#WordWeavers: Is your antagonist more of a dragon or dragon rider?
Because my WIP is a cozy paranormal, there’s not a clear antagonist. I suppose the closest to it would be the town’s only vampire, Sunny. He’s more of a dragon rider, because he wouldn’t go into battle alone, and he craves social interactions. He’s also got no attachment to stuff, so no hoarding tendencies.
#WordWeavers 23: Are your MCs picky about where they sleep?
Neither Arianell nor Ellis are.
Arianell because she travels a lot as a Guardian of Hera, and while she's often offered accommodation, they aren't always super comfortable, and other times she has to do with the forest floor.
And Ellis because she's been poor and a nomad since forever. Not enjoying the same privilege of Pantheonic Devotees, she rarely finds people willing to lend a roof for free, and so she learned to sleep wherever.
#WordWeavers 23May- Are your MCs picky about where they sleep?
When you've slept in awful places, not knowing if you'll be attacked while you sleep, pickiness develops a new meaning. Being warm(ish) and safe, having a door, and even a lock are still novelties to Eerie. That being said, his new favourite place to sleep has to be in Caz's massive bed. the ability to starfish in comfort comes in a close second to playing the little spoon.
He could learn to be picky about that, given the chance.
#WordWeavers 23/5: Are your MCs picky about where they sleep?
Both Jerya and Rodal grew up in a village where they slept on platforms carved from solid rock with only a thin pad stuffed with goat-hair for a mattress. And crossing the mountains they (and Railu) slept under a tarpaulin on whatever bit of vaguely smooth and level ground they could find. so, no, they’re not picky. #writingCommunity#ThreeKindsofNorth#TheSunderingWall#VowsAndWatersheds#writing#books
About a month ago I kind of disappeared from this place. Some personal and family problems threw me out of the writing headspace and keep me busy. Patience is required of which I don't have much. Nothing dangerous though, don't worry. I'm slowly getting back into the writing, at least with microfic.
I think I'll be back in June with a different story, more gritty, fitting my mood. 😉
Eventually I'll find the energy to interact here again.
#wordweavers 22/5: Is your antagonist more a dragon or a dragon rider?
Once you’ve explained what a dragon is…
Ask Perriad and she’ll probably see herself as a dragon rider (or else as a slayer of dragons!).
Ask Jerya, or anyone else who‘s butted heads with Perriad, and they’ll see her as a dragon—and they won’t mean it as a compliment. #writingCommunity#ThreeKindsofNorth#TheSunderingWall#VowsAndWatersheds#writing#books
#WordWeavers: Do you consider how your MCs appearance may contribute to stereotypes?
Yes. Not only their appearance but their personality and hobbies and such as well. I’m playing with inverting paranormal stereotypes a bit in this book, but even though they’re paranormal beings, Im being very careful about stereotypes, and doing it in a way that’s not offensive. Well, the vampires might be a bit offended in the first half, but I make it up to them.
#WordWeavers#Writing May21. Do you consider how your MC's appearance may contribute to stereotypes?
This bothers me. Most of my character's visual appearances are reflections of individuals who are considered attractive. Thus they reflect cultural biases of beauty. I am certainly not doing anything to break cultural stereotypes. The only place I give this much thought is with negative or unpleasant characters making sure I don't lean into stereotypes of what "bad" people look like.
#WordWeavers 5/21. Do you consider how your MC’s appearance may contribute to stereotypes?
I worry about that, yes.
However, I believe it cannot be helped, really. People will have their impressions and will stereotype. Still, I try to stay away from them.
For example, Sun won't have red hair, even though he is a fire mage. In fact, I'm not even sure what Laisal looks like, to be honest. I'm bad at imagining faces.
#Wordweavers Day 21: Do you consider how your MC's appearance may contribute to stereotypes?
Sometimes. There are many stereotypes of female characters (the femme fatale, the 'evil' witch, etc). I like to subvert stereotypes and turn them on their head. Each character is unique with their own personality. I show that through their dialogue and actions.
#wordweavers May 21. Do you consider how your MC’s appearance may contribute to stereotypes?
Never paid much attention to that, tbh. But I never describe in much detail in the first place, leaving a lot to the readers' imagination.
That's simply because I don't enjoy reading lengthy descriptions myself.
The same process as for the other characters. The only difference is they are based on established creepypasta or creatures from Japanese legend. Mikawa is a standard yuurei. Mieko-kun has the dominant features of a yuurei with elements of the fictional character his living counterpart was based on. (That's an easter egg/homage if anyone ever spots it.)
#WordWeavers: How do you settle on your MC’s appearance?
This is usually the last thing I know about a character when writing. I’m bad at noticing how people look in real life too, lol. I can feel how my MCs move & how others view them/interact. That gives clues. Sometimes they’ll describe themselves, but even then, I have trouble picturing them. My brain doesn’t work that way. For instance, I knew Girak was out of shape because he has to catch his breath, & Savas makes fun of his red hair.
#WordWeavers
How did you settle on your MC's appearance?
I often have a good idea of what they look like ... but sometimes it's more vague. I use storyboarding to help me consolidate who they are so that I can translate that a little better. Pinterest is super-handy for this.
#WordWeavers 2405.19 — How did you settle on your MC’s appearance?
Historically, I wrote my characters such that I found them attractive. I don't do that anymore.
Sometimes I don't have control, except for hair styles and clothes, or the lack thereof. The story or character may have certain in-the-moment requirement, like when the MC needed to train in an almost all-male fight gym as a prizefighter (she'd later win a championship). Of course she had tailored pink and black gym wear made of technical fabric that outlined every curve—which proved interesting.
These days I do the best not to assign an appearance at all, instead keeping things vague and sticking to describing only what's absolutely necessary. My experiences with publishers is that'll they'll ignore your descriptions for cover art and promotion anyway. In any case, doing this allows the reader to imagine someone they would find attractive(†). The MC in the current WiP is described physically only as tall, shy, so beautiful that both sexes fall for her, and that she has "winter eyes," whatever that is. In the other story, the only thing I'm settled on is described by the devil-girl something like this:
"Take two finger length pieces of rusty rebar, sharpen one end, bend it ninety degree, and stick one above each temple, pointing backwards. Makes wearing hats problematic. Yeah. Gets messy when they try to grab you by the head in a fight, especially if it sticks in..."
She's also describes her very olive complexion; she's mentioned green eyes in a mirror and red hair everywhere. It could easily change in revision.
(†) A recent writer's prompt asked about my target audience. Can I say "imaginative?"
#WordWeavers 18: What kind of dragon would your MC be?
The kind who studies for their PPL and instrument flight rating, never flies without an airband scanner, GPS, and transponder, and stays well out of controlled airspace. Also spends a lot of time looking over their shoulder nervously and tries not to fly through clouds in air traffic corridors.
Remember: there are old dragons, and bold dragons, but in the age of 250 ton jet airliners flying at 500 mph there are no old, bold dragons!
#WordWeavers What kind of dragon (behavior or looks) would your MC be?
She would be Puff, the dragon that exists only in the time when they felt love, that cannot escape that time, that will end this pitiful song not by slinking into her cave but, because she is a she Puff, will rip through the autumn mist of Honalee and stomp howling, crashing free.
#WordWeavers Day 18 - What kind of dragon (behavior or looks) would your MC be?
Alfie would be very much an Elliot (from Pete's Dragon).
And John would like to point out that they already have a crocodile greataunt with a basilisk glare in the story, so they really don't need any dragon, thank you very much.
Alfie, brightening up: We've got a statue of St. George and the dragon in the maze at home.
John: Are you talking about the house with the sheep bone terrace?
#WordWeavers 2024-05-17 Have you ever written for other age groups?
I don't write for children, but preventing children from reading my stuff isn't my problem; that's their parents' job.
Besides, when I was 10 my idea of light reading was Stephen King, Anne Rice, Michael Moorcock, and Clive Barker. I sure as hell wasn't reading what passed for #YA fiction in the 1980s and 1990s; once you got past Judy Blume & Beverly Cleary YA was nothing but the print equivalent of ABC AfterSchool Specials. 🤮