Aieeeeeeee! Says the Specter

At least that’s as close as I can get to her wailing. She does it a bit, especially in those situations where the systems she’d help set up 950 or so years ago have fallen into corruption and ruin. But before I say any more let me introduce her to you.

Tabitha S Era (S is her last name, Era is equivalent to saying Ms.) was born around 1,000 years before Unearthing Magic begins. Her history is a complicated one, and suffice it to say that she was the catalyst for the Separatist Revolution that broke the single Magi kingdom into four, and founding the country in which non-magi live without being enslaved by the magi. However during that revolution Tabitha was encased in crystal to ensure Trabia remained under its own rule. Set free by accident, she’s not really happy with what the Non-magi have done, but after 1,000 years of crystallization, she’s not really in the right mind to fix it.

Much like in her own life, she’ll be acting as a somewhat antagonistic catalyst for my main characters, specifically the farm girl, Lori, who is a direct descendant. Here are my answers for her to the 20 Beautiful People questions I picked out of the archive.

Easy Questions

1. Does his or her name have a special meaning? – Tabi was likely named for a tabby cat, given her hair is bright orange. Other than that, Tabitha was not chosen for its meaning, but apparently (according to the book I have) it means gazelle in Greek and Aramaic.
2. Right, or left handed? - left, well, once she was taught how to write
3. Favorite color? - Sky Blue, the kind you find on days when the sky is dotted with fluffy clouds
4. Do they like hugs? - Definitely, especially those rare ones from Sabareil... Who isn't even a character in this book *Glares and character who bubbles with laughter and sticks her tongue out at her author* - she's also very mature for a 1,000 year old *eyeroll*
5. Favorite season of the year? - Spring, she loves the colors that spring up everywhere
6. Favorite kind of weather? - warm and gentle summer rains
7. Does he/she have a good sense of humor? If so what kind? - Yes, probably more so than the cast she's supporting would like. She's a practical joker and a bit loopy; not that I blame her.
8. Is he/she naturally curious? - Yes, in fact it was her curiosity and desire to know how things worked that made her one of the greatest magi of her time, unfortunately she never managed to be in a position to truly be a magical scientist, magisist?
9. Does he/she see the big picture or live in the moment? - She used to live in the moment, but once freed from her crystal prison she's beginning to see the big picture (and she's not liking it one bit) *Tabitha wails in agreement*
10. What do others expect from them? - Not a lot as Lori is the only one who can see her. But when Tabitha appears Lori’s sure it’s because she needs Lori to do something for her or she's causing mischief.
11. What does their average day look like? - Tabitha spends her time flitting about Trabia, checking on this and that, sometimes she even goes back to her prison to ponder the crystaline structure she had made. Other times she studies the spells that flow around it, trying to figure out how to undo the damage that was done 1,000 years ago
12. What does he/she do with his/her spare time? - See above, all of Tabitha's time is spare now.

Thought Provoking Questions

1. What would they do if they discovered they were dying? – Tabitha would try to do something to bring good into the world. Which is why she's a bit pissed at Trabia, since she already sacrificed herself to save them and they are NOT running the country nicely. *More agreement wails from Tabitha*
2. If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be? - Make the whole world see that neither separation, nor suppression is the answer and that magi and non-magi can live together in peace – Yes, folks she just went for the World Peace answer.
3. What do they think about when nothing else is going on? - When she's not worrying about how to fix what went wrong with the Trabian government, she's probably pondering how things work.
4. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose? - Her source (of magical power), preferably before she discovered she had it, thus choosing the life of the non-magi, which she felt was simpler and less 'out to get you' than the magi life she ended up with.
5. If your character crashed on an island with a bunch of other people, how would your character help the group survive? - She'd help them keep their spirits up with humor, while guiding them on how to build a boat, without them realizing it.

Relationship Questions

1. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.- With Lori:  Annoying Mentor
   - With Travis: Inspiring Historical Figure
   - With Andrew: Puzzling Presence

Questions out of their world

1. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be? - Tabitha would totally have a red sports car, and she'd probably modify it to be faster than it was off the showroom floor.
2. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop? - Iced Mocha Frappachino

So there you have it. Tabitha S Era, the forgotten protector of Trabia.

:} Cathryn Leigh

Let the Plotting Complete!

Yesterday, I did an unthinkable thing – I completed the plotting of Unearthing Magic.

But this didn’t happen without hiccups along the way.

The first thing I encountered was trying to think in terms of scenes. After all Save the Cat is about screenplays, so of course it’s looking at scenes. This meant, if I used Snyder’s method, that I would include on my post-its:

• Setting (interior, exterior, one per scene)
• What happens (short sentence)
• +/- (The emotional change)
• >< (the conflict, every scene has one)

My initial introduction of the characters, Snyder's way

I got about fifteen post-its in, laboring on each one for fifteen minutes or more over the course of two or three days. It wasn’t working for me, so I took a step back because one of my life’s lessons has been; people think in different ways, even if they are good at the same things.

~You see in college, I had a friend who was a Chemist, like me. We took the same classes, studied in the same group, and got the same grades, until we hit the mandatory programming class. The language doesn’t matter (Fortran77 is you must know), what does was the fact that I breezed though (creating programs on the side), while she struggled. Turns out my brain can think like a computer, but hers couldn’t.~

So instead of continually bashing my brain against Snyder’s method until I plotted the whole thing, I looked at the result that was desired – a series of steps that could be followed to be expanded into chapters of a book that moved through a plot progression – and tried to come up with my own method for getting there. Then *BAMN!* I remembered something I did during NaNo 2011:

-  To ensure I didn’t lose the flow of the story when I had to stop, I tries to always write a sentence or two, summing up my thoughts on where things were going. For Example:

"<In which Rachael and Michael deliver Transium to Terra Firma 2 and Rachael is waylaid by a couple of UCPA authorities, who quickly realize they are in over their heads.>"

Okay so it worked as a word count booster, but more importantly it helped with the flow because I ended with 82k words (compared to my 53K of NaNo2010). It was time to see if it’d work for pre-plotting.

The character introductions, my way

Clearing my board of plot (keeping title and log line), I started fresh, using sentences beginning with “In Which”. I had to do a little rewriting at one point because I picked the wrong colors to do Point of View in, but then it started to flow. I mean really flow – suddenly in two or three sittings I’d reached the mid-point. And then in two or three more I’d cascaded to the finish line.

Now, my work isn’t done. I’ve already spotted some potential weak points and are thinking about rearranging the view point order (Blue and Green are the two foreign Princes, and Purple is the farm girl). Plus who knows what the story will do once I actually start writing it. But maybe, this time, there might be more of a plot than Rachael and company in the Nueri gave me for NaNo2011.

The next step – to do a little more characterization on my main characters. So who would you like to see answer some Beautiful People questions first:

• Lori – the farm girl who finds out she a magi, from the country that suppresses magic use
• Travis – heir to the throne of the neighboring kingdom and an average magi
• Andrew – the older brother of Travis, who lives in Lori’s country and isn’t a Magi
• A random supporting character, protagonist or antagonist.

:} Cathryn Leigh

It’s so Easy When You’re Evil...

 If you aren’t humming Voltair’s “When You’re Evil” yet, I hope you will be once you watch the video because it’s the perfect tune to hum as you read my answers to June’s Beautiful People: Evil Edition! Mua ha ha ha ha he :}

For June’s edition I thought I’d take on Whowlaski’s left hand man, since I used the Good General for April’s Beautiful People.  Chester would be Whoalwski’s right hand man, however, it’s his twin, York, who gets that honor. Thankfully, York isn’t nearly as evil. He’s just the better assassin. Chester, on the other hand, is a slime ball who likes Wholwaski’s methods.

1. What is their motive?

Revenge against all those whom Chester feels caused him and his twin, York, to be abandoned at birth. This list includes the Gods, as he feels it's their fault that twins are looked upon as 'bad news'.

2. What are they prepared to do to get what they want?

Anything except be kind and considerate (which I'm not sure he's capable of) or harm his twin.

3. Are they evil to the core, or simply misunderstood?

Originally it annoyance at being misunderstanding, which soon turned to grudge because no one saw his true potential. Then, after some cunning words from Wholwaski, his grudge has turned to hatred against the world.

Ted Raimi is my pick to play
Chester and York

4. What was their past like? What about their childhood? Was there one defining moment that made them embrace their evil ways?

Chester and York were abandoned at birth (due to the stigma of having twins). They were found by the Nigiri (Gods’ assassin) who wanted to retire, so he brought the newborns to the Gods to be raised to take his position. York was supposed to be The replacement assassin, but he refused to exclude his twin. Though they learned side by side Chester’s was never as good as York. This means Chester always got the easier jobs. When he’s tries for the harder ones, York ends up having to fix his debacles. His pivotal moment was when, York switched assignments with him. That was the day Chester tried to assassinate Wholawski and found himself facing an equal, who didn't even believe in the Gods. It was then that Chester switched sides.

5. Now that they’re evil, have they turned their back on everyone, or is there still someone in their life that they care for? (Brother? Daughter? Love interest? Mother? Someone who is just as evil as they are?)

Wholawski may have replaced the Gods in Chester's heart, but the General couldn't replace his twin. York and Chester share that mysterious twin bond and even if Chester could take out York, he wouldn’t.

6. Do they like hugs?

No. Definitely not. (York says he'll take them for his brother, though he prefers high fives)

7. Are they plagued by something? (Nightmares, terrible thoughts?)

Chester is definitely plagued by the ever present threat that his actions, especially his failures, could be the one that angers Wholawski enough to hurt York.

8. Who are they more similar to: Gollum or Maleficent?

Good question, I’m going to with Gollum, because he’s not the sharpest sword of the bunch.

9. If your villain could have their choice of transportation what would it be?

Willow transport. Ever since he stopped working for the Gods he hasn’t been able to use Willow trees to teleport from one location to another. Now he has to use horses like normal ‘mortal’ men, which really irks him.

10. If you met your villain in the street, how afraid would you be? Are they evil enough to kill their creator?

No, Chester wouldn’t kill me, York won't let him. He's more likely to kidnap me and take me to  Wholawski, which would be a fate worse than death. So yes, I'd be afraid and hope York, Sarah or Hason would show up to save me.

And for the Bonus Question!

Does the dark side really have cookies?

No, not in this world. Baking cookies is as foreign to them as guns are.

(The web has amazing things - you can actually purchase gun cookie cutters. - How cookie is that? *snickers*)

Villains Can be Beautiful Too

I know I just answered some questions for Sarah and Hasón, my Phoenix Trilogy protagonists. But what about the antagonist? A tale can fall just as flat if the villain isn’t believable as it can when the hero isn’t. So for April’s edition of Beautiful People, posted last Sunday, I’m picking on General Jackobus Wholawski.

"Come into my fortress," said the General to the innocent lass.

Tim Curry– Read his Trade Mark.
He’s the perfect choice for playing Wholawski.

WARNING:

Wholawski's name was derived from Jack A. Hole, only he’s turned into a sadistic psychopath, which is reflected in his answers. Read them at your own risk!

1. What is their favorite type of shoes?
   Fur lined, leather, knee high boots, no questions about that. It gets cold up in the mountains of Azure and Wholawski likes to stay warm. Not to mention they are good armor on the practice field. Woe to anyone who manages to slice them; there’s a fine line between showing your skill and ending up on the rack when you spar the General.
2. Do they journal?
Even if he could write fluently, he wouldn’t. A journal would only give his enemies fuel to their fire and he would have been ousted sooner. No, for Whoalwski it is better to read theirs than to keep one of his own.
3. What’s their favorite animal?
A well seasoned and cooked one; particularly Vervellean steer. The man keeps no pets; hates cats and hunting dogs. The only reason he has a horse is because the beast is useful.
4. What does their average day look like?
   A typical day at his strong hold starts with Wholawski rising at the crack of dawn to practice sword play. After that, he eats breakfast and then spends some time in the dungeons. Usually, at least one new recruit from that morning practice will require racking. Then from late morning to late afternoon he pulls together all the information he’s gleaned from the past day to continue his quest for domination of Videra. When the sun starts setting, he goes back out for more sparring before picking one of the servant girls. If the girl is lucky, she’ll get to dine with him in the Great Hall, otherwise she’ll be a prisoner in his bedroom. If he’s had a really bad day, she may end up in the torture chamber.
   Wholwaski’s routine when traveling is much the same only the practice sessions are shorter and he does a lot of thinking while moving. He also forgoes the woman, unless they happen to be in town and one suits his purpose. Wenching is a reward for good performance on the road. Bad performance results in flogging; or worse.
5. Night owl or morning person? (Optional: What time do they usually wake up? Go to bed?)
   Up by dawn and in bed (but not asleep) by dark is his way of life. Then again, when your only other source of light is through candles and the rare oil lamp, it’s not hard to see why. Plus, Whoalwski is not a lazy man; he has a continent to conquer.
6. Do they have a sweet tooth?
   Yes, he does, though probably not as sweet as what we think of as sweet. Sugar and honey are high commodity items. Still, Wholwaski has developed a refined palette and likes savory food.
7. What colors are their bedroom?
   The anteroom is predominately the grey of stone, with yellowed parchment maps hung upon the walls. Separating this room from the bedroom is a red curtain. Made of woven wool, blood stains seem to disappear in it. In the bedroom the walls are hung with threadbare tapestries keeping the grey at bay. More red wool curtains hang over the windows and around the bed. All the better to hide his violent tendencies.
8. Can they cook?
   By the Gods’ Graces No! His mother did that for him and after he killed her, his sister took over the job. Now his sister just runs the kitchen whose wenches try to satisfy Wholawski’s many appetites.
9. What is their favorite household chore?
   Torturing ‘guests’ for information and slicing up sparring partners, if you want to count those. He’s rather fond of being mean to a fellow human beings and causing them to cower in fear. In his youth his favorite chose was chopping wood. While his ax sliced through the logs, he imagined they were someone’s body part.
10. Favorite kind of tea?
    Whoalwski doesn’t drink tea – not if he can help it – but if he has to present a facade to some Nobel or upper classman, he prefers Checkerberry (think wintergreen).

So what do you think? Is he a diabolical villain? I hope so, since that’s what he’s wants to be. There will be no redemption for him, though the Gods have their use for his ghost. Just as I have a use for BeautifulPeople. I think it shall become a regular monthly occurrence.

:} Cathryn

Beautiful Sarah and Hasón

Beautiful People is a series of questions you ask your characters to answer as a way to get to know them better. It comes from the blog Further Up and Further In, which I’ve begun to follow and occasionally comment on.  I first saw this set of question in March. They were repeated again in April (just this past Sunday, in fact). They are questions meant for a couple or pair of Protagonists. So who better for me to use than Sarah and Jason, now known as Hasón (aka the Spanish pronunciation of Jason).

Now, before I start grilling them, there are two important facts for people who don’t know Sarah and Hasón, my Phoenixes of Vervell.  First off; Sarah is from our world, which is on the brink of, and then collapses into, World War III. Secondly; Hasón is from another plant/parallel world that’s similar to our 18th century but without gunpowder. Sarah ends up in his world, which is where their trilogy takes place.

Part One

1. Do they believe in anything that most people think is impossible?

I can’t say that Sarah does, though by the end of the book she believes in things she would have never believed in before.

Hasón doesn’t believe in the impossible so much as hopes that what seems impossible will become possible. He prays a lot to the Gods about this.

2. Are they strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?

Oh goodness no, neither one of them. They are both people of action, though Hasón thinks things through a bit more than Sarah does. Then again he’s been trained to do so.

3. Do they have a special place? (e.g. a corner in his/her bedroom, under a tree...)

They both feel The Grove is their special place. It’s a ring of Willows with one Dogwood tree and a spring hidden inside. No one else can come into it, even though they’ve tried to share it with other friends.  It’s also where they met (see Part Two Question 1). :}

4. What occupation do they have, or plan on having?

Sarah is an elementary school teacher. She’s following in her mother’s footsteps and it’s also a way for her to avoid the draft (and war). But, she also really cares about kids and in the time of war wants to give them a safe place to just be kids.

Hasón is a Scout, a trained swordsman. It’s not a typical profession for a Nobleman’s son, but he didn’t want to become a Knight due to their arranged marriages. Now he’s a Sergeant and leads his own small group of men, patrolling the boarders of the Kingdom and generally keeping the peace.

5. Describe their current place of residence.

In the beginning of the story, Sarah’s moved back into the farmhouse in which she grew. There, she’s helping work the farm with her father while tending and teaching the city children that they are sheltering from the bomb threats. Once in Hasón’s world... well let's just say that finding a new home is part of the plot. *grin*

Hasón lives in a Sergeant’s house when he’s not on patrol. It’s a simple wooden duplex, with a outhouse and small yard in the back next to the barracks where his men live and the practice fields and what not. My own medieval version of army base housing.

6. Explain their last crisis. How had they changed when they came out of it?

Sarah’s last big crisis was a gang rape. Five guys did some nasty things to her and as a result she had to get a full hysterectomy or die. She was twenty. Afterwards she dove back into taking self defense classes, mistrusted most guys and decided she was glad she had decided to become a teacher. In fact, it was easier for her to accept the fact she’d never be anyone’s biological mom than it was for her to start trusting guys again.

Hasón’s last crisis was being captured by unfriendly kingdom next door. He managed to escape with his men, but not until after they’d been tortured by General Wholawski. Hasón left the fortress knowing just how much pain his body could withstand and how a woman can pull apart friends. His exterior self became a hard shell, but thankfully, he’s still a lovable huggable teddy bear at his core.

7. If they could drive any kind of car they wanted, what would it be?

Sarah would have a red pickup truck. In fact, I suspect she drives her Dad’s, which is probably an old ford. At least she would drive it if the war hadn’t put a ration on gas.

Hasón has no idea as his world doesn’t have cars, but he prefers horseback to a carriage, despite being open to the elements. He likes being able to see around him – it’s the military training.

8. How do they deal with change?

Sarah will moan and groan about it, but she deals. She’s seen a lot of change in her life, with the conversion of the ranch to a farm, her mother’s death and then the war. The war has changed a lot of things like de-modernizing the farm, and the rationing of food and gas.

It depends on the change with Hasón. He thinks a lot, internally running through the various ways to deal with it before selecting the one he wants. Essentially, change is just another mission to conquer. The amazing part is he can do it quickly, which is why he’s a good leader.

9. If they had to amputate one body part, which one would they choose?

Sarah would choose her hair, and if that didn’t count she’d go for a pinky toe. Easy to get used to having and easy to hide in shoes or show off in tevas for amusing conversations.

Hasón would give up his sword arm so he could retire from the Scouts and spend the rest of his life with Sarah. And if the Gods won’t let him do that, he thinks Sarah’s idea is a reasonable one.

10. What would their favorite be at the local coffee shop?

Sarah would probably order a French Vanilla, light, extra sugar, from the local Dunkin Donuts. Starbucks would be too pretentious, though a good chi from her hometown coffee shop always hits the spot.

Hasón would have no idea what to do with coffee. I presume his land probably drinks tea like the English, so I suspect, if Vervell has small cafes, he’d order a nice black tea... No, scratch that. Apparently, he prefers light green tea. Go figure.

Part Two

1. How did they meet?

Sarah’s best friend had just moved away and she didn’t want to deal with her brothers that day (she has four, all older) so she slipped out to the Willows behind their house.

Hasón, disappointed no one would spar him with his new shiny and sharp sword, went into some woods to fight imaginary foes and rescue damsels in distress. He stepped under a Willow tree and found Sarah.

They became best (imaginary) friends, almost immediately, as she joyfully joined in his game, but not as the damsel in distress mind you... at least not one without a few tricks up her sleeve to get herself rescued.

2. How do these two deal with conflict?

They both face it head on. Sarah might be more stubborn, but Hasón is well versed in the way of compromise. He rarely yells though, and would rather think it through and let Sarah rant and rave before throwing in his two quinnies (Vervellean cents). After all Sarah isn’t completely illogical and she often has good points hidden in her ranting.

3. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place?

If they had a song it would be “Some Where, Out There” only they technically are not ‘sleeping underneath the same bight star’. They definitely have a place though – The Grove – the place I mentioned above where they met and played, and later just talked.

4. What kind of things do they like to do together?

They like to just be together and talk about whatever comes to mind, or hash out whatever is in their thoughts. Only, it’s mostly Sarah doing the talking. Hasón loves to listen to her and be near her. He wants to wrap his arms around her, only there was a limitation to the Grove where he couldn’t actually touch Sarah. Once she’s in his world, he’s not all sure what he should do.

5. Describe their relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.

Skeptical true love

:} Cathryn Leigh