Hi everyone! Getting back on track with blogging and life after my small break and travel is, well… it’s life, I guess. I’m not looking forward to work and wish I could be one of these bloggers living off blogging and travelling. Oh, that’d be fun.
I’ve been back for two days from holidays and it’s been the best to get back to the community, comment and read your lovely blog posts again and I’ve been overwhelmed and happy to see that some of you mentioned me in their Top Ten Tuesday posts for their favorite blogs… I just… ? I can’t thank you enough for your love and support and I’m thrilled to be back to blogging now and to chat with you all again! (Though taking a break was good. Breaks ARE SO IMPORTANT).
ANYWAY I am not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about… WRITING.
My WIP and I have a complicated history, since I’ve been working on and off on that particular story since, well… 2015. That’s a long time, I guess, but I’ve been making a bit of progress lately with it and I’m hopefully looking forward to editing it and maybe giving myself a goal of finishing my edits by the end of the year. Probably wishful thinking, but I really, really, really want to finish this story.
As always, my wonderful friend Kat has put together a lovely writing tag to help us fellow writers get a better hang on our characters and definitely to make us think more and more about them all. The lovely Sophie tagged me as well for this. I’m so happy to be doing this right now and I had a fun time answering these, even if… well, it was harder than it seemed to, at first. Oops. Let’s get on reading if you’re any curious (I hope you are).
RULES
- Thank the person who tagged you but also link back to the original post!
- Provide a short description of your WIP/story!
After the disappearance of her best friend, Keely chooses to follow their dream-path and gets into the very selective boarding school they both wanted to attend. Grieving Gaulthier, making new friends and trying to make her dreams come true turns out to be more of a challenge than she thinks, especially when this new competitive world is paved with something that clearly seems like bad intentions.
To hear more about my WIP, feel free to check out my writing category on the blog!
- This is pretty focused on main characters but don’t hesitate to use several characters for the answers if you want to! (We want to get to know as many of your characters as possible)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Where does your main character (MC) live? Were they born there or did they move to that place?
Keely lives in a small coastal town in south England. She was born there and has always lived in that same house, a couple steps away from the beach.
Does your MC have a dream career? What (if anything) stops them from pursuing it?
Keely does not have a dream career, for now. She likes writing and literature and journalism, she likes history and myths and legends, she likes languages and philosophy. She likes loads of things and loves to read tons about it, too. Does she feel pressured, by herself, society, everything, to find her “thing”? Yes.
Nothing really is preventing her from pursuing her dreams, for now.
Did any of your characters ever go against their parents/family’s wishes? How did that change their relationship?
Lyna went against her parents’ wishes by coming to study there. Not going to say more, because spoilers, but her parents were not that fond of her coming to the school, but they let it slide, because Lyna can be pretty convincing. Their relationship has become even more overprotective and over-bearing for Lyna because of that. See, Lyna’s parents – especially her dad – want the best for her and are constantly checking on her well-being and let’s say that, for Lyna’s very independant kind of personality, it’s not that fun.
If faced with their greatest fear – would your MC try to overcome it or run the other way?
My main character is actually faced with her greatest fear a couple of months before the book starts, as she loses her best friend. She tried to run away for a while, but then took her courage and her obstination and tries now, little by little, to overcome that loss and to realize their dreams.
Did any character have to cut a person out of their life? Why?
It think, out of all my characters, Lyna had to cut the most people out of her life so far – and never voluntarily, and always people she cared about a whole lot. Two of them are on my WIP and spoilers, so….
What is your main character’s biggest regret?
Keely’s biggest regret is probably, as we start this story, not to have had more time, more fun, not to have opened up sooner with her best friend and enjoyed their time together before he was gone.
Which character is most likely going to help a stranger, even if they got nothing out of it in return?
That’s definitely something that Jamie would do. Always ready to help and really friendly to almost anyone – he’d help them and offer them a muffin afterwards, just because, well, muffins, you know.
If your character got good/bad news, who would be the person they first tell?
If we are talking about Keely, she would tell Gaulthier first, her best friend. Since he is not here anymore, she would tell her mom, because they are really close.
I’m going to take that chance to talk about Jamie and Noah, because both would go, without a doubt, to each other first to share any kind of news. They have the kind of friendship where one just barges into the other’s room randomly or enters the bathroom while one showers to share the good news and then proceed to dance around with no care in the world.
BONUS: Make an aesthetic for your MCs life if there had been no obstacles (money, geographical, etc.) and they had everything they wanted. (It is up to you if you want to explain it or not!)
I’ll leave that one up for your own interpretation!
I TAG THEE
If you want to do this, there is no obligation!
And any other writer out there willing to participate, please do, it’s such a fun tag!
What do you think of my answers? Would this make you want to read my WIP, or know more about it? I’m a bit nervous to ask this, but I’m also curious, sooooo…
How would you interpret that last aesthetic? Do you feel like, from these answers and aesthetics, that I’m writing something happy, or sad? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you in comments!
(Also, very out of topic, but since I’m back from holidays… would you guys enjoy a travel post about my adventures to Edinburgh & Scotland? Please let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in reading!)
Such a fun tag! I’d say that the last aesthetic gives off a hopeful/nostalgic vibe… maybe bittersweet? Also, YES to sharing your travel adventures!! <3
Thank you so much Holly, so happy you enjoyed it! I think you’ve been trying to write a little bit this summer? You should give it a try if you want to, it’s such a great and fun exercice to get to know your characters 😀
YES you got it right, it’s definitely bittersweet 😀
Okay, duly noted, I’ll do my best about a travel adventures post 😀
Oooh I might! I finished the first draft of my WIP a few weeks ago… such a good feeling! Now time to EDIT 🙂
OHHHH that’s amazing! I’d love to see your answers for this and get to know your characters a bit better, if you feel like doing it! 😀 And best of luck for edits – let me know your secrets and your how-tos once you start hahahaha 🙂
WELCOME BACK!! I’ve missed reading your posts (I was on holiday as well!) but breaks are definitely super important! I loved reading your answers! Lyna sounds really loyal and hardworking! Great aesthetics! xx ❤️?
Awww thank you so much!! I hope you had fantastic holidays and a great time on your break <3 <3
You got that right, Lyna is really hard working haha 😛 Thank you so, so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed this 😀
Obviously, you already know that I would read your WIP in a heartbeat! I am always so looking forward to reading your take on the tag and to get to know your characters better. I wonder why Lyna’s parents are so against the school, since you said it’s a very elite one (so i am assuming that means it’s an excellent school). I am very curious haha and as always, Jamie sounds like the loveliest bean! AND i ADORE the aesthetics. If I could, I’d jump right into that world and go on vacation there. haha
Awww thank you so, so much Kat, that always means so much to me <3 I hope I can get back to working on it and hopefully do something that makes actual sense and move on with it. At some point it will happen hhaa.
Yeeees it is an excellent school, think, Ivy – League kind of school level haha 😛
Awww thank you – I spent way too much time on these, I'm pretty happy at how they turned out haha 😀
I am sure you will! This is your story, you are the only one who can tell it 😀
The aesthetics are awesome! They were worth it for sure 😀
Thank you Kat, you’re the sweetest!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
What an awesome tag! I really enjoyed reading about your WIP! There really needs to be more writer tags out there!
Awww thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed it 😀 Agree, they’re so much fun to do – and read! Are you writing? If you are, feel free to do that one, I’d love to read your answers 😀
I am! I’m almost done with a zero draft of my current WIP which I am going to put aside to start writing another work so I can come back to it later and make it the story I want it to be. It’s evolved SO much since I started it!
OHHH that’s SO good to hear! I wish you the best of luck with your writing projects 😀 And if you ever feel like doing this tag, I’d love to get to know your characters better so feel free to link back to here so I don’t miss it 😀 (if you want to do it, obviously!) <3
I think I will because it’s such an awesome tag!
YAY! This makes me so happy, I can’t wait to read your answers 😀
I love this…might be stealing it…<3
OH please do, it’s such a fun tag to do 🙂
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
What a fun post. I found myself answering (or at least attempting to answer) the questions about my MC as I read your responses. My MC has some deep dark secrets I am not sure will be address in book #1. Thanks for sharing!
Ahhhh that’s so great! Feel free to answer to this tag on your blog, I and so many people would love to read your answers 😀
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Ahhh I loved reading this post, Marie, and I’m excited to learn more about your WIP! ? It sounds so interesting and I’d love to learn more about the characters, especially Lyna. I love the last aesthetic, and I feel like this is going to be such a bittersweet and emotional story. ? (And I’d love to see a travel post of your time in Edinburgh and Scotland!)
Ohh thank you so, SO much, that means a lot!! <3 <3 That's exactly what I was going for, bittersweet and emotional -I don't know if my story will be, but that's my goal haha 🙂
Thank you SO much! <3 <3
Marie, when this book publishes, ask your publisher to please send this smol bookblogger an ARC so that I may be able to squeal about it on my blog! That’s how much I loved it!!!!
Don’t forget, ok? ?
This sooo makes me wanna read your WIP! I spot so many ‘YES’es in this. The aesthetic makes me feel very hopeful of a happy ending.
Wow, when? You are so hopeful ? Thank you so, SO much, seriously that means so much to me that you enjoyed it this much ❤️❤️ I hope I won’t disappoint if it ever gets published, in a far, far away and very fantasy-like future?
Thank you so, so much for your sweet words, that means SO much <3 <3
Your story does sound interesting. I hope that you get to finish it soon. This is a great tag because it forces you to think about your characters… especially in the early stages.
Thank you so much, I hope so too ?
This tag certainly helps a lot, it’s such a great and fun thing to do whenever you’re writing 😀
Thank you so much for stopping by 😀
Ahh, I loved reading about your writing! Your WIP sounds amazing. 😉 I love how your main character loves writing and literature- as a lover of words, it makes me so happy to read about and write characters who also love them.
Also, I would most definitely love to read posts about your travels, if you want to write them! I love hearing about other people’s travels and really enjoyed the last travel diary type post you did.❤️
Oh thank you so, SO much Olivia, that means a lot that you enjoyed it ❤️❤️ I also love characters interested in books and words, that’s so great to see a little bit of ourselves in characters like that 🙂
Oh thank you for your thoughts about that – I think I’ll have to do a post about it all soon then 😀
Ahhhh with each post about your WIP I get more and more excited to read it one day Marie!! It just sounds so good and definitely like my cup of tea. Also YES to travel posts I’m DYING here Marie I want to know all about what you’ve been up to in Scotland 😀
Aww okay now I’m definitely getting emotional ??? Thank you so, SO much, I really hope you’ll get to read it one day if I ever manage to finish it haha, this means the world to me that you are already enjoying the little snippets here and there so much ?
Hahaha okay I’ll work on a travel post soon then 😀
Thank you!! <3 <3
I always love reading more about your WIP Marie, and I love these tags Kat comes up with because it gives me a chance to learn more about everyone’s stories and characters too. Based on the aesthetic I kind of want to say hopeful, but given what you’ve said about the story and the fact that the aesthetic is for a characters ideal life with no obstacles I’m going to say it probably goes the other way and you’re writing something heartbreaking! Either way your WIP sounds amazing, and even if it ends up breaking my heart like Second Chance Summer did I’d still love to read it! 😀
Great post. 🙂 ❤️
Oh thank you so much, Beth! They are amazing, aren’t they? I love how Kat manages to come up with such great and clever questions – always makes me work a little bit and dig a little deeper and I love that 😀
I’m…. well, is that cruel if I say I’m trying to go for a heartbreaking story? haha. I really want to and hope to do something emotional, because I love these kind of stories too 🙂
Thank you so, SO much, I’m so, so happy you enjoyed it!! <3
That’s all right. 🙂 Exactly, I always learn so much more about my characters taking part in these tags than I would any other way.
I wouldn’t say cruel, like we’ve said before sometimes you do need a heartbreaking read every now and again right?
That’s all right. 🙂 <3
Ahah yes, you’re right about that, we all like emotional books haha 😀
I’m a new follower, so I just wanted to say hi, and also your WIP sounds awesome! It sounds like making your dreams come true is a theme, and I think that’s such a great message for books to have. 🙂 Also, the aesthetics are awesome, I wish I lived in a small English coastal town. I would love to see more aesthetics! (I think I might have an aesthetic addiction lol)
Hi Madeline, so great to meet you! 😀 Thank you SO much for leaving such a sweet comment, that means the world to me! <3
I'm so happy you enjoyed these aesthetics – I love coastal England so much, it's SO pretty and underrated there for sure <3 And… it's GREAT to have an aesthetic addiction, aesthetics are quite awesome 😀
This is such a cool tag! I enjoyed reading about your WIP! <3
Aww thank you Kelly, happy you enjoyed reading it 😀 <3
YOUR WIP OH MY GOSH. I NEED TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW. I’M SO EXCITED???????? ((+ those aesthetic = so gorgeous))
ahhhhh what really ??? you’re way too sweet, this honestly made my day, THANK YOU so much!! <3 I hope that if you ever read it, you won't be disappointed haha. THANK YOU so much for your sweet words!! <3 <3 <3
Jamie and Noah’s friendship sounds like exactly the kind of friendship I love reading about! Good luck on your WIP 🙂
Aww thank you so much Keira, that means SO much <3 I really want to write the kind of friendship I love between them, too, I hope I'll manage to haha 🙂
Thank you so much!! <3 <3
Hehe you’re welcome ?
I’m not going to lie, I love it whenever you post different writing tags! They seem so much fun! 🙂
Ahhh this makes me really happy, thank you! 😀 They ARE a lot of fun to do – if you’re writing something, you really should give this one a try! 😀 <3
Welcome back, Marie! I enjoyed reading your answers! I would love to read your WIP! It sounds pretty good and I loved your Aesthetics.
Aww thank you so, so much Raven, that means so much!! <3 <3
I love this tag! It’s so fun and a creative way to chat about your WIP, which sounds amazing! You’ve been working on it for such long while, that’s incredible! I love how your main character is into so many interesting things! Though I will say the story line sounds kind of haunting.
Thanks for tagging me!
Ahhh I’m SO happy you like the tag – it’s such a fun way to write about your WIP and it’s inspiring, too 😀
I’m trying to go for a haunting, emotional story, I just hope that works out well ?
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment Elizabeth, I can’t wait to see your answers if you ever want to do it 😀
Hello Marie <3
I am SO happy to hear more about your WIP! It sounds like a novel that I would definitely want to read one day. I love your choice of photos and the aesthetics you made for this post.
I'm going to guess from your answers here and what I know from before that your novel is bittersweet with some happy moments and sad moments? As for my interpretation of your last aesthetic… Maybe your MC's dream is to spend more happy times with her friends?
Happy writing <3
Oh thank you so, very much Sophie, that means a lot that you would like to read it someday – I really hope you will be able to <3
YES, that's exactly what I want to go for, my story is supposed to be bittersweet and I hope I can achieve that ?
Thank you so much Sophie! Happy writing to you too! <3
Yay! Glad that my guess was right 🙂 Wishing you all the best on your second draft. Keep us updated about how it goes and I can’t wait to hear more about your novel!
Thank you so much!! <3 <3
!!The aesthetics of this are so beautiful, and every time you talk more about your WIP, I get more and more excited to read it one day <3 It's okay if it's taking you a while because the end result will be worth the time and effort put in 🙂 I'm so curious now… how did Gaulthier disappear?? Also, how did you decide that name??
Awww thank you, you’re too sweet, you have no idea how much that means to me <3 <3 That's what I try to tell myself, it's okay if I take years, but… sometimes it's hard haha. Doing my best though and I care about this story so that's what matters I guess 🙂
And please, be curious, that makes me happy haha 😀 That story about Gaulthier's disappearance is a bit spoilery, so I'm not going to mention it, you'll have to eventually read the story to know what happened there 😛 and that name… not sure. I always have trouble choosing names, but my main characters' names, Keely and Gaulthier, were always there somehow? 😀
That synopsis ??? If I read it for the first time on the back of a book I would totally buy it ❤️
I love all your aesthetics, they are perfect! Jamie sounds like a perfectl little cinnamon roll ❤️ I really hope that we’ll be able to read your story one day!
P.S. Please write about your vacation! I love all your travel posts ?❤️
Awwwww really ??? this means the world to me, thank you so, so much Michelle ? I hope that someday you’ll read it and that you will enjoy it <3 <3 <3 you're too sweet ?
I think I will write about my vacation soon 😀
YAY TO TRAVEL POSTS !!!!! ( honestly it would be super great ).
Your wip seems so interesting !!! Just the kind of book I could LOVE. I’d say your story is happy & sad ( at least I think so haha ) . Because achieving your dreams is a pretty hard thing to do, but if your main character does it then it’s happy….AHHHH ( also the aesthetic makes me a really “happy impressions ” ). but I think that are also sad moments in your book, as the main character is dealing with loss, sooooo
Well, answering a day late so I guess your wish for a travel post has been fulfilled just earlier today 😀
Aww thank you so much, that really means the world to me that you feel this way <3 <3
It's exactly that, happy and sad and very complicated, too hahaha. Thank you SO much for your sweet words! <3 <3
Thank you so much, Marie ❤
Haha your travel post was amazing !!
Aww thank you so much!! <3
Well, Marie, I CANNOT WAIT to know more about it !
( also sorry for the typos in my last comment )
Ahah don’t worry about it, I am certain I am making lots of typos as well when I type really fast. It’s the enthusiasm hahaha. THANK YOU so much, you’re too sweet <3 <3 <3
…I’m pretty sure I just fell in love with your mc… This looks like it’s an amzing WIP and I hope you get to share it one day!
Ahhhh really?? You have no idea how happy that makes me, thank you ?? I really hope to be able to share this someday 🙂
Really! I such you the best of luck
Thank you so much! <3 <3 <3
I love everytime you talk about your WIP 🙂 And I love your aesthetics. They are wonderful. I am waiting for that day when I would be able to read your story 😛 Loved your answers.
I love how you made the relationship with MC and her mother important. I really like to read a good mother-daughter relationship in YA books (which is not that often).
Awwwww Sim thank you so, so, SO much, this means the world to me ?? I really hope I’ll get to share this story someday ahah, thank you! <3
And yes – I hope to emphasize on that, friendships and family relationships too -or maybe more family in another WIP, but still, these are SO important in YA books! <3 <3
Your WIP sounds amazing!!! I’m cheering you on because this definitely sounds like something I would read! Also I would love to see a travel post from Edinburgh and Scotland!
Ahhhhhh what thank you so, so much, you’re way too sweet, this means the world, thank you for your support!! <3 <3 <3 <3
You’re welcome! I always love hearing from you! ❤️❤️
Aww, you’re too sweet <3 <3 <3 <3