My Writing Favorites|| Beautiful People April 2018

Hello everyone, today we are discussing my writing favorites with a writing meme hosted by by Cait @paper fury and Sky @further up and further in in which writers discuss their current writing projects.

I am currently on hiatus and expect to remain on hiatus into the beginning of May for complicated life reasons and the time it takes to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo, but I just had to return and participate in the final edition of this meme.

Today’s character based questions will center around Lyle, the protagonist of the project I’m currently revising for Camp NaNoWriMo.

Favourite genre to write in?

Looking at what I’ve written in the past, I’m going to have to say science fiction. It’s what I write the most even if I write a lot of fantasy too.

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

As much as I love fiction, I’d probably have to go with some sort of self-help book because Lyle’s life is messed up. Unfortunately, I don’t read a lot of self-help books. Maybe a guide on how to be human, LOL.

Favourite piece of dialogue you’ve written?

Most of my dialogue doesn’t work out of context . . . I’ve been looking for half an hour and haven’t found anything I’m willing to share, so here is one of my favorite first lines instead:

“The only person here tonight who does not want to kill me is my mother.”

What did your character want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

My character is still a teenager . . . sort of, it’s complicated, so he hasn’t grown up yet. I want to leave this open for a potential sequel.

Favourite character name(s)?

I’m actually really bad at naming characters so, um, Lyle. Let’s go with that.

What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

I misread this question as “what makes you feel loved” which made this seem like a very awkward question for this sort of Q and A. . . .

Anyway, this depends on whether the question is referring to before or after the book. I suppose Lyle’s friends make him feel loved?

Favourite character you’ve ever written?

This would probably have to be the protagonist of one of my middle grade projects. She is a fairy princess who wants to be something– anything– other than a fairy princess, and I just had so much fun writing her even though I generally dislike the rebellious princess trope.

If your character were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? (Why?)

Well, Lyle actually does “leave town” so to speak early in my draft. He does so at the spur of the moment with very few belongings except for one that helps him speak. Lyle likes being able to speak.

Favourite tropes to write!

In my fantasy, I love writing stories that feature quests with lots of travel . . . maybe a little too much because I don’t travel often. In my sci-fi, I love exploring moral dilemmas that arise from concepts like time travel and other theoretical technology.

Overall, I’m not sure if this is a trope or not, but I love writing from unusual point of views. I mean this less in terms of the character I’ve chosen as my narrator being an odd choice, though there is some of that, and more in terms of the way in which they tell the story being somewhat experimental.

For example, when I wrote from the point of view of a character who could read minds, she would frequently make comments that, from any other character, would resemble what is known as “head-hopping” in which a character knows more than they should about what other characters are thinking.

Which story has your heart and won’t let go?

I really want to write something set underwater, but have never gotten around to it. At the moment, it’s next on my “to-write” list.

Favourite relationship between characters you’ve written?

This is a hard one. If this can apply to non-romantic relationships, then the complicated bond between two siblings who are side characters in one of my previous manuscripts I’ve now shelved.

Toni 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?

There are so many “holes,” but I don’t necessarily think it’s my place to “fill” most of them. As to what I think the literary world needs more of in general, but not necessarily that I will write, I think it needs more books set outside of the US and UK, more books featuring friendship and family bonds, and more books featuring characters with various disabilities.

Favourite pinterest board / aesthetic for a book?

I have a tendency to get caught up in searching for these sorts of things for hours and I don’t have time for that right now, so I think I remember Marie Lu had some nice ones?

Favourite time periods & settings to work with?

Well, I love writing about the future an in places that don’t exist. Does that count?

When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

This depends on the book in question, but generally I would like them to come away feeling I’ve made them think about concepts they’ve never considered before. Not even feeling that their thoughts on these concepts have changed, just feeling interested in having a conversation about them.

What is your favorite time period to write in? Anyone else participate in April’s Camp NaNoWriMo? Were any of my questions surprising? 

Share your thoughts in the comments!