WIP Questionnaire

WIP Questionnaire

Thanks so much @verba-writing for tagging me in this!

I wasn't sure which of my 2 WIPs I should answer for, so I'm just going to do them both :P

I'll tag @pb-dot @teacupsandstarlight @eccaiia @stits @ahungeringknife @mundanemoongirl and leave an open tag (please jump in! This one is a lot of fun and I want to read about other's WIPs!)

The Mechanics of Magic:

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

A handwritten draft of what eventuall became chapter 3, written back in 2010

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I'm not sure about a theme song, but I wrote most of Mechanics while listening to Portugal The Man, so something by them!

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

Oliver is my favourite character - I love how stressed he is, under the weight of his responsibilies, and I put a lot of myself into him. The character I love the most though might well be Morgan. He really sums up that question of what if a good person did something terrible? What is enough to earn redemption? I don't know if there is a clear answer on whether he deserves happiness, but I believe that he does, and because of that, maybe I can believe it for myself as well.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

I'm not actually sure! My stories aren't particuarly marketable.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Defining the genre. I have been told that it's not possible to create a new genre, but Mechanics doesn't appear to fit into any existing fantasy sub-genre.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

I wish there were more! Roy has a betta fish named Mr Shinysides (named after my friend's fish).

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

The word is very similar to the UK in the 00s, tech-wise, so usually cars and trains, though I think they might have air travel as well.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

Going through all the changes the editor made and signing off each chapter for the final edition.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

Tropes... maybe found family? I love how they all come together, despite being from very different walks of life. I have canonly autistic characters as well, though even the ones that I didn't intend to be autistic, probably are (it's hard to make characters that don't share some of my fundamental way of thinking).

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I hope it can find the people who need it, and that they might love these characters as much as I do.

Burning The Darkness:

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

I imagined chapter 1 a month or so before I wrote it down, and played with the scene over and over in my mind. I have a diary note somewhere musing on whether I should actually write it.

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Surely it would have to be Darkness At The Heart Of My Love - The Ghost song that inspired it!

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

I love Julian. His character allowed me to explore so many of my own feelings about being raised in someone's image, purged of kindness and softness, and the conditional love that comes with being a golden child (though I'd say he got more of that than I did). I smile when people say they dislike him.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

Again, I am not sure! People who like queer paranormal romance, but with layers of metaphor? This really is a story about discovering you are queer, even though it's about vampires.

Maybe Buffy fans!

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Overcoming the shame of having written a romance. It being paranormal with a bit of smut in it, makes me feel like people will think less of me and that no one will take the deeper themes seriously.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

There is a blackbird singing in one scene, but again I need to add more animals into my work!

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Vampires are fast walkers, so they mostly just run around the place. Darkness is set in basically Eastbourne or Brighton though, so they have all the usual transport methods.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

Wondering what I should do with it really! I need to edit out the smutty scene in chapter 2, if I ever want to self publish it.

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

There's a lovely bit of enemies to lovers in there I think. Also Oren's arc is basically a direct metaphor for me realising I was trans and starting testosterone, so I'd love if other trans guys read it and related.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

Kinda what I said before - I hope it can find its way to people who will love it. Particuarly I'd love to find a queer audience who might relate to the themes.

One day I would love to be traditionally published, but so far I haven't written anything that has stood a chance, so that's a dream for a future WIP!

Blank Questions:

What was the first part of your wip that you created?

If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

What part of your wip are you working on rn?

What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

What are your hopes for your wip?

Anyone else listen to Cowboy Carter?? I wasn’t too excited for the release but now I’m obsessed. This song in particular has the exact vibes of my wip.

I think this is so interesting because this was me. For years most people I know didn’t even know I was writing a book. I kept it to myself and worked in solitude. But I like that I’m more open about it now. I even added a new character that my friend suggested and this one character added a major plot point into my story. I like hearing all the possibilities of what I can do from other people. Obviously there’s a lot of things that I won’t change despite what other people tell me, and I have a pretty good idea of what I want. But I do think my story has been improved after I opened up about it.

This isn’t to say your way of writing is wrong. It’s working for you so keep it up. I just think it’s an interesting observation since I was so similar. I never thought I’d let anyone read my work before I finished.

It is very hard for me to talk about my literary projects while I'm writing, because I'm always afraid other people's comments will have an influence on what I'll write next. I suppose this is something I'm being very, very careful about. While I love to share my work — which used to embarrass me horribly before —, I'm still making sure to block out noises, trying not to let an opinion dictate what should happen next, or how I think of my novel, trying to trust myself fully. Perhaps this is why I tend to be more inclined to write in solitude, in the comfort of my privacy, you know. I prefer to talk about it and give it to the world once it is fully done and unchangeable.

This week I've been writing only a few sentences a day. Today I somehow thought to add dialogue to a chapter I hadn't touched in months. So here's my few sentences of the day:

Catalina busied herself by rummaging through her cabinets. “How was the palm reading?”  “It was…interesting.” I steered the subject away from my fortune. I was unsure what to make of it yet, and someone I had known for less than a week definitely did not need to know. “The girl is very talented.” “I know! She told my future too, months ago. Part of it has already come true. She said I would meet someone grand.” “Oh, who was that?” She covered a giggle with her hand. “It was you.”

I’ve been stuck in the urgent care waiting room for the past hour and I have nothing better to do so here’s a rant about how my most pathetic character became my most badass character for what is quite possibly the stupidest reason.

So I created this character named Cassidy and her deal is she has a power that is useless. She can reverse time, but that amount of time is taken off her life. I did this so she wouldn’t be too powerful and it became a huge part of her character because she hated her power and worked hard at everything else to make up for it. Still, she never used it.

I always planned to kill off a main character and I chose Cassidy because I thought she was the most deposable. I told myself years ago that I would never change my mind and had to go through with this.

So anyway I changed my mind. Why? Because I realized she had a lot of chemistry with another main character. It wasn’t even intentional—it just happened. The one thing in this world that kept Cassidy from dying was a ship.

Then I thought “if she doesn’t die then what do I do with her?” The answer was still let the antagonist nearly kill her, but out of revenge she finally accepts her power and uses it to sabotage her. She’s willing to shorten her own lifespan to get back at the antagonist and protect her friends.

This is so much more interesting right? I’m glad I realize the shipping potential because that tiny change improved this character so much.

can we just talk for a minute about how fucking INSANE those obscure middle grade books are with intricate plot lines and higher vocals then both children’s, YA, and adult lit; eccentric characters, random magic, and truly horrifying random imagery. they rllly are like when ur 13 you feel like ur eating urself alive and also u want to run the world. cereal doesn’t taste the same as when you were seven and ur secretly convinced u might be going insane. also there’s a magic portal but all of ur childhood dreams are shattered and everyone is ignoring it bc ur just a teenage girl.