Writing Challenge May 1 - Introduce Your WIP: Over Land & Under Stone

I've introduced Over Land & Under Stone before, during the #prettybookishchallenge back in March. But I will try to go more in depth with this round of challenges. They won't all pertain to OLUS but the ones that do will be more informative, I hope. Read on to hear more!

It's finally time for the #maylitwrit challenge! The most difficult thing about writing these past months has been the challenges I've taken on. Meeting the challenge isn't what I've struggled with so much as actually posting my daily challenge on Instagram. For instance, today I have to post twice because I didn't get around to posting yesterday's challenge. I'm not sure what if it means anything deeper, missing the Day 1 challenge, but I'll press on anyway.

#MayLitWrit Day 1 - Introduce your WIP and Tell About Your Progress.

I'm going back to work on Over Land & Under Stone during May. I want to have something ready to share on Wattpad by September or October. The photo gives you all the simple answers. Here are some more specs.

1. Genre: I really am struggling with genre. It's definitely Fantasy, no doubt about that. But sub-categorizing my work has been a nightmare. It's not your typical fantasy book. My work will always contain a little romance, but it also contains a dash of action and is heavy on the adventure/quest end. I won't ever label my work as straight-up romance because it doesn't fit that category too well, considering what most people think of as romance. If you're only looking for a romance book which includes sex, please do not pick up any of my books. They are not what you're looking for.
   
2. Progress: I haven't done much to this WIP yet. It's still in rought draft format and sitting at around 56k words. Since last Nano when I wrote it, I've been working to fill in the blanks I left open in world building and character bios when I ran out of planning time before November 1, 2017.
   
3. What's it all about?: Zec Inessi and Liha Gervell are both Genzetti and both born to influential families. Zec was born with the gift of dream-prophecy, making him a target for the Divni'I who go through rigorous training to get what he was given by the Creator. Whether or not it's true, they consider him a threat. Liha Gervell was born under the light of the mid-day suns, an ill omen to the followers of the Sekot Mundei who worship the deities of the moons. The two really had no reason to meet each other but circumstances change when Zec's life is directly threatened. To save him, a trusted guide takes him on a pilgrimage. He meets Liha who has been raised in the protection of the Guardian of Si'Yinte Falls, a holy place to the Bot'ha Clan. When they must flee intruders at the shrine, Liha must go with them or risk discovery. Together they walk the path of back trails and forest tracks, caves and underground tunnels, until they reach Gild'n Mountain Shrine. There, Zec will be safe as he learns how to use and control his gift. In the mean time, Liha returns to Si'Yinte Falls until her time for pilgrimage arrives. There, she learns about the heritage that has been missing from her life. When she returns to Gild'n for her training, what path will she choose? Will the two meet again? And the story goes on...
   

Number 3 is a great example of a rough draft. I just wrote that this morning when I posted it on Instagram. I've been trying to figure out how to write the blurb for this book and I think this is a great start. What do you think?

The In-Between Times

If you wondered what an author who is determined to self-publish does in the in-between times, read on. I signed up for a free webinar hosted by Bookbaby. I learned a lot but the sound quality was not the best. I'm not sure if it was the host site Bookbaby used or what but the constant influx of complaints and random rude comments was distracting. I don't know. Maybe I'm used to it because our internet signal is so sketchy but people don't think before they spew acid. They should. They really should. I've researched Bookbaby to see if they will meet my needs. They seem like an awesome company and certainly have enough positive reviews. I still have a lot of research to do on that score, though.
On the bright side, I got a new keyboard that should help me with my space and posture issues. This one is not only cute and functional, it matches the color scheme I'm going with in my desk area. Yea! Something I received from my maternal grandmother...I love for things to match, especially if it belongs in a set.
In summary: What I Do While Not Writing

1. Webinars & Classes (free because strict budgets are strict)
   
2. Research (because you can't really do any kind of writing without it)
   
3. Buy matching things for my work space (when I can afford that luxury)
   

What writerly things do you do when you're not working on your own projects?