All about the novel November’s Dawn
Who is Chris Moshage?
C.T. Moshage is a Chicago-based author of science fiction & fantasy. His debut Young Adult science fiction novel, November’s Dawn, will be released April 9th, 2024 and is the first instalment of a planned trilogy.
The short story, Chasing the Dawn, explores the origins of the trilogy’s world and is available now to download for free.
Chris didn’t start writing seriously until his early 20’s, but when he finally did, he eagerly embraced it and hasn’t turned away since. When he’s not immersed in reading or writing, two vital elements of his life as an author, Chris enjoys playing tennis, exploring the many worlds of video games, and navigating the skies flying drones, even if his aerial footage is mostly appreciated by himself.
What is November’s Dawn about?
November’s Dawn is a YA speculative fiction novel that centres around a young engineer, Josie Owens, as she tries to find her place in a chaotic and desperate world where humanity has been forced to abandon the surface and live aboard a massive underwater ark.
The setting as well as the plot allowed for several themes to become entangled throughout the novel. The duality and burden of leadership is something I have always been fascinated by and in the novel, one of the characters spends a lot of time exploring what leadership means to him and the weight he carries knowing that the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders. Later in the novel, Josie must wrestle and come to terms with some of the same concepts while also trying desperately to stay true to herself and her values.
That reality and the conflicts that created it start to blur the line between right and wrong, provoking a deeper look into what it means to lead.
Synopsis
Years after the mysterious death of her father, sixteen-year-old Josie Owens wants nothing more than to carry on his legacy as an engineer aboard November’s Dawn. This colossal walking ark has travelled the bottom of the oceans carrying the last remnants of humanity after an all-consuming flood. But Josie’s dreams drown when she discovers the secret her father died for: the ark was never meant to stay submerged.
This knowledge makes Josie, and those she loves, an instant target to those who would sacrifice anything to keep the status quo from changing and to those who want nothing more than to upend the firm hierarchy. At the same time, a glitch in the navigation system sends November’s Dawn directly toward a miles deep trench.
Faced with a multitude of challenges, Josie wonders if pursuing her father’s last wishes is worth the cost. Corruption and injustice permeate the last vestiges of humanity, but what if the great unknown of the world above is worse than their fragile existence below? If she follows her father’s vision, the ark could be destroyed on the surface. If she follows the rebels, revolution could tear the ark apart from within.
One way or another, Josie is the only one with the knowledge to make the final decision. If she makes the wrong one, not only will the ark fail, but the last spark of humanity will fade into darkness.
Interview
What was your inspiration for November’s Dawn?
A: I have always been intrigued by the constructs and engineering feats capable when the best and brightest minds come together to create something incredible. November’s Dawn was born out of that fascination and the lengths people would go to save themselves in the face of certain destruction. The plot and setting allowed me to explore themes of duty, family, loyalty, and finding one’s place in the world in a really interesting and satisfying way.
What drew you to writing?
A: For a long time, I was caught up in the idea of writing a book or becoming a writer, but I never put any work towards it or always convinced myself that being an author was something I could see in others, but I would never or didn’t have the right “stuff”. I always had other projects and creative outlets going on so coupled with my own self-doubt, I just never seriously tried to write. That was until the pandemic struck which freed more time for me to explore hobbies and interests. It was in that moment I decided I was going to put my mind to it and complete a story. And I did – a 100,000-word YA fantasy novel that will likely never see the light of day unless some major revisions take place. But that was my first foray into the writing world, and I value it for the lessons it taught me about story creation, plot, action, and all the other little bits that go into making a story worthwhile.
How did you choose which character to centre the story around?
A: Josie Owens always felt like a natural protagonist to me. Her character has a strong voice and sense of being so while she is flawed and conflicted in some respects, there is no doubt she knows who she is and what she values. I knew going into the story that someone with those qualities was crucial to create an authentic environment as well as a believable scenario in which a person would behave the way Josie did in the circumstances she finds herself in.
What was your process for writing November’s Dawn?
A: My writing process for November’s Dawn was built on the premise of fitting in time to write whenever I could. I never had a set schedule nor identified a specific time in the day I preferred to write. My constraints were a target number of words each week and I did whatever I could to meet that. I was also in a position where there were no deadlines, so that took some pressure off. I currently am writing the next book in the series under a deadline and I’m finding it to be a beast of a different nature.
What is your approach to world and character building?
A: My process centres very much around having a core concept and plot and like the spokes of a wheel, everything else radiates out from that. I’m a pantser. I’ve often found I don’t know the direction the plot will go, what elements of the world to expand on, or what a particular character will do until I’m in the moment with them and they dictate the outcome.
How would you describe November’s Dawn in five words?
A: Option 1 – Legacy, secrets, survival, revolution, choice.
Option 2 – Revolution ignited by legacy’s embers.
Did you have a favourite moment in the book to write?
A: My favourite moment writing was the introduction of the main rival to Josie in the story. Without giving too much up, he is a complicated antagonist who has many different duties and obligations that pull him in different ways. Exploring how he dealt with certain situations and what his motivations are was a really interesting thought experiment for me.
What was your favourite book growing up?
A: The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind are my most memorable reads growing up. While not YA, Goodkind creates a world so developed and full of life that to this day I’m amazed he was even able to accomplish it. I still remember the visceral reactions of sadness, then hope, I felt while reading one particular novel in the series, Faith of the Fallen.
Do you have a favourite genre to read?
A: I do read a fair number of different genres across fiction and nonfiction, but my heart is set in YA. They’re the characters and worlds I feel the most comfortable and alive in. And the genre was instrumental in the way I thought and looked at the world growing up. I’ve reread the Inheritance Cycle more times than I can count, and it never fairs to capture me the same way each time.
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