Friday Fun Time, Yes?

I thought I would get this in there before it got too much later and I started to pass out. I have Friday off (yay!) and HOPEFULLY I can go out and start some writing! Saturday is going to be nuts because I will be gone for almost all day for my brother's drumline competition. They made it to finals, which is awesome. I can't wait. There's also the fact that RCC (Riverside Community College) who is the number one drumline and/or marching band used in television and movies will be there. Their drumline's show? My Steampunk Heart. I haven't seen it yet. I'm excited.

Okay, so I think I owe you more details on Milo. I don't think I can keep myself awake long enough to do it justice, but I'll have something for you tomorrow, hopefully. I don't even know who is reading this and following along. Clearly I've been neglecting it, but I knew that life was going to eventually get complicated. I still can't wait to get writing. I WILL DO IT, I SWEAR! Let's just make it through work tomorrow.

I hope you have a great night. See ya tomorrow!

Not Dead... Yet

I'm alive! Somewhere out there in this big wide world I am alive and I have not lost my motivation (entirely). I have no excuse for being so bad at this, but.. well, yes I do. Work. I'm getting used to this whole schedule and daily thing. Once it gets easier and more familiar I will be better at getting things done.

Now I'm going to take a nap.

Uhhhhh... What's Today?

Yeah, definitely not doing a good job at this whole 'stay on track' thing. I am failing miserably. Even though I do know that there is all of 12 people subscribed, one of which is myself. I am trying to get my head wrapped around this and the first thing I do when I get home should be that I make a post. I need to start writing, as well. I am excited, believe. Who knew that this whole 'job' thing would make me such a bum. Oh wait, I totally knew.

 

You were supposed to be reading more about Milo and how unbelievably awesome he is, which still holds totally true. Unfortunately, I'm being horrible and posting this while I'm at work. I have some down time at the moment and can do it really quick. I'm trying to figure out what to write more about in this blog. I'm really hoping that I can get on a writing schedule soon though. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm in need of the motivation at the moment.

 

Hope your week is awesome even though it has been distinctly lacking a lot of me. I know, I know. That is so lame, isn't it? Maybe I will have to start posting on weekends to balance out my weeks. I don't know. I can't even think at the moment. But tomorrow is Friday! I think tomorrow should be 'Suggestion Friday' instead of 'Question Friday.' Anyway, have a great evening!!

 

LL&P

Revisions

Things are going on. Life is changing and moving in a different direction. These past few weeks have been overwhelming, whether it be drama with family, health in the family or just the need to be there for someone else. I've found that I can't guarantee that I can post five times a week and though I still want to and I will continue to try, I am resolving in my resolution that I don't have to post that often. I'm going to drop it down to three times a week (probably Monday, Wednesday and Friday). This will give me a few days in between to make better planned out posts and make sure that I'm getting something done too.

Writing should start soon. Cross your fingers that it does. I'd like to be able to have the first chapter written very, very soon. There's still a lot of fun stuff going on in my head and I can guarantee that this change in the blog is not a reflection of how I am feeling about the project. I am just as dedicate, but dedicated with a full-time job, now. It will take some discipline, that I might have to learn. I've never been good with motivation.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of sun and fun (depending on where you live. It's been hot out here).

BUSY! Oops.

I just realized a few things. First, I didn't post yesterday. Second, Monday was my 50th post! Isn't that exciting? As for missing Tuesday, I was home for about a half hour after work and then left again and didn't come home until 11:30PM. Sure, that isn't an excuse and I'm going to need to work out a posting schedule to coincide with work. 


In case you were wondering, so far I am liking it. I'm hesitant to say that I love it, because I haven't really started doing anything just yet and we will see how it goes. Customer service isn't really my favorite thing to do in the world, but I'm glad that I can be involved somewhere. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to do some graphics with them, too, eventually. No rush at the moment. This is all just a means to have a living and still get to write. Which I haven't done any of. DON'T JUDGE ME.


Okay, here's some more Milo!

Mental and Emotional

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

He is crafty. I wouldn’t ever call him book smart. He didn’t get the opportunity to get any education, but he can read and he’s clever. He’s extremely street smart to the point that no one can get anything by him without him knowing.

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

He’s quick on his feet. Thinking too hard about things produces less than wanted results. He sometimes plans longer cons, but he likes to be quick more.

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

He is much more intuitive. A lot of times that doesn’t work out for him when he is involved in friendships (to which he has very, very few). He tends to make stupid assumptions and his intuition isn’t so great on that level, but when it comes to lies and deceit? He’s great. He is neither idealistic or practical. He’s whatever he needs to be at the time.

4. What kind of education has the character had? 

Only what he learned on the street.

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

Thievery, cons and lying. He is the master at all of them. He’s good with languages and he’d love to learn Siren’s language.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert? 

Extroverted all the way.

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

He is cheerful and laid-back. He’s driven, but only when he knows whatever his goal is, it will make his life easier. He doesn’t like working much. He is the kind of free-loader type with the laid-back personality.

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

He rolls with the punches pretty well. He takes everything in stride and seems pretty relaxed about it, but he can turn his personality into whatever he needs it to be when he sees that there’s a possible con in it.

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

He is more likely to act. He is always on the offensive.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight? 

Flight. He’s a coward.

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

He has a rampant sense of humor. He’s extremely sarcastic and can be very, very morbid.

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? 

His whole life was based on the fact that he essentially raised himself. There was a moment in his life as a nine-year-old where he realized he needed to do more than beg for food, so he learned to steal it.

14. What does he fear? 

Oh, plenty of things, I’m sure. Getting caught is one of them, I would imagine. He doesn’t like authority so that would be something he avoids.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations? 

He doesn’t have any. Mostly, it’s ‘survive to the next day’ and/or make it big and be rich. He doesn’t exactly have a plan for that, though.

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

Probably that he’s a bit of  a sap and he’s terrified of woman.

Milo Monday 05

Another Monday, another bit of horrible advice from Milo, everyone's favorite thief. I wasn't really sure what to ask him about, but then I realized that I have to go shopping for work clothes today and I thought I'd ask Milo about fashion and trends, it should prove interesting.

This week's advice is on how to keep up with the latest fashions;

"Bollocks tae that! You want tae keep up with fashion, you need tae keep tae tha big cities. That's tha place to keep in style. I, on tha other hand, keep my own fashion. Pick myself up a new suit in every town, I do. I make fashion, I don't follow it. Have you seen my bowler hat collection? Best one in tha kingdom."


Why do I ask him these things? He almost didn't answer at all. I swear I'm not crazy. 

Question Friday 08

How is it Friday already? I don't understand!!

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1. What sorts of entertainment does [kingdom] offer? Does access to entertainment forms depend on social/economic status?
This is an interesting question. I would imagine there's theater, music, concerts, comedy... really anything you find in the real world with a twist. I see radio as being a huge industry. It definitely does depend on our social and economic status though. You have to have the money and means to get to these things.

2. Does entertainment vary region to region?
In the same way that Hollywood is known for movies and Broadway is known for theater, there's definitely places that would be known for some form of entertainment more than others. It also has to do with the surrounding area and geography. You aren't going to get a lot of outdoor plays or theaters up north where it's cold. Towns in a valley probably don't have huge radio towers because transmitting from below might not get as far.

3. What sorts of entertainment will Julian encounter on his quest?
That is something I have not thought of yet. I'm not sure what he will encounter. I imagine he will come across a theater of some kind. There's also the seedier forms of entertainment (and I use the term loosely) that will come into play.

4. How will Julian handle "culture shock"? What sorts of things will he hear and see to induce such shock?
Horribly. Julian will not do well. His first night out of the castle walls will be overwhelming for him. He will feel like he's stepped into another world. Nothing will be familiar because he's never seen it. The way society works, the way merchandise is sold, the way society dresses. It will be very very strange for him and it will take a long time for him to start to accept that things are different.

5. Does Julian know any other languages?
I know this question came up in the detailed profile I filled out. He does not know any other languages. He will quickly have to become familiar with them though. Generally, English is the only language used.

6. Are language interpretors easy or difficult to find? Dictionaries?
No. Either you know English or you know a different language. There isn't a lot of inbetween. The reason is, the upper class isn't taught any other languages. English is the respected language. If you are in a rural area or a poor town and you are on the border of another kingdom, there is a chance that you only know that other language. In that case, you wouldn't have learned any new ones. It creates quite the social barrier. Dictionaries are abundant in libraries, but libraries outside major cities are few and far between. Education and books are a luxury and a sign of nobility and wealth.

7. Are there any equivalents to tourism guides?
Oh, I'm sure there are. In fact, of all people, Milo would probably be able to tell you where all the hotspots are. There's definitely tourist traps. You know that icky feeling you get when you are visiting somewhere and you end up in a shopping mall or district because all the store owners are eyeing you? Yeah, it's a lot like that outside of the up-scale cities and regions.

8. How easy are maps to come by?
Maps are plentiful. There are many cartographers throughout, most of them found in towns that have a trains traveling through them or by lakes and oceans. Anywhere where there are travelers and merchants and cargo, there's maps to be found.

9. How accurate are any of these things (interpretors, dictionaries, guides, maps)?
And this is where the trouble comes in. It depends on what kind of map you are looking for and where it's going. Sometimes, the maps are almost completely made up. The shadier places will try and sell you anything. Merchant ships and towns where there's a lot of cargo coming have the more accurate maps, but a lot of those only include the necessary stops that a cargo ship would make, for instance. Interpreters, should you find someone who speaks a few languages (like Milo) are likely to lie to you. There's not a lot of trustworthy people out there. Dictionaries and books are extremely accurate, but like I said, they are hard to come by because it is such a luxury.

---

Hope that was fun to read! See you next week!

More Milo

This section is on speech, so this will be fun. I like thinking about how he would sound, and he's got a lot of fun quirks to play with.

Speech

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

He has an average pitch to his voice with a few squeaky tendencies.

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

He speaks really quickly. It’s often tough to keep up with him. He doesn’t hesitate ever, even if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

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

Because technically this kingdom doesn’t take place here, I can only give the equivalents. Milo speaks with something like a Scottish or Irish accent. He’s not easy to understand all the time, because it is very strong.  His quirks are things like leaving the ‘g’ off the end of words. He does a lot of talking, so there’s a lot of them.

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

He speaks English, but can speak other languages, most of them just being conversational. Unfortunately, I can’t give exact languages because its not our world.

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

He can do so when he’s trying to be convincing. He is really good at doing accents.

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

He almost never thinks about his words. He just sort of starts talking and doesn’t stop.

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

He is more relaxed than eloquent, but he isn’t inarticulate. He can fake whatever he needs to do to get the point across. He’s a great liar and very convincing.

Milo Detailed Character Profile

By request, I decided that Milo needed a detailed profile. I know these are hard to comment on, so don't feel pressured. I'm hoping to get writing soon. I'm not keeping to my schedule very well. Things come up and happen. That's just how it is. Here's the first part of Milo's profile.

Body and Appearance

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

He is five foot six inches and weighs about 190 lbs. He’s not heavyset, but he’s certainly not built. He seems a bit soft around the edges.

2. How old is he? 

35 ish. I haven’t settled on an exact age for him.

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

He hunches his shoulders forward when he walks and slouches when he sits. He shuffles his feet when he walks. He only picks himself up more when he feels like it will be beneficial. He can fake propriety.

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

He’s not the healthiest man out there. Years of traveling through old towns and industrial cities have given him a bit of a chronic cough, but it isn’t overly noticeable all the time. He’s not in shape, much. He gets winded after a run easily.

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

He changes the way he moves. When he’s not putting on a face, he comes across as relaxed, slouching when he walks and shuffling his feet. However, when he’d being charming, he holds himself high and appears to have very fluid movements.

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

He thinks he’s just the most handsome thing to be born in this world, however he actually has a forgettable face. It isn’t that he is unattractive, but he’s got very inviting features that seem very average if you were to try and describe him.

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

His skin looks worn and leathery. He looks like he spends a lot of time in the sun, but he isn’t dark skinned. He has some scars, but most of them are old from when he was a teenager.

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

Milo has dirty blonde hair with streaks of sun-bleached blonde. It’s thin and short and quite a mess all of the time. He doesn’t have a ‘style’ for his hair.

9. What color are his eyes? 

Medium hazel. 

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features? 

Nothing that I can think of yet.

11. What are his chief tension centers? 

Everywhere. His lower back and hips from traveling and sleeping on hard floors.

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? 

He’s got a very small selection of clothing. Often he picks up something new at any town he passes through. He keeps away from bright colors and goes for more neutrals like greys, browns and navy blues. He likes a little bit of flair, however, so he makes sure that anything he gets will grab some attention.

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

His clothes never fit quite right and he does a lot of fidgeting. If it isn’t one thing it’s another. He adjusts his coats and sleeves habitually. He also has a tendency of wearing hats that are too big. He seems more comfortable in them than he should.

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

He dresses the same all the time. If he needs to dress up, he steals something.

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

Boxers, if there is such a thing in [kingdom].

It Isn't Midnight Yet!

Last minute post is last minute! Also, this is the very end of this very long character development questionnaire. This also happens to be my favorite part, though. Well, the last few questions at least. Hope you enjoy!

Daily Life

1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt? 

Wealthy. He will inherit all of the de Arques money and property. It helps that he’ll be king.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him? 

Royalty.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?

He resides in the main castle in the kingdom’s largest metropolis. It is where all governing takes place and it huge. However, it is also walled off and next to impossible to get into or out of. He knows nothing other than his home. He shares it with his family, an uncountable amount of servants and workers as well as a few noble families that live on smaller residences on the property.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on? 

He doesn’t. Things are just handed to him.

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else? 

Currently nothing. He’s just the prince, but that royal life will end soon. He doesn’t really like it, but he can manage and he plays his part just as he should. His responsibility to his family and the quest is something he will do, but he’d rather do something else.

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time? 

Archery, rifles, hunting, horseback riding, pranking… all the things a good 19-year-old boy should do. He spends his free time with Galen doing all of those things.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods? 

He eats every meal and some. He will have quite the shock to the system when all that changes after he leaves the castle.

Associations

Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color?  Blue 
2. Smell?  Leather 
3. Time of day?  Midday 
4. Season?  Autumn 
5. Book?  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 
6. Music?  Jazz (like Sinatra) 
7. Place?  A grass plain at the edge of a forest 
8. Substance?  Some kind of metal 
9. Plant?  Sequoia 
10. Animal? Golden eagle


Yay! I'm considering doing this for a few other characters, but I'm not sure I'll post them. Tell me if its been interesting at all. If so, then maybe I will. Or, you could tell me what character you'd like me to fill this out for.


LL&P

Milo Monday 04

In light of my new job - yes, I totally got a job - today's Milo Monday is about employment in [kingdom]. How long have I been saying I'm going to name the kingdom and still haven't? Gosh, I don't know. Moving on. So, yes, I have a job now. I start next week. You can expect posts to be a little strange for a few weeks. They might be a little bit weird. They might get posted super late at night. I'm not quite sure just yet. I will work until 5 or 5:30, so you can expect them sometime after that. Hopefully it all goes well.

This weeks advice is how to maintain a living;

"You aren't really askin' tha right man for this one. I ain't really tha 'workin'' type, ya know. Look, if ya want tae make an honest livin' you need tae know what the world has tae offer ya. Here? It ain't much. If you want tae have some money, ya need to have your own business. Ya need tae know how to work the customers. Either that, or ya learn a trade, even if most o' 'em don't pay much, unless ya do what I do. You could always be royalty. They got plenty o' dough."


Uhh, I'm pretty sure half the advice Milo gives us would get you arrested. Maybe I should stop asking him.

LL&P

This is Getting Hard

I'm having a hard time posting every day apparently. Granted, this week has been chock full of insanity and running around. I can't really help that. Yesterday I was home for about a couple hours, but I was mostly getting ready to leave again. Don't get me wrong, it was mostly choice that I was out, but I was running errands, too. 


I'm apparently failing my own resolution. Then again, I knew going into this that at some point I'd screw it up and I was just going to have to work with it as best I can and keep moving forward. It isn't about the logistics, anyway. It was about doing something productive. It was about stepping out and saying that this is what I'm doing. I'm writing a trilogy. The end goal is in sight. This is just a means to remind myself every day of what I am supposed to be doing.


So, I'm sitting here, looking forward to the next couple weeks and praying that with the changes going on and the time restraints, how I will fit in this writing. I'll do it. Believe me, I will do it. I can find a way and I will. I'm still going to post here, I'm still going to be moving forward, it just might be a bit boring for the rest of you. Milo Monday returns next week. Hopefully Question Friday will, too. I'm hoping to have some writing done this week. That was the goal, but we'll see. With life happening at the same time, sometimes it just isn't feasible. It doesn't mean I'm just gonna wait it out. I just need to get past this next week. Then we'll buckle down for sure. 


Here's some info on Julian's beliefs. I told you that character profile was long.

Beliefs

1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?

I’m not sure I’ve picked what month he was born in. I think its probably June or July. That makes him a Cancer. Even if I did associate anything about my characters with their sign, he is nothing like it.

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?

Religion and spirituality are very personalized in this world. I don’t see him is as much of anything other than just free spirited.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it? 

Everyone with an education is sort of raised with a sense of ethics and morals. The more rural or corrupt the area, the less ethics and morals have to say in the way they live their lives. Julian has a very proper understanding of what ethics and morals are expected of him. It was basically taught to him, but of course there are certain things that are simply just built into him. As for compromising them, he will learn that there are situations in which morals will change.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent? 

He is indifferent for the most part. He hasn’t had a lot of run ins with people with vary different moral standards from him and so he doesn’t have the experience with it. He will learn that there are limits to that indifference though. He will come up against quite a few foes that back him into a moral corner.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them? 

He doesn’t have many because he is so sheltered. He doesn’t know what is out there to be prejudice about. All he knows is that there is a kingdom that he will have to take care of, he will protect and no one in that kingdom is exempt from that protection. He might change his mind later. We’ll see.


LL&P

Julian Character Profile Continued

Alright, here's another part of the character info on Julian. There's some fun info in this.

Relationships

1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents. 

Respectful. He is more playful and teasing with his mother. His father, though still a strong bond and somewhat relaxed is more stiff.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like? 

His younger sister Sophia is his only sibling. They have a love/hate relationship. He loves her and wants to look out for her, but she’s smarter than he is and they both know it, so they do a lot of bickering.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand? 

The rest of his family feels a lot like a professional relationship. Being royalty gives them a lot of official duties and it feels exactly like that; official.
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them? 

The D’Amores are very much a part of the family. Galen is his best friend and he’d never say he is like a brother, but he would die for him. Daphne is also someone he would die for, but he wouldn’t call a sister. Not anymore, at least.
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet? 

Galen D’Amore and they were raised together. Julian has never not known him.
6. Does he have other close friends? 

That’s about it.
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people? 

He is outgoing and friendly enough, but he doesn’t retain a lot of close friendships. He doesn’t trust that people want to be friends with him because of who he is, but what he is.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends? 

He has been hard wired to be loyal to his family, but if you asked him, he couldn’t tell you which is more important.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once? 

Single, as all princes are until after the quest.
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse? 

Well, he’s not married, but he’s somewhat romantic with Daphne. At least as much of one as he can be in for proper society.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest? 

Daphne for both. There’s not a lot of women around the castle that aren’t just there looking for a leg up in society.
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner? 

He isn’t really focused on that. He has a healthy understanding that he has a quest to go on and it would be ridiculous to get involved with someone before disappearing for a year.
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?

None yet. It is less if he wants them and more that he will have to have children for the good of the kingdom.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies? 

He has quite a few that he knows nothing about yet.
15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?

Heterosexual and on that scale, he’d be a 0.
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him? 

Sex isn’t really a topic that is talked about in the books. I would say that for him, it’s a little less important to him than the average twenty-year-old. He doesn’t have time to think about it at this point in his life.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits? 

He likes woman that can hold their own, none of this damsel in distress kind of stuff. Other than that, I have no information for you.

Explanation

These past two days have been full of busy and fun. Last night I would going to post, almost right before midnight, until the internet crashed and I didn't get the chance. Today, I'm not posting anything interesting because it's been a fun filled day and I'm tired. That doesn't make up for it, but I'll have you know that tomorrow marks the first day I decide to really sit down at get writing. I can't wait.