What do you love most about your current WIP?

@kathleenramm

For my current WIP it would either be the themes or characters, as they are heavily intertwined. It’s the first project I was able to pin down a point of focus before starting the book.

(I don’t pants, however I’m not sure if what I do counts as plotting. I have nearly the entire storyline in my head, but only a few scenes figured, and no written outline.)

@kathleenramm Honestly I really like how well everything’s tying together for it (plot, themes, character, worldbuilding, backstory, etc etc). Probably my most structured novel yet? I’m enjoying the single POV and small cast of characters, a nice change of pace from my usual big casts, as well as structuring internal and external conflict to all deal with the theme. Looking forwards to the ending.

The worldbuilding and the characters.

I have found that one of my favorite things about writing is the worldbuilding (which explains why I enjoy writing fantasy so much). Plus, the worldbuilding of this particular project I’m especially proud of. It’s pretty simple, compared to many, but it’s still complex and developing. And I love it.

I am also very excited about the characters because they are some of the most difficult I’m attempting, and the extra-human aspects to them are very exciting to figure out and fit into the story. The characters are most of what drive my stories, so I’m particularly excited to have them playing a necessarily active role in my current WIP to keep the story moving forward.

@kathleenramm. I don’t really have a method, lol. XD I guess what I could say is that I chose themes that I’m passionate about, and the characters, the way they are and the way their stories come together normally impacts what the theme will be. Like how the WIP with the Forgiveness theme is about WWII, the Holocaust, the two MC’s are a Jewish man and an SS officer, the Jewish man loses his wife and struggles with Hatred, the SS officer blames himself and struggles with immense Guilt, and by the end they both learn so much about Forgiveness! <3

But sometimes, maybe oftentimes actually, I chose a theme I’m passionate about. Like, here, let’s go with the example for the first Novel Idea I had.(that’s been put on Backburner for now…) The novel Idea came to me when I had just been and still was struggling a bit with believing in God’s love. I don’t really remember why I was struggling, but either way, I was. And amidst all that, a Novel idea was born. I worked on it and tweaked it a bit, but know what the theme was? God’s Love. The book eventually formed into an American Revolution Novel with a British Soldier MC. It involves a friendship that blossoms between him and an American Soldier. And that friendship ends when the American gives his life for the British Soldier. The MC, The British Soldier, his name is Nathan, btw, wonders why David(the American Soldier)would give his life for him. And in the end, The Novel is basically his journey to learning about God’s love, and the fact that love is more than words and feelings. Love is a Sacrifice. Thus, the story was born, the title was made, and the theme was incorporated.

That was a lot, but it’s normally either a Theme I’m passionate about or a theme that the Characters end up forming themselves. 😉 Sorry If I talked too long. #WriterThing. XD XD XD

@kathleenraumm

I honestly could say everything and anything, but often I prefer to use different ways of looking at the world as inspiration, though that’s not always the case. Once I worldbuilded simply from the desire to have magic in the story and there are four kids with it and the king’s family, and then I dove into why only they had magic. Another time, I worldbuilded from wanting to not have magic, and there’s a family of seven children training to be leaders; from there, I added some magical elements, but nothing specifically magical, especially in people.

In my current WIP, I’m not exactly sure where the idea came from, but it began as simply writing about the cliche where the mentor dies and then it built from there along: why is he a mentor? What can he do? What makes him special and the MC of the story? And then went from there until I had my world.

I think, my worlds often come from ideas about what could be fascinating for other people, what could be beautiful and terrible at once, and then it kind of just flows.

@kathleenramm

Probably my characters!! Because I’m writing a series, my brain really wants to skip and go to the next books 🤣

But I’m very character driven, and these characters have stolen my heart. In this WIP tho only 3 are introduced (and only 2 are really in the forefront)

One of them has a lot of struggles that I think people can relate to, and that I have had and still have myself (they both have major struggles lol) and she’s definitely flawed

and the other character is the one that…honestly makes me excited to write because I love him to death. He is my Cinnamon roll and I adore him 😂 (which is why I put him thru so much pain….)

He’s got some major struggles, most of which were created by his verbally abusive father, and he views the first character as perfect (plus he’s in love with her soooo lol) he ends up being the one who shows the first character Christ’s love for who she is and vice versa

I really love them together

(Even tho my girl is TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO HIM BEING HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH HER….)

I feel as if this WIP is really shining compared to my previous projects, which feels so good. Usually characters are my focus, and they still are, but I’m not pantsing pantsing like I used to. Everything’s sorta falling into place.

Oh, and the theme is family, which I feel very passionate about – yeah.