'allo~

I'm..ilikegrapes, evidently. Yes, I am rather fond of grapes. Aren't they just a delectable fruit?

Update:

March 28th, 2010

Oh hi. I'm not dead. Chapter 18 is back in the works. Completely scrapped one entirely useless scene that has plagued me for months, and now I'm back in motion.

FAQ

Where have you gotten your writing experience?

Believe it or not, I've developed my writing skills from roleplaying. Not just any roleplaying, but equine (so don't be surprised if you see anything horseh related in my fics, ha). Before you begin groaning about rps, please realize, I've been doing it for almost ten years or so. I started from a pathetic little newbie with her one line sentences 'Sapphire walked to the grass and ate it', and evolved to something much more. On the main site I rp on, The Path of the Moon (or TPOTM for short), I learned to develop characters, from not only vivid description but to more than one dimension of personalities. I still roleplay to this day, constantly honing my writing skills and learning from others. Shameless plugging not withstanding, I highly suggest people check out acornrack for quality roleplaying entertainment. ;D

Current Stories:

The Carillon- Based on the Crystal version of Pokemon, this tale focuses on a young girl, Keiko, and her coming of age tale; a journey to becoming an infamous legend. At her side are a cast of characters everyone knows (twisted and warped to my satisfaction), including the eccentric Eusine, the mysterious Morty, and the dragon master, Lance. Keiko is forced to grow quickly beneath the watchful eye of her companions, so that she may save the world and not drown in the wake of Team Rocket's powerful forces. This of course presents many challenges, not only with her own growth, but of those around her as they all interact with one another.

While this is my first story, I am not inexperienced in the likes of plots, character development, etc. I don't want people cringing when they see that Keiko is an Original Character spawned from my silly little mind, surrounded by their favorite characters whom I end up butchering until they fall unceremoniously in love with her and the story ends. That's not what this story is about. This is one trainer's tale of strength, perseverance, trust and destiny.

The characters in my story are flawed. They are fundamentally human. They have huge, gaping faults, make mistakes, give their trust to the wrong people, become overpowered by greed and/or vengeance, and constantly grow in nature. Some are likable from the start to the end, others you will have to grow to love. Some will deceive and shock you, others will never be on your good list. None of them are perfect, nor would I ever want them to be. I hope my readers don't either.

If you are looking for a romantic tale, this is not the one to be reading. While the four main characters will inevitably come to cherish, love and adore one another, their bonds are strictly platonic and shouldn't be misconstrued. I know many of you will question Lance and Keiko's involvement with one another, and think what you will, but at the end they will not be together kissing under the stars or exchanging sonnets beneath sakura trees. I will not, under any circumstances, warp or change a character simply to suit romantic needs. If one character suits another, then that is fine, but I believe it is in the best interest of Lance and Keiko to remain strictly friends. The relationship is already dysfunctional without adding anything unnecessary to it.

There. I think I've settled my ramblings for now. _

Random Tips

Music for Muse - There has been many a time where I've hit a roadblock in my writing, and music replenishes it. I must say that listening to the right tunes strikes a chord of muse within my brain, gets it churning, makes me imagine and envision various scenes in my head that were never there before. I often use various different genres to supplement specific scenes, like Linkin Park and Three Days Grace for angst/battle scenes, Utada Hikaru for sweet, happy, coma-inducing, fluffy moments, etc. You have to find the songs that work for you, of course, but never hesitate to whip out your favorite CD or turn up that radio station (good lord how many times have I been driving in the car and been like..OMGINEEDTHISSONGFORMUSE) to deplete that writer's block.

What Comes To Your Mind First? - Don't try to write everything all at once. I have always found it much easier to start with a brief outline of the chapter at the top of my Word document, and go from there. Ask yourself what you want to happen in that portion of the story. How will it lead into the next chapter? How does it help with the plot? I can usually come up with a specific scene in my head that I want to lay out, and usually go about writing that segment before others.

Once you have decided what will occur at this point in your story, write the things that come to your mind. They don't have to be in order, they don't have to connect quite yet - you can always go back and add those specific details in. I like to start with dialogue. What are my characters going to say? How are they expressing themselves? Is there a lot of emotion? I jot these things down, and when I come back I connect it to the other text I may have started working on.