Authors Were Meant to Troll, Dangit.

Not what I had in mind when I searched Google, but okay!

As an author, I feel it is my duty to troll my readers.

Not just with the usual plot twists and "bwahaha bow to my cleverness!", oh no, I also have to troll my readers with character names.

Case in point, I have a tendency to use real word names and have them...pronounced completely differently than how they "should" be. Case in further point, I have a female character who at one time (and well, during some very specific times) went by the name "Cairn". Now, her mother did not give her this name - it's a name she chose on her own for her own damn reasons, and you know, I'm obliged to call her that at times. And yes, I'm sure you're aware, just as much as I am, that the word "Cairn" is pronounced "ˈkern", but damn it all, she pronounces her name "karn". Apparently the "i" is just for decoration.


Of course, many characters see her name and assume it's the actual word, and the usual shenanigans ensue. I can only imagine that she chose this name for its meanings and...didn't know how to pronounce it. That's all I've got, really. I mean, she was what, twelve when she chose this name? 


I fully expect most readers to likewise pronounce her name "incorrectly" even when it's informed in story how it's actually pronounced. I'm okay with that, really. Especially if it means fandom wank.


Always feed the trolls.

Weekly Writing Check-In: The Adventures of Victorian Governnesses!!!

Source: http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202

Nothing of note going on this week that I haven't already posted about. (See: blogfest.) Also gearing up for Rachel's next Platform Building event starting around the same time. Until then, I've been downloading some "free classics" for my Kindle to read when I don't have my BDSM porn Kushiel novels on hand to read. Downloaded both of Anne Bronte's (look at me being a bad girl without the dots) books and got through about 70% of Agnes  Grey today before I had to put it down because OMG SO BORING. Then again I don't care for many stories of the era. Shocker.

But from reading 70% of Agnes Grey and gearing up for The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and knowing a thing or two about Charlotte and Emily...I feel qualified to say, "YES, THIS COMIC IS ACCURATE".

Anyway.

...

Guess I should get back to that writing, eh.

Cool Blogfest Alert: I'm Hearing Voices

A good looking blogfest called I'm Hearing Voices - Character Blogfest is being held over at Live to Write...Edit when Necessary.

Definitely signed up for this as the prompts look great! Not even that interested in the prizes but the prompts will be great exercises, and I've been looking for a good blogfest to join recently.

Here is the outline, copy-pasta'd for your reading pleasure~

The Posts:

February 6th - Monday: Characters on the couch: Have one of your characters answer the following questions (to make this work to your benefit, choose a character who is the hardest for you to write :) Max 250 words (Not including the questions—only the answers). 

1. What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret?
2. What do people believe about you that is false?
3. What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?
4. What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?
5. What do you want most? What will you do to get it? 

February 8th - Wednesday - Dialogue Introduction: Have two characters introduce each other using only dialogue—no backstory, no internalization, just dialogue between the two. Max 250 words.

February 10th - Friday - Emotion Flash Fiction: Emotion is the engine of a story. Pick an emotion and in a flash fiction piece of 250 words MAKE us feel it! We want to connect with your character. This will be a challenge in 250 words.

The Prizes: 

Cassie and I decided to pick two winners for each day:

Monday’s Prize’s—

• From me: The Color Code by Taylor Hartman—this book is a fantastic study of personality. It’s simple, easy to follow, and will give you tons of insight into how different personalities interact. I use it all the time. I don't normally like non-fiction, but this is one of my favorites. See description here.

• From Cassie:  Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.  You can check out the description from Goodreads here.  This book so far has been the only book to make me fall for both male leads.  The characters' flaws and their strengths kept pulling me in two different directions the entire way through.  

Wednesday’s Prize—

• From me: A query critique and first 20 page critique.
• From Cassie: A query critique and first 20 page critique. 

Friday’s Prize—

• From me: A full manuscript critique.
• From Cassie: A full manuscript critique.

 Anybody else gonna join this one? Click the link at the top of the post to get going!

The 25k February Gameplan, 2012

I can't believe I posted this.

A couple days ago I proclaimed that I was going to write another 25k in February, in a desperate attempt to get this draft I'm working on mostly written so I can get back to concentrating on editing.

I still intend to do that.

I just don't think I'm going to get as far in the story as I originally hoped.

You see, yesterday I had an epiphany. And not just any old plot epiphany, I now know what the climax and finale of this novel is going to be.

I tend to wing these things. Sometimes I know what I'm leading up to in a draft, sometimes I don't. In this case I had no idea. I didn't know in the previous novel either. (I do know, however, what the main climaxes in books 3 and 5 are going to be. Woohoo?) Usually my best bet is to just start writing and eventually I figure that stuff out. This time I was taking a bit longer than usual, and was starting to get a little worried that Ye Olde Muse had taken an extended vacation when I reached the point in my handwritten outline where I didn't...know where the plot was going to go from there.

Than BAM! It hit me like a sack of potatoes twirled around by a...I dunno, something that twirls around really fast? Regardless, I had so many ~brilliant~ ideas at once that I almost had a freakin' brain hemorrhage and had to race to write everything down before I forgot it all overnight. I'm in love with this ending now, it includes pitting two characters together that rarely get any "screentime" together and a league of cloaked sorcerers doing some dirty mind tricks...literally. Pretty much the shit I love the most. AND I FINALLY HAVE A USE FOR ALL THESE SIDE CHARACTERS! I'm the most excited about that. This novel pretty much sees every damn side character in the series pop up in one form or another and I was getting worried that it was getting too confusing and they weren't doing enough. Well now they all get to be in the ending. Hooray!

And everything ties back into the theme/title of the novel (Revenge). And sets the characters up perfectly for what happens in the next novel after this one. It's these moments that make being a writer so damn thrilling.

So, yes. This February my goal is to write at least 25k more of this draft. I really should be editing. But I have to write this. I'm sure most of you know how it goes.

Hubpages Wednesday: More Fairies For Your Boys

run.

This week's Hubpages dump is brought to you by ZELDA AND MORE ZELDA. I got rather inspired by the last (first) one I wrote and decided to make a mini-theme out of it. I'm writing a total of five Legend of Zelda hubs before moving on to other topics - so far I'm at four, with hopefully the fifth to be out by the end of the weekend.

Anyway, we've got a range of Zelda topics here today, so if you like the game at all, you should find at least one of these interesting!

The Official Legend of Zelda Timeline: Reading and Understanding It - Since the official timeline came out in late December, lots of people have been confused exactly how it works. I did my best to explain.

Top 15 Most Iconic Legend of Zelda Songs - Because this game's got great music. You heard?

Top 10 Legend of Zelda Easter Eggs - Did you know you could beat Ganondorf with a fishing rod? Well, now you do. And you should. Go do it, that is.

Next week will be one more Zelda article and hopefully one more TOTALLY DIFFERENT THEME~ article. But I guarantee it will be adorable. And fuzzy.

Weekly Writing Check-In: NaNoWriFeb? Let's do it.

...I don't even know what that really stands for. "National Novel Writing February?" NaNoFebMo seems good but that means "National Novel February Month". Which makes just about as much sense.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion this past week that I must force myself to write as much as possible in February (and indeed, until then) if I am going to get most of Revenge written, allowing me to get back to editing Rebirth. Because right now all I want to do is work on the first draft of Revenge, and I am of the mind that I should write whenever I damn well feel like it.

So anyone with me? I'm thinking between 20-25k for February. Since it''s leap year, that's about 862 words a day for 25k. Definitely doable for me if I keep at it.

This is the only way I will be able to go back to editing without wondering why I'm not writing. So be it!

Hubpages Wednesday: So I hear you like Fairy Boys

So much happiness...over 'shrooms.

This week's Hubpage from yours truly is the first of three/four planned about The Legend of Zelda video game franchise.

Because it is the greatest franchise ever.

In particular, this week I am talking about the Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games as parsed by myself, reviewers, and fandom in general. Hop on over and give it a read if you're interested in decent video games - your childhood kinda commands it.

Spoiler: The picture on the left is not the weirdest one you will see on there. Seriously. There's weirder stuff than owls, giant spotted eggs, a pantsless hero jumping for joy with a sharp object in his hand, and a Mario knock-off freaking out over mushrooms.

Release the dogs, somebdoy's making money off writing.

...and that somebody is me.

Today I made the first official cent of my writing career. One cent does not mean much in the realm of the world, especially considering it costs more to make a penny than it's worth now, but still, everyone starts with one cent, and from there capital can only rise.

So, suffice to say, this put a smile on my face.

Yay money! Yay writing! Yay possibly getting paid to write! That happens?

Weekly Writing Check-In: At least I'm being productive...

Last month I promised that I would get back to editing CROSS//Rebirth at the start of the new year. Well, I would love to do that, but between my day job, being sick AGAIN and jet lag I can barely stay awake long enough to eat and shower every night. But I have been cramming in some writing time. I continue to work on CROSS//Revenge even though I'm still not sure what the climax is going to be. It's funny, usually I know what the major climax is in every novel I write while I struggle with the path from A to B, but this draft has been the complete opposite of that. I can see all the little plots coming together and know exactly how each character is developing at this point in the series, but I have no idea what the main conflict at the end is going to be! Ha. Meanwhile, I dragged out the Camp draft, CROSS//Process for a quick reread, and I've managed to floor myself. If you've been following along, then you know that I normally write in third person omniscient, but Process is written in third person limited. It's amazing how different my style is in limited. Whenever I read through this particular draft I wonder if I really wrote it. It's very dark, very gritty, and very, well, dooooom. Probably because it's destined to not have a happy ending, prequel novel and all.

Still, I wonder if I'll ever get back to editing soon. =( I need more time in a day!

Meanwhile, I've added a Hubpages page to the top of my blog here. Now you can access all my pages in a handy-dandy list. Fancy!

Hubpages Wednesday: Music, Not In English

Starting from this week, I am hoping to post a mini-promo post on Wednesdays advertising my latest hub. You know how it is, other authors. Gotta keep the cycle of promotion circling!

This week's hub is Music For Every Language (part 1), that seeks to expose readers to languages in music that they may never otherwise check out. I love listening to music from all over the world, in as many languages as possible, so I've starting compiling small lists of good songs and artists that I enjoy listening to. Definitely suggest checking it out so, if nothing else, you can hear some cool languages and maybe get some cool music!

(Also, taking suggestions for other artists and languages!)

Weekly Writing Check-In: CAAAAAT.

Due to all the traveling (and full days of work) this week, very little writing or editing got done. I think I wrote a total of three lines last night, and that's about it. Mostly caught up on my sleep now, and my regular schedule returns this next week, so I'm hoping to finish up this chapter I'm on now so I can get back to editing.

Some of you (okay, none of you) may remember my lamenting of probably never writing certain characters, in particular a cat named Sadie. Well, after getting The Sims 3 Pets expansion pack for Christmas, I decided that it was time to bring Sadie to life...in a computer game. I loaded her little fur-butt up, and, behold! She lives!

I gave her the attributes of "Genius", "Quiet", and "Friendly". Three pretty safe features for a pet sim, but that's how I start stuff out. I've only played the household for an hour after adding the cat, but I'm already loving all the little interactions that I may have to think more about actually adding her into the series somehow.

And that's my week. First week of 2012 has been completely unproductive. Good thing I don't make resolutions.

Weekly Writing Check-In: Resolutions Smesolutions

yaaaaarrrrr.

Happy new year!

Okay, got that out of the way.

I'm not much of a New Years person. I learned a long time ago that, well, the whole resolutions and "starting over" thing is kind of a crock and doesn't matter in the long run. That and I'm always sitting at home by myself working on NYE sooooo. May be a bit of resentment there.

So, suffice to say, I don't really make resolutions. Not at New Years anyway. But there's pretty cool thing that I've discovered in Japan over the years called the "Daruma", shown left. Daruma are made with no eyes. When you get one, you create a goal for yourself: pass an exam, learn a language, beat a video game...write a novel...heeeey....and you draw in one eye. You don't draw in the other eye until you've completed your goal.

I have a...few daruma. I use them when I set my writing goals, like "finish a draft", "edit", and, my current one I started a couple months ago says "Publish". Of course, that's not until 2013ish, but hey, who cares? I like to think long term.

Tomorrow I'm heading back up to Portland to fly out Tuesday morning for my apartment in Japan. It's been a great two weeks back in the States and I can't wait until I move back permanently in April. While here I finished up the chapter I wanted to finish before jumping back into editing this month. Of course, couldn't get all my work done because I had laryngitis the first week back, but I did what I could and then some. Oh, and I have a Fire now. I'm pretty excited about that.

Hope everyone's holidays were golden or, at least the best they could've been.