NaNo 2017

Hi! It's been an incredibly long time since I posted anything, and for that I apologize. And yes, this is a short post, but I wanted to pop in and share my NaNoWriMo 2017 plan. My story is called Margaret Hale and the Thorntons of Milton, and it is a modernized twist on North and South, by Elizabeth Gaskell (we even share a first name!!). It's actually an idea I had a long time ago, but never put on paper. I have loved the BBC North and South miniseries for years, so I'm excited to put my own spin on the story.

Here's my summary:

Margaret Hale didn't expect her college living situation to turn out like this. When she moved in with Fanny Thornton, she thought she knew what she was getting herself into: Fanny was sweet, if a little ditzy, she kept her house tidy, and she didn't throw massive parties. That was really all Margaret needed in a roommate.

And then John showed up.

Fanny hadn't warned Margaret that her older brother, John Thornton, the successful businessman, might stay with them. For longer than just a short visit. But suddenly he's there, and before Margaret can even blink, he has moved into the spare bedroom. She tries to make the best of it and get along with John, but they disagree about everything. How is she supposed to get along with a guy who disagrees with some of her most fundamental beliefs?

It doesn't help that she misses home -- the town of Milton is just not for her. Sure, she has friends, like Liz Higgins and her father, who works for John. But one thing is for sure: Margaret Hale will never fit in with the Thorntons of Milton, and she's not sure she even wants to.

I am so excited to get started on this story, it's ridiculous. Honestly, it's probably a little ridiculous I'm doing NaNo at all this year, because I'm so busy and I'm editing another book. But I've done NaNo every year since 2011, and there's no way I'm stopping now. Wish me luck!

xo

Liz

Camp NaNoWriMo

Hello, all!

Short post today; I really just want to talk about my plans for Camp NaNoWriMo next month.

I'm so excited! I only decided to do it today, because I've had this story idea swirling around in my head for the last few days, and I finally decided that I'm going to do it. I'm probably crazy, because next month is going to be really busy, but I honestly don't care. I can't wait. Plus, April 1st is a Saturday, so I'll be able to get ahead of the game that day and the next.

I've been really into writing my own fairy tales for a while now, and recently I decided to try my hand at rewriting one of my favorite Disney movies fairy tales: Beauty and the Beast.

Here's my story summary:

For hundreds of years, the kingdom of LaBete lived in peace, ruled by the Lyon royal family. But on one cold, wet night, everything changed.

All her life, Belle has known nothing more than the simplicity her village offers. Her world consists of trips to the market, reading her books, dodging fellow villager Victor, and being with her father. She has always heard stories of the mysterious vanishing of the Lyon royal family, but she has never believed the rumors that a beast now inhabits the old castle. 

One winter, Belle's father doesn't return from a trip. She goes looking for him, and soon discovers that his path leads to the front gates of the old castle, hidden deep in the woods. Inside the castle, she learns the truth of what happened all those years ago to the Lyon prince, and the truth about the rumors of a beast prowling the halls of the castle, waiting for its prey.

In one night, with one decision, Belle's life is changed forever. She can never return to the simple life she had before, whether she wants to or not. She is forced into a new role, and it will take all of her strength to survive on her own in this new world of magic and monsters.


I can't wait to start writing!

--Liz

What I'm Reading (March 2017)

I've been in a reading slump lately, and during January and February I probably started and put down at least ten books. But I think I'm finally out of it, and I'm finally reading again! So here's a list of some different things I've been reading:

Currently reading:

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr:
I'm only about 70 pages into this book (it's big), but it's very good so far. It tells two different stories from WWII, one of a girl from France, and one of a boy from Germany. It's an interesting book, and I'm excited to see where it goes.


Rereading:

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah:
Okay, so I haven't actually started my reread of this yet, but I'm planning to either today or tomorrow. I don't know why I'm going to put myself through it again, considering how much it made me cry the first time, but I love it so much I can't help it.

Recently read:

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane:
Wow, this book was a major mind-flip. I kind of knew what was coming, because of spoilers I got a long, long time ago, but I still had trouble following the reveal. It was wild, and not really believable. I wanted to like it a lot more than I actually did.


The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger:
Now here was a book I loved. The book is written as a case file put together by a boy trying to figure out what's really going on with an origami Yoda his classmate carries around. There's a sequel, Darth Paper Strikes Back, which I haven't read yet, but want to. The book is funny and sweet, and I loved reading it.


The Light Between Oceans, by M. L. Stedman:
I don't even know what to say about this book. It was so beautiful, but it was also so incredibly depressing and hard to read. I loved it, but I wanted to throw it across the room a few times. It's not a book I would say I enjoyed, but it was definitely worth the read.



Hopefully it won't be another year before I post one of these again! I'm going to try and write one at least once a month, but we'll see if that plan sticks.

Oh Dear

Oh, dear. I seem to have forgotten about my poor little blog again. But I am going to sit here and write at least two posts, and queue them up to post later. So expect more from me in the near future.

To get caught up: I am getting through another semester, this time working in a kindergarten classroom as part of my classes. It's amazing getting to see kindergarteners every day, and I love it so much. It's an incredibly rewarding job, and it definitely boosts my self-esteem to have that many little people think I'm awesome.

I'm working on various writing projects, including a short story and editing my Camp NaNoWriMo novel from summer 2016. I did NaNoWriMo again in November of 2016, and it was probably my hardest year. I almost quit half-way through because I was struggling with it so much. But I powered through, and I finished again! Probably the most triumphant I've felt about NaNo because of the struggle it was (also the most exhausted I've felt).

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but I think (I hope) I'm finally clawing my way out of. I'm working on a post about what I've been reading, so stay tuned for that.

Also, I started another blog! I know what you're thinking -- "Liz, you can barely keep up with this blog. What are you doing, starting another blog?" And I know, I know. But this other blog, Write Your Love on My Heart, is a project I've wanted to do for a while. So feel free to check that one out.

That's all I have for right now, so I guess I should get to work on queueing up some other posts, huh?