the writing thing

[coraa]

So, dancambull asked me what I was writing about, and I figured I'd answer here in case the rest of you were interested. :) In short: it's a fantasy novel, probably aimed at a YA audience. (Which doesn't, for the record, mean that it has to be fluffy or 'soft' -- I just read The Hunger Games, which is a wonderful book and pretty well refutes that particular myth. But more about that in a later post.)

The slightly longer version is that it's basically a fantasy novel in which I throw together a whole bunch of elements that I think are cool. :D A werepigeon (well, shapeshifters in general, but in this case a werepigeon), an invented secondary world, an archipelago 'nation' of semi-independent citystates, steampunk-esque anachrotech (though not Victoriana), magic based on writing systems, colleges and libraries, cloak-and-dagger machinations, and language/linguistics. Plus female characters -- the aforementioned werepigeon scavenger, her engineer friend, a city militiawoman and a priestess-mage who get drawn into the conflict, and the antagonist. (There's also a romance subplot, because I'm a sucker for a good love story.)

I can't say a lot more -- my brain is such that if I talk too much about a story before I get a draft done, I'll feel like I've already written that and my mind will be bored and itching to get to the next thing. But once I get a draft done, I can say more. :)

Might also be helpful for me to start doing status updates, for self-encouragement purposes.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Sounds like something I would love to read!

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thank you. :)

[morganlf.livejournal.com]

I think it sounds awesome! And I'm a sucker for were-critters.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :D I hope I can do it justice on the actual page....

(And yeah. Yay werecritters! I've wanted to write about a werepigeon for years, too.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/greensleeves_/]

can't say a lot more -- my brain is such that if I talk too much about a story before I get a draft done, I'll feel like I've already written that and my mind will be bored and itching to get to the next thing.

That's exactly how I feel. I don't know what to do in between entertaining my muse so she won't die before I've produced something and starving her so I can actually produce something before the idea dies of neglect. :(

[coraa.livejournal.com]

I tend to work on fifteen things at once, which does help with that for me. Obviously, mileage varies. :)

[zalena.livejournal.com]

I also just finished Hunger Games and really liked it. The book put me in mind of Westerfeld's Uglies series and also Marsdon's Tomorrow When the War Began, both of which feature badass female protagonists.

[dancambull.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it will be a good read with very original ideas!

My husband and I just started something totally by accident that might end up being a pretty good story if we can get time to do it. Another on the list to complete, but that is ok.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

Sounds interesting. And you'll have no difference explaining how your book is different from anything else out there ;-)

[thegreatgonz.livejournal.com]

I agree with the others- it sounds awesome.