Hello folks! So, I may have made a last-minute decision which I’m hoping is not going to be regretted or totally drive me nuts…wait, I think I’m already nuts for making this decision so maybe we don’t have to worry about that…lol…
So, as everyone but me knew (I kinda was aware but I wasn’t paying too much attention or thought to it for myself) November is the National Month of Writing known as NaNoWriMo. The challenge is to write a 50,000-word book in one month. So, October is known as preptober, but somebody missed the memo and didn’t decide to join or prep till October 30th….so, yeah.
So, I am unofficially taking the challenge! Whoo! Hopefully, I don’t completely lose it…you’re supposed to write almost 2,000 words a day to get it done…. I usually write a max of 1,000, so stretching myself here…but I think it will be fun! So, here’s the cover for my project, thanks to Rissy and Jaidie for surprising me with it! (You guys are the best!!!)
Also, I borrowed some questions from all these, Know the Novel post I see going up…but having no idea what a linkup so I didn’t title my post as Know the Novel (If someone wants to educate me on what a linkup is feel free do so…lol…) Anyway, here are the answers to my stolen questions…Let me know if you guys think I’m crazy. Did I say crazy? I meant, let me know what you think of Rivals of Skyline!
What first sparked the idea for this novel?
Vacation. My family went on vacation to New Mexico and all the western states got me thinking and here we are! I saw a sunset in Oklahoma on the way out and ran with the idea…making notes in my head, on paper, and then transferring them to my laptop when I got home.
I wrote a rough first chapter and now I’m going to rewrite it because right now it reads more like well-written notes than an actual first chapter…lol…
But though vacation sparked this particular story I’ve always wanted to write a western. Having two older brothers I grew up watching a lot of westerns and the first book I ever wrote was actually a western, though I did steal most of my characters from westerns I had watched, and my plot points, and yeah, it was pretty much plagiarized…lol…but I was only seven!
Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!
I’m never very good at this stuff…lol…but here’s goes something!
Daniel Crenshaw ran away from his faith and the life his father wanted him to live to become a rancher. But ranching ain’t easy and Daniel’s learning that the hard way. Once hired onto Skyline Ranch he’s faced with a deep learning curve and ridicule from his fellow ranch hands.
But the tables really turn when cattle start to go missing from Skyline and Daniel is blamed for it and fired. Knowing he didn’t steal the cattle Daniel sets out to discover what’s happening. But he must be careful, the rustlers are seasoned men of the plains and Daniel is a hotheaded greenhorn.
As gunfights and mystery unfold, Daniel realizes one thing. If he’s going to clear his name, he can’t do this alone.
Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?
It takes place on the plains of Oklahoma. I like that it’s western and, Lord willing, I’ll do the beauty of the west justice. I also like that I’m doing gunfights, horse chases, and such because of the time period and setting.
Oklahoma is pretty open…at least, up around Oklahoma City, you get a lot of brush but not too many full-sized trees…so I’m excited to try out this new setting and scenery. Rolling hills, scrub brush, and wide-open plains. It’s something different for me.
Tell us about your protagonist(s).
Well, Daniel Crenshaw is a rebellious 16-year-old who looks younger than he is. He wants to be a man and make his own decisions about his life, but he doesn’t always make the best decisions. He wants to be a rancher so that is what he is going to be, even if it means running from his overbearing father.
He’s also turned his back on God because of his father. I’m hoping to work in his redemption in a nice way. Daniel isn’t a bad person he’s just an angry person. I’m basing him partly off what I went through at his age. (I didn’t run away and my dad’s not overbearing…lol…) when I was fifteen my family had to move and that made me mad because the year before we had been through some rough stuff too. So, I blamed it all on God and turned my back to Him for a while…so those emotions are being funneled into Daniel. (I have since been set straight on the path and see God’s plan for that time in my life) So, hopefully, I can straighten Daniel out…
I’m only doing one POV, which is something I’ve started doing recently…used to I’d spread myself pretty thin with between 3 to 5 POV’s but it’s just not worth it…lol…I get so flustered. Now the most POV’s I do is three, condensed things. But in this book, I wanted to focus on Daniel.
Who (or what) is the antagonist?
Well, I don’t want to tell because that would ruin the plot…
So, rustlers are the antagonist…and that’s all you’re getting…lol….
What excites you most about this novel?
I think the fact that I came up with the idea on vacation and that I’m trying to write it in a month…(which is most likely not going to happen) I might be stressing myself out with this, but I think it will be fun! I’m a bit of a perfectionist so this is going to be a challenge…I’ll have to put my perfecting side aside for a while if I’m going to complete my goal. I’m going to give it a try.
I’m also late starting prep, like a week ago I decided to do this and then I waited till like the 30th to start making real notes…hahaha…
But the gunfights are exciting me and how Daniel figures things out and his growth in the book!
Is this going to be a series, standalone, or something else?
Well, I was going to do a standalone, then I thought about a trilogy…and now I’m thinking of a series. One where all the books are just loosely to not connected but share something in common…I want to do a ranch book set in each of the western ranching states, and then a farm life book in each of the eastern states…so, we’ll see how far I get… I’ve already got an idea for a ranch book set in New Mexico, and farm book set in North Carolina near my area…so, I’m pretty excited about this!
Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?
Pantsing for the most part…but I’m trying to plot a little, though it’s a liquid plot if you know what I mean…lol…I’m just letting the liquid settle where it will and if it meanders away, that’s fine too, nothing is set in stone.
Name a few unique elements about this story.
Well, hmmm, I think that Daniel’s story will hopefully be unique. But writing about the 1800’s set in Oklahoma is definitely unique for me! Also, it’s my first try at Historical Fiction so hopefully, I’m able to pull it off and don’t entirely ruin the story…
I also learned that after the civil war the beef industry boomed, so I’m setting this book up after the war…and maybe Daniel’s father fought in the war, I’m not sure….but I’m trying to figure it out…(I did just learn this fun fact like, yesterday…lol)
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!).
Okay, let me see what I can put together here…
This song for Daniel…
Broken – Tommy Brandt (just discovered this guy and love it! Country music that’s Christian!)
Now some collages and quotes…
So, that’s a wrap folks…let me know what you think! Am I crazy or what? Lol…
Bless!
Kayti
Sisters Three Press 
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