Beautiful Books: NaNoWriMo

Beautiful Books is a feature by Cait of Paper Fury. Over the weekend, I answered part two of the questions on our NaNo novels, because I missed part 1, so today I'll be answering the Part 1 questions on NaNo stuff.

1. What inspired you to write your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

I've actually had the idea for quite a few months, and even wrote about 5,000 words of it before I dropped it so I could rewrite those words and finish it during NaNoWriMo. The story is inspired largely by the death of one of my best friends from high school, as well as my love of books. Writing this novel is turning out to be both difficult and cathartic because of the subject matter, and I'm still really worried it is too depressing for YA, but I'm trying to push those thoughts out of my head for now and to just get down a draft.

2. Describe what your novel is about!

- Bisexual and anxiety rep

- Bisexual anxious girl falls for her best friend, but also meets her favorite writer at a bookish convention (think BEA or BookCon) and falls for her, too

- Chocolate mousse tortes

- Dealing with the grief over her friend's suicide

- Dealing with the guilt of feeling like it should have been her who died

- Lots of f/f sexy times

- Book blogging

- Book editing

3. What is your book's aesthetic?

As I was making an aesthetic board on Pinterest, I realized the colors coincide with the colors of the bi pride flag, and I am really quite pleased with this:

4. Introduce us to your characters!

My MC doesn't have a name yet, but she's going to dye her hair blue, is a book blogger, is bisexual, and has anxiety/depression.

My MC's best friend who she falls for is named Beck, and she has black curly hair, plays the cello, and is very outgoing.

The other love interest, the author, is named Rose, has pink hair, has a lot of deeper mental health issues that will be revealed throughout the book, is 19, smokes, and is very spontaneous and adventurous. 

5. How do you prepare to write?

Well, my plan was to outline the whole thing on Halloween, but that did not happen. Mostly I do a lot of thinking and panicking because I don't know what's going to happen. Plus I bake. A lot. Lots of baking.

6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

Writing the romance between the best friend and the other romance between the MC and her favorite author. I'm looking forward to having two f/f romances and turning the love triangle trope very bisexual.

7. List 3 things about your novel's setting.

- Is near NYC, but a lot of it will take place in NYC

- Lots of diner happenings

- I don't know a third thing. I have honestly not thought much about the setting.

8. What are your character's goals and what stands in the way?

My MC's main goal is to find something that will bring her hope after her friend dies and her struggles with anxiety and depression get worse. Basically, she is the one who stands in her way, as well as her romance with the author, which will get increasingly toxic as the book goes on.

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

She is more confident in herself and her sexuality, and realizes that sometimes just being "okay" is enough.

10. What are your book's themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?

Even though my book will revolve a lot around mental illness and suicide and grief, I want it to be an ultimately hopeful story. Self-worth and building up self-worth and confidence will also be a major theme. Taking care of oneself is also a big part of it, and I really want to show a teen character with a mental illness getting the proper help she needs and taking care of herself.