5. Share something about a current WIP.
Well, I guess I’ll talk about my nano submission this year. I’m kind of cheating because I technically started it last year, but I never got it off the ground really (I had a rough year). It will [hopefully] be a high fantasy novel. I have tons of ideas for it, but I’m not sure yet how to tie them all together, and I don’t have a coherent plot. But last year I was listening to Mumford & Sons ‘Babel’ and Of Monsters and Men’s ‘My Head is an Animal’ at about the same time and I came up with a very clear image in my head of a village on mountain, and giant crows flying over it. I hope it comes together, because I honestly feel like there’s a lot of potential there. The main character is an outcast and healer, and I’d like to think that she’s different from most leading ladies that I’ve read about.
6: Post an excerpt from a current WIP.
A short snippet, that needs editing from the above WIP:
The advisor, Ryland, looked shocked. “S-s-sire?” he managed to stutter between fat, swollen lips.
"You heard me, Ryland. Kill," the king unstuck his sword from the floor and flicked his wrist, looping the sword to point at the peasant, "him."
Ryland seemed to collect himself and stepped forward. “Sire, surely a death sentence is too harsh for a lowly man such as this? He’s too simple. He probably does not even know what he was saying.” The king stuck the tip of his sword back into the floor and leaned forward on it, peering at the man standing defiantly before him. “Are you simple, sir?” The man did not answer, but instead kept his silence. “He doesn’t seem to be very simple to me, gentlemen. He certainly knows when to keep his mouth shut. Or perhaps he deems himself too important to answer his king.” At this the man spat at the ground. “Oh? He doesn’t seem to like it when I refer to myself as king, gentlemen. Perhaps he prefers some other term?”
At this the man lost control. “You will never be the rightful king!” he shouted. “The true king is your brother, and the whole kingdom knows it! One day, the people will rise up against you, your royal Usurper.”
The king didn’t move for several seconds following this outburst. He then slowly cocked his head to the side, eyes wide and his mouth slightly open, like a curious child’s, his face eerily still. Then, without changing his expression, he gripped the pommel of his sword with his right hand, pushed it back and forth absently, and then, as if it were no heavier than a dagger, flung it at the peasant, hitting him squarely through the heart.
7: What’s the best title you’ve come up with?
Oh gosh. I am notoriously bad at titles, but the best one I ever came up with was “Zephyrine’s Guide to Writing, Or The Adventures of a World Traveller.” “Death And All His Friends” was another good one, but I guess the credit goes to Coldplay, not me.
13: What are your strengths as a writer?
My strengths? Goodness, I don’t even know. That I’m good at it, I guess. Not to be an asshole or anything, but writing was always something that came naturally to me. It wasn’t really something that I was taught. And though I look at some of my older pieces and cringe, I still think that they’re better than some of the dreck you can buy on the shelves (I’M LOOKING AT YOU, 50 SHADES OF GREY, YA PIECE OF SHIT).I guess my main strength as a writer (if I do say so myself), is that I have a very clear voice and distinctive style. I mean, not that you’ll definitely recognize one of my pieces as written by me, but I feel that I am very good at creating the tone that I want, and that when you read something of mine, you can sort of hear my voice in your head.
19: When and how do you write?—time, place, mood, etc.ahahahaahahahahahahaha. no okay, I’ll stop. Thing is, I haven’t been doing ANY writing in a very long time, so I don’t even know anymore. The best time of year for me to write is in the fall. I dunno, something about gloomy days and rain and falling leaves just makes me want to write fiction. I used to write at the dining room table, but since I have moved out, I don’t really know anymore. I’ll have to find myself a nook for the month :)
