THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 5

The last part of Julian Daventry's 5-Part Writing Special has arrived, and we're concluding this epic month-long tag with a grand finale of awesomeness! (wow, the time has just flown on by, hasn't it?)

As you can see by the graphic above, this Friday is all about our WIP aesthetics, art, and music! There are no set-in-stone questions or "rules" for today - everyone is going to share however much they want in however way they want. Fun, fun, fun!

I'm afraid I don't have any artwork to share. In fact, this is going to be a fairly short post. 1) I'll talk a little bit about the movie soundtrack that fits with Dusted Red (more wonderfully that I could have hoped for, eeeep). 2) I'll share four character collages I've whipped up, combined with lyrics from the special songs that fit with those characters! :D

~DUSTED RED'S SOUNDTRACK~

The movie soundtrack for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I've never read the books, and even if/when I do, I don't know if I'll watch the movie. But who cares?? The music is GOLD. Its vibe is very similar to
Dusted Red's vibe, and quite a few of the pieces have a ticking clock in the background. Which. Is. Just. Perfect. Because yes, the sound of a ticking clock is metaphorically (and recurringly) involved.

Enoch's Dolls captures the lighter quirky parts of Dusted Red perfectly!

Arrival At The Island is so. totally. Neverland.

Barron's Experiment fits the intense scenes like a CHARM.

Go To Her is for feelsie/romantic scenes. :')

Aaaand then The Augusta is for ESPECIALLY EPIC scenes.

And more, duh. Basically all of them, or else this wouldn't be THE ultimate Dusted Red soundtrack.

Give one of them a listen (titles are clickable) and tell me your thoughts in the comments!!!

~CHARACTER COLLAGES~

FEAST YOUR EYES. *cough* Or don't. No pressure or anything...

^^^ This is my attempt at a mini intro. How about we allow the pictures to steal the show now, hmmm?

~~~

(All pics taken from Pinterest)

I miss my home

But there's a fire burning in my bones

Still believe

Yeah, I still believe

Fight Song // Rachel Platten

This song portrays my main character's strength incredibly well. The you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do tone + the stubbornly determined lyrics are all very Delmy!

And I don't really care if nobody else believes

'Cause I've still got

A lot of fight left in me

Fight Song // Rachel Platten

~~~

I'm sick of the past I can't erase

A jumble of footprints and hasty steps I can't retrace

The mountain of things I still regret

Is a vile reminder that I would rather just forget

Silhouette // Owl City

This song is sad and feelsie, and the lyrics are an excellent match for Hansel's struggles and problems. <3

The fire I began, is burning me alive

But I know better than to leave and let it die

Silhouette // Owl City

~~~

You don't know the half of it

You don't know my secrets

Listen close, my darling

Because I don't want to say it

Ghost // Matthew Parker

It's an upbeat, happy-sounding song, and yet the lyrics are so DARK (and fit really well with some stuff that isn't even addressed until the sequel). Which is the exact kind of person Peter Pan is! He truly is a fun-loving guy, it's just that his past is... exceptional. To say the least.

You're in love with the ghost, ghost, ghost

And it really haunts me at night

Ghost // Matthew Parker

~~~

Okay, so it seems I don't have any songs with lyrics for my dear fairy character... :/ I suppose you'll have to make do with the collage only.

Or maybe I could make up for it with some short snippets instead. What say you?

She stormed up to him and jabbed him in the chest with one finger. "No, I don't. I've told you it many times - I'm sick of your flattery."

-

Tink groaned loudly, then spun around with a suddenness that made her cloak swish dramatically. Something about her wings made me barely comprehend what she said next. "You need to stop going around promising things to people when you don't even know what the promises are! Or who the people are either, for that matter."

-

"I'll meet you there," Tink said, smiling once before poofing into a small hovering pinprick of light.

~~~

Those are all the collages! And lyrics. And snippets. I'm super duper excited to hear what you guys think! I'm also very much excited for the other participants' posts, the URLs of which are down below! Everyone's posts are going to be AWESOME, I just know it. xD

Which collage is your favorite? O.O
If you listened to any of the Miss Peregrine tracks (or charries' songs), what are your thoughts?
PRAY TELL. I'd truly love to know these things. :D
What do you use to make collages? (I use Canva.) Time to chat, friends!


~ Lila Kims

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 4

The previous parts of this edition of Julian's 5-Part Special have been soooo much fun, but I have to say that I've been anticipating this particular post most eagerly of them all (and next week's finale too, eep!), because I have quite a few side characters whom I love very, very much. <3 I'm so glad that I finally get to talk about them a little more. But, before we jump into the questions, here are the links to the past three parts!

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 1 (Introducing Dusted Red)

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 2 (the setting/world of Dusted Red)

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 3 (the main character of Dusted Red)

~Introduce your side characters, explain what makes them unique, and perhaps include their relationship to the MC.~

- Hansel is a quiet, wary, withdrawn boy of around sixteen, and he has a leather satchel a lot like Flynn Rider's. One thing that I believe makes him unique is that he won't let Delmy take her risks on her own, but it's NOT because "Oh, she's a girl and needs my protection, yada yada." The stubbornness actually has little to do with anyone but himself.

- Gretel is Hansel's sister (duh) who doesn't like Delmy at all. She always has a spicy retort at the ready, or a criticism, or a contemptuous raised eyebrow. <<< She's a master at eyebrow-raising, unlike me. :(

- Goldi is an eccentric little girl of about eight whom Hansel, Gretel, and Delmy meet in Fawood. She's also mute, so trying to have a conversation with her is an adventure. Not many book characters are mute - at least not in my reading experience - so that's unique??

- Peter Pan is charming, playful, and on the goofy side, with a dark past that I keep secret for most of the novel. He also loves to help people, and he's unique because he's not in a smutty retelling.

- Tink is the voice of reason, kind but realistic. She's also a creative - an inventor who hides out in Neverland's hollow trees making magic dust with her fellow fairies.

- Tiger Lily is a warrior. Her voice is soft and her accent exotic, and her beloved weapon is a spear. She likes to hunt, and she gets jealous easily. ;) Not very often, though, considering how infrequently Peter brings visitors to his island.

- Slightly is an eleven-year-old boy. Technically. Kind of. *shrugs* Age is weird after you take the youth dust. He loves to talk, and he looks up to Peter as a father figure.

~

I guess I have a lot of side characters...? Giving each of them enough page time for the reader to get to know them enough, for them to be complex enough, is a challenge. :P

And by the way, I won't answer the remaining questions for ALL of them, because I don't want to bore anyone with a monster post. So, no worries! xD

~Provide snippets from your WIP for each side character (can include the villain).~

- GRAM -

Gram snorted - a very unladylike sound that made my grin widen. “I’m a widowed old lady with barely any company, save a strangely indifferent granddaughter and a book of Peter Pan stories. I have little to occupy my mind with, Delmy.”

- HANSEL - 

Hansel licked his lips and re-clasped his satchel as we walked, but he didn't stop to did so. Since he couldn't see where he was going, he didn't notice the tree until he smacked into it.

"Ow," he muttered.

- TINK -

She looked like any other human girl, save for the insect-like, translucent wings protruding from her back, and the barely perceptible glow surrounding her entire body, like some sort of ectoplasm.

- SLIGHTLY -

"But I hated getting beat up, so I taught myself to think long and hard about being naughty, then do it anyway, but do it smart and careful-like." He smiled triumphantly. "I got away with it more often."

- TIGER LILY - 

"Leaving?" Tiger Lily repeated, in a soft, indecipherable voice. Her hair was partially pulled back, as if to keep half of it flowing down around her shoulders. Her eyes, dark and glinting, seemed to glow in the moonlight. "Why do you leave?"

~Which of your side characters is closest to the MC?~

Ooooooh, that's hard. Technically, Gretel is closest to Delmy because she's with her the longest of them all. I think so, at least.

But she's not closest to her as in friend, so perhaps Hansel?? After all, he and Delmy told each other their main goals in life one night.

Or maybe Slightly, seeing as he's really friendly and open about his past, and he and Delmy end up bonding.

I DON'T KNOW.

~How do the good guys work together as a team?~

Delmy: I've got an idea. You guys should stay here cuz this is gonna be dangerous. *explains plan*

Hansel: Delmy, that is madness.

Gretel: YOU'RE AN IDIOT.

Delmy: Whatever. Just stay here. *runs off*

Hansel: Wait! No! Let's... ugh. Gretel, stay here. I can't let her do it alone. *hurries after Delmy*

Gretel: BROTHER, YOU'RE AN IDIOT TOO. *whispers* But I can't leave you. *hurries after them both*

~How do they clash with each other?~

Delmy: Go find your home. Stop following me around. I would hate to get you killed along with me.

Gretel: Yeah, Hansel, let's go.

Hansel: Nope. I don't want to.

Delmy: *groans* Whhhyyyyy???

Hansel: *crosses arms* It helps me to help you, okay? Just deal with it.

Delmy: *sighs* FINE. Just don't blame me when-

Hansel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me go first, will ya?

Gretel: *scowls*

Hansel, Delmy, and Gretel: Goldi, YOU are staying here.

Goldi: *shrugs* *stares up at sky and starts making weird noises*


^^^ Most of that is paraphrased and exaggerated, of course. They're actually straightforward summaries of two particular scenes. xD

~Describe your antagonist/villain in 3 words.~

The formwandlers in general:

shapeshifter // black-clad // smirk

this isn't any of my antagonists in particular, just a dark villainish pic I liked xD

~Why is your villain bad?~

Shapeshifters in general: They're bad because they kidnap innocent people... for an evil purpose.

~Is the villain an “I work alone” sort of person, or the kind who has a ton of minions?~

A ton of minions.

~How does your villain walk and talk?~

Shapeshifters in general: They all talk the same - with arrogance, confidence, and often mockery. They walk in different ways, however, depending on which animal they shift to become. For example, the squirrel formwandler is a bit jumpy even in human form (and also very attractive). The bear formwandler is a big guy and lumbers when in his human form.

~What are the villain’s main mannerisms that define him/her?~

I don't really want to talk about my one-person villain, because he or she is a secret. The formwandlers do have main mannerisms, though - they have a tendency to smirk, and always find ways to poke fun at their victims in a not-so-nice way as they kidnap them. Sometimes, however, they'll reveal themselves to a victim and scare them out of their wits, but then leave them to tremble or even weep in fear in the lonely darkness of Fawood.

Let's wrap things up with a villain snippet, shall we? :)


"Hey, beautiful. Did you have a good night's rest?" the sitting one asked, and kicked his legs back and forth like a child. He was tall and had a finely chiseled jaw and sparkling eyes, features so attractive that I might have been drawn to him had he not been a formwandler. His brown hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

The other man was more muscular, his skin was dark as chocolate, and he was bald. The grin on his face was huge and ominous.

I clenched my jaw. There was nothing to say that they wouldn't laugh at.

That's all the questions! Check out the blogs of the other participants above - I don't know about you, but I'm excited to hear about their supporting cast and villain(s) as well!

Next Friday will be the final part of the 5-Part Writing Special, and we have a grand finale planned, so stay tuned for that! Hint: It's going to be epic.


Which of my side characters (if any) intrigues you most?
What is your antagonist like? 
Let's talk about characters in the comment section!

~ Lila Kims

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 3

We are BACK, with Part 3 of the 5-Part Writing Special! Today's set of questions is about...

*drumroll*

...THE MAIN CHARACTER.

Wait, did you say "character"?? Ladies and gents, we're getting to the good stuff now! Read on, read on!

~Introduce your Main Character(s): (A name, and what type of person they are)~

(I modified the part in parentheses so that it wasn't quite so informal, just to let you know. xD)

My main character is Delmy, which is a cool German name I somehow discovered a while back. Origin story: In the first draft, her name was Delilah. But the meaning of Delilah didn't fit right with her character (AT ALL), so I changed it to...

*drumroll again*

...Lila.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR, NO? I like the meaning of Lila better. xD

If you're thinking I got my pen name from my MC's name, then... well, you would be 100% correct. (*cough* To my blogger friends: most of you hadn't found my blog yet, back when my pen name was Delilah...) As my number of followers grew, I realized I'd better change my MC's name again, because #awkward. Then SOMEHOW I discovered "Delmy," which I think is cool and unique, don't you??

As for the kind of person Delmy is, she's pretty much my alter ego. I'm super shy - she's not. I overthink and bite my nails over my actions - she doesn't think twice before plunging into a challenge.

Basically, she's the kind of girl who doesn't like to just sit around, even if everyone else is.

~How are the goals of the main character and the villain clashing?~

*massages forehead* Okay, so the goal of the villain is a big secret that I keep hidden for a decent portion of the novel.

As of now, all that is known is that the shapeshifters are kidnapping people, and Delmy wants that to STOP. Her main goal is to find her grandmother, but oh how she wishes she could do more!

~What motivates your MC?~

One big motivator is the guilt she carries around like a backpack full of bricks. Rather than the desire to get rid of that backpack, what motivates Delmy is the fear that it will get even heavier.

Like I said, she can't stand sitting around.

~What lie does your MC believe in?~

Delmy believes that she needs to do something to help. Like, she NEEDS to do something, or else she's a failure to whoever in her life needs help/is in trouble.

And that's not true, to be frank. "Need" is a strong word, my friend.

~What is one trait the MC disapproves of in his/herself?~

Well, she doesn't like how stupid she is sometimes to leap before she looks, especially after she meets Hansel and Gretel and ends up dragging them into more danger than they were already in.

It's waaay more Hansel's fault than hers, though, so cut her some slack on that one! And cut Hansel some slack too - he's such a cinnamon roll. <3

~What does the MC love about him/herself?~

She loves that she's different from everyone else, specifically the other girls in her village. While they gush over meaningless things like that stupid Peter Pan legend, Delmy is busy being concerned about everybody's safety + visiting her wonderful grandmother.

No time for idiotic stories that pile mountains of charm and charisma on a person who couldn't possibly be that perfect! I mean, COME ON.

She's also the only one with a red cloak, so that definitely makes her stand out. And she likes it that way.

~What is your MC’s greatest strength and weakness?~

Greatest strength: willing to do crazy things

Greatest weakness: eager to do crazy things

I think so, at least. There might be something even "greater," but I don't have time to mull over it forever, so...

~What does your MC like to do when they’re bored?~

Go for a walk. SHE CAN'T SIT STILL, KAY?? She likes to stroll through the village square, avoiding the other, giggly girls and observing everything from under her red hood.

Or she'll take the narrow forest path to Gram's cottage in the woods. Because Gram is brave and epic like that.

Aaaaand... I don't know why. Halp. :P

~What does the MC look like? (Bonus points for picture)~

I would share a Pinterest picture, but I greatly prefer using pics from that site only in collages.

But you will see her picture in a collage soon. Until then, just know that she has shorter brown hair that looks like a rat's nest for half the novel. I know this because Delmy is a subtle complainer. *raises eyebrow at Delmy*

~How is your MC similar to and different from you?~

As aforementioned, Delmy is very close to being my alter ego. We're similar because we both find it hard to get rid of guilt, even over things that happened QUITE a while ago. Go back to question 1 to read about how we're different. I would hate to be needlessly repetitive.

Those are all the questions! Be sure to check out the posts of the other participants below! And lovelies? Do come back next week to read about more characters. It'll be EXTREMELY fun, I promise you.

Does your main character have a cool name?

Is your main character more different or more similar to you?

~Lila Kims

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 2

Part 2 of Julian Daventry's Writing Special is here, everybody, and with ten excellent questions to answer about our story's world! Or... setting! *dismissive hand gesture* Whatever you wish to call it.

If you missed last week's post introducing Dusted Red, here is the link:

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 1 (Introducing the WIPs)

Onto today's questions!

~What would we immediately notice upon stepping into your storyworld? (What would stand out the most?)~

The moment you stepped into Fawood, you would notice how dark and quiet it is. Most forests are alive with... you know, forest sounds. Birds, squirrels, the occasional deer or chipmunk tramping by. It isn't necessarily loud, but certainly not deathly quiet.

Unless it's Fawood we're talking about. Upon entering, you would notice the lack of life. Witches weave black magic here, and shapeshifters make characters doubt the authenticity of any animal they come across.

~What place in this world (Earth) reminds you most of your world? (Or provide a picture that you think best defines your story world.)~

^^^^ This is the best picture of a dark forest I could find. At least... one that makes me think of Fawood. There's more to my world than just woods, of course, but like I've mentioned before, A LOT happens in the forest.

~Are there specific foods/dining habits particular to this world?~

Bread is pretty common. And I actually have a story to tell concerning that particular food group, so sit back and make yourself comfortable while I turn on my pleasant storytelling voice. *clears throat*

Once upon a time, a young writer who didn't like to world-build realized that the villagers in her WIP didn't grow wheat. They didn't have any way of obtaining the ingredients for bread, so where in the world did they get it from??

The more this incredibly inexperienced writer thought about it, the more she realized it was a problem. The fictitious villagers made meals like vegetable stew. Occasionally, you'd catch a villager with an apple in his hand. But none of the villages had farms or fields or anything of that sort, and the forest surrounding wasn't one to have fruit trees.

So the writer got an idea - one she DEARLY hoped made sense. She decided that she had better mention places beyond Fawood as well - it was a stupid excuse to say that Fawood was infinite. Beyond, there could be open plains and farmland, and stuff like fruits, vegetables, wheat, and many other resources could be imported. By... trade. Or something.

The end.

~Are there biases in your world, and how do they define the people? Is there a class structure and how would it affect the characters?~

There's supposed to be complete equality among all villagers. Though the mayors are the leaders, they're not supposed to act all high-and-mighty or indulge in any of the taxes the people must pay (to keep the villages in good condition, of course). Though they are in a higher position, they're villagers too, like everyone else.

Mayor Gerwin, the head of Lenhador (Delmy's village), is the perfect example of a good mayor. The mayor of the village next door... is not. But that guy doesn't come in until the sequel.

~What belief structures/worldviews do your characters hold? What are some philosophies of your story?~

Beliefs? This seems like a good place to talk about Peter Pan! *rubs hands together*

Peter Pan is a big legend. The villagers' belief in him is one of the few threads of hope holding them together amidst the increasing shapeshifter kidnappings. Many of the old stories tell of his heroic appearance at just the right moment, of his countless rescues of villagers long ago. He hasn't made any such appearance in decades, but the people still believe he's real, that he's alive. THEY ARE BELIEVERS.

And then there's the widespread belief that as long as you stay in your village and don't venture into the woods, you're safe. You're secure. As if a bubble of protection surrounds the villages and keeps shapeshifters away.

Delmy thinks that's stupid.

~Describe the general infrastructure (i.e., cities and what are those like?) What are the main locations in your story? (Bonus points: include a map.)~

The villages are collections of two-story homes scattered around a "hub" - the village square. Almost every square has a fountain in the center and is made up of the mayor's house and all the businesses - mainly shops. It's a super simple layout, which I think (read: hope) is okay.

Though generally speaking the villages are cookie-cutter, many of them have something unique that they're known for. For example, Kaynta is known for its large swimming hole and Pyll is known for its large orphanage (hence lots of unsupervised children running around). There's nothing remotely special about Delmy's village, though. Maybe I should change that...

~How is trade carried out through the story world, and how do the cities and nations interact with each other?~

Cities? Nations? Hahahaaaaa... my world does not have distinct nations, or cities. The villages are all their inhabitants know. Because the shapeshifters make traveling scary and rare, they aren't very educated on the farmland beyond except that... it's farmland. All the import stuff happens in the village right at the edge of Fawood, and since I got the idea for the "trade" between "lands" more recently than you may think, I haven't sketched the details in my head yet. If ANY of you have ANY ideas about that communication, I implore you... do comment. World-building is clearly not my strong point. xD

~Are there any special or unique traditions or ceremonies that your world is known for?~

Not really, no. But this question has given me an idea for a ceremony I could invent. Considering how frequent and tragic kidnappings are, it's only right to hold a kind of "funeral" for them, correct?? Except... uhhhh, I don't have that. I've never mentioned anything like that. O.O

I'm thinking a pyre of sorts could be involved, even though the actual body is unavailable. No one knows what the shapeshifters do to their captives, but the captives never come back. Which leads to the natural assumption that they end up dead.

~Are there any significant historical events which affected the way your story world is now?~

Unless I want to talk about Peter Pan's past heroism again and the way that's affected the people... then no. I got nothing.

via GIPHY

~What do you love most about your world?~

Look, I know I've been talking about the villages and Fawood this whole post, but for this question, I just have to jar you with an answer concerning Neverland.

via GIPHY

(Yes, I'm answering with a place, not a quality. GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?)

1) There are killer mermaids.

2) Neverland's biggest secret lies beneath the waters, and it's the coolest thing ever. Just saying.


PHEW. That was the last one. Those questions were hard, I tell you. But I can't wait to hear what you guys think in the comments (or if you have any ideas to help me further piece my world together... xD)

Now check out the blogs of the participants below and be swept up into their awesome story worlds! They probably have more complex settings than I do, sooooo... why are you still here??

What is your story's world like?

~ Lila Kims

THE 5-PART WRITING SPECIAL // part 1

Greetings, O readers! You have arrived at one of the stops in an exciting month-long writing special! Julian Daventry from the lovely blog Saver of Memories (with the assistance of those who signed up to participate, which includes yours truly) has put together a five-set questionnaire so we can spam our followers' feeds with a bunch of WIP fun. xD Each participant will be posting their answers to the questions every Friday of the month.

At the end of this post you'll find a list of all the blogs participating, so you can visit them and read aaaaalllll the different answers about aaaaalllll the different stories!

The story you'll be hearing about from me all month long is my fairy tale retelling, Dusted Red.

(^^^ This is what I like to call my "WIP Banner." You like?)

Onto the questions for Part 1: Introducing the WIP!

~A 1-3 paragraph blurb of your WIP~

Warning: This a very rough blurb. I whipped it up a while ago and then tweaked it real fast, and I still haven't felt compelled to perfect it. You'll get the gist of the story, though, and that's all you need! ;)

After losing her father to the shapeshifters, Delmy doesn't want anyone else she cares about to slip out of her grasp. But when they take her grandmother, there's nothing she can do but venture into the witch-infested, shapeshifter-filled Fawood and hope she can find the shapeshifters' hidden sanctum before it's too late.

Delmy doesn't expect to meet a single human in the forest, but to her surprise, she encounters a brother and sister wandering aimlessly in search of home. Banding together, the threesome find themselves entangled in something more sinister than the darkest village legends ever hinted at. And worse, some of them may be connected to it in ways they never imagined.

~Describe your WIP in ten short phrases.~

red cloak // lots of dust // guilt // sanctum // shapeshifters // madness // Neverland // "coward" // fairies // tick, tock, tick, tock...

~How did you come up with the idea of your story?~

Oh goodness, I got the idea for this story a long time ago. *racks brain* It probably started as "Red Riding Hood + Hansel & Gretel" and grew from there into Peter Pan as well. I can't be certain, though.

What I AM certain of - at least, fairly certain - is that I got the idea of mashing several fairy tales together from the epic Middle Grade book series Sisters Grimm!

~Why did you choose to write this WIP?  What gave it priority over all the other plot bunnies?~

I can't even make a conjecture. Why must my memory be so... hazy sometimes?? All I know is that around the time I got the idea, I was trying to finish a story set in a different dimension called Dreamland (*wince*), and I think I was ready to start something new.

Oh, and did you know that plot bunnies hate me? They never flood me or bombard me - they come to me one at a time, and are few and far between. But honestly, I am good with that.

via GIPHY

~How did you go about preparing to write it?~

Hahahaha, I didn't plan at all for this. Not for the very first draft. I just took my premise ("Go find Granny and meet Hansel and Gretel and etc. along the way") and pantsed my merry way through the story. It... took a full year. :/

End result: plot holes galore and an unrealistic climax, but a lot of good stuff to work with, so yeah... that's pantsing for ya.

~Did you have to do any research for this story?  What was the most interesting/funny story connected with your research?~

I don't like research. It's too much like school. FIGHT MEH.

I have done a little, though. Seeing as at least 95% of Dusted Red's setting is forest, I decided to be smart and looked up writing articles about using woods in stories. Can't really remember what they said, but...

The most interesting research story there is to tell was when I looked up the difference between grizzly bears and brown bears and the best way to act when encountering either in the woods. Delmy and company had a run-in with bear shifters, and I suppose I wanted to be somewhat educated on the topic of wild animal encounters.

~Was this story easy or hard to write?  Why?~

I'm still writing it, but it's definitely proving itself to be a challenge. Since I love it to pieces at the same time, that makes it an incredibly FUN challenge!

As to why, there are too many things to list.

~Where was your favorite place to write this story?~

In my house. In a chair. On my laptop.

(I'm failing miserably at this question, as you can see, so let's move right along! :D)

~What makes your story unique?~

Four words: CLEAN. TEEN. PETER. PAN. I've looked up numerous YA Peter Pan retellings, and they all have such beautiful covers! Buuuuuut, content issues. Meep.

I know of one that has a love triangle with Wendy between Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and honestly, I love that idea! I'm not TOTALLY against love triangles.

via GIPHY

But again, C O N T E N T.

And there's also one at my library that's a contemporary twist, but I flipped through it and there's lots of partying. Sounds iffy. O.o

So, Dusted Red is unique because it has Peter Pan, it's YA, and it doesn't have bad stuff! 'Cuz I ain't that kinda writer, thanks! 

~What do you love most about your story?~

Upon first glance, I expected this to be a hard question. But surprisingly, NO. The answer popped into my head like that. *snaps fingers* And I don't doubt it either.

I love my guy characters most.

I'm sorry if it sounds weird, but something about the personalities, struggles, flaws, etc. of Hansel, Peter Pan, and Slightly (three of my most primary male characters) just makes me want to huggle them forever. They feel so complex and real to me, and I hope they spill onto the page as such. I LOVE each and every one of my characters, don't get me wrong (except maybe the villain), but my male characters... They have my heart. <3 <3

All righty then, enough talk about me and my story - here are the other lovely persons taking part in this tag! Follow those URLs and enjoy many various answers to these same questions! (though some may not have posted yet, just fyi)

Time to chat! What do you think of Dusted Red so far? What's your WIP about? Oh, and stay tuned for next Friday - there are many more fun questions where these came from! xD

~Lila Kims