Know the Novel | October 2019

October is passing quickly. The trees are finally changing, showing off with bright spots of orange-gold or deep red throughout the scenery. The sky is blue, the air is chill, and the comforting scent of pumpkin spice is everywhere.

Which of course means:

NANOWRIMO APPROACHETH.

- November, probably.

This will be my eleventh NaNo, tenth year going for the main 50K, and I am sooooooo excited. I’m also hoping to make this my sixth consecutive win!

When I saw Christine was bringing back her NaNoWriMo linkup for 2019, I couldn’t wait to join! But first I had to finish planning some things for my NaNo project...

Before we dive into that, though, here’s a little bit about Know the Novel!


Know the Novel is a blog party taking place in October, November, and December, where writers can share about their NaNoWriMo projects (or any writing project)! You can find out more and join the fun by checking out the introduction.
What first sparked the idea for this novel?
Back in the summer, when we were preparing to go to a bigfoot conference, my sister pitched my mom and me the story prompt of an outdoorsy skeptic who finds and befriends a sasquatch, and then she said to do something with it.

Then, about a month or so ago, my main character introduced himself with a name, a short history, and the faintest beginnings of an idea.

Thus, The Unlikely Adventure of Felix McKay came into being.

Share a blurb!
As with most NaNos, I don’t really have a blurb yet. But I can tell you that The Unlikely Adventure of Felix McKay is about a trio of friends on a road trip “to (probably) find Bigfoot” and that it features friendship, family, and what it means to belong.


It’s a new adult, contemporary fantasy (scifi???) with a road trip and campfires and rainy walks through forests. I’m also picturing something that’s a little bit like Pete’s Dragon meets Harry and the Hendersons. 

Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?
At the moment, the story will take place in Washington. It’s the state with the most reported sightings of sasquatch, which makes for a pretty enticing setting to use. It’s also not a fictional place, which I don’t normally write, and I’ve never been there, so that will be a little bit of a challenge, I think.


Tell us about your protagonist(s).
Aww yiss, my favorite part.

Felix McKay is a shy twenty-something full of quiet wonder and soft hope, who loves books, his family and friends, and his hometown. He struggles with social anxiety and feeling like he is enough, but he really does try.

Alejo Alvarez is Felix’s best friend and the mastermind behind the road trip. Fan of Elvis and all things mysterious-and-a-little-bit-creepy. He’s basically appointed himself as Felix’s unofficial brother.

Doralee Alvarez is Alejo’s sister and Felix’s other best friend. She’s never one to turn down an adventure, and she is the current reigning Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen (ask anyone in their hometown).

Who (or what) is the antagonist?
There isn’t really a physical antagonist in this story, so most of Felix’s struggle is internal, and in some ways, he’s probably standing in his own way.

What excites you most about this novel?
At its heart, this is a story about best friends trying to find their ways in the world and I’m so excited to explore that. Also, Bigfoot.


Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?
As far as I can tell, a standalone. I’m approaching it as one, anyway, but you never know...

Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plantsing?
Plantsing, totally. I was going to do a chapter outline, but that didn’t work out, so I have the major points in an outline and hope to work from there. Truth be told, this is the first novel I’ve had a full structure outline for in yeeeeears. I may not actually stick to it, but the fact that it exists will prove helpful, I think.

Name a few things that make this story unique.
I’ve never read about a cryptid-themed road trip before, so I think that’s kind of unique?

Share a fun “extra” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).
I’m (slowly) working on character collages, but the only finished one I have at the moment is Felix’s. 



And if you want to check out the playlist, you can find it here!

Are you participating in NaNo? Let’s be buddies!

Comments

  1. You did the tag! YAY. And oh my goodness, THIS SOUNDS SO FUN!!! I LOVE the title. And Pete’s Dragon meets Harry and the Hendersons??? Uh YES. That is the coolest pitch! This sounds like an absolutely delightful story to spend November in. Thank you for sharing it with us! I hope the writing goes wonderfully!

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm really, really excited to get started writing this one. It's so different from my usual!

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  2. This story sound so fun! I love Pete's Dragon AND Harry and the Hendersons, so a mash-up of them is freaking awesome. Best of luck with NaNo! :)

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    1. Thanks! I'm hoping to capture some of that whimsical silliness with this one. ^_^

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  3. Happy 11th NaNo!!!! This is SO INTRIGUING. I love how you have "sci-fi????" thrown in there! It's got me sooooo curiousssss. xDDD And that's so neat that your sister & mum have a part in this.

    Love the working cover AND title! And the SETTING. I've heard Washington is a gorgeous state---so awesome this takes place there. And it's about three besties??? LOOOOOOOVE. I'm getting a teensy bit of Harry Potter vibes, and I already love all three of them. Can't wait to see more!!

    Your answer to the antagonist is awesome. Sometimes our greatest enemy is ourselves---love how your going to address this with Felix's character.

    EEP! THE CHARACTER COLLAGE. This is AWESOMMMMMME. I so need to do something like this with my beans. Love love LOVE!!!

    Happy writing, dear girl!!! <3

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    1. It's been weird to pin down a genre for this one! Like, it's probably technically scifi but it FEELS more like fantasy??? (I totally know what I'm doing with this writing thing, obvs. ;P )

      Thanks! I'm quite fond of them too. ^_^ My parents went to Washington earlier this year and oh my goodness, I fell in love with all the photos they sent from there. Totally on my list of places to see one day!

      Best friend stories are my faaaaves so I'm hoping I do them and their character arcs justice.

      Thank you so much! :D

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  4. Eleventh Nano, wow! THOU ART A NANO QUEEN. *bows to your wisdom*

    This story sounds so funnn! A cryptid-themed road trip? And chocolate chip cookies? And partly inspired by Pete's Dragon, one of my favorite movies? I LOVE IT.

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    1. Aww, thanks! *blushes*

      I'm so excited for this one! I've wanted to write a road trip story for a while, and I'm having fun seeing where all these pieces are going to fit together!

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  5. This sounds like so much fun!!! I love road trips that include hunting/looking for something, and the friendship dynamics sound PERFECT! Best wishes with NaNo! (Go forth and conquer!) :D

    melissagravitis.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you! The friendship dynamic is something I'm most looking forward to!

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