know the novel / part one: introductory

today, i'm participating in a brand new linkup created by the amazing Christine Smith! it's a three part series, over three months, and i'm very excited to do it ;).

anyone is welcome to participate, and you don't have to be doing NaNo in order to participate ;).

i'm using my current WIP, "Versus". ;) there's going to be a post sometime next week fully introducing it, xD

what first sparked the idea for this story?

hmm, probably my childhood of reading Marvel comics. ;) i've always wanted to write a superhero story, and after i read "Renegades", that really sparked my interest in writing one. so, i developed characters + a rough idea of a plot, wrote a sketchy + loose outline (one page, xD), and here i am. ;)

share a blurb!

Charisse Kim just wants to fit in and forget her family's dark reputation as the villains with otherworldly powers. Unwilling to identify herself with them, Charisse refuses to reveal her own superpower, controlling and dissolving into smoke at will. 

Meanwhile, Evan Madsen conceals his own power out of a terror of injuring people. With a touch of his hands, he can turn anything into gold. A power easily corrupted and taken advantage of. A power that destroyed his childhood. 

The two meet at the coffee shop they work at and form an unlikely friendship. And for awhile, Charisse and Evan feel like they belong in a city of misfits and villains. 

Until everything changes. 

A superhero suddenly arrives in the city, determined to destroy the dark villains. Evan, angered by report after report of people with superpowers terrorizing and injuring innocents, decides it's time to rescue the city and thus becomes Alchemy. But at what cost? 

Charisse is disturbed by the merciless actions of the mysterious Alchemy, who claims he's saving the city. And when the beloved superhero becomes like the very villains he despises, it's up to Charisse to don the moniker Psycho and fight back. 

Friends by day, foes by night. 

Who becomes the hero? 

where does the story take place?

what are some of your favorite aspects 

of the setting? 

the story takes place in a dystopian, futuristic world, where select people are born with superpowers. the powers are referred to as otherworldly gifts, and no one knows where they come from. the world is divided into numerous cities, each governed by a Council. 

"versus" mainly occurs in Emitton City (name subject to change ;), a particularly desolate city. the city is comprised of factories and dark, shadowed alleys, thus giving the city a smoggy, dark atmosphere. 

i like how cliche the setting is....city with tall buildings, dark smoke and smog filling the air, narrow alleys, cobblestoned streets. very superhero-esque, xD. 

tell us about your protagonist. 

in the eyes of the city, Evan is the protagonist. the hero, the one who destroys the villains, no matter at what cost. 

according to her moral code, Charisse is the protagonist. she fights back against injustice and cruelty, believing firmly that no matter how evil a person is, they deserve a fair trial and justice. 

therefore, both characters are protagonists and antagonists. ;)

who (or what) is the antagonist?

ummm, probably just the concept of what defines a hero. if that makes sense, xD. is the hero the one who defeats the villains, even tho he's merciless? or is the hero the one who fights against such merciless killing, believing that every one deserves a fair trial? 

in their alter egos, Alchemy and Psycho are each other's antagonists. 

i can't say much more, because i don't know  because #spoilers. xD

what excites you most about this novel?

SUPERHEROES. 

seriously tho, i've dreamed of writing my own superhero story. i'm so excited to create my own superheroes + supervillains, giving them unique powers, + writing a story similar to a marvel comic book. 

SO EXCITED, xD. 

is this going to be a series? standalone? 

something else?

so far, it's a standalone. we'll see if anything changes, xD. i find that i'm better with writing standalones, as i like wrapping everything up in the end. *shrug*

are you plotting? pantsing? both?

besides a one page "outline", 100% pantsing. that's how i work, xD. i find that writing outlines stresses me out, as of now, i don't know how this story will end. :/ 

i'll write a post about my writing style, but a summary: i come up with characters + a really rough story plot. then i write a messy first draft, sort of "discovery writing". i have a list of things that i know that i want to include, like random snippets of dialogue or events. ;)

name a few things that make this story

unique.

hmm, i'm trying to spin the cliche of superheroes treating their powers as curses / gifts. ya'know, the x-men line where Storm, who can control the weather, says, "There's nothing wrong with us." and Rogue, who can kill with a touch of her hand, says, "yes, there is."

it's the opposite in my story. Alchemy views his power as a gift, while Psycho thinks it's a curse. 

share a fun "extra" of the story.

pinterest board! 

also, brief soundtrack: 

everybody knows / sigrid

the king arthur soundtrack / specifically the devil + the huntsman

bohemian rhapsody / queen

carry on wayward son / peter hollens

the winter soldier sountrack 

say something / pentatonix

are y'all planning to join

Christine's linkup? 

also, are you planning

to dress up for halloween? 

 my friend and i are going 

as the winter soldier. ;)

<3 <3, 

allison