Know the Novel Part 1: Introducing Before the Flames

    I have many things on my bucket list—go to New Zealand, meet a celebrity, publish my very own book, attend Realm Makers, etc. But, one of the biggest to-dos I have been dying to, well...do is the one and only Christine Smith's annual Know the Novel linkup!!!

    I actually just learned about this awesome post series last year (when I was but a wee little newbie to the blogosphere) and when I first read about it I absolutely KNEW I had to join in. The only problem was, I had zero social media platforms at the time. But no matter! It was going on that mental bucket list of mine anyway and I started planning the post in my head even before I ever knew I would actually create a blog. Now, that said, a few things have changed about the post since then, but LET'S CELEBRATE because yours truly is finally getting another thing marked off her list!!!

*parties for 2.3984 seconds*

    All right, enough of that. Letsies get to business! *cackles*

   If you have no clue about what Know the Novel is, never fear! Here are zee basics: Know the Novel is, like I mentioned earlier, an epic linkup created by Christine Smith over at her Internet Hobbit Home for writers to share about their stories (specifically for National Novel Writing Month a.k.a. NaNoWriMo but anyone can do this even if they're not participating in NaNo)! There are three parts that span over the next three months where each person who joins the linkup can answer 10 fun questions for their WIPs! You can find out more about it and visit all the other participants' sites HERE! (Even if you don't wanna check it out shame on you if that's the case you should still hop on over Christine's place 'cause she's one of the MOST AWESOME people in the blogosphere and you're missing out way too much by not knowing her! Like a lot, y'all. Can't stress that enough.) ;P Nooow....

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    If you read my last post you'll know that a certain character of mine (Yes, Valor, I'm looking at you) from my other WIP, Between the Lines, got a little cocky and nearly spilled the beans about the novel I'm gonna be sharing with you today. He didn't though thanks to me *smirks* so now I get the ultimate joy in sharing with you my very new story idea! It is called...Before the Flames. *cue dramatic music* (Yes, I realize that my current WIP title also starts with a preposition beginning with "b". I think I'm on happy spree with that right now.) XD But, even though I'm going to start working on Before the Flames that absolutely doesn't mean I'm gonna stop Between the Lines. I'm just...kinda at a standstill with that at the moment and so I'm hoping that, by beginning this new story, I'll get inspiration again to resume BTL and be able to figure some things out. (You'll know why in a half a second.) 😉

What first sparked the idea for this novel? 

    *half a second later* Between the Lines did! This novel is actually the story behind BTL's antagonist and how he became a villain. ('Tis why working on Before the Flames might get my brain spinning again for Between the Lines.) Don't we all just love it when that happens?   

Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

    Well, I can’t say too much seeing how there would be a lot of spoilers for BTL. (You know how that goes.) 😉 But I’ll do my best to share what I can!

Every villain has a story. For Silas, his started before the flames.

    Silas Farryn never wanted to be the bad guy. But sometimes it's just hard not to be after everything he has is stripped away. Growing up with a strict father who happens to be the most powerful wizard in the world in addition to a jealously conniving brother, doesn't make life any easier. 

    However, when Silas discovers the secret that could crack a seemingly unsolvable magic formula his father has been working on, life starts to turn in his favor. If this works, he could finally be accepted into the Ring of Wizards and gain the esteem he always wanted from his father. 

    But then a fiery accident occurs, leaving Silas scarred—literally. Soon after, he ends up losing his life's work, his fiancée, and worst of all, his dignity. Now an outcast to society, Silas turns to the only thing he can think of—revenge. Revenge that involves three wishes, a certain magic book, and creating a legacy of death. 

    By doing this, Silas begins a new journey. One that will continue for centuries and only harden his heart with more anger and pain. 

    Although the flames of life may bring trial, one can either choose to heal from them or remain broken and bitter. However, even if one does choose the latter, there's still hope for him change—as is the possible case with Silas...

Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting? 

    Before the Flames takes place in a fictional European city called Sunderheim around the 1500s. Talk about a long time ago. My favorite aspects of it would probably the medievally buildings, the horse-y transportation, and just the...simplicity of the age. It's actually somewhat similar to what I imagine the setting of Valor's world, Zurovia, is like. (Just less golden and fancy and...Asgard-y, lol.) 😉But it definitely carries a lot of Middle Ages vibes 'cause of the time period and all. 

Tell us about your protagonist(s). 

    *coughs* Well, since Silas is more of a protagonist/antagonist in this story, I guess I'll just talk about the good boy side of him here. XD Introducing...Mr. Happy-Before-the-Accident.

Image Credit: Pinterest

• Silas is between the ages of 18 and 25 (I haven't really landed on a specific one yet).
• He's betrothed/engaged/whatever to his best friend, Melina Hullwin.
• He's been learning magic since the age of 10.
• He loves to learn new things and experiment with magic.
• He wants to become skilled enough in magic to join the Ring of Wizards.
• He feels like he has to meet his father's high standards and do something revolutionary regarding magic to be accepted into the Ring.
• He's often overshadowed by his older brother, Evander, who's motto seems to be "Outdo The Younger Brother In Anything And Everything And Be Father's Golden Boy™." 
• He's also bullied by Evander which turns...pretty harmful once they get older.
• He has a close relationship with his father's servant and household manager, Jarell Brenden, who acts more like a father to him than his biological one does.
• He can be pretty mischievous sometimes, but also has a tame side too.
• He's imaginative.
• Whenever he figures something out or has a new idea, he gets very excited and passionate about it and doesn't let it go easily.
• He loves kids.
• He naturally stands up for the underdog.
• He has a tendency to hold grudges.
• He usually lets problems fester in him until they eventually explode through harmful actions (either to himself, other people, or both). Which leads us to....

Who (or what) is the antagonist? 

    Here be Mr. Evil-After-the-Accident:

Image Credit: Pinterest

    Quite different, amiright? XD However, since Silas is the rising villain in only the last half of the book, here are a couple people who kind of act like antagonists in it as well.

Evander Farryn

Pretty sure that haughty smirk thing says enough.

Image Credit: Pinterest

Melina Hullwin 

Yeeeaaah...y'all may have been surprise with this one. XD

Image Credit: Pinterest

    So, YES, she's his fiancée. Yes, that means she's supposed to love him (which it does...sometimes). But, let's just say she's secretly had her attention focused on Brother E. for a while even more than Silas (and herself) has realized. More so, although she doesn't do anything towards Silas as terrible as Evander does, she still treats him kinda like dirt after the accident.

What excites you most about this novel? 

    Definitely diving into the mind of a villain and crafting the story of how he became evil. I'm also excited to tie some similarities and parallels from Between the Lines in and see how the two stories will intertwine with each other by the time both of them are done!

Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else? 

    Well, Before the Flames is a prequel to Between the Lines so I don't think that would make it a "series". (Especially since it isn't continuing the events after BTL.) And, unless I go with the idea of writing future books about the side characters (like Conner and Laurel) in Between the Lines, I'm not really planning to make a series with that either. *shrugs* So as of right now, Before the Flames is merely a prequel to the standalone Between the Lines. (Yeah, probably could have just used that to sum up the whole paragraph.) XD

Are you plotting? pantsing? plantsing?

    Hah! Hardcore planster here! I'll usually make a vague outline in my head (only up to a certain amount of chapters though) and let my characters fill in the rest and/or take the reins when they want to. This of course doesn't always end well, but hey. That's what edits are for! 😉

Name a few unique elements about this story. 

    Uh, well, this isn't really unique to every other author out there in existence, but this novel is going to be the first one I'm writing from a male person's POV. Silas is also probably the oldest character I'll have written and, while there isn't really going to be a romantic sub-plot, he is engaged to Melina so there will have to be a little bit romance in there somewhere (which will be a first to me too). That said, though, it'll be pretty low-key. OH, also, you know Silas' yellow eyes in his evil picture above? Well, that may or may not have been inspired by this guy:

Yesh I love my Anakin as evil as he may be.

Share some fun “extras” 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!).

    Now this is what I'm talkin' about! *evil cackles* I've been looking forward to this part of the post for a good ole time now. XD

AESTHETICS

Image Credit: Pinterest

Aaaaand here's my playlist! There's currently 39 songs on there, but I'll probably add some if I hear any more good ones for Silas! (Fun Fact: I started searching for songs several months in advance just for Know the Novel.) XD

~ PLAYLIST ~

    So, that's about it! Now, even though I'll be working on Before the Flames this upcoming month, I'm actually not participating in NaNoWriMo just 'cause...well, that'd probably end up being SUPER stressful for me. I can barely get 1,000 words written in a week much less 50,000 in a month. XD Buuuut, maybe someday...😉

    However, to those who are doing NaNo, I wish you the best of luck and that you'll drink plenty of coffee on those poor sleep deprived nights for me! Thank you muchity-much for reading and, uh, may your days be merry and bright! Yeah, I'm so ready for Christmas. XD *cackles, salutes, and leaves*

Tally-ho!

So tell me: who is doing NaNo this year? Did you join Christine's awesome linkup? What do you think of Before the Flames? Did you enjoy learning more about Silas? Which picture or graphic was your favorite? And lastly, what's on your bucket list? 😜Talk to me all about it below!