#ask arynneva

[arynneva]

Andromeda! Gemini! Scorpio!

The maker herself blesses my inbox!

I’m using Legacy of the Remembered for this.

Andromeda: Describe your main characters

Eske is an anxious mess who doesn’t know how to deal with the fact that he’s an anxious mess, which just further perpetuates the fact that he’s an anxious mess.

Bohjin is trying his best to run a kingdom that was set up for failure a long time ago. He’s not incapable, and has help, but he makes mistakes and doubts himself. He just wants a good future for his people.

Ollyah is an optimistic pessimist who thinks things will go well, but also decided it’s inevitable for bad things to happen and that they all will have to go through them. She’s also shy.

Yras is a ray of sunshine who enjoys helping people and defending those who cannot do it themselves. He loves history and is easily excitable.

Gemini: What inspired you to write this project?

I was reading a lot of medieval fantasies and wanted to try my hand at one. The rough draft had little direction and was just me throwing events at a paper. I built the themes of trust and prejudice out of that and then went back to set everything straight.

There is no Scorpio, so I’m making up a question

How would your characters fare in a horror story?

Because genre-bending is fun.

Eske and Ollyah wouldn’t even end up in that situation unless they moved into the house that was haunted. Ollyah would try and make friends with the ghosts. Eske would not make it very far.

Bohjin would be the sensible protagonist that survives. Rime would too. Yras would sacrifice himself to save someone else.

Thank you oh esteemed one for sending me asks and then forgetting what your asks actually were!

[arynneva]

Black, Yellow, Clear, and Gray for the "Get To Know The Writer" asks :)))

Oh hey it’s been awhile since that one!

Black

Would you want to live in one of the fictional worlds you’ve created?

Yeah, I’d be okay with living in Panethos (Divine Humanity). The technology is beyond modern, and the social problems aren’t too different than our own world. It’d depend on what kind of human I’d be there, though. If I was a Viamanti, I’d be fine. Anamium or, even worse, Seranum? That’d make my life a bit worse.

Yellow

What’s a common writing tip that you mostly ignore?

Never use adverbs. All writing tips have a reason behind them, and I understand this one. Often, adverbs add nothing to the sentence. But that doesn’t mean they never have purpose. If they change the meaning of the verb in a way that is relevant and can’t be inferred through the usage of a vaguer verb, then it seems fine. Adverbs can also imply tone when writing in a narrowed POV (namely first person). Sometimes words like “really” and “honestly” can help get across sarcasm, depending on the context.

Clear

Do your characters control where the story goes or do you maintain control?

I like to think it’s all up to me. When a plot point that I want doesn’t work with the character’s motivation, I change aspects of the world to fix that. With larger aspects, I’m in control. With smaller things, like friendships and even romance at times, the characters tend to lead. I’ve been surprised by the potential relationships among the characters before!

Grey

What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Write for yourself. Yes, validation from other people is great. I won’t pretend that doesn’t factor in at all. However, the story itself will always be mine. I can accept criticism and advice, but I won’t pretend to believe I can please everybody. In the end, the plot and the dynamics of the characters are based off of what I want to read. With subjective matters like that, I consider what I want over what someone else wants.

Thank you for the asks!

[arynneva]

2,4&7 for wip ask game :)

2: Post a line from your WIP with no context.

“If you think she wasright about me, then she was definitely wrong about you.”

(Divine Humanity, Chapter 6)

4: Describe the setting of your WIP.

I’m going to use Divine Humanity again, because it’s harder to explain via genre. It’s futuristic, which advanced technology and whatnot, but does have elements of fantasy. There are eight gods, some of which have a very strong influence in the cultures and politics of the world. There are three main locations for the story: Noktorya, Valorae, and Anamaia. The last one is a holy state, while the other two are longstanding countries with a turbulent history. There’s corruption in high places, radical groups attacking each other (and even their own countries), and various governmental structures. There is magic, but it’s limited to certain groups of people.

I should probably draw a map for Panethos (the world) like I did with Legacy’s continent.

7: What are you most proud of?

I’m not sure, but I do really enjoy the worldbuilding I’ve created in Divine Humanity. I like the history of the different countries, the mythical aspects–pretty much anything to do with the gods, especially how they present themselves. I haven’t mentioned a lot of the backstory, but I spent a good length of time designing it anyway for my own enjoyment. The one time I was able to explain the story in full to a friend without blanking on a plot hole is a moment I’m very proud of, because it can be difficult to put it all into words. It’s the most I’ve ever developed a world.

Thank you for the questions!!

[arynneva]

Even though I don't think you reblogged the "Ask my oc a question" thing, to Elske: "As the God of Love, what is your favorite type of love and why?" (Like platonic, familial, romantic, etc.)

The validity of all love is too strong to compete among each other for what could be deemed “most important.” Every aspect of love, no matter the style and form, should be cherished. If I may, despite what I’ve said, it is worth mentioning the scarcity of attention give to self-love. No more important than that of romantic or platonic love, and the like, yet no less important either. I find many creatures forget to love themselves with the same ferocity that they bestow upon others. Taking care of oneself is just as necessary as taking care of each other. Love your friends, your family, your partners, your companions; love yourself.

(Sorry for the late response! And thanks for the question!)

[arynneva]

White, yellow, and grey :)

White: Are you a supporter/lover of fanfiction?

Yep! I don’t write any, but I’ve enjoyed reading some (people can get really creative with established worlds). I respect it as a form of writing. I also have to give kudos to people who can write someone else’s character well enough to be believable.

Yellow: What’s a common writing tip that you mostly ignore?

Never use adverbs. I agree with the reasoning behind it. However, I use them for two purposes: description and voice. By the former, I don’t mean that I put adverbs everywhere. For the most part, they are unnecessary or take away a chance to show a scene rather than tell it. Sometimes, though, the addition of a adverb–particularly when it contrasts with the typical understanding of the verb–can change the image.

Additionally, there are times when I’m writing in first-person where adverbs fit the tone of the narrative. Words like “actually,” “truly,” and “really” don’t add anything in most writing. However, they can change the tone of the POV character if the sentence has more to do with them and their thoughts than the scene itself.

Short answer: I do try and stay away from adverbs, but I’m rather lenient when it comes to interesting description and narrative voice.

Grey: What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Using active voice over passive voice. My first drafts and informal writing probably have a lot of passive sentences. However, when editing, most of them can be changed to active without losing their intent. Active voice flows better and feels sharper. The only time I keep passive voice is if I want the direct object to get more attention, thus putting it first. However, even then it tends to still flow better in active voice.

Thank you for the colors!

[arynneva]

Of the god characters in your WIP, who is your favorite?

Oh boy that’s tough. Amisocius was my favorite to create. I really like playing around with how the gods present themselves. So, it’s cool to think about a god that has two simultaneous bodies with the same mind.

Cursui is probably the most fun to write, but they’re also the only one who’s shown up yet. They don’t really have any competition yet.

Sera has my favorite mythos. I had a lot of fun with the Serakari.

So, I guess those three are my favorites for different reasons. Deities are always fun to create!

Thank you for the question!

[arynneva]

2, 6, 11 and 12 for the WIP ask thing :) I'll let you chose the WIP!

2: Post a line from your WIP with no context. 

(I answered this in another ask, but I’m going to do it again with a different line.)

“’Nah, I just bound him to me so I can watch him almost-die as much as possible.’”

(Divine Humanity)

6: Search for the word “dream” in your WIP. If you find it, paste the line and explain the context.

When I woke up an hour later, it was not a peaceful reawakening. I tried to cling to the dream, needing to know what it was that unsettled me, but it already faded away.

The above is from chapter four of Divine Humanity. James, the narrator, just woke up from a nap after an already-exhilarating day. His confusion is over whether or not the dream was even his, or if it was a side effect of an earlier soul-bonding.

11: Which character do you have the most in common with?

That’s hard. I’d say maybe Ethan from Divine Humanity. Now, I’m not in a bad situation like Ethan is, but his thought process aligns more with my own. One aspect in particular would be his desire to leave a mark on the world and reconnect with who he is. He doesn’t necessarily want anything grand, but he does want to be more than a hostage or casualty. He wants to exist to someone.

12: Which character do you have the least in common with?

Probably either James or Valkyrie, both from Divine Humanity (though Val isn’t a vital character until the third book). James’ attitude is a lot more shameless than mine. I’m pretty shy with my thoughts, whereas he’s all out there with little sense of boundaries. Val, in addition to having a terrible childhood, contrasts with me due to her extroverted, take-charge behavior. She is extremely dedicated to saving and protecting people in dire situations. It’s not that I don’t want to help people, but that she has little reservation holding her back from getting stuff done. She is not shy or self-conscious. This does make her impulsive, as she acts pretty much on instinct instead of with strategy, whereas I like to over-think things way too much.

That’s, of course, not including the bad guys of the stories. It’d be easier to say Geoffrey or Xuun were the ones I have the least in common with, but I decided to go through the protagonists.

Thank you for the asks!

[arynneva]

2, 18, and 20 for the ask thing :)

2: Post a line from your WIP with no context.

“’Being abducted is a good way to cause stress.’”

(Divine Humanity)

18: What’s easier, dialogue or description?

For me, dialogue. Descriptions don’t come as naturally to me as dialogue does. I’m not saying I’m perfect at dialogue, but it’s easier to create conversations than imagery. Also, it’s more fun.

20: Post a brief excerpt:

     Closing her eyes andletting out a relaxed exhale, Ollyah slowed her step. With barely a cloud inthe sky and the sunlight beaming down on her, she wanted to enjoy the outdoors.Leaving the castle behind on days like this, she forgot why she hid away sooften.

     But then she rememberedher mother, and the enemies ambushing her in the castle gardens.

     Ollyah’s eyes snappedopen at the thought, smile dimming. Times may change, motivations may shift,but not enough to set her at ease. Perhaps Bohjin was right, and she shouldkeep her guard closer to her person. That was silly, however. It was not in hernature to hide from death.

     Death was her friend,after all.

The above is from Legacy.

Thank you for the ask!