#capricious posts

[capricious-writes]

Can’t believe I decided “Oh I want to improve my drawing skills,” NOW of all times. I’m still in splints; my dominate hand was already worse off after surgery; all the handwriting and typing for school has been nothing but a bugger - and This. Doesn’t. Help. 

Um... @quilloftheclouds 

I drew Celestine. Then Phoenix. 

I drew Celestine, then tried drawing a more dynamic scene, then realized I should draw Solarin’s portrait first too. Then gave up on the dynamic scene, got tired of drawing for the day, and settled with these two. 

I’m a writer, not a sketch artist. But it’s always been my interest to be able to draw well enough to illustrate my writing, or others writing, or basically draw fanart that doesn’t look like indescribable lines. Yeah ... we’ll see where that goes. I can never get myself to practice drawing like I can writing. 

[capricious-writes]

How to Know You’re In A ___ Novel - Tag Game

Tagged by the illustrious @candy687​

How to know you’re in a Capricious Novel

Villains are just annoying friends you haven’t made yet. (Individual tragic justice endings vary)

MC is Frenemies with either Their Sibling, or the emotional approximation of Their Sibling.

Is it magic? Is it science? Is it science trying to understand magic, or magic trying to understand science? Maybe.

Why does this fantastical setting/device/creature exist? Looks cool? Humor? Plot? All of the above?

Absurdity that slowly gains unnecessary internal structure, because the WHY ( ... ? Whu ... ?), apparently, can never be ignored.

MC is Proud, Confident, and Self-Assured. 

MC secretly hates themselves and Doesn’t Know Why. 

@kaylewiswrites​ @howtowritethings​ @writtenbyhal​ @thatwriterofsorts @bookenders @nkta-ink @leave-her-a-tome @dogwrites @quilloftheclouds @writer-jessicac @shaping-infinity @esoteric-eclectic-eccentric @undertsanding-not-understood @writingmyassoff @the-real-rg @thebloodstainedquill 

^^^ If you’d prefer me not to tag you for future reference just comment ‘NTY’ [No Thank You] below. Feel free 1000% not to if you aren’t interested. Otherwise, I’d love to see anybody’s responses!

[capricious-writes]

Writing Update: 120,000 words in and still barely half-way through my outline

That’s what I get for turning an elaborate daydream into a story ... 

So on another note, I’m gonna try writing another short story with a friend (’with’ lol) and it’ll probably be way longer than anyone expects, but it’ll 1000% be shorter than this. Oh, and the outline actually has character growth BUILT IN, so freebie. Won’t be writing up a bunch of scenes that felt cool when I was daydreaming them two years ago, but have no actual character development planned. Deadline: end of summer. 

Yeah, we’ll see how that turns out. 

[capricious-writes]

Random Story Idea

You’re an average Doe. On weekdays you’ve got a 9-5. On weekends you see friends. Tuesday is free pizza with bowling, and every other Saturday Goodwill has half off prices. But in your spare time? Well ... you’re “hobby” could be described as a bit more than just ‘unusual.’ 

You’re that wise ‘old’ mentor to young adult protagonists as they make their way quietly saving the world and beating the odds, overcoming personal trials - with your advice playing a key part, of course. Someone’s gotta do it, right? 

Maybe “hobby” isn’t the right word. You wouldn’t exactly be doing it if you didn’t HAVE to. You’ve got a chosen destiny too after all. It just so happens that while others are destined as Chosen Ones for the next Alien attack, or secret underground magic army waiting to conquer the world - you’re the ‘wizened mentor.’ 

Sometimes you pop in, offer fortune cookie advice, then pop out. Other times the kids seem to be struggling, so you telepathically resend your message at the climax of their trials, voice echoing in their mind. That trick is also great for ordering take out ahead of time when you’re running late. Once or twice the main character gets you to tag along for a little while longer, and that can be fun ... ( you have to fake your death after those, because now they’re Emotionally Attached, and you make better motivation fuel dead than alive. ) 

( ... you try not to let that hit your self-esteem for a few days after ). 

Lately you’ve been bringing knitting projects along. You figure, if they’re gonna call you old, you might as well act like it. And you want an actual hobby sometimes too. No hard feelings though. Not anymore at least. You’ve settled in. Watching everyone else save the world brings less jealousy and self-doubt, and more pride that at least you’re a small part of that. 

You’re the wise ‘old’ mentor. 

Many protagonists cross your way, each with a different personality and a different path - all leading to the same destination. 

And you? Well you’ve got your own things going on. Your best friend invited you to their kid’s music recital, and you think it might actually be good. You real job feels like it’ll promote you any day. You got a turkey strike last week. You just bought a new pair of needles at Goodwill that was practically a steal. Too bad you can’t even knit a glove without it looking more like an oven mitt. 

Yeah. You’re ... you’re good ...

- Who are you kidding, you’re this close from becoming the villain yourself. But ... - you think you might know just the McGuffins to help you do it.

[capricious-writes]

Is a character passive if the plot forces them to be active?

‘Cause personally, I feel like I’d melt out of existence if Life wasn’t poking me with a stick at least once a month, so I feel like the same could apply.

[capricious-writes]

So my current WIP always had to pull focus from another lengthy idea I had to keep corralled. But now my WIP has been interrupted by a side project. But the side project got interrupted by a random idea. At this point, I think I’m going to come up with a ten book series the next time I sneeze. 

Just gotta write them all down to expel them from my system and move forward. Right. Riiiight 

[capricious-writes]

What this world needs, are fantasy Guardian Angels whose vocation it is to create harmony, champion righteous causes, and chid the cruel or callous.

But who are also blatantly known necromancers or occultists, and spend their free time dabbling in all the dark arts, and witch craft, and scour for evil tomes of unspeakable horrors, even if they dont need the power, just because its an interest - and all of it in a completely non-hypocritical way.

Just - your local fallen angel with a guilty pleasure who doesnt let that stop them from knowing the monarch is a jerk when they raise taxes too high.

I dunno, but I always think that'd make for an interesting complex character.

[capricious-writes]

Random Question! What keeps you writing?

Sorry for taking so long to answer. You've gotten my head ticking.

This is from my journal: almost two years ago.

I still dont know the answer.

I could give lots of responses. Like those moments when words fall together like color on a canvas. When solving a plot hole offers the same satisfaction as solving a brilliantly tricky puzzle. How characters and world building can take up the time to escape in such pleasantly engaging daydreams. That the image of the finished product can give those slower moments along the way an extra oomf.

But really, none of those would be enough to keep my attention with anything else. I don't really know. It's kinda interesting to be honest.

Thanks for the question!