Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 6

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title and Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

The last leg of these questions! It's been really fun, and I hope you have enjoyed this look into my WIP, The Crystal Bearer. Here we go!

27. Share a favorite image that reminds you of your WIP.

This is Umberto Boccioni's Unique Forms of Continuity in Space. My Freshman year of college, when I was just beginning to flesh out this story, we studied this, and it inspired me regarding what exactly an Iron Giant was going to look like in my WIP.

28. Describe a character relationship you love in your story.

When I first wrote Cyan and Ghuli, I didn't expect them to build their own relationship as I revised. Probably because I don't have a brother of my own, I wasn't aware of how close these two could be. As I said in the first part of the series, Cyan's a hardass except for when it comes to Ghuli. They have a really strong bond, and I'm glad I was able to write meaningful moments between these two.

29. Why are you passionate about sharing this story?

It started out as little ramblings in my dream-world and grew to be a full-fledged story. I want to share it so people can join me in my mind and be entertained by it.

30. Why do the themes in your WIP come from your heart?

They're universal, human themes, when you get down to it. Making mistakes, growing up, being with people you love and wanting to protect them. Those are fundamental.

31. What are some things writing this story has taught you?

Some things will take more time than you want, and if you want them to be good, you have to be patient and put in the work.


Thanks so much for joining me!

Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 5

We are on the 5th week of these WIP Joy questions, and we're almost done! These have been fun. Let's dive in!

21. You'd love for your book to be made into a [movie/TV show/radio drama/etc.] because...

If you follow me on Twitter and have a great memory, you've seen me say many times that I have a song or actor already picked out "for the movie for the book I haven't published yet." I'm a very visual person, and I've always seen this book getting adapted into a film. Writing for Film/TV was my major once upon a time, as well, so I would love to be in on the writing of the script. It would probably be wise of me to start one.

22. Most epic thing about your WIP.

It's an homage to Final Fantasy. There are tropes that many may not get but hopefully appreciate, but I wouldn't have gotten as far with this story as I did without those games. I guess that counts as epic?

Also, heroes of color! Females on the front lines! I think I passed the Bechdel test. :)

23. Advice given to you that made your WIP better.

It was said more as a grumble with a lot of exclamation points, but not to stray from the plot for side stories. It made the piece much tighter.

24. Advice you ignored because you know your WIP best!

The same person said to get rid of the romance. Pfft. It's actually pretty light on romance, and I made it that way on purpose. I didn't want it too heavy, but I wanted it to be there, so it stays. So there.

25. Shout-out to some people who have encouraged you in writing your WIP!

Oh gosh, well, my friend's mom, who is waiting eagerly for a copy. A bus driver who when I said I majored in English actually DIDN'T say "You want to be a teacher?" but actually knew I wanted to be a writer without me having to correct him. So many people on Twitter and Blogger.

26. You love your WIP's genre because...

The possibilities for fantasy stories (despite the status quo) are endless. If you can dream it, you can write it.

Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 4

Welcome back to the Saturday Series! Let's keep this going.

16. Some sights to see in your WIP.

Beaches, palaces, mountain ranges, woodland beaches!

17. Some sounds to be heard in your WIP.

Airship propellers, crystal swords clashing, underwater trauma! (Wait, what?)

18. Some scents smelled in your WIP.

Ocean water, pine, winter air, burnt things!

19. Some tastes/flavors shown in your WIP.

 Sour, tangy, sugary sweet, gamy, spicy!

20. Some touches/textures experienced in your WIP.

Cast iron, splintered wood, wool, sativa*, roughspun cotton**!

I was going to add 21, but these were the senses, so, I'll leave them be. See you next week!

(*Hemp (wearing, not smoking), **Jeans)

Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 3

These are not only fun, but they certainly get my brain thinking, and because I schedule them, I don't have to wake up to do them. Eyyy...Back to the questions. haha

11. A favorite line about emotion from your WIP.

He gazed around at the quarters still being doused in water by work hands and lost his breath at the thought of Ghuli* being in the grips of pain, in the midst of everything before his eyes.

12. A scene you deleted but you love anyway (sadness!).

There was a battle scene that inevitably didn't make sense per location. The crew was chased down by a Trollic version of the coast guard, and a fight ensued between Laris, Cyan and a paratrooper. He starts strangling Laris, basically breaks Cyan's face, and doesn't notice Brodie shooting at him with a bullet that turns him to stone. The imagery was great, but I realized they wouldn't have run into the guards in the direction they were going, so NIX.

13. A piece of feedback that made you smile.

My friend's mom (an early beta reader and #1 fan lol) said the story is too short, and she wanted me to expand on a lot.

14. How do you want the target audience to be affected by this story?

I want this to be something they'll love, and that they'll read more times than once, and cosplay at conventions!

15. Is there an animal you love in your book?

When I was a kid, I used to have dreams about a white tiger protecting me or that I'd escape on. I actually had one before I started writing this story, so I incorporated white, stripeless, tiger-like beasts I call leonines into the story that protect Ghuli at times.




*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 2

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title and Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

I started this series last week to answer some questions about my WIP, The Crystal Bearer, so let me dive right in to the next few questions!

6. A character you'd be best friends with and why.

I would probably get along best with Andyrsn. He's a very chill guy with a silly streak.

7. The very first idea or inspiration you had for this WIP.

It was a dream I had that featured an all white bedroom with a black street light in it. The lights changed from red, to yellow, to blue, and metal monsters started flying past my window. I army-crawled out of the room, accidentally tripped two people who were running by, and we all ran to this wicker room with a trap door. One of the guys fell from the ladder before securing the trapdoor, so I ran up to unlock it, saw a monster standing right over us, and locked the door as quietly as I could before climbing down, and we ran down a dark hallway. <-- This became the opening scene to my story in the first draft.

8. A favorite line from your WIP about a character.

“We’ve been worried to death about his well-being, but I’m sure he’s been sipping honeydew tea and telling that stupid story about his immunity to faerieflies.”

9. A favorite piece of description from your WIP.

A white stone temple sat atop a hill amidst a forest. The rising sun lit it against the waning shade below and made it seem a hopeful beacon to Ghuli as she made her way up the cobblestone path.

10. A favorite line of dialogue from your WIP.

"I don't want anyone else dying for me."

Saturday Series: WIP Joy Questions Pt. 1

*This post occurred before I changed the WIP title and Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

(A post on Saturday, what??)

RA Black posted these questions on her blog, and I thought it would be an awesome thing to do for my WIP, The Crystal Bearer! But as I also like to be short and sweet, I'm going to break these up over the next few weeks.

Answers for questions 1 - 5.

1. Describe your story as   Ghuli   meets   Andyrsn  .

Ghuli had not only just been forced from the only home she had ever known by a rampaging metal army, but then she was shipwrecked and lost everyone she loved overnight. Andyrsn and his brothers found her washed up on shore, and this actually begins a cycle of the two of them saving each other.

2. Why you love your protagonist.

Ghuli is in that awkward 17-year-old phase of her life where she tries to hold onto childhood, but she inevitably grows up before our eyes on paper. She's also a very sweet girl who just wants to be happy.

3. A side character you love and why.

Cyan is my favorite side character. He's a hard-ass with a soft spot when it comes to Ghuli, and he will do anything to protect her. I loved getting to write in some vulnerable moments for him.

4. Why you love your antagonist.

She's a broken creature with some pretty good reasons to wreak havoc, though normal people wouldn't act on the urges. I don't want to give too much away, but we do get to see she had a redeeming side once upon a time.

5. You hope someday your book gets a review that says...

"I've been waiting forever to read a book like this, and Debra delivered!"

If you're a writer, I think you should give these questions a go! They really make you think. :)