Novelist's Tag

*  *  *

Hey, all you writers out there!  Here's a fun little tag I wrote.  If you're a novelist, or aspiring to be one, feel free to join in on the fun!

I'm gonna start it off here, then tag four people.  Those four people, if they answer the tag, can then pass it on to however many fellow bloggers they want.

So!  Let's get started.  :D  

*  *  *

Why do you like to write?

I love telling stories, both to others and to myself.  Often enough I do this verbally, but I think the best way to convey a story is through text, and the beauty of word-craft.

When did you first start writing?

I don't quite remember... for a long time, anyway.  I used to write short "novels" in spiral-bound notebooks.  The first one I ever completed was called Patty Anderson and the Case of the Stolen Pocket Watch.  It was about six pages long, with an illustration for each chapter.  I believe I was in third grade when I wrote it.

Have you ever written in a coffee shop?

Yes!  Only started doing it just recently, when I found a coffee shop I love  called the Ember.  I find I rather like it, and plan to start doing it regularly if I can.

What is your current project, or do you have more than one?

I'm currently focusing most of my energies on Rise of Ralienah, an epic, four-part medieval fantasy novel that exists in the same continuity as my first novel, Quest for the Ivory Sword.  But I also have two other novels going on the back burner:  Spellbreaker, a fairy-tale inspired story of an 'ugly' stepsister who takes fate into her own hands, and Day&Night, the first in what is to become a saga of superhero novels.  I've also started plotting out a science fiction novel with the intention of someday releasing it as a newspaper serial, if I'm lucky.

In which genre do you usually write?

So far, usually fantasy.  But I also enjoy doing contemporary and light sci-fi.  

If you have more than one project right now, which one do you favor?

Rise of Ralienah, definitely.  I'm fond of them all, but RoR is the one I've been working on the longest, and it has particular sentimental value.  I'm extremely motivated to finish it.  

Who is the protagonist of your main project?

Well, Ralienah, for one.  She's the central character, though she shares the spotlight with one or two deuteragonists.  Ralienah is the daughter of a nobleman of Kalavar, who loses both her father and mother at a young age.  With little to look forward to in her own country, she travels to Talminia, her father's homeland, looking for answers about his death.  Once there, she is moved by the plight of the Talminian slaves, and takes up with a band of outlaws to begin a revolution.

Other main characters include Eotel, the leader of the outlaws (and Ralienah's love interest), Sapphire, her twin sister, and Rune, a mercenary tasked with hunting down the revolutionary leaders.

Who is the antagonist?

Lord Istarr, a cruel but admired noble who currently dominates Talminia.  As the head of a broken society, he represents the worst of their tyrannical system.  The revolution threatens his entire way of life... but unbeknownst to his followers, his conflict with Ralienah is also quite personal...

Have a short (300 words or less) excerpt you'd like to share with us?  Or are you saving it until it's released?

The book is still in its early stages, but I'll share a tiny piece here.  :D

'  Heaving a long, steady breath, Eotel dragged a finger across his lips in thought.  "All I know is that I would give anything to see freedom restored to this land, once and for all," he said slowly.  "And I believe that time will come... someday."

At the sound of someone calling his name, his head turned and he got up, patting Galeo's shoulder as he left.  Licking his lips, Galeo looked at Ralienah, who smiled in response.

"Do you really think that time could be now?" he practically whispered. 

Something flickered in her expression as she considered.  Tilting one shoulder, she rolled her head toward the bonfire, blinking in its flickering light.  "Time is just the passing of days, Galeo.  The question is, how much time are we willing to let slip by while your- our people- are made to suffer?" '

What inspired this particular story?

To tell the truth, it's been so long I don't even remember.  Robin Hood legends played a part, I know that much.  In fact, in the very first draft, Eotel was named Robin.  Obviously that had to change...
There were a few concert band songs I listened to as a kid that played an influential part in shaping the tone of the story.  One of them, On the Wings of Swallows, inspired an entire battle sequence that has for the most part made it through the subsequent drafts.  

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Sometimes, but not for this book.  The sci-fi novel (Something is Coming) I'm in the middle of plotting has a few characters based on people I've known.  This is mostly with the intent of making them seem natural, as if you might know them in your own hometown.  

Do you have a musical playlist for any of your novels?

Often enough, yes.  Though I've never actually gone through the trouble of putting an official one together, most of my books have several songs or tunes associated with them.  Synth, another upcoming sci-fi novel, already has several attached to it, and I haven't even started writing yet.
Rise of Ralienah has some concert band songs, The Burning Bush from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack, and Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis.

Write what you know, or write what you imagine?

Write what I imagine, definitely.  With a little bit of what I know mixed in so that it feels real.

What makes your story (or stories) unique?

I'm not really sure yet.  There are some themes and character types I find myself weaving in fairly often, but as far as what makes my writing unique, I don't know.  If it had to be one thing, I would hope it would be character development.  One thing I love in stories is the way that characters evolve over time, or conversely, how they stay the same through whatever troubles the plot throws at them.

Would you say you write for yourself, or other people?

A mixture of both, really.  I get story ideas based on what I want to read, but I write them for others to someday read and enjoy.  I want to evoke feelings in readers, to draw them in and keep them there, as so many great stories have done for me.

What do you intend to do with your writing?

Publish them, for as long as I can.  I have so many ideas, that as long as I'm able to do it financially, I can see myself publishing books for the rest of my life.  If I could become a reasonably successful author, with books read across the country, that would be my dream.  But for the most part, just writing and having a few people read the books is fulfillment in itself.  

*  *  *

I now tag...

Leilani Sunblade
Hannah Williams
J.M. Christian
Braden Russell




And here are the questions again,  to copy and paste  Have fun, you guys!  I look forward to seeing your answers!

Why do you like to write?

When did you first start writing?

Have you ever written in a coffee shop?

What is your current project, or do you have more than one?

In which genre do you usually write?

If you have more than one project right now, which one do you favor?

Who is the protagonist of your main project?

Who is the antagonist?

Have a short (300 words or less) excerpt you'd like to share with us?  Or are you saving it until it's released?

What inspired this particular story?

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Do you have a musical playlist for any of your novels?

Write what you know, or write what you imagine?

What makes your story (or stories) unique?

Would you say you write for yourself, or other people?

What do you intend to do with your writing?