know the novel part two / within the wip

i'm joining Christine's linkup again, with part two of Know The Novel. it's a three part linkup, and you don't have to be doing NaNo to participate. ;)

i'm using my current WIP, "Versus", for the linkup.

how's the writing going?

it's been...going. xD this is a hard time for me to write, as i'm in the thick of exams, projects, and studying for finals. not to mention balancing normal schoolwork with my part time job. also doesn't help that i woke up last week extremely sore (reallly hope i'm not getting the flu), and even my fingers are sore. -_-

but i hope to get a good amount written over the holidays. 

what's been the most fun aspect

about writing this novel so far?

superheroes! seriously, i'm so excited to be writing about superheroes. i absolutely love comic books (and grew up reading classics from the Silver Age), so it's a dream come true to be writing about them. 

has your novel surprised you 
in any way?

i have this sketchy idea of how it'll end, which it totally different than i had originally thought. so yea. xD

also, probably the fact that i'm totally pantsing this one. normally, i have a general idea of how i want my story to end, plus a one page "outline" of snippets i want to include, stuff to happen, etc. for this one, i'm totally just discovery writing, and it feels great. we'll see how it turns out, though. xD

what do you think about your 

characters at this point?

who's your favorite to write 

about?

so far, i love them. ;) my favorite so far is Charisse, who's dark and angsty yet believes firmly in the concept of justice for all. but i also love writing the morally grey character, Evan, who's gullible and naive yet sweet and charming. he also loves tea <3.

if you were transported into your novel

and became any of your characters, 

which one do you think you'd be?

would you take any different actions

than they have?

hmm, i would probably be Charisse. i tend to be overly snarky at times *cough*, and can definitely see myself in the dark, goth-like girl. although i would 100% use my superpower all the time. not to be a villain, but just to be swooping around the city in a swath of smoke would be so much fun. 

give us the first sentence or paragraph

and then 2 (or 3!) more favorite 

snippets!

urghh, okay. please remember, this is not edited. ;)

first paragraph: 

Rainy nights in Emitton City were the worst. 

No, they were dangerous. Lethal, even. For at night, all those with hidden powers, or gifts as they laughably called them, roamed the streets. Uninhibited and thirsty for their kind of fun. 

snippet #1: 

Charisse didn't wait to hear his threats. Heedless of the consequences to follow, she flung her hands before her, channeling all her strength. Grey smoke poured from her black painted nails, surrounding Jakob and physically pushing him through the locked door. Charisse ran to the door, keeping one gray-tinted hand firmly on the splintered wood. 

snippet #2:

Rainy nights for the cursed were even worse.

Evan Madsen pressed his cheek against the cold foggy window, his eyes reflecting gold back at him. His hands, sheathed in the familiar leather gloves, curled into fists as he continued to gaze out the window at the empty, silent street. 

snippet #3: 

They sat on the edge of the building, their legs dangling in the cool winter air.

Charisse squinted at the setting sun, smiling slightly as golden rays of light danced over the buildings of Emitton City. Shadows flitted and ducked as a crisp wind sent twigs and dead leaves flying through the air. 

have you come across any 
problem areas?

urghh, maybe the plot? xD. i have a general idea of how my story starts and ends, but i'm not exactly sure what's going on in the middle. so, we'll see. *shrug*

what's been your biggest victory with

writing this novel at this point?

connecting really well with my characters. ;) it's hard for me to write as i can't devote all the time i want to, but every time i pull up my google doc, it's so easy to dive back into my characters. ;) also, i just really love them. xD

be honest, have you killed any 
characters off yet?

NOPE. not yet, at least. ;)

take us on a tour of what a normal writing

day for this particular novel has looked like.

where do you write? what time of day?

alone or with others? is a lot of coffee consumed?

do you light candles? play music? get

distracted by social media? tell all! 

i try to squeeze an hour of writing per day. butttttt......that usually does not happen. i'm lucky if i can even type a paragraph per day, that's how crazy it's been lately. so, i'm really looking forward to the holidays for some nice writing time. ;)

but, i write alone. (if you can call living in a household of seven as alone, xD). yesss, coffee and tea are consumed. currently, i'm loving my well-rested herbal tea + my cafe mocha creamer for coffee ;). no to music, as i get easily distracted. although sometimes i play the sherlock soundtrack. 

well, hope y'all enjoyed this. ;) and i hope that y'all had a lovely thanksgiving!  

how's NaNo going?

and did any of y'all go
black friday shopping? 

<3 <3,

allison

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