April writing meme – Day 1

[erastes]

I pinched this from Raev Gray – she did it for March. 

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you've worked with and why.
2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?
3. How do you come up with names, for characters (and for places if you're writing about fictional places)?
4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
5. By age, who is your youngest character? Oldest? How about “youngest” and “oldest” in terms of when you created them?
6. Where are you most comfortable writing? At what time of day? Computer or good ol' pen and paper?
7. Do you listen to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your characters?
8. What's your favorite genre to write? To read?
9. How do you get ideas for your characters? Describe the process of creating them.
10. What are some really weird situations your characters have been in? Everything from serious canon scenes to meme questions counts!
11. Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?
12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of worldbuilding? Any side-notes on it you'd like to share?
13. What's your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?
14. How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
15. Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!
16. Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing? ;)
17. Favorite protagonist and why!
18. Favorite antagonist and why!
19. Favorite minor that decided to shove himself into the spotlight and why!
20. What are your favorite character interactions to write?
21. Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
22. Tell us about one scene between your characters that you've never written or told anyone about before! Serious or not.
23. How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story—from planning to writing to posting (if you post your work)?
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?
25. Do any of your characters have pets? Tell us about them.
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!
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.
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.
29. How often do you think about writing? Ever come across something IRL that reminds you of your story/characters?
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!

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you've worked with and why.

Oh dear, and I thought this was going to be easy. I think – although it’s rather silly to discuss a non-published project – that it has to be Junction X.  It’s set in suburban England in the early 1960’s, a world now “gone with the wind” – a land of bowler hatted men who left their houses daily, with rolled up umbrellas and the daily paper to take the train into London, leaving their wives behind to manage the house, take tennis lessons, have coffee mornings.  I was brought up in this world and although not at all biographical—other than for some architectural details—it was like revisiting my childhood. It’s the piece of work I’m proudest of, which is odd because I’m usually proudest of the last piece I finished, and I’ve written a novel and a three novellas since finishing Junction X – but I do think it’s the best thing I’ve done to date.  Yes, it’s not a “romance” so you can guess the ending doesn’t comply with the genre, and being so it’s going to be a harder sell than anything else I’ve written, but I’m prepared to wait, and if no-one wants it, then no-one wants it.  I just think that sad stories about gay men – particularly in this era – have a place, because they happened.  It was hard to write, and painful and I hated doing what I did to the characters, but it is loosely based on a true story, and I thought it was important that their story was told, however disguised.

 

More tomorrow!

Comments

[paddynmoon.livejournal.com]

This is fascinating. I love hearing people talk about how they write - it's the main reason I friended your journal in the first place.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's very kind of you - I don't do enough of it, because sometimes I think I must be boring - it's good to know that people enjoy the mechanics - I'll do more.

I like these questions a lot.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this is very cool! And haven't you got an agent for Junction X now - which means that it's a lot closer to being published than it was?

Do you mind if I snaffle the meme? I'd like to do it too.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

of course i don't mind - go for it! yes - i hope he sells it to a big publisher, i live in hope!

[gaedhal.livejournal.com]

Whenever I think of this time period I can't help
but picturing Dirk Bogarde. Not necessarily in "Victim,"
but in anything. He seems to the face of that era.

I'd be interested in a story like that. I think a lot
of people would, although my own era was the early 1970's.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, very true. He certainly suits the era!

[taylorbooks.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting! I'm going to make an effort to do the questions even though I probably shouldn't without stuff published yet.... But it sounds like fun. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks dear - look forward to reading yours!

[belluthien.livejournal.com]

Thanks for doing this. I'm looking forward to reading your answers, and it sounds like I'd love to read Junction X. Sad stories are compelling. I hope you find someone who's willing to give it a go.
y

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you dear, I realise that I don't do enough meta because, being English I suppose, I can't get it into my head that anyone will be INTERESTED - but then I eagerly read other writer's meta, so perhaps I should!

i hope so too, about JX, it's so dear to my heart, but so far most publishers have said "we've had enough tragic gay stories" which of course is true, as the 50-70's were nothing but, but that doesn't mean that all sad stories should be excluded, imo.

thanks again!