Know the Novel | December 2019

I’ve been waiting to join the last part of Know the Novel until finishing The Unlikely Adventure of Felix McKay. And since I finished the first draft a few days ago, it’s finally time to join the party!

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 Christine’s blog!

Firstly, how did writing this novel go all around?

It was a rollercoaster. Sometimes the writing was really difficult and the words were hard, and other time the scenes moved forward at such a pace I’d check the word count and realize I’d written hundreds of words in just a short time. It was fun and challenging and all over the place.

Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?

Honestly, I’m not sure? As far as sticking to the outline I made, the story does follow it pretty closely. Most of what I thought would happen happened, though there were a few surprises scattered through the story. On the flip side, it doesn’t have the tone I imagined it would.

It’s not my best first draft material, but considering it was so far from what I usually write, I think it turned out okay. :D

What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)

The dynamic of the characters was so fun to write. Not only are Felix, Alejo, and Doralee close friends, but their parents are too, so there was a lot of fun banter to write about when they all shared scenes.

The plot was super fun to write, being my first real attempt at a road trip novel, though more often than not the characters ended up chatting over stops for food than spending time on the road...

Characters gotta eat too, right?

How about your least favorite part?

Hmm... maybe that I struggled with getting the tone right, and so there still feels like something is missing.

What do you feel like needs the most work?

As mentioned before, the tone. The plot and setting are far from perfect, and there are a few aspects of the character development that will need fixing as well.

How do you feel about your characters now that the novel is done? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!

I LOVE THEM ALL.

Everyone was pretty much how I imagined them, though Felix was a little more skeptical than I thought he would be, and Alejo decided to keep some backstory secrets until nearly the end of the draft. 

What’s your next plan of action with this novel?

My mom and sister want to read it, so I’m planning to let them do that soon and after, I’ll probably put it aside for a little while and let ideas simmer while I work on other things. Eventually, I want to write the second draft, but I don’t have immediate plans for doing so.

Mostly, I’m planning to take the rest of December as a break, though I may work on some short stories or flash fiction now and then.  

If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?

I think the greatest dream for this novel is that it remains a fun story. It doesn’t have to be super popular or anything like that, but if someone enjoys it and finds it fun, I’d be happy. 

Share some of your favorite snippets!

    “The campground is in its slow season, so we shouldn’t have to worry about bothering a lot of guests with our sasquatch shenanigans.” 
    “Sasquatch Shenanigans could be the name of our future documentary show.”

    “This is really, like, a nostalgia trip,” Doralee continued. She set up her chair on the other side of the firepit and started toward the Van. “It’s kind of like the trips we used to take during summer breaks. Remember those?” 

    “I distinctly remember the year our dads thought fishing would be a great idea and we proved them wrong.” 

    Alejo scoffed. “We? That was all on you two. I was a natural.” 

    “Natural scarer-awayer of fish, maybe.” 

    “Not sure that’s a term, Dor.” 

    “Felix, back me up here.” 

    “Life’s too short not to buy the jumbo marshmallows.” 

    A long, low wail shook the forest. It was the sound of something so far from human he couldn’t begin to piece together what it really could have been, because if he was looking at what he was supposed to be looking at…

    Felix backed away, step after step after step, and then broke into a run to reach the trail. He tumbled on a tree root and fell hard on his shoulder in the dirt. Something in his pack bumped the back of his head, and for a moment he couldn’t catch his breath.

    “Floofy?”

    “Floofy is an acceptable adjective for plants. Don’t argue with me.”

    “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Felix knelt to get a closeup photo. “And does this count toward the cryptid hunting part of this trip?”

    “Today’s a day off. We’re detouring.”

Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?

Hmm...

Writing an entire novel in only one character’s point-of-view was harder than I thought it would be, so that was kind of a learning experience!