#pretendpanel - Jan catchup

[r_a_young]

Wow, I fell off really hard with the #pretendpanel backup. Still haven't figured out why.

But I do like my answers enough that I'm going to catch up now.



January 13th: What's the hardest aspect of writing for you?

I think the hardest aspect is timing.

I always feel like I don't have enough time for writing, because of too many other demands.

I also feel like my timing is off in what I want to write and what people want to read. Then I have to remind myself not to chase feedback.


January 14th: Which is your favourite character in your book/story/WIP?

I have a weakness for snarky characters, and in my WIP it's the AI assistant ("Pithy the magical girl mascot," he insists) brings the snark and sass.




January 15th: Why does this book/story/WIP matter to you?

My WIP Away From Beyond is my way of assuring myself that in a world where everyone takes shortcuts, such as with AI, it's the heart that ultimately matters more. And magical girls use the power of heart a lot.


January 16th: Does any part of your book/story/WIP make you laugh?

The opening of my WIP makes me laugh! See screenshot.





January 17th: Does any part of your book/story/WIP make you cry?

I'm still only a third of the way through my WIP, so I haven't hit the major emotional points yet. But I get a little sad when I read this part I wrote.




January 18th: Which part of your book/story/WIP makes you proudest?

That my WIP even exists at all.

I've gotten quite used to playing in other people's sandboxes. But it's been nice to come up with my own characters, plus think about the world they live in and the things that could happen to them.


January 20th: Are you more of a writer who writes themselves onto the page, or other people in their life?

I usually start with aspects I know of in other people that resonate with me. For example, Sofia from my WIP likes to correct people on the correct pronunciation of her name (So-fire-ah instead of So-phie-a). It's something my friend was brave enough to do that I wasn't.

January 21st: Do you resonate more with any one of your characters? i.e. have you self-inserted

I don't self-insert based on my existing traits. I do spend a lot of time day dreaming, "What would I do if I were this character?" And sometimes that turns into scenes in the story.

But my characters also sit on my shoulder as I write and do running commentary, like, "That's OOC!"

January 22nd: Do you believe in writing through your traumas? Or is your writing more about escapism? (or is it both at once!)

The question I've been dreading from #pretendpanel (I kid).

I write both to process my trauma and to escape. This is especially true for my pandemic project. I wrote about characters dealing with grief to process mine. Then I gave myself escapism by giving them a happy ending I haven't got yet.

January 23rd: Who do you see as your ideal reader?

My audience of my current WIP is anyone who has ever named their toys or had an imaginary friend.

January 24th: What do you want your readers to take away from this book/story/WIP?

I hope those reading my WIP will discover their own spark in themselves that can bring whatever they wish to life. Even if it's something else other than a Velveteen Rabbit.

January 25th: How did working on this book/story/WIP affect your life?

I'm actually working a lot harder on getting this WIP published, by exploring the channels where I could get the word out about this book.

The only other WIP where I made a similar attempt was when I tried my luck with a writer's festival, but nothing beyond that.

January 27th: What sort of research did you do for this book/story/WIP?

I'm doing media scans on AI for work, so I read a ton of related articles and weave my reactions into the story. But I try not to put too much identifiable tech in my stories so the research doesn't matter anyway. 🤣

Jan 29: Recommended reading for your fans

If you want to understand the kind of book that I aspire to write, you should read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

January 30th: What do you see in the future for your writing career?

I'd like to get my book into circulation so that those who need it can find it. And hopefully that'll inspire me to keep working on original novels.


January 31st: How do you close your panel? e.g. plugs, acknowledgements

Closing with acknowledgements:

Thanks hiriadunning.bsky.social for hosting.

Thanks to all who interacted with my posts - some of you have become new friends, and some I look forward to getting to know better if you continue using the tag.

I'll be back in Feb for more #pretendpanel!