Another Writer Reaches Silver Pen: Rochelle Deans!
Go, go, go! Another Silver Pen! Rochelle Deans of Portland, OR has now written >15,000 words!!
If you want to give Rochelle a shout out, you can find her on her website, Twitter, Instagram, NaNo, or leave her a comment on her Malala Fundraiser page. 🙂
Read below to learn more about Rochelle — and maybe you’ll be inspired to hit Silver Pen too!
What is your favorite book and/or author, and what draws you to them?
I really can’t choose just one. My first favorite was Lois Lowry, who was the first author who made me think and made me cry all at once. JK Rowling is of course a favorite—I’m one of those who grew up with Harry. The newest addition to my favorite authors list is Samantha Joyce, who has yet to write a book I didn’t finish in one sitting.
Is this your first book? If not, what was the first book you ever finished writing?
This is my third book. The first one I ever finished writing is called Damaged, a dystopian novel about a violinist in a society that has banned the arts. I’m still pretty proud of it and hope to revise it again in the future.
What’s the working title of your NaNoWriMo17 project?
The Enchantress
Give us an elevator pitch of your project.
A Beauty and the Beast prequel, where the enchantress is the prince’s half-sister.
Stuck powerless in a castle run by her half-brother, sixteen-year-old Celeste Dupuis wants to leave rural France for Paris, where she can find a witch to help her understand the powers she was born with. But when she uses her powers as a party trick at her selfish half-brother’s request, she must cover the traces of her magic or lose what little freedom she has.
Share your favorite line/short paragraph from your book so far.
On her brother’s fourteenth birthday, she circled the rose garden alone, dizzy with all the possibilities. Bright red roses in full bloom cast their futures around her: withered petals, browning stems, thorns rendered dull in the winter. The work of pushing aside this future for the present gave her a headache, but that was not unusual. Firmly and painfully in the moment, Celeste found a many-petaled rose and plucked it, pulling on possibilities from its future until her own ideas began to surround it. Her mind worked like fingers at embroidery, weaving another month of life into each petal, another year.
How did you hear about the Mighty Pens?
Susan Dennard’s newsletter.
What inspired you to join the Mighty Pens?
This is my fifth straight year doing NaNoWriMo (only my second as a not-rebel), but I’ve yet to win. Between the camaraderie, the money we’re raising, and my competitive streak, I’d like to hit the full 50k this year.
Congratulations again, Rochelle!! And keep on keeping on!!