Have you heard that phrase? Write what you know; what you have experience with.
Well, I never use to agree completely with that. The way I'd always heard it, it sounded like you were suppose to limit yourself to, well, only writing about what you know - and for some of us, that may be very little. When my dad heard I was writing a story set in Wyoming, he asked me, "Shouldn't you write in a setting you know?" See, I had never been to Wyoming, or anywhere out West, but as a writer, I felt I needed to branch out, stretch myself, write about things I wasn't as familiar with.
What I didn't realize is that phrase can be taken different ways - it can relate to all sorts of different things, not just your setting or what kind of job your main character has.
When I was in my young teens, I struggled with separation from my brothers. My oldest brother was off in college by the time I turned 12, and my other older brother was gone most of the time with his friends. I literally felt like an only child, and for a long time I dreamed of a better, closer relationship with them. Since I couldn't seem to have that, I began to create stories about brothers and sisters who were extremely close with each other, sort of a way to live vicariously.
However, when I went back to my stories a few years later, I wanted to gag. The relationships were not real. For those of you with siblings, you *know* - there is going to be fighting, irritation, and frustration, no matter how close you are. I had taken out all conflict from the sibling relationship and replaced it with ooey-gooey sap. I never intended for the stories to come out this way, but in the end the brother/sister dynamic reminded me more of a lover's relationship, not a sibling one. Not good.
I was writing about what I dreamed of and wanted, not of what I had.
I'm not saying that if you don't have a close relationship with your sibling you can't write about one. You do have to make sure you have a good perspective on that kind of relationship, though. Talk to other people who do have that relationship; observe how they act around their siblings, what they talk about, and take that plus the conflict you experience and tie it together. My writing in this area has greatly improved because I opened my mind to letting myself write about my own experience.
**Next time I will be writing about situations and circumstances. For instance, how do you write about tragedy you've never experienced?
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Book Review: Fahrenheit 451
Today, I'm going to do something very simple to ease back into posting, and so I'm going to give a short book review. For school (which, by the way, I have now graduated! Hoorah!) I had to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradubury. Often I don't care for the books I'm made to read in school, but this was one of those rare exceptions. I'd heard a lot of good reviews on the book and was interested in seeing if I would end up liking it myself. If you have not read the book, let me give you a little teaser and show you what I saw when I opened to the first chapter...
(Taken from Fahrenheit 451, Chapter One: The Heart and the Salamander)
It was a pleasure to burn.
It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python splitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the ignitor and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black.
Guy Montag lives in the futuristic world. He is a fireman, but in this world, firefighters no longer extinguish the flames - they start them. Books are banned and modern technology has taken over the sensible minds of men, but when a mysterious young woman starts putting ideas of the old ways of world, back when books weren't banned and time was taken slowly, into his mind, Guy begins to wonder if the fires he creates are really that sacred.
This book was short and an easy read but incredibly thought-provoking. Though I may not agree with all of the author's ideas, I was reminded of the quote by Albert Einstein which says, "I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." This is exactly what has happened in this book. Cars speed so fast no one has time to see the scenery, and no one cares if they end up running someone over; children are in school "8" days a week, and real families have been replaced by "TV families." There is no true interaction among people, there is no love between husbands and wives. You live for immediate happiness. Bradbury shows the corruptness of this thinking, and perhaps he is no longer so far from the truth.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It is an enjoyable read, if not a little disturbing at times just because of the despicable mindsets of these people, and it truly makes you stop and think of the world around you and your own life. (If you're someone who is sensitive to this, there is language in the book that gets worse towards the middle/end). I highly recommend this book.
(Taken from Fahrenheit 451, Chapter One: The Heart and the Salamander)
It was a pleasure to burn.
It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python splitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the ignitor and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black.
Guy Montag lives in the futuristic world. He is a fireman, but in this world, firefighters no longer extinguish the flames - they start them. Books are banned and modern technology has taken over the sensible minds of men, but when a mysterious young woman starts putting ideas of the old ways of world, back when books weren't banned and time was taken slowly, into his mind, Guy begins to wonder if the fires he creates are really that sacred.
This book was short and an easy read but incredibly thought-provoking. Though I may not agree with all of the author's ideas, I was reminded of the quote by Albert Einstein which says, "I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." This is exactly what has happened in this book. Cars speed so fast no one has time to see the scenery, and no one cares if they end up running someone over; children are in school "8" days a week, and real families have been replaced by "TV families." There is no true interaction among people, there is no love between husbands and wives. You live for immediate happiness. Bradbury shows the corruptness of this thinking, and perhaps he is no longer so far from the truth.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It is an enjoyable read, if not a little disturbing at times just because of the despicable mindsets of these people, and it truly makes you stop and think of the world around you and your own life. (If you're someone who is sensitive to this, there is language in the book that gets worse towards the middle/end). I highly recommend this book.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Pause in Posts
Hey all!
I'm sorry there has been a lack of regular posts lately; I've hated not being able to keep up with this blog. However, I am in the last two months of finishing school and have some personal family things going on, and I just haven't had the time to write new posts consistently.
I'm still working on The Descendants of Drasia and am posting on pinterest the updates of completed chapters, so you can follow that on there. (Almost to Chapter 20, peeps! :) ) You can still post on here or on the blog's pinterest board if you have questions or ideas for future posts you'd like to hear about later.
Thank you for understanding, I hope to be posting regularly within the next month.
Sarah
I'm sorry there has been a lack of regular posts lately; I've hated not being able to keep up with this blog. However, I am in the last two months of finishing school and have some personal family things going on, and I just haven't had the time to write new posts consistently.
I'm still working on The Descendants of Drasia and am posting on pinterest the updates of completed chapters, so you can follow that on there. (Almost to Chapter 20, peeps! :) ) You can still post on here or on the blog's pinterest board if you have questions or ideas for future posts you'd like to hear about later.
Thank you for understanding, I hope to be posting regularly within the next month.
Sarah
Friday, May 3, 2013
The Rest Will Come Easily
I'm here today to discuss a myth about writing. Ready? Are you sure? Here we go:
"All you need is an idea; the rest will come easily."
Excuse me as I step away from the computer and double over as I laugh my head off hysterically.
Ah, I'm back. Okay, so maybe for some of you, you've once found the perfect idea and have felt comfortable with it and the words just seemed to fall onto the page. But I guarantee you, that isn't most people, and I'd bet that at some point down the road in that perfect idea SOMETHING will come up to discourage or obstruct your writing. It happens to the best of us, it happens to all of us.
I say if you write your idea and suffer no strife, then you're doing it wrong and something is miserably horrible with your story.
Characters. Names. Personalities. Voice/POV. Setting. Plot. Subplots. Twists. Conflict. New ideas. Old ideas. Writer's block. That's only the beginning. So many different factors go into one story, one scene; we may not figure everything out in the planning stages, and that's completely fine because that means we grow along with our characters, but sooner or later something will stop and make us think. Something will confuse us. A new idea may come along, and you might just find yourself reconfiguring your entire story.
Research. First draft. Revisions. Editing. Final Draft. None of it is "easy," nor should it be. I don't think I would love writing as much as I do if it was "easy." Everyone would be writing if it were. The beauty of creating a new story is the crafting of your plot, your settings, each individual character. The struggle is what makes it special.
If someone came up to me and said he had written a story and never once struggled even the slightest bit with the development or writing, I would say good for him but in my heart be very skeptical about his story. What then makes it special then? What will make the conflict believable if the writer didn't feel the strife himself?
"You can make a bad movie with a good script, but you can't make a good movie with a bad script." I'm sure many of you have heard that quote before, and I honestly believe it. Apply that to your writing; you may have a good idea for your book, the cover art may be engaging and exciting, the first line might be a whopper, but it all means nothing if your context is garbage. A story is nothing without it's conflict, nothing without well-developed characters. A reader can tell if the author isn't into his story, and to be fully into our story we must go through some sort of emotion with our characters whether it be happiness, grief, anger, frustration.
Writing is not easy, and so don't expect it to be. Researching, creating, making your writing and dialogue sound believable and conversational isn't going to happen overnight (if it does you are one incredibly gifted person.) So don't be fooled into thinking all you need is a great idea to make a great story; so much more goes into it, and if you're not ready for the struggle and commitment, come back to it later on down the road or reevaluate whether or not you want to be a writer. If you are ready, prepare yourself for a wonderful ride of frustration, agony, and sheer joy at the rewards of getting over the hurdles of a writer's life and making something your own. :)
"All you need is an idea; the rest will come easily."
Excuse me as I step away from the computer and double over as I laugh my head off hysterically.
Ah, I'm back. Okay, so maybe for some of you, you've once found the perfect idea and have felt comfortable with it and the words just seemed to fall onto the page. But I guarantee you, that isn't most people, and I'd bet that at some point down the road in that perfect idea SOMETHING will come up to discourage or obstruct your writing. It happens to the best of us, it happens to all of us.
I say if you write your idea and suffer no strife, then you're doing it wrong and something is miserably horrible with your story.
Characters. Names. Personalities. Voice/POV. Setting. Plot. Subplots. Twists. Conflict. New ideas. Old ideas. Writer's block. That's only the beginning. So many different factors go into one story, one scene; we may not figure everything out in the planning stages, and that's completely fine because that means we grow along with our characters, but sooner or later something will stop and make us think. Something will confuse us. A new idea may come along, and you might just find yourself reconfiguring your entire story.
Research. First draft. Revisions. Editing. Final Draft. None of it is "easy," nor should it be. I don't think I would love writing as much as I do if it was "easy." Everyone would be writing if it were. The beauty of creating a new story is the crafting of your plot, your settings, each individual character. The struggle is what makes it special.
If someone came up to me and said he had written a story and never once struggled even the slightest bit with the development or writing, I would say good for him but in my heart be very skeptical about his story. What then makes it special then? What will make the conflict believable if the writer didn't feel the strife himself?
"You can make a bad movie with a good script, but you can't make a good movie with a bad script." I'm sure many of you have heard that quote before, and I honestly believe it. Apply that to your writing; you may have a good idea for your book, the cover art may be engaging and exciting, the first line might be a whopper, but it all means nothing if your context is garbage. A story is nothing without it's conflict, nothing without well-developed characters. A reader can tell if the author isn't into his story, and to be fully into our story we must go through some sort of emotion with our characters whether it be happiness, grief, anger, frustration.
Writing is not easy, and so don't expect it to be. Researching, creating, making your writing and dialogue sound believable and conversational isn't going to happen overnight (if it does you are one incredibly gifted person.) So don't be fooled into thinking all you need is a great idea to make a great story; so much more goes into it, and if you're not ready for the struggle and commitment, come back to it later on down the road or reevaluate whether or not you want to be a writer. If you are ready, prepare yourself for a wonderful ride of frustration, agony, and sheer joy at the rewards of getting over the hurdles of a writer's life and making something your own. :)
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Next Big Thing
So, you want to write a great novel or the next best TV series? Well, there is one important element to begin it all that stands in your way. Story ideas. Are they easy for you? Or do you get frustrated in trying to come up with ideas for your novel or script? I'll admit, I'm half and half. I can easily come up with a story idea, concept, or small scene, but to flesh it out into a well-developed, strong story? A little more challenging. Creating a sold story idea takes time and an intensive amount of thought.
Today I'll share with you some ways you can come up with great stories ideas. Some of these I've experienced for myself, others I found on reading blog posts from other sites but I consider to be helpful.
First of all, determine WHAT kind of story you are going to write. Are you writing a short story? A novel? Perhaps a screenplay.
Your genre is obviously a very important piece to the frame of the puzzle. In order to determine this, think about what kind of books you read and enjoy the most or what movies you find yourself renting a lot. More than likely you'll understand and feel comfortable with that particular genre and will be able to bring out the most of your passion. By setting these limits for yourself, you can better concentrate on getting a base idea.
Do you need to set these limits in the first step? Of course not. Perhaps an idea will just come to you and from there you can determine how you wish to write it. However, if you're not sure about your idea, you may enjoy the more structured aspect of this first step.
Now, here are some fun ways to come up with a good plot. I may specify that I'm thinking "do this" for a screenplay or "do that" for a novel, but they can all go either way! :)
Let's center our attention on books for the moment. A personal goal in my writing is to take an original story and add a twist to it, something unexpected. Let's take that idea with some well-known literature; what would've happened if Dorothy had followed the red brick road instead of the yellow brick road? What if Edmund was the first to travel through the wardrobe? What if Frodo had not been the one chosen to carry the One Ring to Mordor? Would Dorothy have ever met Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion and found the great Oz? Would Peter, Susan, and Lucy been captured and killed by the White Witch? Who would've ended up carrying the One Ring, and would they have succeeded? Those are just a few questions to get you started, because there are so many more you can come up with if you think about it!
Another way I find inspiration that relates slightly to this is fanfiction. I like to add characters and plots to a favorite story or movie and see what happens. I don't always write this down, sometimes I just daydream about it, but this creative angle is an incredible boost to my inspiration. Pretty soon, you may find yourself developing a whole different story. However, I caution with this. Make sure you do not plagiarize the story your own stemmed from. Don't be afraid to find inspiration from your favorite authors, but analyze! Make your own!
Let's go back to the twist. Think of something that happened in your life, whether it was a big or small event, everyday moment, heartbreak, disappointment, or love. Twist it and think, "What would've happened if it had gone this way instead? Is there a story there?"
Now, let's take screenplays. A great way to find script ideas is to what? You guessed it: watch movies! Watch lots of movies, or watch TV shows if you want to write the next hit sitcom or TV series. Observe what makes the story work. Is it the characters? The action? The witty comedy? A different idea I've gotten from researching this myself is trying to watch silent movies or watching a movie with the sound turned off. Sound odd? Well, it did to me at first, but then I really thought about it and realized this is a great exercise. More than likely you'll be able to follow the plot fairly well, and you'll really be able to recognize what makes the story flow from a physical perspective, how the characters relate to each other, and how setting affects a story, ect.
Another great way to develop a screenplay is to read good screenplays. Learn how different playwrights use their own technique in a script and discover which way fits you best. Observe how the characters are developed and how the plot moves along. Also, read bad screenplays and learn what DOESN'T work.
The other day I wrote down a list of questions I would ask myself for a movie or TV show I would watch to critique what I thought about it. (I geared this particular list for a tv show.) This is also a great exercise that relates back to what I said about observing what makes the show work, and let me tell you, I had the best time digging deeper into the reasons why I loved what I watch. You could do this exercise for books as well. (If you're interested in doing this yourself but aren't confident in what kind of questions you'd use, let me know and I'll include my own list in a future post - I'd also be willing to include an answered set of my own.)
So shut off your computer, put away your phone, grab a pencil and piece of paper and go some place where you feel the most inspired, and THINK. I hope you find yourself coming up with story ideas that make you excited.
Let me know: What techniques and exercises do YOU use to create ideas?
Today I'll share with you some ways you can come up with great stories ideas. Some of these I've experienced for myself, others I found on reading blog posts from other sites but I consider to be helpful.
First of all, determine WHAT kind of story you are going to write. Are you writing a short story? A novel? Perhaps a screenplay.
Your genre is obviously a very important piece to the frame of the puzzle. In order to determine this, think about what kind of books you read and enjoy the most or what movies you find yourself renting a lot. More than likely you'll understand and feel comfortable with that particular genre and will be able to bring out the most of your passion. By setting these limits for yourself, you can better concentrate on getting a base idea.
Do you need to set these limits in the first step? Of course not. Perhaps an idea will just come to you and from there you can determine how you wish to write it. However, if you're not sure about your idea, you may enjoy the more structured aspect of this first step.
Now, here are some fun ways to come up with a good plot. I may specify that I'm thinking "do this" for a screenplay or "do that" for a novel, but they can all go either way! :)
Let's center our attention on books for the moment. A personal goal in my writing is to take an original story and add a twist to it, something unexpected. Let's take that idea with some well-known literature; what would've happened if Dorothy had followed the red brick road instead of the yellow brick road? What if Edmund was the first to travel through the wardrobe? What if Frodo had not been the one chosen to carry the One Ring to Mordor? Would Dorothy have ever met Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion and found the great Oz? Would Peter, Susan, and Lucy been captured and killed by the White Witch? Who would've ended up carrying the One Ring, and would they have succeeded? Those are just a few questions to get you started, because there are so many more you can come up with if you think about it!
Another way I find inspiration that relates slightly to this is fanfiction. I like to add characters and plots to a favorite story or movie and see what happens. I don't always write this down, sometimes I just daydream about it, but this creative angle is an incredible boost to my inspiration. Pretty soon, you may find yourself developing a whole different story. However, I caution with this. Make sure you do not plagiarize the story your own stemmed from. Don't be afraid to find inspiration from your favorite authors, but analyze! Make your own!
Let's go back to the twist. Think of something that happened in your life, whether it was a big or small event, everyday moment, heartbreak, disappointment, or love. Twist it and think, "What would've happened if it had gone this way instead? Is there a story there?"
Now, let's take screenplays. A great way to find script ideas is to what? You guessed it: watch movies! Watch lots of movies, or watch TV shows if you want to write the next hit sitcom or TV series. Observe what makes the story work. Is it the characters? The action? The witty comedy? A different idea I've gotten from researching this myself is trying to watch silent movies or watching a movie with the sound turned off. Sound odd? Well, it did to me at first, but then I really thought about it and realized this is a great exercise. More than likely you'll be able to follow the plot fairly well, and you'll really be able to recognize what makes the story flow from a physical perspective, how the characters relate to each other, and how setting affects a story, ect.
Another great way to develop a screenplay is to read good screenplays. Learn how different playwrights use their own technique in a script and discover which way fits you best. Observe how the characters are developed and how the plot moves along. Also, read bad screenplays and learn what DOESN'T work.
The other day I wrote down a list of questions I would ask myself for a movie or TV show I would watch to critique what I thought about it. (I geared this particular list for a tv show.) This is also a great exercise that relates back to what I said about observing what makes the show work, and let me tell you, I had the best time digging deeper into the reasons why I loved what I watch. You could do this exercise for books as well. (If you're interested in doing this yourself but aren't confident in what kind of questions you'd use, let me know and I'll include my own list in a future post - I'd also be willing to include an answered set of my own.)
So shut off your computer, put away your phone, grab a pencil and piece of paper and go some place where you feel the most inspired, and THINK. I hope you find yourself coming up with story ideas that make you excited.
Let me know: What techniques and exercises do YOU use to create ideas?
Friday, April 26, 2013
Character Introductions: Deryk and Hugo
The last two male character introductions for my WIP, The Descendants of Drasia. My apologies for the fact that this was so late. I know I promised to publish this earlier, but I ended up getting bronchitis and then immediately after I started feeling better after two weeks I traveled to see my new nephew, so needless to say I'm just starting to get back on my feet! Thank you for coming to read this however. :) Let's get to it!
Character Introduction: Deryk
Before I begin, I will say Deryk has been one of my mysterious, slightly frustrating characters. I don't mean this as in I have a difficulty writing him, but throughout the book his background keeps changing on me. However, I think I'm set on what I have now, but just know it is subject to change before the book is entirely finished, haha.
1. Who is Deryk?
Deryk is a wanderer. The wanderers go wherever they choose, giving heed to no boundaries or laws, but merely live their lives you could say as "spur of the moment." They go where they want and do whatever they want. Many consider the wanderers to be selfish, dangerous people, and in many cases they are, but yet there are also many who use their lifestyle to bring good to others.
Most wanderers habit traveling the whole earth, but Deryk is slightly different from many wanderers in the fact that he has not traveled beyond the boundaries of Drasia and Oedria, but within the past two years has settled himself to the forest lining the boundaries of the two lands.
Being the only child in a motherless home and a bitter father, Deryk has had to learn to survive depending on his own will and strength. The journey has not left him scarless, but he shows an exceeding amount of resilience. He is not bitter to those who have caused him grief in the past but instead dwells in the present.
2. How do Deryk and Marta tie in together?
Deryk stumbles across Marta's camp in the forest and their acquaintance has a rocky beginning. (Learn more about Marta here: http://writingexploration-sarahellen.blogspot.com/2013/03/character-introduction-marta.html) Though their personalities seem to clash dramatically, the two young forest-dwellers find themselves invaluable to each other as they attempt to uncover the mystery of strange beasts that seem to be traveling down into the lands from the mountains. Over time they discover their pasts may not be so different from each other, but their conflicting present choices will forever affect their future.
3. How old is Deryk?
Deryk is twenty years old. He was born the night of the great battle.
4. What does he look like?
Deryk is 5'10 and of average build - he's fairly slim but is much stronger than he appears to be. He has brown hair that is often rather ruffled up and dark brown eyes. His charming half-smile is often seen as a cocky smirk, but on other occasions the very meaning of comforting assurance. See pictures posted at the end of this post for more detail.
Deryk also wears a necklace around his neck. The pendant is the animal tooth of his first kill, which plays a significant role in the story which I shall not reveal!
5. In three words describe his personality.
I can think of so many, it's hard to narrow down. I'll try these three for starters: Cocky. Courageous. Kindhearted.
6. Would I describe him as a likable character?
Absolutely. He has just enough mischievous and charm to make him irritatingly lovable, in my opinion. Deryk is the sort of man who always seem to be there when you need him most, though you may have to watch your back everywhere else. He's cocky, but part of that is a characteristic he developed as a young boy to hide his grief. His antics and incessant talking gets on Marta's nerves at times, but when the circumstances are bad and the pain hurts the most, he is dependable, attentive, and caring. Many might look and consider him a perfect target for terrorization because of his smaller build and quiet face, but pity the fools who try to get one over on him. Never threaten a man with both a sword and quiver full of arrows.
Craig Horner looks so much like what I've envisioned for Deryk. Unfortunately I can't seem to find a lot of good quality pictures of him, but here are a few that work:
Character Introduction: Hugo
1. Who is Hugo?
Hugo is the year-older brother of Ellyn who ran away from his home when he was fifteen years old, and the family, including Luka, thought him to be dead. Only Ellyn held onto hope that he was still alive. In reality, Hugo had only gone to the castle, naught a mile from Cindreth, and quick-learning abilities and exceptional skill with a sword earned him the honored title of a knight within three years, making him the youngest and most inexperienced of all the knights of Drasia. He kept his background a secret, claiming to be an orphan, so as to keep his whereabouts hidden from his family and also cut any relationship from them in case it was ever revealed he came from a family of dragon riders. Luka is the first to come to the knowledge of the truth about Hugo, which hurts him deeply seeing as how his bitterness for the knights of Drasia causes him to feel like the boy who was once like his brother betrayed him.
2. How old is Hugo?
Hugo is nineteen years old.
3. What does he look like?
Hugo stands at about 6' and has dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, similar to his sister Ellyn's. He has a strong build for a young man of nineteen. See pictures attached for more detail.
4. In three words describe his personality.
Reckless. Ambitious. Eager.
5. Would I describe him as a likable character?
Hugo's part is slightly smaller in the part, though his role does build as the story progresses. We don't learn a lot about him, but Hugo is likable. He has some grief, which makes him interesting, and he has hidden courage that is commendable. His mischievous nature and teasing attitude can make him very fun to write.
Henry Cavill reminds me quite a bit of Hugo, though he is a little old, so imagine someone a few years younger and you've got it. :)
Here is the link to my pinterest board for this WIP, The Descendants of Drasia: The Prequel :) http://pinterest.com/wildwestfantasy/the-descendants-of-drasia-prequel/
Character Introduction: Deryk
Before I begin, I will say Deryk has been one of my mysterious, slightly frustrating characters. I don't mean this as in I have a difficulty writing him, but throughout the book his background keeps changing on me. However, I think I'm set on what I have now, but just know it is subject to change before the book is entirely finished, haha.
1. Who is Deryk?
Deryk is a wanderer. The wanderers go wherever they choose, giving heed to no boundaries or laws, but merely live their lives you could say as "spur of the moment." They go where they want and do whatever they want. Many consider the wanderers to be selfish, dangerous people, and in many cases they are, but yet there are also many who use their lifestyle to bring good to others.
Most wanderers habit traveling the whole earth, but Deryk is slightly different from many wanderers in the fact that he has not traveled beyond the boundaries of Drasia and Oedria, but within the past two years has settled himself to the forest lining the boundaries of the two lands.
Being the only child in a motherless home and a bitter father, Deryk has had to learn to survive depending on his own will and strength. The journey has not left him scarless, but he shows an exceeding amount of resilience. He is not bitter to those who have caused him grief in the past but instead dwells in the present.
2. How do Deryk and Marta tie in together?
Deryk stumbles across Marta's camp in the forest and their acquaintance has a rocky beginning. (Learn more about Marta here: http://writingexploration-sarahellen.blogspot.com/2013/03/character-introduction-marta.html) Though their personalities seem to clash dramatically, the two young forest-dwellers find themselves invaluable to each other as they attempt to uncover the mystery of strange beasts that seem to be traveling down into the lands from the mountains. Over time they discover their pasts may not be so different from each other, but their conflicting present choices will forever affect their future.
3. How old is Deryk?
Deryk is twenty years old. He was born the night of the great battle.
4. What does he look like?
Deryk is 5'10 and of average build - he's fairly slim but is much stronger than he appears to be. He has brown hair that is often rather ruffled up and dark brown eyes. His charming half-smile is often seen as a cocky smirk, but on other occasions the very meaning of comforting assurance. See pictures posted at the end of this post for more detail.
Deryk also wears a necklace around his neck. The pendant is the animal tooth of his first kill, which plays a significant role in the story which I shall not reveal!
5. In three words describe his personality.
I can think of so many, it's hard to narrow down. I'll try these three for starters: Cocky. Courageous. Kindhearted.
6. Would I describe him as a likable character?
Absolutely. He has just enough mischievous and charm to make him irritatingly lovable, in my opinion. Deryk is the sort of man who always seem to be there when you need him most, though you may have to watch your back everywhere else. He's cocky, but part of that is a characteristic he developed as a young boy to hide his grief. His antics and incessant talking gets on Marta's nerves at times, but when the circumstances are bad and the pain hurts the most, he is dependable, attentive, and caring. Many might look and consider him a perfect target for terrorization because of his smaller build and quiet face, but pity the fools who try to get one over on him. Never threaten a man with both a sword and quiver full of arrows.
Craig Horner looks so much like what I've envisioned for Deryk. Unfortunately I can't seem to find a lot of good quality pictures of him, but here are a few that work:
Character Introduction: Hugo
1. Who is Hugo?
Hugo is the year-older brother of Ellyn who ran away from his home when he was fifteen years old, and the family, including Luka, thought him to be dead. Only Ellyn held onto hope that he was still alive. In reality, Hugo had only gone to the castle, naught a mile from Cindreth, and quick-learning abilities and exceptional skill with a sword earned him the honored title of a knight within three years, making him the youngest and most inexperienced of all the knights of Drasia. He kept his background a secret, claiming to be an orphan, so as to keep his whereabouts hidden from his family and also cut any relationship from them in case it was ever revealed he came from a family of dragon riders. Luka is the first to come to the knowledge of the truth about Hugo, which hurts him deeply seeing as how his bitterness for the knights of Drasia causes him to feel like the boy who was once like his brother betrayed him.
2. How old is Hugo?
Hugo is nineteen years old.
3. What does he look like?
Hugo stands at about 6' and has dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, similar to his sister Ellyn's. He has a strong build for a young man of nineteen. See pictures attached for more detail.
4. In three words describe his personality.
Reckless. Ambitious. Eager.
5. Would I describe him as a likable character?
Hugo's part is slightly smaller in the part, though his role does build as the story progresses. We don't learn a lot about him, but Hugo is likable. He has some grief, which makes him interesting, and he has hidden courage that is commendable. His mischievous nature and teasing attitude can make him very fun to write.
Henry Cavill reminds me quite a bit of Hugo, though he is a little old, so imagine someone a few years younger and you've got it. :)
Here is the link to my pinterest board for this WIP, The Descendants of Drasia: The Prequel :) http://pinterest.com/wildwestfantasy/the-descendants-of-drasia-prequel/
Friday, April 5, 2013
Apologies
Just want to say sorry to all of you readers for the delay in posts and the character introductions! Life's been a little busy lately, plus my next-planned character introduction needed more work than I realized, and I've been a little lazy. (*gasp* So bad of me.) I intend to get it out here on the blog by the end of this weekend, however, so keep an eye out for it! =]
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