What Time Is It? NaNo Time!

Hey guys! I updated the site. In shades of red! JUST IN TIME FOR NANOWRIMO. (y'know, 'cause it's like blood and what better way to get a boosted wordcount than by killing characters)

You may also notice that I reworked the page layouts. All of the stories still have their own pages! They're just not on that top bar anymore. Otherwise, I would rapidly run out of room up there, and this way, people can easily ignore my fanfiction or original works (why would you do that) and pick and choose. No more luring in with fancy or intriguing titles.

So guys, who's excited for NaNoWriMo? I'm chillin' right over here and I'm using the month to finish The Ram and start on The Owl. Fun times! Right now, though, I'm struggling just to get one last chapter of RMWJ done before november, especially since I missed last week's update. Sigh. I'd also love to get a chapter of The Ram done before november, just so I can start a new document (I'm neurotic when it comes to such things) with the new chapter and wouldn't have to count like, half the words. Because that would just be silly. Good news is that it'll be a longer chapter, and we'll get past two very important plot points. Bad news is that Tuesday is misbehaving again. She knows what awaits her. Sigh again.

Though for all the uninformed, it's a good thing when your characters misbehave, trust me. It means they have enough life to know what they want, and those are the types of characters that are generally believable and not necessarily liked, but respected.

I'm not sure how much I'll really post during november, but if I do, it'll likely be little progress things. Nothing special. Come december/the new year, however, I'd like to start posting here more often again! And I'd like to do some actual, you know, blog posts. Not all just narcissistic stuff about me. I've been writing for a good many years now, despite my age, so I know a thing or two. Also, I'm getting a unique sort of degree and education that's quite suited for story writing! So I can offer some different perspectives. I know for sure I'd like to write up a couple posts on gender, main characters, tragic backstory, and psychological themes. Oh, and on worldbuilding and languages! Because I have made mistakes there, that's for sure. Learn from mine, young skittens, and do not repeat them.

So I'll see you guys whenever! Have a fun nanowrimo, all! ;3

More Site Updates

Redid the site layout! A little cleaner, and lots brighter now. :D Sorta miss the red, but blue is pretty too! I also went through the pages and tweaked them some more, taking out those old drawings, and I separated out The Rook as its own page and revamped the series page to be more general, as well as linking to the two pages themselves.

So for all those who don't follow my fanfiction (I don't blame you, but it can be hilariously cathartic to write at times, so no judging), I recently posted the last chapter of my longest running story ever. It still has an epilogue to go, but the last chapter. It was a long, LONG story, and definitely a crazy one at that. I definitely enjoyed writing it, and I'll miss it terribly. But all stories have to have an ending! It makes them better.

Anyway, onto the writing challenge of the day! (I think I'm gonna throw these out there whenever I can think of a decent one. They're silly and I doubt many people, if any, do them, but still! If I can get one or two more people out there and practicing writing, I'll squee.)

What organization, if any, would your character volunteer for? Red Cross? Humane Society? Doctors Without Borders? What does this say about them, and do you think they would be able to stick with it for long? Why would they quit? Would they EVER quit? Maybe you'll like this little quirk enough to make it an actual facet of your character's personality - or, on the reverse side, are they not the volunteering type? Too greedy, too busy, too indecisive? Write a drabble or oneshot about it and find out!

Site Updates and a Writing Challenge!

Quick note - I've shuffled around the site and updated some things, most notably the pages for the stories, updating them. Added cast info for The Ram, personality info for WHIPLASH!, small tweaks on Pedestal and RMWJ.

I've hit (another) block on The Ram, and last night, I ended up with a very creative, if failed, way at getting around that. My plot buddy and I were discussing it, and casually, I tossed you "YOU BE TUESDAY, I'LL BE STEPHEN". I had no idea what I was actually planning past that... but...

Basically, it culminated in us both getting dolled up like the characters as best we could. The catch? My plot buddy is male. He wore make-up, stuffed his shirt for boobage, and got prettyful. I only put on a sweater with a collar and tucked my hair back, but that's beside the point. We didn't actually get anything discussed or written with The Ram, and instead got sidetracked designing a Persona 4-themed dungeon and Shadow for me, which was also fun and productive. Just on a more personal level.

Challenge to all the writerlings out there: If you're aware of the Persona series, make a Shadow and a Persona for your character! This means you have to know them on a deep, psychological level, and prey viciously on their insecurities, flaws, and repressed feelings.

For all of those unaware of the series, here's a quick dictionary for you:

Shadow - Shadows are monster that, while initially looking like your character (only with golden eyes and a very mean expression, in addition to a voice from HELL), transform into a highly symbolic monster. Shadows are repressed feelings, almost always negative, and have to be accepted by the character in order to gain a Persona. If they are not accepted, they will attack again and again until they kill their host. Common themes amongst Shadows are: nakedness because of the desire to show it off, when in reality, they just want to be accepted and accepting of their bodies ; flamboyantly gay because of confused sexuality and the desire to be accepted by someone, ANYONE, and it just so happens that the same sex is a little easier ; dark and empty, lost, nihilistic and fatalistic, hating the world around them because everyone else is happy and they're not ; professing to using a friend because it makes you feel better, etc etc. Shadows aren't always humanoid in shape or appearance, and usually work off of one theme, such as "caged bird" or "fallen savior".
Protip: The Shadow always says, at some point or another, "I am a Shadow, the true self." Shadows are capable of thinking on their own. When their host denies them, almost always with a panicked "You're not me!", the Shadow can act on its own and that's when it chooses to attack.

Persona - Persona is the creature/power you gain from defeating and accepting the Shadow. It is more or less the magical weapon in the games, but it's also highly symbolic and much more positive than the Shadow is. It does follow along the same themes, usually, or other character themes, but almost always has some sort of callback to the Shadow design. Color tends to be easiest with that. A lot of Personas are also based on mythology from around the world. Most Personas have an elemental affinity - fire, ice, lightning, wind - and are usually on the physical/attacking side, or healing/support side. What kind of character do you have? What would your character's soul (basically) look like and attack like?
Protip: "I AM THOU THOU ART I" but no really. Personas are the lighter, evolved version of the Shadow. There are strong "soul" ties in, too; this could very well be your character's soul manifested. What would it look like? Or, at the very least, it is the facade used to overcome life's hardships or something like that.

I'm not sure I'll be able to do this. XD; This would require GREAT THOUGHT about your character. It'd be easier for stories with one obvious Main Character, rather than large casts with several main characters. Still, if anyone wants to tackle it, go for it! I'd love to hear about Shadow and Persona ideas. :D Maybe I will get around to making some, one day...

Story Page Updates!

I finally got around to updating some of the story pages on this site, and made the RMWJ page public! Naturally, there's not a lot on this page, although I did put in information about Ree and Scott.

I also got around to adding characters to The Rook page, a plot summary to The Ram page (the link is located on The Rook series page!), and tweaking a couple small things on the WHIPLASH! and Pedestal pages. Damn it feels good to be productive.

I've also made it so comments can be left on story pages! Up next: possibly an 'about the author' page, or perhaps a page with links to drabbles/oneshots? Any ideas?

i can't help but say that i love you that i love you

Ree's story is so hard to start! I'm having problems adjusting back to third-person writing. I'm never writing first-person again. ;A; Pedestal, you've ruined me forever.

The idea I'm currently fighting with (instead of studying for my big test tomorrow, but hey, at least I got my homework done) is a bit of an homage to Rod Serling. I love that man. Why no, Pedestal doesn't have enough references to him my other stories need more.

(For the uninformed, Rod Serling is the genius behind The Twilight Zone. The original.)

Edit: Also, updated my fish! Blue is for the nameless narrator of Pedestal, orange is for Nathan Loar of WHIPLASH!, purple for Ree of RWMJ stuff, red for all of the blood spilt (or my possible infatuation with redheads), and white for all of the dead. Because really guys, I go through characters like they're going out of style. And blood is ALWAYS fun.

I'm also - slowly - working on the pages and stuff for the stories. RMWJ has a page, too (just hidden for now), and it'll go up when the story itself has its first chapter released. I have a separate page for The Ram, too, but I'm still working on that one... Pedestal's pretty much done, though! :D AT LEAST I HAVE SOMETHING OKAY.