Okay, Alex tagged me and I felt like I couldn't let her down. So here's a little bit about my process. By the way for any who read my blog, I am faithful followers of Alex(yohoawriterslifeforme.blogspot.com) and Erin(givingbackyesterday.blogspot.com). Awesomeness in a jar.
1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.
HA! Well... I had this story I had been working on since oh... since I was eleven and as an eleven year old, it wasn't very good. It was quite horrible, in fact. But I enjoyed working on it, expanding it and creating new characters. There's something about your first story that makes it special. It's morphed beyond recognition now and you might see flashes of it here and there.
2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
I've got a bagillion too, I prefer females, I'll be honest. I know how girls think and feel and they come to me easier than guys. Besides I'm all for awesome girls, they make me happy.
3. How do you come up with names for characters (and for places if you’re writing about fictional places)? Like Erin I rely on baby sites. Yup, definitely awkward in a public place but it's even worse if it's at BYU, you really could be prego... ANYWAY... I have a hard time with names, I'm usually asking friends or I'll pick a letter and write down all the names I can with that one letter. It's pretty interesting and extremely difficult.
4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
First real story? Well... I have two, one was spawned from the ponies that I played with EVERYDAY of my life when I was little, so I wrote a story about my horses. But the other story was about a vigilante called Towana, I always wanted to be like Batman, thought he was awesome. 'Cept I added in some magic.
5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?
Ugh... When I write stories I follow my characters to death. I have to know what happens to them after the fact. I hate stories that just end... and you are left hanging wondering what the heck happened to all the little people that you have come to love. So umm... we are going to say... Mel? she's probably my youngest character that I've really developed, you haven't met her and probably won't. Oldest... ummm Old Agnus, she used to be called the Old Hag. Oh, but then there are the Elders, they are way old, duh. Oldest as mentioned before is Towana. Youngest in terms of creation would have to be Fletcher... Name is bound to change but I LOVE her character. She's new and I'm still working on a story for her.
6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol’ pen and paper?
Paper is good for outlines and just venting ideas. Computer helps me edit though and get some of the dialogue down, I type faster (and prettier) than I write. Where? library is good, home is good, I just need to be plugged in (headphones) if it's a public place and sometimes at home too. Time of the day, usually just when i feel like it. It doesn't matter when, it's more of a matter of if I have anything to say.
7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?
Actually I just listen to favorites, mostly the music is there to drown the rest of the world out. I often forget when my music stops playing and my headphones aren't playing anything. I tend to focus to an extreme. I don't really relate music to my characters but there have been times when I'm listening to a song and I just want to cry or laugh cause it sounds like one of them.
8. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
Fiction... Honestly it doesn't matter as long as it's good. If you've read it and can vouch for it I'll read it. I actually just discovered the Non-fiction section of the library and I'm having fun researching stuff from there. I don't really have time but Fantasy has to be my favorite. Science fiction and historical fiction work too. I tend to stick to the teen fiction section though, usually it's much cleaner than the adult section. Come on we all know it's true.
9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
EVERYWHERE. I mean I look at people sometimes and I look at how they walk and think... hmmm they have more of a bounce, or... they glide I wonder... You know, I look at people, movies, books, friends and probably most importantly to myself. I do some real self-searching when I'm creating a character.
10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!
Ummm... weird situations? ugh... Seriously? I've have a character watch her father die... That made me cry. Like I was balling for days. Not really weird... more like running or fighting for their lives. I had one character who had her wallet stolen and so she couldn't pay for coffee. Nothing really weird.
11. Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
Favorite? of gosh. There are too many! Right now it's Fletcher, she just takes on the world and I love her. I know Fletcher for a girl? but I liked it. Anyway, least favorite? No idea, probably the guys. Any teenage boys... They are a mystery to me.
12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of world-building? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?
World building isn't my strong point but I'm working on it. I tend to focus on what I know, but I do end up doing a little research. I'm exploring some new cultures and i want to integrate them into some of my stories. My suggestion? Take a geology class, totally blows your mind. You understand the earth so much better.
13. What’s your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?
Right now, I've been sticking to my own little made up world... You could say... a mix between colonial and medieval. But like I said, I want to expand a little.
14. How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
Hmmm... first I focus on my story line, then I try and envision what this person is surrounded by. It really helps if you have some soundtrack music for this, it helps you envision the scenery as it would appear in say a movie and it helps the land around the character become real.
15. Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!
You've got to be kidding me. Do you know how many authors I love? Okay... If you haven't read any of her stuff you should. She makes me feel... like I can make a difference. Sherryl Jordan, my personal favorites are Winter of Fire, Secret Sacrament and there's a sequel. I LOVE how she makes the most insignificant people do the most amazing things. If you look to the right you'll see a list of authors I enjoy.
16. Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing? ;)
Romantic relationships are probably my weakest point in writing. I feel awkward writing it and then when i read it, I pick it apart and it's even more awkward! How far? HA! that's funny, you are talking to a perfectly innocent Mormon girl who would be WAY too embarrassed to even try. (kidding about innocence, not about embarrassment) So i stick to action and heart wrenching emotions. I'm working on getting my humor in there.
17. Favorite protagonist and why!
Hmmm... Well, I've been tweaking all my characters but I think Sienna is still my favorite, she's awesome. We'll see how she develops though.
18. Favorite antagonist and why!
Hmmm. You haven't met him yet but my bad guy in Sienna is pretty amazing. My sister (whom I rely on for most of my reading material and critiquing) said he was excellent and I believe her. I mean he's just a good bad guy!
19. Favorite minor that decided to shove him-self into the spot-light and why!
Detective Ellison, totally wasn't expecting him to come out like he did. I'm still developing his character but I'm pretty happy with how he's turning out.
Okay, side note. As you can tell half of these stories and in the middle of construction and I'm trying to work and go to school, there isn't a lot of time. So i apologize. But I'll do my best.
20. What are your favorite character interactions to write?
Witty banter, I fail at it, but I love it.
21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
Yes, not telling who just yet, it's not set in stone. Well, I personally don't think i write them well. But most children I like to include in my stories are not like normal children. so I can't say if I write them well or not.
22. Tell us about one scene between your characters that you’ve never written or told anyone about before! Serious or not.
There are a billion. I mean it's how I work out my scenes! I have them work out in my head a hundred different ways, sometimes it's really funny 'cause I'll be muttering to myself or doing what the character is doing and my family will walk in on me. Some good stories there. Uh... nope. Not telling.
23. How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story—from planning to writing to posting (if you post your work)?
Oh wow... you don't know me. Okay for Sienna, I had completely finished it and then decided that I was going to have to throw out most of it. It took me nearly a two years to plan it out completely I mean from developing the idea to going through the plot a hundred times to creating the world/characters and THEN putting it on paper and that was my first draft.
Sad story, my first draft of Sienna was a hundred pages and my computer crashed and I lost 80 percent of it. I cried.
24. How willing are you to kill your characters if the plot so demands it? What’s the most interesting way you’ve killed someone?
Are you kidding? Killing someone is the best way to go! I mean if you are going to leave a story why not go out with a bang? I've always respected characters who are willing to sacrifice themselves for others, so you'll see that quite a bit in my stories.
25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.
Pets? Not very often... occasionally a horse. I think I had one with a... actually I don't think I did. Huh... I've never thought about that. It's kind of odd because I LOVE animals. It's just that we've never really had any pets so I never considered letting my characters having one.
26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite picture of him!
OH!!!!! If only I could draw! at most I'll draw the house (I'm good at boxes) or maps.
27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
Well, I respect beauty but at the same time I don't consider it important, so I tend to make my characters normal with a distinguishing characteristic rather than appearance. I think that much more mysterious and intriguing.
28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there’s nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
I really REALLY respect people with physical disabilities, I've never tried a mental one but I'm going to have to try now. Blindness, or the loss of a limb are my favorites to write.
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something in real life that reminds you of your story/characters?
When I'm not swamped? All the time and all the time. Someone will do something and I'll try and envision what kind of person they are. You could say I'm judging but to me it's a character building exercise. One time I saw a haircut that looked just how I wanted one of my characters to have it and I about freaked.
30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
Oh dear... Anyone who takes the time to read this and if you enjoy writing, please do, it really makes you think about your writing.
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