Know the Novel (Part Three): Words Written

Click on either link to read part one and two. 

Time for the final part of Know The Novel. I had a lot of fun answering questions. And one of my friends from my writing group also posted responses to Know the Novel, too, and I recommend checking her posts out.

Now, here are my answers to these questions...

1. How did writing this novel go all around?

I think my writing went well. There is still work I need to do, of course (such as name some of the characters and give them appearances), but I made more progress on it than I did previously. And I look forward to returning to write this novel series, and in the meantime to thinking of how I will edit/expand certain things. 

2. Did it turn out as you expected or completely different? How do you feel about the outcome?

My writing did not exactly go in the direction I was expecting. In fact, a theme appeared as I was writing that I had not thought about much in relation to this project. The themes of dreams or dreaming (or something being dreamlike) became important enough that one of my character's dreams (which is pointing to something happening in the future) is now central to the plot. 

Though there won't be anything like an ending of "everything that happened was all a dream," I do think dreams are connected to art in a sense. After all authors, poets, and artists are sometimes referred to as "dreamers." So, I am happy about this outcome. 

3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.) 

I enjoy three things: the characters, setting and the prose, but for different reasons. The characters and world I like exploring and creating; the prose I enjoy crafting. And while I know a lot of people don't like editing, I enjoy modifying a sentence or a paragraph, and thinking over what I'm trying to say. I find editing to be rewarding. 

4. What was your least favorite part?

This isn't part of the examples stated previously, and is more of an experience that comes every once in a while. My least favorite part was when I had no ideas about what to write next. 

5. What do you feel needs the most work?

I need to work on some plot elements in books 1 and 2: I need to organize the heist plot and what follows after in book 1. And I need to work on the "present" plot in book 2: I have the general idea of what I want to do (and what is going to happen), I simply need to organize the order of events to be more clear. 

6. How do you feel about your characters now? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!

I still view my characters as if they were old friends, that has not changed since the previous post. But I will say Raymond as a character has surprised me. He went through several iterations in the 0 draft, and I finally figured out parts of him that made him act the way he does. He thinks of most artists as liars, and given that he is an art thief, there is a complicated history with that. I do not know his backstory fully, since he has not told me (he is also a liar, so I do not expect to get that information out of him anytime soon).

There is a sort of "web of connections" in my book series (which is an idea I borrowed from Charles Dickens), so, that helps me figure out which characters are connected to which. If I feel like there is a character missing, I can think about the web and what person is missing in that dynamic, and then create a character based upon how they relate to everyone else. 

As for favorites (I will mention characters I didn't say were favorites last time): Mr. Raine, Medea, Ivy, and Reed. 

Mr. Raine is a character from book 2, that I created during a Shakespeare workshop. I used a prop that was provided by the actors, which was a leather notebook filled with disjointed ideas. He is a working-class clerk, a different status than the most of the other characters in the story. 

Medea is mysterious. Her embroidery and textile art magic is fun to write about, and I like learning more about her through my writing.

I like writing Ivy because I like her wit and the relationship dynamic she has with her family. 

And finally, I like writing Reed, since I like exploring his false memories and magic. I do not, however, have "least favorite" characters. 

7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel? 

I need to do more research into topics both for the 19th century and the 20th century. As I said at the top of the post, I also feel as though naming and giving appearances to certain characters is something else I will need to do. This requires thought since I want the characters to be distinct. 

There are a few plot elements I need to work out for both books. I also need to work on structuring for both books 1 and 2. But that may come later on, since for my other novel, Dolls of Wax, I didn't figure out how I was trying to structure the story until much closer to "the end." (That is of drafting so far, not chronological end). 

And I am planning to work on short stories which are connected to the world of the novel series. I have several involving magical artists which tend to be more myth/fairy tale-like. I also have specific character-focused short stories I am working on and am going to work on next: a short story about Genevieve's past and how she met Clarence.

Dorian trying bubble tea, from Inktober 2023

And I also have a short story about Dorian trying bubble tea. This scene got removed from the first book (given the time period change), however, I intend to make it a short story. It will likely be set further into the future for these characters (given when bubble tea was invented), or something else may happen...

8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?

I would like to have the trilogy published in physical book form. I would like this to happen for my other projects as well, and that is a dream I am working towards. Ideally, I would have the art on the cover and within it designed by me. The designs would be aesthetic-- a sort of reference to Victorian book covers like this one: 

From wiki commons here. 

I am not necessarily trying to write my series as if it were a Victorian book, though my writing style may automatically sound in some ways like one (since I read so much literature from that time). And the characters would want the book series to have covers like this (particularly Dorian).
However, if that doesn't happen when it is first published that's fine, as I can have the covers and illustrations as a special or later edition. 

I doubt the first book in the series would be my debut novel, but, I would like eventually to have the series out in the world along with my other work. 

9. Share some of your favorite snippets!

I shared two last time, so I shall share some more... 

Raymond's thoughts about art... 

But most artists were liars by trade. Whether authors or painters, they twisted the truth to their liking, telling stories, or modifying the appearance of the sitter to tell a lie. They did not call such things “lies.” They called what they did "art," but he still believed it to be a lie, but one accepted socially and not frowned upon within society.  

And an excerpt from book two, since I didn't share one last time, this is from the start of the backstory plot-line... 

Genevieve contemplated, names had meaning, they held purpose. There were stories in which a name had power, it was something someone could view as holding who they were, the individual. But also, simultaneously if told to the wrong person, the essence of ones’ name could be taken and used against them.

Those stories were merely fairy tales, told for the purpose of warnings to children. but...Names, names were far from trivial, for names were tangled in the complexity that was an individual. She knew not who he was. No one knew when a child is first born, for it took years, even a lifetime to understand, but perhaps the purpose was, not who he was. But rather, who she wanted him to grow to be.

That is all I will share for now. 

10. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?

This novel series has helped me a lot with understanding social situations, as social situations and etiquette are present in the series (despite a lot crime and magic being present). I find the things I learn from writing these to be applicable to real life. (Even if the etiquette and rules do not exist in our present in the same way.) 

Other than life lessons, writing wise, I learned that directly addressing magic (unless this is done satirically) can seem strange to the reader when in conversation with characters. So, when magic is discussed in my writing it tends to be more subtle and less direct. And I am learning to write scenes that are more dialogue focused. 

Overall, I enjoyed doing Fall FicFrenzy and Know the Novel and look forward to doing more of each next year. Thank you, Christine Smith, for hosting both and in doing so, introducing me to amazing writers. 😁

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Did you do any writing or art challenges this November? What would you like to learn more about in regards to my project?

-Quinley 

Know the Novel (Part Two): Within The Dorian Gray Trilogy

It is time for Part Two of Know the Novel, I had a lot of fun answering the first part. 

 1. How’s the writing going overall?

My writing has been going well. I have been feeling much more motivated, than I was previously. Aspects of both novels have come out more clearly than they did before-- there are still things I need to fix, but the stories in both novels have become much apparent to me. 

2. What’s been the most fun aspect of writing this novel so far?

I said this in the previous post, but I think the world-building. Whether it be more "realistic" world-building (such as using knowledge of history to construct a historical place) or more fantastical world-building (such as creating a spell or exploring how the characters' magic in general works), I like getting immersed in this new world and allowing the characters to guide me through the story. 

3. What do you think of your characters at this point? Who’s your favorite to write about?

I know them a lot better than I did when I first began writing, so the characters are like old friends to me. However, I find it difficult to choose a favorite. I like all of the characters for different reasons; they are flawed, but in ways that are endearing to me. So, my answer will be about two different characters that I am having fun writing at the moment...

Genevieve. An important character, but not a main character. I mentioned in a previous post that she looked different than most characters I usually draw. She also has a different perspective on the world, and I learned recently that she performs and composes music. 

Dorian. He always makes the wrong choices. There is something so fun about writing a character who acts on impulse, even when doing so, would hurt him and others around him. 

But I like all of my characters from this project for different reasons. 

4. Has your novel surprised you in any way?

I originally tried writing my character's false memories in the 3rd person. That did not succeed, because it didn't feel like a memory. While most of the story is told in the 3rd person, the false memories felt as though it should be told in the 1st. In this way the memory becomes up close and personal and allows me to create a false memory that no one else but the character can actually see.  

That surprised me, because the only time I ever tried to do a different style of perspective was in the 0 draft, where I tried to write a scene in 2nd person, and doing so felt wrong. So, the fact that alternating styles returned to the novel series surprised me. 

5. Have you come across any problem areas?

There is one continuous plotline I need to figure out. I want to have a particular character retain his goodness even in the morally bad situation in the plot. That is a "problem" I am working on because his actions have to be believable to the reader. 

Illustration from Pamela (public domain) 

I am currently reading Pamela (which is a 18th century novel) that explores a scenario in which its protagonist's virtues are threatened. While my series is different, I think reading the novel is useful. 

For book 2, I am doing research into certain historical settings and customs, because sometimes I feel as though I am having difficulty with writing scenes. I want to create immersive detailed descriptions. I try to remind myself as I am writing that if I do enough research I can fill in those blanks later. But, that is a problem I am actively working on overcoming. 

6. What’s been your biggest victory with writing this novel at this point?

My biggest victory has to be writing the false memories in the way I want them to be. I still have to do edits of course, and these are only first drafts, but I am not constantly going to be rewriting them. (As I was doing previously). 

7. If you were transported into your novel and became any one of the characters, which one do you think you’d be? Would you take any different actions than they have?

I think I would become Reed (maybe Dorian though, if I don't have good luck). I feel like if I was Dorian, I would do the exact opposite of everything he did in my book series. And maybe I would get his painting back much quicker than he does. 

If I were Reed, however, I don't think I would do much...differently. I think maybe I would use his magical art abilities in a slightly different way (I would use illusion magic to make art of my characters), but I wouldn't be trying to undo previous mistakes as much. 

8. Give us the first sentence or paragraph then 2 (or 3!) more favorite snippets!

The first sentence from book 1...

Millions of eyes gazed at the portrait each day. Observing it with curiosity, disgust, or perhaps hoping to see a strange sense of beauty within the textures of the brushstrokes. 

I will share some of my favorites that I have written for the series, a short excerpt from the false memories...

I never paid much heed to the songbird, I simply let it pass, flying away in the trees, being our only onlooker.

I remember he sat among the vines in the trees as if he were a statue framed by the leaves and the branches, one that I was uncovering in coming closer to him. Almost as if he were one in a graveyard—perhaps that comes to mind, for I felt that we swore this was a secret that would be kept until death... His golden hair always stood out in what remaining light there was, as if the setting sun wanted to illuminate his golden curls...

I am not going to share more excerpts at the moment, but, maybe more will come in future blog posts. 

9. Share an interesting tidbit about the writing process so far! (For example: Have you made any hilarious typos? Derailed from your outline? Killed off a character? Changed projects entirely? Anything you want to share!)

I mentioned in the previous post, that I am doing a mixture of a thin outline and of letting the characters guide me. Because of that, I keep making little discoveries about the world or them.
For example, I discovered that in some of the folklore that Medea accidentally influenced, people think her sewing needles are magical. They are not, she is, but the tellers put power into the object instead of the person. 

And while I am working on writing this series, I am planning ahead for the edits I am going to do in Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass. I am also developing characters for The Haunted Sketchbook. So, while I am working on writing this series, I am also preparing other writing projects. 

10. Take us on a tour of what a normal writing day for this novel looks like. Where do you write? What time of day? Alone or with others? Is a lot of coffee (or some other drink) consumed? Do you light candles? Play music? Get distracted by social media (*cough, cough*)? Tell all!

It depends on the day, but I try to wake up and after a short walk around a park in our area, make some tea, and begin writing the story. I find that writing in the morning is much easier than writing later in the day. Usually I write a new scene, however, I do not only work on writing scenes. When I feel I am prepared to look at feedback or find a solution to a problem I had, I work on editing scenes.  

And unless, I am doing dictation I usually listen to music. I have specific songs that remind me of this novel series that I return to as I work. Recently, I have been listening to this song: 

So, my routine is a mixture of creating new scenes, editing old ones, and going on walks (allowing my mind to wander).

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How has your writing been going? If you don't do writing, how has your November been?

-Quinley 

Miscellaneous Drawings #14

 

Hello everyone, 

I thought it was time to do another drawing post. I have some watercolor drawings and Inktober art from last year, which I intend to share in a future post, so stay tuned. For now let me show you my drawings: 

A drawing of Edith. I wanted to draw a full body drawing her since I had not done that, yet. 

A drawing inspired by Blackbriar's song "Cicada." I enjoyed drawing her hair and the wings. 

This was a drawing that I did with mixed media: the above image is a digital drawing, and 
the background image is a watercolor painting. This drawing was featured in a showcase, my writing group ran here. 

I decided to play around with backgrounds and here is a potrait of my character, Genevieve. Her face is a bit different than some of my other characters. So, I thought she would be fun to draw. 

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Which drawing is your favorite? 

-Quinley