The WIPjoy Writing Challenge

Yes! I've started another challenge. There's only one this time, though. Camp Nano is a huge challenge on its own but this IG writing challenge should help me finish my book. It's already helping. Writing a short synopsis in the heat of the moment always seems to start the creative juices flowing again for me. That was yesterday's challenge. And the first challenge was to write three surprising facts about yourself. I could write lots of surprising things about me. I can't count on my fingers how many times I've surprised people with things I've always considered to be matter-of-fact.

Day 2 - (Yes, this one started on the 2nd of the month, so the author was kind enough to label it that way on her challenge post.) - Three Facts About You -

1. "I live in an area of Louisiana that's considered Cajun but I've got more German in my heritage." My dad's family is heavily German with some French in the ancestry. My mom's family is mostly western European. Everyone sort of assumes that if you're from the south-central part of Louisiana, you must be Cajun.
   
2. "I'm a Protestant in a predominantly Catholic area." When I was growing up, every Wednesday, the Catholic children in my school were let out early to go to Catechism classes in the nearby church. Growing up Protestant meant getting our classes in before services which we had twice every Sunday, or by going to classes on Wednesday evenings.
   
3. "I didn't purposely try my first alcoholic drink until I was 30." Yep. That's right. When I was growing up, as a Baptist, I was taught we just didn't touch that stuff. So I just didn't. *Opinion Alert!* Now that I'm grown, I've seen the damage it can cause and it breaks my heart when teens drink just because they think they're supposed to do it because they're teens. I promise you, I was silly enough without it. XD And still, if I drink, I don't drink much at all, even though I do like it. No sense ruining something you like by overuse.

Day 3 - Pitch your WIP with an aesthetic -

I wasn't sure at first what I would do for this one. Then I opted to write a very short synopsis. It's more than three lines but I think it came out just as powerful and intriguing. I've already gotten some good feedback on my IG post. That's always exciting.

"Ya'el Shirasdatir is a maiden of privilege with a calling.
Kol Udota is a battle-hardened warrior tried by stone and leaf.
Both gave up everything they knew to come to Yacan - for different reasons.
She journeyed to fulfill her purpose. He was on a quest for fame and glory.
Both must work together - the impatient, headstrong maid and the serious, hardened warrior - for without a Guardian, Yacan will fall and the last of the Terreilia will die."

Day 4 - Introduce your MC with a line -

Do you think it's a fail if you have to introduce your MCs with more than one line each? You guys get an excerpt. I'll type it out for those who need it translated.

    

"There will be answers for your questions further in. You can be certain of it."
     "Alright. It's hard for me, but I'll wait."
     "Are you so impatient all the time?" [Kol's] voice was tinged with annoyance and disbelief. How could such a waif become Serafin? How would she even make it through the trials?
     Ya'el nodded, her carefree nature completely showing in her beaming face.

Day 5 - Share about two or three other characters from your WIP that you love - For yesterday's IG Challenge, we were to share two or three other characters in our WIP that we love. I shortened it for my calendar so I was really stressing about the third one I shared. She's not a character that I am really able to connect well with. But I like her for a couple of reasons. I'll share more under her inspiration board. If you are planning to read my first book, then stop here. I don't want to spoil anything further for you. I'm putting the "read more" button after this text for that reason.

Edrea - Edrea is my favorite supplemental character. Who doesn't love sentient trees? She's ancient and mysterious and wise. She can do things no living being has ever seen before. I say 'she' because that's how I think of her in my head but she's gender neutral. When she presents herself in a humanoid form, she does look slightly feminine but I think that's a defense mechanism, sort of like camouflage. This is the beginning of my inspiration board for Edrea on Pinterest. You can follow me there, if you like, by clicking the icon at the top or by clicking here. Right now, I have the boards for Surge Inspiration marked secret. When I have more items in them, I'll open them up for public viewing. All my other boards are open, though, and there are several.

Outh'n Durr - Outh'n Durr is my second favorite supporting character. He's one of my antagonists but I think he's a reluctant one. I can't wait to see how his character develops as the story progresses. He's kind of a jerk and kind of creepy at times. He's Shinnoahn and they seem to test the mettle of a person by how much goading they can take. While he can be lazy about some things, he takes his duty as a defender of Yacan seriously. He can be counted on for certain in that area. He's a DIY guy and creates artistic things with glass (or what passes for glass in the world of Y'Dahnndrya) bottles and vials. He also likes furry animals. He can't be all bad...can he? Again, this board is just a beginning. I spent so much time finding just a few pictures for these boards that I don't know when I'll be able to unlock them. I just think it's sad to do so now, when they don't yet convey the full essence of the characters. Also, seriously, if you don't like spoilers, do not continue reading. You have been warned. ;)

Mi'yat Akal'a - If you've read Ripples, my first book, (you can read it by clicking here) then the last name is familiar and you may have an inkling of what's coming. She is the mother of one of the supporting characters in my first book. And he believes she's dead. I'm torn about Mi'yat. I don't know if I could be strong enough to leave my family behind to serve a higher purpose, especially knowing I'd likely never see them again. And if I did, and I was offered the choice of keeping my memories of them or erasing them forever, I don't know if I'd be strong enough to say I'd keep them. Mi'yat is definitely strong, as is her sense of duty. I wouldn't have included her in this if I'd read the part about "TWO or three characters" on the original post. I don't hate her character. I just have a harder time relating to her. The D'Koruyin people are bone carvers and create beautiful jewelry and motifs. They're also a nomadic people, following the herds. I pulled from Native American peoples as the influence for this clan, but it's pretty loose. I haven't studied much about Native Americans lately and I'm sure what I pored over as a kid is pretty foggy in my memory now. I wouldn't want a carbon copy, anyway. You can check out my board for her by clicking here.

Day 6 - If your WIP wasn't yours, what would make you want to read it? - Yesterday's challenge asked the question if my WIP wasn't mine, what would make me want to read it. For almost any book, I can say hands-down it's the world - the setting - the little details that fill in the blanks and make it seem more real. I can't speak for others but I enjoy reading for the opportunity to visit places I've never seen and may never get to see (because they don't really exist). Today, I thought of the movie 'Fern Gully' and the scene where Magi Lune is teaching Krysta how to use her fairy magic. World building is like that for me. You take the seed of an idea and help it grow. I'll share the clip so you can see it.
I guess I like history for the same reason. That time is in the past and no one living now will get to experience it. We can only imagine based on the writings and artwork we see from it. Ancient history is my favorite and I suppose I draw at least some inspiration from that subject.

Day 7/8 - Share a Link - I'm thankful to Bethany A Jennings, the host of the #WIPjoy challenge, for leaving the weekend open to post either on Saturday or Sunday. That was so helpful to me because of our Sunday commitments, which take up a lot of time and energy. Those commitments are also the reason I don't like blogging on Sundays. By the afternoon, I'm just worn out. It takes so much of my life energy to be more social since that's not my natural state.
This weekend's challenge was to share a link to your works (books), blog, facebook, or Instagram. I shared the link to my Wattpad profile. I saw or listened to a podcast where someone mentioned an app that allows you to share more than one link on your IG profile. I really need to find that!

Day 9 -  Yesterday's challenge post was a little much for me to tackle considering how much I wrote yesterday. I still have some writing to do today but since this is technically part of the story, I'll count this bit of writing, too. Who knows? It could be the start of a promotional short story or something. :D - I had two antagonists to choose from, so I chose Outh'n Durr because I have more of his backstory in my head.

"Ha! Look at that. Outh'n can look at both of us at the same time, Cyrl."
"What a jibri! Can't he score better than that?"
"Aiya, Outh'n! It's too bad about your eye. Well, too bad for you. It's great for me, though. All that beauty gone to waste... Ha! Ha! Ha!"

He remembered. And in memories, strength burned deep within, searing every nerve, firing every muscle, hardening his resolve. He'd show them all today.
"Are the runners ready?"
Outh'n didn't bother joining his 'ai' to the others. He'd rather focus entirely on the red kyrch at the end of the race course. It was his. He'd pushed himself hard -- training, sacrificing. He was quick. He knew it. This was something he could do, something he could excel at. It was a way he could pay Mimiri for all her troubles and woes in his raising. There was no way he'd allow himself to lose today.
The moment the Reif cracked the staff, he sprang. Closer and closer, every breath, every heartbeat was one moment closer to the dainty square of red fabric.
Suddenly a streak of white flew across his line of vision. Startled, he lost his footing and stumbled. He didn't fall, thank the Creator, but that lost momentum would have to be regained. He sped up again and chased after the streaking blur several paces ahead of him. Dymoni take that asher Cyrl! Anger fired Outh'n's blood and he drew on reserves he didn't know he had.
Five paces behind Cyrl.
Two paces behind.
The older boy weaved in an attempt to keep Outh'n from getting ahead. Suddenly, Outh'n took two ground eating strides and somersaulted over Cyrl, taking off like a shot when he landed. In three strides more, he had the kyrch held aloft in his hands. Certain his face would split from the smile of pride, he tried to tone it down. He couldn't. He jumped up, laughing at the hard-won victory.
The crowd favorite had been Cyrl's best friend, I'anor. When he came in third, most of the spectators were shocked to silence. Cyrl had more than a few fans. Outh'n had seven -- his parents, grandparents, and three siblings.
But the one person he'd truly hoped to impress ran to I'anor expressing her surprise and offering a comforting shoulder for him to rest on. The sight tarnished his victory but he held his head high as the Senya of the village awarded him the medallion, colored like the suns with the blue-purple thysta stone set in the center.

Day 11 - Share a line that surprised you. - You guys get another small snippet of rough draft today. This is Kol teaching Ya'el how to use her new form. She's a bit afraid because she's not a strong swimmer so her responses are full of sass. It surprised me because I could hear my oldest daughter so clearly in the last line Ya'el speaks. XD Too funny! My husband and I laughed over that for a while.

Day 18 - Something that makes your MC lose control - Ya'el's fears seem more complex to me and those are the things that cause her to lose control. She is afraid of total darkness and doesn't like to feel trapped. Her inability to master swimming (at first) is partially because being under water makes her feel trapped. When she loses control, she panics and either freezes or chatters nervously.
Kol's anger at the followers of the Sekot Mundei are what send him over the edge. They took his a'ada's (father's) life while he was still young. Because of that, he was never able to see his o'oso (son) succeed where Kol had always failed because of sickness and frailty. The culture and tradition of Genzet Clan is still in the works but it's different enough that it might be hard to understand why physical abuse drove Kol to succeed where it drives many of us to suicide and slow death through substance abuse. I'll be working hard on getting those details ironed out in the coming months.

Day 23 - 24 - I managed to get caught up on my writing challenges yesterday. I hope I won't get behind on them again. I'm also behind on my Nano word count. Thankfully, I'm not so far behind that I can't catch up. If I can manage to write two chapters a day, I'll still make it over my goal, which is always my ultimate goal. XD 

Day 23 - The way to your MC's heart is through...? - I feel like I should explain a little about this. Ya'el is a born healer. She cares about the people, from their mental health to their physical health. If you really want to grab her attention, then you must have a need she can see. Once you've done that, you've found the key that opens the door to her heart. 
In Kol's case, he won't give you the time of day if you show no motivation to live life to the best of your ability. If you show you're genuinely trying hard, continuing on even when you fail, you'll catch his eye. He also won't waste time on those who treat others badly simply because they can.

Day 24 - You're stranded in your WIP. Who do you go to for help? - I feel like this one needs a bit of explaining, too. Yacan is of necessity a dangerous place. That's key for the survival of Edrea and the people living there. If you find yourself stranded there, you'd probably be caught by guards before you could find someone who'd help. But if you didn't, then you'd still want to talk to Kol. He's intimidating but he's fair. He'd hear you out, at least. If you could find Mi'yat, she'd hear you out, too, but she stays very busy.

Day 25 - Share an earnest line. - Yesterday we were to share an earnest or sincere line from our WIP. I wrote three chapters yesterday (4888 words total, a possible new personal best). So there I am at 10:00 p.m. scouring my work for a sincere line. I finally found one. Wonder of wonders! It's Outh'n Durr, one of my antagonists, who offers it. He seems to be mellowing out a bit. I wonder if that will last.

Day 26 - Describe your MC as a type of weather - I like writing challenges like this one. They make me think of all the fun personality quizzes I used to take. And since I like personality quizzes so much, I'll probably try to create a couple to go along with my books. I've never done that kind of thing before but it should be a fun learning experience. I might try during the summer. Please look forward to it! :)

OK, so I had so much fun thinking about this I decided to throw my antagonists out there, too. Sorry I don't have much time to elaborate on these. One of my fellow writers came for a tea and cake visit today. It was super fun and I can't wait to meet up with her again for a word sprint. And tonight is date night with my Mr. Awesome. I didn't make it to 50,000 words yet but apparently he believes in me. XD He's definitely a keeper. Hope y'all enjoy  these comparisons and are looking forward to the finished product. As slow as I work, I'm still hoping to have it ready for Wattpad in 6-9 months. Yea! Work In Progress!

Though I don't have comments for each day, I hope you'll still have fun reading through what I do have and also enjoy watching the video.