It's a brand-spankin', shiny new, writerly link-up, y'all!! And it's created by the Ever-Lovely Elvish Forest Queen Herself: Christine! of Musings of an Elf. :] :] :]
Pop on over here to see the introductory post!
QUESTIONS
1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?
Come to think of it, it was simply a name: Safia. I stumbled upon it years ago in one of my all-time favorite novels (by one of my all-time favorite authors), The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. At that time, I believe the first few films of The Pirates of the Caribbean were extremely popular, so yes, you guessed it---PIRATES. From there Safia's tale and storyworld just began to grow over the years. And it has been years. . . (Going on about nine years. . . maybe?) I've worked on and revisited that WIP off and on many times. And here I am again!!
2. Share a blurb!
(still working on it, but. . .)
A rumored treasure trove, hidden.
A mysterious nobleman with vague intentions.
A prince seeking to follow his father's footsteps.
And an orphaned girl---the key to it all.
3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects about the setting?
In the world of Everon. Much like our world, but different, of course. :] There's Elves, dragons, other awesome creatures, corrupt noblemen, bitter relatives, and handsome princes.
Pirates. SHIPS. Battle at sea. A sweet romance. A prince learns to be a king. TREASURE. Sea shanties.
4. Tell us about your protagonist?
Safia is a sweet girl upon first impression. But don't let the lovely exterior fool you into thinking she's fragile and easily broken. She was raised aboard a sea-faring vessel amongst weather-beaten, battle-tough seamen whom she calls family, and she most likely knows more about the ocean and anything to do with ships than you'll ever learn from Google. ;D Safia has a sweet heart and lives to serve others and make them laugh. She is a joy aboard her father's merchant ship.
5. Who (or what) is your antagonist?
A nobleman who is extremely subtle and discreet in his intentions, but is as venomous as a snake. And carries a grudge. He may be one to seek revenge on those who have wronged him. . . After all this time, he is still rather nameless. . . Nothing has really stuck. But I'm working on it! To sum him up simply, he can be compared to a politician of our day. *evil laugh*
6. What excites you the most about this novel?
THE CHARACTERS. For sure! They're mah babies. :D They've been with me forever, it seems, and I've certainly put them through much. heheh
7. Is this going to be a series? Standalone? Something else?
A standalone. Buuuuuuuut the other stories floating round my head are set in the same world and roughly same era/time as well. So, there could be honorable mentions of mah babies throughout other tales.
Delani. Myrander. Joel. Noya. Brom.
8. Are you plotting? Pantsing? Plantsing?
Goshdarnitall.
Definitely a plantser. . . I've said it before, plotting is such a difficult thing for me. I can make a pretty decent outline and follow it well. But coming up with awesome and unique plots is SO. HARD. Characters, though, I can make new friends all the time! (That goes along with my loving names)
9. Name a few things that makes this story unique.
The rumored treasure.
IF it exists, may not be what it seems. . .
Erm. . . I'm honestly not sure what else to say. Is that intriguing enough???
10. Share a fun "extra" of the story ( a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a Pinterest board, a map you've made, a special theme you're going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).
I don't really have a playlist for this particular story (or any of my stories actually. . .), but my themes are a combo of Viking-ish/Norse things and and anything medieval. :] There's a HUGE level of value regarding family and loyalty to those you love that I'ma try to weave in also.
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There ya have it! A great thank-you to Christine for hosting this link-up. I so look forward to the upcoming questions!
Whilst I focus on Safia's story for the next few weeks, my Beauty & the Beast retelling---Noya---is certainly not far from my mind. Hopefully, I can return to it with fresh eyeballs and actually complete the first draft. . .
Have a lovely weekend, dear beans!
Blessings. <3
AAAAHHHH!!! YOU DID THE LINKUP. Seeing this appear on my dashboard gave me a THRILL.
ReplyDeleteAND IT'S SAFIA! That is SO special you're coming back to this story. I can just feel your love and passion for it, which is going to make it all the more amazing. And and and DRAGONS AND ELVES with PIRATES!!! That is unique in and of itself! Usually you have one or the other, but not elves and dragons along WITH pirates. I love this so much I can't stop screaming!!! And your characters sound so, so fantastic, from what tastes you've given us of them. Also, DAT COLLAGE. It's so gorgeous, I can't stop staring!
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!!!! I do hope the writing goes absolutely wonderfully! Thank you for joining the linkup! :D
(JUST now catching up on comments...) YESSSS. Love this idea, you genius you!!
Delete*blushes* Thanks! I've been wanting to revisit Safia's tale for awhile and thought this November would be perfect. I'm kinda at a -stuck- place with Noya's story, so this will be a great refresher. :D Yes! What better combo???
OOOOOOH, I like this story!!!!! Safia is a pretty name, and I like the world (at least from the little details you gave :) ). Can't wait to hear more!!
ReplyDeleteCatherine <3
Thank you, dearie!! :D
DeleteOoh, a writerly Q&A! I love hearing more about your stories. And you're back to Safia! You've put so much time and work into that one. I love what I've read about/from her story.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea to work on your older WIP while you're stuck on your newer WIP. You get a break from the one but still get to be productive when the writing bug bites.
I love the way many of your stories overlap with characters and storyworld. I've being seeing a lot of the expanded universe concept lately and I think it's so fun. I'm extra curious about Delani and Myrander! (They are the sisters from Neris, right?)
I hope you make some good plot progress this November and that you have fun with it. No reason to stress over something you are doing because you love it! Especially as a busy wife and mommy with other work in your life too.
Happy writing, mién ama! ;)
Thank you! I've been wanting to come back to her for a while now. As to the world, I thought why build a world but only use once or twice?? Yes! They are sisters from Neris---stories I haven't thought about in AGES
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear girl! Are you writing this November?