Wow, It is NOT My Week.

Soooo, totally supposed to post questions today. Totally deleted the questions on accident and now have nothing to answer. So, instead, you are getting more about Julian.

Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart? 

He is intelligent but falls somewhere in the middle of book- and street-smart. He leans a little more towards street-smart.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate? 

He can be quick on his feet when he needs to be, but he’s likely to make a few mistakes before he is really sure about his trusting his first instinct.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical? 

He is very intuitive and actually has to learn to be logical. He has some, but he’s still working through it. He is more practical than idealistic, however. He tends to run in the middle of the road when it comes to how he thinks.

4. What kind of education has the character had? 

The very best that could be offered in the kingdom.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about? 

He doesn’t have an area of expertise. He is trained to be quick on his feet, physically intimidating and professional. He has no desire to learn more about the Quest of Kings, but that is something he’s had to learn the most of.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? 

I’d never describe him as introverted, but he is not in your face extroverted.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven? 

Even-tempered, not easily riled up. He’s pretty playful and cheerful for the most part, but nothing he does is overbearing. He is laid-back and driven. Its strange, perhaps, but it’s how he is.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic? 

He’s relaxed when it comes to meeting new people. He’s not usually suspicious when it is in the castle, but outside those walls, he’s suspicious of everyone.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react? 

Previous to the quest, he would do neither. He just let things happen around him instead of two him. Once on the quest he does a lot of instinctive reacting at first.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight? 

Flight.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks? 

He’s a man, so any sense of humor that any man in history has ever had, he’s got. He’s funny and he teases a lot. He’s sarcastic. Overall he’s pretty well rounded. He thinks puns are stupid, though.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them? 

Nope.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person? 

The first time he heard about the Quest of Kings he was about five years old and his grandfather told him about it. He was enthralled with it, knowing that the would do that same quest. Somewhere in there while growing up, he lost that sense of wonder. The only other moment (which actually happened around the same time) was getting his crossbow.

14. What does he fear? 

He has a healthy fear of death, destruction, and the world outside.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations? 

He doesn’t really have any.  He wasn’t given a lot of chance when it came to having personal goals. He was just told where he would end up in life. He is going on the quest with intentions of finishing it, but it doesn’t feel like his decision.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him? 

He questions his loyalty to the kingdom and especially to his father. He doesn’t talk about this at all, not even with Galen.

Uhhh... I can explain, really...

Yeaaaaahhh... so, after 39 successful posts (gimme credit) I finally missed a day. I knew I was going to at some point and considering all I had to do was post some more of that character profile, I'm pretty disappointed in myself for missing. However, I'm not going to get hung up on it, because that would be useless. Then again, I can't just let it slide, so this is my proposition;


Comment on this blog with suggestions for what you think is a suitable punishment. It can be anything you want whether that be something embarrassing or me answering one no boundaries question about the books. I'm leaving it up to you. I will then choose a punishment from your suggestions, because I'm not about to be publicly embarrassed all over the internet without some say. Get to it, people.


It is also Question Friday tomorrow. So, if you have questions for me, let me know! If I don't get any questions... I'll just post for Friday as if it was today or yesterday to make up for the missed post.


Here's some more info on Julian!

Speech

1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse? 

His voice is just a touch deeper than average. 

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate? 

It is clear as a bell and he doesn’t slur his words at all, so its easy to understand him. He attempts to sound intimidating and commanding, but it usually falls just short, because there’s not a whole lot of intimidating man buried inside him. He doesn’t stutter or hesitate, but speaks clearly and openly. He doesn’t talk loudly, but just at the right pitch, somewhere in the middle. A lot of this comes from speech therapy that the princes and princesses go through growing up in order to be great speakers. However, when having down time, he tends to relax his gate of speech. 

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics? 

The accent equivalent would be a high-class British accent. He doesn’t have any strange quirks in how he speaks, but he does tend to sound a little surfer-bumish when he’s just hanging out. He is really relaxed and uses a lot of slang. However, he can turn on the royal voice and sound extremely proper.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency? 

English is the only language that is applicable. Except for maybe the language that the Sirens speak, which I’m still not sure about. (No one understand that but them and someone who spends all their time around them.)

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations? 

No.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words? 

He is very good on the spot, but sometimes he sounds kind of stupid, but that’s mostly because he doesn’t have a lot of experience with the world.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change? 

He is very eloquent when he needs to be. Otherwise, like I mentioned, super relaxed and lots of slang and half-sentences.

In Depth Profile

I found this in depth character profile. It is ridiculously long, so I won't be posting it all in one go. I decided that I wanted to do some seriously searching through Julian's personality and character before I got writing and this is working out well. For a writer, you know you completely understand your character when you can answer questions about them as easily as if it were yourself. I'm pretty sure I know everything I need to know about Julian. Here's the first part.

Body and Appearance

1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy? 

Julian stands at five feet and eleven inches. He is lean, but muscular, a trait he inherited from his father. Most of his weight is muscle, but looking at him clothed, you wouldn’t realize how toned he is.

2. How old is he? 

Nineteen, about to turn twenty in a couple days at the beginning of book one.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch? 

He stands relaxed, not quite giving the impression of royalty. He doesn’t quite slouch, but he doesn’t stand up straight either. His mother often tells him to stand up straight. However, when the time calls, he can stand tall, shoulders back like a good little prince.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

His health is great. He is fit, mostly in preparation for spending a year out in the world having to fend for himself. He doesn’t know a lot about what to expect out there, so being in top shape is the best bet. He doesn’t have any illnesses or conditions that he is aware of. Nothing that would be a chronic threat at his age.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid? 

When he’s under no pressure and hanging out, he moves very relaxed and will even shuffle his feet, much like most young adults do. When he’s doing anything athletic, he is very powerful, with striking strength that is evident. He’s very precise and poised. Each motion is well defined.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror? 

He’s an attractive young man. He is very edgy and intense. He sees himself as not much more than some man who got trapped as the prince. He doesn’t think about how he looks because at this point, it doesn’t matter. It is about being a royal and not how he looks.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred? 

He has tan, medium toned olive skin. He doesn’t have freckles or anything that is particularly distinctive. He is not scarred (yet) and has clear skin.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style. 

Long, thick, strong, slightly wavy chocolate brown hair. It falls just above his shoulders, if not just a tad shorter. He wears it loose when he isn’t required to be in front of crowd of people, but when he needs to be formal, it is pulled back at the nape of his neck. He hates wearing it that way.

9. What color are his eyes? 

Dark brown with little definition.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? 

Intense, narrowed eyes and a straw chin and jaw. He looks very regal, but his personality softens those features.

11. What are his chief tension centers? 

His shoulders and lower back. As an active man, those are strained more than other places, especially when it comes to sword fighting (or training) and various other physically demanding activities.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit? 

Mostly, whatever he is required to wear. When it comes to being formal, he wears whatever his mother has had the servants send. They are often elaborate suits ranging in color. He looks best in jewel tones, so his mother says. Otherwise, he wears only slacks, boots and loose flowing shirts. Depending on the activity, sometimes he wears lightweight leather armor. For the most part, he likes to feel and light as possible.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them? 

Everything he owns is tailored to him specifically, so everything fits him exactly as it should. He is comfortable in his more casual clothes, but the minute he’s dressed up, he is stiff and uncomfortable.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences? 

Well, here ‘job’ would translate as ‘on the quest.’ So he’s dressed himself more comfortable. He has a loose shirt, a waistcoat, an outer coat, fitted slacks that still allow him a wide range of motion and boots. However, he’s got quite the belt and holster full of gadgets and things. So he looks like a man on a mission.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando? 

Thanks to Meiri, we know that he wears briefs. Haha. Well, the equivalent to Victorian era briefs at least. 

More tomorrow. LL&P

Milo Monday 03

Since Mondays make me want to go out and drink and then get in a bar fight* then I figured I could ask Milo about his escapades in bar fighting, or rather, avoiding bar fights.

*totally does not like to drink and get in bar fights.

How to avoid getting in a bar fight;

"I'm not entirely sure why ya'd want tae avoid a bar fight. They're a hell of a lotta fun. Look, if you are lookin' to avoid a bar fight, don't go intae bars. That's where your first mistake is, eh? Alright, but if ya insist on goin' tae bars, ya need to watch out for tha rowdy patrons. They are usually tha ones yellin' an' startin' up pretty early in tha day. Now, what I do in order tae avoid bein' hit an' still gettin' tae see a fight is I start the fight between tha two of them an' then sit back an' watch. It's easy, honestly. Ya just whisper that tha other bloke's been talkin' dirt about the poor gent an' step out o' tha way. Then, ya quietly slip out tha back door (grabbin' yourself a complimentary bottle o' rum on tha way out). It's a good time for everyone, don't ya think?"


Yep, this is why I keep him around. Hope this is a little bit of fun for your otherwise unwanted Monday.

LL&P

Question Friday 07

Yay for questions! Again, a great list of questions that will give you just a little more insight to what our characters are. 


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1. Do Milo, Galen, Sophia, and Daphne have any hobbies?Milo's hobby is his job, which is being a thief. His favorite thing to do is figure out if he can pickpocket someone without their knowledge and then manage to give whatever item he stole back to them without raising suspicion. Galen is an archer and actually quite good with a traditional bow and arrow. Sophia studies history mostly. Daphne's hobby is beating the boys at their hobbies. 

2. Suppose Julian was approached by robbers and asked to come with them to undertake a special ritual. They swear that he will not lose his life or feel any lightening of his pockets. There is also the side benefit that no robbers in their widespread multinational thief society will ever rob him. What would Julian do at the start of his quest? Would his reaction change at all by the end?
Honestly, this sounds very much like what Milo does when he first meets Julian. I mean, it isn't exactly, but there's some stupid plot that goes on and Julian somehow gets sucked into. In the case that it wasn't Milo and just random robbers, Julian would seriously consider this ritual, so long as it doesn't get in the way of his plans or take him too far from where he is going. However, at the end of his quest, Julian would bargain with them and be much smarter about it.

3. Who, of the characters you've named here so far, is the most likely to:
- panic hilariously in an emergency? Milo and Julian
- be the voice of reason? The Triplets or Sophia
- come up with the action plan? Galen or Daphne, though possibly both with conflicting plans.
- patch up the wounded? Daphne and Sophia
- perform feats of derring doe? Julian
- win a dance competition? Galen for sure!
- give the best relationship advice? Sophia, though it would be lacking all emotional advice and be logical
- give the best directions to get to any place imagineable? Benny the Hunter
- drink everyone else under the table and then some? Milo
- have a fun or unusual phobia? What is it? Milo and he's afraid of losing track of time.
- quote poetry? Galen

4. Would Julian ever play drinking games? If he would/does, what's his favourite?
Yes, he would. His favorite probably involves taking a drink every time in a speech his father addresses the people as 'friends' or 'brothers.' I'm sure there's lots of other rules. You can just imagine Julian and Galen absolutely plastered by the end of the Kings addresses to the public.


5. If you suddenly were given a million dollars, what would you do?
First, I'd pay off debts. Then I would help pay off my parent's debts. I'd ration a small amount for a vacation and the rest would go into savings. 


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Thanks for reading! Some of these were fun to answer since they were pretty hilarious. I swear, Milo cracks me up all the time. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. 


LL&P

Daphne D'Amore

As promised, you get to meet Galen's sister and Julian's first love, Daphne. I haven't decided exactly to what extent they are in love and I am not really sure how it will turn out in the end for them. I'm still deciding. The curse of these two is that they will spend a very crucial year of their lives apart, where they will change dramatically. We'll see how it turns out for them.

Name: Daphne D’Amore

Nickname: None

Age: 19

Height: 5’5”

Weight: 125

Build: Slender, but womanly.

Eyes: Medium blue (darker on the ousides and lighter in the middle)

Skin: Fair with freckles

Hair: Strawberry blonde.

Other Facial Features: Soft, alluring features. Very, very pretty with a quiet sort of beauty.

Occupation: None.

Personality: A little bit mysterious, can hold her own against the boys (having grown up with Galen, after all), outdoorsy, loves to ride horses, play sports and is competitive. She’s a great friend, very loyal and appreciative. She is one of those people, that no matter how hard you try, you just can’t not like her. She’s crafty and can think outside the box.

Background: Born 2 years after her older brother, Daphne grew up around royalty. Her mother always nurtured her and she’s well-rounded in art, music and even some of the sciences. She befriended Sophia de Arques at a young age, but quickly found herself drawn towards Julian and her brother since they were always going on their own little adventures. She learned to keep up with them and later on, because of a competition, Galen drew attention to Daphne which made Julian realize how beautiful she really was. They began to spend more time alone when she was eighteen, knowing that in a year Julian would be leaving. She often wonders if he will actually come back to her or if the outside world will change him.

Greek God Equivalent: Daphne (who isn’t a goddess, but rather a nymph)

Other: The story of Apollo and Daphne is really tragic. Apollo was making fun of Eros for using a bow and arrow, which is a warriors weapon when Eros was merely the god of love. Eros, angered, shot Apollo with a golden arrow and Daphne with a lead one. The golden arrow struck Apollo in the heart and made him fall in love with Daphne, but the lead arrow was made to make Daphne hate Apollo. Apollo chased her, trying to convince her to marry him, which she hated. When she realized that she couldn’t escape him, she told her father, Peneus (a river god), to open up the ground and swallow her or change her form. Her father turned her into a laurel tree. Apollo promised that he would always tend to the tree, using his powers over youthfulness to keep it always green. 

I decided to stick with the name Daphne because I really couldn't imagine changing it from that for this myth. I think the myth is such a great one and shows just how ridiculous the gods act when they are challenged. They are severely childish, so it makes that whole part of them really, really fun. I think that there's a great story behind Julian and Daphne and even though the legend is based on them hating each other, I'm definitely not taking that whole thing into consideration and more just that Julian was struck by her beauty after Galen somehow pointed it out. Daphne would be stupid to not accept Julian anyway. 

Tell me what you think of the D'Amore siblings! I rather like them. I'm sad that I won't get to include them as much as I realized I'd want to. Galen is a great character and I think Daphne will be able to hold her own too. For now, we will have to just deal with Julian and Milo and we'll see where it all takes them.

It's Thursday! Which means I need your questions for tomorrow's Question Friday! Meiri has been giving me some great questions lately and I hope you all can find it in your heart to ask me some too. Otherwise you will have to listen to me ask myself questions and Lord knows that will be boring/hilarious. Let's just not find out. 

LL&P

The Hero's Best Friend

I had to be working on the best friend of Julian and so I finally sat down and worked out who he is and what he's like. Right now, I'm totally in love with him. His history with Julian is just amazing and I will definitely give you more information on that later. For now, I would like you to me Galen D'Amore.

Name: Galen D’Amore

Nickname: None.

Age: 21

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175 lbs.

Build: Lean, thin, lanky.

Eyes: Deep blue.

Skin: Fair

Hair: Light brown.

Other Facial Features: Angular, very attractive, sort of pretty.

Occupation: Duke after he inherits his father’s duchy.

Personality: Entertaining. He often finds himself in trouble beside Julian. They grew up together since their mother’s are close friends. He is quite the charmer and has a way of always remaining calm in spite of all the trouble they get themselves into. Even growing up, he was the talker for the prince, since Galen was able to talk his way out of next to anything.

Background: Raised among royalty. Galen’s mother is a childhood friend to Claire de Arques. He is not in line to take the thrown unless he happens to marry Sophia (which if anyone was going to do so, it would be him.) He is in the running of suitors for Sophia.

Greek God Equivalent: Eros (Roman Equivalent is Cupid)

Other: His sister is Daphne, which is Julian’s first love. Not quite sure how Galen feels about this just yet. 

You will get to meet Daphne D'Amore tomorrow. I'm making myself work on her too. I already have a physical descriptions of her. I might even tell you the story of how Julian first realized that he even had a thing for Daphne. But, you will just have to sit here and swoon over the awesomeness that is Galen. 


LL&P

Percy Jackson's Got Nothing On Me

I told you I was going to rant about Percy Jackson and the Olympians and I totally am. The reason is, there seems to be a very prominent theme at the moment in movies and books that use Greek Mythology. Now, I don't know when this all started before it actually got popular, but that's just how it all tends to work. I mean, we've been on this stupid vampire kick for a while now. It is how it goes. We always have these trends in movies and books. We are all hoping this vampire thing ends soon.

Anyway, I was talking to my mom about my book and she was asking questions about it. She was wondering about my use of Greek Mythology and wondering if I was cutting it kind of close with all the myths that are going around right now. That's actually a very big concern. If I get in on the trend too late, I look like a knock off. If I come in on it too early, no one wants to read it because they don't have an interest. Then again, I'm taking on a genre that doesn't really get much attention. I'm hoping to change that.

Here's the benefit to using Greek Mythology as inspiration and not directly. I am taking the characters that i develop and linking them up with a myth or god or goddess. For me, this gives me something to compare it to. Greek Mythology created so many major themes in literature. You can't really escape them. There was love and revenge, there was adventure and tragedy. It took the conventional idea of god or gods being all-powerful, all-knowing and perfect beings and turned them into nearly human creations. They did the worst things. They fought with each other and betrayed each other. They fell in love and fell out of love. It was an amazing concept for an ancient culture to have developed. That is why I fell in love with it and that is why I chose it to use it as a base. I'm not taking stories directly from mythology, not completely. There are definitely parallels between my plot and characters and those found in mythology. However, there is nothing new under the sun, as they say. Everything will have come from that in the first place. So, I decided that seeking inspiration from mythology was a good way to make sure that I was hitting very human driven plots.

As for Percy Jackson, I must be the biggest nerd ever. I basically watched the movie and corrected the mythology the whole time. I understand that the author, Rick Riordan, gets creative license and I respect that. I felt like maybe there were things that could have been portrayed better. Unfortunately for me, I haven't read the books yet, but that is on my list of things to do because I'm dying to know how he approached most of mythology. Some of his ideas on the use of gods seemed a little off, but that still could have been the movie and not the actual books. We'll see. I was basically able to predict the entire thing because of the myths that were present and I could figure where it was going because of that. I felt super cool, even if it was super nerdy. It wasn't great, but that's what you get for making movies out of books. I would suggest you go see it if you like mythology. It seems to make more sense that way.

Cross my fingers that I get some work done tomorrow. I need to develop two more characters and I should be able to get writing. The first few captures should be easy enough, its going to be the rest of them when I need to know where Julian is going that I have to wait for my map to be finished. I'm so excited to get that finalized and looked at. Have a great night!

LL&P

Milo Monday 02

Today was full of busy, so this is coming to you at almost too late. But have no fear, I am here to keep you from freaking out that I didn't post (because we all know that is exactly what you were doing). At any rate, it gave me a good idea for a question to ask Milo.

This weeks advice is on how to be punctual:

"Honestly, there's a few ways tae be punctual. There's tha proper way and then there's my way. If ya'd like tae make sure your acquaintances are happy with ya, then you set yourself up to be where you say your gonna be. It's all about scheduling, ya see? Ya gotta be sure tae let people know when they are goin' tae see you and then you make sure ya got the time tae get where ya need to go. Of course, then there's how I do it; I just stopped tellin' people when they can expect me. If there's no time set, I can't be late."


Always the charmer. Tomorrow, I will rant about Percy Jackson and the Olympians (and how I now have to read all of the books because, oh my god, mythology like whoa).

LL&P

Question Friday 06

This week's questions all come from the ever diligent Meiri. I'm warning you before hand, these will probably inspire giggles, because they are awesome like that. 

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1. What are the top three commodities and resources in [Kingdom]?

Being that this is a steampunk fiction, there's a lot of steam run engines and technology around. In fact, the ship that he eventually ends up on, all of the technology is run on one massive furnace. Now, when we think steam engine, we think coal. However, there's an unnamed material that I've yet to create that burns hotter than coal and is also fictional. It is a mineral (I think, I'm still working on it) and it is found in large deposits in the ground. [Kingdom] has quite a few deposits in it's territory and mining it is a huge industry. Also, the refining of this material is huge as well. It would be the equivalent to petroleum. That's not three, but I haven't thought up the other two yet.

2. Who are [Kingdom]'s most important trade partners?

The (also unnamed) kingdom directly to the south of is there most trusted trade partners. There is a more hostile kingdom to the south east that is a strong partner, but it is a little more tense when trading with them. Again, this mostly bases around the mineral I was talking about. 

3. Does [Kingdom] do a lot of importing or exporting? What sorts of goods?

They export a huge amount of fish over the span of a year. With a huge coastline to the north and west, there is a huge market for fishing. The kingdom is very much centered around the use of water. Copper is another one. There's a lot of techology that involves steam engines and electric generators and copper is the most used metal for conducting electricity, much like here. They also do a lot of manufacturing for heavy machinery. 

4. For the most part, are the subjects of [Kingdom] pleased with their economic situation? Comfortable? Struggling? Discontent?

The closer you are to the central kingdom, where the royal family is, the happier you are. The coasts have a strong economic situation than inland. Most people are struggling outside of the wealthiest bracket. There's a few pockets of people that you can imagine that are very upset with their lives and so on, but overall, I would say they are just above a middle class. Julian will get to witness these locations and people first hand, as well.

5. Are there lightbulbs in [Kingdom]? If not, is there a replacement for the "How many [whatever]s does it take to change a lightbulb?" joke?

Seeing as there is actually electricity in [Kingdom] (oh my god, I need to name this place), then it only makes sense that there are light bulbs of some kind. However, some rural areas that can't get their own electrical grid working, then there's a lot more candles and oil lamps and such. As for the joke, I'll have to see if I can come up with some. I'm sure Milo will know a few.

6. Are there famous historical figures whose legends will provide inspiration for Julian when he comes across obstacles on his quest?

He mostly knows all the bad legends. There's a lot more out in the world for him to fear than for him to find inspiration from. Mostly, when it comes to the education he receives and subsequently the legends and historical figures he knows, they are previous kings. He is most pressured by the legacy his father left for him to uphold, which is going to be tough, since his father completed hi quest just over three months early; that's faster than any king ever.

7. Who was Julian's first crush?

Daphne. She is the sister of his closest friend. I will have to write up character info on those two soon, since I have no idea who they are other than they are the people he grew up with.

8. What's Julian's preferred strategy when he gets lost?

Panic.

9. What is Julian's vocal range? Can he carry a tune? Does he have a favourite drinking song?

He is I imagine a tenor or baritone... probably a tenor, though. He can carry a tune and he will carry a tune if he happens to be drinking. Now that you've planted this in my head, I think I need to write a drinking song for him. 

10. Can Julian pull off an authentic commanding voice? Does he sound haughty or reedy or nasal?

I actually have 'heard' Julian's voice in my head. I know what he sounds like. He attempts authority and commanding, but it isn't very convincing. He sounds more haughty than anything, but he ranges into whining sometimes when he's frustrated. Especially if it is induced by Milo.

11. Does [Kingdom] have an equivalent question for: Boxers or briefs?

I am not even sure I want to answer this question. Though, Julian strikes me as a briefs kind of guy.

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Thanks for the questions. You get brownie points for being awesome. Next week this all starts over again. Hopefully I will be able to set a schedule for posting since I might be getting a full time job, that will bogart most of my time. Prayers are more than welcome. 

Have a great weekend!

LL&P

Steampunk Abe

Today's post comes to you... super late. I had an early start today and was out and doing things and haven't had a chance to work on anything today for me to post. But I can rant at you about something unrelated. I'm sure that isn't as interesting as you'd like, however.

I had a job interview today and if I get it, it will be full time, which means I'll need to make sure I schedule in time to not only work on my book(s) but also get blogs posted. I'm not exactly sure how this is all going to span out, but I'm hoping for the best. Wish me luck and I'll have something more interesting for you tomorrow if you ask me questions. That would be super awesome.

Here is a picture of steampunk Abe Lincoln for your time:

Clothing Research

I've been searching the interwebs for a couple hours now. Basically, it started with Victorian era fashion and spread from there. If you don't know anything about steampunk fashion, don't worry, it is pretty easy. Basically, the entire genre came from the industrial revolutions of the Victorian age. So, when our modern dreamers decided to take their imaginative inventions and push them just that much further you ended up with steampunk. It only makes sense to then meld the scifi world with that and create a fashion built on Victorian style dress.

The Victorian age spanned across the 1800's. I am deciding to go with the late 1880's to the 1890's for my clothing inspiration. For women, this mean long skirts with bustles and coats that have strange names. If you saw Sherlock Holmes recently, just think of what Rachel McAdams wore the whole time. She is a perfect example of a foundation for my version of clothing. Now, if you take that sort of look, add chains, metal, pins, buttons, corsets, gears and pocket watches, you pretty much get what I'm looking for. The skirts may be shorter and the blouses a little lower, but overall, that is a great start.

Men's fashion is trousers, waistcoats and outer coats. Oh and spats over their shoes. I love spats. That is if you are a nobleman. The areas that are stricken with poverty will have less use for those things. When it comes to accessories, you get fasteners in women's hair, men with monocles and top hats, or bowler hats for more casual days. Of course, since  a lot of the men will take to the skies, I've decided to merge the era's clothing with pirates. There's also going to be a bit of World War II style fashion and traveling going on. I'm really going to do a lot of fusing with all the time periods because it's fiction, I can do that.

I'm going to be doing some artwork with my sister-in-law today. Hopefully we can get started on Julian and Milo's design. I'd like to also start on the map as soon as possible. Luckily my sister-in-law is an artist and loves drawing maps. This should be interesting. Because I don't have anything for you to look at just yet, go look through this website for some amazing steampunkish fashion. Some of it is just incredible and I can't wait to get working on stuff just like that. I wish I could sew.

LL&P

Random Update is Random

I was supposed to be posting today and I totally let time get away from me. I have no idea what to post about. I've decided that I need to get serious about naming the kingdom. I've decided that the central castle's location will be up at a higher altitude than the rest of the city/town/whatever it is that I want to call it. It isn't a huge mountain, but it has a panoramic view of the surrounding metropolis (ooh, that's the word I was looking for). Like I said, I've decided that it will be named based on Mount Olympus. It only makes sense right? I thought so.

The whole kingdom will be named after... I have no idea what. I can't decide. Perhaps something involving Gaia, which is the goddess of the earth. I'm not sure. It is going to be hard to name. The cities will be easier once I get going. I really just think that this whole name is going way over my head and I'm trying way to hard. I don't know.

Yeah, sorry. This is all you get today. But good news! I'm getting together with my sister-in-law, who is an amazing artist, and she is going to help with character design and drawing up the map of this place. You can expect to see some art hopefully soon. I can't wait to show you.

LL&P

Milo Monday 01

I've decided that Milo needs his own day of the week. Well, maybe it was him who decided, but it doesn't matter because he's been running rampant in my mind and taking over, so I think I need to let him come out to play once a week at least. So, every monday, Milo is going to give you a piece of advice on how to survive in [Kingdom] when you are out on your own, kind of like Julian will be.

This week's advice is on how to make a good first impression;

"Ya know I can introduce my own topic, eh? Aye, don't matter, you aren't tha one livin' here. If you are new tae tha area an' ya need tae find yourself some allies, I suggest ya make a good first impression. Tha people around here are suspicious o' everyone. It's what ya get for livin' in a place where shapeshifters roam among tha general population. They don't much like new travelers, so your best bet is tae keep movin' until you find a city where ya can remain anonymous. Hey, I said I'd give you advice, I didn't say you'd like it."


Well, I didn't promise it would be good advice. And in case you are wondering, no I'm not crazy, but yes, I do have characters running around in my head at all times. They do occasionally talk to me. I don't talk back.

Question Friday 05

Question friday time! Had a lot of last minute questions, but as long as they are in, I'm good. Here we go.


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1. What is Julian's favorite book/book genre?
This is hard. I actually think that he probably hates books because they go through such an extensive education as kids. He particularly hates history because as the heir to the thrown, he has a lot he has to learn.

2. What's Julian's favorite food?
Errrr... I have no idea. Food in general? You've stumped me.

3. From the following choices, pick the word that describes Julian best:
A) reserved or outgoing: Outgoing.
B) Passive or aggressive: Passive.
C) Logical or spontaneous: Logical.
D) idealistic or realistic: Realistic.
E) confident or a nervous wreck: Apathetic


I would like to add, that I answered those questions based on Julian prior to the quest. He changes after that.



4. What's your favourite movie to watch when you need a pick me up?
I have a list of movies that I put on when I need something fun. They are Stardust, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Pride & Prejudice.


5. What's your favourite appetizer?
I love appetizers. It depends on the mood I'm in. Anything with bread is a good thing.


6. Have you ever seen Lethal Weapon 4? Do you realize I've had the dentist office scene from that movie stuck in my head ever since I saw the title of your blog post last night after I got off work?
Oh my gosh, this is craziness. I haven't seen it before, but I will now have to figure it out to feel caught up with you.


7. Why steampunk?
This is actually a great question and I have a good answer, which makes me feel cool. I wanted to write a fantasy book, but I didn't want to have magic involved, but I did want something with that same whimsical feel. I wanted creatures involved, but I wasn't sure how to do that. My other love is scifi, but I do not have the brains to make that work. Once you get into that dimension, I start to get lost. I knew that there had to be an in between. Something that let me create a world that wasn't our own, but had elements of technology. I needed something very specific and when I realized that steampunk filled both those qualifications, I knew I had something. Steampunk allows me to be a total nerd with gadgets and technology, but still have that fantasy world in mind. I know that adding in the Greek myths is definitely a stretch, but it seems to be a theme right now, so I am embracing it as something that I have always loved. It's a great backbone to it.

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Thanks for the questions! LL&P

The Legend of Benny the Hunter

I was going to write up a very narrative version of the legend, or legends, of Benny the Hunter. However, I think it would be better told by someone who knows all of the rumors that surround him. Why don't I just let you all peek in on Milo explain to Julian who he is.


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"Benny. Benny the Hunter?" Julian glared down his new companion.

"Yes, sir," Milo seemed much more excited about the situation than was called for.

"Benny is stupid name for a... a... what is he exactly?"

"You never 'eard of Benny tha Hunter!?" Milo slammed his hand down on the table and brought it back up to point in Julian's face, who went cross eyed trying to keep up. "Benny is tha fiercest pirate in all tha sky and sea--or skies and seas, since his legend span all o' 'em. Never you mind, boy. Listen 'ere, Benny is known for his ruthless ways. It's said that tha man has gutted a crew just for takin' too long tae hoist tha sails. He flew Tha Cartographer all on 'is own intae port, kidnapped tha first dozen kids he could find and made off wit' 'em. Then again, there are other legends."

Julian sighed and rested his head in his hand, elbow propped up on the table, "How long is this story going to go on?"

"It ain't a story! These are tha Legends o' Benny tha Hunter. This is a man that defies all understanding. He can track down anyone who betrays him. He's got perfect aim wit' a pistol and you don't even want tae know what he can do wit' a sword, boy. He got his name from hunting down ships. He rules his crew wit' an iron fist, he does. You know how many ships he's taken straight out o' tha skies?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"I don't know how many! You want tae know why? Because I can't count that bloody high! The man has pillaged and plundered every city, village and port on tha [Kingdom] coast! He's makes tha devil look like a wee kitten, he does. And if he's after you, Julian... boy, you best be ready tae run," Milo huffed a final sigh and crossed his arms over his stomach as a last grand gesture.

"Have you ever seen this man?" Julian inquired, raising one disbelieving eyebrow. When he got no response out of him he shook his head, "Then I won't be worrying myself about legends."

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Well, I hope that was kind of fun to read. It gives you a little bit of the excitement from Milo and some of Julian's unimpressed behavior. You also now got to hear just a little about our darling Benny the Hunter, the hired gun out for Julian who is very much a real person.

Also, I need your questions!! Leave them in the comments. Ask about anything from this week's blogs or about anything else you can think of.

LL&P

The Triplets

Oh. My. Gosh. Last minute post is last minute. Here, read about the Triplets.

Names: Spinner, Parcel and Grave

Nickname: None

Age: Almost impossible to tell. Look extremely young, but must be older.

Height: 5’9

Weight: 130

Build: Lean, slender, young physique.

Eyes: So dark brown you can’t distinguish their pupils, squinted eyes, strangely alluring and frightening.

Skin: Sun soaked skin.

Hair: Straight, cut jagged and short, nearly black.

Other Facial Features: Strangely indistinct. They have average features, nothing making them particularly stand out other than they are all identical triplets.

Occupation: Spinner is the Boatswain, Parcel is the Sailing Master and Grave is the Gunner on The Cartographer under Captain Benny the Hunter.

Personality: Introverted, self-sufficient and hard working. They keep mostly to themselves, but will seem to trust their captain, but not many else. They have a unique relationship with Theron, the hellhound.

Background: No one is sure where they came from. One evening, five years before Rune (previous captain of The Cartographer) died, they arrived at the dock and told Rune that he would be needing their services in the near future. Rune didn’t understand this, but he liked them instantly. They worked hard on the ship. Strange things seem to happen around them. No matter how bad a storm, battle or night they have, they come out of it untouched and always together. Benny has decided they are good luck charms, though they would say they aren’t.

Other: Identical triplet men with the ability to predict deaths, but they don’t share this knowledge and if they do, it’s trapped in cryptic messages and riddles.

Greek God Equivalent: Moirae or The Fates

I can give you all that info, only because you won't know what to do with it or how it applies to the books. I just love these guys.

LL&P

Character Development Process

I was thinking about how I choose how a character looks and I realized that I don't really have a set way of doing it. I felt like exploring that today, though.

I don't really plan out how my characters are going to look. When I start with a character idea, I usually come up with their personality first and as I go with that, their physical appearance just comes to me. Sometimes it has to do with one aspect of their personality that reminds me of a specific look or it just sneaks up on me and means completely nothing. With Julian, he came to me pretty quickly. I knew I wanted darker features and strong bone structure while still appearing young. I needed him to look like the hero, but still look pretty green when it came to the world around him. I didn't want him to stick out in society, but he needed to look like he definitely wasn't from around there (or where ever he ended up).

His family came fairly easy once I had him figured out. I knew that he was going to look similar to his father, having gotten most of his looks from him, minus the fact that he has some softer feature and expressions from his mother. His sister I wanted to look fairer than the rest of them and that probably just comes from the want for a bit of the fair maiden stereotype. She's by no means that character, but I don't mind using cliches. Those characters came easy. The rest of them? Well, not so easy.

Milo is giving me trouble, but not as much a another character that I can't introduce you to, because they are a secret. Milo originally was this shady character, who was this short, ratty looking character with a nose too big for his face, beady eyes and thin, stringy hair. However, I started having second thoughts when I realized that, he's a con-artist and being ugly and a con-artist would make him an amazing con-artist, but being attractive (relatively) and a con-artist would make it more likely for him to be one. I figured then, that he needed to stop looking like he was so gross and start looking like it was plausible that he did his trade, dare I call it that.

Now, this is a whole different kind of character development. Instead of just having their face come to me, I have to work with what characters he will be around, the needs that his physical appearance with serve, and the way other characters will see him. So, that's where I'm at. Taking  a look at what his purpose is, I should be able to figure out what he's supposed to look like--in theory. What I figure is that I'd like to have a contrast between Milo and Julian, so Milo is going to be pretty fair. I'm thinking light to medium blonde hair that is cut neatly, medium to light green eyes, still short with not as rigid facial features as Julian. He'll have to be an inviting face, one that people want to trust. He isn't a strong looking fellow, but he isn't soft. Most of his attributes look fairly average, which allows him to blend in.

Make sense? I know I just did a total brainstorm at you for no discernible reason, but you all love me so you'll ready anything I write. Right? Riiiight? Good.

LL&P

Milo Lycus

Happy Monday! Or...not so happy. I suppose it depends on your stance on Monday. I have a bit of a thing for Mondays because Heroes and House are on Mondays and how can I resist that.  Let's get to it! Today, you get to meet (finally) Milo Lycus. 

Name: Hermilo Lycus

Nickname: Milo

Age: 35 ish

Height: 5’6”

Weight: ?

Build: Short.

Eyes: ?

Skin: ?

Hair: Hidden under a merchant's hat, or perhaps not.

Other Facial Features: Open, trustworthy face. 

Occupation: Thief, merchant, con-artist.

Personality: Scheming, mischievious, self-serving with a strong instinct for self-preservation. Liar, deceiver. Never married, nor have any children, but has worked his way into women’s hearts to get what he needed from them, mostly in the form of money. A master of lying, cheating and stealing.

Background: Born into a poor family in the city. His father could not sustain his children, having there be five of them with Milo in the middle. Milo learned quickly to take care of himself in that environment and ran away from home at fifteen. He doesn’t know where his family went or his siblings. 

Greek God Equivalent: Hermes

The fun part about this guy is that he's hilarious. He's very much the comedic relief and he's definitely a heck of a lot of trouble. You'll notice that I have NO IDEA WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE! It is insanely difficult to pinpoint him. He's this great, dynamic character, but I can't tell you what he looks like. I've been running him through my brain quite a bit lately and I can even give you examples of hilarious things he'd say, but aside from that, blank.

So far I've tried to compare him to actors and such. Originally, he was darker skinned with very dark eyes, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've had a few ideas, like maybe he looks more like Simon Pegg, and then I thought that he slightly reminds me of David Anders. Then I had an idea that he might be more like Andrew Lee Potts. But, I am open to anything. SO! I am asking for suggestions. Anything you can think of. I mean, anyone. Even if you are like, "I don't have a face, but what if he looks like this!" and then go on to say some insanely distinct description. The only requirements are what I've got going on up there. 

LL&P