My Books · Tags and Challenges

Gillory Edition – Book Aesthetic Blog Tag!

Saraina Whitney

The aesthetic of my WIPs are part of what makes writing so delightful, so when I saw Allyson Jamison had started this new blog tag, I was THRILLED. This tag is a good excuse to talk about my current work-in-progress Gillory once again…it’s been too long, hasn’t it?

Actually, it’s been too long since I’ve written a post in general. Y’all, consistency is not my strong suit. I’m working on it. 😅 *glances at schoolwork and life and books and…other stuff*

Speaking of that…in 2022, I’d planned to do the third Know the Novel post (Christine Smith‘s writers’ linkup), but never got around to that. When 2023 came around, I vaguely felt like it was too late.

But part of me still wants to do it, so here’s a poll to get your opinion!

Thank you for sharing your opinion, m’dear! (Although those options were a bit…leading, shall we say. *clears throat*)

You can catch up quick with this post if you haven’t yet been introduced to my historical romance WIP, currently called Gillory!

Now, on to the fun we’ve all been waiting for!

(By the way, I found it so funny that some of the images Allyson used in her post were pins I’d added to my own moodboard. The similarities are that they’re both set in England with rainy vibes and characters who drink tea. 🤭)

Rules

  1. Mention the creator, Allyson (and link back to the original post).
  2. Include the tag challenge graphic somewhere in your post.
  3. Shout out and link to whoever tagged you!
  4. Answer each aesthetic prompt. Please include pictures if you’re able, if not simply explain the aesthetic to the best of your ability. You may be as in-depth or as short as you’d like.
  5. Tag as many people as you wish!

Overall Aesthetic of Your Book

Rain. Red roses. Autumn leaves. Piano keys and yellowed sheet music. Fog. Tea. All those things come to mind when I think of this novel. It’s just delightful.

(And I’m sorry, Allyson, this is a little too similar to the “vibes” graphic at the end. Apparently I can’t distinguish between the vibes and the overall aesthetic. 😂 Or I’m too lazy to work more on the graphics. *coughs*)

Location Aesthetic

Project Gillory is set in 1947 London, mainly during the autumn. (Also, I’m trying to call it “Project Gillory” to distinguish between the novel and the character Gillory. Let’s see if it sticks. *knows it won’t*) Gillory lives above her sewing shop, and the vibe of that image in the top left-hand corner reminds me of that setting. (I’ve yet to determine exactly which part of London she lives in – lol, wish me luck.) The picture on the top right-hand corner reminds me of a lovely picnic scene that was loads of fun to write. *remembers the heartbreaking part of it* Some of it was fun, that is.

Main Character Aesthetic

I’m discovering that Gillory Durand, the heroine, has several sides sides to her. The one she most often displays is the sophisticated, self-assured, stylish side. Then she has a kinda ruthless, competitive, manipulative, stubborn edge to her. But my favorite side of hers – really her truest self – is the wonder-filled, whimsical, childlike, impish pixie. (Wow. That was a long description and jumble of words…you get the picture, though. 😉 ) Knowing these aspects of her personality makes this girl SO FUN to write.

And I hope even more fun to read. 😜

Side Character Aesthetic

Ean West isn’t a side character; he’s the hero and nearly half the book (so far) is in his POV. But the guy deserves a place here, so he gets the side character slot! (*apologizes to Laura and any other side character who may have been hoping I’d feature them*)

This boy…I love him so much. There’s a lot of heartbreak, pain, darkness, and baggage he carries into the story, but the healing will be so worth it. 😭 He has an assertive, logic-oriented personality that likes to take charge of situations and find solutions to problems. His surprising side is what I’ll call his Teddy bear cinnamon roll side. 😊

Quote Aesthetic

Need I say more? These quotes go so well with Gillory and Ean’s struggles and character arcs and the overall themes of the novel. (All are from Pinterest except for the “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal” quote.)

Vibes

This is my favorite of the graphics I whipped up. (Admittedly, it might go better under the “overall aesthetic” category than vibes… 🤭 You tell me!)

Tags!

Clean Copy of the Prompts

Overall Aesthetic of Your Book

Location Aesthetic

Main Character Aesthetic

Side Character Aesthetic

Quote Aesthetic

Vibes

Which graphic was your favorite? What’s your favorite novel (*whispers* or movie) that’s set in England? Or during the WWII era? Any pro tips on nailing the British accent in writing? And most importantly, what’s the most surprising and unexpected side of your personality?

59 thoughts on “Gillory Edition – Book Aesthetic Blog Tag!”

  2. Ooh so pretty!! Also, having interacted with Christine a number of times in the past few years, I seriously doubt she’d object to you doing your Know The Novel post late. She’s too sunshiney to be upset. 😄

    And thanks for tagging me! I’ll be sure to get my post up next week! But what WIP to use… decisions, decisions…

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    1. Thank you so much, Hannah!!! TRUE. She’s so sweet!!! 😄

      Absolutely! I can’t wait to see your post!!! (*chuckles* Lol yes, you have so many to choose from! 🤭)

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  4. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that’s set in England before! I love all of your aesthetics for this!! 🥰. The graphics are so niceeee! Your characters always interest me. :,) Would love to see more about Gillory. ❤️

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    1. Ahh, really? 😆 I haven’t read many, but lately I’ve been reading Roseanna M. White’s The Codebreakers series, which is set in England, and the books are AMAZING. Aww thank you SO much, Jasmine!!! 🥰 I’m excited to share more about it!!

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  5. Ahhhhh SARAINA!!! ❤ The graphics are just stunning. You're such an amazing writer… I will literally read anything you write. Anything. I already love Gillory SO much (I feel she and I have a lot in common). Also the fall setting is just lovely. I've always wanted to write a story set in London! *thinks that I might have to do this tag challenge even though I normally avoid them XD*

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    1. AHHH THANK YOU AVA!!! 🥰 That is so sweet of you!!! *beams* I’m so glad you feel like you have a lot in common (me too, haha)! I know, right? It just seems like the perfect setting. 😆 *PLEASE YES* (Anything to learn more about The Seven, if that’s the WIP you’d use 😜)

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  6. Oh! I love this Sariana! I need Project Gillory stat, girl! One fall, favorite season. Two, London. Three, post WWII. Four, Ean. He sounds like a hero after my own heart, girl.
    Eeep! I enjoyed reading this so much! And I can’t wait to do it…only problem right now is Ris, Jai, and I are locked out of 80% of our Pinterest boards….😭😭😭

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    1. Eeee, thank you so much, Kayti!!! ❤ AHH!! That just makes me so happy! 😊 And even more motivated to get to writing! 😜 Thank you so much!!!

      Aww man! 😭😭😭 I'll pray that problem gets fixed soon!

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      1. You’re welcome! And you have to me and the girls know the moment you finish because we need to celebrate with you!

        Thanks! We’re hoping it will be resolved in the week or so once Jaidie turns 16….

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  7. THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! 🤩 I need this book, Saraina!!! I absolutely LOVE the aesthetic!! And that’s funny about the similarities between our books! I see both of our books in book form one day, lying next to each other in a picture, with all the lovely vibes. 🥰 It’ll be so beautiful!! Just curious, do you ever find yourself thinking in a British accent after writing?? 🤣

    (Lol!! I don’t blame you, I’m not entirely sure the difference between the overall aesthetic and the vibes, I just knew I wanted to have both. 😆 I loved both of yours!!)

    Ugh! I’ll take any tips for nailing the British accent as well. 😂 And the different spellings!! 😵 All I know, is please do not overuse popular British terms like “chap”, “bloke”, “blast” or anything else that people like to use a lot. I mean this applies to any word, you don’t want to overuse any one word, but I find so often when an American writes a British novel they love to pepper the story with these words and it’s annoying! 😂 I know it’s tempting, but they don’t say them that much in real life so don’t put them that much in your story. That’s the only tip I have! 🤷‍♀️

    But anyways, I already love this story so much and can’t wait for the day I can read it in book form!!! 🤩 Thanks for doing the tag!!

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    1. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 😊 ❤ Haha and I need to finish it!! 😂 Isn't it? *gasps* Oh my, what a delightful thought! 😍 Yes, it'll be so lovely!! Honestly, not as much as I'd like, lol…I need more often to consciously think in a British accent for my characters, to help lock in their voice. Sometimes I'll act out a scene, though, and then I find myself talking to myself in a British accent 🤭 Does that happen to you? 🤣

      (Lol, I totally get it!! I'm glad you had both, because it gave an excuse to do just one more graphic! 😜)

      Hahaha yes!! I've been keeping a list of British spellings and phrases to work into the novel during the editing. 😆 Ooo, that's great advice. *nods* I'm going to jot that down in my editing notes. Thank you, girl!

      Awwww, thank you!!! I can't wait to share it someday!!! <333

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      1. Haha! Definitely!! Whenever I’m really into a scene and trying to think through how it should go the accent really comes out. 😆 Which is funny, because I can’t speak in a British accent to save my life! But apparently I can think in one? My brain is odd sometimes. 🤣

        That’s a great idea actually! Because I worked so hard on *not* being redundant with British phrases that now I’m a little worried I didn’t put enough. 🤔🤦‍♀️ Lol!!

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        1. Exactly!! Lol, that’s hilarious! Yeah, sometimes I think in a certain voice but when I try to speak it, it comes out all wrong. 🤣 No idea how that works! 😅

          Hahaha! Well, you might be good because I feel like it’s better to err on the side of a bit too few than too many 😉 🤭

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  8. Agh I can’t wait to READ THIS.
    Pro tips on nailing the British accent: I ain’t no pro, but I’ve been to London. From personal experience, I can tell you they actually DO say those words like “cheers” and “bloke” etc. in everyday conversation and it’s perfectly ordinary. Also there are different accents for different parts of London, there isn’t just one British accent.

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    1. Aww, I can’t wait to share it with you, Emma!!! 😀 ❤

      OOH. Thank you for the pro tip!!! That is so cool. It's great to know that because I was unsure as to whether that was just stereotype or reality. XD

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  12. Your collages are GORGEOUS!!! I love them! I’ll have to read your other post on Gillory! Is this going to be a novel? When’s the publishing date?

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    1. Ack, thank you!!!! I’m so glad you like them!!! 😀 Ooh, yes! It’s going to be a novel and I’m planning at least two books that follow it, so hopefully it’ll be a series too XD And I don’t know the publishing date yet, but I’m hoping anytime from autumn of this year to autumn of next year 😁

      Thank you so much for reading, Katherine!! ❤

      (By the way, I'm sorry I took a while to approve your comment! 😬🤭)

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      1. That’s really exciting, Saraina! Oh, that’s fine – I just thoughts my computer must have blipped out my previous comment! 🙂 No worries!

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  14. I am so excited for your book, it sounds so amazing!!! Your graphics are gorgeous and your enthusiasm is *chefs kiss* Thanks so much for tagging us, it’s going to be alot of fun!!

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    1. Eeeee thank you so much, Grace!!!! Aww, your enthusiasm makes me even more excited about it 😂 ❤ Absolutely, I'm very much looking forward to seeing your post!! *grins*

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      1. Yay! Excitement all around!! Yes, I’m excited to see it too, lol! I just have to pick what story I’m going to do *panics slightly* It’ll be fun!!

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        1. Haha yes!!! Lol…that’s hard to do when there are several different WIPs all vying for your attention 😂 Yes, it’ll be so fun!!!

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    1. AHHH REALLY? *does an unprofessional squeal* It must be the perfectionist in me that wasn’t feeling entirely satisfied with them so that makes me so happy to hear!!! XD Thank you so much, girl!! 💕

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  16. *gasp* Ooo, Saraina, the aesthetics are so beautiful!! I especially love the one for Gillory! (And I’m totally stealing this for the future *lol*). And eek! I’m liking Ean so much already (*comforts Laura and other side characters* Don’t worry, maybe we can convince your author to create bonus aesthetic mood boards for you guys *turns puppy dog eyes to author* XD.)

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    1. Eeee, thank you so much, Lily!!! 😊💖 (GIRL YES! I would love to see you do this tag!!) Aww I’m so glad you’re liking him!! (You know what, I do need to make mood boards for those side charries! 😂 Especially Laur and the rest of Gillory’s siblings… *nods*)

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    1. Thank you so much, Annabelle!! I use Canva! 😉 (Lol, for a long time, I used Fotor to make graphics, but for some reason, it ran sooo slowly on my laptop, so I just gave up and switched to Canva 😂)

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      1. Okay, cool! I know so many people who use Canva lol. I haven’t made very many graphics for my stories yet, but I just tried doing it using Milanote yesterday, and it was really cool! So I might try doing stuff like this more often… I’ll just have to find the right program to use (and the time to do it lol). 😉

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        1. LOL, yes!! It seems like everyone uses it! 😂 Oh, Milanote is an awesome tool – I love it. Ahh, I’d love to see graphics for your stories! *winks* (Haha, true! It tends to take me a lot of time, at least until I’ve made a sort of template for myself that I can use without thinking too much 🤭)

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