I can officially say without a doubt, that this is my favorite Beautiful People round ever, as evidenced by the fact that I couldn't wait to put this post up. I've enjoyed reading about all your novels, and I'm amazed by how creative we all are! Writers, I think you all deserve a high-five. :)

As for me, here is my contribution to this month's edition of Beautiful People.


1. Sum up your novel in five words or less.
Blacksmith, sister, pain, adventure, hope.

2. Novel title?
Silver Tears

3. Sum up your main character(s) in one word each.
Gavin Gray: Determined. Riah: Forgiven. Torin: Roguish.

4. Advice for newbies in three words?
Don't think. Write.

5. Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
Well, considering one of them falls sick and forces her brother to leave behind everything he holds dear, I'd say that's pretty significant, don't you?

6. Do you plan to stay up till midnight on the 31st?
Hmmm... possibly. I'd like to, but it's a school night and when I stay up, I'm usually not good for much the next day. So we'll have to see.

7. How many years have you done NaNo?
Technically, three, but the first year I didn't win. Well, I did win, but I did the YWP (Young Writer's Program). I aimed for 25k, and ended up with 30k, so it was a good year.

Last year I started out with the YWP program, and ended up hitting 50k in the last week by writing 25k in a few days. It was... um, crazy to say the least. I'd rather not repeat that incident, which is why I'm planning ahead this year. :P

8. What came first, characters, or plot idea?
Let's see. Characters... definitely characters. In fact, I had Gavin Gray long before I ever came up with the plot idea. You may have heard of him before, actually... here and here.

As for Chasiel and Torin, they have been around for years, it seems. I came up with Chasiel by stealing the name from Georgie, who has since discarded it, and she helped me come up with the name Torin as well. They're related, and Torin adores Chasiel like a sister.

My characters helped determine the plot idea, and I'm actually amazed that I have a full, mostly developed plot. Wonder of wonders!

9. How much prep do you do before November?
A moderate amount. This year my goal is to keep my plot structured, but have a little elbow room to be creative. I've outlined my prologue and first chapter so far, and I have 10 days to outline the rest. Wish me luck.

10. Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?
Nervous, excited, terrified, and full of anticipation. In other words, I just summed up the entire NaNo experience.

What about you? Have you joined Beautiful People yet? Are you doing NaNo? If you answered yes to either of these questions, click here to get started.

And I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comments are what make the world go 'round... or is it dark chocolate? O.o