I Still Have No Clue How to Talk about My Books

What do you write? It's a fair question, but one that's not that easy to answer. The genre 'fantasy' has a lot of interpretations and there's also a pretty strong gender bias when a woman says it to where I almost always have to throw in the 'epic fantasy.'

Oh, you mean like Lord of the Rings? Hmm, close but not so much with elves and dwarves as it involves humans, animal human hybrids, ogres, gods, magic but the distance of advanced technology, elementals, and mythologies. 

I like to add that I write psychological explorations and lore, that I sometimes wrote purposely awkward because you're supposed to feel uncomfortable yet the narration becomes more concise with the growing confidence in their journey. Sometimes I want people to know that I like to draw my characters or write alternate universe scenarios or even side stories that weren't told in the progression of the main story.

Who is the main character? Good question but also not easy to answer. There usually isn't one in particular. The way I tell stories are through the many characters that converge on the main plot. While they are important in their own way, there is no central character in my series. Either one of them. You'll see some more than others but I don't linger on them or play favorites at the expense of the story. I often develop personal favorites once I've finished but I'm very cautious about creating a bond that destroys their role while forming the story.

They cover war, love, desire, secrets, lies, dragons, mermaids, technology, but I never set out to force anyone to care about which is more important. Worlds and characters are about cohesion, how they move for and against the other. My books are about discovering the truth, being wary of the meaning of good intentions, how people develop priorities, all mixed in with fun and seriousness, light breaths of fresh air and the heavy weight of darker parts of ourselves. It's laughter at inappropriate times, not always having the perfect one-liner, underestimating yourself when your weaknesses are your strengths.

It's hard to describe books beyond the superficial. I joke that they're soap operas for geeks, but I don't know how to really simplify it. While plotting everything seamlessly is a complex process, I also want people to know it's simpler to read it than it was for me to write it. I didn't set out to impress anyone with my intellect or alienate simplicity either. I know context is a great teacher, that using big words isn't intimidating if you use them well. I want people to learn in a way that's fun. I want to teach, but not preach.

I write to entertain myself but it's work too. I work hard to make sure my readers don't have to. I do like to add elements that keep you guessing, give you a puzzle, but don't require you to solve it to understand. I want you to decide which characters are worthwhile or silly or annoying or scary. 

I can absolutely talk about my books if you're not looking for a quick pitch. Just know that not all authors can easily answer the who-what-why-when-where-how model. It's not because it's too complex but because some stories are just broader in some areas and vague in others. Even if I start with one or two particular characters, they may not stick as main characters. Fantasy is a tapestry woven by the dynamics of many. 

So yes, a little like Lord of the Rings. Yet drawing comparisons is something I strictly avoid. I would rather not assume to know how anyone feels about certain stories or that it is something I can piggyback. It is what it is. An adventure with many twists, obstacles, and plots that lead to a hanging yet complete conclusion.

No matter how difficult or easy it is to talk about your work, it helps to know why. Confidence, focus, hesitance or determination--we are all different in regards to what we are willing to say, how honest we are willing to be, and it's not a discredit to you if your stories aren't easy to talk about. It's more a sign that they are not static things to you, that they are ever-evolving in your mind. You may not have a ready spiel so it's okay to adjust according to audience and situation.

You and Me on the Ceiling

Choosing a topic can be difficult at times; not because there's nothing to talk about but because of the sheer number of possibilities. Rambling is fun too, but on occasion, I've thought it might be even more fun to grab-bag some topics, tackle them with my own perspective.

Pulling from a list of possible 'writerly' topics, I came across: how do you come up with characters for your stories?

The simplest answer is in the heading: one-on-one conversations with a best friend, staring at my ceiling. I have sloped ceilings in my bedroom. I'm not fond of bright light or too much blank space. I don't really do much eye contact when talking, so I usually end up talking while staring off in the direction of my ceiling. When I'm doing some of that rambling, I'm not exactly talking about my characters or my story at all, but often, it's the act of doing nothing related to thinking about my story that makes them as real as the life I want them to have.

Sure, I guess sometimes, we tend to borrow snippets of people we know, observe, idealize, loathe. Maybe even pets or a favorite character in our consumerism becomes the inspiration. 

Brainstorming can be a ripe pain in the ass for me. If it wasn't such a spoiler, I'd take a snapshot of the word vomit I just made of a couple pages in a notebook. There are some things clearly labeled, things like ADD TO SCENE or CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT or PLOT, (all caps because my inner muse screams at me in a German accent) but most are squeezed in scribbles of an 'oh, yeah, put this somewhere too.'

And my Scrivener notes on characters? Never to see the light of day. I end up really yanking a character from their ideal to a more organic development once they breathe the air of the world I put them in.

Sometimes I draw them, sure, but I'm really not a big fan of always defining what the reader sees. Granted, I did do that with my first series, but magical humans and hybrid creatures are not something I wanted to throw away with 'whoa, dude, there was like this big venus flytrap only it's blue and eats people! RAWR!' I see a lot with the young ones, this insecurity about providing fan art, maps, visual references that are supposed to enhance the reader experience. While I certainly use such things for expression and the writing process, let's not forget that book readers are there for the words. When you see popular series with their artbooks, maps, etc. these were often done later, so it's also entirely possible to just focus on the writing and worry about dressing it up for fans later.

When it comes to aids for character design, I often end up with folders with images of fashion types, hairstyles, bits and pieces rather than just the picture of an actor or model. I use these specifically for when their clothing becomes part of the plot-- a raincoat, a half cape, a corset with loose laces, etc. While head to toe, I'm usually mentally dressing them for their appearances, this is only a practice for me because my focus is still on keeping it interesting to read. If I mention them wearing a hat, there's always that place in mind that makes sure that, unless it's pinned firmly, it might be falling off or getting wet or burnt or otherwise assaulted by its environment, so do I really want it there?

More often than not, even though I do play with planning and deliberation, the dynamics of conversation and development are more likely built in cracking jokes, heart-to-hearts, emotional or light talks with someone who doesn't mind my brain dumping.

With my feet on my sloped ceiling, looking at and talking about nothing in particular.