What’s Your WIP for Emberling!

Hey folks! It’s my turn to post and I have no idea what to post so….I’m doing the ‘What’s Your WIP Tag’ unofficially for my current WIP Emberling! So, here goes nothing! I’m super excited to share a little bit about Emberling with you guys!

Has your WIP a working title? If so, tell us! If not, have you any idea of what it might be?

Right now the working title is Emberling, I’m not sure if that will be the official title, but I think it will be…lol…for lack of a better idea. 😊

Have you a synopsis for your WIP? If so, give it to us! If not, can you give us a blurb on what your WIP is about?

This is the unofficial blurb, I’ve tweaked it a bit since I first wrote it, but the basic plot is the same.

Iya is an Emberling, a race of people charged by Elohim to shepherd Englewood by using the fire in their blood to contain the creatures and monsters within the forest. But the mistakes of a few have sent her people into hiding. Men hunt them like beasts, killing every Emberling in sight.

Malcolm Cabe has one goal in life, to destroy the Emberlings, a task he feels Elohim would approve of. The creatures are hard to catch but everyone that dies means the world of Eriu is closer to peace. But when he rescues a girl from the clutches of slaving giants, he never intended to fall for her. But Iya is unlike any girl he has ever met.

Betrayal is inevitable, Iya will break his heart and Malcolm will shatter hers, but can the two of them put the pieces back together and learn to trust each other before it’s too late for everyone?

That’s the basic summary-ish thing…the last paragraph is a pain, and I can’t seem to get it right…lol…

Have you a working/mock cover for your WIP? If so, show us! If not, have you an idea in mind?

Not at this moment…bummer, but Jaidie and I have been talking about what I want the cover to look like! I want a dual cover, so the top half will be Iya and fire and forest, and the bottom half will be Malcolm and meadows and such…

How did you get the idea for this story?

Funny story, I’ve had the main premise of Emberling (currently known as The Last Emberling) for years! Iya just never had a name…lol…but she’s been around since I started writing pretty much. I wanted her to be the last of her kind, but when I talked to my parents about it they pointed out that the storyline was pretty popular and suggested some changes which became Emberling! (Such as my mom mentioning that the Emberlings needed a purpose…so they became Shepherds of the forest, thanks mom!)

How long do you think it will be? Is it longer or shorter than you thought it would be?

Right now, it’s sitting at a little over 50k, it’s shorter than I thought, right now…but I also always forget that my first drafts are just the bones. I have tons of scenes to add in because the story moves much too fast. So, when I actually finish the first the book and then the first round of edits it will be much longer, I believe.

Who’s your favourite character so far?

So far, that would Malcolm…he’s like me in a lot of ways. Doesn’t know how to verbally express his feelings, feels he needs to protect those around him and is pretty resentful (guilt as charged, *hangs head*.) But he’s also much braver than me and so caring it’s painful sometimes…he’s afraid of horses, and the banter between him and his friend Ben is priceless! And so fun to write!

What’s your favourite memory related to this WIP?

Probably the moment I hit 50k and finished Nano! Woo-hoo! It felt really good and I was so proud of myself for passing that goal and writing so much in a month!

Any special person(s) who helped create it?

My sisters were a huge help with ideas and things to keep the plot moving…and Grace A. Johnson shared some of her romance wisdom with me, and that was so much help! Like so much help!

What’s your favourite scene so far (if you can tell about it without spoilers!)?

Ooof, I can’t tell it without spoilers…sorry folks. It’s a really good one that Malcolm has when he realizes some things and I just love it!

Can you give us a snippet?

Sure thing….let me fetch one!

All evening Malcolm and I made eye contact and then broke it almost as quickly, but always I was drawn to look for him again. To gaze into the depths of his green eyes and look for that spark, that flicker that had been there before Ben had offered us coffee.

I sipped at the cup in my hand, the bitter brew nothing like the tea my people made. My eyes caught Malcolm’s again and an almost visible spark radiated between us.

This was madness. There was no way I could be with him, no way we could ever make a life together, so what was this about? He had to know…

But he didn’t know. He didn’t know what kind of blood ran through my veins or that my scared duty, given to me by Elohim Himself, was to keep the creatures of the forest contained. He knew next to nothing about me, except that he had rescued me from the giants.

Emberling by Kaytlin Phillips

And one from Mal’s point of view!

“I’m going to check on the horses.”

“We only left them a half hour ago?” I called after him.

“I know,” Ben popped his head back into the room and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh I see,” I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I get it now. Well, your secret is safe with me.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Mal?”

I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms. “Just the fact that you’re in love with your horse, I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed that you and Fumi were together.”

Ben looked around for something to throw at me and finding nothing chuckled and shook his head as he left. “You are sadly mistaken, Mal, I’m not the love sick one.”

Emberling by Kaytlin Phillips

Is the story still what you thought it would be or has it thrown you a couple curveballs?

For the most part it is what I thought it would be, the ending was never plotted very well because I’m a pantser who tried to outline…lol…but it’s coming together rather nicely!

Is there a Bible verse, poem, hymn, picture, or quote that helped shape this story?

Romans 3:23 was a verse that’s come to mind as I’ve been writing. Lots of pictures have been inspiring…see further down for more on that. But mostly, it’s just been the great outdoors, lots of imagination, and the Lord.

When and where have you done most of the writing so far?

In the evening, between 10:30 and 11:30, at my desk, which I call ‘The Burrow’! I have a loft bed (because my room is very small…lol…) so underneath is where my desk is, in nice little cubby which I like to dub ‘The Burrow’!

Where do you get inspiration for this story?

Songs, Pinterest…everywhere! Lol….but mostly my playlist and Pinterest board! Which you can look at here and here!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a pantser, though I have fallen in love with the term Discovery writer, sounds nicer than pantser…lol…

Do you have a little ritual before you start writing?

Not really…except I usually start a sprint with a friend or two and put the dog to bed, so I guess….sort of…lol…

Are you thinking of publishing this story?

Definitely! I just haven’t decided when or where or how??? But I definitely want to publish it!

What things have you learned while writing this story?

I’ve learned a lot about forgiveness and not judging people by who they are related to or what people they know have done, or even what they look like. Holding grudges and anger toward someone or a group of people in Malcolm’s situation is definitely something that I need to work on because I tend to be very unforgiving when I’m wronged, or more often, when someone I love is wronged. So, the Lord has been teaching me a lot in that area!

Conclusion

And that’s all! Is there anything else you would like to know about Emberling? Drop your questions in the comments and I’ll answer them if I can….lol…I hope you enjoyed this post!

Are you plotter, pantser, or plantser? Do you prefer the term discovery writer or pantser? What do you think of Emberling? Most importantly do you like horses?

Bless!

Kayti