I Keep Lying to You!

Okay, not totally lying. At least I am posting daily to let you know that I am alive. I was supposed to have more Milo stuff for you, but I don't. There is a long section about relationships that I'm not really finding inspiration to answer. That and dinner is calling... so is Repo Men. I'll let you know how it goes. Have a great night and I WILL talk to you all tomorrow!

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).

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

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.

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.

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:

Question Friday 04

Coming to you late because it was a busy day and then I napped for like, three hours. I was tired! It was an early start! Anyway, here they are. Lots of Julian questions today.

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1. So, What's your favourite flower?
My favorite flowers are lilies and hibiscus. I like big, open looking flowers that don't have a lot of petals. They also come in vibrant colors, so that makes me super excited and happy. 


2. Do the de Arques ladies have favourite flowers? Oh, do the god/goddesses represented so far have any flora/fauna associations that might be relavent to characterization?
This cracks me up for some reason. I haven't actually thought about the use of flowers, though that would be a fun little easter egg to hide in there huh? I'm sure there will be a mention of flowers for the ladies at some point. I already have the queen in peacock colors because Hera is represented by the peacock. So, you can see that I do like to have those things in there. 


3. What is Julian's favourite kind of weather?
Sunny, dry, clear out. He likes being able to go out and play sports or go on a ride (I'm sure there's some motorized vehicle he cruises around on that I've yet to create) or go hunting. He does like being outdoors so any weather that allows him to do that. You can bet there will be plenty of rainy, stormy days on his quest because I am in fact evil.


4. What would an ideal/perfect day for Julian be?
Probably all of the above in question three. He'd wake up late, have no plans, call up his closest friend and they would go out riding or hunting or just causing trouble. I see the two of them would probably often get themselves into trouble around the castle. Julian is a bit of a big kid and he's clinging to his youth as best he can. 


5. Does Julian have a favourite childhood memory?
Yes, and it was the day he hit his first target with his crossbow. He loves that thing like it's his own leg. I mean, the guy would die if he didn't have it. It's a family heir loom, given to him by his grandfather. He got it at a young age, but his mother wouldn't really let him use it until he was a bit older. His father then taught him to use it and the first time he ever hit the center of his target, he was sold. It's a memory that reminds him of being a child, while still growing up. 


6. Do you like cheese?
Yes, yes I do. Cheese is amazing. It goes with so many things. It can even be melted on apple pie if you ask my grandmother... I suggest you don't ask her.


7. Does Julian have a special weapon or skill to help him on his quest, or must he depend on his own wits?
All heirs are taught to fight with and without weapons. He can defend himself thoroughly, otherwise they wouldn't trust the poor guys out in the world alone. It's part of growing up for them. He's also incredible with his crossbow. It's the only real skill he obtained naturally. Because he's only so experienced in the ways of the world, he doesn't really know what he's capable of and this quest will put him in situations where he has to explore that. He will heavily rely on others and that is also a lesson that is being taught to him; diplomacy and trust. 


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So that's that. See you next week! LL&P

Queen of [Kingdom]

So, here you get to meet Mama de Arques. Again, I'm not sure exactly how she looks aside form what I've described down there. Then again, that could change. I don't know. Looks are hard for me right now.

Name: Claire Helena de Arques

Age: 40

Height: 5’6”

Weight: 125

Build: Motherly curves

Eyes: Almond shaped and rich green

Skin: Medium olive, lighter than her husband

Hair: Waist length golden brown and straight, though always in elaborate hair dos under her diadem.

Other Facial Features: Soft and inviting with a quiet sort of beauty.

Occupation: Queen

Personality: Soft, quiet, respectful, traditional, takes her place at her husbands right side always prepared, though that doesn't make her completely unassertive. She is a strong presence in her husbands life and does have quite an influence on him. She loves her children very much and is upset to see her son have to go on his quest to take the throan.

Background: Born the daughter of a Duke, she was always destined to be married off into royalty, though Julian II’s liking of her and consequent love of her was unexpected. She bore two healthy children to Julian II, but was unable to conceive again after their daughter Sophia.

Greek God Equivalent: Hera

Other: Often seen in peacock colors.

I was going to tell you all something else, but now I can't remember what it is. I started watching Heroes and it definitely brainwashed me. Also, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is on television and now it is certainly that my brain will be mush by the end of the day. I think anyone from when that movie was made and on that names their kid Ferris is asking for trouble. 

On an unrelated note, I now have an affiliates list. If you know anyone else that is working on their own art or writing projects, have them contact me and I can list them if they list me. Also, check out the first affiliate. It's amazing. A friend of my older brother is starting a clothing company; for every shirt you buy, one shirt gets donated to someone in need. It takes the charity/clothing alliance to an all new level. I can't wait until they really get started on it. Keep an eye out for them! You can check them out at http://no1without.blogspot.com!

Rain Check

This is the fourteenth post and I'm gonna have to rain check. I can't think at the moment, I've got life happening to me today (ugh, how dare it!?) and so I'm just not prepared to post anything interesting or relevant. All I can say is that I'm going to have to find time tomorrow, which may prove just as difficult.

I'm really sorry, but I promised to post everyday; I didn't promise you'd be satisfied.

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!

I've done some more research on Kairos, and you know what's weird? This god is just as elusive as The Oracle. First of all, not all accounts call him a god. Some are convinced that he is a she. Of course, I go with the male version, but that isn't the point. Then, there is the many different definitions of what he actual is the god of. Another name for him is Caerus.

The Greeks had two words for time; chronos and kairos. Of course, these both are the names of gods, but represent different versions, as I've said. Kairos has been described as the opportune moment, the god/goddess of pure time, or the spirit of opportunity. There's a few accounts of him being described as a youthful man with hair hanging in his eyes, but none on the back of his head. He's also described as being completely naked with winged feet. It is quite a strange description for a god, but that isn't the first time that the Greeks sounded like they were on something when they came up with myths.

Aesops Fables go on to say that you must catch Kairos when he is in reach, but once he has moved on, not even Zeus could catch him. That sounds like an awful lot of power in a god who doesn't have a set description.

Alright, this is a bit of a rambling post. I wasn't sure what to talk about so I started to do more research and then realized that, geesh, there isn't anything set for this particular god. I only have the information I know from a Mythology class I took and any resources I can find on the internet.

This is a boring post. I'm sorry about that. I plan to have some art or inspirational pictures up next week as I get on with more of the world. I'm not sure whether you would like to hear more about the de Arques dynasty or if you want more on the actually world around it. This kingdom is still not named. I need to get working on a map, too. Wow, there's a lot left to do.

Alrighty, its Thursday, which means y'all need to ask me questions! I am going to Disneyland tomorrow, so I will be posting early in the morning and so you absolutely have to ask me things asap. I'm not sure what you want to ask, whether it be about this whole theme or future posts or what kind of hair products I use. I don't know. Have at it!

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Welcome!

Every New Year I make up some stupid resolution that I promptly break. I figure that way I can get the disappointment out of the way and not worry about it later on. I've even made the resolution to not make a resolution, which essentially breaks the resolution immediately and therefore taking care of the whole thing in one go. I like my little game I play. It's fun for me and probably no one else, but that's the point. This year, however, demanded I do something better than scoff at people who have things like 'goals' and 'a future.' Ha! Who needs that? Well, apparently I do.

I've been planning to write a book... a few books. Most of the ideas get developed enough to start, but not enough to finish and half way through I decide that it wasn't as good an idea as I thought. But in the past few months there has been an idea that has been nagging me, pulling at me, and demanding my attention. I've been pushing it around all the corners of my brain, waiting for it to take hold of a more solid plot. Not too long ago it finally became a full fledged plot, from beginning to end. There's details to work out, of course; all those little things about the characters, plots, subplots, and the world this story will exist in. That is what this blog is for.

My New Year's Resolution came to me from watching Julie & Julia. When that movie came out, I figured that I could write a blog, too. Yes, there's a lot of people that assume they can write a blog just because they have a thought in their head, but this is more than just writing a blog to show off my skills of knowing how to use a computer. Instead, I am using this blog to keep myself in check. I am going to post here all kinds of information about my book, my ideas and the characters. You will get little snippets of plot and events that took place even before the plot.

Here are the rules:

• I will post a minimum of five times a week. Usually this will mean Monday through Friday, but there may be a few times that I post something on the weekend. 
• I will use this blog to post information about my book. This means that I will be sharing information about the characters, plot and world I am creating. 
• I will post even when I haven't done any work on my book. This gives you permission to yell at me when I post something that has nothing to do with my book. 
• I will post design ideas, plot ideas, and art. This means I have to work on it daily, even though I accept the fact that sometimes I have other responsibilities and I can't dedicate a lot of time every day. 

Here's the summary. I am writing a blog to develop my book and create a fanbase for characters that you all haven't even read yet. This will help me dedicate time to writing as well as keeping myself in check. These first few posts will be me throwing around ideas of how to keep my readers interested and what you can expect out of this blog. I have to come up with my set format for posting and such. We will see how it goes.

But before I thank you for reading, you probably want to know what the heck this story is about! Well, it is an epic steampunk fantasy about the quest of a kingdom's prince. Steampunk is a fantasy genre where the society is more old fashioned, but with technology that is advanced past even what we are at. It is an extremely industrial age with old social standards. A good example of this is the Disney movie Treasure Planet. Some of the things you can expect is flying ships, harnessing lightning as energy and kings, princes, bounty hunters and pirates. It is a trilogy, so all three books will follow the main character (who you will learn more about soon) and his epic journey into finding his place in the kingdom.

Some great resources for figuring out what this 'steampunk' thing is is by searching it through Deviant Art. There are so many amazing pieces of art that very much embody the feel and ideas that I am going for.

Thanks for reading and I really hope you decide to stick with me through this journey. If you love to read and love to discuss ideas, I can't wait to get your feedback. Recommend this blog to your friends! I can't wait to get started.

Always,

Alexandra