introducing my nanowrimo novel: project rosemary

Hiii, sweet friends! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I know, I need to get around to writing a life update post. A lot’s happened since I last posted, and it’s too much to explain in this post. All I’ll share right now is that I’m doing a lot better than I was 6 months ago. 💛

And so, here’s my introduction to my NaNoWriMo novel, Project Rosemary. I’ll be using Christine Smith’s Know The Novel questions.

(Also is anyone else in shock that it’s almost November?? I feel like it’s still June 😅)

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1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

I’ve really wanted to write a story that somehow relates to Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, for a long time now. I recently was struggling with what to write for NaNoWriMo, and by the grace of God, this story began to take form in my mind. And so, slowly, Project Rosemary was born.

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

Project Rosemary is a tender, quiet middle grade novel about mental illness, generational trauma, small towns, failed actresses, the late 1980s, and grief. I’m so excited to write it 💛

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

It takes place in a (currently unnamed) small town, about a stones throw from Los Angelos. Just close enough for my failed actress character to believe that she can still pursue her dreams, but also just far enough that it’s always out of reach. </3 I love the fact that the town is small, and filled with a quirky cast of characters (which is literally every town I’ve ever written about but it’s okay *facedesk*). I haven’t really figured out more details than that— I don’t tend to plan out how my setting will look, I just sort of jump into the story and find out. 😅

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

Oooh, this is the question I’ve been most excited for. I love rambling about my characters XP. My protagonist is a 12 year old girl named Aspen Wakefield. She’s an enneagram 6w5, with OCD and a passion for tea gardening and photography. She’s too responsible for her age, and has grown up being an almost parent for her mom: a failed actress who believes that she is Ophelia reincarnate.

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

I’m about to get really philosophical here, so please bear with me 😅*stands on a soap box* *taps microphone* ahem, the antagonist is human brokenness. Or, to be more specific (or more confusing, depending on how you would like to define it), the antagonist is the effects of living on this broken planet filled with sin 😅In all seriousness, the antagonist is probably Aspen’s mother. I hate the trope of mentally ill people being the villains, and so I would like to make it very clear that her mother is not the antagonist because of her mental illnesses. She is a very nuanced character, and while I won’t get into all the details in this post, I just wanted to make it as clear as possible that I will not be villainizing her mental illness. There is so much more to her than her mental illnesses, as you will find out if I ever publish this (or, you know, actually write it 😅)

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

The aesthetic. Oh my word, the aesthetic. It’s like if We Dream of Space and Stranger Things had an aesthetic mixture. The aesthetic has honestly been the best part of this. It’s yellow wall phones, antique paintings, vintage photos, broken lockers, the scent of old books, and lopsided smiles. 

7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

Standalone, most likely. Most of my novels are standalones (:

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

I’m plotting!! I’ve been using Chat GPT for that (seriously, it’s super helpful for organizing ideas and brainstorming and also finding face claims). 

9. Name a few unique elements in this story.

Well, for one, it’s ownvoices OCD rep (which is rare), and it deals with grieving someone who was very hard to love. 

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

Wellllllll there’s Requiem from Dear Evan Hansen, which sums up Aspen’s emotional turmoil, and there’s the Pinterest board I made (:

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Thank you so much for reading this post, friend. If you enjoyed this, please consider liking, subscribing, and maybe leaving a comment. It would mean the world to me. 💛

Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? What’s your project about? Let me know in the comments!