A Study In Ash: Nathan Loar

Here is a link to Nathan's character forms. Both are pulled more or less directly from The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman, and I strongly recommend picking up a copy of that book for all writers out there, aspiring or otherwise.

Physical and personal life: here

Personality traits: here

Nathan is a pretty mellow guy. His loves in life include his gun, his cigarettes, pickles, and winning arguments. He's a little elitist and controlling, but he's incredibly good at what he does. He's not conceited and doesn't let pride or emotions get in the way of his work (well, unless Sonya is directly involved), just so long as his training or instincts tell him what to do. Otherwise, he's a little lost.

Nathan is fiercely loyal to anyone on his good side, but even that is a little warped; basically, if he knows you, and you haven't held a gun to his head before, he'll save you. Even if he hates you. That said, he will not hesitate to throw anyone else under the bus if it means saving someone more important. He has a habit of rationalizing after the fact, especially if it involves a mistake.

He cares deeply for his country and would go to any lengths to protect it. Unfortunately, many of his friends don't share his ideals, especially as the storyline wears on. He probably cares for Sonya more, though, so that's pretty redeeming.

you're living in america at the end of the millenium you're living in america leave your conscience at the tone

So I've decided, officially or unofficially, to work on rewriting the beginning of WHIPLASH!. I knew it would have to go under some serious revamping if I were to be serious about publishing it already. But I want to rewrite the first chapters before "starting over", I guess. Especially since its arrival in my life was years ago and there's so much time between the chapters.

Obviously, this would not happen overnight. Or soon. I'm definitely going to finish Pedestal first, and The Ram if I think I still stand a chance at making the summer deadline for the free proof copy.

But after that, in between the proofing things of The Ram and next year's NaNoWriMo, I'll have time. (Even more since my boyfriend will be deployed overseas... /cry) So I could start then.

Another thing I'm now wondering (although admittedly this is far more recent and far more unofficial) is if I should turn WHIPLASH! into a series. The overarching plot can handle it, although I'd have to work on some subplots and single-book-plots. I'm a long writer, so I'm quite familiar with going on and on. The only dangers are if I get bored of it (/cry again)...

On the upside, it means I could expand the universe a lot more. Which is always fun and I've poured a lot of effort into that already. (I'm currently working on nailing a culture for Bauk. It's going better than expected!) I could work on character relations and development (which I will not lie; these are my strengths). I wouldn't have to sprint through missions (which I've sort of been doing) and I could slow down the pace overall. (Not of the first few chapters, but yeah. Regardless.)

I don't know. Thoughts, anyone?

sometimes the feeling is right you fall in love for the first time heart beat and kisses so sweet so much in love in the moonlight

I always feel icky with love and pregnancy while writing. (Warning! Science Content Personal views and opinions and facts ahead!)

Well first let me say: Not love. Love is a wonderful driving force in fiction and no matter WHAT you do, it's nigh impossible to write without some semblance or cameo. There can be background couples, a onesided crush, a drunken night, even accidental kisses for comedic relief. It can be one of the most violent, powerful, insane emotions and of course writing (really, all of the arts) and I love love in literature.

That said, I am by and large not a regular human being. I can pass as one in public most of the time. But I fail even harder as a girl. This puts me at a severe disadvantage in the world of romance and it's why I'll never manage to write a non-action thing, because it's the only thing I can fall back on. I don't look forward to marriage. I will never have children because I find the entire process of pregnancy revolting and can't stand smallthings under seven or so disgusting. I'm socially and romantically awkward, emotionally distant, and have adverse reactions to most things that others would consider 'cute'. I don't want flowers, I only want chocolate because I'm a pig, I will hold your hand on MY TERMS and MY TERMS ONLY, don't you dare kiss me if I don't want it, etc. I'm very much a cat in the fact that I only want affection when it suits me.

But I digress. A lot. It's this unfamiliarity and half-rejection that makes romance so awkward to write. I will probably never be able to write a sex scene - hell, probably not even a strong kiss scene. I find it awkward to write and can't connect to the emotion behind it. I'm an advocate of plot-relevant sex scenes and how it's not just fanservice, and even though there will have to be one in WHIPLASH!, I am not looking forward to that. Ugh.

(For example as to how I am very bad at human-human relationships, here's how I just answered the phone when my boyfriend called:
"Hello?"
"I heart you."
"...What."
"You're cute."
"Kittens are, and you're tired. Go to bed."
I am terrible and I fully realize this. Oh well.)

Pregnancy is also awkward in my writing, but not completely because of my total unfamiliarity with it. It's also because I am a feminist when it suits me and I all but HATE it in literature. It's very rarely done in a way that I can stand, much less like. I appreciate the happy family view, I do. I like that kind, just so long as it's... backstory-ish. It's not meant for endings. Pregnancy is a beginning; I don't want a book to end with it. Don't you dare.

There's also the fact that I very rarely would ever write it because I am a soulless bitch who hates babies. Because you know what? Having to decide literally EVERYTHING about that child, literally from birth, sucks. It sucks hard. Most of my characters come to me damn near fully-formed. A lot of them in dreams. I rarely have to consciously CREATE a character, and even when I do, I have a vague semblance of whether the plot needs a male or female. Or maybe I have so many females in this scene I want a male. Or the reverse. Whatever the reason, I don't just pick a gender. But babies? They're potentially characters before they actually exist. They can been introduced and even named without having a gender. There's emotional attachment without a gender. And you have two roads in front of you. Do you want the little boy, climbing trees, riding a bike, sucking his thumb? Do you want a little girl with a doting father, cute dresses, and skinned knees? One will exist and the other will immediately die.

So, in review and because I am currently having to debate the merits between a male and female child:
+Love in literature ROCKS MY SOCKS OFF.
+I hate writing physical love.
+I love writing emotional love.
+Sex scenes are very awkward when not in smut novels or settings.
+Pregnancy in literature sucks.
+I am a bad specimen of the female homo sapiens.

Skitty out! (to decide on an eventual gender)

she won't ever get enough once she gets a little touch

More drabbles! 8D

One Week - Sara Grace & Maria, character study, canon past

Anything You Like - Allen, character study, mild canon spoilers (but nothing that I haven't already given away on my blog/dA, haha)

Won't Ever Get Enough - Nathan & Emil & Sonya, fluff, lulz, sort of 'what if' ish

Sweet Sugar Candyman - Nathan & Allen, continuation of the above, a little lulz, sort of 'what if' ish, a little character study ish

to add color to your boring today to put magic into your melancholic tomorrow

So I've been writing some drabbles/flash fiction/vignettes, what have you. So far, all WHIPLASH! themed and based on songs because no one can give me some good prompts. XD

The Only Difference Between Suicide And Martyrdom Is Press Coverage - Sonya, 'what if' AU

Blame It On The Girls - Sara Grace & Maria, past canon, character study ish

Because There's Beauty In The Breakdown - Lenore, introspective, character study

Help Me Leave Behind Some Reasons To Be Missed - Nathan, character study, 'what if' ish

Lullaby - Sonya, character study, fluff ish

a wolf with an apple in one hand "are you what's fallen down?" he asks

So I'm still gonna do the character stuffs for WHIPLASH!, rest assured, but I just wanted to drop in to say that I haven't actually really started on writing such things. XD; If any of you have read that book, you know that there's a TON of character exercises in it. It's sort of a project to take on and I haven't had the time yet to sit down and go through it...

Anyway, I am working on The Ram again! Rejoice! So far, too, it's been fun and a half. Here's an excerpt because I love this sort of thing.

And then there was that niggling little voice in the back of his mind that reminded him too strongly of the Owl, telling him not to do that, that he'd regret it in the future.
The Ram selected a dagger and pulled it out of its leather sheath, examining it in the half-light. He caught the Rook looking at it, too, and smiled for the first time. He held it up by the blade between two fingers. “Like it?” he asked politely. As if they were discussing the weather or a fresh kill. The Rook snorted in response and dropped his scowl.
The dagger was suddenly buried in his eye.
The Rook screamed and flapped his wings in vain, arms struggling against his bindings, leaping to his feet and knocking over his chair in the process. The Ram watched him in amusement. He walked over and ignored the screeching, delicately pinning the Rook against the wall as if he weren't fighting with all his strength.
He pulled the knife out and wiped it on the Rook's leg. The Rook snarled something garbled and tried to turn against him, but the Ram kept him pinned with one hand. “You'll regret this!” he said hoarsely, chest heaving, wings still struggling in vain.
The Ram chuckled. “My dear Rook, I've regretted the day I met you for some time now.”
“Yeah, well—fuck you.”
“You'd like that, wouldn't you,” he replied thinly, letting the other go. The Rook sagged to the floor, wings immediately curling tightly around him. “If you want to play defensive, I could simply break through those precious little feathery twigs—” He hadn't finished the threat before the Rook was shielding his wings with his body, keeping them folded protectively behind him, glaring up at the Ram with his one good eye. The other was a mess of blood and flesh and who knew what else. The Ram couldn't help but laugh at the sight of it.

EDITEDITEDIT:

Apparently this is my 100th post! /joy and happiness abound

so let's not get carried away with the process of elimination i don't wanna waste your time

So I'm rereading Noah Lukeman's The Plot Thickens and I'm gonna go though my WHIPLASH! cast with them. A post for each character. Be excited for this! (I am.) :D

(I'm not doing The Ram because it's too late for it, and Pedestal's almost done and arguably has some of the best characterization I've created. Stupid fanfiction...)

And I'll do this later when the cramps aren't killing me. D|

with a thousand lies and a good disguise hit 'em right between the eyes

So completely and shamelessly stolen (but probably not unique to) from The Meek, but I doodled up some new year's resolutions for some of my characters.

NamNar: I resolve to make up my mind about Nick. (Um, maybe...)
Nick: I resolve to keep up the good work.
Tuesday: I resolve to... survive.
Luca: I resolve to be properly fuckin' introduced. (Thomas in the background: Me too!)

My favorite thus far are the rebels of the group.

I plan on drawing Nathan and Sara Grace simply having a catfight/pulling on each other's hair. And I already have Maria and Emil drawn up with the following:

Maria: Jero shanai toa esimer, mies surdan parvite.
Emil: S-Silenco, tou ors nordin!

Which translates to "I shall (it sounds more formal translated, but isn't when spoken in Lannish) eat you, my little southerner." and "Sh-Shut up, you northern bear!".

Basically this is just fun and a great way to torture play with my characters.