#WordWeavers day 25: If traumatic events happen, do your characters process it on page for longer than a chapter?
When traumatic events happen in real life, people rarely if ever get over them quickly. Sometimes they never finish processing it; it becomes something that haunts them for the rest of their lives. 1/3
That doesn't mean you need to make the rest of the story be about healing or recovering from the trauma, of course. You can have as much or as little of that as you like be shown on the page. 2/3
I doubt I'd ever have an entire chapter be about trauma recovery, all in one chunk. But I think I'd be even less likely to gloss over any serious trauma in such a short time, overall. In fact, I can easily see it cropping up literal years later (in story time), perhaps in a completely separate book if I were doing a series. 3/3
#WordWeavers day 26: What is your current project teaching you, craft-wise or personally?
How serious and large an undertaking writing an entire novel is. Holy shit.
I mean, I wasn't exactly taking it lightly; I didn't think it was going to be some teeny little thing I'd just dash off in a month or two. But damn, I really didn't expect it to be *this* big a project (especially considering how small a fraction of the way through it I am).
#WordWeavers day 27: Is it difficult for you if your partner or closest friends don’t enjoy books?
I truly can't say, because I'm pretty sure I've never had a partner who didn't like books, and if I've had a friend who didn't, it was so long ago that I can't remember (or they were so subtle about it that I never noticed, but I kind of doubt that).
#WordWeavers day 29: Have you ever written a pet into one of your stories?
Some of my characters do have pets, but I'm taking "written a pet into..." to mean "used a real-world pet as the template for one in a story". On that basis, no. My characters' pets are original, not based on any I've had or known in my life.
#WordWeavers day 30: If there were a party, would your MCs be the center of it or hiding in the corner?
It entirely depends on: the particular character; the party, including who else was there; and their mood.
#WordWeavers day 31: What are your MCs’ relationships with food like?
Generally pretty "normal", I think. None of them have disordered eating patterns, or are food-insecure, or anything like that. 🤷🏻
#WordWeavers day 1: Who is your most despicable character and how do you feel about them?
Well, my *second*-most-despicable character is a corrupt cop. It'd be hard to say much about the character who's even more despicable without giving away some things that I want to show up naturally in the book and give people the willies. But I will say that my feelings about this character are that they're a scary monster. Hiding behind a pretty face — as many of the scariest do, especially recently.
#WordWeavers day 2: Do you enjoy writing "good", "bad" or morally grey characters more? Why?
Honestly, I think my biggest enjoyment seems to come from writing characters who are having a good time, enjoying what they're doing. Whether that's good, bad, or neutral (just having fun and not hurting anyone) seems to be irrelevant.
#WordWeavers day 3: Share a vivid sensory description from your story. What was writing it like?
Here's Kevin Wingard experiencing a magical warding charm plucked from one of three guards Margot Chu has just knocked out, in chapter 2. Writing this was fun and interesting, as I tried to imagine: If I were a magician, and suddenly had a charm like this handed to me, what *would* that feel like, anyway?
#WordWeavers day 4: Look back at the first thing you wrote. What did you do right?
A few things! I did a good job (IMO) of describing a numinous experience; I think I gave a pair of characters distinct and relatable voices, and I also, serendipitously, happened to be able to throw in some fun symbolism.
#WordWeavers day 5: If you found out that someone had to live one of your MCs' lives (like in the "Stranger Than Fiction" movie), would you change the story?
Huh? 😕 But someone *does* have to live their lives: they each do. They're people. How are they not people? Of course they have to live their lives! What‽
#WordWeavers day 6: Share an important or fun lesson you've learned as a writer.
I've learned that pantsing ("discovery writing", "gardening", whatever) is really hard for me. I'm still trying to decide whether that means I just need to outline the hell out of things, or whether I should practice and get better at pantsing. I'm leaning toward the latter... but it ain't easy!
#WordWeavers day 7: What's the most rewarding thing about writing?
Getting to create an entire world and people, and even sometimes see them having fun in it.
#WordWeavers day 8: What's the most frustrating thing about writing?
How incredibly long it takes to get even a little bit done.
#WordWeavers day 9: Have you ever talked to a reader of your story? How did it go?
To me, this phrasing implies something other than "I handed someone a piece of my writing and asked them what they thought." More of a chance encounter with a stranger who'd read my stuff. So in that case, no, I haven't published anything yet, so I haven't yet had the opportunity for this to happen.
#WordWeavers day 10: Have you ever dedicated your work to someone?
I'm not yet at the point where I have enough to be worth dedicating to anyone.
#WordWeavers day 12: What would you tell a fellow writer who was struggling with self-doubt?
It would depend heavily on what it was they were doubting: their ability to complete their book? Whether their work was any good? Whether they'd ever be able to sell it, or make a career out of writing? 1/3
And it would also depend on what they said when I asked the question I've learned is crucial if you want to help someone: "Would you like some advice? Or would you prefer sympathy?" N.b.: It's critical that you *mean it*, that you be willing to provide either, and not look down on sympathy as being "lesser" than advice. Maybe remember a time in your own life when you've wanted sympathy, not advice. 2/3
Alternatively, "I'm sorry, I don't have any advice, but I can offer sympathy" is a very valid thing to say! 3/3
#WordWeavers day 14: Who do your antagonists care about?
Travis Winter: Himself and his wife, Holly McQueen. (She kept her surname; she already had a very successful career before meeting Travis.)
Derrick Devereaux: Himself, his husband Ashton, his friend-group in general, and also the San Francisco drag community and gay community. 1/2
Is that what the question meant? Then I answered wrong 😆
