Writing Q & A #2

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Have another Q & A!

Q: Do you title your chapters, or just have “1″, “2″, “3″ etc.?

A: I almost always title my chapters. I like chapter titles because they can sort of set the theme or mood. Styx's titles often involved puns and word play, while Love & Chaos has each section titled to refer to which of the three duels to the death it features. In my alternate-history/fantasy/mystery WIP (AHFM), not only will each chapter have a title, I think I will also include a relevant, real-world quote under each, similar to what Cornelia Funke did in Inkheart. The novella-in-verse, however, will only be labeled "Chapter 1", "Chapter 2", and so for; each chapter, however, will have a slightly different version of the cover picture.

Q: Do you have one or multiple protagonists?

A: Multiple. Always.

Q: Do you have any villain protagonists? Hero antagonist (is that a thing)? Would you classify your antagonist as a villain?

A: Well, one of the characters in the novella-in-verse is a villain and a protagonist, but I can hardly go telling everyone who that is. Delilah, at least in Miscast Spells, is someone I would consider a hero antagonist, in that she actually is on "the good guys' side", such as it is, but she also creates most of the conflict in that book. As for the rest of my villains and protagonists, I like a mix of both, from straight up evil villains to people who happen to be opposed to the protagonists but that aren't evil, to people who are conflicted about what they want and what they have to be willing to do to get that. I feel like I could write a whole series of posts on villains and conflicts, but that will have to wait for next year.

Q: Is your story linear, or do you jump around in time?

A: I like to jump around in time, when I can, whether than means having actual flashbacks or just having side stories about the characters' past and futures. The stories I'm currently working on are both pretty linear, but I would love to really play with time in a future WIP (no pun intended).

Q: The setting: our world or fantasy world?

A: The novella-in-verse is set in our world, though with paranormal elements, and the AHFM is set in an alternate version of our world's past, one in which magic is a known and accepted part of the universe. While both are technically fantasy, they borrow on our real world understanding of spirits, psychic powers, and magic systems.

Q: What time period does your story take place in (or what would be the equivalent, if your setting isn’t our world)?

A: The novella-in-verse is wintertime, modern day. The AHFM is a secret.

Q: Do you have any overarching themes/images/motifs in your story? If so, what are they?

A: Boy, do I! The novella-in-verse WIP's theme is about finding your purpose. The AHFM has a lot of themes, some of which are: find something you want to protect, don't fear external threats when the true danger lies within, and general themes of cosmic order. Flowers are a big motif with this one.

Q: Is your book a one shot or part of a series?

A: The novella is a standalone, but as for the AHFM, time will tell.

Q: How many words does/will your book have? How many chapters?

A: The novella will be exactly ten chapters. The AHFM is as  of yet unwritten, but will probably be pretty thick.

Q: Who do you see as your target audience?

A: Anyone with good taste! But really, fans of poetry, mystery, fantasy, and the supernatural would like these two WIPs. Also weeaboos, but maybe that's just me?