VIPs and WIPs

As I've mentioned in another blogpost, it is always good to have more than one work in progress (WIP), so you can switch to whichever work you feel you are able to continue best. Let your creativity tell you what to do!

Surely you will find that -- for a period of time -- you are most in the flow when writing one particular project. For the time being it becomes your very important project (VIP). Which is good. You focus on your VIP and spend a lot of time polishing your work, ideally until you finish it.

You may neglect your other WIPs during that time, but don't forget about them. They are waiting for you to return and spend some time with them, too. Your aim should be to finish what you started; not right now, not tomorrow, but in due time. And take that time. Remind yourself of all the good ideas you've had, and all the stories you want to tell. Can you really turn your back on them?
Surely you will find a new VIP amongst them...

Writing Exercise 060

This week I had to write a political speech. Sounds boring? You might never know. ;)
I set this thing in my dear Neverbeen Universe. Those who have read my short stories may know more about the person holding this speech.
But enough of a foreword. Here is my writing exercise:

2017/02/01 – political speech

Kadoma took a step forward and onto the balcony of Yponerotis palace. He breathed deeply, then the mighty Waterfairy let his voice carry through the water droplets in the air so everybody gathered below might hear him.

“People of the United Kingdom of Waterfairies and Thunderfairies,” he began, “King Kaikou Fuka Valtameri Shibuki di Kuningas, my father, is dead. According to the law the heritage to the throne befalls on his eldest son...me, crown prince Kadoma Valtameri Hidaki Etevà Suji di Kuningas, henceforth king. King Kaikou was a symbol for the old values, for traditions which had had a formative influence on this nation for thousands of years. Panta rei. Everything flows. This heraldic motto of my family stands for the whole people of this country. Water always finds its way. And just like water I will show this country new ways, now that after millennia of war we made peace with the Firefairies. This country is ready for peace, ready for a new generation of rulers.”

He waited for the cheers to subside.

“And my first official act as king is: I abdicate.” Shocked silence. “I abdicate and appoint my brother, prince Kershak Hellir Hikyuu Ólgusjór Shibuki di Kuningas as first interim-chancellor of the new parliamentary-democratic Republic of the United Fairypeople. In the following four years he will prepare this country legally for the very first free elections and officiate as head of government.”

Nobody had expected this surprise, not even Kershak himself as he watched Kadoma take off his crown and leave the balcony. But leave it to Kadoma to shock a whole nation.

Writing as a group project

As I have told you about the literature project I joined, writing is bound to happen.

Then how do you create texts as a group?

There's the proverb that too many cooks spoil the broth. But it doesn't necessarily have to be like this. You can write as a team if everybody knows their part and acts accordingly.

The easiest way to write together is the RPG approach to split and interact; this means every participating author chooses characters they want to write and writes only these characters. Now they let the characters meet, talk and act. Soon a rough first draft will spring into creation as every author only has to react to what another wrote in the previous paragraph. The text will be pretty dynamic and dialogue-heavy, but this is a nice by-product.

This setting works best for groups of two to four people, so there won't be confusions when one's turn to write is. There will be breaks when only a few characters are present, but this gives the others time to reread what has been done by now.
Generally, four is a good group size. And while text creation happens relatively quickly, editing is also very important. The first draft needs to be polished until it can be published. This process can be split also: this time the authors take turns to comment and edit what they have so far.

Like this writing as a team is not as hard as it might seem. And the result is a consensus with which everyone is satisfied.

Now what?

As the new year has started you might either be exhausted from all these holidays or energized with good intentions.

Either way, after completing NaNoWriMo in November your work isn't done yet. You may have a first draft but don't make the mistake to publish it as is. Please, don't! A draft is a draft, and it needs serious polishing to become the shining gem it is supposed to be.

January is the perfect time to do this polishing as it's often ugly outside and you usually feel both drained of creativity and motivated to start the year fresh.
You probably haven't touched your work in about a month. So when you open the document again you likely will be surprised what you have achieved to write in November. You will see your story with a fresh set of eyes.
Now read, and read carefully.
As you go, catch all those typos and puctuation errors, reword where necessary, cut too long paragraphs or add to them where they are lacking. You will see, there is much to do.

Be critical, but don't butcher your story.

Get help when you're stuck or story blind. You will want to introduce your draft to your betas soon. Let their comments help you edit. Don't take their criticism too much to heart, but learn from them, accept and adapt. Remember: they want to help you, not harm you.
And by the end of it you will have an improved new draft.

In Between

I hope you had a lovely Christmas holiday with your loved ones.
Did you get a lot of nice presents? Was the feast delicious and your company enjoyable?

As New Year's comes next, I ponder. A lot of things have happened this year ever since I started this blog. Good things, exciting things mostly; but also sad and crazy things that I wouldn't have thought ever to happen. In retrospective the good things almost always weigh out the bad things.
I made new friends and reconciled with old ones. I published two books and a translation of one and wrote another, which is now in beta stage -- both the English and the German edition. I made a promise to marry the one I love! I joined a literature project and found my enrepreneurial spirit.
So I'm taking all these positive things with me and look forward to 2017.
I'm not going to dewll on what might be or should be or could be next year; what's more important is to acknowledge the things I've accomplished and draw strength from that to accept whatever the future has in store for me. All I know is, that it's going to be another exciting year, and I'm looking forward to sharing this with you.

Writing Exercise 051

This is my last writing exercise in November. It had been an eventful and exciting month full of writing, and thus my triple drabble is just about that. :)

2016/11/28 – NaNoWriMo 2016 (triple drabble)

Everything began with November 1^st; no, even before that ideas were forming, plotbunnies were jumping around and waiting to be released. This year was a year of beginnings, of progress and commitment. And NaNoWriMo was just the icing on the cake: fifty thousand words, thirty days, one goal – ready, set, go!

For a while the world passed me by and it was just me and my words. And a promise. Creativity blossomed, chapters sprang into creation, page by page, word by word, letter by letter. Characters came to life, inhabited my dear Neverbeen Universe and invited to come along on their wondrous adventures.

The write ins fuelled my motivation, propelled my wordcount forward. I made new acquaintances, found writing buddies to push through the hardest parts and cheer them on in turn. I truly enjoyed the excited and creative atmosphere and the notion of finding likened minds close to home.

The Dead Pete Society was crowded with bubbling creative heads; sprint after sprint we incited each other's enthusiasm. But I missed them. Separated by oceans, our hearts are reaching out to one another.

November 8^th, and I won, but I wasn't done yet. My novel wasn't finished, so I continued. Two days later the last word was written; 60,894 words crammed into 47 chapters, 60,894 words of ambition and accomplishment, 60,894 words… and I did it!

I celebrated that day.

But I didn't want NaNoWriMo to be over so soon. So I thought of what to do. Then I remembered my other works needed translation, too. Therefore I resumed writing, I continued the fun and the flow and the fantastic feelings. Days swept by, hours ticking beneath the clicking staccato of typing. Before I knew it the end of November is here.

Let's celebrate the finale of an awesome month!

The things to do in November

Aside from NaNoWriMo there are still a lot of things to do. I've just looked at my calendar and I noticed next week is the first Sunday in Advent already!
Time sure runs by fast when you're absorbed by writing. :o

So have you prepared for Advent yet? Are your places decorated with fairy lights and baubles and candles and fir twigs yet? Have you tasted the first gingerbread and speculoos yet?

I'm just getting started. And while I cudgel my brains about Christmas presents for my loved ones I realize it's already this time of the year again...

Certainly you'll feel cozier and more comfortable when the room is dipped in the warmth of candle light, when the baubles gleam and the fir twigs spread their soothing fragrance. You may snuggle on your sofa or armchair with a cup of hot cocoa or tea and be pleased as punch that you don't have to be outside where the first snow of this winter thaws and cold rain patters against your windows.

So get yourselves in the mood for Advent; take your time and find some inspiration how to prepare your home for the coldest but coziest season. Because winter is coming! ;)

I did it!

So far NaNoWriMo has been a blast to me. :D
I've been to two write ins and it was so much fun and motivated writing, that it propelled me forward.
I hit the 50k words on November 8th, and I finished translating my novel 'Ravenous Adventures' on November 10th with a wordcount of 60,894. Wow. That was fast, don't you think? :o
But I decided the story wasn't over until the fat lady sung, and so started translating my second short story collection 'More Untold Stories of Neverbeen Universe' and continued NaNo.
In the meantime I'll lay 'Ravenous Adventures' in the hands of my trusty betas and hope they'll like what they read. By the way, I'm looking for more betas, for both the English and the German edition. So if you're interested, tell me. :)

NaNoWriMo is here!

NaNoWriMo has begun.
Three days in, I'm at over 33k words already. :o

On Tuesday I went to a kick off write in in Essen. There I met a bunch of other authors from the region. At some point we were about twenty people even! Everyone was so motivated, and with the exception of two breaks we wrote and wrote and wrote. It was awesome and amazing. I was totally in the zone, and the people I met were really fascinating and nice. Someone even brought muffins. :D

The location was great, too. You had to pay a low entrance fee, but all the drinks were free and there was a brunch buffet, which was tasty. We had a fireplace chamber all to ourselves and the atmosphere was really cozy and productive. There were even activities like yoga or art exhibitions in this building.

I'd like to go again and write together, but as the other write ins are scheduled for Saturday-Monday, I probably won't make it. Weekends are reserved for my beloved fiancé. <3

Anyway, the members of the Dead Pete Society are equally excited about NaNoWriMo. We're writing and cheering each other on, inciting and motivating. And it feels so good to be in the flow.
It's so much crazy fun, and November has just begun! :D

Writers Gotta Write

It's still early October but I'm already fired up for NaNoWriMo. :)

Ravenous Adventures is still in editing mode, but this November I'll translate it. In fact, I wanted to get a bit of a headstart and as my writing buddies from the Dead Pete Society already started their projects I couldn't wait either. It's so exciting when everyone is in writing mood and we cheer each other on. :D

This year is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo, so I'm a bit nervous. Still I'm awfully looking forward to November. Yesterday in preparation for NaNo I watched a webinar recommended on the NaNo page, and it was pretty interesting. I also plan to attend a kick off meeting in Essen on 1st of November, where I get to meet other Wrimos (authors participating in NaNoWriMo). I hope we'll have a great time writing together, and maybe we'll even forge a group that meets up regularly. As the Dead Pete Society members live all around the globe, I'm looking forward to meet local writers, too. :D

Anyhow, I've started writing the German translation of Ravenous Adventures and I'm pretty excited about it. But while I set out to write I ponder my tools.
Usually I use Libre Office, which is just a basic, open source writing program. It is sufficient for my needs, alright. But I wonder...

Some of my writing buddies use Scrivener. There is a trial version for Wrimos, and I'm oogling it.
But on the other hand, someone in the forums of my home region on the NaNo page recommended Papyrus. Which seems just as good to me. I'm not decided yet and I don't want to experiment during NaNo when I need to concentrate on writing.
I might just download both trial versions at the end of October an see what I like better, then get set for November. Or I end up sticking with Libre Office. I don't know yet.

Do you have experience with either of these programs?
Which one would you choose and why?

Please, let me know. :o
Until then I'll keep writing, writing... because writers gotta write. ;)

Oktoberfest

It's already October.
NaNoWriMo is approaching, and I'm really looking forward to it. I updated my NaNo site, then set out to get a bit of a headstart... which means, I actually couldn't wait for November to arrive. By now I've translated 6 of 47 chapters. I feel like I'm on a roll, and that's just great. :D

In the meantime, October is a month full of events also. As you know 3rd of October was the national holiday in my country, but there are also All Saints and Halloween...and Oktoberfest. XD

While I'm not a huge fan of this event, my fiancé and I once had a funny conversation about misheard lyrics. I don't remember the song, but we both heard 'beer woman'. So we joked about how Beer Woman was a new superheroine of some sort, who saves the Oktoberfest when they'd run out of beer. Here is the quick sketch I drew with SAI:

Writing Exercise 038

The last writing exercise of this month. But don't worry, there will be more next month. ;)
This time I had to write an epilogue to a book, movie or game. And since my book in the making hasn't got one yet, I chose 'Ravenous Adventures -- A Tale from Neverbeen Universe'. This epilogue also hints at another WIP I'm currently working on.
Enjoy. :D

2016/08/30 – write an epilogue to a book/movie/game (Ravenous Adventures)

Darkness. Utter darkness. It engulfed them completely as they trudged through the deepest of jungles. Two pale moons were up by now, tingeing the cloudy night sky in dark shades of blue and green. But it was not enough to see more than shadows amongst shadows. The air was hot and humid.

“I wish I still had Trébol's dagger,” Gene mused aloud as he stumbled through the gnarled thicket. The heavenly steel would at least have given off enough light to perceive where he was going. He was reminded of the horrible forest they had crossed at the beginning of their adventure. Despite the heat he shuddered.

“Where's it got to anyways?” Raphael asked, vaulting over an uprooted mangrove. Gene awkwardly climbed after him.

“Eh… I lost it back in the past,” he admitted and tried to close up on the Daemon, who had no problems seeing in the dark. Gene didn't want to get lost here.

“So it's just as gone as the Timechrystal. Pity,” Raphael concluded and took Gene's hand as the human struggled forward with outstretched hands. Gene sighed, relieved, and let himself be navigated through the jungle. He still occasionally stumbled over roots, but he felt much more safe when Raphael's warm hand lay in his and he led the way.

“Eh...why are we walking this hell again?” Gene wondered.

“Strictly speaking, the sixth Pandemonium is only a part of Hell. But I get you,” Raphael answered, “Since we can't stay at Lucifer's castle – well, actually, we could, but the 'Old Grump' wouldn't want us to – we have to find a place for us. But don't mind. There are seven Pandemoniae, so we should be able to do just that. You didn't like either the sand desert nor the ice desert, so I thought we'd try something different. And here we are.” He probably made a wide gesture but Gene couldn't see. “I must admit, I like it here. There are volcanoes and this jungle to explore, and the darkness agrees with me. The views are beautiful,” Raphael grinned.

“I can't see a thing,” Gene huffed and peered into the darkness. He wiped beads of sweat off his brow and sighed.

“Sorry,” his lover said. “Let's camp on that monticule. You'll be able to see more out in the open and with a campfire,” he promised and led Gene up the rise. Raphael was right. As soon as the flames cackled and cracked Gene felt much more comfortable. He could only see a small perimeter but the fire gave off a soothing light. And when Raphael cooked one of his hyperdelicious meals everything was okay again. Even the thought of not being able to return to Thisside was not as scary anymore.

'Do you miss Earth much?' Raphael linked their minds.

“I haven't had the time to miss my family. Just so much had happened so fast,” Gene admitted and sighed. “But now that you speak of it, I do.”

Raphael's mental presence surrounded him like a hug. “I'm sorry we have to stay on the Otherside. I don't even know why I still exist. When I gave my soul to save your life that should've been it. I'm not of the reincarnating kind.”

Gene's heart clenched at the thought of almost losing Raphael for good. He grabbed the older man's hand and squeezed it. “Don't you scare me again like that. I really thought I'd lost you,” his voice quivered and a heavy lump formed in his throat.

But the Daemon slightly smiled and kissed him. 'But you wished me back,' he telepathically whispered. Gene sighed into the kiss, relieved. They were together again, alive and kicking – well, not exactly alive, but it felt just like they were. Gene could get used to being undead. And he was just glad that Raphael was with him. He would go anywhere as long as they stayed together, even stay in this Pandemonium of darkness.

“Tell me about this place,” he was curious. Gene was sure Raphael had followed his thoughts.

Raphael nodded. “Alright. As I already mentioned, this Pandemonium is a world of volcanoes and jungles; it is a world of eternal night. Its new sovereign lives in the pyramid city at the foot of the highest volcano. I don't know his name, but he must be a mighty creature to defeat the former sovereign Hades.”

“Hades?” Gene interjected, “Funny. My father found a kitten and named it Hades.”

Raphael grinned craftily. “I doubt this Pandemonium used to be ruled by a kitten,” he snickered. Gene chuckled and comfortably leaned against a rock. “Probably not,” he agreed.

“Anyhow,” Raphael continued, “I thought you might want to see that pyramid city. So let's explore this world together and decide if this is a place for us.”

Gene agreed. Their adventure wasn't over yet.

Writing Exercise 036

Today I have another short writing exercise for you. This week's drabble is about a sleepless night.
Here it is:

2016/08/15 – a sleepless night (Drabble)

I had just gone to bed. As I snuggled into my cushion and buried myself under two layers of blankets I prepared for sleep. Like every night I imagined a story that would accompany me to dreamland; I invented new characters then let them march into adventure. While making up the plot I suddenly realized: words were flowing in my head, sentences aligning and rearranging themselves. Wide awake and excited I bolted from my bed and scrambled to my computer, opened a document and hurried to type everything down – sensed it was a writing night. I would not sleep tonight.

Vast as Worlds

Today I want to talk about an important aspect of writing -- the world your characters are inhabiting.
It is not only part of the setting, but where your story takes place can also influence the characters' behaviour and -- utlimately -- the plot itself.

source: pixabay.com

Worldbuilding is way more than mere mapping. It includes many aspects such as culture, lore and languages. Especially for fantasy/scifi stories worldbuilding is essential. Still, if you decide to use the 'real world' as setting, you have to keep all of these things in mind.
Imagine your story takes place in, let's say, Italy. It would be very strange if your characters  -- Italians -- had Finnish names or German traditions or lived in cities which reminded you of ancient Chinese architecture. Think about this beforehand, and be dedicated to whatever you decide.

This is even more important when you make up your own world like I did with my 'Neverbeen Universe'. Surely, the readers won't know exactly how it is supposed to be in this world. But they will catch on to things that make no sense or are confusing. So it is important to be stringent with yourself and with your world. Think about the different people who live there.
How are they governed? Do they remind you of real people in their mannerisms? What are their traditions and values? What do they believe in? What about sports, art or food?
These are just a few questions you should be able to answer.

In Neverbeen Universe there are a lot of different people and creatures. For example, there are the Waterfairies. They are a deeply religious and traditionally rooted people who live in Waterfairy Kingdom. Their capital Yponerotis is a megacity larger than Tokyo and it is both ashore and under the sea. While they are very traditional a people, Waterfairies are very advanced in medicine and healing magic. Their motto is 'panta rhei' -- everything flows. And like the waters, they believe they can always find a way to solve issues. Altough they have ongoing feuds with other fairy people, they are very helpful towards any creature in need. Their religion is centered around a waterdeity, who occasionaly helps heal people at the Healing Academy of Yponerotis. The Academy building is a masterpiece of architectural art. As the Waterfairy country is a kingdom, they have an absolutistically ruling dynasty -- the di Kuningas -- and the Waterfairies would always follow their lead, even if it led away from their traditional paths. They usually have more than one first name and the naming pattern is something between Icelandic and Japanese. Their life expectancy is a few thousand years...

Now this is only one people living in Neverbeen Universe. And -- like the name suggests -- Neverbeen Universe is more than just one world. There is Earth -- a lot of my short stories take place in the fictional city of Thuddington -- and there are other planets connected to it via magical portals; they belong to Thisside, but there are also Heaven and Hell, which are vast and complex realms of their own, belonging to the Otherside.

source: gizmodo.com

You see, I spent more than a decade building this universe and it still grows and thrives. Of course you don't have to wait for ten years until your world is finished and you can start writing.
But you should take time to get to know your world, to explore the places your characters inhabit and to build this world until it fits. You'll soon experience that writing becomes a lot easier if you not only know your characters by heart but also take like a fish to the sea in the world you created for them.

Writing Exercise 027

It's time for my weekly writing exercise again. :D
This week's task was rather funny. I had to describe one of my stories as if it was a recipe. I chose my WIP 'Ravenous Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe', which is currently in beta stage (thanks for the great help, Frankie!).
But let's start cooking, shall we? ;)

2016/06/13 – describe one of your stories as if it was a recipe

Recipe for Ravenous Adventures:

1 reckless Daemon, who is worried for his human lover

1 oblivious human, who becomes the 'damsel in distress'

6 Reapers, at least one of them a gentlemanly coffee junkie

1 mad sadistic demon and his shy shadow devil companion

1 time-jumping Daemon, who is up to mischief

a choleric seal technician and a witch, to get you out of trouble

a pinch of a soul thief to spice up the plot

1 lost mighty time travelling artifact

Bring the reckless Daemon and the human together and place them in a dangerous world. Have them look for the time travelling artifact. Add seal technician and witch for good measure.

In the meantime combine the six Reapers and add a pinch of a soul thief, so they blend for a time and try to catch the thief. Remove the gentlemanly Reaper and add him to the search party until the human gets kidnapped by the time-jumping Daemon.

As a side dish have the mad sadistic demon and his companion investigate and infiltrate enemy territory. They will cause trouble.

The Reapers continue to hunt for the soul thief while you wait for the search party to find the time travelling artifact. When they do, remove seal technician and witch from the mix. The human will be in need of help by now, so stir the tension until the reckless Daemon is ready to do anything to get the human back. Activate the time travelling artifact and watch everything spin out of control. Prepare for a surprise end.

Writing Exercise 017

This week's writing exercise was fun. :D
I had to interview one of my characters. So I chose one of the main characters from my WIP 'Ravenous Adventures - A Tale from Neverbeen Universe', who also appears in my short story collection 'The Untold Stories of Neverbeen Universe'.  For once I got him to talk about himself, which was quite interesting to me. And this is also a good opportunity for you to get to know him better, too. ;)
So here are my 10 questions for Raphael Raven:

2016/04/07 – interview one of your characters (10 questions for Raphael Raven)

Q1: Who are you?

A1: The name's Raphael Raven. I'm a 2475 years-old Daemon and the CEO of Raven Corp.

Q2: Where are you from?

A2: I'm an inhabitant of Neverbeen Universe. I currently live in Thuddington City on earth, but originally I come from a different, highly magical world.

Q3: So in 'Ravenous Adventures' you return to that magical world. What is your goal there?

A3: Actually, I've three goals. First I want to do some research on lost clan's knowledge. Then I need to retrieve the Timechrystal, a mighty artifact that enables you to timetravel. But suddenly my lover gets kidnapped. So saving Gene is the most important to me.

Q4: Do you have hobbies?

A4: Yeah, I like cooking. Since I don't need food to survive I like experimenting what I find pleasant tasting. Oh, and I've always wanted to be a dragon trainer. About a millenium ago I actually found a Swordrak egg and raised it. Now Tyrion and I are buddies for life. He's still half wild though.

Q5: As a magical being, what is your specialty?

A5: I'm a pretty decent telepath. That means I can link my mind with others, receive and send thoughts even across large distances. I was trained to sustain strong telepathic assaults and return them. I once invented a sci-fi computer game by Raven Corp based on telepathy. The game completely takes place in my mindscape, and the users auto-link with my mind when they dream. It's pretty cool but also quite taxing to have so many people around my head.

I'm also good at teleportation. So I can jump places within the blink of an eye. It's pretty straining on my heart, though. I've a weak heart condition so I don't use this skill very often. But don't mind, it's probably worse than it sounds. In 'Ravenous Adventures' I actually manage a jump through time once. But I'll likely never do it again. Both skills run in my family, though.

Q6: Who do you trust?

A6: Well, I'm actually a wary person. So there's only four people I trust. First is my human lover, Gene Hoffman, who's just as nerdy as I am. Second comes my twin sister, Reka Raven. She's my proxy at Raven Corp. Then there's my best friend, Thanatos Vulture, who's the most gentlemanly Reaper I know. And last but not least: my best rival, Phobos Morgenstern, the ingenious seal technician who I call 'the Old Grump'.

Q7: What do you fear?

A7: Fear, hm... The thing is, I've prophetic dreams. They're nightmares without exception. So every night I dream of the future for all my life, that makes 365 times 2475 nightmares come true so far. And the thing I fear is...that whatever I do I'll never be able to change the future; that I'll never see the day my dreams are actually wrong; that there's something like fate and determinism. But don't mind. I still keep fighting though, I always will.

Q8: What is your favourite animal?

A8: Dragons. Definitely dragons. These creatures are just so fascinating. They're majestic, proud and independent. Some of them are as old as time and twice as wise. As a boy I used to always play around the dragon stables of my father's fortress. The dragons used to talk to me through their beautiful colour telepathy. I was totally over the moon. I did mention I wanted to be a dragon trainer, right?

Q9: Do you have a motto?

A9: I don't really have one. But if I was to choose I'd say 'never give up' and 'ill weeds go apace'. This attitude has helped me through a lot of tough situations and it saved my neck quite often. I'd go even as far as to say giving up is not in my nature. Whatever the odds I'd see it through. Otherwise I wouldn't have lived as long as I have.

Q10: Last but not least: if there was one thing you could change in the world what would that be?

A10: Gene's lifespan. Compared to Daemons a human's life is much too short; it'd be over within the blink of an eye. Gene is in his thirties now; soon he'll wither and die, and I'll still be here for a long time. If I could elongate my lover's lifespan we could be together until the very end. But don't mind; there are spells out there to accomplish that. So that's actually one thing I can change.

Thank you for your time.

Writing Update

It's been a while since my last vlog, hasn't it?
So here's another one, where I introduce my various WIPs.

You're interested in some of those? Feel free to ask me about them anytime. :D

Writing Exercise 013

This week's writing exercise is about a Shougi (Japanese chess) proverb. It is right up my alley because I have a fanfiction series about Shougi proverbs going on on AO3. If you're interested you can read it here.
Moreover I wanted to try some contemporary fiction. So I chose to settle this writing exercise in the same world as the WIP I talked about in my vlog Contemporary Coincidents. The exercise is written from a different POV though, but it lets you catch a glimpse at what I'm doing there with my WIP.
Here it is:

2016/03/07 – Start the fight with a pawn sacrifice. (Japanese Proverb)

At the end of the century things were bound to happen.

The federal state of Dimmucria had always had very terse relationships with their Upsurdistanian neighbours. Both states were part of a confederation, the League of Lumberjia, and yet in parliament they liked to oppose each other on a regular basis. Their political squabbling rooted in centuries old traditions, it seemed, when the nations had not yet been founded and native tribes had roamed the lands. To the present day Upsurdistan and Dimmucria were rivals and disagreed in every which way.

The other member states of the League of Lumberjia were used to their antics and sidled with either of them depending on the issue at hand. None took their spats seriously.

It wasn't until the financial crisis in Upsurdistan and Dimmucria's refusal to shoulder their neighbour's debts that the League stirred in fear of being swept by the crisis. They had to react fast. Many emergency meetings of the governments were held; hard debates about the responsibilities of the confederation for their member states' well-being were fought, embargoes and bailout packages were granted, then denied and again considered.

Every day the media reported new incidents now.

In Dimmucria people marched against those packages while the Kingdom of Upsurdistan faced protests by the unemployed masses against the embargoes. Workers were migrating to the economically thriving Dimmucria while Upsurdistan's banks were sliding into bankruptcy. Upsurdistanian oil prices drowned like a sinking ship. The League of Lumberjia stayed indecisive and struggled for unity. Dimmucria's chancellor Boyana Firfeller and Upsurdistan's prime minister Jie Song met time and again to try and mend the differences, but parted offended.

Solutions to the crisis were yet to be found. A radical nationalist party, the “Beagles”, formed in Dimmucria and shocked the nation during the Easter elections by gaining those fifteen percent of the votes which both major parties, the conservative “Bears” and the labour party “Wolfs”, had lost. The financial minister of Upsurdistan resigned on short notice and all but fled the country. The summer was heated by minor riots in Upsurdistan's streets, mostly cars and shops were damaged. Then around Halloween a group of Dimmucrian tourists were insulted and assaulted in Upsurdistan's capital Allnear. Fires were started at a bi-national steel manufacturing firm near the Dimmucrian borders on Christmas. There was a huge commotion in both countries.

Finally on the last day of the century all of Lumberjia was shocked by the pictures of blown and burning skyscrapers, screaming people jumping out of windows and droning rescue helicopters flooding the TV screens; the financial district of Riverdale, the capital of Dimmucria, was attacked by a bomb. Hundreds of people died, and even more were injured. A country was in mourning.

It was then, when the financial motor of the League of Lumberjia was targeted and many people lost their lives in blood and fire, that the nations snapped out of it and all eyes turned to the Federation of Maddaloon. There the civil war and military regimen had finally bared their ugly fangs to all of what the League stood for. Freedom, human rights and liberty. And suddenly there was unity, suddenly the crisis became secondary to the imminent events. Sometimes all it needed for differences to be temporarily overcome were a common purpose, a threat to life or principles, and a sudden impact you couldn't ignore; all it needed was to start the fight with a pawn sacrifice to unite what used to be fractured. And so all of Lumberjia suddenly was at war.

News from Neverbeen Universe

Today I want to introduce the one WIP which is closest to publishing (I do have to rewrite though). Like my short story collection this work is settled in Neverbeen Universe, and the appearing characters are the most dear to me because they have been with me for a very long time.

But have a look at this short vlog and see for yourselves what this is all about. :)

Nice to meet you

If you want to write a story what is most essential, do you think?

Yes, of course you need a coherent plotline, maybe even more of them if you can handle; so the story becomes thicker and more interesting.
And yes, your writing style is also important; if people can't understand your wording they won't read it.

But the name of the game are your characters.
I can't stress how crucial it is to have well developed characters. Because if you do they will almost write the story themselves.

You don't believe that?

It happens to me all the time. Most of the characters I introduce in 'The Untold Stories of Neverbeen Universe' have been with me since 1999 or 2004 respectively. I know them like the back of my hand; I know how they talk, how they behave in any situation, what their dreams and ambitions are, how they came to be, what quirks they have, what their voices sound like, even their smells... Mostly I don't even have to think to know their reaction.
So I just let them deal with the situations in which I throw them or interact with other characters. They will sort it out themselves and everything clicks into place.

But how to get to that point? :o

You probably won't wait as long as I have before you want to introduce your characters to the world; when you want to write a story you write it. Period. So you invent a bunch of characters. At first you might have but a signalment; but that's only the first step.

Next you might want to draw them or have them drawn or find pictures on the internet of how you imagine them to be. It's always good to visualize them. Same goes for voices. Maybe you find a song and think: that's the voice I picture for this particular character. So they seem more alive.

But that's still not enough; you don't know how they might react yet, unless they do. So you might want to prewrite something about them. Be it their backstories (which is always good to have), be it a writing exercise just to get to know them better and develop a feeling for them, be it a different WIP, be it fanfiction with original character insert.
In my case I have a few friends who write pen & paper RPGs with me where I can have my characters interact freely with theirs. Most of these RPGs have been going on for years and they still continue (the earliest date back in 1999 and only two of them are completed). I'm very grateful to my friends; because they helped me get to know my characters in every which way possible.

So maybe you want to try writing pen & paper RPGs, too, but you don't know where to find interested partners? Try me. ;) I'm curious about the people you imagine, and I'm always glad if I can invent new characters that dwell in and enrichen Neverbeen Universe. Besides, RPGs are fun and help improve your writing style, too. :D

And then, suddenly, you will experience it, too: your characters develop a life of their own and do whatever to the plot you outlined and run away with it. Trust your characters; they'll handle it. Then writing becomes so much easier and you don't have to be afraid of the whiteness of a blank page anymore.