Snazzy Snippets // read fetus sophia's bad writing

So this round of Snazzy Snippets is technically Childhood Edition, but I decided to ignore questions 2 and 3 and just inundate you with my answer to question number 1:

A snippet from something your wrote more than 2 years ago.

I scoured my basement and family bookshelves for my childhood scribbles, and I was EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL in my quest. Travel with me into my hobbit history, and cringe with me at my "stories." (Though I realize that I didn't write enough of my crazy ideas down, so I share my thought processes too.) Shall we dive into the madness?

*whoosh**time traveling noises**it's 2005*

my first ever notebook (thanks for writing dates on all my scribble-books, mom!)

The evil Butler Matt

Almost-9-year-old me has just discovered that I can WRITE BOOKS. (Before this, I thought writers were magical sorcerers or something, beings with powers far beyond those of mere mortals like myself.) My first novel is called Great-Great-Aunt and tells of the adventures of a family going to stay with their 99 year old Great-Great-Aunt Margie (who is extremely lively for her age) and the conflict involved Great-Great-Aunt's butler irrational hate of children (which is suddenly resolved without any sort of explanation because I am sick of this story and want to end it fast and write something with MAGIC). This book is five chapters long and involves a very innocent Chapter 3 that I just read out loud with my father and sister, and we all laughed way too hard at all the unintentional sexual innuendos. Oh innocent baby Sophia. I'm not sharing those here but I might on twitter eventually... if I feel like it... ;) Behold instead some other pages of my manuscript, rife with illustrations, cross-outs, and misspellings.

After conveniently finishing that book, I move on to A FANTASY NOVEL OBVIOUSLY because WHAT IS A STORY WITHOUT MAGIC? It's called Princess Katherine and is abandoned after two pages.

Soon after, I move on to The Magic Door which is basically Narnia, except Professor Diggory Kirke is an old, grumpy, and old fashioned man named Mr. Wistly. Oh, and all the children have names that start with the letter S because that's not confusing at all. (You can also always tell how old I am because it's the narrator's age too. *coughcough*MarySue*coughcough* Particularly here because her name is FREAKING SOPHIE. NOT OBVIOUS AT ALL SOPHIA.)


Obviously, my best work is the prophecy that the children find:


That book is left unfinished, right after I introduce an actually fascinating character named Duke Kochel, who is actually a pig in a tri-corner hat.

Next, I begin my first story that actually has a tiny sliver of potential. I call it Edwarde Story, beginning a long tradition of placeholder titles. (Years later, I try again and rename it Kings and Traitors.) IT IS NOT NARNIA, which is something to be proud of. IT IS ALSO PLOTTED ALL THE WAY THROUGH (though not written all the way through), and even has a SEQUEL PLOTTED OUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH which is (if you know my current plotting troubles) something absolutely to be proud of. (2006 Sophia the Plotting Queen please come back!) However, the writing is still obviously cringey, and I actually refer to someone as "substantially pretty," at one point. Like, what does that even mean? Her prettiness had substance? Sophia, what?
Below is my hero being all pensive in a dungeon.

I decide next to try my hand at romance (though still within the genre of fantasy and adventure), and started Over the Mountains, about a badass peasant girl who is recruited to guide a prince over the mountains and to his home. This one was also plotted all the way to the end - granted, it was only 8 chapters long from beginning to end, but still, child-Sophia, please come back with your plotting abilities!

Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but I had a thing for naming my characters normal names but SPELLED INSANELY. Alyce, Olyver, Nykolas, Wyliom, and PHREDRICK. SERIOUSLY.

And now we reach 2007 and The Ancora. I don't really know how to summarize this book. It involved a boy named Alon who somehow got wound up with a bunch of outlaws in a heist to steal a powerful jewel called the Ancora while simultaneously on the search for his father. I even dressed up as one of the lady outlaws for Halloween that year. Think LOTR meets Robin Hood meets God-Knows-What-Goes-On-In-11-Year-Old-Sophia's-Head, and that's basically what this is.

It had a plot bunny of a sequel called The Vong which was basically The Ancora meets mystic cults, and thankfully that plot bunny withered and died.

I think we'll end on that note, yes? Would you actually READ any of these books? And I want to hear about YOUR crazy childhood writing. Isn't it so fun to travel back in time like this?

Ch1 Con // i went to a writing conference and loved it!

This past Saturday (the 6th) was one of the happiest of my life, and a very major reason was that I spent most of the day at Chapter One Young Writers' Conference in St. Charles, a suburb of Chicago. A short summary of why this conference was awesome:

• Published and agented authors giving superb advice!
• Meeting online friends in real life!
• Free books and swag!

Let's start with the advice :-)

First, there was a query writing workshop, led by Christina Li and Patrice Caldwell of the Ch1Con team, and even thought I'm not anywhere near querying yet, I'm filing away all the awesome things I learned in my mental folders (and hopefully it'll still be there when I'm in need of it in a year or two). One of the most useful things I collected at this workshop was: The Hook, The Book, and The Cook. This is a general outline of a query: first, you grab the reader with a one-sentence Hook. Then, you summarize the Book in a paragraph or two. And finally, you talk about yourself, the Cook, in a few final sentences. What a handy outline!

Next, Jordan Villegas, an unpublished but agented author, gave us a general overview about the non-technical aspects of writing. It really helped me feel better about not writing every day when he pointed out that we are not robots of inspiration, churning out stories. Perhaps there's a reason why you aren't producing writing on your slow days - you were experiencing some other aspect of life. After all, you can't write if you haven't lived!

Another one of the most useful things I got out of his talk was his "solar system" analogy when it comes to finding the theme of the novel. A good novel is like a solar system, where the theme is the sun in the center, and the plot points are the planets surrounding it at a good distance. But you have to be careful so the sun doesn't turn into a black hole and suck in the entire novel (the theme is too heavy and overwhelms the story), or so the sun doesn't shrink and allow the planets to float away (the theme is too light and doesn't hold the story down). 

Next, Susan Dennard talked about her path to becoming a writer. I'm currently reading her book Truthwitch so this was perfect timing! She shared many of her own insecurities when it came to feeling valid in the publishing world, which is something so many writers face but you never hear about, and she said that even now, with a bestselling book like Truthwitch, she still faces those same insecurities every day. But one of my favorite things she said was - "There are no expiration dates on dreams." We've got to keep trying because no one gets it right on the first try!

The next talk, by Jennifer Yu, was about finding time to write in college, and was mostly focused on the high-school and younger audience. I agreed with a lot of her advice, since I'm two years into my college adventure, and I'm sure that were I in high school I would have gotten a lot of good advice out of her talk.

The final talk was by Francesca Zappia, whom I forgot to take a picture of. (Ooops.) It was about character building, and super useful! She suggested we draw pictures of our characters, even if we weren't good artists, and that we write out scenes from our characters pasts, even if those scenes didn't end up in the book. 

Finally, there was a panel by all the authors, and here is a photo that I stole from the Ch1Con website. :-)

In addition to meeting these wonderful writers who spoke at the conference, I also got to hang out with people who's faces I only knew from their twitter profile pictures! Here are only a few of those marvelous people:

Brett

Brianna (on our Friday Chicago adventure where I got to play tour guide for a bit :P )

Lily (center) and Katie (Right)

And THEN. I got books signed! I also acquired some ARC's and swag. The most exciting was an ARC of The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart, MG author of The Mysterious Benedict Society series, which my sister and I ADORE.



All in all, it was a fabulous Saturday! I drove the hour long ride home with the windows down and the radio blasting (even on the interstate - ESPECIALLY on the interstate) and I legitimately almost cried because I was so full of happiness. (The gorgeous glowing clouds of afternoon sunlight didn't help either.)

If you are a young writer (as in college age-ish or younger), I HIGHLY suggest you check out Ch1 Con. I am definitely coming back in 2017!

Have you ever been to a writing conference? What's your favorite bit of writing advice?

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!

Guest Post: Not a Poet

As a nod to April being National Poetry Month, I invited Michael Taeger to talk about his adventures as a prose writer reading (and writing) poetry. Enjoy!

While I’m not a poet, I am a writer. And as a writer, whenever I hear advice about writing that sounds plausible, even if it’s outside of my comfort zone or nominal area of interest, I pay attention. So when Andre Dubus III, author of The House of Sand and Fog, gave a reading and Q&A in the summer of ‘14, I listened to what he had to say, hoping for insight. After his good-not-great reading, someone in the crowd asked him what he read. Normally a boring question with boring answers, he said, “Every night before I go to sleep, I read from a book of poetry.”

Well, I thought. That’s unexpected.

He went on to explain that while he isn’t a poet, he reads poetry because it engages dormany areas of his brain; that poets string words and phrases together in ways that make him pause and think about the universe; that his creativity, sparked by poetry, continues into his prose-writing. While he never neglects his other reading, poetry is his reset button.

A couple months later, Abigail Thomas (author of Safekeeping) gave a lecture and reading that I attended. again, an audience member asked for her reading habits. She said, “I always keep poetry on my nightstand.” She went on to echo many of Dubus’ words, about creativity and imagery and soft reset.

When Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Michael Chabon gave a lecture to my MFA program in early 2015, I raised my own hand. “I’ve been hearing that a lot of prose writers read poetry regularly. Do you keep that practice?”

I probably don’t have to write down his answer. He reads poems for the same reasons that Dubus and Thomas do; because poetry operates on a different level than prose. It is sentence-level writing, devoted to nothing but imagery, ideas and sounds. Reading good poetry is weight-lifting for the brain.

Maybe I should give it a try.

Since then, I’ve made a conscious effort to read more poetry: 10 (or so) complete books since April. It’s been a success, one that’s made me excited to continue. Traci Brimhall’s book of post-apocalyptic poetry, Our Lady of the Water, made me second-guess what poetry can do and and former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s Splitting an Order, made me cry through painfully honest, deceptively simple language. I can’t remember the last time a book evoked tears or reconstructed my entire perception.

In addition, I discovered that apart from personal gleanings, poetry affected my writing as well. Now, I’m not suddenly an entirely different writer, but I pay more attention to imagery and structure than I ever did before. I am more attuned to, and value more, interesting phrasing and unusual metaphors.

It’s obvious that other authors do the same. Go back and read All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez. The cadences and sentence structure of those brilliant novels is poetry. The prose lilts and elevates and turns around and around, forcing the reader to keep up with the journey. Besides telling a story, those novels are devoted to and in love with words.

On my nightstand right now are half a dozen books of poetry, carefully interspersed with works of prose. I’m currently reading Scarecrone by Melissa Broder, Anna Slesinski’s book of erasure poems Eating the Sun, and Bruce Wayne Sullivan’s bartender poems, Reflections from the Other Side, along with my normal fare of classic literature, graphic novels and sci fi/fantasy. And I have a stack of others up to my knees that just hasn’t made it to the table yet.

I’m still not a poet, but I’m more complete as a writer. And maybe I’ll be a poet someday. It’s always possible. 

Michael B. Tager is a writer. He is the author of the fiction collection "Always Tomorrow" and "Pop Culture Poems," a poetry chapbook (Mason Jar Press). He is currently writing a book of memoir told through essays about video games. He likes Buffy and the Baltimore Orioles. Find more of his work online at michaelbtager.com.

(Also, if you are interested in having Michael guest post for your own blog, connect with him on twitter @ideosinkrasee)

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.)

Guest Post: Yes and No

I'm always interested to hear about other fledgling writers' experiences with pre-agent adventures, especially with what got them writing in the first place. Today, I have  TM Hayes sharing her story.

While listening to Year of Yes of by Shonda Rhimes, I’ve been struck by the fact that a string of cathartic moments in her life in 2014 led her to say yes more, while the ones in my life the same year caused the exact opposite reaction. I said no, and I said it a lot. I’ve always been a yes person, a die-hard people pleaser, even when it meant taking less care of myself and spending less time with family and friends. Unsurprisingly, all the yeses left me feeling empty and alone. I couldn’t feel joy even though I was succeeding professionally and raising three healthy girls with my husband.

Miserable and lethargic, I felt guilty for feeling so disconnected from my life. I hit rock bottom at the end of 2013. I promised myself that 2014 would be my Year of No, and yes I called it that before I ever heard the title of Shonda Rhimes’ memoir. It was my mantra, my guiding principle. It was terrifying. Initially my noes were timid and uttered question-like. But like anything else with practice it became easier. And I didn’t only say no at work. I said it at home. I even said it to my kids.

It was excruciating but I intuitively knew what was on the line—me. It felt alien to be self-indulgent, but I learned to speak to myself kindly. It was okay to protect time for myself sometimes. It seems so obvious, but it still sends a shiver of guilt through me. Taking care of myself emotionally and physically resulted in immediate rewards—more energy, more engagement both at home and at work.

Something was still lacking. I knew what it was, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself at that point. I was afraid—afraid of failure, afraid of rejection, and just plain afraid of trying. The turning point came in July 2014 when we received the devastating news that my cousin, who was only 6 months my elder, died of a massive heart attack. She was healthy one day, raising two beautiful children with her loving husband, and then gone within hours. Her loss fractured our family both immediate and distant. It was a shockwave that reverberated through us all, and not one of us has emerged the same.

In the midst of grief and shock, I finally woke up. How often do we hear it said that life is short? I assist surgeons on cancer operations, I literally face death on a daily basis. But it finally sank in. None of us knows how much time we’ll be given in these precious lives of ours. Time isn’t on any of our sides. But it’s never too late to start. Yup, some clichés exist for a reason.

It was time to put the story that had been swirling in my head on paper. I started writing my first novel at the end of July 2014. I had a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, but aside from that, zero experience writing. I wrote anyway. No outline, no character sketches, other than the ones that had flitted in and out of mind for the months preceding. I’d newly joined Twitter (yes, I’m old and late to the party), and found that I could follow and interact with many of my favorite writers. These writers often doled out pearls of writing wisdom.

At exactly this time, one of the authors I greatly admired, E. Lockhart, tweeted along the lines of “Sit down and write a little every day, 135 words a day will equal a 50,000 word novel in a year”—an easily achievable goal. I downloaded Scrivener, set my target to 135 words, and promised to write daily. I did for a couple of weeks, but then life got in the way. Still, I didn’t stop. I adjusted course. If I worked a twelve-plus-hour day at work, I would aim for 300 words the next day. I made the commitment, allowing myself to make the time to write.

I stumbled, I wrote garbage, but I kept going. As I wrote more, it became easier. I even surprised myself with a couple of 4,000 word days. I finished draft one in less than a year. Rewrites ensued. Then I did what most impatient, naïve new writers do, I submitted to contests. The feedback after the first contest was pretty harsh. I gave myself ten minutes to cry it out, and then hit the keyboard again. I took the advice and rewrote the first five pages. I rewrote those five pages dozens of times. I submitted to another contest. I cringe at the thought of it, but this time something good came of my inexperience.

One of the judges gave me some encouraging feedback, and offered her editing services. We exchanged emails, and I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. I sent her an early draft of my novel, and she gave me my first overall manuscript critique. She perfectly balanced constructive criticism with encouragement, and I agreed with most of the changes she recommended. I rewrote again. I lost chapters, panicked at the dip in word count, but it cleared the path for a better story to emerge. Now fevered with writing, I watched the clock impatiently at work, eager to return to my laptop. My children and husband have been remarkably supportive of my writing time, and I could never thank them enough.

My editor fielded my concerned emails whenever I hit an impasse. She helped reason through the best next step. It was such a great experience working with her. I highly recommend investing in a professional editor. When the revision was finally completed, I sent it to her, and held my breath. Once again her fixes were fair and helped the heart of my story shine through. By October 2015, I officially had a final draft of my first novel. I did what I always do at the achievement of a major milestone in my life, I cried.

I closed the file, and took a two weeks off. In November 2015, I started my second novel for NaNoWriMo. I’d learned a lot, but was still a novice. I completed 50,000 words on November 29th, 2015. I had a very rough draft of a second novel, and again I cried.

Through the process of writing both novels, I have made incredible connections online. There is a vibrant, supportive network of writers of all stages on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. I consider these people I’ve never met in person my closest friends in some regards. I share the highs and lows of writing with them. They understand this crazy journey in a different way than family and friends do. They offer invaluable advice. And I try to return the favor, whatever I learn, I share.

In December 2015, I forayed into querying my first novel—a frightening and overwhelming experience. Writing a query letter, synopsis, or any number of shorthand forms of your novel that an agent may request is like learning a new language. Thankfully agents also abound on Twitter, and they’re always offering advice. I take it all to heart, and try to implement the common principles. I’ve had some positive responses, many negative responses, and some non-responses as well. I’m trying not to let the process dishearten me. Writing is an exercise in perseverance, and now that I’ve said no to everyone else, I have nothing but time.

TM Hayes works as a Surgical Physician Assistant in Robotic Surgery when she isn't busy writing or s-mothering her three daughters and husband. An avid reader of many genres, she can almost always be found with her nose buried deeply in a book with tears streaming down her face. Follow her on twitter @hayes_tm or on her blog www.notsoyoungadult.com

What about you? What got you writing? What have been your experiences in the querying world? Share it all in the comments!

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!

Snazzy Snippets // Valentine Edition

It's time for some more Snazzy Snippets (hosted by Emily and Alyssa)! This time we're talking about romance (though my snippets aren't really SUUPER romantic). I really, really wanted to share some snippets from CamelotNovel, which is a contemporary retelling (ish?) of the King Arthur myth, but according to certain promises I made to myself last month, I shouldn't be writing that until I finish SlavicNovel.

So I thought that if I share some more SlavicNovel snippets, I'll get back into Slavic-mood and maybe finally get that one done? Endings are so SO hard for me, especially when they involve epic fantasy with lots of threads to be tied up and everyone counting on the climax to get it all done.


#1: A HEARTWARMING SNIPPET THAT MAKES READERS GO "AWW!" - my story doesn't have very many awwww moments. I'm not sure if it's that heartwarming yet, really. I mean, it might be eventually, but now everyone's either super snarky or super seductive or super murderous. So this is as heartwarming as it gets.

Oriana squeezed her eyes shut and groaned. When she opened them again, she dug her hands into the pockets of her trousers and pursed her lips. 

“Damla,” she said. “I want you to know that I think you are a good fighter. And not just a good one - an excellent one. That’s why I wanted you on my team. When you spoke in front of my Otamans, I realized I had made a good decision.” She paused, and Damla didn’t say anything. She wasn’t going to leap back into agreement with Oriana at the hint of apology. Also, hadn’t it been Damla that had done the decision-making? 

“Please stay,” Oriana said quietly. “I may not need you, but I definitely want you - and appreciate you.” 

#2: A KISSING SNIPPET - How could I resist sharing more sexy mermaids when it asked for kissing? 

Laryssa reached over and twirled a strand of Tania’s dark hair around her finger. 

“I’m glad you’re my friend, darling,” she said, and Tania found it extremely hard to push away the thoughts of apple cider and sunsets and comfort. Laryssa’s eyes were remarkably green, she noticed, green and deep and beautiful. A small part of her mind wondered why she noticed that, and why Laryssa’s face was suddenly so near to hers, but the rest of her waded deep into the comfort of Laryssa’s smile.

Tania had never been kissed. She had never considered the prospect of kissing anyone. Particularly, she had definitely never considered the prospect of being kissed by a girl, let alone a mermaid. But when Laryssa’s lips met hers, all Tania knew was that this was the most soul-wrenchingly beautiful thing she had every felt and that she never wanted this to end.

Not even when Laryssa, gently caressing her, still with their lips pressed together, dragged her down the bank.

Not even when the water lapped up through her clothes and up her neck.

Not even when the mermaid, with a final flick of her tail, pulled Tania’s head below the waves, and all faded away in a purple mist.

#3: A SNIPPET WHERE LOVE INTERESTS FIRST APPEAR TOGETHER - I still haven't decided if I want Tania and Stefan to be a thing, so have Oriana and Misha instead. 

"My angel!” a man standing at the gate shouted, and Oriana grinned. 

“Shut up, idiot!” she yelled back. 

The man bowed with a flourish, a smirk on his face.

What writerly things have you been up to? How was your Valentine's day? (Mine was very Danish which means I didn't celebrate at all! I had family brunch instead.) 

 

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?