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What do you love most about your current WIP? (Setting, plot, theme, characters, a particular scene, the backstory, etc.)
My 3 siblings and I have written, scrapped, and rewritten outlines for our current WIP countless times to the point where we’ve decided to pants the novel and just focus on the characters.
I think that was the best decision we could have made. The characters in this novel, are without a doubt, the best characters we’ve ever written, and just thinking of them inspires me to write.
It may sound weird, but they are the sole reason we haven’t given up on the project and opted for a simpler one. We just love these characters too much. We’ve practically grown up with them.
I’m not too sure how the story will pan out, as we are pantsing it, but I have a good feeling about it as the characters will always be at the heart of it all.
So yeah, the characters are what I love most about one of the WIPs I’m working on. What about you? What do you love most about your current project?
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.)
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the Gork- Rank: Chosen One
- Total Posts: 8156
Easily the theme. My main WIP’s (though I have more than one. I’m a horrid procrastinator and multitasker XD) main message of Forgiveness always hits me hard in a good way. It’s about different kinds of forgiveness. God’s forgiveness, forgiving others, and, though more often forgotten than the first two, the importance of forgiving ourselves when we’ve messed up.
But the characters come in a close second. One of the MC’s is my favorite character I’ve ever created, and the friendship that eventually blossoms between the two of them (even after hate!) is one of my favorite relationships I’ve ever created. 😉
But the theme, easily. 🙂
@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.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days- Rank: Loyal Sidekick
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Hmmm….probably my characters. From trials to testimonies. From thick and thin. Characters are just so fun to mold, in my opinion. I enjoy the effort and those grueling days when you’re banging your head just cause you can’t get a single idea out. By far, characters rule! Whether MC or just a side-kick. I love em’ all!!!
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.
"[Write] today like there's no tomorrow!"
Yes! Characters and themes are usually what I get attached to most in both stories I write and read.
@freedomwriter76
Forgiveness is a really great theme! And also one that I don’t see to too often in stories. Do you have a method of how you choose the themes for you stories?
Having all the pieces fall into place is probably one of the best feeling when writing. What made you decide to go for a smaller cast of characters in this story?
@wilder-w
Really can’t argue with you there! There’s endless possibilities when it comes to characters.
I’ve never been one to world build, but writers who do it well always fascinate me. Where do you get your ideas for creating different worlds for your stories?
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@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
@kathleenramm Mm I think because when I was thinking up the project I was mainly focusing on the MC and his character arc, and decided only to make other characters that would be essential to the plot that the MC should meet. This way I don’t need to deal with extra underdeveloped characters that drag on to the plot and themes. Also the themes and main focus of this book really are only for one character, so the others are there to add to it. Plus it’s fun to just focus on developing one character for a change.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days@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.
"[Write] today like there's no tomorrow!"
I LOVE world building, and my characters are very dear to me. I can spend hours on the first, and the second have been introduced to my friends and family as acqaintances of highest regard.
However, what I like best about both of them, is how they contain bits and pieces of real stories. Even my WIP that would not at all be considered an allegory borrowed a lot from real-life stories. It makes me feel less afraid of being cliche, since many of the things actually have happened.
In my allegory, it’s one thing that makes me want to keep going when I get discouraged. I know it’s more than just a little fantasy series; it’s true.
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
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….)
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebBtw I’m not writing romance 🤣 I know it sounded like that but it’s actually fantasy, and my 2 characters are best friends with a romantic subplot that does tie into the main plot (because the boy is a MC)
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebI 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.
“Everything is a mountain”
Sadly, my WIP has fallen by the wayside for a few months, but I have recently remembered how much I love my world. Even though I am still in the developmental stage of my WIP, I love how my world and characters are growing. My world started as a couple seeds, but now it is becoming a garden. I am excited to see where it goes. 🙂
We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good on, eh?
-The Doctor
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