I’ve settled on a working title and cover design. When you set up your novel on the NaNoWriMo website, you can add a title, cover, and synopsis. I highly recommend filling out all three no matter how rough. It helps convince you (and anyone else looking) that you’re serious about your novel.
Since I’m writing a futuristic sci-fi/fantasy retelling of Shakespeare’s Henriad, I patterned the cover after title pages from the original plays. The woman in the background comes from a brush set by zazac on DeviantArt (no copyright infringement intended; this is a temporary cover made for non-commercial purposes).
So we have a title and a cover. Now it’s time for a synopsis (this is what took the longest to come up with this year). Here’s what I have so far. It might change as I write, and that can be a good thing.
Ellyn has a secret. She can manipulate light, even bending it around herself so no one can see her. In the nation ruled by King Hendrik, that makes her something unnatural — a “miscreation.” The best thing she could do is stay out of sight. But she longs to play a more visible role, preferably by helping others like her reconcile with society. Being the Lord Chief Justice’s niece and rakish Prince Henry’s unlikely friend might gives her a chance to do just that. Or things could go horribly wrong and both sides will brand her a traitor.
Only 15 more days until we can really start writing! in the mean-time, I’ll be working on character sketches and scene outlines. I’m so excited for this year’s story!
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? share your story ideas, titles, covers, synopsis — whatever you want — in the comments.
Maris McKay 