Origami Swan: Novel Title Change and Cinnamon Rolls (aka Characters)

If you haven’t noticed already, I’m slightly obsessed with cinnamon rolls. They hold pleasant memories for me. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I would visit my Grandmama every Thanksgiving and Spring Break, and she made the world’s best cinnamon rolls, and then she’d let me add extra frosting and let me eat out of the frosting bowl because she’s just that kind of wonderful person! (We’re not actually related by blood, but I call her Grandmama anyway.)

And comparing fictional characters to cinnamon rolls is loads of fun. I like the trend with my favorite fandoms. (Maybe it’s old and stale now? Who cares!) So I thought, why not introduce the main characters of my novel, Origami Swan (previously called Just Breathe), by using the comparison. Here goes!

Title: Origami Swan

Story Type: novel

Current Writing Stage: querying literary agents

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult Fantasy

Looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you: Mary Lee Winters

Slightly obsessed with technology and prefers to go by her middle name, Lee. Carries around an e-guide to the Labyrinth, written by her dad, “The Professor.” Makes her initial appearance when a vendor at the Maze Market points her out to the main character, Agatha.

Looks like she could kill you and could actually kill you: Agatha Jordan

Recent high school graduate who likes collecting books, discovering the best hiking trails, and working at her dad’s garage. Prefers logic to emotion yet tends to be impulsive. Makes her appearance as the protagonist and narrator on the first page.

Looks like he could kill you and is actually a cinnamon roll: Guy Graves

Also known as the coffee addict or “Guy of Gisborne” and is not a fan of mornings. At all. Don’t bother talking to him until he’s had at least three cups of black coffee. Makes his initial appearance at the Maze Market when he mistakes Agatha for Lee.

Looks like a cinnamon roll and is a cinnamon roll: Genesis “Jen” Montgomery

A chemistry major and a college senior who likes quirky sci-fi novels. Tends to be socially awkward but enjoys deep, philosophical conversations. Makes her initial appearance wandering in the Labyrinth.

That’s just a few facts about the main quartet of characters in my latest novel. I could say more, but I don’t want to give too much away.

This list isn’t quite the comprehensive cast. I haven’t even mentioned the antagonists yet! And yes, I know some of the names are weird. #AuthorConfession: I took some names I originally didn’t like (e.g. Agatha) or random terms (e.g. Guy) and gave them to my characters, and they kinda stuck. Now I like them and they’re not changing.

Let’s chat! Who would you most be interested in meeting? Who are you most like? (Of all the cinnamon rolls, I’m probably “looks like she could kill you and is actually a cinnamon roll.”) When’s the last time you had an actual cinnamon roll?

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Similar posts: Just Breathe: Novel Announcement and Stories in Progress

Just Breathe: Novel Announcement and Beta Readers Wanted!

Good news, everybody! I’m almost always working on my next novel, and while some of them don’t make the cut to revisions, this next one did! Announcing: Just Breathe, a contemporary fantasy for young adults! (The title is likely to change, especially since Just Breathe is a common book name according to Goodreads. But for now, I don’t have anything better. Suggestions are welcome!)

Update: Just Breathe has been renamed to Origami Swan.

Agatha Jordan never expected a used car for her graduation any more than she expected to get stranded in the middle of a corn field during its first drive. She heads to the nearest town in the hopes of calling a tow truck and covering it all up. But the nearest town is abandoned, and there’s more to the Midwest than ghost towns—there’s the North American Labyrinth, the legendary home of the lost. And Agatha finds herself stuck within its never-ending walls where ordinary physics don’t seem to apply.

Determined to escape, Agatha takes paths that will take her to the Pool of Reflection and the Riddle Square to the Summer Inn and the Maze Market. Along the way, she meets with peers and con artists and struggles to separate myth and reality. Because ultimately, before she can leave the Labyrinth, she must confront her past before she can choose her future. 

1. Why am I writing this novel in particular?

One of the questions I always get tired of people asking is “What are you going to do next?” Sometimes, I don’t know. And that’s okay. I don’t have to have all the answers. Neither does my protagonist, even though she may want to. 

The Labyrinth in this story is known as the home of the lost. When people, specifically those in North America, don’t know what they’re going to do next in their lives, one way or another, they end up in the Labyrinth. Sure, such metaphors can only go so far, but they make for interesting stories. I’ve drawn from elements both real and imaginary, mashed them together, and experimented with how they might react. 

For example, what would a farmer’s market look like in the confines of three-foot wide passageways? How does technology respond within a parallel dimension? And how does a mythical place from Ancient Greece end up in the Midwest in the first place? 

2. Why is this novel important to me?

This novel has to be the hardest story I’ve ever done. Not because of the amount of the research that’s had to go into it, and not even because of the plot points. This novel has been the hardest because it’s so close to my heart. Like me, Agatha struggles with anxiety. And while I’ve put a fantastical twist on her panic attacks—this is fantasy, after all—they have been hard to write because they’re so personal. 

3. Why am I the one to write this novel?

In order to write this book, I’ve not only done research on anxiety, but I’ve had to draw from my own fears and insecurities. Although I’ve never had a panic attack that’s nearly as intense as Agatha’s, that doesn’t make them any less impactful. Every time I wrote such scenes, I had to take a step back and do something uplifting, like take a walk, read a book, or talk to a friend. 

I’ve touched on depression before in Last of the Memory Keepers, but Just Breathe deals with mental illness on a deeper level. 

Beta readers wanted! 

Update: I am currently in the querying stage of this novel, so I am not looking for beta readers at this time.

Do you enjoy reading contemporary fantasy? Does the book blurb interest you? Would you like to read a book before it gets published and have your name added to the acknowledgements? Then beta reading is for you! 

I’m currently looking for 3-5 more beta readers for my novel. If you’re interested in becoming a beta reader for Just Breathe, please get in touch. If you want to serve as a beta reader, please answer the following questions. They’re just a way for me to get to know you as a reader before I send you my latest draft. 

• Do you subscribe to the Word Storm Newsletter? (Recommended, not required.) 
• Are you a writer? If yes, what have you written/published? Do you have a blog? (Recommended, not required.)
• What are your favorite genres? List three of the best books you’ve read this year. 
• Are you willing to commit 6-10 hours of unpaid reading to an unpublished novel? 
• Why do you want to be a beta reader for Just Breathe? (e.g. I know somebody with/have experience with mental illness. OR I’m a book blogger. Etc…)

Once you’ve got all your responses, please send them to me on Facebook, Twitter, or at word.storm.blog@gmail.com

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Similar posts: Last of the Memory Keepers: Series Announcement and Anxiety, Depression, and Literature: Studying Abroad in England

Let’s chat! What did you think of the book blurb for Just Breathe? Is this the kind of novel you would like to read? Do you have any alternate title suggestions? What are some of your favorite contemporary fantasies?