I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm going to keep this one pretty brief. I'm actively editting chapter twenty-nine now, and scribbling notes for the new scenes I'm going to drop in to replace some old ones. You see, it's mentioned several times about how dangerous Underhill is....and then chapter twenty-nine is so TAME.
Ugh, must fix that one...>_>
I've been poking at it and now there are a group of unhappy naga to spice things up. Originally we don't see any of their kind till book two, but it fits very well, so why not?
It does mean I need to get that one naga prince drawing done. He still doesn't have a name, but he does play a part now. It would be incredibly nifty if I could add a few pictures to my finished work when it's published(which is a looong way off right now as I don't even have a query letter written, much less an agent waiting in the wings). I might as well start somewhere, right? :D
Alrighty then, I'm off to sort out those new scenes and play with my new art supplies. I already have one finished piece to show you guys on wednesday and I hope to have more. I guess we'll just have to see what happens. ;)
~Sun and Moon
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label characters. Show all posts
May 20, 2012
March 18, 2012
Luck 7 Meme and a little something extra
I meant to write this post last night, honest I did. However, seeing as I crashed right after I got off work, maybe it's better I didn't. You probably wouldn't have been able to understand a single word.
Anyway, when I got up this morning I discovered I'd been tagged twice for the same meme directly, and then yet again in a more indirect fashion. So I decided to not only do the meme, but share some of my favorite snippets from my MS as well. I'll try to keep each one to the seven lines as per the meme, but I make no promises. :)p
Let's get this party started, shall we?
Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other writers.
This is the bit I found via the meme rules. It's a bit of dialog from one of the chapters in Kristal's point of view:
The next one is one of my favorite scenes from a chapter in Shadow's point of view:
Anyway, when I got up this morning I discovered I'd been tagged twice for the same meme directly, and then yet again in a more indirect fashion. So I decided to not only do the meme, but share some of my favorite snippets from my MS as well. I'll try to keep each one to the seven lines as per the meme, but I make no promises. :)p
Let's get this party started, shall we?
Here are the rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other writers.
I shrugged. “Not really.” He chuckled and I stuck my tongue out at him. “Be nice, ok? I just figured we’d follow the bike trail to the park and decide from there.”
Ricardo grinned and turned in the direction of the wide, asphalt path. “Sounds good to me. Let‘s go.”
It didn’t take long to reach the park, but it was late by the time we got there. The evening breeze was a little brisk and I found myself wishing I had grabbed a jacket before we left. The basketball courts were empty, and there didn’t seem to be anybody in the park but us.
“Is that…police tape?”
The next one is one of my favorite scenes from a chapter in Shadow's point of view:
As Kristal began to explain how to draw on his person magic to weave a defense, I went to sit in the dappled shade of a nearby tree. The grass was still damp from the morning’s dew, the moisture making my tail glisten in the bright sunlight shining through the leaves overhead. Idly I flipped the tip back and forth behind me as I spread my wings to catch the sun. A rustle to my right had me looking away from my sister giving Paul a lecture on shields that lacked adequate power, to see Ricardo taking a seat beside me. He was very cam, and not even the wet grass soaking his clothes seemed to disrupt his tranquil mood. Smiling to myself, I turned my attention back to the lesson before me.
“I couldn’t help but notice you always seem to know how I’m feeling. Sometime before I even know myself.” I blinked and turned my head to see him watching me with those golden eyes of his. “Are you reading my thoughts?”
Last of all, here is a bit from the beginning of chapter twenty-eight, the current pain-in-the-butt I'm trying to edit these days. This one is in Kristal's point of view:
For a long moment, I felt horribly stretched as the orb sucked me in--and then we were standing on a dusty plain.
We were in.
Sudden nausea hit me like a kick in the gut, and I swallowed hard as my stomach rolled. Dropping to my knees as my legs gave out, I braced myself against the gritty soil under my hands. A cold, wet nose nudged my cheek and I looked over to see Bretta watching me, her golden eyes worried.
“I’m ok,” I said, swallowing hard again as my stomach twisted and then settled. “I’m just feeling a little sick, that’s all.”
“It should pass soon, sister,” Shadow murmured, kneeling beside me as I looked around to see Paul stumbling to his feet. “Here, let me help you.”
And that's it for me. This post is late enough as it is and the fair weather outside my window is calling my name. As are several art projects and the pile of dishes in the sink. So I'm going to cheat a little. What does that mean? Well, if you're a writer and you're reading this...consider yourself tagged. ;D
~Sun and Moon
February 19, 2012
Pass the popcorn, please
I'm sure most of you know the movie "Pirates of the Carribean; on stranger tides", am I right? Well I just got around to watching it this week and I was pleasently surprised. I'll be honest, I was never a fan of the franchise. The first movie was funny, but after that the storyine seemed to lose track of itself. In fact, I probably would've passed this one by as well if it weren't for the mermaids.
To be honest, I'm really glad I didn't miss out because I think I can safely say this movie is my favorite out of all the others. It was goofy and fun, and the mermaid mythology was right on the money. So many times I see mermaids portrayed as lovely, helpful creatures who are basically harmless and I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I mean, are you kidding me? Anyone who has ever googled mermaids and sirens knows they aren't all happiness and sunshine. In fact, most of the time they're quite deadly.
In the movie they use men to beget more mermaids and then drown their partners. They also eat them. In turn, men hunt them for their tears and fear them like nothing else. The mermaids also have the ability to shed their tail and grow legs, but walking is difficult. Last but not least, they are all stunning beauties until they lunge for your throat.
This keeping to the older, darker side of the merfolk one of the reasons I've watched the movie several times now and still love it. Not only is it a refreshing change of pace, but since I have a siren appearing in the second book of my trilogy, it's research as well. Of course, her character and the world building for her species is going a lot smoother then my current predicament. Chapter twenty-eight is still fussing.
Yeah, I know. Big surprise, right?
I am making progress though, and I have today and tomorrow to finish beating it into submission. One way or another, I'll be getting the darned thing done by April. Right now my hope is to have edits for this book wrapped up by May so I can start Book Two right after my birthday. If nothing else, it would be a nice birthday present. Plus, you know, I'd be first-drafting again and that's always good.
Well, I better quit yapping and get back to work. I still need to clean and it would be nice if I could get something artsy done for once. And by done, I mean finished. I have so many partially done projects floating around my art studio, it's not funny. The fact that two of them are late Christmas gifts only makes it worse.
And on that note, I think I'll get to work. The sooner I'm done, the sooner I can watch that movie again. After all, it is research.
~Sun and Moon
To be honest, I'm really glad I didn't miss out because I think I can safely say this movie is my favorite out of all the others. It was goofy and fun, and the mermaid mythology was right on the money. So many times I see mermaids portrayed as lovely, helpful creatures who are basically harmless and I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes. I mean, are you kidding me? Anyone who has ever googled mermaids and sirens knows they aren't all happiness and sunshine. In fact, most of the time they're quite deadly.
In the movie they use men to beget more mermaids and then drown their partners. They also eat them. In turn, men hunt them for their tears and fear them like nothing else. The mermaids also have the ability to shed their tail and grow legs, but walking is difficult. Last but not least, they are all stunning beauties until they lunge for your throat.
This keeping to the older, darker side of the merfolk one of the reasons I've watched the movie several times now and still love it. Not only is it a refreshing change of pace, but since I have a siren appearing in the second book of my trilogy, it's research as well. Of course, her character and the world building for her species is going a lot smoother then my current predicament. Chapter twenty-eight is still fussing.
Yeah, I know. Big surprise, right?
I am making progress though, and I have today and tomorrow to finish beating it into submission. One way or another, I'll be getting the darned thing done by April. Right now my hope is to have edits for this book wrapped up by May so I can start Book Two right after my birthday. If nothing else, it would be a nice birthday present. Plus, you know, I'd be first-drafting again and that's always good.
Well, I better quit yapping and get back to work. I still need to clean and it would be nice if I could get something artsy done for once. And by done, I mean finished. I have so many partially done projects floating around my art studio, it's not funny. The fact that two of them are late Christmas gifts only makes it worse.
And on that note, I think I'll get to work. The sooner I'm done, the sooner I can watch that movie again. After all, it is research.
~Sun and Moon
September 25, 2011
Keep your friends close
You know that saying "Keep you friends close and your enemies closer"?
It means, basically, to keep a close eye on your enemies because you can trust your friends to have your back. Or at least, that's what it means to me. Now, I don't have any serious enemies(that I know of, anyway), but I have some of the most awesome friends ever. Not only do they help me out when I find myself in need of a beta reader, but they even let me base characters off of them. Such a situation doesn't always come up roses, though.
You see, one thing I've noticed during my writting is that even characters based on real life folk still walk their own road. They become truly themselves and no one else.
It's kinda creepy.
Now, if you friends don't care, that's fine, but some people do. They see the character, so clearly them doing something they would never do and they get mad or hurt. The friend complains to the author who finds themselves between a rock and a hard place trying to accommodate their friend and keep the story in one piece.
A favorite author of mine had someone ask her how she came up with her characters. Not only did she write a very good response and put it in her FAQ on her website, she also responded to the unspoken question there: what do you do when the person on whom you've based a character calls you out on it.
Quoted directly from her website, here is what she had to say....
I often start with a real person--if not someone I know, then an actor or actress I think would fit the part. It's easiest for me to start with what someone looks and sounds like--if I know that, then I know about the character's personality. As a result, I use a lot of photographs of people or performers. Of course, there always comes a point, as I'm working, when the character breaks away from the person I based her/him on to become her or his own self. That's how I know I'm doing it right. A word of warning: tell no one that you based a character on her/him. Even if you think you've written about that person perfectly, s/he may not like what you have to say, or if the character you create starts doing things the person you based the character on doesn't do, they can get quite vexed. If they ask, lie. If you're a bad liar, like me, practice in front of a mirror. Do not tell them.
I love Tamora Pierce's books and I think she gives good advice on being a writer and an author. Now, I didn't read this until I had already told both people (yes, just two characters were based heavily on real folks) that I'd used them in my book. Neither of them minded, thank goodness, but they could have. I still base characters on real people, but now I'm careful to keep just who inspired who behind my teeth.
Remember, no one needs to know they were the inspiration for this character, or that one. After all, they may not like what they see reflected in the words you've put on the page.
Think about it :)
~Sun and Moon
It means, basically, to keep a close eye on your enemies because you can trust your friends to have your back. Or at least, that's what it means to me. Now, I don't have any serious enemies(that I know of, anyway), but I have some of the most awesome friends ever. Not only do they help me out when I find myself in need of a beta reader, but they even let me base characters off of them. Such a situation doesn't always come up roses, though.
You see, one thing I've noticed during my writting is that even characters based on real life folk still walk their own road. They become truly themselves and no one else.
It's kinda creepy.
Now, if you friends don't care, that's fine, but some people do. They see the character, so clearly them doing something they would never do and they get mad or hurt. The friend complains to the author who finds themselves between a rock and a hard place trying to accommodate their friend and keep the story in one piece.
A favorite author of mine had someone ask her how she came up with her characters. Not only did she write a very good response and put it in her FAQ on her website, she also responded to the unspoken question there: what do you do when the person on whom you've based a character calls you out on it.
Quoted directly from her website, here is what she had to say....
I often start with a real person--if not someone I know, then an actor or actress I think would fit the part. It's easiest for me to start with what someone looks and sounds like--if I know that, then I know about the character's personality. As a result, I use a lot of photographs of people or performers. Of course, there always comes a point, as I'm working, when the character breaks away from the person I based her/him on to become her or his own self. That's how I know I'm doing it right. A word of warning: tell no one that you based a character on her/him. Even if you think you've written about that person perfectly, s/he may not like what you have to say, or if the character you create starts doing things the person you based the character on doesn't do, they can get quite vexed. If they ask, lie. If you're a bad liar, like me, practice in front of a mirror. Do not tell them.
I love Tamora Pierce's books and I think she gives good advice on being a writer and an author. Now, I didn't read this until I had already told both people (yes, just two characters were based heavily on real folks) that I'd used them in my book. Neither of them minded, thank goodness, but they could have. I still base characters on real people, but now I'm careful to keep just who inspired who behind my teeth.
Remember, no one needs to know they were the inspiration for this character, or that one. After all, they may not like what they see reflected in the words you've put on the page.
Think about it :)
~Sun and Moon
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