Question Friday 02

Alright, I'm gonna make this as quick as I can since I need to head out, but who knows what will reallly happen because I am long winded.

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1. Will there be romance?

I should have guess that this would be a question at some point. However, for reasons I can't explain, I am completely unsure of the answer at this point. I would really like to have romance involved, but with the nature of this book being very plot driven, it would only be a sort of subplot and I can't quite pinpoint how strong it would be. There's also the fact that a lot of the female characters involved are either related to him or trying to kill him. Yes, there's the allure to the enemies falling in love, but that would be hard to do with the sirens or some of the other characters I have planned. There is a character that's only recently begun brewing in my head, but I am not sure how strong her involvement in the story would be once he left on his quest. So, my answer? The plot is more adventure driven, but if my characters start to really demand it, you can expect to see some tension in the romance department.

2. What inspired you to write the story?

I know I talked about what inspired met to start this plot, but not just what inspired me to write it. There were a lot of outside factors that mixed up in my head and created the plot, some of them more obvious than others. But what inspired me to just write? Well, actually, that is probably a book called Waking the Dead by John Eldredge. I was reading it because my father suggested it to me. I was (and still am) at a point in my life where I'm not sure what direction I am going and I have too many options. He is a Christian writer just as I am. It isn't a self-help book, but more of a book that examines the reasons we hold ourselves back, in a way. At any rate, it was actually one specific thing that he said in the book that helped me realize what writing can do. He compares a lot of moments in our lives to those in movies and fiction; he really enjoys using them as metaphors. At one point, he says that fiction is necessary. He says that we live in this mundane world and it is hard to get the heart excited again, or passionate again and fiction does bring our hearts back to life. It reminds of us that most essential need to love and live. It wasn't a main theme of the book, but it was very exciting for me. As a person who had been trying so hard to figure out what I was doing with my life, it was a relief to hear someone call fiction a necessity. I was never looking for permission to be  a writer, but I was not convinced that it was a acceptable job. I felt like it was meant to be a side job, something of a hobby and when I read that part, I realized that I wasn't just going to be writing for myself because I felt like it (even though that could have been the reason and I would have been fine), but I was going to write something other people were going to read; something that other people were going to feel. I now have the opportunity to put together a plot with compelling characters and plot that when you put it down whether you loved it or hated it, you will feel it. So, that is my inspiration for writing it.

3. Why did you choose the gods/goddesses that you chose?

I think with most of them, I created a general outline of the character. I decided on their involvment in the story and saw where they needed to be and then I went and did a heck of a lot of research to find just the right god/goddess to fit that character. With the characters a sort of silhouette, once I found the corresponding god, it all clicked and the character became very clear. All of their quirks, ticks and minor personality traits fleshed out and I had a bigger picture. Some of the gods I knew I was going to use, like Kairos for example and he just happened to fit The Oracle. Some of them, like Aphrodite, well it only made sense that she be the counterpart to this one particular character in the story. It really is just a blind search in hopes that it clicks. It usually works.

4. Julian. What's his favorite outfit? What's his favorite food? Who's his best friend? What's his most prized possession? What's one thing could he lose that he would be completely lose without?

Oh, these are hard to answer! His favorite outfit is yet to be discovered. I haven't got a set sense of what the fashion is going to look like in this world, so I don't know just yet. I would guess that it is something casual that makes him look average and nothing like royalty, though. For food, again, I'm not sure what exactly the kind of diet this kingdom is on. Though, he's the kind of guy to like almost anything. Darn men and being able to eat and not gain weight. What a jerk. His best friend is a faceless, unnamed Duke. I haven't quite figured the character out yet. I just know he's a Duke. I have no idea what he looks like. His most prized possession is this old family crossbow that his grandfather gave him as a child. He accidently killed his grandmother's cat with it. He swears it was an accident. And the final question, I don't have an answer for. I know that if I did have an answer, I would already be making plans to have him lose it, because I'm evil and torture my characters. See what you did? Now I'm going to come up with something for him to lose.

5. Will you have a Gaia equivalent?

I don't know yet. That is definitely an interesting goddess to have involved and there are going to be so many interactions with characters in this book and the following books, its hard to say where it will all end. I wouldn't be surprised if they do run into someone eventually that is the Gaia equivalent, but that character has yet to be discovered.

6. What rides are you gonna go on? I've never been to Disneyland and I want to vicariously!

I always go on as many rides as possible, but the requirements are always Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, and the Matterhorn. If I can squeeze in more, I will definitely go on them.

7. What is your favorite kind of cookie?

Hmmm, this is the hardest question yet. i don't kow. I love cookies. Home made chocolate chip cookies from scratch are incredible, but if I'm going to buy cookies from the store, Oreos usually win out. It's appropriate that two days ago someone called me the creme in the Oreo. Apparently I'm the best part.

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Well, I hope that can hold your attention for a whole weekend while I figure out what I plan on writing next week. My goal right now is to get as many characters and events outlined as possible and get to actually writing by March 1st. If I can do so earlier, I'd love to, but we will see. I'm gonna set a writing schedule and get myself into the routine of writing every day. I foresee many trips to Starbucks. Have a great day!