Beautiful People #19: Stefan

I seem to be taking a lot of unplanned blogging hiatuses lately. This last one was due to the combination of microbiology and Camp NaNo which apparently forms a kind of schedule that allows for basically nothing else. But I am back! (Hopefully without any other unplanned hiatuses soon? Because microbiology and Camp NaNo will be scrambling up all my time until the end of the month.)

"So!" you ask. "Since you have abandoned us for Camp NaNo, you can at least give us an update on your writing!" (Of course you want to know this. If you don't, you should.)

My writing has been going pretty well, actually, and SlavicNovel is promising to be at least 75k long, considering that I am currently around 30k of my rewrite and I am most certainly not halfway through. It'll probably end up 100k in the end. (And dang, do I have an epic ending planned. I am so excited to write that climax, since it didn't exist in draft 1.)  I think I've finally figured out which ships sail and which ships sink, so that's great. (Also, many of my ships are CharacterXThemself, so yeah...)

In terms of characters, Tanya is getting less constantly obnoxiously immature, and is simply immature, with sporadic occurrences of obnoxiousness. In other words, she's just where I want her at this point.

Laryssa (my mermaid? do you remember her? I should feature her one of these days) has become a full blown Character, instead of the shell she was in the earlier drafts, and has earned her own POV.

Stefan, my darling grinning* prince, has become far more fascinating, and has earned a POV of his own as well.
*grinning boys in books are my downfall so of course I decided to create one.

Baba Yaga continues on her morally-ambiguous, snarky, fabulous way.

Who do we choose to feature for this month's Beautiful People? I think Stefan's the man for the job, no? I haven't introduced him to you lovelies yet, have I.

1. Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?
Theoretically, Stefan does want to get married and have children. Eventually. A long time from now.
Marriage is a little more present in his mind than children, since he is a prince after all, though not the heir. He knows that he might end up marrying some princess or another to benefit political ties, especially since Ivan, the middle brother, married a village girl. But his oldest brother, Luka, isn't yet married either, and he's probably the one who's more likely to be married off anytime soon, so Stefan doesn't mind keeping his romantic endeavors to occasionally kissing pretty girls at royal banquets.

2. What is their weapon of choice? 
Probably the sword - he's been well-trained since childhood - but he'd consider his words to be a decent weapon as well. (Whether they actually are is a different question - the idea of talking his way out of a situation is much more attractive than actually doing it.)

3. What's the nicest thing they've done for someone else, and why did they do it?
Stefan is a nice fellow (if a recent acquaintance had to assign adjectives to the three princes, Luka would be noble, Ivan would be passionate, and Stefan would probably be nice). To be nice doesn't mean a lot - it doesn't mean as much as to be kindhearted, or chivalrous (or noble or passionate for that matter). So if you asked Stefan what the nicest thing he's ever done for someone, he'd immediately school his face into the face he presents at royal banquets when introducing himself to foreign ambassadors and tell you some irrelevant story that he may have just made up on the spot.

But really? The really nicest thing he's done - as in most kindhearted, chivalrous, noble thing - is probably something he does over the course of SlavicNovel, and that is befriend Tanya. He would tell you that it was entirely selfish - he was fascinated by her, he found her to be a good person (under her prickles) - but really, it takes effort to be friends with someone convinced that they were cursed with friendlessness. Good job, Stefanchick.

4. Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?
He's a prince, trained in fighting, so yes. Also, he's a boy, with two older brothers, so yes.

5. Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?
Stefan is a rule-follower who thinks he's a rebel.

6. Are they organized or messy?
Depends. He thinks he's organized in everything, and in home life, where he's comfortable and safe, he is pretty organized. But dang, does he have a tendency to fall into situations that cause a mess, and after a while, it makes organization difficult. But he tries. He really does.

7. What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?
Someone laughing at his jokes and acknowledging his desires and dreams. I suppose it's been a good couple years since he's really felt like that, since his brothers are both now in worlds of their own, when before they were kind of an inseparable trio. Darn adulthood.


8. What do they eat for breakfast?
Eggs and toast and ham and butter and coffee (imported from the country south of them*).

*none of my countries have names yet. oops.

9. Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?
When Stefan's mother died, he was only six years old, so it didn't impact him as much as it did his older brothers. But I suppose that's one example. Beyond that, he's really had a good life, as good as life can be for a youngest prince. :-P

10. What's their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)
Excuse me (thinks Stefan) is there another way to reward oneself if not with food? From chocolate, to fresh buns surreptitiously nabbed from the kitchens, to potato pierogies with fried onions and sour cream, to kolatchkies filled with strawberry jam... Stefan can dream about food for years. (And eat it too, being a prince with kitchens that have access across the country.)

So that's my Stefan! I really like him, and I hope you did too!

Are you doing Camp NaNo? How's your writing coming along? And please tell me I'm not the only one who always falls for the grinner in books :-P

Beautiful People # 18: Oriana

HELLO! I'm not dead! I know I've been super absent for the last few weeks, but I promise - I'm still very much alive! And here I am with my customary almost-too-late-but-just-barely-squeezing-in-at-the-end-of-the-month Beautiful People post :-)

Remember Oriana from this Beautiful People post a few months ago, which featured her and her husband Misha? Well, this month, she gets her own post, because she deserves it.

1. What is their first childhood memory?

Her mother cutting turnips in their tiny forest hut, and singing some kind of slow, lilting song about a princess who died because of what happened when she trusted a seemingly-nice prince too much. (Have you noticed that a lot of traditional folk songs are super depressing?)

2. What were their best and worst childhood experiences?

Best was probably the day before her mother died, when Oriana finally felt safe for the first time in her whole life. It wasn't because of any particular thing that happened that day; she just finally reached a mental peace that it had literally taken her over 14 years to get to.

The worst was when her mother died, because suddenly that peace and safety shattered, and she was back to the beginning.

3. What was their childhood home like? 

It was a very tiny, very unassuming hut in the forest, far out by the eastern border. Her mother would hang eggshells on strings on the branches around the house because she always said that Koshiy hated eggs and it would keep them away. They kept two chickens and a rooster in their yard to keep the egg supply coming, and Oriana had a lot of eggs for breakfast growing up. She never knew if it was true or not, but better safe than sorry?

4. What was something that scared them as a child?

Koshiy finding her mother and stealing her away again.She knew from an early age that her mother had been kidnapped by Koshiy and that she had been the only one ever to escape. (But Oriana didn't know that Koshiy was actually her father.) Her mother was constantly warning her against Koshiy and trying to train her up to be strong and independent and rebellious (maybe too much?) just in case she was ever in danger.

5. Who did they look up to most?

Her mother, for reasons explained in #4. She thought her mother was super badass for having run away from Koshiy, and really wanted to grow up to be just as strong. (I think she succeeded.)

6. Favorite and least favorite childhood foods?

Favorite - fresh mulberries from the bush that grew by their house.
Least favorite - eggs. Of course.

7. If they had their childhood again, would they change anything?

Make it more normal? Have a mother that wasn't constantly in fear, and a father that was present and nice and not an immortal evil creep of a sorcerer who stole girls and then turned them into ravens?

8. What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

Oriana was a rather explosive combination of curious, independent, rebellious, and fiercely loving (and thus fiercely hating anyone who harmed those she loved). Wait, why am I saying she "was"? She still very much so IS. Just now she's an adult who can do things like lead an army and kill those she fiercely hates, instead of just pretending to by slamming knives into trees and shooting arrows at every raven she saw.

9. What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like?

Well, she has no siblings. She deeply and fiercely loves her mother, and deeply and fiercely hates her father and wants him dead. Unfortunately (for her), it's her mother that ends up dead and her father that's the immortal one.

10. What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they eventually become?

She wanted to be safe. She wanted to be in control of herself - her mind, her body, her environment.
She became the first female leader of the Warriors, and (SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) the one to kill her father (the source of all her fears).

I think she fulfilled her dreams quite nicely, though rather violently.

Did you do Beautiful People this month? Link me yours!

Beautiful People #17 // Tanya (and farewell to Damla)

Do you remember Damla? Quite possibly my favorite character? Well, when I was plotting out the conclusion of #SlavicNovel, I realized the book would be better off without her. Is this what they mean by Kill Your Darlings? She and her thieving ways and the mysterious Martin and her banter with Oriana are NO MORE. I may have cried.

Well, saying that she is no more is not entirely true. Though I did cut her from the novel, I realized that she kind of deserved a novel of her own, instead of being a secondary character in Tanya's. So, there is a thing called #DamlaNovel that is now sitting off in a corner of my plot bunny cottage, waiting for its turn. In fact, I think this might turn into a trilogy of novels in the same world, mildly related, but each effectively stand-alones, with the third being #MountainNovel. We shall see if this develops.

So truly, it's not a forever farewell to the lovely Damla. She will be back soon as the protagonist of her own novel, because she so deserves that.

Onward to Beautiful People! I realized that I have never featured Tanya, the MC of #SlavicNovel, on a Beautiful People post. So here she is!

1. How often do they smile? Would they smile at the stranger?

She doesn't smile very often, and she only really smiles when she's either climbing trees or sitting outside alone or doing other solo things with nature. Oh, and also with her grandfather sometimes.

And she would never, ever smile at a stranger. How stupid.

2. What is the cruelest thing they've ever been told? And what was their reaction?

Maria once told Tanya that no one would ever love her because she was a Devil. Tanya usually brushes things off (or pretends to), but it all sort of festers in her heart in a very unhealthy way.

(Tanya drawn by the lovely Clare!)

3. What is the kindest thing they've ever been told? And what was their reaction?

The kindest think Tanya has ever been told is probably something her grandfather said. He's always telling her that she's just as good as the other villagers, and I think the kindest thing he's told her is that he values her persistence and strength of spirit. It really validated in her that she's not just a messed up bundle of problems.

4. What is one strong memory that has stuck with your character from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?

Tanya remembers being five and running out to play with the other children in the village. But one of them, Maria (who is a few years older), tells everyone that Tanya is the daughter of the Devil because her mother went into the forest asking Baba Yaga for help conceiving. Ever since then, no one would play with her, or if they wanted to, their parents wouldn't let them. (The parents think she's the daughter of the Devil too.)

5. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?

Hmmmm... something to do with friendship? And not being jerks to people? I don't know, this question is hard. I think she would really enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo, but would freak out at the end when he realizes revenge is not the way. That would be fun to watch.

6. Have they ever been seriously injured? How severely? How did they react?

Tanya hasn't really been seriously injured (before the novel, I mean. mwahahaha). She fell out of an apple tree once and was pretty winded, and probably sprained her ankle.

She got punched by a boy once when she was about 13 because he thought she was about to attack him with her demon-y powers or whatever. She got a pretty big bruise, but the next evening she snuck up on him when he was walking home and jumped out like a ghost and he freaked out and she punched him back. Then ran off. The boy never found out it was her.

7. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?


No and no. All the neighbors are pretty distrustful of Tanya, since she's technically the product of her mother and black magic.

8. On a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being easy and 10 being difficult) how easy are they to get along with?

I'd say Tanya's about an 8. She's definitely got to work on her people skills. She claims it's not her fault (curse blah blah blah), but clearly is doing nothing to change it.

9. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?

Anywhere. Anywhere but this small town of Khaniv where everyone hates her. Maybe she can run away from her curse?

But actually, she'd really like to see the Sea. (And she does! In the novel! Because I am a nice an indulgent author!*)

*she also gets harassed and mugged there so you know maybe not so indulgent.

10. Who was the last person they held hands with?

Dang. I suppose her grandfather? Can't see her holding hands with anyone else.

Well, that's Tanya! (Also, tell me if you like Tanya or Tania better.) Did you do BP? Link me yours! And if YOU could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Also, I am going on a hiatus until June because my study abroad semester ended and I am going on a cruise (!!!) with my parents and sister but without free wifi. So. 'Til then!

And don't forget to enter my (three!) blogoversary giveaways! Check them out!

Beautiful People #16: Damla

Guess what? It's time to talk about Damla from #SlavicNovel because she is possibly my favorite character from that WIP right now. I didn't realize who she was at first, or how awesome she would be.


So today, you get to meet Damla. Prepare for epicness.

1. What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?

A scene popped into my head that had nothing to do with the novel I was writing. I wasn't sure how it would fit into SlavicNovel, or even if it belonged in SlavicNovel at all. Maybe it was it's own story?

So the scene was of a thief-girl (Damla) running into another thief during a major heist, where they are both impressed with the other person's fighting skills. The mystery thief corners our thief-girl, rips the scarf off her face, and and is pleasantly shocked to find it's a girl because our mystery thief is a girl too (early version of Oriana!). They then have to run for their lives because their fighting has caused too much noise, and become friends.

That was what popped into my head one night, and somehow made it's way into SlavicNovel after all. It's a little different ("become friends" isn't exactly how it ends - more like "become unwilling partners"), but is just as badass-ly awesome as I envisioned it in the beginning.

2. Describe their daily routine.

Damla lives with her father, a once-rich once-famous nobleman who squandered all his money (and thus his childrens' inheritance). But what does he care? He has two daughters which basically means DOWRY. But Damla's sister Ziya (who can't walk) has gone off and married a supernice but superpoor musician (such dishonor!) named Melik, which means she's been disowned from the family. Now Damla is her father's only hope.

With that preface, Damla's (rather irregular) routine: In the daytime, she does noblewoman duties with her father, who likes to pretend he's not poor. They visit richer noblemen and go to parties and try to earn favors and Damla hates it. This is also when Damla's father tries to get various rich men interested in her without revealing their financial situation. They're mostly perverts or old or old perverts.

The only reason why she doesn't rebel is because while she chats up these rich fellows, she finds out about where they keep their precious gems and other things of that sort. She learns the layout of their houses when she goes to parties they host. And then, she and Melik plan their next burglary.

Melik and Damla meet up at his place where Damla says hi to her sister and then debriefs Melik on the plan for the night. They have a system - Melik stands guard, while Damla sneaks into the houses. The spoils of the burglary don't go to Damla's dad, obviously - they all go to Melik and Ziya.

3. If they joined your local high school, what clique would they fit into?

I'm not sure if Damla would be a part of a clique. She may be the person that's kind of able to be friends with everyone, observes from the sidelines, and is just generally liked.

She definitely wouldn't be the popular girl, though she COULD be if she wanted to.

4. Write a list of things they merely tolerate. Ex. certain people, foods, circumstances in their lives...

First off, jerk dad and creepy suitors, because right now she needs them to make a living.
But also:

• Shoes
• Melik's jokes
• Oriana (Well, that comes later in the story.)

5. How do they react in awkward silences?

She'll smile pleasantly at the other people and wait for the conversation to continue. She believes silences are only awkward if you decide they are.

6. Can they swim? If so, how did they learn?

Damla lives in Karakhra, which is a port town, so she has beaches to practice on. However, most of her neighbors actually cannot swim because they've never had to. She just made it a point to learn because the water looked so beautiful and treacherous and she wanted to know she had the power to defend herself against it if she ever had to. Also creeping off to beaches at night felt super rebellious, even though her dad didn't know about it. She kind of wished he did. 

7. What is one major event that helped shape who they are?

(Technically spoiler? But I don't know if people care about me spoiling a novel that's literally in Draft 0.5.)

When the eldest prince from the neighboring country (Tania and Oriana and Baba Yaga's currently unnamed country) came as an ambassador five-ish years ago to Karakhra, Damla and he had a kind of fling. Well, at that point, neither of them thought it was a fling, but they were both young and stupid (and Damla was younger and stupider and this was her first love). Like, duh, the crown prince of the country that your country is not exactly friends with is not going to marry some foreign girl who, though a noble, isn't exactly royal, and who has a dad who's going bankrupt.

Anyway, though Damla is super sensible, she kind of went all Great Gatsby and spent five years idolizing Prince Luka and creating this perfect man in her head that maybe would come back eventually? For her? Even though by now she 99% knows he won't?

8. What things do they value most in life?

Her sister Ziya, no question. And, close after, her brother-in-law Melik, who's a super decent guy (and a super decent street musician and partner-in-crime). 

9. Do they believe in giving other people second chances? Do they have any trust issues?

Yes, Damla definitely believes in second chances. Maybe third? But definitely not more. (Ahem, looking at you, dad.) Damla has some trust issues (mostly when it comes to romance? See the spoiler bit about Prince Luka above), but not enough to affect her a lot. She's at a nice balance between naive and suspicious - she's cautious and has street smarts.

10. Your character is having a rough day... What things to they do to make them happy again? Is there anyone they talk/interact with to get in a better mood?

She would never admit it, but Damla sometimes retreats into Luka-memories. It doesn't necessarily make her happy, but it does make her forget the present.

More effectively, she visits Ziya and Melik and always leaves full of tea and crackers and smiles and bad jokes.

That's Damla! Tell me about your writing projects. Are you doing Camp NaNo in April? (I'm not, because #SlavicNovel requires my attention.)

Beautiful People #15: Oriana and Misha

Yay! It's time for Beautiful People! 

And because Valentine's Day was earlier this month, you get to meet Oriana and Misha, who DEFINITELY would not celebrate Valentines Day. Well, Misha might, but Oriana would REJECT IT and challenge him to a romantic swordfight in the practice arena instead.

 

1. How did they first meet?

It's kind of a long and complicated story that actually doesn't show up in my novel. After her mother died, Oriana ran off to join the Warriors, a kind of band of fighters independent from the king, but very patriotic nevertheless. The problem was that the Warriors are all men, and Oriana was a small, blond, dirty, sixteen year old girl when she first showed up at the gates of their camp on the island of Nul. 

But Oriana is an... intense... kind of person, even when she was small and sixteen. No one knows exactly how she became a member of the Warriors, but there is a rumor that she nearly bit off another Warrior's finger when they tried to force her out. The fact that she caught on to fighting quickly definitely helped, and soon the Warriors, though no less sexist, had just kind of forgotten that Oriana was a woman. She was the exception to their rule.

But there was one fellow who didn't forget, and that was Misha. Everyone was a little shocked when the blacksmith stumbled upon the two lovers behind the stables - it had been so long since they had considered Oriana anything else than a Warrior. 

Long story short, they got married, and, soon after, Oriana became leader of the Warriors.

2. What were their first impressions of each other?

Frankly? Misha thought she was extremely intriguing and mildly insane (because seriously, what else do you think when a dirty, loud, and violent creature shows up in camp?). Now he knows she is DEFINITELY insane, and is super cool with it.

Oriana didn't notice Misha until later, but when she did, she thought he was HILARIOUS and pleased that he understood her sense of humor. She didn't tell him though, obviously.

3. How long have they been a couple?

When we meet them in SlavicNovel, it's been... three years? Ish? They've been married for about two.

4. How committed/loyal are they to each other? Would they break up over a secret or a disagreement? Could stress drive them apart? Would they die for each other?

I don't think anyone that wasn't really really in love with Oriana would fall for her in the first place. Misha isn't going ANYWHERE. And Oriana is fierce in everything, including relationships, so she's not going anywhere either.

If the secret was super big, than maybe? I mean, it would definitely cause problems. But they probably wouldn't break up entirely.

And oh please. I don't think you realize that their life IS stress. Not only are they Warriors, they are the leader and the husband of the leader. They THRIVE on stress.

Also, they are both Warriors, which means they are willing to die for their country. So they're definitely also willing to die for the love of their life.

5.. List 5 "food quirks" they know about each other. (Ex: how they take their coffee, if they're allergic to something, etc... and feel free to mention other non-food quirks!)

Um. I don't think they have any food quirks? Cuisine is not exactly a major part of their life as Warriors - they eat a lot of meat and vegetables, whatever the cook happens to make that day. So I'm going to go with non-food-quirks, I guess?

Misha knows that Oriana, during meetings, glares angrily at him when she's trying not to laugh at something one of her generals said. She tries to keep up appearances and overcompensates. So he doesn't mind and just grins back, which makes her glower more.

Oriana knows that every time they go to someone's house, Misha invariably ends up leaning against the brick oven, warming himself. He's like a cat. He's also always got cold toes and fingers, so he's attracted to ovens. Oriana likes to watch him maneuver his way during conversations so that he can stand as close as possible to the warmth.

6. Does anyone disapprove of their relationship?

Not really. And anyone who does disapprove better keep their thoughts to themselves because Oriana would destroy them with her fiery stare - and with her dagger too, probably.

7. What would be an ideal date?

Probably something impromptu. Perhaps, after swordsmanship practice together, Misha suggests that they go wander outside of camp and through the forests. Maybe they go riding? Maybe they go boating down the river? Probably riding, it's more lively. And then they come home for dinner with the Warriors and an annoying after-dinner meeting with Oriana's generals, during which Misha keeps winking at Oriana who is trying too hard to keep a straight face. So nothing gets done during the meeting except that Oriana overcompensates and yells irrationally at one of her men, and Misha can't help grinning the entire time because he knows exactly what's happening. Afterwards they walk out and gaze at the stars, then go back to their rooms for sexytimes, probably. ;)

8. What are their personality dynamics? Similar? Contrasting? Do they fight a lot or mesh perfectly? 

Misha is more laid back, and usually thinks Oriana's hot temper and badassery just makes her more attractive. But he's not just a blob of laughter either. Both of them will stand strong for what they believe is right, and this means that they definitely fight quite a bit. Misha will back down if it's something he thinks isn't worth the effort, but Oriana is a teeensy bit more competitive (read: EXTREMELY MORE), and she'll get mad sometimes when he won't indulge her arguments. 

They really balance each other out though, because Misha keeps Oriana from getting too violent sometimes. 

And they have the same sense of humor. And they're super cute together.

9. What have been their best and worst moments together as a couple?

When Oriana was first elected to be the leader of the Warriors, there was a lot of opposition from the people who hadn't voted for her. It was tough for her, and Misha tried to support her through it, so I'd actually say this was their best period since Misha never doubted her.

The worst? Oh dang this is tough. Well, they've had a lot of arguments in terms of war-planning about proper measures to take and levels of retaliation since Oriana tends to go for immediate violence a lot of the time and Misha is a bit less extreme. So I think it's difficult for them to "discuss work at home," since Misha IS one of Oriana's generals so even though they're equal in other aspects of life, and she values his opinion, she's technically his superior professionally. It's complicated. And tough.

10. Where do they see themselves and their relationship in the next few years?

Misha would hopefully like kids, and Oriana theoretically likes the idea of kids but she's always too busy. Misha also understands the problem of having kids while leading a freaking army of Warriors, so no kids as yet. 

Did you do Beautiful People this month? (Link me in the comments!) And how's your writing going? Do you have a favorite couple in your WIPs? Tell me about them!

Beautiful People #14 // Writerly Resolutions & Goals

Yes, I know I haven't been around much on this blog lately. That's because I've been galivanting around Denmark, and you can check out my adventures here. But in addition to eating a lot of pastries and walking through foggy streets I've also been planning a lot of guest posts. YAY! Awesome people are coming to share their knowledge/likes/dislikes/wisdom/fangirling with you! If you would like to join them as a guest blogger on Ravens and Writing Desks, click here.

And now, on to Beautiful People!

This month's Beautiful People is a little different - it's about ME (because I'm obviously a Beautiful Person). We are talking about goals, resolutions, and achievements for 2016! Because New Years are exciting!

Linking up, as always, with the lovely ladies Skye and Cait.

1. What were your writing achievements last year?

You seriously expect me to remember what I did over three months ago? Okay, let's try.

• I wrote a 450 word flash fiction piece. And it was actually KINDA FUNNY. *fist pump* 
• I realized I don't know where I stand on the plotting/pantsing front. (Why is this an achievement? Because I learned not to box myself in when I write.)
• I plotted out 80% of a novel idea in three days and wrote it for NaNo and it actually has hope for being concluded and a decent work of fiction. *double fist pump*

2. Tell us about your top priority writing project for this year?

I have two:

• SlavicNovel: finish up Draft 1 sometime in the coming months (so close!) and start (and hopefully finish) Draft 2 by the end of the year.
• CamelotNovel: plot (by the end of the semester) and write Draft 1 (summer project). Maybe get this on WattPad? Because it's totally just for fun and not for publication.

3. List 5 areas you'd like to work the hardest to improve this year?

• Plotting. I feel like I'm never going to be comfortable with plotting. It's SUCH AN EFFORT for me.
• Time Management: My writing schedule is entirely messed up and sporadic. I need to try to write consistently.
•  Focus: I get distracted by plot bunnies easily, and don't always put in a lot of effort into my trouble-spots (cough plotting cough cough).
•  Caring  Less about Writing Garbage: I like to think that I'm cool with this but it's still a struggle every time I want to sit down and write. Once I'm writing, it's all good, but I think fear of imperfection is my biggest impediment to actually starting my writing sessions.
• Scrivener: Basically I want to fully figure out Scrivener and use it to it's full potential! I just got it for NaNoWriMo (free trial woo!) and then after I won NaNo I got a 50% coupon code so it went from eeep-a-little-too-expensive-to-splurge-on to oh-that's-less-than-the-price-of-two-hardcovers. This isn't really an area in my writing, but it contributes, so I'm saying it counts.

4. Are you participating in any writing challenges?

Well, NaNoWriMo, obviously, but beyond that, nothing else really.

5. What's your critique partner/beta reader situation like and do you have plans to expand this year?

Since I've never finished an edit-worthy manuscript, I've never seriously considered critique partners or beta readers. BUT. With SlavicNovel promising to be done soon, I'm definitely going to be requiring some beta readers in the coming months, so I suppose I'll figure that out when I get there?

6. Do you have plans to read any writer-related books this year? Or are there specific books you want to read for research?

In terms of research, I'm definitely going to be skimming through rereads of Malory and Chretien and all the good classic Arthurian lit for CamelotNovel.

For SlavicNovel, I'm probably going to need to delve deeper into Turkish culture, but through which books, I don't know. 

7. Pick one character you want to get to know better, and how are you going to achieve this?

So for some reason, in both CamelotNovel and SlavicNovel, I ended up liking my secondary characters better than my MC. WHY? Therefore, I suppose the answer to this question is Tania, SlavicNovel's MC. Because I so WANT her to be a good character but I haven't been giving her the attention she deserves. Also in that vein, I need to develop Dina, CamelotNovel's MC.

Both of them are too flat, so I'm just going to make thousands and thousands of detailed character profiles and have fun writing lists of likes/dislikes for both of them, since that's my favorite method of character development. But I think I'm going to focus on Tania, since she's in better shape than Dina is, and SlavicNovel is actually mostly written, whereas CamelotNovel is just a Scrivener outline and a pinterest board.

8. Do you plan to edit or query, and what's your plan of attack?

Well, I kind of already mentioned this, but YES editing, and NO querying (at least not this year). SlavicNovel is going to go through a major editing adventure for Draft 2, which... should be fun. We'll see how that goes.

My plan of attack is, once I finish Draft one, to make a giant post-it/string/colored-pen scribble wall of plot lines and all that, so I can make sure my plot flows well, since that's my biggest problem. 

9. Tony Morrison once said, "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." What are the books that you want to see more of, and what "holes" do you think need filling in the literary world?

• NON WESTERN FANTASY I WILL SHOUT THIS UNTIL I DIE
• Female MC's without romantic subplots
• Female MC's who decide they're cool with being single in the end.
• Awesome families!

10. What do you hope to have achieved by the end of 2016?

Writing-wise? Blogging-wise? Or life-wise?

Writing:

• Draft 2 of SlavicNovel
• Write CamelotNovel and put it up on WattPad (eeeeeep nervousness!)
• Write more short stories (and flash fiction!)

Blogging:

• Host a giveaway (or two!)
• Completely redesign my blog theme
• Get back into consistently writing reviews.

Life:

• Get a research internship
• Start studying for the MCAT and thinking about medical schools (aaaaah real life is bearing down on me!)
• Eat more chocolate (this is a lifelong, continuing process, considering that "more" is objective).

Now it's YOUR turn! You are a Beautiful Person too, so let's talk about you! What are your goals (writerly and otherwise) for 2016? And what's one awesome thing you've achieved in your 2015 writing life?

Beautiful Books #3: SlavicNovel Yet Again

Well, 2015 is almost over here in Chicago - only six and a half more hours to go until the New Year! I thought I'd end off the year with this month's Beautiful Books post - obviously not because I'm LAZY AND PUT THINGS OFF UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, but because it's all about edits and future plans and hopes for next year.

I wanted to finish SlavicNovel by today - that was the goal - so that I could have something editable fresh for the new year, but that didn't happen. However, I'm close to the end! I just need to figure out that dang climax.

Anyway, here we go with the questions!

1. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), how did the book turn out? Did anything defy your expectations?

Weeeell I haven't finished it yet. But it's really close to being done. I'd say right now it feels like a 4 or a 5, but maybe that's pessimistic? The ending (ish) defied my expectations because it was way more complicated than I thought it would be dangit.
But on a happier note, some of my characters defied my expectations and were way easier to write than I thought they would be - namely, Baba Yaga, Damla, and Oriana.

2. Comparative title time: what published books, movies, or TV shows are like your book? (Ex: Inkheart meets X-Men.)

Dang this is complicated. Let's go for the Grisha books (by Leigh Bardugo) meet The Darkest Part of the Forest (by Holly Black) meets... something with ninjas. I dunno.

3. Do you enjoy working with deadlines and pressures (aka NaNoWriMo)? Or do you prefer to write-as-you're inspired?

Deadlines help definitely. I don't like them, but I can't deny that I am ten times more productive with them than without them. I like to think I'm self-motivated (homeschooling and all that) but perhaps that's only with academic pursuits. With writing, it's way harder.

4. How do you go about editing? Give us an insight in to your editing process.

Confession time: I've never reached that point on a WIP where I wanted to edit it. My collection is full of first drafts. But with SlavicNovel, I know I want to go farther. Here's my plan:
-Take a month long break from the novel.
-Send it to my kindle/phone and read it straight through as though it were any book I was reading.
-Make a gigantic plot outline using sticky notes and/or Scrivener
-Make the plot make sense. Cuz right now it doesn't.
-While working on plot, figure out character arcs kinda simultaneously.
-Eat a lot of chocolate after the plot is happy. CELEBRATE
-Take a break from the technical stuff for a month or so and conglomerate a ton of worldbuilding facts and fun stuff
-Somehow dive into rewrite #2.

What'll happen after that, I don't know. I'm not sure how rewrites work in my world. We'll see.

5. What aspect of your story needs the most work?

This is so hard to pick. I'm going to go with two things: worldbuilding (which is usually awesome for me *sad face*) and the conclusion/climax. I'm bad at tying plot points together.

6. What aspect of your story did you love the most?

Characters! As always. See next question :-)

7. Give us a brief run down on your main characters and how you think they turned out. Do you think they'll need changes in edits?

I have quite a few major characters because epic fantasy y'know.

Tania (my MC) - ew. She definitely needs work. She's so dang normal, and when she's not normal, she's whiny and immature. I can't seem to figure her essence out. She's supposed to be a bit of a jerk, but I can't figure out what she is when she's not being a jerk. Currently, she's pretty unlikable, which isn't good for an MC.

Stefan (Tania's unintentional friend) - pretty decent. He's kind of peppier than I though he'd be, but it's good, it balances out Tania's jerkiness.

Baba Yaga (witch) - epic sassy witch. She came out way sassier and way better than I expected she would. All the love to Baba Yaga.

Damla (thief) - wait no, all the love goes to DAMLA, not Baba Yaga. Or split it evenly between the two? Because this little marzipan ninja is my favorite of the badass women of SlavicNovel. She is perfection.

Oriana (warrior queen) - she's pretty decent, my major issue is that she's basically Damla but without as much heart and more violence. Which isn't what I want. Oriana's got heart, but it's a different kind from Damla's and I'm struggling to show that.

Koshiy (villain) - I'm trying to not make him your stereotypical dark bad boy but he very much so wants to be. I'm still not 100% sure what he's going to end up but whatever it is I know it will be fabulous. I don't have doubts with him, just unsureties.

Then there are various mermaid characters who are lesser than I wanted them to be (Laryssa, Rusalka), so I'm going to work on expanding those in the next draft.

8. What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?

Though I have hid many novels in dark holes forever, SlavicNovel is not destined for that path, happily. There will definitely be WAYYY more edits though, and eventually - maybe in 2017? - I'll find some beta readers. Querying and publication is the eventual goal, but that's a long while away.

9. Share a favorite snippet!

Hm. To a sharp eye this might technically be spoilers but oh well....

10. What are your writing goals and plans for 2016?

Drafts #2 and #3 of SlavicNovel! Start a fresh WIP (not sure which one yet). Write a couple short stories because I'm awful at that. Write around 100 words a day (small and therefore manageable).

Now it's your turn! Tell me about your editing process! (Any advice for me?) And what are your plans for 2016? Writing and otherwise?

Beautiful Books #2: SlavicNovel again

So yes, I missed Beautiful Books last month. BUT I WAS WRITING FURIOUSLY so HA I have excuses. NaNoWriMo is the ultimate excuse.

December is much less busy than November, so I will do both last month's and this month's. Here are November's questions! The December official post comes next week. :-)

1. Is the book turning out how you thought it would be, or is it defying your expectations?

Well, yes to both, kind of. Parts of it are exactly as I expected. Parts of it are totally different. Baba Yaga for one is a lot sassier than I expected her to be, which is AWESOME. Damla is a lot sassier too, which is DOUBLE AWESOME. Tania is a lot more obnoxious, which is NOT AWESOME and may get toned down in draft two.
I also thought, because it was so well plotted, there would be no major surprises. BUT WAIT. A random dude showed up and started making eyes at Damla, who isn't supposed to have a love interest. Stay away, Martin! She's a sass-master now.

But a lot of it is just a mish-mash of plots and scenes, and, frankly, right now it feels like a giant mess. Is there a central theme? Is there a proper path of events? Is it the grand epic I imagined? Who knows? Probably not.
But that's the fate of the first draft.

2. What's your first sentence (or paragraph)?

I shared this in my last Snazzy Snippets, actually. (Even though that probably won't be the real beginning in the final version.) So I'll share the first paragraph of Part Two of the book.

Damla looked around the empty alleyway and, with a small grunt of effort, pulled herself onto the balcony above. Pulling out a small, sharp, pin-like tool from her pocket, she knelt down by the lock on the balcony door and bit her lip. The lock was a little more complicated than she’d expected, but it was definitely very old, and so with a few twists of her pin, she heard the satisfying click of it opening.

3. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Have you ever tried both methods and how did it turn out?

I am a PLANTSER. A hybrid. Because YES I have tried both methods, and I am about to relate to you the (not so) fascinating tale of how that turned out.

IN THE BEGINNING... I thought I was a hard core planner (even though I wasn't). I would lie on my bed and plan all the novels, and write out extensive plots. But I never finished books. I'd get bored. My first NaNoWriMo novel was partially planned. At about 10,000 words, my plan DIED. So I pantsed the rest and it was awful. "Never again," I said to myself. "I must stick to planning or else it will collapse like The White Rose (aka Sophia's NaNo 2012)."

So I plotted out everything for NaNo2013, which was actually going to be an utter rehaul of a teensy thing I had written in my babyhood called Kings and Traitors. And then, on the evening of October 31st, 2013, a thought struck me. A scene, an image, a character. "Dang, I should write that," I said to myself. So I discarded any thoughts of writing Kings and Traitors that NaNo, and instead entirely pantsed my way through the mad and hilarious mess of a space opera called The Ulianthra. I reached 50,000 words at the climax, which was good, because I had no idea what to write next. So the beautiful horror that is The Ulianthra sits on my computer, unfinished, never to see the light of day.

For NaNo2014, I plotted out EVERYTHING - well, almost everything, except the ending, because I am bad at endings. Which can cause problems. Also, I grew bored of NaNo2014 (which you lovely folks know as VeniceNovel, or Masked Souls), and quit before I reached 10k. Good going, Sophia. (It was my first year of university, cut my some slack!)

And then suddenly, this year, I had an epic plot, with twists and things that ACTUALLY MADE SENSE, and I wrote it out immediately and dove into it just in time for NaNo2015 and then it just worked.

So really, when I say I'm a plantser, what I really mean is I don't know what the heck I'm doing with this noveling thing I just go with what the voices in my head tell me to do.

4. What do you reward yourself with after meeting a goal?

Sleep. All the sleep. Because I usually meet my goal at 11pm at night. (At least that's how it turned out this NaNo.)

5. What do you look for in a name? Do you have themes and where you you find your names?

Ah, names. I have a love-hate relationship with names, and I name my characters a little haphazardly depending on the genre and the story. Some characters have names that Mean Things. For example, apparently Damla means "Water Drop" in Turkish. Others, not so much. In SlavicNovel, many of my secondary characters have names because - oh dang he needs a name that's vaguely Slavic so how about Misha?

6. What is your favorite to write: beginning, middle, or end - and why?

I like middles. But early middles. And beginnings. Because I KNOW how they're going to play out, and can see the entire scene in my head.

7. Who is your current favorite character in your novel?

 DAMLAAAAA
I knew I liked her, but I didn't know she'd end up being my fave. But she has! Damla has the most perfect mix of sass and badassery combined with a really sweet heart, pretty excellent morals, and a nice dose of common sense. I couldn't ask for a better character!
(Dang, my favorite character isn't my villain? Applause for me. Maybe I'm normal after all.)

8. What kind of things have you researched for this project, and how do you go about researching? (What's the weirdest things you've researched?!)

I reasearch with The Almighty Google, and so far I've researched lots and lots of Turkish culture (and a bit of Slavic culture too, to fill my knowledge gaps). BUT.

The weirdest thing I've ever researched was for this project - mermaid sex. Think about it! Actually, maybe don't. Googling this was an interesting experience, to say the least.

I also had a long discussion with my mother about mermaid sex, nymphomaniacs, and sex slaves. It was surprisingly chill. I wish equally chill mothers upon all you writer friends.

9. Do you write better alone or with others? Do you share your work or prefer to keep it to yourself?

ALONE. I cannot write when there are people.

And I DO share work - I have been sharing work more lately, actually - but only teeny snippets. No big works. It's still super scary! I don't want to share my babies until they're perfect! (And we all know they'll never be perfect.)

10. What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!

I don't have super set writing habits. I particularly enjoy writing on a certain couch in my front room, though (featuring our just-decorated tree):

It's such a nice little sunny spot during the day! And the couch is super comfy and reclines with a foot-rest. <3

I write best in the afternoon, I think, but rarely do I actually write then. I usually end up writing in the evening or early in the morning on the train to school.

NO MUSIC ONLY SILENCE and the occasional coffeeshop chatter if I'm feeling like it.

I eat whatever my mom gives me when she fears for my survival because I've been sitting in the same position on the aforementioned couch for too long. Usually it's fruit, nuts, and cheese. Sometimes it's tea. And on lucky days, my dad throws me a chocolate bar.

What are your writing snacks? Are you a plotter or a pantser? And what's the weirdest thing you've ever researched for a novel? Let me know in the comments!

Beautiful Books #1: SlavicNovel

Well, it's that time again - Cait and Sky switch up their normal routine and change Beautiful People into Beautiful Books in preparation for NaNoWriMo!

Today I introduce you to what I am (rather unaffectionately and boringly) calling SlavicNovel:


1. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

Approximately... three? four? years ago, I was thinking about my culture, and how fun it would be to write a novel about the creepy dark things of Ukrainian folklore. I was also thinking about how little I remembered of the folktales my grandmother would tell me when I was little, and how the only ones I remembered involved (a) so many anthropomorphic animals or (b) retellings of western European fairy tales with a bit of Slavic culture thrown in. Someday, I thought, I'll write a story about a girl who disappears into the forest and has to face the demons and mermaids and Baba Yagas that live there.

And then I forgot about it.

Approximately... two? three? months ago, Cait mentioned she was writing a Slavic fantasy. Yay, more Slavic fantasy in this world! I thought. Then, more recently, she mentioned she needed culture-help, and I inundated her with a rather long comment, since, if you ask me, I WILL SHARE THE STORY OF MY PEOPLE. I mean, seriously, cultures are cool, and I love sharing mine (and hearing about yours).

And then I thought - wait. I know a crap ton about Slavic culture. I've been wanting to write some high fantasy for a while now. And I still have that tiny plot bunny hopping around in my brain whispering darkness! forests! magic! evil! folklore!

And NaNo was approaching. So here I am.

2. Why are you excited to write this novel?

Many reasons:
- MY CULTURE (see above)
- Dark magic
- Badass women
- Sexy mermaids (i.e. badass women)
- Witches (i.e. dark magic combined with badass women)
- Warrior queens (i.e. badass women)
- Lots of Ukrainian-style food (pierogie, fluffy bread, cheese-butter, and possibly the only delicious ways to eat beets and cabbage)
- A splash of Turkish culture (which I have no idea about HALP)
- Clever thieves (i.e. badass women)
- A dark sexy immortal villain
- And did I say SO MANY BADASS WOMEN

Also, I plotted out approximately 80% of this novel in a single weekend. This is a RECORD for me, people.

3. What is your novel about, and what is the title?

Well, this novel is about the things I bulleted above. It also involves people falling in love with the wrong people (and occasionally with the right people), a neglected youngest prince, and a lesbian mermaid who wants to seduce women, instead of men like the rest of the mermaids do.

I'm gradually realizing I don't really have a good summary, just a lot of exciting components.

I also have no title. The Raven King would actually be quite a perfect title, no lie, but I'm not trying to compete with Maggie Stiefvater here.

4. Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)

Characters are possibly my favoritest thing in the world so I kind of went overboard on this one and threw nine at you. Enjoy!

Tanya (my darling MC) - confused

Baba Yaga (old lady of the forest) - manipulative

Oriana (warrior queen) - blunt (in word and deed)

Damla (adorable thief) - underestimated

Stefan (neglected youngest prince) - enthusiastic

Koshiy (SEXY VILLAIN) - perverted (what? he is! the creep)

Rusalka (mermaid queen - aka SEXY VILLAIN #2) - vengeful

Laryssa (lesbian mermaid) - longing

Tania's grandpa  (as yet unnamed) - solid

5. Which character(s) do you think will be your favorite to write? Tell us about them!

Laryssa's my sad little lesbian mermaid, and I'm very excited to write her. However. I think my absolute favorites are going to be Oriana (my badass warrior queen) and Damla (my quiet, sweet, adorable, cunning thief). Actually, I think my favorite thing to write is going to be the dialogue and scenes involving them both. They have some fun conflicts in store - both with words and with weapons.

Stefan is adorable and mildly snarky too, so he may quickly rise in my favor. We shall see.

6. What is your protagonist's goal, and what stands in the way?

My protagonist is Tania, and she's possibly the only character I don't have fully fleshed out. She's a little foggy right now, but ultimately, she wants the safe adventures of the fairy tales - as in, adventure without danger, where she can return to her grandfather and tell him all about it. (She doesn't realize that yet.)

Physically, she wants to find Koshiy, steal the golden box which holds the secret to his immortality, and bring it back to Baba Yaga, so that Baba Yaga will clear her of her commitment to work for Baba Yaga. It's complicated, and all kind of goes back to Tania's mother not realizing what happens when you make deals with the dark things of the forest.

A lot clearly stands in the way. Koshiy himself, for one. Also, a lot of politics surrounding Koshiy - both magical and non-magical politics - that Tania doesn't know about. There are many people/things who want Koshiy dead, but they can't agree on how/who gets to kill him/why the heck this mortal girl is involved in the whole mess.

Also, her grandfather can't really take care of himself so she can't be away from home for too long. So many complications.

7. Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)

It's kind of a fictionalized version of Ukraine/the Black Sea/Turkey. I'm slowly making a crappy map on microsoft paint. Here's what I have so far.

Told you it's crappy. But hey, it's functional.

8. What is the most important relationship your character has?

I'm guessing this is about the main character? Tania is super close to her grandfather, but he's not present for a lot of the book, even though his well-being is the driving action for a lot of Tania's decisions. A second relationship that is important for Tania is a growing friendship between her and a stray prince named Stefan who is really not cool with being a youngest son and so decided to run off.

Everyone in Tania's village is kind of suspicious of her since her mother had dealings with the forest folk and Baba Yaga. Because of this Tania has put up barriers to close relationships in order to stop herself from being rejected. Friendships aren't an option in Tania's mind-world, so when Stefan comes along it really requires a lot of lessons to be learned on her part.

(I'm still deciding if I ship them or no... Do I want it to remain a friendship? Hmmm we shall see.)

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

She has a friend now - yay! She discovers that her agenda isn't the only one - her "quest" overlaps with someone else's "quest." And as cliche as this is: she learns teamwork actually works and sometimes working alone can be selfish.

10. What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?

Some potential themes (though these are hard to determine for me before the book is actually written):
- selfishness destroys things
- revenge destroys things
- breaches of trust destroy things
- racisim and ethnocentrism destroy things
- don't destroy things.
Also
- dark things have reasons for being dark
and
- there are always two sides to the story - sometimes three

By the end of the book I want readers to be interested in Slavic (and potentially Turkish*) culture. And I want them to feel mildly creeped out but simultaneously alert for adventure every time they enter a forest.

*if I actually do the Turkish parts right OMG HELP ME GUYS SERIOUSLY

BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.

Okay *deep breath* here goes:

1. DON'T EDIT - yet. I feel like everyone says this but it's worth saying again. November is for word-spewing. December is for editing. Repeat after me. DECEMBER IS FOR EDITING. If you don't write the thing you can't edit the thing.

2. Tell the people you see habitually that you are doing This Thing. Then maybe they'll forgive you if you disappear from all social life for a month to write your NaNovel. But seriously - it's awesome to have a support group that understands and can encourage you. My dad is totally into me doing NaNo and is the best cheer-er-on-er. My mom is a bit more hesitant but is cool with it as long as I tell her I won't let my grades fall and I won't destroy my eyes by staring at a computer screen too long. So if I disappear into my room for an hour or two - she knows what I'm doing, and will bring me grapes and cheese and water. That got off track - basically the people you tell will either support you (great!) or know to avoid you (still great!).

3. Consider taking a social media break. Yes, I know it's hard because part of the NaNo experience is Twitter with it's word sprints and encouragement, and the NaNo forums with a little bit of everything lovely. But think about assigning a certain amount of time where you turn off the wifi and just write. After your time is up, you can hop back onto Twitter or the forums and announce your newly-increased wordcount - won't that feel lovely?

SO FRIENDS! Tell me about you writing projects! Are you doing NaNo? (Add me as a buddy if you are.) Do you have any advice for other NaNoers? And do you have any insights into the Turkish culture? (seriously I need help here so badly.) 

Beautiful People #13: Zaneta Again!

I've had a crazy September. It flew by so fast! But that's for Friday's post. Tonight, I'm squeezing in September's Beautiful People post before September ends!

(Hosted by Cait and Sky.)

More Zaneta this month! I love that crazy, crazy girl.

1. They're in a crisis: who would they really like to see right now?

Bartolomeo, her dad. Part of her knows he can't solve everything, but the 3 year old that's still hiding in her soul really really insists he can.

2. Are they easy to get along with?

Oh please. If you've read my other BP posts featuring Zaneta, you know the answer is YES. (Most of the time, at least. She's got a bit of a temper but it never lasts long.)

3. Who was the last person they had a deep conversation with?

Besina, her mother. Deep mother-daughter talks keep the world a lovely place!

4. They're in the middle of a huge crowd of people: how do they feel?

Mildly intimidated. But the feeling of intimidation is entirely overwhelmed by excitement and anticipation of adventure (and possibly meeting cute guys).

5. Do they believe in luck or miracles?

Yes, both. But miracles more than luck.

6. Do they like and get along with their neighbors?

Most of the time. And especially the young male ones. (Gosh, this is making Zaneta sound like SUCH a flirt. She's not. Well, I mean she is, kinda, but that's not ALL she is.)

7. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?

Zaneta really wants to see the fields of Tuscany someday.

8. How do they feel about their body?

She has her insecurities, as any young girl does, but they're not too gargantuan. She's a bit self-conscious about her ears especially? She adores her hair, her lips, and the fact that her nose isn't ugly. Ugly noses can change a person's appearance dramatically, in her opinion.

9. What is the cruellest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

One of the customers once doubted that a mask was her handiwork, and that she was her father's apprentice. She was about to give them a piece of her mind when her father interrupted and calmed the situation down by being chill and awesome and staring hard at the person until they got uncomfortable and left.

10. What is the kindest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

Luckily, Zaneta's grown up in a functional family with loving and supportive parents and a rather progressive extremely proud father who ADORES his only child and teaches her the art of maskmaking. So the kindest thing someone has said to Zaneta is not just one thing - it's kind of spread out across her childhood in all the affirmative and wonderful things her parents have said to her. Bartolomeo telling her she's made a mask well is pretty much her favorite thing to hear ever.

So. That's September's BP post! Next month I might have characters from a new WIP - potential NaNo material? We shall see.

(Check out all my BP posts here!)

Did you do Beautiful People this month? Link them in the comments! And how is your writing going? OH AND - if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Beautiful People #12 // Zaneta and Angelina

Today we're looking at two friends from Masked Souls (also known as VeniceNovel because I'm not sure how much I like that title):

Zaneta and Angelina 

    

1. How long have they known each other, and how close are they?

They've been friends since they were tiny children (about seven years old?) and met up while playing on the banks of the canals, so I guess that would be... ten years? They live a short walk away from each other, so it was a convenient friendship. They're pretty close, since they grew up together, and Zaneta's longing for sparkle in every part of her life naturally grasped on to Angelina, who is playful sparkle incarnate.

Giovanni

2. What's their earliest memory of being best friends?

Zaneta would say that it was when Angelina took her side against Angelina's brother, Giovanni, in an argument. Angelina, though she won't admit it, worships her older brother to a certain extent, and Zaneta appreciated that Angelina considered her a good enough friend to take her side in the discussion.

3. Do they fight? How long do they typically fight for?

Their tempers are very similar. They flare up quickly, and then disappear just as quickly. They don't fight as much as they have five minute squabbles before returning to love again.

4. Are their personalities similar, or do they compliment each other?

At many levels, their personalities are very similar. They both laugh easily, cry easily, and get angry easily. At first glance, Zaneta appears to be the more headstrong and tough one, and Angelina the weaker, more delicate, and more superficial one, and I suppose this is true to a certain extent. But Angelina has hidden strength, and Zaneta can be just as flighty as Angelina. 

I suppose they compliment each other by being similar. Angelina satisfies Zaneta's need for sparkle and superficiality and pretty nothings, and Zaneta satisfies Angelina's desire for a friend who takes her seriously. 

Also, I think an interesting study is a comparison of their flirting methods. :-) Angelina is a hair twirler, giggler, and an "Oh dear, could you help me with ____?" All the while overwhelmingly elegant in swooshing skirts.

Zaneta can make flattery sound honest, and has the most fantastically charming smile in all of Venice. She has a touch of mystery and adventure to her that is kinda irresistible. And she can be clumsy sometimes, but forgiveably so, because she's kinda cute, you know? 

5. Who is the leader of their friendship (if anyone)?

I think it depends on the situation. At parties, Angelina is the leader, and Zaneta learns from her. On the street, hanging out with friends (and many beaus), they are equal. And in the marketplace or when interacting with the slightly more lower classes, Zaneta leads, and Angelina follows.

6. Do they have any secrets from each other?

Angelina is secretly shipping Zaneta and Giovanni very VERY HARD. (This would be a good place to point out that Giovanni is Zaneta's friend too, just not as close as Angelina. He's kind of taken on a big-brother role with Zaneta as well, since she was always hanging out with his sister.)

handsome stranger (i.e. Nicolo)

Zaneta has many secrets that she acquires over the course of the story (though not in the beginning). Some, she tells Angelina (like meeting the handsome stranger during Carnivale). But many she keeps to herself (like the mysterious cloaked and creepy man who had been having odd deals with her father, or like her father suddenly getting arrested with no warning for no reason, or like the note her father left in the workshop about a very odd mask he had been working on).

7. How well do they know each other's quirks and habits?

Angelina has taught herself how to look very very interested and enraptured when she isn't interested at all. Zaneta can tell the difference between interested Angelina and fake-interested Angelina, which is something not everyone can do.

8. What kind of things do they like to do together?

Rowing on the canals is always fun, especially if they can recruit some cute guy to row for them (which isn't hard for them to do). Angelina hosts a lot of parties, and Zaneta is always invited. And when there aren't people to hang out with (or boys to flirt with), they like to sit on the front stoop of Soranzi Masks and chat and watch the boats float down the canal.

9. Describe each character's fashion style (use pictures if you'd like!) How are their styles different/similar?

Well, Angelina's a little higher on the aristocracy pole than Zaneta (though not by much), so it impacts the dress. This isn't at ALL historically accurate, but I'm not writing hist fic here. Anyway, here are pictures:

Angelina, daily wear

Angelina, Carnivale dress

Zaneta, daily wear

Zaneta, Carnivale dress

 Now that I look at these pictures, I see how horribly historically off some of them are. *shrugs* I'm afraid if I focus too much on historical accuracy, I'll never get to my story, so oh well.

10. How would their lives be different without each other?

Zaneta would go to less parties. She would probably get into more mischief than she already does. Going to the dances with Angelina keeps her out of trouble. 

Angelina wouldn't have someone to talk to about serious matters, since a lot of people see her as kinda superficial.

This is the last Beautiful People post this month, I promise... (Finally caught up!) Check out the other friendship-themed posts and join the linky HERE!

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Oh and before you go, some news: I got a tumblr! Which might not have been the best idea considering I start school tomorrow. Oh well.