Writerly Ramblings

Hi all!

I thought I would start a new segment on this ol' blog: Writerly Ramblings, a place where we can all discuss our writing wins and woes!

At the moment I'm working - or meant to be working - on two different projects: one story that I'm about 3/4 of the way through writing, that needs a sequel planning and an ending writing; and a five book series, two of which are planned out. They are both fantasy/young adult, but quite different, and both are written in third person because that's the only tense I like writing in! And instead of focusing on the first one and getting it completed before moving onto the second one, which is the most sensible and logical idea...I'm just planning the series. Oops! I think the problem is that writing is a bit like Sims: it's a lot more fun planning and setting things up than actually writing it. And it doesn't help that I have a lot of distractions, like...

1. School

So this is a necessary distraction, but because I have homework and long days and need to reread all of the books in this picture (+ 1984, which I forgot to include), writing slips down the priority list, unfortunately. Paradise Lost and Hamlet especially take forever to read because, while Shakespearean era writing is beautiful and poetic, it requires a lot more attention than all the lovely other books I want to read - and write!


2. Books

Speaking of the lovely other books I want to read, you may not know, but a little book called LADY MIDNIGHT came out this month...and all I want to do is read it! I'm almost halfway through and loving every syllable, but it takes up writing time!




3. Hamilton

I listened to a few songs from Hamilton, the musical, a few months ago and thought they were ok, but nothing special. And now here we are, with me having all 45 songs on my iPod and trying to learn all of the raps! The problem with this is that there are some songs - like Non-Stop and The Schuyler Sisters - which you can't not sing along to, so I end up focusing on the lyrics rather than what I'm meant to be writing.

But it's worth it, because...well, it's Hamilton!


 Amidst all these distractions, I have miraculously managed to plot out all of books one and two of my five book series, and am now starting on the third! One of the problems I'm trying to work out - aside from ignoring other works, as I am so very good at! - is dealing with multiple POVs. The first book is told from one perspective, the second from three, and then in the third I've tried to write from four different people's views. The only issue with that is that I'm slowly realising I can't include everything I wanted into this one book, otherwise it'll be never ending! I think I've solved this as I've changed when things happen, but I know it's going to come up again later on!

I hope you liked this new form of post! Let me know in the comments if you're currently working on anything at the moment - how is it going? What genre is it?

Beautiful People: March

Hey everyone!

The questions from last month's Beautiful People for writers thing (Still don't know what to call it!) really got me thinking about the characters in my series, and you seemed to like the post (See here for my reply to the February questions), so I thought I would do March's questions too! I found them on the blog Paper Fury. Without further ado, here are my answers!

1. What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?
Esme is based on another character I created for an earlier version of this story, and I can't remember what first inspired the early draft of her character! I know she was called Arianna, but I prefer Esme now. Looks-wise she was based on Lily James, as I was watching War and Peace when I started redrafting this series...I haven't watched the end because I'll cry!

2. Describe their daily routine.
Esme generally wakes between eight and nine, and arrives at the Department of Supernatural, which she is the head of, by about ten. She stays here, sorts out any business - attending meetings, visiting struggling supernatural people - and stays at the Department for most of the day, getting lunch during a small break. Then, she goes home, perhaps meeting some friends for tea, but mainly just stays inside. She isn't too exciting before the books start, but she's very dedicated to her job.

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

 To be honest, I feel like Esme would be in a popular clique! Either that, or she would have her own clique that annoys the popular people constantly and gets into a bit of trouble but manages to get their way out of it again...that seems to be her speciality at the moment!
 

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

• When people underestimate her
• Most of her colleagues in the government
• Coffee
• People insulting her uncle
• Mushrooms (unlike myself...as I hate mushrooms!)

5. How do they react in awkward silences?

She's the type of person that would allow an awkward silence to go on for only so long before she remembered something they needed to do! Esme always has plans whirring away in her head, and she can be quite bossy when she wants to be. 

 

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

Esme can't swim as she lives in the middle of a city, even though it is a coastal city. Her uncle never thought that she would need it, and she was never that bothered to learn how to swim either. 

 

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

The biggest event that happens in her life occurs a few months before the series begins, and it is the death of her uncle. Esme has been raised by her uncle all her life as her parents passed away when she was a baby, and she has to mature a lot in a short space of time to take over her uncle's role in the government.

 

8. What things do they value most in life?

Esme values her friends most, and loyalty is very important to her. She loves her house as it was where her uncle and father grew up and it contains lots of happy memories for her, and later on in the series she values a certain ring as well... no spoilers! The portraits of her parents and uncle are incredibly important to her.

 

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

If Esme really cares for the person who has wronged her, she will give them a second chance as she doesn't let a lot of people into her life and doesn't want to lose anyone. As for trust issues, she doesn't particularly have any, but because she didn't have many friends when she was young she isn't very open and doesn't share things with lots of people, although as the story progresses she does try and share more.
 

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

If Esme was having a rough day, she would find her love interest, Henry, and he would know the way to cheer her up, or let her rant until she feels better. If Henry was busy, she would probably find her best friend Jay and they would complain together and Jay would go beat up whoever had made her unhappy! And, if all else fails, Esme would go and sit in her uncle's study and read one of his favourite books.

Hope you liked my answers! Let me know what you think of Esme!
(This post took a lot longer than it needed to because I kept getting distracted by Hamilton...)
Thanks for reading(: