A few days late, since some other posts nagged at me… but hey, life happens. Here’s the end of the meme!

26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your characters? Do others draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite picture of him!
What, me? Talk about art? I’d never do that.

Anyway, yes, in theory, I draw my characters a lot, but in practice, I’m never happy and never finish. Because of this, I spend outrageous amounts of money on commissioning other artists to draw my characters. I revel in this.

One of my absolute favorites is the drawing Niccolo Balce did of Roy and Nina, my MCs for the YA novel I started this year. It’s beautifully drawn, captures the characters well, and look! It’s even got the Perry Private Academy sign in the background!

27. Along similar lines, do appearances play a big role in your stories? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about designing your characters.
A big role, as in, do I mention them? Absolutely, and probably more than I ought to. I suspect it has to do with the artist thing. I’m very focused on visuals.

A big role as in, in the plot? I guess Lillian’s burn scars count, but what caused them is more important than the scars themselves.

As far as designing my characters goes, I usually have a basic appearance in mind. Then I get onto GettyImages.com, fill in some traits (usually some combination of gender, age, ethnicity, hairstyle/color and expression), and search the results for models that make me go “yes! That’s HER!”

I get such a thrill when I recognize my character in some unknown model. It’s wonderful.

Often, though, certain details just randomly come to me. I’m also starting to keep a list of certain visual traits that I may tack onto characters later on.

28. Have you ever written a character with physical or mental disabilities? Describe them, and if there’s nothing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
Yes, several. Emily from Wielders has severe PTSD; the MC from my short “Dependency” has epilepsy; an injury Merel sustains in Fae Print will last her throughout the rest of the series; Cally has a wide assortment of (undiagnosed) mental problems; her sister Viola walked with a cane due to a knee injury (she might not count, since she dies at the very start); Roy from Heirs is deaf and probably has some amount of PTSD; his mother uses a wheelchair; one of his love interests, Amy, is Deaf…

I could go on with characters from as-of-yet unwritten novels, but, ah, then we’d be here for a while yet. So let’s stick to this!

29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
I suspect this question made most of you laugh out loud. For good reason. Moving on.

(And in case you really need answers — constantly and DUH, respectively.)

30. Final question! Tag someone! And tell us what you like about that person as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
Oh man, I hate tagging people. I always feel like I’m picking favorites of some sort! But let’s see – I think I tag Beth Cato. I’ve followed her LiveJournal for a while now and I will never cease to be amazed by how diligent a writer she is; I’ve lost count of how often she’s rewritten her novel Normal, and I’ve given up on even being surprised when she finishes yet another short story or poem.

May I clone your work ethic, Beth?

I have a few other posts brewing… and then I realized I was a few days behind on the 30 Days of Writing meme. Whoops!

Before I start, though, I have to ask: do any of you follow Community? If not, why not? If so — oh my god that cat from last night’s episode. I cried laughing. No exaggeration.

Anyhow! Onwards with the questions! (And I repeat: if you’re even remotely inclined to answer these questions for yourself, please do so! I’m super curious about all your answers!)

21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
Cally’s son Ben is a huge part of the plot in The Hands of Cally Wu. He’s twelve, and I’m pretty sure I write him awfully. What can I say; I just don’t have a heck of a lot of interaction with twelve-year-old boys these days.

But hey, I’m working on it! (Er, on writing Ben. Not so much on hunting down twelve-year-olds…)

22. Tell us about one scene between your characters that you’ve never written or told anyone about before! Serious or not.
Lillian informs Merel that, actually, she’s being terribly offensive to actual pagans with her uninformed wannabe-goth-punk-pagan-wiccan shtick.

I suppose her cluelessness is endearing… but someone probably does need to bonk her upside the head at some point.

23. How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story—from planning to writing to posting (if you post your work)?
I shall take ‘querying’ instead of ‘posting’, and I shall attempt not to weep.

I started planning Fae Print in the summer of 2008, wrote the first draft that November, and queried it in the spring of 2010. As for the others – ah – I suppose I’d need to get to the querying part of it, first. I think I take too much on my plate, which requires me to put some projects on halt for months in order to work on others. This means that everything takes too long, and I’m always busy.

It’s probably not the best strategy ever.

24. How willing are you to kill your characters if the plot so demands it? What’s the most interesting way you’ve killed someone?
*squeak*

I tell myself that I’m absolutely willing to do what it takes, and in theory, I am. I’ve killed a PoV character before (RIP, dude), so I’m up to anything, right?

Apparently not, because usually it doesn’t really occur to me to kill my main characters in the first place.

Sadly, I can’t describe any of the deaths so far: they’re major spoilers. But there’s a somewhat gruesome off-screen death in Fae Print, and several minor/secondary characters bite the dust in painful ways in The Hands of Cally Wu. (Mostly because of Cally’s doing. Sympathetic leads – pshaw! Who needs ‘em?)

25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.
Yep! I can’t write a character without first knowing if they’re a dog person or a cat person – or a pet person in the first place.

Lillian’s parents have a talking cat named Person (previously known as Bobo – he renamed himself for obvious reasons). Her love interest Arjan has a cute white girl pit bull called Mick; he also has an unnamed snake.

Roy has a cat called Mouse. He also had cats named Sil and Mac, but, um, I killed them. Horrifically.

(Sorry, Roy.)

(It made for good character motivation.)

Is this month going WAY too fast for anyone else? I’d meant to have so many things done by now… and it’s not really happening.

I should have some art to share soon. But in the meantime… more questions!

16. Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing?
I often do, though they’re rarely the focus of my work. I don’t feel confident enough in my ability to keep a reader’s interest when there aren’t any explosions involved. *g*

And I’m willing to go as is needed – which usually isn’t terribly far. The most graphic sex scene I’ve written so far (also the only one) is in The Hands of Cally Wu, and it’s pretty mild. The details aren’t necessary; Cally’s thoughts and the reactions of her demons are.

17. Favorite protagonist and why!
Of my own? I think Lillian, because she’s super reluctant to get back into the whole magic thing – but does it anyway, and has a sense of humor about it. Also, she’s awfully fun to put into ridiculous situations.

Of other people’s… err. I always struggle to choose favorites. Katniss from The Hunger Games is the first to come to mind. She takes control of situations where she can, she looks after the people she loves, she’s got a grim sense of humour, and most of all, she’s calculating. I looooove calculating characters.

18. Favorite antagonist and why!
Of my own — it’s a toss-up between Wodan and the fae from Fae Print. I suppose Wodan’s not really an antogonist, but he is a total jackass who was only on Lillian’s side because it benefited him. He can’t be trusted. The fae definitely count, though, and oh, how I love writing them. They have wonderfully distinct voices, a clear agenda, and they’re absolute scumbags of the best kind.

Of other people’s, I found Håkan from Let The Right One In very compelling. Yes, he’s horrific in every possible way, but… antagonists are supposed to be horrific. You still felt his pain, and his desperation, and you still felt nauseated by what ended up happening to him and what he did to others.

So yeah. Compelling is the right word.

19. Favorite minor that decided to shove himself into the spotlight and why!
Valentijn from Always Read the Fae Print; originally he was a minor character whose main point was to show how magic kept interfering with Lillian’s life. Then he proved his usefulness in a later scene. Then I figured the book was kind of top-heavy as far as Valentijn was concerned: he appeared a lot in the first half of the book but barely in the second half. So I had to give him some purpose for the end of the book…

Since then he’s decided that he’s narrating book two and, oh yes, he’s getting a love interest.

Shows how much control I have, huh?

I like him because he’s gawky and self-deprecating and awkward, and made of steel underneath that. He knows who he is – sweet and helpful and a complete nerd – but he won’t let people take advantage of him.

He breaks my heart. A boy like him doesn’t deserve what I put him through by sole virtue of being a werewolf.

… sniff.

20. What are your favorite character interactions to write?
Lillian/Carol. Mother-and-child relationships seem to be a recurring theme in my work, and the one between Lillian and Carol is probably the most fleshed-out so far. They have history, they have issues, and they have snark. They love each other unconditionally, but that doesn’t always make up for the rest.

Lillian/Wodan, because I love writing Wodan, period. It’s wonderful to pour on the charm, and then remind people that, by the by, he’s absolutely horrible and deserves to die.

Nina/Roy, because they’re awkward teenage exes who can read each other’s minds. That’s all kinds of interesting.

I keep being tempted to procrastinate further by adding in the rest of the questions – but, instead, I probably ought to beta read some more. (And if you have critique partners like mine? There are worse things!)

Oh, the excitement! *fans self*

11. Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
I love them all, or I wouldn’t write them

That said, Cally from The Hands of Cally Wu is exceptionally difficult. Her voice is very distinct, but also very closed-off. It’s hard to make her come across as sympathetic and interesting, because even in first person present tense, she won’t really let us into her head as much as my other characters will.

Lillian from Always Read the Fae Print is the complete opposite. I love writing her. She flows very, very easily. The humor, the voice, and her more serious traits – yes, damn it, she has those – all fit together seamlessly in my mind. I rarely have a problem with her. She’s just fun.

12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of worldbuilding? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?
So far, that’d be Fae Print; the worldbuilding in Heirs and The Hands of Cally Wu are both still WIPs. I think the latter especially needs a lot of work; I focus so much on the main character and her situation that the worldbuilding really comes secondary. It’s a very different kind of book from the others. The world is there, but she doesn’t interact with it as much as my other main characters. Since I started writing the book without a lot of preparation (very unlike my usual methods), it was easy to let that part fall by the wayside.

Definitely something I’ll need to fix in revisions. Eep!

13. What’s your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?
Dutch. I’m intimately familiar with it for some absolutely bizarre reason, and it’s very interesting to approach it from an outside perspective. I really hope I’ll be able to write future books in the Fae Print series some day.

14. How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
I use Google Maps! It’s a really handy tool for personalized maps. Here’s the one I have for Heirs right now, with the spoily things purple-d out:

I also had one for Always Read the Fae Print, but since I actually live in this city, I didn’t use it as much. I knew most of the locations and details by heart. I mainly used it to figure out the best routes for getting from here to there, how long it would take, et cetera.

For Heirs, it serves much more of a purpose: street view is my saviour. It also helps in adding the little necessary details, like which road they’re driving on. Without this I’d actually have to do something absurd like visit Seattle, which –

Actually, I guess there are worse things!

15. Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!
Mike Carey. I don’t really know anything about the dude in real life, but his writing is kick-ass. As much as I love the idea of urban fantasy, I often don’t really feel compelled by the execution. His books are an exception.

I’m also quite partial to Maggie Stiefvater. I mean, she draws! And she does it prettily! And she can also, you know, write, I suppose. I can’t help but appreciate that combination.

Which reminds me that I really ought to go work on those commissions. It’s such a balancing game, this life. 

It’s actually past 1 in the afternoon, but, ah, we’ll just say it’s morning. It still feels like morning, but that may have something to do with my lack of productivity so far.

In my defense, it is Monday.

So instead – question time!

6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol’ pen and paper?
Honestly? Everywhere, anytime. It depends on a lot of factors, but location and time aren’t among them. I was fairly productive on the plane from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, sitting in the center seat in the center row (blegh!), writing in my battered notebook with a barely-functional pen – but I can slack off enormously in a dead-silent house, sitting comfortably in front of my computer. (And vice versa.)

I think I prefer the computer though. It’s just faster. If only it didn’t come with those pesky distractions *g*

7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?
Rarely; I usually pay too much attention to lyrics to be able to focus on what I’m actually writing. When I do listen to music, it’s usually music I’m very familiar with.

I definitely love making soundtracks to my characters. There’s too many to name! Just going on main characters, though, these are my current favourites…

For Roy from Heirs:

For Cally from The Hands of Cally Wu:

For Lillian from Always Read the Fae Print:

8. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
I love writing contemporary fantasy/sci-fi, blending the speculative with our own world. The options are limitless, and you already have a world to ground yourself in and relate things to.

As far as reading goes, I’m more open to other genres. Overall, I think I’m more drawn to styles of writing than genre. (And no, I don’t think I could easily describe it. Just some stories annoy me, and some I love, and genre has little to do with it. But of course I’m incredibly fond of fantasy/sci-fi done well – but the flipside is that I get terribly annoyed when it’s done wrong, in my not-so-humble opinion.)

9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
This varies so much. Sometimes they pop up mostly-formed; other times, I start from a vague idea and go from there. For Roy from Heirs, my process went like this: I wanted to write your standard demon-slaying badass, who’s forced out of his job due to a sudden disability. What aspect of the character would provide the most conflict in this kind of situation? If he’s completely dedicated to the job. Certain traits began to form, like stoicism, and confidence-bordering-on-arrogance. When his ex-girlfriend showed up (in my head, that is), I started thinking of him as opposed to her: since his ex is telepathic, communication between them is easy. To contrast this, he doesn’t actually express his feelings or opinions that often. And since his ex is a consummate liar and actress, he values honesty and reliability.

10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!
Um, every scene from Fae Print. The book starts with a flying doormat delivering a message from Lillian’s mom. Later on, Lillian takes on a werewolf with cutlery and a cordless phone, threatens a Germanic god with a bike pump, and various other things.

I stole this meme from K.V. Taylor, who found it on Mercedes M. Yardley’s blog. Like her, I totally love reading about these things – so please go ahead and steal this thing! I’d looove to read your answers.

Also, it’s really handy if you’re currently exhausted from a long holiday and can’t really come up with other blog topics. I’m just saying.

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.
It’s a toss-up between the worlds from Always Read the Fae Print and Heirs. I love the former because there’s limitless freedom when it comes to including different species and ideas. Because the books don’t take themselves too seriously, I don’t have to worry as much about my ideas being ridiculous. They’re supposed to be! Not to mention all the potential to lovingly mock the genre and turn fantasy tropes upside-down.

As far as Heirs goes, I like it for the complete opposite reason. There are lots of rules and limits, and there’s a very important history to the world. The entire thing just clicks in my mind. The limitations make it easier to keep track of – while at the same time, they make it more of a challenge. Unlike Fae Print, this world needs to make sense.

(Don’t get me wrong, Fae Print is hardly a free-for-all – I spent a lot of time world-building. It’s just different!)

2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
What would this include? Main characters? Secondary characters? Any character with a name? Any character who shows up on-screen?

Basically, I couldn’t count. *g*

Anyway, as far as main characters go, I think I prefer women. I feel less self-conscious writing them. With men, I worry about stereotyping. I catch myself thinking, “Men wouldn’t notice this many details about someone’s clothing”, “he’s being too touchy-feely”, even while knowing that, yeah, that’s nonsense. There’s only this particular guy and what he would think or do.

Plus, there’s these gender problems that arise: I feel pretty uncomfortable writing male characters being violent against women, even when said women are ~*evil*~ and at the moment it’s the necessary course of action. (And, er, obviously that’d be the only situation in which it’d come up. But still!)

So taking all that into account, women are easier for me. But – maybe because they require more conscious thought – I often enjoy writing men more. It’s a challenge!

3. How do you come up with names, for characters (and for places if you’re writing about fictional places)?
I keep lists of names I like and scour through them when I have a new character, waiting for something to click. Sometimes, though, the name will come to me immediately. Sometimes against my will. (Lookin’ at you, Cally!)

The two most common sources for names: Wikipedia (I look through the “list of celebrities/musicians/etc” pages) and my job. Since I enter customer data into the system, it’s a great way to come across names.

4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
Very, very first? I remember two short stories: one was about a boy who cut himself on a plant in the park and ended up turning into some kind of weird plant thing, and one was about a ghost ship. The latter was in the school paper. I was eight at the time, and so, so very proud. The main character was Kelly van Daluren. I was very focused on not making her anything like me: she liked food that I didn’t, had brown hair as opposed to my blonde, and had a brother instead of a sister. It was a great accomplishment.

Also, ‘daluren’ means ‘off-peak hours’. As in calling. Yeah.

And, at one point the narrative is yelling at you in underlined, bold, italicized letters. In a bigger font. Spectacular!

5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?
Just going by my novels, I think the youngest named character is Nikki, age six. She’s Arjan’s (he’d be Lillian’s love interest) niece in Fae Print. The oldest significant character is probably Lillian’s mother Carol, who’s… either in her late fifties or early sixties. It keeps changing between drafts!

In terms of creation, the youngest is probably Lynne from Wielders, and the oldest – not counting books I haven’t written yet – would be Felicia from Heirs. She popped up in one scene, then wormed her way into the ending, then took over another major character’s part.

And man, these questions made me so anxious to finish Heirs already.

K.V. Taylor gave me this Honest Scrap award, which means I’m now supposed to share ten honest things with y’all.

Unfortunately, I’m currently sick, so you get ten  honest-but-inane things. (Except for the one with the blood. That one’s kinda cool…)

* I get an average of ten hours of sleep a night. Yeah, I know. I know. You’re welcome to hate me.

* I would not be drawing without Neopets. (True story. I was looking up artists to commission so I could enter some dorky beauty contest with my Neopet, and eventually got inspired to do my own art. It was spectacularly awful.)

* I would not be writing without X-Men 2. (I watched it with a friend, who fell in love with Nightcrawler, and who then proceeded to get me into X-Men: Evolution and text-based roleplaying, which eventually lead to writing original stuff again for the first time since I was 11 or so.)

* My right ear acts up so often I frequently wish I were deaf on that side. It makes having conversations with more than one person difficult, as well as cleaning out the dishwasher and going to concerts and the cinema.

* When I was about a year and a half old, the pharmacy messed up on prescription medication and I got a crazy overdose. (Something about the number of units in my blood needing to be 12 at the absolute peak… and eight hours after the peak I still had 100-something. Yeah.) I spent several days on the verge of death, staring right ahead with wide eyes, not reacting to anything or anyone. (Spoiler: I got better.)

A few days after I got over the worst of it, I indicated I wanted to drink something, but the doctors wouldn’t let me. My mom eventually heard slurping — turned out I’d chewed through my IV. Cross my heart, I had blood drizzling from my mouth. It’s a miracle I don’t write vampire novels.

* Although I like animals in general, I have a particular fondness for bears, owls, bats and snakes.

* Several times, people have assumed I’m vegetarian and act very surprised when I tell them no, notsomuch, sorry. Apparently, I’m just That Type. Whatever that means!

* Since Katey talked about her first concert experience… mine was Avril Lavigne. Yeah. YEAH. None of you can beat that. (… I’ll admit, I only went because a friend invited me. After she’d come all the way from the US just to see me, I could hardly say no.)

* For a while in grade school, the woman from the book store around the corner was my best friend. I was allowed to go on their computer at will and order books I wanted. I’d also memorised the kid section – I could always point out new arrivals. If I ever get that damned book published, I’ll need to look her up.

* My when-I’m-good-enough project – to steal another one from Katey, since I’m fresh out of ideas – involves a hollow mountain in Sweden, clones, and zombies. You can’t comprehend how awful it’d be if I tried to write it now, though. It’d be spectacular.

And I tag… Beth Cato.

I can resist no meme. As usual, taken from KV Taylor. (The questions, that is, not the answers, though you wouldn’t guess it at first.)

1. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter?”
Plotter, oh so definitely a plotter. I assign a notebook to each book and spend a couple of months putting together an outline of a somewhat coherent story before I write the first line. That’s not to say I’m unwilling to deviate from the outline should a better idea come to me later on, though, as it usually does – in every draft. The major changes happen in the second draft, where I flesh things out, add complications and fix the inevitable plotholes.

2. Detailed character sketches or “their character will be revealed to me as a I write”?
Both. I generally have a good grasp of a character’s personality beforehand, even if I can’t always put it into words. The character grows and evolves during the writing, and in the second draft I smoothen things out, removing contradictions and strengthening the aspects important to the storyline. Characters are crazy important to me, so I spend an awful lot of time figuring out backstory and psycho-analysing their relations to the other people in their life.

3. Do you know your characters’ goals, motivations, and conflicts before you start writing or is that something else you discover only after you start writing?
It’s pretty much the same as question #2 – I know their major goals and motivations beforehand (at least, for the main characters) but they can change and become deeper during the process.

4. Books on plotting – useful or harmful?
Couldn’t tell, never read one. Maybe I should, considering it’s a weak spot of mine, but since I’ve only been able to finish very few writing books… I think I’m just going to wing it until I find myself smashing my head into a brick wall.

5. Are you a procrastinator or does the itch to write keep at you until you sit down and work?
Both, disturbingly. I itch while procrastinating. I really have to force myself to focus and get work done unless I’m neck-deep in a rush of productivity – and those don’t tend to last longer than a week or so.

6. Do you write in short bursts of creative energy, or can you sit down and write for hours at a time?
Neither? If I force myself for long enough, I can often end up with long bursts of creative energy if I hit my stride, but those wear off after a couple of days and are fueled less by sheer force of will than excitement that things are going well.

It’s a crap process, to be honest. I’m working on it!

7. Are you a morning or afternoon writer?
Depends entirely on how well things are going and what time I get up. If I get up early, it’s easier to get started immediately; if I sleep in, it can take until evening. On top of that, sometimes it takes hours of procrastination before things get going, sometimes I can get started straightaway… there’s no pattern.

8. Do you write with music/the noise of children/in a cafe or other public setting, or do you need complete silence to concentrate?
Some background noise is fine, but I rarely work with music on. I can (and do) draw with music, for example, but writing is near-impossible. I always listen to the lyrics whenever I have music on, and since those words conflict with those of the story, it just doesn’t work.

9. Computer or longhand? (or typewriter?)
Computer. I type at 100-120WPM and could never hope to match that speed longhand. That said, I do all my plotting longhand. For some reason, it’s just easier that way.

10. Do you know the ending before you type Chapter One?
Absolutely. I need to know where I’m going. Details might, and probably will change, but I can’t work without a clear direction, both for character and plot reasons.

11. Does what’s selling in the market influence how and what you write?
Not really. I can get inspired by some things (did I ever mention how there probably wouldn’t be any Always Read the Fae Print without this post?, but that’s not really a conscious decision.

12. Editing – love it or hate it?
Effing hate it. I have no objectivity.

Do I need to waste more words on that? I hope not. (I’d just have to edit them out in the end, anyway. Insert inappropriate swearing here!)

That was fun. I’d love to see more people’s takes on this

It’s been a little quiet here lately: I’ve been busy with work, so when I had free time, I tried to spend it on actual writing instead of the blog. Unfortunately I haven’t made nearly as much progress on Always Read the Fae Print edits as I’d have liked, but work should demand a lot less of my time soon. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back into the swing then.

I made a good start today by writing 1900 words on a new scene – one that has my main character attacking a werewolf with cordless phones and antique dessert forks. As long as I keep the crack coming, this book writes itself.

There is some potentially big art-related news I’m antsy to post, but I’m waiting for confirmation before I make anything public. In the meantime, I figured I’d do a music meme, taken from the lovely K.V. Taylor once more.

She asked for people to name seven songs currently relevant to one of their characters. Since I’m coming up empty on Wielders, I went with Always Read the Fae Print, specifically my main character Lillian. The only music I actually had her listen to in the novel was Rolling Stones music, so these aren’t so much songs that are relevant to her as those I associate with her/the novel, either due to mood or lyrics. (Also, I’m woefully unknowledgeable when it comes to music, so anything my characters like tends to be stuff I know, anyway.)

• Amanda Palmer – Runs in the Family. To anyone who knows the plot of the book, this should be obvious. To those who don’t: Lillian is the human daughter in a family entirely populated by supernatural humans of some sort or another, ranging from shapeshifters to telepaths. Even though she now lives across the ocean and is determined to build up a life of her own, she can’t seem to get away from her roots.
• Marcy Playground – Gone Crazy. Upbeat with references to going crazy and not being where you belong: fitting.
• Frou Frou – Maddening Shroud. Lillian not being able to get away from the crazy world of the supernatural she grew up in is one of the major themes.
• Modest Mouse – Float On. Upbeat, offbeat, a little frantic, and a stubborn determination to be happy, no matter what. It’s perfect.
• Acda en de Munnik – Mis Ik Mij. Roughly translated, the song is called “I Miss Me”. It’s about someone who can’t feel home anywhere no matter where he is. He misses himself, or something he left behind somewhere. Lillian’s determination to be normal and shun the supernatural is the result of a traumatising experience with magic as a kid, which has spurred her on to move around a lot as an adult, unable to feel at home anywhere as she tries to find a normal life.
• The Velvet Underground – Sticking With You. It’s adorable, and very befitting of the normal, down-to-earth relationship/friendship my two main characters share.
• The Rolling Stones – You Can’t Always Get What You Want. The Stones are tied into the novel big time, so I couldn’t possibly leave this one out. It pretty much sums up the story: Lillian wants a magic-free life, but she’s not getting it – and it ends up working out just fine.

I’m kicking off a new blog year with a meme, since I was tagged by K.V. Taylor.

Share seven facts about yourself in the post. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.

1. I consider myself an artist first and foremost. There are two reasons this is strange: I didn’t start drawing until I was twelve, but I’ve been writing stories for as long as I could remember. I remember an old illustrated story about a girl and a spider I must have started the moment I was able to write. I had my own magazine (it lasted two whole issues) back in grade school, and had one utterly charming ghost story in the school magazine when I was eight. I’d typed it up and everything, which made it look much more professional than all the other kids’ entries, which had been written on notebook paper and then copied a million times over. (That was how the magazine was composed and “printed” back then. Aah, the olden days…) I also remember one story about a giraffe who went to the doctor’s for a sore throat, and a girl whose ghost dad took revenge on her tormentors at school by making one float a couple of inches above the ground. I should try to find those again.

   The other reason that it’s strange is that I’ve been doing much more writing than art lately. I tend to only be productive in very short spurts, so you’d think that drawing would come easier to me than writing, but apparently not.

2. I’ve always been good with computers, but I’m utterly hopeless when it comes to cellphones. I don’t know how to navigate them or, really, do anything but call. (I struggle with texting sometimes. It’s a little bit sad.) The completely backwards system on some cellphones can drive me to desperation.
3. When my sister and her boyfriend go on holiday, I occasionally housesit to look after her plants, gerbils, and fish. I dubbed the biggest of the fish Batman, because it’s black and disappears without a trace from one moment to the other. I’ve developed an unhealthy attachment to this fish, even if it often shames its name by hanging upside-down sucking the fish tank glass in a way not at all befitting of the Caped Crusader we all know and love. (Yes, I’m a comic nerd. Don’t hold it against me.)
4. I’ve grown out of it, but in high school, I was a complete wallflower. One time on a school trip when I was twelve or thirteen or so, a couple of kids sneaked out at night and, to everyone’s surprise, I came with. We hung out by the road near the farm we stayed at, and alcohol and cigarettes were passed around liberally. Everyone was punished upon their return, and their parents were called come morning. When I came back home, my mother told me that my teacher was giddily excited that I’d come along, and while I had to do some chores like everyone else, she was secretly very proud of me.
5. Musically, my tastes are varied. A couple of bands and artists I enjoy: the Velvet Underground, the Dresden Dolls, Sneaker Pimps, Acda & de Munnik, the Rolling Stones, the Smashing Pumpkins, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Dead Can Dance, Regina Spektor, K’s Choice, E.S.Posthumus, and on occasion some mewithoutYou or Disturbed when I’m in a loud mood. I’ve got a particular fondness for Broadway-style music too; while lately I’ve been hooked on the Rent soundtrack, I have a long-standing love for Chicago, and a not quite as long-standing love for Hairspray. My guilty pleasures are very guilty, indeed: Eminem and Sugababes. How white am I, seriously?
6. Though I’m as Dutch as can possibly be, I started speaking English around the age of six; I wasn’t fluent at the time, but could hold a conversation. When an American niece of my then-teacher came over, my classmates went to me to translate for them, instead of the teacher. To this day, we aren’t sure how I absorbed the language that easily, since we didn’t have any English family nor friends. In my early teens, I had a slight British tinge to my accent. These days, I speak 100% American and can blend in perfectly. At least, until I gawk at the bizarre habit of not including taxes on your pricing in shops or start pointing out how your toilet paper is shaped differently from ours. I’m a little obsessed with cultural differences like those.
7. I am absolutely getting a buzzcut at some point in the next five-ten years.

I don’t actually have a clue who reads this blog, and doubt there’d even seven in total, so basically, if you’re reading this and feel like snatching it, go right ahead! (And do me a favour and sound off if you’re reading along? I’m madly curious.)