The NaNoWriMo Fanatic Tag!

Kenzie tagged me.  Let the fun of NaNo Fanaticism begin!  Thanks, Kenzie!

. . .THE RULES. . .

1. Insert the tag graphic into your post.

2. Link back to Kenzie’s post.

3. Answer all — or as many — of the questions as you like.

4. Refer to our communal family bunny named Fanny at least once in your post.

5. Eat three cookies. . .

(I have definitely eaten three cookies.)

6. Post a clean list of ALL of the questions somewhere in your post. . .

(MORE TAGS NEED TO DO THIS!!!!!!!)

7. Tag as many friends as you want!

(You are tagged if you’re reading this and haven’t done it already.)

 

My Answers

 

PART ONE. . . Get to know me

 

What is your NaNoWriMo Username?

Jethan

Are you a plotter, pantser, plantser, or planter? (because you are actually a plant, but SHHHHHH. no one can know this.)

I usually call myself a plantser, because I plan chunks of stories, and other chunks are a void I must discover while writing.  However, I very much like the idea of being a planter, throwing story seeds here and there and cultivating the wild mess that grows into a lovely garden.  A lovely ideal.

I think in reality my story garden has a couple thoroughly overgrown corners, and the rest has randomly seedlings spread throughout the dirt.  And a large compost pile of obsolete ideas that will someday be made manifest again as bits of nutrients are fed to the plants once more…

It’s rather a nice plotting metaphor, indeed.

No, no, Fanny, don’t eaten my cabbages they aren’t ready yet!

…

Fanny, don’t bring your friends here or I’ll turn Mr. McGregor on you punks…I have enough plots to work with without you ravaging my old ideas, thank you very much.

How many years have you done the NaNo? How many times have you won?

I have done 11 NaNos, and I have won four times.  IT’S TIME FOR YEAR TWELVE!!!

What is your NaNoWriMo Origin Story?

My sister did it and the next year I joined in.

Do you have any writing “lucky charms”? (a stuffed dragon, a favorite pen, a paperclip that fills you with all of the inspiration???)

Nope.  Though I wouldn’t mind getting one.

I could maybe count my set of polyhedral dice in a marbly slate blue, because I use them sometimes to pick a scene to write.  Often I completely disregard the result though….

What is your absolute favorite NaNoWriMo memory?

I think successfully writing 75,000 words in a month and getting a decent chunk of Spectra written out is probably in the top favorite moments.  Participating in the NaNo Dare Squad is also a favorite memory.  It was a fun way to cap off such an achievement!

How do you pronounce NaNoWriMo? (Na-No-RYE-Mo, or Na-No-REE-Mo?)

RYE!  RYE ALL THE WAY!

 

PART TWO. . . PREP

What’s the name of your NaNoWriMo Project?

Well, I had thought of writing Eldakiah, but I’ve just gotten spurred on to continue Spectra, so, I’m probably going to do both depending on my mood.  I’ll answer most of the questions on behalf of Eldakiah though.

I also have a smaller side story I sense I may need to get out of my system, so that’s an extra back-up.

What is your project’s genre?

Fantasy with adventure and romance.  And Spectra is Spectra.

Introduce us to your cast!

Elda is a wind mage and fletcher from a place vaguely inspired by Nordic aesthetics.  The story starts off when she is 12 but most of it occurs in her late teens or adulthood.  As she grows up she becomes a fierce warrior and an adventurer.

Sentinel is an earth mage.

The Prince is an important character I still haven’t named after all this time.

The Royal Sword of Brigona – A very important artifact even if it is a prop and not a character.  But it powers things that can be characters.

Some dragons sprinkled throughout.

What is your novel’s theme?

It’s about finding where you belong, or perhaps accepting where the unexpected place you belong, and fiercely defending it.

What are your novel’s main settings?

The Storyworld: Thren

The Magic Wilds – Where once lay the great Brigonan empire is now forested mountains with monsters lurking within.  Or maybe just a wild dragon nesting in a hot spring.  One is never quite sure.

Some Towns – Elda has to go somewhere to buy flour.  Plus, trade towns are good spots for adventurers to hang out.

The Fairy Forest – At least a little bit.

Kingdoms – You need them to have a reason for a war to happen.

Are you using any plotting/story structures for your project, or are you just winging it like the beautiful pixie that you are?

I have it mentally mapped out a bit, a few notes written down about the main plot points, and then all the knowledge gained from drawing some scenes before (usually the same ones with variations).  There’s no tidy, concise outline all in one spot.  There will be plenty of winging it this year.  Which is appropriate because Elda likes flying.

Spectra has a pretty detailed list outline.

What are some ways you prepare for The NaNo? (mentally, physically, eating five bars of chocolate at once because #energy)

These blog tags have helped.  I like writing story notes beforehand, getting a new notebook, and having some candy, snacks, and hot chocolate packets ready to go.

I need to get some fingerless gloves, sweaters, and other cozy things ready for use too.

What’s in your writing toolkit? (pictures are encouraged!)

I think it’s mostly google docs and open office this year.

My workstation is only decorated with the entire outline of Spectra on the wall, so I’m not gonna take a photo and let you see the MASSIVE SPOILERS EVERYWHERE!

PART THREE. . . Inspiration

What was the initial inspiration for your NaNoWriMo novel?

I’m not quite sure how it all coalesced a few years ago, but growing up with the Legend of Zelda and listening to the Shadow of the Colossus soundtrack was integral to Eldakiah existing.  There were a few characters I made up before Elda that set a precedent for her style as a heroine, but the only specific inspiration I can think of is the name.  Eldakiah came from a very different character I made years ago.  Eldikiah the Gold Golem.  I just changed the second vowel to differentiate them, and decided that Elda is her given name, while -kiah is a title added on (“the Mighty”).

I just wanted a story about a heroine fighting epic boss battles in the form of stone golems and such.  The sword provided the plot thereafter.

It’s just great that my heroine who fights magical constructs got named after the main magical construct created by a villain in another story.  It may not be set in Thren anymore though, cuz I got the idea “What if Eldikiah was turned human?”

What’s your NaNoWriMo Novel’s Word Aesthetic?

windswept plains, high mountains ringing you in a valley, grappling rope against moving stone, beacon of light beyond the hill, rainfall by the forest, cobalt blue, determined eyes, cracking crystal shining bright

Share your Pinterest boards and music playlists!

I have Pinterest boards for Spectra and Eldakiah!

I don’t have a specific playlist.  Except Eldakiah was inspired by the Shadow of the Colossus soundtrack.

What’s your absolute best advice to new (and old!) NaNoers?

THE DAILY WORDCOUNT BADGE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!  IT WILL MAKE YOU WRITE EVERYDAY!  Some days may be 5000 words, some only 5 words, but everyday your wordcount will rise and your calendar will be mostly green and not red.

Also, lurk on the Over Achievers board cuz it will make you want to push yourself and see what your true limits are.  Cuz maybe you can be insane and write 25k in a week.

Most importantly, write a story you desperately want to exist in the real world.

*

The End!

The Questions Unanswered

As promised, here’s a clean list of the questions for anyone wanting to do the tag!

. . . THE QUESTIONS. . .

PART ONE. . . Get to know me

What is your NaNoWriMo Username?

Are you a plotter, pantser, plantser, or planter? (because you are actually a plant, but SHHHHHH. no one can know this.)

How many years have you done the NaNo? How many times have you won?

What is your NaNoWriMo Origin Story?

Do you have any writing “lucky charms”? (a stuffed dragon, a favorite pen, a paperclip that fills you with all of the inspiration???)

What is your absolute favorite NaNoWriMo memory?

How do you pronounce NaNoWriMo? (Na-No-RYE-Mo, or Na-No-REE-Mo?)

PART TWO. . . PREP

What’s the name of your NaNoWriMo Project?

What is your project’s genre?

Introduce us to your cast!

What is your novel’s theme?

What are your novel’s main settings?

Are you using any plotting/story structures for your project, or are you just winging it like the beautiful pixie that you are?

What are some ways you prepare for The NaNo? (mentally, physically, eating five bars of chocolate at once because #energy)

What’s in your writing toolkit? (pictures are encouraged!)

PART THREE. . . Inspiration

What was the initial inspiration for your NaNoWriMo novel?

What’s your NaNoWriMo Novel’s Word Aesthetic?

Share your Pinterest boards and music playlists!

What’s your absolute best advice to new (and old!) NaNoers?

NaNoWriMo 2018: The Dare Squad and 50K in Half a Month

The NaNo Dare Squad has returned once more!

The Dare Squad was formed by Kenzie to make NaNoWriMo extra fun…and dangerous.  It’s an extra incentive, it’s a group game…you set a specific goal for yourself to achieve in November and if you fail, you must do one of the Dares.  Each participant submits a dare with their goal.  And the dares are kept secret until the last part of November.

It’s an great way to feel more successful with NaNo if you know you can’t write 50k this year, but you still want to join the fun and want to write, say, 25k.  You can win freedom from the dares with that 25k.  Unless everyone wants to do the dares anyway and Kenzie pulls a twist again and the winners get a dare too. >:)

Last year I won my goal (75k words), but I still got to do a dare, because it was fun.

Now it is a fresh, new year.

My Goal:  Write 50,000 words BEFORE the 17th of November.  If I get to 50k by November 16th, 11:59pm I will be good.

I just have to prepare myself for the mad blaze of writing to come.  Oh boy.

I picked this goal because last year I wrote 25k in one week and 21k the week after.  I hit 50k on day 17.  I keep thinking about that and I want to replicate and improve that success, so I’ll push the date back by one and see if I can get further faster.  It should be a fun challenge.

Another reason I chose that goal was because I was in a drawing mood all October and I was worried I would not be ready for a month of solid writing afterward.  Breaking the month in half and having the key goal in the first part would allow me to ride the wave of NaNo hype and energy, and then I wouldn’t worry too much once it becomes a slog, cuz I would be at 50k, good to go, and if I was tired of writing I could go back to writing or take a break.  Maybe deal with the real world or something.  😛

I’m glad I have three stories to work on during NaNo.  There will undoubtedly be some additions to Spectra here and there, but I’m gonna mainly focus on Eldakiah and a little bit of a side story so I don’t stall out.  More on that soon.

Come join the Dare Squad…it’ll be fun. >:)

Voted Most Likely… A Writer Tag

I have been tagged by Phoebe.  I must determine which of my characters most closely resembles the questions below.  And I have to explain my choice.

The Rules:

Rule One: Thank the lovely blogger who tagged you. You know you want to.

Thank you very much, Phoebe!  It’s always fun to fling my characters at the world! 😀

Rule Two: Include this lovely link > phoebeamorryce.wordpress.com/2018/10/15/voted-most-likely < in your post.

Check.

Rule Three: Use your own lovely Original Characters (OC’s); don’t use a friend’s characters or characters from your favorite fandom. They can be from any project, so long as you created them. For more fun, try to use as many different characters as possible.

I got plenty…

Rule Four: Tag at least five lovely blogger friends to play along.

*Puts on Rebel Sunglasses*  They’ve been tagged already….

*

Now to begin….

 

The List:

~ Most Likely to Be a Poet ~

A girl called Ivy from Spectra.  She is a pianist and she would enjoy writing poems.

 

~ Most Likely to Dance in the Rain ~

Ivy again.  She would enjoy being out in the rain a lot.

I originally thought of Astarta since I can see her dancing under the stars, and to keep the characters varied.  But it didn’t feel quite right.  And then I realized, Ivy is much more likely to do it.

 

~ Most Likely to Look Good in a Kilt ~

Ausgauld.  I think his red hair would work well with a green kilt.

 

~ Most Likely to Get Punched in the Face ~

So many.

Of the heroes and protagonists, Des is the most likely.  Because Des gets angry at people and Des is in the middle of a really terrible war and political situation and everyone just wants to get in a good fistfight over it.  Whether friend or foe, Desmond is target for ones relevant frustrations.

 

~ Most Likely to Drop Everything and Become a Sheep Herder ~

Senator Heston, definitely.  He is so done with everything one page into his story.

 

~ Most Likely to Be Found in the Library ~

Could it be Elvyla or Diandra?  Or would they be busy going out into the world, solving crimes, discovering magic, and dealing with political intrigue?  WHAT IF I HAVE AN UBERLY SCHOLARLY CHARACTER WHO WOULD BEAT THEM TO TIME IN THE LIBRARY?  I DON’T KNOW!!!

Oh, yeah, I have that whole White Rose Library in Thren thing…I guess whoever takes care of it is the most likely to be found in the library of all my characters….

 

~ Most Likely to Sleep Through an Earthquake ~

I think Ravak the dragon, but only because he is in the stage where dragons sleep a lot as they grow.  Plus, he is the only character I can think of that I’ve ever imagined as a heavy sleeper.

 

~ Most Likely to Steal Food from Other Peoples’ Plates ~

Baby dragons.  They are impulsive, hungry, and they haven’t yet reached enough sentience to understand good manners and property rights.  I generally nickname whatever baby dragon is most prominent as Rikrik.

 

~ Most Likely to Cheat on a Test ~

Sheyla…she kinda does it.  Just trying to keep herself alive in her terrible prison “school.”

 

~ Most Likely to Say “Oops” After Setting Something on Fire ~

Kitallia.  Though she prefers the term “Whoops.” She is used to high collateral damage and obliterating buildings, so an understated “Oops” for a giant blaze of fire is particularly fitting for her.

I think she will have to say it sarcastically after setting the cultists’ temple on fire.  Hmm…Yes, definitely canon…

 

~ Most Likely to Open an Orphanage ~

Tristan.  He was in an orphanage for a bit so he would look out for orphans around him and keep them safe.

 

~ Most Likely to Run off with the Circus ~

Miranda.  She threatened to do so when she ran away for a day trip.

 

~ Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse ~

The Sorceress of Seven Stars is immortal.  She will live past everyone.

 

~ Most Likely to Fake Their Own Death ~

Tom Blackwell.  The Union won’t look for a crazy mage soldier if they think he’s dead….

 

~ Most Likely to Die and Haunt Their Friends ~

Dhelran.  Because he loves teasing people and giving them a hard time.

 

Tristan has always had bad luck getting a love interest… >:)

That’s it for this tag! 😀

Short Update: The Fundraiser and NaNo Thoughts

I want to give two quick updates.

1)  DeliverFund raised $18,453 on Global Giving Day, so that is great!

2) NaNoWriMo is fast approaching and…I have no idea what I will be doing.  I have plenty of stories to work with, but I don’t know what format to use, for I keep wanting to draw rather than writing.  Should I have graphic novel sketches count towards my word goal?  I am in a quandary, for I simply am in a drawing mood over writing.  But I gotta do NaNo.  I just don’t know if I can meet the 50k or beyond if I only write.  I don’t know if I can focus enough on just words.

Pretty sure I’ll end up a NaNo Rebel whatever I do.

And I must include some art:

Will she be a character in this year’s NaNo?

Or will we return to the deep and complex dynamic that is Spectra…?

 

 

DeliverFund Fundraiser on Global Giving Day – October 16th (And Concept Art)

DeliverFund is having an all-or-nothing matching fundraiser on the 16th.  If you are able to, please consider donating and be part of the fight against human trafficking.  I donated $10 and every little bit helps.

Edit: At 13 hours left, there’s still $5000 that needs to be raised.  And I was mistaken on the matching part.

As further incentive, here is some concept art of Dale protecting Sheyla:

Let’s do the same for real! (Albeit metaphorically, DeliverFund leaves the action to the police.)