bosombuddies #bookfriends #artistsofinstagram #bookexcerpt #storysnippet #bookquotes https://www.instagram.com/p/CejxLs7vq8n/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

Day 6 of #themoonshadowandskychallenge for "moodboard Monday: MC's goal," #FantasyIndiesJune for "one line Monday," and #SpilltheNovelTea with "most inspirational thing your MC has done!" A couple of these required some thinking, and even help from a beta-reader. A main theme of the story is survival and from the very beginning of An Impossible Dream, Sare's focus is on survival. During the first pages she tells Madam Hayworth, "I assure you, ma'am, I can survive any place." As for her more inspirational moments, as one of my earliest beta-readers said, "her inspiration is very subtle." She believes so much in her friends and would do anything for them. But it's never a grand, over-the-top gesture, to the point where she misses this about herself, too. As she reflects on a comparison between herself and one of her friends, "she knew more about surviving than how to be good." #moodboardmonday #onelinenonday #charactergoal #characterinspiration #inspirationalwriting #animpossibledream #bebookseries #bookseries #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #charactermoodboard #bookmoodboard #bookaesthetics #characteraesthetic #writingchallenge #WritingCommunity #writerscommunity #authorgram #authorcommunity #authorchallenge #bookchallenge #readingofinstagram #readerscommunity #readersofinstagram #readingcommunity #writingofinstagram #writersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CeeXwDeP9WG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

Day 4 & 5 of #themoonshadowandskychallenge is "#SnippetSaturday: MC's first line" and "#selfcaresunday!" I hadn't realized that the MC doesn't actually speak until about page 5 or 6. Here is the very first thing she actually says. Though, there is a lot of thinking before this. It also just captures her character so perfectly, I might add! As for self-care this entire weekend... I normally would spend hours painstakingly making the excerpts I've shared for #SnippetsSaturday across multiple challenges pretty, hunting down the perfect free image online, selecting a color for the text to pop, trying to position the words just write and re-doing it five times because of the inevitable shifts when clicking off the text boxes or typos/ grammatical error, etc. I'm practicing self-care in the form of screenshots taken directly from my manuscript in all it's messy, plain glory! #writersselfcare #authorsselfcare #bookseries #bebookseries #beseries #firstlines #MCsfirstlines #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #authorslife #writerslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writingofinstagram #readingofinstagram #readersofinstagram #writerscommunity #WritingCommunity #authorchallenge #writingchallenge #readerscommunity #readingcommunity #authorcommunity #amediting #amwriting https://www.instagram.com/p/CebsxrgJ5m0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[acorntops]

Today is day 3 of #themoonshadowandskychallenge with " #fridaymoodboard: introduce your MC" and #SpilltheNovelTea with " #fridayfavorites: favorite thing to write!" As An Impossible Dream is drawing near the end for writing, book 3 of the Be Series is in the works (already kinda has been)! Book 3 of the Be series is Where the Heart Is, with the central character being the Queen herself! This mood board is all about her and her story, tying elements of multiple kingdoms, as well! I'm very excited to introduce the Queen to readers fully, outside the role of Henry's mother & the Queen of Midgrim (though there is quite a bit of that, too)! It will definitely be offering a new, more 3D look at this incredible character! (Also, just the warmth & beauty & elegance of the photos just really captures her well, too!) Dialogue comes very naturally to me for writing and I have a lot of fun with it. Especially with this next book, though, so much of it will wind up being in the Queen's head. With this entire series, I've really enjoyed all the characters and their development and I think characters are probably my all time favorite things to write. It's kind of like the unfolding of a blooming flower. With her character, in particular, to get to see her through other characters' eyes, to get these snapshots of pieces of her, and now to see her for her whole self, including these parts she's tucked away, is just incredible. Especially because she is so central to the entire series. She stands in the center of the web in so many ways. #authornotes #authorchallenge #authorgram #authorcommunity #favoritethingstowrite #writerscommunity #WritingCommunity #writersofinstagram #writingofinstagram #bookseries #bebookseries #animpossibledream #wheretheheartis #Queenbook #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #wipwednesday #moodboard #bookmoodboard #charactermoodboard #meetthemc #meetthemaincharacter #authorsgushingabouttheirownbooks #writingchallenge #writingcharacters https://www.instagram.com/p/CeXCN9RPwss/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=