My 2017 Resolutions + I’m Introducing My Novel!

Hello everyone! ♥

New year is always the perfect time to make a resolution, right? Well… I almost never do, which is weird because I’m an insanely organized person who keeps a journal & to-do-list for everything I do in my life  However, since Fadwa tagged me for This Time Next Year tag, I thought I’ll make a general list of things I want to achieve this year. Here you go! ♣

1. Read more of EVERYTHING. I want to read more books from more genres and read more diverse books, especially books about mental illness. I’m also planning to read at least half the books from my past TBR before buying more books 😛
2. Level up my blog, meaning I want to post more quality discussions, catch up on tags, have better scheduling, and interact more with people in this community ♥ I’ll also participate in the 2017 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole & Shannon (& you should too)!
3. Find the best job possible for me. I’m complicated, I want so much for a job and don’t want to settle for less 😂 cheers to a better opportunity this year!
4. Decide what I want to study in grad school by the end of the year!
5. And finally… my most important resolution this year is to finally WRITE MY NOVEL! ♥

I don’t know if you noticed this but I’ve been kind of away from the blogging world for a couple of weeks. I mean, sure I still posted regularly (which I drafted ahead of time) and replied to comments, but I was almost always late, I didn’t bloghop, and I didn’t visit back all of your blogs. Also, I haven’t read any book for two weeks 😂

It’s all because my mind was preoccupied by this project. I used to write short stories but never a novel because I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of commitment. But this time… this time feels like the right time. I’ve got ideas, I’ve got time, and I just had to do this now  and I know this is the perfect time to introduce it to you ♥

P.S. I’m stealing the questions from the Beautiful Books hosted by Cait & Sky.

1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

I’ve had this idea for over 5 years.

What inspired me to write this story was my own experience with puppy love and my love for my family. I always want to write a story that combines both. However, I do not believe in puppy love. High school romance is not for real, at least for ME. I mean, I know some lucky people meet their soulmates in high school but most of us don’t 😂 So I pushed that idea away because I didn’t want to write about something I didn’t even believe in. After a year in college, I started to notice that I was starting to become a different person and I thought… what if high school lovers meet each other again after a few years apart and under different circumstances?

That’s the basic idea. To make it more interesting, I threw in some random things I love or would love to see in a story such as books, psychology, music, every other problems a new adult like me faces in life, FEELS (!!!), and arts.

Some titles that inspire me :

2. Describe what your novel is about!

Basically it’s about two high school lovers who meet again after a few years not seeing each other. The guy just moved back to their hometown after his father died and he had to take care of the family while the girl is waiting for grad school to start. They tried to pick up where they left off buuuut it turned out things aren’t as easy.

 

…Alright I give up I can’t write a synopsis and my attempt above sounds so bland 😂 so here goes a list of random things about this book 😛

• At its core, this book is about rekindling old romance.
• It will be dual-narrated
• It’s also about a thousand of other problems because clearly life is not all about romance. I’m talking family issues, work problems, etc, and how those problems affect the relationship.
• It’s VERY family related. You know I love a good family dynamic in a book, so obviously I want some good ones for my own. In this book, I will specifically explore the relationship between twin sisters and father and son.
• FEELS! I love books that give me feels. Books that make me cry or laugh or cry AND laugh at the same times. I am trying to incorporate that on my writing.

3. What is your book’s aesthetic?

All pictures are from pinterest. Would love to just link you to my board but it’s private 😂

4. Introduce us to your characters!

AQILA. A 22 year old woman just graduated from university, looking forward to her bright and exciting future ahead. A highly emphatic person who tend to overthink things and feel insecure about everything. She wants to help and please everyone.

AGA. Aqila’s ex boyfriend back in high school. An app developer who just started his career in Melbourne but was called home when his father died. A charming, friendly, and enthusiastic person with a lot of ambitions who thinks he has to and can do everything on his own.

P.S. Both are Indonesian names and I’m not sure how that will sound in your languages 😛

5. How do you prepare to write?

I’ve had the grand idea on my head for years so now I’m trying to focus more on the details.

• I RESEARCH. I started by making a list of things I need to learn before I write such as twin sisters bond, father and son’s relationship, the difference between male and female thought process, types of personality, etc etc etc. I also re-read several books that have the same vibe and/or inspire me.
• I CREATE SOME VERY DETAILED CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS. Since this isn’t a new idea, I’ve had my characters for years as well. I have this word documents where I wrote tons of things about the characters so I started from there. Some things felt too stereotypical, boring, and predictable so I changed them. I took several personality tests from my characters’ POV and I base my characters’ thoughts and actions from there.
• I GO TO PINTEREST TO MAKE A STORY BOARD AND MAKE PLAYLISTS. This seriously helps me imagine the scenes! 😛
• I OUTLINE… which wasn’t as easy as I expected?? Hahaha I fell into 4 plot holes but now it’s all done and I have a complete outline!
• I WRITE… or I try to. I only wrote 4 chapters before I fell into writer’s block 😂 buuut I plan to put it on hold for a while, draft blog posts for the entire month, read a few books I need to review, AND THEN binge write without any distraction.

6. What are you looking forward to about this novel?

The process of writing down this idea and eventually, finishing. I mean, I’ve had this idea for years and I can’t wait to see it on paper ♥ also looking forward to falling in love with the characters and shipping them like crazy (which I already did!!).

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

• It’s a city that started it all. There will be A LOT of reminiscing the pasts.
• Jakarta is a big, busy city but it’s very calm and beautiful near midnight. It’s like the quiet after the storm and it will be a beautiful background for an honest late night conversation.
• Lots and lots of beautiful city lights ♥

8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?

They both just want to find love, have a happy life, taking care of everything they need to. But there are a lot of obstacles and while one of them wants to help all the time, the other one feels like he’s got it and doesn’t need help. 

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

AQILA used to want to please everyone, help everyone, and can’t bring herself to say no. She’ll end up being overwhelmed by her own choices. By the end of the book, she’ll realize that she can’t please everyone and know how to stand up for herself by learning it the hard way.

AGA used to think that he can do everything and that receiving help is weak. He keeps pushing people who try to help him to the point where he might have pushed them too far. By the end of the book he’ll realize that it’s okay to receive and ask for help, especially when it’s given freely by someone who loves him.

10. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?

LOVE. Lost. Loves for family. HEARTBREAK. Learning from your mistakes. Not taking things for granted. Butterflies. Fight for the thing you believe in. SECOND CHANCE.

I know it seems like I’m just throwing around random phrases, but I’m not! 😂 It will all come together soon… I hope… hahaha. Also, the plot is predictable (though I’m throwing in some twists here and there) but that’s because I want to focus on the journey itself. Readers might be able to guess how the story will end ever since they read the synopsis, but I want to give them a roller coaster ride to get there. That’s why I’m trying to give this book FEELS, just the way I love it! ♥

Alright everyone, what do you think about it?  Who else here has a work in progress and what is it about? What is the most difficult thing from writing? I’m a newbie here so I’ll listen to advice or any previous experiences if you want to share! Tell me EVERYTHING! 

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