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?
So, I decided to do another double tag post. Because both these tags involve writing or have questions about it, I thought it made sense to include them in the same post.
For the first tag: The Jolly Genre Jubilee Tag, I was tagged by McKayla at Tales of a Triple Threat. Thank you, McKayla. :D
I misread the rule at first and for some reason thought you wanted to find a gif of a seagull (and was going to reference "Seagulls Stop It Now"). Then I realized after I had found a really cute seagull gif that you actually wanted one of a pelican....
So, anyway let's begin:
What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?
I have two genres I write in a lot: Fantasy and Gothic.
I have been writing Fantasy for a very long time. My first novels were in this genre. Specifically, the sub-genre of Fantasy I tend to write the most is High Fantasy. I love spending time creating different worlds, species, and magic systems.
I started writing Gothic more recently, and I am enjoying it very much. I am writing my first Gothic novel right now, titled Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass.
What genre would you NEVER get caught writing.....EVER?
(Felix is against the genre of Gothic (even though he is in a Gothic novel)...So, I felt this was fitting for this question)
I think YA fiction. Not that I have anything against it, but right now I can't imagine myself writing a story in that genre. Partly because I tend to write stories with older protagonists (or younger protagonists). However, one day I could write a story with young adult main characters, but at the moment I don't have plans to.
I also don't want to write a book that is romance only. I usually like books that have a subplot of romance, but don't have the book centered completely on that.
What fictional genre feels most like home to you?
It's a mix of High Fantasy and Gothic for me. I like them both for different reasons, and I find them comforting for different reasons.
I like High Fantasy because I can escape into different worlds of my own imagination, and I can imagine what it would be like to have magic or be another creature (that isn't human).
What I find comforting about Gothic literature is that I can make myself scared in a fun way, and not scared or stressed in a real way. This is important to me with the world being so unpredictable right now.
If you could transform your life into any genre of your choosing, what would it be?
(Elm (left) and Oak (right) who are characters from a Fantasy story of mine)
High Fantasy for sure! I want to live in a world where I am a shapeshifter or an elf, where magic is everywhere, and where adventures await. It just seems super fun and something I would really like to do. (At this point, this answer probably isn't surprising to you.)
What genre does your real life resemble at the moment?
Interestingly, my life is like a Gothic novel at the moment. There is a lot of fear regarding the unknown, and everything is a little bit unpredictable, so of course it would fall into the gothic genre.
(Image from Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89724.We_Have_Always_Lived_in_the_Castle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=3jautJsjTN&rank=1)
I would say in terms of Gothic stories We Have Always Lived in the Castle is what it closely resembles. I would have preferred it to be like The Picture of Dorian Gray or Frankenstein. But nope, my life happens to be like We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
What's a genre you're interested in writing, even though you've never written it before?
Science fiction, I like Star Trek so I've always wanted to write a novel in that genre, however, I haven't gotten around to writing one yet.
What genre is your most recent plot bunny and where did it come from?
I have two plot bunnies that have been hanging around. They are...
The third book in the Lady Annabelle Mystery Series. I had an idea for a third book in my head for a while, and now I finally know what is going to happen in it. It is a Fantasy/Murder Mystery. The novel was inspired by a mixture of different songs, though I had a bit of an idea in my head for what should happen before inspiration struck.
The second is The Haunted Sketchbook,which is Gothic and Historical Fiction. It (like Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass) was inspired by a nightmare. And I plan to write it once I finish Dolls of Wax, Eyes of Glass. I also plan to delve more into the details of the story in later posts.
How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?
Be prepared, the list is long...
Fantasy, murder mysteries/crime fiction, fan fiction (in comic form), super hero (also in comic form), gothic, historical fiction, romance (as a subplot), contemporary, humor/satire, retellings, poetry, a little bit of science fiction (if we count my numerous fanfics of star trek), ghost stories, spiritual (All Is Not Lost For All Begin Again is in that genre) and so many more.
1. What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?
2. What genre would you NEVER get caught writing.....EVER?
3. What fictional genre feels most like home to you?
4. If you could transform your life into any genre of your choosing, what would it be?
5. What genre does your real life resemble at the moment?
6. What's a genre you're interested in writing, even though you've never written it before?
7. What genre is your most recent plot bunny and where did it come from?
8. How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?
For the Second Tag: The HonsTEA Tag, I was tagged by McKayla at Tales From a Triple Threat and by Elizabeth from Autumn Ink. Thank you, McKayla and Elizabeth. :) The tag was created by Nie at From Nie.
The badge:
The rules-
- no lies allowed. if an answer is too shameful to expose you may substitute the answer with a gif/image of someone drinking tea.
- there are optional bonus additions to questions but these are not for the faint of heart. if you complete the tag having answered every question + the bonus additions (no gifs used), you are dubbed a certified tea chugger, and you deserve a badge to show the world that you are not afraid of a steaming hot cup of TRUTH. tag at least one other person (a tea party with just one is not very fun. trust me.) untagged persons are more than welcome to fill it out as well (nothing cooler than crashing a tea party).
what is a 'bad' (generally disliked) movie that you actually love?
(Image from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Beasts%3A_The_Crimes_of_Grindelwald#/media/File:Fantastic_Beasts_-_The_Crimes_of_Grindelwald_Poster.png)
This is generally disliked movie because the lore of Harry Potter was altered and distorted. Since I had only read the first five books of Harry Potter, it didn't bother me or affect my enjoyment of the film. In fact, I viewed the movies as a series unrelated to Harry Potter franchise.(I also enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film, which is why I wanted to see the second).
In regards to the issues involving the characters and lore, I didn't even know who Nagini was until I looked the character up later, so I was unaware of the controversy about what Rowling did to the character. My first thought was that she was a new character, who happened to be able to turn into a snake, not that she was going to be Voldemort's (evil) pet later...😬 But if you think about it hard, there are so many things wrong with Rowling's choice to do that with Nagini....
(Image from Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/the-niffler-is-back-as-you-saw-in-the-trailer-and-the-niffler-may-have-babies-eddie-redmayne--459719074460137904/)
But ignoring those elements, I honestly only watched (and rewatched) the movie for Newt Scamander (who is one of my favorite fictional characters), the (baby) Nifflers, and the other beasts. There were some things about the movie that did bother me, but it is very fun to watch nonetheless. But I should say, I don't agree with or support Rowling's recent controversial behavior. I just like the Fantastic Beast movie series.
what is your most shocking reading habit?
Eating snacks while reading. However, I only do this with books I own, and I make sure to wipe off my hands before turning a page. Annotating could also be considered a shocking habit. In academic settings it is accepted, but not everyone approves of writing in a book.
tell us the number one lie you write in your posts.
I...don't have an answer for that. Not that it is too revealing to share what lie I could have had. But the only lie (which wasn't really a lie) I can think of, is me saying "it reminds me of something that happened to me last summer" in this post as opposed to saying "it reminds me of my surgery that happened last summer." So not really a lie. 🤷 Just me being overly ambiguous about what happened that summer. (I wonder if the readers who read that post when it first came out had wild ideas as to what actually happened when they read it because I was so ambiguous about it, just curious...)
(Ophelia drinking tea to wake up in the morning)
So I shall have to post a drawing of someone drinking tea...
tell us the worst character name you've ever thought up. {bonus: share a character name you find ridiculous in a book/movie}
(Lauralas and George...Totally not Legolas and Gimli)
This isn't so much the worst name as a purposeful play on the name Legolas Greenleaf. But it still sounds silly. It's Lauralas Greenfield. The character, was a comic relief character within a group of comic relief characters in my first (finished) novel, Tess Short (book one). They were created both to be a parody of the Fellowship of the Ring and to be comic relief from the stressful action.
And answer to the bonus question. This is not a bad name, but, I always (even though I hadn't read or watched Game of Thrones) found the name "Jon Snow" to be a little odd, because it's so ordinary. Every time I heard it (from people who liked the show) I always thought it was spelled "John Snow." So there is nothing wrong with the name, it just seems out of place in a Fantasy setting.
what is the real reason you procrastinate writing your work in progress?
Generally because I have schoolwork or an (academic) deadline I have to complete. It isn't really procrastination, just a need to get the stuff that is more important done first.
Also sometimes I have other non-writing related projects I'm working on, like videos I film of myself acting (Shakespearian acting, improv, etc.), or animation projects (for example an animated short film), or even writing a song. So once again, it's not really procrastination when it comes to working on those, but, it is sometimes the reason why I am not writing my current novel at the moment.
what is a genre of music you secretly love?
(Elm (left) and Sebastian (right) performing a song together)
Everyone on this blog knows I enjoy this music style, but I do not (usually) tell this people who aren't on my blog this. So, this isn't a secret or a surprise to you, but to the rest of the world it is...
So I like a lot of folk music with Celtic and/or medieval influences. My favorite music tends to be inspired by mythology, folklore, or a fantasy story of some kind. Since it is hard to look up those exact words on a Google Search to find the music I am talking about, I am going to give you examples:
And that is not to say that I am ashamed that I listen to it, I am happy that I found a music style that I love, but I have gotten some weird reactions from people when I tell them what music I listen to and that it isn't mainstream music.
if you're a plotter, what do you really think of pansters? and if you're a panster, what do you really think of plotters?
Honestly, I tried pantsing before and failed at it, so I am very amazed and in awe of people who can do that because I cannot. I get really stuck if I do not plan ahead for what is to happen next. Though, I am usually very good at improvising on stage, on paper it's much, much harder.
share at least three lines of dialogue from one of your first writing projects {bonus: give us the good stuff. your most gruesome butchering of the English language)
I will be sharing two for the first question, from my first ever novels: One that was just called "my novel" and was never finished and another Tess Short (Book One), which was my first completed novel (first draft-wise not editing wise). Since I have really two first novels, I thought I'd share excerpts from both. Here is the opening (unedited prologue) for Tess Short (Book One):
Mr.short was considered a normal Hobbit which means not going out on adventures with elves , fairies or dwarfs or any creatures of any sort. Until he did , which I may say is a story for anther day.
“I don’t understand why he would want to go on a adventure” said Mr.Largefoot.
“Adventures are a waste of time also” he added.
“ and You miss a lot of meals…” added Ms.hairyfoot. folding her laundry into a pile. “But I can’t see why he would run away with that elf like that”
I do actually want to rewrite this novel, given that I really like the characters from it and want to make it less of a...Hobbit rip off. I'm not sure when I will rewrite it, though. Sometime would be nice; maybe in the future.
And then the novel which I simply called "My Novel" (which was unfinished). I stopped part of the way through (because I had writer's block), but it was the story Oak was originally from. Once again this is unedited:
the mist was around the rocks of the beach you could hear the soft sound of a flute playing. but out of the peace and quite a dark looking ship came in. the flute playing stopped, the girl who was the holding the flute got up from were she was sitting,
“What is that doing here?” Delphi said.
she could hear voices inside, she climbed onto the ship, “Now were should I take over first??” a man who seemed to be wearing a crown, but she couldn’t make it out.
...The king was not very stealthy in regards to taking over the kingdom...At all. 🤦(I'm pretty sure he rolled a natural 1 on stealth). Also question (to my younger writer self): "If Delphi is half siren and there are probably other sirens around, how did the king not get lured to his death?" I mean, if he did get lured to his death, all the characters' problems would be solved...easily.
* * * *
And for the bonus question, even though I shared two, I felt spelling-wise this was hilarious. This is from The Case of Confusion, the novel that didn't end up working but introduced me to the characters who ended up being in my current novel (The Mystery of the Body Thief):
"I thought we had solved it!!” said Phillip.
“Well..How could I be sure, and it wasn’t me it was Time” said Annabelle.
“Now your blaming the most famous dective in the world!!” said Phillip.
“Actually I think he is only famous in this kingdom not very much anywhere else”
“Well still your blaming a famous Dective!!” protested Phillip.
I spelled "detective" wrong twice. So, anyway that is all the snippets I will be sharing from my past novels for now.
tell us the title & artist of the last song you listened to.
which beloved book/movie character do you dislike & why?
I have a few book characters I really dislike, but I will go with this one...
(Image from Twitter, https://twitter.com/HorstPhoto/status/540959859043500032)
Anna Karenina. I really wanted to like the book, because I liked other classic Russian books like Crime and Punishment. But I could not enjoy Anna Karenina, because I loathed the title character (and her adulterous-horse-racing boyfriend, Vronsky) with a burning passion. And I just couldn't sympathize with her at all...I somehow could sympathize with Raskolnikov, who is a murderer, but not her.
tell us the title & topic of a post you have left in draft.
"There is no 'correct' way to be creative"
This was me basically writing a rant about "set down rules" for creativity, and how there is no one way to do something creative. I may actually revise that post and post it sometime in the future, though in its current state, I can't really post it.
what is a book you pretend you've read/would like to read but know you never will? {bonus: share a time when claiming you've read a classic/well known book didn't end well}
I do not have an answer for this one because...I tend to read a lot of classic books and I know I am going to eventually read one in the future. I didn't think I would ever read Dracula (when I was younger) and I am currently reading it, so...I can't really make plans for what I won't ever read in the future....
Also I've never really claimed to read a book I hadn't, I've had strong opinions about books even if I hadn't read them (but had read a summary), but never pretended to have read them.
(Matilda drinking tea)
So I guess, I'll have to post an image of someone drinking tea....Since I didn't quite exactly answer the question.
tell us the title & topic of the most embarrassing post you've ever written. {bonus: include. the. link.}
I don't really find my old posts embarrassing so much as funny (sometimes). I do look back at my older posts just to see how I viewed different things when I was younger.
(A drawing of a nameless evil villainess which was included in the post)
I wrote a post the first year I ever did NaNoWriMo called November Novel writing!! (and other fall things). Not only did I talk about the writing I was doing in it (though never talking about what I was writing, just that I was writing), but I posted a drawing and I also included a short book review in it. In that post I say (I highlighted the repetition):
"Inkheart by cornelia funke it's very good so far. the story is very interesting and complex. The characters are very interesting and have very interesting characteristics. I also love that the characters talk about books."
I didn't really describe why the characters were interesting, I just repeated that they and the story were interesting over and over again. Also, I find this line to be so funny (once again, I highlighted the repetition):
"mostly I have been writing and writing, and more writing."
I for some reason find this funny. I mean it's not wrong: I was doing a lot of writing. I just wish I had told people what I was writing. Though, I suppose to say it now. I was writing the first attempt at The Lady Annabelle Mystery Series, which I called The Case of Confusion. That attempt didn't really end up working, but in the end I created The Mystery of the Body Thief,which did end up working.
(The drawing of the nameless villain has nothing to do with the story I was writing. I should add, I just included it in the original post...because).
1. what is a 'bad' (generally disliked) movie that you actually love?
2. what is your most shocking reading habit?
3. tell us the number one lie you write in your posts.
4. tell us the worst character name you've ever thought up. {bonus: share a character name you find ridiculous in a book/movie}
5. what is the real reason you procrastinate writing your work in progress?
6. what is a genre of music you secretly love?
7. if you're a plotter, what do you really think of pansters? and if you're a panster, what do you really think of plotters?
8. share at least three lines of dialogue from one of your first writing projects {bonus: give us the good stuff. your most gruesome butchering of the English language)
9. tell us the title & artist of the last song you listened to.
10. which beloved book/movie character do you dislike & why?
11. tell us the title & topic of a post you have left in draft.
12. what is a book you pretend you've read/would like to read but know you never will? {bonus: share a time when claiming you've read a classic/well known book didn't end well}
13. tell us the title & topic of the most embarrassing post you've ever written. {bonus: include. the. link.}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is your favorite genre to write (or read)? And do you have a genre of music you secretly love?
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.
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:
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?
I thought I should let you, the readers, know I recently did an interview with Elena Denver over at her new blog, Life is a Beautiful Ride. If you would like to check out my interview with her, you can do so here.
But back to this post. Once again, thank you to everyone for sending in questions for the second part of the Q&A. And for those who participated in NaNoWrimo this year, I hope you had a good NaNoWrimo!
Even though I will post a synopsis for those who don't know what my novel is about, I do suggest checking out this post about it. It will give you more info about my novel, The Mystery of the Body Thief, as it is the most up to date post about it.
Synopsis-
Genre: Fantasy | Murder Mystery Series: The 1st book in the Lady Annabelle Mystery Series.
Horatio wakes up from being in a coma, but he doesn't remember anything that happened before he fell into unconsciousness. All that he remembers is a name, "Annabelle!"
Also... Detective Inspector Time finds himself having to solve a case without Lady Annabelle. Murders have been happening throughout many different kingdoms, and no one knows who exactly is behind it all.
How My Writing Went this NaNoWrimo-
So, my rewriting and editing went pretty well during this NaNoWrimo. I felt as if I made some progress on the story, and though I am far from being done with the second draft, it feels very good to have a part of it done. During this month, I worked partly on my novel in order to get more of it written, and in the second part of the month, I worked on writing a play for a contest. I usually focus on one project per month, but this month I decided to divide my focus. Since I'm not done with the play, I plan to continue working on it into December.
In terms of world-building, I began working on the clothes of the officers in the police department...
Ever since I figured out what the healers'/priests' clothes look like, I have been thinking about designing the clothes for the officers in the Dragon's Province Police Department. I have been thinking about what different officers in different positions wear. Currently, I am using Hero Forge to get the general idea of what they look like. In the future, I do intend to draw them, but I find things like these help. I had also been thinking about modifying the design of the uniform on the left, because I realize how impractical that skirt would be in situations like running after a criminal. Also, I was thinking about making it look a bit more like Tauriel's outfit from The Hobbit,design-wise.
So, I decided to brainstorm some more and came up with a new design. Here is the modified version of the outfit from the left. It's still not the end product, but it is getting closer:
I have also decided that different color schemes in the uniform designate status of the officers. Officers have different positions, which are shown by the color of clothes that they wear (among other things).
At one point during this NaNoWrimo, my computer crashed, so, it made it very difficult to write.During that period, I spent a lot of time writing on paper and repeatedly using a prompt a writing teacher of mine had given me. At the time, I was struggling to rewrite a scene that I wanted to add more depth to.
I've also found that writing on paper allows you to be a bit more social with people while you're writing. While I like sitting behind a computer to write (because it doesn't make my hand tired), I feel writing on paper while sitting around a table and talking can also be nice. You can talk about your story sometimes while writing your story or just intermittently engage in conversation.
It also allows you to be a bit more thoughtful with what you're writing. Often when I am typing, I feel like I am not thinking about every single word as I am writing it.
(My writing and The Six of Cups).
The prompt I used, that my teacher gave me, was using Tarot cards to get inspiration. At the beginning of NaNoWrimo, I had used them to figure out which scene to write. But during the time without my computer I decided to use it to add more depth to a scene: in particular, what a character should be thinking of. I ended up getting Six of Cups, which means nostalgia and happy memories. The card really helped me add depth to the scene (which, without spoiling my novel, I can say was about losing someone you loved).
Q&A
Now here is the second part of the Q&A!
If you see any of these [] on a question, that is because I edited it, in order to make it make sense in the post. (Except for Maya's question. That one I didn't edit).
Like Greg [in the previous post], the "murders happening in multiple kingdoms" premise intrigues me. I assume that you meant different worlds (like human world, elf world, fairy world, etc.)...or did you literally mean "kingdoms"? I know the right word for "worlds" would be "realms", but it still got me wondering.
This is fairly complicated to explain, so I will do my best in describing it.
There are realms outside the world of the story, and elves and fairies come from these. Elves are somewhat related to fairies, but they are less ethereal, because they are trapped in the physical realm whereas fairies can shift back and forth between the physical and nonphysical. (To outsiders they appear to turn invisible, but in truth they are actually in another dimension.)
In contrast to elves and fairies, humans, dwarves, and dragons (among other beings too) are believed to have originated in the world where the story takes place. Over the centuries some elves began mixing and living amongst humans (which is the reason why the elves and humans believe in the same gods and goddesses), whereas the fairies tended to distance themselves from humans and other "earthly" beings.
So, there are still elves, fairies, and otherworldly beings that live in different realms in the world of the story, but most of the murders take place in the "earthly" realm.
Question from Anonymous:
What is the weather like in these kingdoms? Is there a connection between our world and theirs? Is it distant in time or place or planet or dimension?
Dragon's Province (the kingdom the characters are in most of the time) goes through all the four seasons. However, there are kingdoms that don't have four seasons and tend to stay either warm or cold most of the time.
As to whether there is a connection to our world, it isn't an older version of our world (unlike Tolkien's Lord of the Rings), though in the first draft of the story it was...kind of that. (I wanted an excuse to quote Shakespeare.) But in its current state, I would describe it as being another realm or planet. Because it is a whole different world from where we are, the politics, the religion, literature, and everything that comes out of it is very different.
How does Lady Annabelle look like? Are you going to draw a picture of her?
My drawings of Annabelle from 2017 to 2021.
I have actually been drawing Annabelle since 2016, because that was when my first attempt at writing the series started. (But the drawings of her start appearing on my blog in 2017.)If you look in the archives of my blog, there are a lot of drawings of her.
I've also dressed up as her...
Me posing as Annabelle (for the profile photo you see on the sidebar).
I've also made some avatars of her using this Lord of the Rings doll maker, which unfortunately doesn't work anymore because Flash got removed from browsers:
Because I've shown you what she looks like, her appearance is pretty self explanatory, but I'll describe it anyway. Annabelle has red hair that is a little bit past shoulder length, brown eyes, pale skin, and a beauty mark on her left cheek.
What are some difficulties you've faced (character-wise or plot-wise) while writing your book?
I think writing in the third person has been difficult for me. I don't intend to change to first person because I feel it wouldn't work for this particular story, and I feel I need to get better at writing in third person.
I have been facing two other difficulties in writing. The first is giving each of the characters in the story a unique voice. So far I am succeeding in that, but I worry about the reader blending the characters together if they sound too similar.
And the second difficulty is the fact that I don't have names for the types of spells in the world and for the gods and goddesses in the pantheon. This will be changed in later drafting partly because this isn't the last draft. But still it is a bit frustrating to have to put stuff down like "fire spell" or "earth goddess" if I do not know what the names of the spells or goddesses are.
Approximately how long have you taken to write your book (and where are you now as of NaNo 21?) [ps. it's been really fun reading about your book so far!]
(This is because I tend to come up book ideas a year before and take the time to plot before I write).
I finished writing the first draft on November 5th 2020 and have been working on the second draft since sometime in 2021. (I believe I began rewriting before Camp NaNoWrimo.)
As for NaNoWrimo 2021, as of right now I have gotten to my word count goal. 😃
Question from Anonymous:
How many kingdoms are there? What lies beyond their borders I wonder??
At the moment, I am still working on the geography of the kingdoms in The Lady Annabelle Mystery Series.I plan to make a map for it eventually; I can't give an exact answer right now but I will have one in the future.
There are multiple continents in the world, which are each divided up into kingdoms. But the kingdoms in this story are in a single, large continent (which can be traveled across by horseback, carriage, etc.).
(Image from Wiki Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Henri_-_The_Reader_in_the_Forest_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
As for what are beyond some kingdoms' borders. Often (but not always) forests form the border of a kingdom. These forests are usually full of untamed mystical creatures: some are gentle, but others are dangerous.
Once I create a map for the different kingdoms in The Lady Annabelle Mystery Series, I will do a follow-up post about it.
Questions from Don:
Does Annabelle as a detective use Sherlock Holmes techniques to solve crimes?
While Sherlock Holmes is an awesome detective (and I'm sure she shares some (unintentional) similarities with him), Annabelle has her own ways of solving crimes.
However, there are two similarities in their practice of solving crimes. They both use deduction and disguises.
Will [Annabelle] and Horatio be more than friends?
It is possible that they were more than friends. I cannot answer (for spoiler-related reasons) whether in the future they will be more than friends. Horatio believes they were just friends (but given that he has amnesia, he cannot be completely certain). However, other characters in the story have thought at different times that Horatio and Annabelle could have been secretly in love...
What if Horatio and Annabelle are brother and sister separated at birth?
That is a possibility too. However, Horatio would have to be an illegitimate half brother of Annabelle if that was true (because Horatio is an elf, and Annabelle is half elf half human). This is a possibility, but I can't really give you a direct answer, because that would remove mystery from the story.
...And that's the end of the second part of the Q&A. Thank you to everyone again for sending in questions. They were really fun to answer.
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