Writing Music

It's no secret that I love to write and have done for as long as I can remember, but what I don't mention as often is how much I love/get inspired by music. Combining the two things, I wanted to talk about the music that I listen to when writing. This could be tracks that go well with a certain scene, or get me in the mind set of a particular character.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL BY THE ROLLING STONES

This one of my favourite songs and for some reason it helps me get into the mind of a couple of characters from my current WIP.

OUTRO BY M83
This track is absolutely fantastic. I feel like it sums up the arc of one of my characters perfectly.

WHISPERING WINDS BY JAMES HORNER

This is just so beautiful. Nothing more can be said.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON BY THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST OF HAMILTON

Hamilton is my new obsession. I am completely and utterly in love with the whole soundtrack despite the fact that I originally thought I'd hate it. The themes of the first track relate to one of my characters, and I'm also just using this as an excuse to talk about Hamilton. 

THE IMPERIAL MARCH BY JOHN WILLIAMS

I like to play this as entrance music for one of my characters. It's just so damn badass I can't even.

THE LARK ASCENDING BY VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Again, I don't care that I have the same music taste as your grandma. I love writing to this.

THE PROMISE OF LIVING BY AARON COPLAND

I found about this track because Sarah J Maas said she listened to it when writing the end of The Assassins Blade and I completely understand why (ignore the video).

WALK THROUGH FIRE BY THE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER CAST

I kid you not when I say that this song can reduce me to ugly tears. It completely breaks my heart, and that's why it's perfect to write to.

RIVERS AND ROADS BY THE HEAD AND THE HEART

This is another song that makes me cry, and for some reason I write better when I'm an emotional wreck.

#WritersLifeTag

I've you've read any of my blog posts before you might know that I love to write, so it'll come as no surprise when I say that I got so excited when I was tagged in this. Rebekah @ Wings Made of Words was the one that tagged me and you should definitely check out her blog if you haven't already as she's amazing.

WRITE FUEL: WHAT DO YOU EAT/DRINK WHILST WRITING?

I don't eat anything specifically whilst writing but if I did, it would have to be Cadbury's Oreo chocolate. It's honestly like heaven in the form of a chocolate bar.

WRITE SOUNDS: WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO WHILST WRITING?

I listen so much music whilst writing that I'm probably going to do a whole post about this one day. I listen to a lot of movie scores/classical music when I write but there are pretty much songs of every genre on my playlist. For example, I've been listening to a lot of The Rolling Stones to get into the mind of one of my characters, but for another I've had Tchaikovsky on repeat. I also listen to a lot of musicals, rock, country and Disney (I'm not ashamed of this). along with practically every other writer out there, my go to track is Outro by M83.

WRITE VICE: WHAT'S YOUR MOST DEBILITATING DISTRACTION?

This is an easy question to answer: The Internet. Every time I go to write I get distracted by Twitter (or those Buzzfeed quizzes that are a wonderfully addictive waste of time). I do procrastinate a lot, but I do work on my WIP every day, even if it is just theorising a scene in my head that may or may not get written down.

WRITE HORROR: WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU WHILST WRITING?

I can't think of anything in specific, but probably those numerous occasions when I've got 50K into a novel to realise that I'm taking it in the wrong direction and have to start again. Even if that may be a good thing for the story I'm trying to tell, it really is frustrating.

WRITE JOY: WHAT'S THE BEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU WHILE WRITING OR HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE THE SMALL VICTORIES?

Finishing a draft for the first ever time, without a doubt. I've only done this once, but last NaNoWriMo I wrote 100K in twenty nine days, finishing my WIP. You don't know how amazing it feels to say that I've actually completed a novel (even if it was a load of rubbish). Another thing that I love is when an idea I've been struggling with for months just clicks together. I don't really celebrate aside from giving myself a few days off, or by allowing myself to write furiously in solitude.

WRITE CREW: WHO DO YOU COMMUNICATE OR NOT COMMUNICATE WITH WHILE WRITING?

I don't really share my work with people much and at the moment I don't have someone that I talk through my WIP's with, but I'm very vocal in complaining to Twitter about how hard writing is. Though when I'm just trying to get a lot of writing done I shut myself in my room and don't talk to anyone until I'm done for the day.

WRITE SECRET: WHAT'S YOUR WRITING SECRET TO SUCCESS OR HIDDEN FLAW?

Okay, if you're looking for writing advice ignore what I'm about to say. The only time I've ever completed a novel was last NaNoWriMo. I wrote 100K in twenty nine days. The reason I wrote so much? I had mock exams and was procrastinating revision. Yup. That's my secret: write when you're not supposed to. Oh God, I'm such a terrible student.

WRITE-SPIRATION: WHAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU PRODUCTIVE?

I tend to get most of my inspiration either from Pinterest (my one true love), music or from reading/watching TV shows. Pinterest is probably the big one considering I spend an ungodly amount of time on there, and the board for my current WIP has 860+ pins on it. I'm also inspired a lot by history and mythology (the idea for my current WIP stemmed from the Hades and Persephone tale in Greek Mythology). If I'm ever feeling particularly unproductive, I go to these things.

WRITE PEEVE: WHAT'S ONE THING THAT WRITERS (OR YOU) DO THAT'S ANNOYING?

Um, one thing I find annoying is when certain writers assume that their way of outlining/writing is the only way to do it, and the best for everyone. What could work wonders for me might absolutely kill your novel. Everyone has a different writing process, and just because it isn't yours it doesn't mean that it isn't valid.

WRITE WORDS: SHARE ONE SENTENCE FROM A PROJECT. PAST OR PRESENT.

You honestly don't know how hard it is for me to find a sentence that I like which doesn't feature a violent murder or vulgar language (aka two of my favourite things). I should never, ever write for young kids unless they want to see mummy and daddy decapitated or something.

Anyway, this is taken from my current WIP currently called The Kingdom of Empty Souls.

“You don't just love a girl like Raena,” he said. “You burn with her.”

 So that was the #WritersLifeTag! Thanks so much Rebekah for tagging me! Honestly, I'm not sure who to tag myself, so if you want to do this please give it a go.

Writing Resources: Pub(lishing) Crawl

This is my third post in a series where I talk about my favourite writing resources, whether it be websites, books, blogs or author newsletters. Previously I talked about Susan Dennard's Misfits & Daydreamers as well as the podcast Writing Excuses. This week (um, not that this is weekly. I'm not organised like that) I'm talking about one of my favourite writing websites.

PUB(LISHING) CRAWL

Pub(lishing) Crawl is a fantastic website run by a group of writers and industry professionals. Erin Bowman, Susan Dennard, Kat Zhang, Vanessa Di Gregorio, Julie Eshbaugh, Hannah Fergesen, Stephanie Garber, S. Jane-Jones, Stacey Lee, Biljana Likic, Jodi Meadows, E.C Myers, Rachel Siegel and Joanna Volpe make up the team, with past contributors including Sarah J Maas, Leigh Bardugo and Alex Bracken just to name a few. If you don't recognise at least some of those names, I'll be surprised.

Over the years some of the contributors have gone from aspiring/debut authors to NYT bestsellers, so the hundreds of posts they have written about writing are definitely worth checking out. They all have years of experience in their own fields, and the writers know what it's like to be a struggling aspiring writer as well as a successful published author.

I first found Pub Crawl when I found out that one of my all time favourite authors, Sarah J Maas, used to be a contributor. Then I found out that so many of my favourites write/have written for the website, and then there was no going back. It's such an invaluable resource, especially because the contributors come from all sides of the industry. Writing Excuses (which I talked about last time) is just by authors and whilst it's an invaluable resource, hearing advice from agents and publishers is great.

Because of the amount of contributors and the length of time the website has been up, there are posts on anything and everything you could hope for. Whatever problem you have, just run a keyword through the search. To give you an example a while ago I was having trouble creating my villain, and in total there were seven pages worth of articles to look through. There are also five pages tagged with outlining, and three on character creation.

Here are just a few of my favourite articles:

Outlining on Excel (yes that's right...Excel)

Cheap Villain Killin'

The Tyrant Villain

Secondary Characters

A Conversation Between Critique Partners: Worldbuilding

Writing Resources: Writing Excuses

You may have seen a post I did about a week ago in which I said that I was going to spend some time talking about my favourite writing resources, whether it be websites, books, blogs or author newsletters (last week I talked about Susan Dennard's Misfits & Daydreamers which you can find here). Because I'm an unorganized human being I can't promise that these posts will be weekly (or regular, for that matter), but this week I really want to talk about one of my favourite resources. And that is....

*starts drumroll* 

WRITING EXCUSES

Writing Excuses is fabulous. It's a free writing advice podcast by a bunch of really successful and talented authors: Howard Tayler, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal and Brandon Sanderson. You hay have heard of them before. Occasionally, they also bring in special guests such as Pat Rothfuss (!!!). Although its primarily focussed on science fiction and fantasy, there are ten seasons of podcasts so I'd recommend checking it out no matter what genre you write in. Episodes cover practically anything you'd want to know from secondary world creation to a Q&A on story structure.

Each episode is only fifteen minutes long and features a book of the week as well as a writing prompt at the end. You can tell that the hosts genuinely enjoy themselves because of the laugh out loud moments, but aside from that the advice is just fantastic. The talent of the authors creating the podcast makes my brain melt.

The best thing about them is that you can download/listen to Writing Excuses for free. I have a bunched of them saved onto my phone for whenever I get bored on public transport or something (you can tell that I'm a really cool person, can't you?).

The main way to get better at writing is to practice, but Writing Excuses is so helpful for a writer no matter how experienced you are. For example, recently I've been wondering if my main character in my current novel is a bit flat compared to the supporting cast. So, I looked through the archives and found a podcast on the topic. Although they obviously can't tell you exactly what the problem with your character is, they said that generally to make your main character more interesting you need to make sure the reader knows what the character wants more than anything, to give them a life/hobbies/interests outside the novel, and to give them agency. These things might not make me a better writer, but it certainly helps making my characters better.

In my own humble opinion, Writing Excuses is one of the best resources out there. It's easy to cram into your day to day life yet the advice is invaluable.

There are a lot of episodes, and whilst I'd say that all of the ones I've listened to have been of good quality, some are more helpful than others. I'm going to link you to a few of my favourites here:

Q&A On Character
Worldbuilding Wilderness
Worldbuilding History
Polytheism in Fiction
When Good Characters Go Bad
Q&A At Dragons & Fairytales
Trunk Novels
What Do You Mean, My Main Character Is Boring?

Writing Resources: Misfits & Daydreamers

Lets all have a moment of silence to appreciate how bloody hard writing is. Everything seems to go wrong at the exact moment you need it not to. and there are days when you have no ideas at all. Whilst the most important way to get better is to simply practice, there is an abundance of information out there that is so useful to getting better. In future posts I'm going to highlight some of my favourite online (and offline) resources that I like to use.

To start off, I'm going to tell you all about Misfits & Daydreamers!

MISFITS & DAYDREAMERS

Misfits & Daydreamers is Susan Dennard's (the amazing author behind the Something Strange and Deadly series, as well as the upcoming Truthwitch which may or may not be one of my most anticipated books of 2016) newsletter. First of all I'd recommend subscribing because of the insider information (and exclusive excerpts) about Susan's books, but the reason why I'm mentioning it here is because of the amazing writing advice she gives.

The newsletter is split into two halves. The first, Misfits, focuses on Susan's books. It often includes really exciting extra content such as a sneak peak of the first couple of chapters of Truthwitch. You'll also get a first peek at things such as cover reveals and all that jazz. I know practically everyone in the book world has been talking about Truthwitch and if you're as excited for it as I am, you really should subscribe.

Daydreamers is the second half of the newsletter and it's where Susan gives writing advice. Each newsletter tends to talk about one particular topic, and past topics include dealing with criticism and deepening your plots. Susan talks a lot about publishing (it isn't all about the mechanics of writing) and as I'm someone who wants to be a published author but is kind of daunted by the industry, it's great to hear an insiders point of view.

It's really encouraging when successful authors give advice to new writers. Like I said earlier writing is hard, and when I feel like giving up I honestly go and read some of Susan's newsletters. It's so inspiring to know that everybody has doubt, and it's all about keeping going and not giving up.

The reason I like Misfits & Daydreamers so much is because Sooz comes across as a genuinely lovely person, and a lot of the advice comes from Susan's own experience. Whether you're a writer or not, I'd go subscribe. Right now.

Camp NaNoWriMo Wrap Up/A Few Updates

Todays post isn't anything exciting, but it will be in two parts. The first? Camp NaNoWriMo 2015.

For those of you who don't know, Camp NaNoWriMo is basically where you have to write fifty thousand words (or a target of your own choosing) in one month. I've won NaNo four times before--three for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which takes place in November, and once for Camp. It's basically a month filled with stress, tears, headaches and occasional nausea. Aside from that, I'd totally recommend giving it a go.

This year my goal was to write 50K and I achieved this on the 27th. *Does happy dance* The WIP I was working on is called The Kingdom of Empty Souls and is a YA high fantasy retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, and even though my draft is currently at 58K (because I had some written before Camp NaNo started) I think I'm only about one third through the plot. If you want to know more about my WIP you should head over to my Pinterest board for it because, lets face it, I spend far more time pinning things than I actually do writing.

Basically, my story is a fucking behemoth.

Whilst I am really proud of myself, there were certain parts which were excruciatingly painful to write. I'm talking about stepping on lego kind of pain. It was like I was swimming through treacle instead of water. Even now I'm pretty certain that a lot of what I have written is a ton of crap. Saying that, I really do love the story I'm writing. It just feels right, you know?

Because I've spent a lot of time writing, I've definitely been stuck in a little bit of a reading slump. This happened last November where I wrote 100K in twenty nine days yet read a total of zero books. I also had exams that month and kind of 'forgot' to revise just so I could write. It's no secret that I'm the worlds worst student.

Even though what I've written isn't that great, it's already miles ahead of what I wrote in November. I think that this month was when I really, genuinely decided that I'm going to do everything I can to one day get published. Not now, not necessarily in five years, but I'm determined to see this dream through even if it kills me. I'll write so many crappy first drafts that one day they'll be slightly less crappy until they're actually kind of okay. It's going to take a lot of hard work, but I want this more than anything and I refuse to give up.

I don't know how much writing I'll get done in August because I'm going on holiday, bringing me onto part two of this post. I probably won't be blogging much whilst I'm away (for two weeks from Tuesday) as I'll only have my phone with me. I plan to schedule a few posts in advance, but if I actually write anything whilst I'm away it will probably be reviews.

I'm going to Florida to visit my American cousins, but we're also driving up to North Carolina for a few days so if anyone knows any good places to visit in the Lake Worth/Asheville areas please tell me in the comments! By good places to visit I mean good bookshops. Knowing me I'll probably buy an extortionate amount of books and will have to strategically sneak them into my sisters suitcase so my bag actually closes.

I don't know why but I have this weird thing where it's physically impossible for me to write a blog post without adding a GIF/image, so I'm going to end this post with a GIF of a cat. Sorry, not sorry.

13 Character Building Questions

Aside from being a reader I'm also an aspiring writer. I've been thinking a lot about writing because of Camp NaNoWriMo (if you don't know what that is, it's basically where you have to try to write 50,000 words in the month of July) and one of the problems I've been facing is giving my characters depth.

I think this GIF summarises the writing process perfectly.

I've been asking myself these questions for a while, and considering it's Camp NaNo I thought I'd share them with any other writers out there. I'm sure you've all seen those character sheets which ask you what your characters favourite colour is or what the name of their first pet was. I don't use those personally, but the questions that I've gathered tell you more about a character than you'd initially think.

1. What item would your character hide their Horcrux in? 

Asking this question shows whether your character would react logically and think of something indestructible or hard to find, or whether they're a more emotional person and would choose something they have strong emotional attachment to.

2. Which of the Deathly Hallows would they pick? 

You could have three very different characters who are mourning over the same person. One may be more logical and choose the cloak even if it means never seeing their friend again. Another may choose the wand to take vengeance on the killer of their friend, whilst the final person may choose the stone so they could see them again. This just shows you how they'd react to an awful situation.

3. What Hogwarts house are they in?

This is kind of self explanatory but I can't be the only one whose done sorting tests for all my characters.

4. Which of the seven deadly sins are they least likely to forgive?

Someone who is less likely to forgive lust is very different from someone who loathes envy. Asking this gives a deeper level to your characters

5. Which of the seven deadly sins are they most guilty of?

Both this an the previous question also show what they’d be willing to forgive or not, and how they’d make decisions. It could be interesting if the sin they're least likely to forgive is the one they're most guilty of.

6. What would be their weapon of choice?

Are they someone who wouldn't mind the risk of a knife fight, or would they prefer to keep their distance and opt for a bow? Are they a bit of a show off and would choose the most extravagant weapon despite its impracticality, or would they choose something simple?

7. What would they vote for in the next election?

Someone’s voting choice tells a lot about them. You could also ask how they came to that decision—would they spend hours researching, do what a family member did, or would they pick at random? Also, someone who chooses not to vote is likely very different from someone who is very politically engaged. Things like this help you work out how your character makes decisions and what they stand for.

8. What would they do in the Hunger Games?

Would they come up with a strategy, or would they be too emotionally unstable to do anything? How well would they predict they'd do, and what would their family members think? It’s not so much about if they would win but more so how they would act, and the decisions they would make. It shows you how they react to difficult and stressful situations, too.

9. What would their reaction be if they found out their partner cheated on them?

This isn’t so much about the cheating but about their reactions. Very different people would do different things whether it be plot revenge, pretend not to care or eat a whole tub of ice cream. Would they forgive or develop instant loathing? Cheating is just an example but if you ask yourself this it would show how they deal with things not going right.

10. What books do they like?

Assuming they like to read, someone's taste in books can tell a lot about them. If your character craves escapism and adventure, they may read more fantasy books than someone who is a hopeless romantic. 

11. Would they kill someone in order to save a loved one?

Asking this shows how far they'd go to get what they want. It doesn't say how much they love someone, rather what they'd do about it. 

12. If they liked someone romantically, would they tell them?

If they have a fear of rejection, likely not. This mostly shows how your character handles their emotions. 

13. If they were against a certain organisation (e.g. Government), would they do anything about it? If so, would they form a rebellion, take it down from the inside, or protest peacefully?

Again, this shows how they'd react to a difficult situation but also how they think. Someone who is logical and intelligent would make one choice whilst a physically strong army brute would do something different.

Personally I find these questions more useful than some other ones on the internet. They say more about your character than what their favourite film is, for example. So, do you have any questions you find useful when building characters? 

Eight Things Buffy The Vampire Slayer Has Taught Me About Storytelling

I haven't been blogging as much later, and if you check out my twitter feed it'll be pretty obvious why. Buffy the Vampire slayer has literally taken over my life. Since I broke up from school about two weeks ago, I've watched four seasons of Buffy, and two and a half of Angel (it's spin off series). Basically, I have no life. If you haven't watched Buffy yet, you need to. I just finished the show and although the last season wasn't as good as the rest, it wrapped up with a satisfying and empowering conclusion, solidifying it as my favourite TV series of all time. I cried so many tears. So, so many.

I can't get this out of my head, and I don't even think that I want to:

If you seriously think that Angel is better than Spike, you can
leave. 

I really don't want to neglect my blog whilst I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms, so instead I decided to blog about it. Trying to keep my fangirling (kind of) relevant, I'm going to share eight things that Buffy taught me about writing/storytelling.

I'll try to leave out spoilers, but there will be an abundance of fangirling and GIF's. You've been warned.

TAKE RISKS, AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

I'm not just talking about cliches, but taking a complete risk away from the norm can really enrich a story. Buffy was the first ever network TV show to have a serious, long lasting lesbian relationship. One episode was done almost entirely without dialogue, and another was a musical. Yup, and it was bloody brilliant. The risks that Joss Whedon took Buffy from being entertaining to amazing. Why write the same things as everyone else when you could do something different and something better? Experiment with a new format, or something which people may not like or agree with. If it pays off, it will set your writing miles apart from anything else. 

FANTASY FICTION ISN'T JUST ABOUT FANTASY

If you've never seen Buffy, I wouldn't be surprised if you dismiss it as a trivial and silly show. A lot of people dismiss genre fiction too, and think that fantasy/sci fi isn't as 'serious' as other fiction. That's a load of bollocks. Buffy explores a lot of serious topics, and if you think that it's not as good because it's fantasy watch The Body. I don't want to spoil it, but it's genuinely one of the best TV episodes I've seen in any genre. Yes, it's a show about monsters, but that doesn't mean that the themes and issues that it explores aren't valid or important. Just because you're writing in one genre, it doesn't mean that you're not allowed to take themes, elements or plot points from others.

CHARACTERS ARE WHERE THE HEART IS

I do care about defeating a demon or closing the hellmouth, but what I care about more is the characters. It sounds bad, but I'm more invested in relationships between friends, lovers, and family than the world ending. Buffy does this really well, and in the end they're not just fighting to defeat this season's Big Bad, but for each other. There are breakups and fallouts, and that's ultimately what keeps the reader going. I'm not watching for the monsters, but instead to see if my ship gets together, or to make sure a character gets over an emotional difficulty. You could have an amazing plot, but if I don't care about the interactions between characters, I'm not going to keep on reading.

BE UNPREDICTABLE YET BELIEVABLE

Have you ever read a book where the plot twist is so unpredictable that it's just stupid and ludicrous? Or a character has died for no reason other than to shock the reader? There is a certain season five death which was so unexpected and shocking, yet it made complete sense. It wasn't as if Joss Whedon killed this character to put the reader on edge, but instead it enriched the story. No matter how surprising it was, it worked because it made sense. Equally, the season five finale ended on a very surprising note but once again, it made sense. It was foreshadowed so the reader didn't reject it, but that was so hidden that I don't think anyone would really work out what was about to happen. That's so much better than the alternatives, and whilst it's so important to keep the reader constantly on their toes you don't want to throw them off their feet too often.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY WHAT A CHARACTER WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING, GIVE IT TO THEM FIRST

If you want the reader to remain invested, it's always good to raise the stakes and make it seem like nothing is going to plan for the characters. One way to do this is to take away what they want most in the world. This example is going to spoil up to season two. What would be more heartbreaking: Buffy losing Angel as he turns back to Angelus because of some spell, or Angel going bat shit crazy only after he and Buffy finally get together and reach pure happiness. It's definitely the latter (except it isn't because Angel is nothing compared to Spike. Nothing, I tell you). It's sad if a character loses the thing they most desire, but if they get it after days/weeks/years of working hard to obtain it, it's devastating to see things fall apart. That's because both the character and the reader get to see what could've been if things were different.

VILLAINS ARE PEOPLE TOO

Does anyone else hate it when villains have no motive or purpose other than to be evil? In Buffy, the 'evil' characters have a reason to be so (except for that stupid Anointed One or whatever he's called), and even if they are evil it doesn't stop people loving them. Villains are characters too, and even if they're on opposite sides to the protagonist it doesn't mean that the reader can't like them, or if not at least understand them. Actually, it creates more conflict if the reader does like the villain. It's no secret that I'm kinda in love with a certain English vampire, but he's first introduced as someone who is completely and utterly evil. He's gambled for kittens and cheated. He's killed people and enjoyed it.  He created a robot of the girl he was in love with for sex (gross gross gross *shudders*).Yet his characterisation goes so much deeper than his evilness, and after a few spoilery things he's no longer a boring villain, but a character I'm willing to root for despite his questionable motives. Besides, if you want your reader to hate the villain, they're going to do that more if they feel real, compared to a cardboard cut out bad guy complete with an evil cackle.

EVERY ACTION HAS CONSEQUENCES

This example is going to have spoilers. You've been warned. At the end of season five/beginning of season six, Buffy dies but is brought back to life by the Scoobies. Quite a few TV shows bring characters back from the dead, but very few actually explore the consequences of these actions. The effect of Buffy's resurrection was a huge part of the series, just as it should've been. Equally, when Spike tried to rape Buffy (before he got his soul back) it wasn't brushed over just because he's hot (on a separate note, abusive relationships are not okay no matter how gorgeous the guy is. So many YA books portray an unhealthy relationship as true love because he has abs of steel. Please stop doing this). It was dealt with properly, and whilst I personally think that Buffy did love Spike in season seven, she did not love him when he was soulless--no matter how much he changed--because rape is never excusable. It really pisses me off when something big happens to characters and the consequences aren't explored in enough detail. If you're writing something important, really ask yourself how they would react and how long it would affect your character for. As well as not annoying the reader, consequences make your characters and your plot feel richer. Everything has a price, be it magic or murder. 

JUST KEEP WRITING AND IT'LL GET BETTER

The first season of Buffy is good, but it's nothing groundbreaking. The show is both sophisticated and silly, hilarious and serious--all the while being entertaining, honest, and heartbreaking. Based on the first season alone, I wouldn't be able to say all those things. The point I'm trying to make is that if you keep going with writing, it will only get better and better. Yes, just like there are not so good episodes there are bad writing days. There will even be setbacks, though I doubt anything could be as worse as nineties special effects. It takes practice and a lot of hard work, but in the end I promise your writing will be so much better if you just keep going.

And, just before I get all emotional again because THAT ENDING GAVE ME FEELS, I'm going to make a dramatic exit.

March Wrap Up/Book Haul

So I did one of these posts in January and it's only six days into March, so it isn't too late, right? Either way, here's my rundown of the month of March.

March is one of my favourite months because it's my birthday (hurrah!). I turned the grand old age of sixteen, but if I'n honest I feel no different to  before. My friends reminded me that now I'm legal, but that'll make no difference. The last time I kissed a boy, I was about six. I still don't know if it counts or not because I don't actually remember it, considering I was six... #badass

I only read one book in February so there was no point in reviewing that month, but in March I read ten *selffive*

• Geek Girl by Holly Smale was the first book I read (on my kindle) and I really loved it. It's just a light contemporary style book, but the main character was so compelling and relatable. I read this book in one sitting and couldn't put it down because it was just a lot of fun. I think I have it 4/5 stars on Goodreads. 
• Model Misfit by Holly Smale is the second book in the Geek Girl series. I downloaded it straight after finishing the first book and again, I couldn't stop reading. These books are just so addictive and even though they're just a bit of fun, they're actually well written (even if they are a little predictable). I gave it 5/5 stars because I loved it so much. 
• Picture Perfect by Holly Smale was the next book I read. What a surprise. I gave it 5/5 stars plainly because the main character, Harriet, is a total bamf as well as being really geeky. She seems to know trivia on just about everything and this was honestly more educational than a lot of books I 'read' for school. 
• All That Glitters by Holly Smale is the most recent Geek Girl book and although I did really like it, I only gave it three stars because it felt a little more cliche than the rest of the books. I did enjoy it, but it was just a little meh. 
• Geek Drama by Holly Smale is the only other Geek Girl book I read this month. Because there are no more. I read them all. This one is a World Book Day novella and whilst it isn't a full book, I had to read it just because. I did really like it, but I gave it 3/5 stars on Goodreads because I just didn't love it. 
• Malice by Chris Wooding was the next book I read. I remember reading this one when I was about ten or eleven and I loved it, so because no one should trust me with a debit card and an amazon account I ordered it and decided to read it again. I thought it was awesome as it essentially combines a novel with a graphic novel, and the story itself is so compelling and original. An easy 4/5 stars. 
• The Assassins Blade by Sarah J Maas is one of my favourite books ever. You know how I mention Throne of Glass in pretty much every post I write? Well I finally caved and decided to reread the entire series. It was just as good the second time around, if not even better. 5/5 stars. Easy. 
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas is a reread (again) and is the first proper book in the series. It's perfection and was just as good as a reread. 5/5 stars. Easy. I don't think I can say anything else. 
• Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas used to be my favourite in the series, but on second reading I still loved it but not as much as HoF. Still, I swooned with Chaolaena and cried with that certain death. I still gasped at that ending even though I saw it coming. This book is a masterpiece. 5/5 stars. 
• Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas is now my favourite book in the series. The first time I read it I liked it, but this time around it cemented it's place as my favourite book EVER. I'm serious. This is my all-time favourite series alongside HP and Heir of Fire is the kind of book I wish I could write one day. It's ambitious and grand and original. I could go on forever. 5/5 stars. 

I got... a lot of books this month. I'm just going to go ahead and tell you (and die of shame).

Books I bought:

• Geek Girl by Holly Smale
• Model Misfit by Holly Smale
• Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
• All That Glitters by Holly Smale
• Geek Drama by Holly Smale
• The Emperors Blades by Brian Staveley
• Look Whose Back by Timur Vermes
• The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
• Sora's Quest by T.J Shreffler (this was FREE on my kindle so yay)

Books I got for my birthday from my wonderful/badass parents/sister:

• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
• Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
• Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
• The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
• Vicious by V.E. Schwab
• Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

So as far as writing goes, I started writing the book a couple of times. The current draft I'm on is currently 11K long, but it doesn't quite feel right so I'll probably start rewriting that for the thousandth time. 

I also came up with another novel idea which is currently called The Dying Word (title almost definitely going to change). I won't write it until Honour Among Thieves (that title needs to go ASAP) is done, but I'm in the planning stage and I just love the characters. It's about libraries, magic, books and friendship and I'm SO excited by it. 

In my January Review I said that I was participating in Katytastic's TBR challenge. Yeah... that didn't work. Still, I think I read a fair bit in March and even though I bought way too many books, I think it was a good month in all. 

Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words? - Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Music

I listen to a shit-ton of music. There, I've said it. I think I listen to most genres, but there are certain pieces which really inspire me to write. In that case it's often musical theatre or instrumental, but either way music really helps me to get a scene to work or to get into characters heads. I don't know what it is but I can't go a day without going through my iTunes library a couple of times.

I thought I'd share with you a couple of songs that have inspired scenes/help me write, in particular those that I'm listening to a lot recently.

Pruit Igoe - Philip Glass

This piece fits perfectly with the first chapter of my novel. That particular chapter is from the antagonists point of view and really sets the mood and fits what's going through his head. Around the 2:32 mark is where it really starts to get dark, fitting in with the chapter as things take a more malevolent turn (right up until 6:00 where the chapter ends).

Astonishing - Sutton Foster

I love this song. Seriously it speaks to me on a level that I can't quite explain. Whilst the first part (when Jo is singing about the proposal) doesn't really fit, the very essence of the song fits perfectly with my protagonist, Linn. There is a point where she realises what she needs to do, that she too wants to be astonishing and that she doesn't need anyone else to tell her what to do anymore.

Let Them Come - Caleb Hyles

This is the 'Game of Thrones' version of Frozen's Let it Go and I love it. I know it's based on Game of Thrones but it fits my antagonist perfectly (save for a few words which only work with GoT) and I can imagine him singing this at the beginning of the novel. It's sung really well and this song is just so badass that it makes me want to run around with a sword. Shhh. ;)

Defying Gravity - Wicked

 This may be my favourite song. Ever. Whilst the GoT version of Let it Go is the empowering song that I can totally imagine my antagonist singing, this is the one that goes with my heroine, Linn, alongside Astonishing. It's just so powerful and strong and if I'm honest it makes me want to paint my face green.

Addicted to a Certain Lifestyle - Sherlock

This piece breaks my heart. I imagine my other protagonist, Kalan (I have two, him and Linn) playing this on the piano at the beginning of the novel. It also links to when a certain character dies and I can't go through it without getting sad because I love that character. This music has so much sadness in it and I can picture exactly what my characters are going to go through that I just can't. The feels.

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

This song really gets me into the head of Kalan. It's not really the words (because I doubt he's thinking of mosquitos and albinos) but the sound of it is just like him. Even if he isn't a teenager and I doubt he smells of their spirit (lol) the passion and fire of the song just reminds me of him.

There are so many more songs that inspire me to write. My Honour Among Thieves playlist is huge and growing, yet at the moment these are some of the main songs that help me write. I know some people can only write in silence but it drives me crazy if there isn't anything in the background to listen to.

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent - Victor Hugo 

Regarding Names

I've decided to completely redraft my novel Honour Among Thieves and that means creating an entirely new world for the story to take place in. Some of the storylines that I liked no longer work and there are places which I need to add in events which never could have happened in that god-awful first draft. My main issue, however comes with names.

There is a character in my book who becomes a main character in book two of the series. In my mind she has always been called Arietta, although for a long time I decided that her culture was based off of Tsarist Russia. It doesn't take a fool to realise that the name Arietta just doesn't work. I spent hours researching Russian names and all the confusing information that comes with them (who knew that patronymic names could be so confusing?) and still I found nothing that I liked. I decided on the name Ksenya, although if I'm honest it just doesn't fit her. She's always been Arietta to me and I can't imagine her as anything else.

With this huge rewrite, I decided to scrap the idea of basing the culture on Russia. In a way that's great because Arietta could keep her name but now I have an issue. Arietta is a princess and I decided to name the head of her personal guard Dmitri. I can't have two people from the same culture with one name that sounds Italian and the other that's clearly Russian. It just doesn't work. So who do I rename? Arietta or Dmitri, who suits his name almost as much as Arietta does?

*headdesk*

Another issue I'm facing is part of the world building. Part of the culture in my world surrounds on the cycle of the nine months, each of them lasting forty days. I don't want to bore you with the ins and outs of this but this is probably the most important part of my book. It is the basis of the magic system, the geography and the economics. Then how come every name I try to give it sounds like something from a tampax advert? Cycle? Menstrual cycle. Period? That one's obvious. Phases? Mood swings. 

Names are important and I'm determined to get them right.

I like names, probably a little too much. I often visit baby naming websites and read hundreds and hundreds of them, trying to find one that suits a certain character. I search names from different eras, languages and countries and it still takes an age to find The One. A name is an important thing. Would Harry Potter have been as successful if he was fighting Lord Fartbottom? I doubt it. Names are with you throughout the whole story and if a name is ridiculous, it can be quite annoying.

I'm not even going to begin to mention Teardrop by Lauren Kate. The main character was called Eureka. -.-

If a character name is done well, it can really define who they are. For example, one of my favourite Arya Stark fits her name perfectly. Nicknames can also make a character, such as Beatrice changing her name to the tougher and stronger sounding Tris in Divergent, showing her switch to Dauntless.

I still think that names should be deliberated over a lot, hence the Arietta/Ksenya/Dmitri/Menstral Cycle issue. Even if they sound right for that character or place, some people seem to forget that it's the characters parents who supposedly name them rather than the author. Why would a strict woman name her child Rainbow, no matter how carefree that kid grows up to be? Also, why would someone name their child a name which doesn't exist for the next hundred years? It's these little things that bug me.

Even if a name is brilliant, you don't know how many cause pronunciation issues. I never struggled with this but I know a lot of people who couldn't get how to say Hermione, and I myself initially pronounced Carlisle from Twilight like Carl-sie. In the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas, I know that Chaol has caused a lot of difficulties. I love the name and it fits perfectly, but man did it take me a while to get used to. But after all it is fantasy.

Saying all this, a name is after all just a name. A brilliant writer could name the bad guy Charlie and make him sound anything but sweet. Enter Charlie, the mass murderer and slave master from the mythical land of Cupcake...

Can someone write that? Please?

Names can also be overused. You can't imagine how many stories about a Cassandra I've read, or a dystopia featuring a Caleb. A lot of classic names have been made modern, such as a lot from the Brönte sisters and Austen (Edward, Heath(cliff) and Darcy) to name a few. There is nothing wrong with this, but sometimes it feels like I'm listening to a different artist cover the same record.

I could go on forever talking about this. After all, names fascinate me. There are some I like such as Kaladin from The Way of Kings, and some which make me want to bash my head against a wall (Renesme. Seriously?). Names are important to a story, but they don't make it. If Teardrop was better, maybe the name Eureka wouldn't have annoyed me so much. I really think names are important but they can also be misleading. As most people know, a lot of people initially thought that JK Rowling was a boy, and many authors such as the Brönte sisters were published under male pseudonyms.

There is one thing I can say to fellow authors as I try to avoid making people think about that certain time of the month when they read my book: choose wisely (and may the odds be ever in your favour).

Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names. - Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Why do I write?

Recently I have been thinking about why I decide to write and where my ideas come from. The real, less pretentious reason for this is because I just love writing. I love the way it can immerse me into another world, although I think that there is more to it than that.

I write because I am dissatisfied.

Here me out here. It may just be me who thinks like this. In fact it probably is just me. Either way, I write because I am dissatisfied. Why fantasy? I'm dissatisfied with the mundaneness of reality. I'm dissatisfied with maths exams and assessments, and I'm dissatisfied that dragons don't exist in the real world. Seriously. I write to escape the world that I wish had dragons and Allomancy (I've thought this through and I'd like to be a soother).

I'm dissatisfied with some of my friendships. I hate that I'm so introverted that I push people away and I'm dissatisfied that I don't feel close to people anymore. It's not anyone else fault rather than my own, but that dissatisfaction is still there. I think that that is why friendship is a key theme in my book. There is a beautiful quote from Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series. Her dearest friends are characters in books. I do have friends but I just don't have that closeness that Harry, Ron and Hermione do, and I've never said 'to whatever end' like Rowan and Aelin did. I hope I don't sound completely tragic when I say that I do feel a closeness to my own characters. Not in an imaginary friend kind of way, but more so that I just care for them. Genuinely.

I'm dissatisfied with some of the things I read. Again, here me out. I read more good thinks than bad and I'm not saying that what I write will be better than anyone else because it won't be, but what I'm saying is that I'm fed up with a lot of tropes I see in the books that I don't like. Instalove. Save the girl instead of save the world. Vampires who sparkle.

Some of my ideas may come from dissatisfaction, but other ideas come from simple and beautiful love. I love how the trees look when it snows and their branches hang over the road you're driving on. I love that feeling that you get when you talk to someone who just understands you. I love the way that a good book can make me fall in love with places and people that only exist inside people's minds.

We can list all the things that we're dissatisfied with and I'm sure that we'll come up with an extensive list, but I think that true and honest writing comes from the things we love.

Libraries were full of ideas -- perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons. - Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Big Changes

Over the last couple of months, I've been 'editing' Honour Among Thieves. By that, I mean reading through stuff and tweaking the odd sentence or fixing a spelling mistake. If I'm honest I've been putting off editing it properly because this is the first novel I have ever finished and that scares me enough, let alone the fact that I have to rip it apart and rewrite probably about sixty percent of it.

That's what scares me.

Yesterday, I decided that it was time. I started playing my dramatic music playlist and read through parts of the novel, deciding what needed to go and what needed to stay. Most of the first half needs to go, along with bits here and there all the way through. There is a character which I love who isn't adding anything to the story and unfortunately needs to be edited out (though maybe I'll find a way to add her back in somewhere) and huge plot points that just don't work.

My novel is fantasy, but the problem is that it just isn't epic. I've planned huge things for the series, but the first draft of the first book is not where I want it to be. It's not unique and only now I realise how much changes I'm going to have to make to it. Huge parts will be scrapped and I'll need to add in new content.

The thing is, I don't know what to put in. The fantasy element of the novel needs to be stronger, but at its core Honour Among Thieves is a heist novel and somehow what I already have doesn't work. It all seems to be a series of coincidences which just happen to get the characters where they need to be and I really dislike that.

I think a huge rewrite is in order, but the most daunting thing I need to do is reinvent the world. I want to make the magic system more unique and I want to really make this book into something that I'm proud of. I've even created an epic editing playlist on my iTunes which, unsurprisingly, features I'll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan (or, as I like to call it, I'll Make a Novel Out of You).

I know what needs to happen later on, but I think I'm back in the planning stage and that's a little terrifying.

Because I doubt that the world wants to hear about my attempts to write a novel, I'll leave you with a quote about revision that'll make me get off my backside and (re)write.

"I have rewritten - often several times- every word that I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers." - Vladimir Nabokov

A Year in Review

So I woke up at ten AM today which is completely normal for the school holidays, but I then decided to have a little bit of a lie in. I watched one or two or seven honest trailers on YouTube. Somehow it ended up being midday before I got out of bed and I literally have no idea where the hours went. I'm not very good at getting out of bed, especially when I tell myself that I will do homework that day and instead I spend it writing. I'm really getting into book two (I haven't named it yet. I really need to name it) of my series (I haven't given the series a name either, although the first one is called Honour Among Thieves) and out of nowhere I keep on getting ideas for characters and plot points that demand to be written.

Maybe that's why I've done no schoolwork all holidays and my exams are only a few months away. 

Shit. 

Anyway I'm kind of freaking out about New Years. I get SO nervous about it every year just because it reminds me how much of a lazy sod I am and how little I achieve in a year. I don't have plans this year so I'll probably end up sitting on the sofa and reflecting on 2014. Two days left, people. I've quite liked this year and I've been doing that dramatic thing in my head where I say 'this is the last Monday of 2014' or 'this will be the last Malteser I eat in 2014'. It's kind of pathetic when you think about it. 

This year I finished a first draft for the first time in my life. I have huge commitment issues when it comes to writing and I never finish anything... until now. Even though it was done for NaNo so it's kind of shit, I'm really proud of myself. I've even been editing it and writing a sequel so I think I deserve a pat on the back for that. Go me.

So far I've also read one hundred books, although I want to make it one hundred and one because the first book I read this year was The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, so I want the last book I read to be In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken (the last book in the trilogy) because that would make my OCD mind very happy. I'm that sad. I've had a brilliant reading year, I've even found my all time favourite series alongside Harry Potter (which happens to be the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas), but again I'm a bit sad to let everything slide into January. In my eyes January is basically the same as December but without the singing and presents and OH WAIT it isn't the same as December. January is like the pathetic cousin of December and I hate it. 

(I don't mean to sound so pessimistic oh dear.)

I've visited three countries this year, all of them with school. I went skiing in Austria and I went on an exchange to Germany. I drove through France on both occasions and I did get out in a service station so I'm counting that. Whilst the German exchange was one of the most terrifying and rewarding things I've ever done, it's safe to say that skiing is not a talent of mine. My favourite part of the trip was the fancy dress party. I was a panda. 

This year also marked the one year anniversary of my Grandma's death, but it was also the year when I began to feel confident in myself and realise that I didn't need the approval of everyone else to be happy. 

Whilst 2014 is coming to a close and I'm just as hopeless as I was the year before, I am sad to see it go. I always am. The Christmas decorations go down and then the freezing weather comes along just like they do every year, and I'm filled with nostalgia for what has come and gone. 

I don't remember setting resolutions last year, but this year I want some. 2015 will be the year that I turn sixteen and the year I do my GCSE's. It will be the year that I start college and the year leave school behind. 

So this year, I resolve to:

1.  To be braver. I no longer want to be filled with self doubt. I want to embrace change and move out of my comfort zone, proving to myself that I can be more than I initially thought. 
2. To read more. I did read 100 books in 2014 but I never want to lose my love of reading. I want to find new favourites and immerse myself in words. I want to finish old series' and start new ones, possibly discovering things about myself that I didn't know existed. 
3. To revise Honour Among Thieves. No matter how many more novels I write this one will always be my first and I want it to be the best that it can be. If I need to take it apart and stitch it back together again I will do. I'll rewrite and edit and polish until it's something that I'm genuinely proud of. 
4. To study. I have GCSE's this year. This is pretty self explanatory. 
5. To finish/revise book two. I'm already 25K into it so I think I can do this, but I also want to edit it to an inch of its life. I want it to do the characters tales justice and I want to remain in this world which I have grown to love. 

As 2015 swiftly approaches I have to admit that I am a little nervous for the new year to come. I do wish that I had more time, and that I could slow down the world just a little. Before 2014 is just part of history I want to say THANK YOU for everyone in my life who made this year what it was. I want to thank friends and family and strangers just for being them. 

"I will not walk backward in life" - J.R.R Tolkien