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Hayl's Journal of Book Pre-Writerly Things



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Sun Oct 12, 2014 9:36 pm
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haylstormsx says...



So...this is my prewriting journal. I have a paper copy I've been tweaking, but having this seems like fun, too! (Hi anyone reading this! :D )

My 2014 NaNoWriMo plan is actually the sequel to the book I wrote last NaNo. The first is called UNRAVELING and the second is planned to be called UPRISING.

The books center on some great heroes from Greek Mythology, which I don't want to get too much into here just because it's spoilery. Anyway, the titans have risen at the end of the first, so UPRISING is exactly what the name sounds like...it's the uprising of the gods.

I will say in advance, I'm going to be purposely vague on some plot details just because I don't want too many spoilers floating around on the internet. It feels like kind of an awkward place because once November starts I'm going to stop polishing UNRAVELING and start querying it instead. :D :D :D

It's going to be an exciting November, that's for sure!
  





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Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:35 pm
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haylstormsx says...



Challenge One: Completed, but I can't get the image code to work correctly.

Which leaves Challenge Two: hidden by spoiler tags!

Spoiler! :
Name: Jane
Age: 17 / 18
Sex: Female
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Dark Blonde
Height: 5'6"
Weight: Average
Quirks: Awkward in large groups, speaks without thinking,
Powers: Can manipulate human emotions, has power over sea creatures
Family: Father--Daniel Jacobs, Mother--Maggie Demetriou, dec.,
Greek Family: Pandora
Hobbies: Reading historical texts, painting, kick boxing
Character Evolutions:Jane, previously Andy (shortened version of Alexandra) will have to adapt to life without her closest confidante, who didn't make it out of UNRAVELING's show down. She's stuck in a place between Ella and Madeline, trying to figure all of this out.


Name: Madeline
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Purple (dyed, obviously)
Height: 5'9"
Weight: Thin
Quirks: Always looks like a snake, leather jacket, loves pop culture,
Powers: Can fly,
Family: Mother has yet to be est., Brother -- Adam,
Greek Family: Hermes
Hobbies: Reading historical texts, painting, kick boxing
Character Evolutions: We don't get to know her very well in the first book--she's more of an antihero than an ally. This book will show us more of what she's like. Definitely tends to be more of a rebel, but has a super level head.

Name: Ella
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde, Blonde
Height: 5'2"
Weight: Thin
Quirks: Super girly, obsessed with beautification
Powers: mind control (she is unaware of this at present)
Family: Mother = Lauren, Father has yet to be est.
Greek Family: Grandfather (maternal side) was a demigod, lineage to Aphrodite
Hobbies: painting her nails, helping her grandfather tailor things (a hobby that will come into play as the young demigods need protective clothing in this book)
Character Evolutions: Ella is a very silly, very typical girl. My Betas think she's kind of annoying, but she is a well of untapped potential. She follows the stereotype for someone of her family line, but she's fierce. "Though she may be but little, she is fierce." or whatever the quotation is. We'll see more of that ferocity in this book as the storm starts brewing and the gang allows her to take on some of the questies.

Name: Adam
Age: 20
Sex: Male
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Black
Height: 6'1"
Weight: Muscular
Quirks: Brash, tends to take the back seat in fights
Powers: Unknown
Family: Mother has yet to be est., Sister -- Madeline
Greek Family: Hermes
Hobbies: Unknown
Character Evolutions: In the first book, the majority of his page time, he's...um...not himself. So we're going to get a look into the real Adam. Of course, like his sister, he is sassy.

Name: Finn
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Dark, Red/Blonde
Height: 6'3"
Weight: Strong, but not crazy muscular.
Quirks: hates music, has a self-acknowledged hero complex
Powers: Can generate lightning
Family: Mother = Nia, Father = ?
Greek Family: Zeus
Hobbies: Various types of karate, hiking,
Character Evolutions: Anything I write more about him (actually just including him in this lineup) is a HUGE SPOILER!!

Other minor players:

Name: Patrick
Age: 20s
Sex: Male
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Black
Height: 6'4"
Weight: Built
Quirks: Kind of emo/into hard rock. Tattoos.
Powers: Can start storms
Greek Family: Zeus

Name: Savannah
Age: 20s
Sex: Female
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Strawberry Blonde
Height: 5'8"
Weight: Graceful, but curvy
Quirks: Studying marine sciences, super bookish
Powers: Water control
Greek Family: Poseidon

Name: Jake
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5'11"
Weight: Lanky
Quirks: Jokester
Powers: Unknown
Greek Family: Hades

Name: Ethan
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Eye Color: Grey
Hair Color: Medium Brown
Height: 6'0"
Weight: Average
Quirks: Sci-Fi Nerd, tortoise shell glasses, bit of a hipster
Powers: Super smart/computer brain, haha.
Greek Family: Athena
  





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Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:43 pm
haylstormsx says...



Challenge Three:

Most of the links didn't seem to be entirely helpful, but I did partake in some free writing exercises--there are some places in the plot planning where I'm unsure of how things need to pan out. I spent a few minutes writing basic versions of the scene--most of them I did 3, and I was able to pinpoint down exactly what I'm wanting that plot point to evolve into which has helped my pre-planning tremendously.

Of course, a big part of my book is the researching phase so I made character charts for my villians, and that has helped a lot because it led to better understanding of what they're capable of and what they're going to reap against our heroes!

I've always liked the post-it method, so I've been post-it-noting my butt of. My wall above my desk is covered in array of multicolored bits of paper with random details on them. I'm hoping that during the writing phases, it'll help with any blocks that come up.

Finally, I did something that wasn't on the list--I was going to doodle, but I wanted to look at high art to get inspiration to draw out scenes and characters and such, but ended up making a board on pinterest of 100 odd pins of inspiration! I think I'm set for visuals! :)
  





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Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:54 pm
haylstormsx says...



Challenge Four:

Was a lot of fun, actually. I mapped out quite a few ideas, and I'm not going to post it here because as I established in challenge one: the image source thingy. Haha. I liked the challenge because it helped fine tune the ideas!

Challenge Five:

Skipped this one. I know, I know. But I've got it mapped out in another format in my journal and everytime I tried to write it down on paper in the suggested format I just ended up confused/hating it.

So I'll type it out for you:
Main: Andy (Average appearance, major player, can manipulate emotions, etc)
Finn (Ginger, Hero, old fashioned, extremely strong and can summon lightning)

Major: Madeline, Ella, Adam and the rest of the demigods.

Minor: Parents and human friends (Theo, Whitley, Marc, etc.)



Challenge Six:
My story is set within our world, and involves the gods--there are no rules with gods.
  





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Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:43 pm
LadySpark says...



My biggest problem with this is that it sounds suspiciously like the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series. How do you plan to make your story different from Percy's? Because what I'm seeing here is a bunch of demigod's with cliche powers from the godly ancestors battling titans. Just like in the first five Percy books. I also don't understand how Andy is a nickname for Alexandra. I can't really comment on your plot anymore because you've barely given us anything. It just... it sounds like Percy Jackson. Exactly like it, except the MC is a girl.
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  





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Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:07 am
haylstormsx says...



Since I'm vague, I guess I can see why you'd draw that conclusion. Buuuut, the only thing my story has in common with Percy Jackson is that it involves Greek Mythology. For which I have to say: Rick Riordan didn't invent Greek Mythology, demigods, or titans. There are so many stories out there about Greek Mythology--Meg Cabot's ABANDON, Josephine Angelini's STARCROSSED, various titles whose authors I don't remember--Troy High, The Goddess Test, Nobody's Princess, Oh My Gods, The Covenant series, Mythos Academy, etc. etc. If some of these powers feel "cliche" it is, simply, because these gods have existed for as long as the written word knows.

I didn't put down my plot because I want to publish this and I don't want the whole big details of one of the books floating around in cyberspace. My series is about Andy (yes, from AlexANDra--I've met two girls named Alexandra who go by And) who is literally Pandora reincarnate, awakened in every generation to safeguard the Pithos (the box) and humanity's hope that stays locked inside. The main titan in the series is Epimetheus, the titan of afterthought, whom Pandora was created for as a punishment.

Several of my beta readers have read the Percy Jackson series (and various others I listed) and I picked them for that reason--so they can alert me when something veers too close to already established universes. I didn't read the PJ series until after I wrote the first draft of Unraveling, and I really don't feel like any of my character powers fit into that same cliche--my Hermes kids can literally fly without the aid of shoes, my son of Zeus can generate lightning (but come on, that's necessary for any child of Zeus that is powerful), my Aphrodite girls manipulate human emotions to cause riots and fights and only use them in positive ways to help their fellow womankind. Most of my demigods are not direct descendants of the god that gives them their powers--many are one-eighth and one-sixteenth demigod. It follows an actual, full out apocalypse that the "humans" are completely aware of and that the tone of is extremely dark and not suitable in the least for children. SO I don't feel like I have to make it any different from the PJ series because the only things that they have in common are the obvious--the greek mythology inspiration.
  





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Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:24 pm
LadySpark says...



I never said Rick invented demigods, gods or titans. However, the concept of the demigods fighting the titans? That's what made it sound so much like Percy Jackson. Whether or not it's like Percy Jackson at all, I have no idea-- but you need to be careful in turning it into a Percy Jackson story, because whether YOU see it that way, you'll probably get some "Eh, it's just like Percy Jackson". The concept of her being Pandora is an interesting one, and I hope you focus mainly on that and don't get too caught up in titans fighting demigods. While having the nickname Andy, from Alexandra is nice in theory, I'm not sure how it'll read on print. People are going to go, just as I did, "wait, what? How does that work?" Because it's not a normal nickname for the name. I know, it's stupid, but you have to remember that readers can't get inside your head. They're not going to know that you have met two girls who go by that, and if they're like me-- they're never going to have met one. Little things like that can make or break a character. Weird out of place names and nicknames can become annoying and distracting. Just food for thought. Is her name Jane or Alexandra, though? You list her as Jane in the character chart, but in Challenge five list her as Andy. Just curious. :)
I'm glad you selected beta readers that are fully aware and can be on the lookout for Percy Jackson like tendencies.

I just have a couple of questions.
Is Jane/Andy the only rencarnate of your story? Or do other characters take the form of other greek myths. If the former is the case, that's not a very likely thing and is a common trope in that your character is the /only one of her kind/. Do any of these kids experince negative effects from using their power? I always found that part of the PJ series, where they use their power basically without any consequences a little far fetched. Especially, as you say, they're only part demigod, wouldn't it be harder for them to use their power, considering the magical gene is strained and distant? Are they in contact with the gods or do they see them almost as a myth that cannot be reached? Are there monsters roaming the earth? Do they battle the monsters?

I understand if you don't want to answer all these here on YWS, though I can assure you they're quite safe-- but I'd suggest you answer them for yourself.
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  





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Wed Oct 29, 2014 8:19 pm
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haylstormsx says...



Funnily enough, I came across a Greek Series since I commented that has a character named Andy from Alexandra so her name has been officially changed to Natasya, but we're calling her Nat.

Also, to my defensiveness--I have actually had several people tell me over the last few months that Rick Riordan invented Greek Mythology. It puts me on edge when someone makes the connection just because it's happened too many times.

I can answer most of your questions without revealing too much about the plot; just focusing on world building.

She's now Nat, so henceforth I'll call her such. Haha. She is not the only awakened hero from Greek Mythology. All of the major players (even though some won't figure it out until much, much later) already have the ground work set for who they turn out to be. One of the BIGGEST characters (who honestly has more weight in the turn of events than my MC) is Heracles reborn. There's quite a few of the traditional heroes--as much as I want to use Perseus (Hello, Medusa?) I am not going to just so I don't have that connection. I am using Jason, Theseus, Helen, Hector, Medea (yes, villains, too!) and a few other minor Greek characters from mythology.

Most of my story goes off the myth of Pandora and (this material is no more than you'd learn from a blurb, really) starts with the newest protector, Nat, coming into her powers to learn that the one that came before her was murdered by Epimetheus and that he stole the Pithos (the box). There's no way around a titan fight, but I'm writing it more like a traditional battle (think the Illiad and 300) and less like a power show-down. Epimetheus is the titan of afterthought, so I figured, you know, he'd be ashamed of being tricked so easily by the gods and it'd take him a while to come up with his own revenge.

Back to the demigod thing: I'm using them mostly as warriors and not as Magicians, I guess, haha. I decided to go with lesser related demigods because all I really need them to have is a dominant power that makes them not normal and that godly strength. I've dug deep in research--mostly into the obscure translation differences. I know Greek myth based films and books have been done again and again, so I'm picking the bits of mythology that I've never seen adapted (Like Homer's poem Moira, where he claims the fates is a single being instead of three) to keep it fresh/different. I've seen some nods to battles being fought with Hecate as the peace keeper, and in those instances she doesn't let powers into the battle field, so the fighters are true equals. While this is traditionally applied to challenges, I'm going to apply it to the over schemes.
  





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Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:48 pm
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LadySpark says...



This looks to me to be a very interesting, fleshed out and overall fantastic plot. Keep up the good work. :)
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  








Remember: the plot is nothing more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.
— Ray Bradbury