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Monday, June 1, 2015

And now for something completely different…




Okay, maybe not completely, ie, we’re still going to be talking about writing this week, but I want to try something to see if it will make you all think. Some of these things I have trouble with and some I find easy. But let’s start at the beginning shall we?

In the comments, tell us what you’re working on:

  1. Working Title if it has one
  2. Genre
  3. Intended Age group
  4. The main character, or if multiple, the one you thought of first. Tell us something about him/her in one short paragraph.
  5. Current word count
  6. Where are your characters right now? What are they doing?
  7. Do you know how it all ends?
  8. Plotter? Pantser? Somewhere in between?


My answers:

  1. RUN
  2. Apocalyptical
  3. YA
  4. Seth, age 17, lost his sister in an accident that ruined his family, mom somewhere unknown, dad a mean drunk, which led Seth to build a tree house in the woods near his house…
  5. 38,697 (I’m a slow writer)
  6. They’ve just attended a quasi town meeting in which Major Baldwin informed the townsfolk of the impending blackout, and holds up three of his men as heroes for bringing in much needed supplies. One of them is an especially unpleasant fellow Seth and Lola met earlier in the story. Lola decides to leave the safety of the town.
  7. I do have the very last scene written (though it goes without saying it may change), but getting there is going to be an adventure.
  8. Pantser with some plotting thrown in plus character questionnaires, and novel questions – more of which I’ll be sharing with you later in the week.

These are the easy questions, Wednesday I’ll have some harder questions for you :)

8 comments:

Charity Bradford said...

This is perfect timing! I'm just starting a new wip and could use time to answer some questions to help me focus.

1. Demon Rising
2. Science Fantasy
3. 15 and up but not YA (just clean enough for anyone)
4. This is book three in Talia and Landry Sutton's 4 book series. Talia is a scientist mage with a penchant for dreaming the future. It often taints her ability to enjoy the present. Landry is a mage with a strong military background. His only desire is to protect the things he loves most--Talia and their unborn child.
5. Just under 4000 words (I've only had 2 writing days on it)
6. They just arrived on Sendek's moon, Daedalus, after a journey across the galaxy. Time dilation means they're only a year older, but much has changed on Sendek. They are learning about the civil war that's been raging between the magical and non-magical people on the planet.
7. Yes
8. A mix of both. I have the endings of books 3 and 4 in my mind, as well as several of the major plot points. Getting from one point to the next will be a discovery though.

Angela Brown said...

1.THE COVE OF BITTER AND SWEET
2.Contemporary Romance
3.YA, possibly 15+
4.Just started the process so don't have her name, but she's a 17 year old girl whose mother just died and left her with a bitter truth.
5.0
6.Right now, the MC is probably somewhere getting drunk
7.I have the gist of it in my head
8.Somewhere in between

Patchi said...

Great idea!

1. SPINSTER BRIDE (sequel to SHROUDED GODDESS)
2. Fantasy
3. YA or NA, I'm not sure. MCs are 17 and 20.
4. Simon inherited his father's barony, which includes several sugarcane plantations managed by baronets and worked on by indigenous natives. The barony is contingent on his marriage (he just doesn't know it yet), and the only way to get more laborers is by marriage with a member of one of the native tribes.
5. 14000 typed, but I have lots of scenes in a notebook.
6. Simon is trying to propose to the daughter of one of his baronets and she thinks he's trying to arrange her marriage to someone else.
7. Yes, after an epic battle.
8. I plot by pantsing in a notebook before typing things out.

mshatch said...

Charity: Yeah, I've got a lot of plot points, too, and a lot of who knows what's going to happen between them!


Angela: your answer to #6 made me laugh :)


Patchi: Ooh, an epic battle. Gotta love those!

Liz A. said...

Okay, I'll play. I'm currently rewriting my first novel with the help of my new writing group.

1. Elswyk's Moon

2. Fantasy

3. Adult (although those who read it keep saying it's YA. But I really don't think so.)

4. Elswyk is a wizard with self esteem issues who gets in the middle of an assassination attempt on the king. She's trying to keep him alive. She's very powerful, but she doesn't know it. Oh, and she's got some family issues.

5. You're going to make me look that up? It was somewhere in the 60,000 range, but I've been adding and subtracting words, so I'm not sure where it's at right now.

6. At the moment I'm reworking chapter 6. Elswyk has gone to see a wizard friend in the hopes that he knows something about the weapon used against the king. He doesn't, but he knows someone who does, and she has to convince them to come forward to help the royal guard in finding the assassin (who has escaped custody).

7. Yes, and since I'm editing, the ending is already written (and not changing).

8. Plotter

Anonymous said...

1. Working Title: Book 4 (of the Dual Magics series)
2. Genre: Epic Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery
3. Audience: Adult, but clean, so okay for teens, too.
4. Main Character: Vatar was born into a tribe with a superstitious terror of magic. And yet he is the first to be in possession of both kinds of magic. Trying to figure out how to use his magic for good and still keep it hidden.
5. Current word count: 1900 words. (I just started it a couple of days ago and beginnings are hard.)
6. Right now: Vatar is breaking up a fight that is the result of a secret that he chose to disclose.
7. Ending: Yes. I know the climax, thought the denouement may come as a surprise. They often do, because the characters tend to tell me that.
8: Plotter or Pantser: Modified pantser. I know most of the high (or low) points, but not most of what comes between.

Huntress said...

@Charity. Demon Rising = Winner! You know I love the demon aspect of your series.

@Angela. YA genre is hot, hot, hot right now. Your WIP looks especially yummy.

@Patchi. I wish I was better at plotting via pantsing.

@Liz A. We are definitely a Fantasy crowd

@Meridithmansfield. Okay, this one really stands out for me. I haven't read a good S & S since The Farseer Trilogy.

@Marcy. You have such a talent. Seriously. My ego is always demolished after reading your mss. How is No Rest going? Any fulls?

mshatch said...

Liz: that's cool you have a whole writing group to help you! Curious about those family issues...

Meredith: I can relate with you on #8 :)