Vital Stats

Project: The Dragon Thief

Word Count: 42k

Motivation Level: High

Chocolate Supplies: All stocked up

Crazy Writer Status: Moderate

As most people have probably realised by now, the April session of Camp NaNoWriMo has begun. For me, this means that the editing of Snow on the backburner for a bit while I work on my Camp novel. I do plan to finish the edit, hopefully in between all the drafting I’m doing right now. And I did very nearly finish it last month. But alas, too slow, so I’m drafting a new book now because reasons (that is the only possible excuse for this terrible behaviour).

I don’t know about any of you other brave NaNo people, whatever session you like doing, but I always feel super motivated right at the beginning of the month. People everywhere are writing and getting excited about it, Twitter is full of helpful word wars, the book is new and fresh and exciting, and writer’s block, exhaustion, and sheer laziness haven’t set in yet. This is definitely the best end of the month to be writing in.

It also helps that The Dragon Thief is, by this point, quite an easy book to write. I’ve actually drafted it twice in the past, but I could never quite nail the plot. So every time I’ve had to completely scrap what I’ve written and start all again. But the characters and basic plot idea has always intrigued me and kept me coming back to try again. There’s something about a thief with a dragon for a friend trying to earn her redemption that really intrigues me.

Despite not really planning the book much (everything feels a bit slap dash about this month), I think I finally nailed the basic plot, which is super exciting. It makes sense at last. The characters feel right. There is snarky banter and action and a few scenes that are sweet and cuddly, and right now it feels like everything is falling into place. Admittedly, that feeling is most likely going to disappear once I get round to editing the book, but right now it’s nice to be able to feel like this book is finally going somewhere.

And, because I’m feeling rather good about this book right now, I thought I’d share an excerpt with you all:

So that’s where I’m at right now, in the warm fuzzy honeymoon stage with the book, and I’m attempting to get ahead on the word count before life gets busy again, or I lose motivation, or the week 2 blues set in (they’re a real thing, I swear). If you’re participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, how are you getting on? And even if you’re not, where are you up to with your project? Running along nicely? Stuck in a rut? Drafting? Editing?

Also, you may have notices that I’m trialling a slightly different format with this writing update by adding the vital stats at the top of the page so it’s easy to tell what I’m working on, where I’m at, and how much chocolate I’m consuming (answer: never enough). What do you think? Like it? Dislike it? Prefer it at the bottom of the post? Like to know different things about what I’m doing? Don’t want it at all? Let me know your thoughts!

For a lot of people, April means Camp NaNoWriMo. And even if you’re not participating in Camp this month, chances are you’re writing, editing, or creating with words in some form or another. Which means that, eventually, there’s a high likelihood you might come to a day when the words refuse to come, the ideas hide in their burrows, and the caged muses you have hanging up in your workspace all slip their bars and flee. Unpleasant as this is to consider, for most of us, it’s going to happen at some point or other.

Personally, I hate writer’s block. For me, it comes with complete apathy about writing, or even sometimes outright avoidance and loathing for the very idea of working on books. Neither option is very pleasant. However, over time I’ve found that my writer’s block comes in a couple of different forms, which makes dealing with it a little easier. These are:

Something’s wrong

My subconscious knows when there’s something wrong with my writing well before I do and starts giving me little nudges about it. And I don’t want to admit it, so I get blocked. I simply can’t move on. Which uncomfortable situation I will remain in until I cave and admit that yes, I’ve made a huge mistake early on in the book and actually this is making no sense. Then, I can either go back and fix it, or make a note of what I need to fix later, and then push on as if I’ve already made the changes.

I’m tired and creatively empty

I’ve probably been writing and creating a lot recently, and at this point, the creative well is dry The ideas aren’t coming and I don’t feel like I have any more words in me. I could push on during this type of block, but what I write is usually pretty terrible. I do better if a take a day off, sleep well, read, watch movies, look at pictures, whatever works at that moment in time, and rest and recuperate a bit before I try writing again.

I’m not blocked, I’m just lazy

And then there are those days where I think I have writer’s block and actually I’m just a lazy little thing and I don’t want to make the effort to write. In which case, there’s only one cure, and that’s to get my behind in the chair and start punching out some words. The act of writing usually clears this right up.

So, the question I’d like to ask you guys today is, how do you deal with writers block? Are you prepared for it before it happens? What do you do when it strikes? Are you able to push through and creative even when you’re feeling blocked? How to do inspire yourself again? Books? Movies? Music? Pictures? Long periods of crying under a blanket? Building a pillow fort? What advice would you give someone going through writer’s block right now? Let’s discuss!

Also

I couldn't let the date pass without mentioning it at least briefly, but Gossiping With Dragons turned two on April 1st (in my opinion possibly one of the worst days to have a blogaversary on, what with all the pranking and such going round.) And I just wanted to say thank you, to all of you who read my blog. I've met, become friends with, and gotten to know better so many people over the last year, and I've certainly learned a lot about blogging, writing, and just being a person from you all. Thank you so much for all your support, for the discussions we've had, the fun times, and the thoughts you've given me. May the third year be even better than the last!

And, in honour of this occasion, I have revamped a couple of things on the blog. The most obvious is, of course, the new header. What do you think? Like it? No? Probably the biggest change is that my Novels page is no longer under construction! Yep, that's right. After two years, I've finally got information on my seven major projects up, so if you're interested in learning more about my books, you should definitely check it out!

With Camp NaNoWriMo starting tomorrow, I thought now would be quite an appropriate time to link-up with Beautiful People and introduce the main character from my upcoming Camp novel to you all (that and I’ve somehow managed to leave it til the last minute to join in. Typical). Beautiful People is a link-up for writers hosted by the amazing duo Cait@Paper Fury and Sky@Further Up and Further In. For Camp NaNo, I’m planning on writing a fantasy with magic, thieves, and dragons! Did I mention the dragons? I may be a little excited about the dragons. The plot is a tiny little bit vague (read, Imogen’s been struggling with editing and hasn’t really plotted anything), but as it stands, this is the synopsis for my story so far:

What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?

I don’t generally base my characters off people or actors. I prefer to steal traits, features and creativity, and mix it up into a delightful hodgepodge that somehow results in a (semi) cohesive character. What inspired Maya’s character mostly was my love of sarcastic, witty characters, a desire to write a slightly less than mystical elf, and my fascination with characters who are thieves. I just decided to mix them all together and hey presto, she arrived. 

Describe their daily routine

When the book starts, Maya is in solitary confinement in a prison, so her daily routine mostly involves being fed twice a day, being escorted once daily on a walk by a platoon of armed guards, and counting the bricks in her cell. She’s famous for her escape attempts, so the prison guards have learned not to take any chances with her.

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

Maya would definitely be the loner, and proud. Fun and witty Maya might be, but she’s not really into being part of a group. She’d be that rebel person who makes fun of the cool people, has like one really close friend, and doesn’t take anything from anyone.

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

Her guards, especially when she’s out of prison working for the council. Those guys really don’t know how to have fun. Prison in general. There's only so long one can look at the same four walls without getting bored. Fools. Especially the ones with massive elaborate robes and long wispy beards. Magic portals (she gets portal sick). Fish. Fish are nasty slimy things and should be outlawed.

How do they react in awkward silences?

Maya’s automatic reaction to awkward silences is to fill them as quickly as possible with whatever meaningless chatter first springs to mind. Not that she doesn’t like silence. In fact she’s quite fond of it, especially when it’s just her and her dragon friend Zanth. But awkward silences, in her opinion, are meant to be filled, so she’ll literally blather on about anything in a vain attempt to cover the awkwardness. 

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

Nope. Maya cannot swim. At all. She loves heights, will fly anywhere and climb any building. But water is scary and bad. It is for drinking only. She also never had anyone to teach her to swim, so that hasn’t helped her distrust of water.

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

Probably being abandoned as a child. Her mother left her with a family friend in order to pursue her career working for the council. And then the plague swept through, the family friend died, her mother never came to find her, and she was left abandoned on the streets. That pretty much shaped the pattern for her entire life and personality.

What things do they value most in life?

Freedom, especially now hers has been taken away. True friendship, considering that is so rare in her life. Compassion, a weird trait for a thief I will admit, but she knows what it’s like to have it rough, so she’s a lot more compassionate than people expect. Reputations, especially her own. An intimidating reputation does a lot for a girl.

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

Does Maya have trust issues? You bet. In bucket loads. She grew up with thieves and tricksters, was abandoned as a child, and has spent most of her life being lied to and betrayed. It takes a lot for Maya to trust people. The only person she really trusts is her dragon friend, Zanth. As for second chances, well, if you break her trust, you don’t deserve one.

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?

Basically Zanth is the one person who can cheer Maya up. They usually go flying, anywhere, anytime, especially at night, or early morning. She’s not really one for talking problems through. Sometimes Zanth gets her to share, but mostly she likes to try to forget and move on quickly.

So, that’s a bit about my Camp NaNo protagonist. Tell me, are you participating in Camp NaNo? Who is the protagonist of your current novel? Are you linking up with Beautiful People this month? Link me to your post!

Many apologies for the lateness of this post. Coming up to Easter is possibly the busiest time of year for me as a musician, so it’s taken a bit longer than I expected to finish this post. However, here it is at last, Elements of a Good Mythological Retelling. Thank you to everyone who let me know what subject they wanted me to cover next. Myths, like fairytales, are an amazing source of inspiration for books, and make for great retellings. Whether you retell a single myth, or you create an entire world based around mythology and weave them into that (think Rick Riordan, king of mythology, here), there is a universal appeal to myths. In many ways, the rules that apply to other retellings also apply to myths. However, there are a few extra elements in particular that need to be considered when retelling myths. Today I'd like to share a few of them with you.

Do Readers Understand The Myth?

Some myths are universally known. Most people have heard the tale of Hades kidnapping Persephone at least once in their lives. These popular myths make for great retellings. But there are hundreds and hundreds of lesser known ones out there, and plenty from mythologies and pantheons that aren’t as well known. Good mythological retellings situate readers well within the story, lay out the conventions of the world, and make sure that they can understand the myth being retold, even if they’re not familiar with the base story. It is important, when writing a retelling, for readers to be able to tell that it is indeed a retelling of a myth. It’s one of those strange paradoxes. You want the book to sound original, but at the same time you want people to know that it’s based in an awesome source. Be prepared to dig into the mythology around the myths and add in context and detail so that readers not familiar with the original story are still able to understand and appreciate what’s going on.

Which leads onto…

Expand On Common Myths

As mentioned above, there are some myths that everyone knows, and they’re really fun to retell. But because they’re so well-known and so often told, any new retelling has to have a something extra to make them stand out from the crowd. This is easier done when retelling them in another genres, sci-fi, say, or a dystopian (seriously, I’d love to see some more dystopian retellings of anything. I can’t remember have read any. Anyone know of some?). But beyond changing the genre, there are other things you can do to try and change things up. Explore new relationships between characters. In the Hades and Persephone myth, did they know each other? Maybe Demeter and Persephone weren’t as close as people though. Or experiment with new reasons for why things happen. Maybe Hades actually kidnapped Persephone to keep her safe. Play around with the base elements and see what you can twist or dig into deeper for a more rounded, unique story.

Which again, leads me onto another point…

Character Development Is Key

One of the problems with gods and myths is that the gods and other mythological beings are portrayed as huge, mighty, and very one dimensional. Good retellings of myths explore the characters in new ways. This is a really good way to get a different feel to your retelling. For example, each of the gods has a basic stereotype they portray. Think of that stereotypical high school. Every kid fits into a single characteristic. If you were to put the gods in this high school, what group would they fit into? Thor might be a sports jock. Zeus would probably be the captain of the football team. Ares could be the bully. Each god has one main characteristic that people recognise about them, if they know nothing else. This is the core.

But around this core, there is a lot you can do with the character to make them unique. Take Hephaestus for example (a chronically undervalued god in my opinion). His two big things are that he’s crippled, and he makes things. That’s what most people will remember about him. But around those two elements, you can base several vastly different characters. He might be a bitter, cunning foe, twisted like his crippled body and seeking revenge on the people who hurt him, from his cheating wife, to his mother. Or he could be a real introverted sweetheart, focusing more on his work than on people and relationships, maybe even a little scared to open up to people because of what has happened in the past. Or he could be a man with hidden strengths and ambitions, an underestimated power. Develop the characters in new ways and they can vastly change the dynamics of the story and add a lot of new interest.

Experimenting With Different Mythologies

This isn’t so much as an element of every mythological retelling, as something that I feel needs to be tried more. The most common mythology I see being retold is Greek, probably followed by Roman. You get a little Norse, mostly because Loki is quite a popular guy. Then most others get ignore, like Egyptian, Aztec, and the like. (Unless you’re Rick Riordan, in which case I have no doubt he’ll get around to them all in due course). If you want to write a mythological retelling that’s different from the rest, consider experimenting with less popular systems. Instant unique factor, plus we readers get introduced to a whole new world through your book. Win-win!

And finally…

Stay True To The Core Elements

At it’s very simplest, a good retelling is one that takes a new look at a myth or story, while still preserving and conveying the heart of the tale. Every story has core elements that make that it recognisable and familiar, no matter what form it’s in. For Cinderella, you could classify these core elements as: kindness, defiance, and a search for a new life. Within all the paraphernalia of balls, step-families, and shoes, it is this quest of a kind person striking out in an act of defiance to find a better life that we all recognise. Any retelling missing one or more of these core elements immediately rings false. Think of Cinder, by Marissa Meyer. It has all these elements, a kind, compassionate heroine, an act of defiance, a quest to find a better life. Now imagine if Cinder hadn’t been such a kind heroine. She wouldn’t be the protagonist that we expect to see and the story wouldn’t be as effective because one of its core elements is missing. Good retellings identify these core elements and preserve them amongst all the amazing new things they bring to the table.

These are just some of the elements of a good mythological retelling. Do you agree with any of these? Disagree? What would you add to this list? What mythology would you like to see more retellings from? Norse? Egyptian? Something else? And tell me, what are some of your favourite mythological retellings?

Missed any of the posts in this series? You can catch up on them all HERE

Tell me, what topic would you like me to cover next time?

Elements Of A Good Villainous Plan

Elements Of A Good Female Protagonist

Something Else (leave me a suggestion in the comments!) 

As anyone who has ever watched Dr Who has probably figured out by now, this week’s writing music comes from the awesome soundtrack of the TV series, Dr Who. There are so many amazing pieces of music from this show, from the ever famous theme, to the many, many songs specific to each episode. It’s hard to choose just one to share, but I finally decided on This Is Gallifrey, Our Childhood, Our Home.

This is a strong, positive piece. It has an undercurrent of tension and a sense of forward motion. At points, there is an almost triumphant feeling to it. It feels like a climax, the turning of the tide. It would work well for a sci-fi, a fantasy, or a dystopian, but it would work well for any kind of book with action scenes in it.

What are you listening to this week? Are you a Whovian? If so, which is your favourite Doctor? If not, what is your favourite TV show? What music would you recommend I check out next?

So, a couple of weeks back, I wrote a post about the elements on a book cover that would make me decide not to take it home. (Missed it? You can check it out HERE) And I promised that I’d write a second instalment, all about the issues I can have with the back cover synopsis. So, as I’ve been too busy to finish up the next Elements Of post yet (seriously, where is all the time going at the moment? Can someone post some to me please?), here is that second post.

The Year Is... I get it. I get it. This book is historical and it’s probably amazingly researched and totally period correct. But I didn’t come for a history lesson. I came for a story inside the history. I want to know about the characters and the plot. Give me dates and historical periods in the middle of the interesting stuff, or later on. You’re not hooking me by making this book sound like a history lesson.

Name-o-rama. Books have loads of characters, and they’re all super cool and interesting and the authors want people to know about them as soon as possible. But if there are six names in one short paragraph, how do you expect me to remember, or like any of them? This is a synopsis, not a cast list!

One Line Wonder. One liners are great for gaining initial interesting in a book. Every book needs a good elevator pitch. But they’re for elevators, and unless I’m speed dating a book between floors, I need a bit more information before I can make a commitment to this adorable 500 page behemoth.

Sneaky Cover Opener. Hard cover books are especially sneaky at getting you to open them up. The back of the dust jacket is beautifully designed, covered in ornamental goodness, and perfectly useless for finding out anything about the plot. You’ve got to search the inside cover for the real synopsis. Hard covers drive a hard bargain.

Endorsement Board. Having endorsements on the back of the book to tell you that it’s super amazing and that everyone should read this book doesn’t hurt at all. But the back of the book is not a notice board. A synopsis is still going to tell me more about whether I’m going to love this book or not than a mere list of newspaper reviews endorsements. Cut the waffle and give me the info!

Blank Space. I’m sure there’s something missing from this cover. Now, what could it be? Awesome cover picture. Nice typeface. Good title. Oh, that’s right. The synopsis. Seriously, a book with nothing on the back cover is a nightmare. There’s nothing to guide you, nothing to tell you if you’ll like it or not. It’s like meeting a guy in a mask. Strange, unreadable, and just a smidgen like it’s going to kill you with an axe.

These are some of the things about back cover synopses that can turn me off a book. Now tell me, do you relate to any of these? Anything you would add to the list? What’s your biggest deal breaker when it comes to the outside of a book?