#WatchMeWrite: Characters with a will of their own

Hey hey hey! NaNoWriMo is nearly over, so that's why you get a #WatchMeWrite of ... not my NaNo project.

Instead, let's take a look back at Matryoshka, which will be first order of business once exams are over! (Yes, blookunity, winter is coming, but never fear. Alyssa will return ... or at least the blogging clone will.) A chapter of Kim, my fav character in this WIP:

Or click to view in new tab.

If you join my takeout army before December 12th, you can read the entire chapter, so what are you waiting for?

As I construct my revision plan, I slowly realise just how much Kim has changed from her cameo appearance in Shadowplay, the Matryoshka prequel I am planning to rewrite into a novella someday. Kim was always intended to be something more — or rather, she intended to be something more.

Fictional character or not, Kim is not someone to be controlled ... not for long, at least.

A look back at Kim in Shadowplay:

“There are those who would like nothing more than a pretext such as this to eliminate those who share your view. Penning this document would be the stupidest thing you could possibly do, Senator Astova [better known to you as the Chancellor in Matryoshka]. I advise you to forget you ever thought of it and, failing that, never show it to the Prime Minister.”

“The Prime Minister is a reasonable man,” Mona Wynn [a random Senator] said. “He will listen to us.”

“Dominic Mallister will listen to nothing, take the list and execute you all for treason when the time is right.” Kim stood, finished her drink and placed it on a passing server’s tray. “And on that note, I take my leave. Good luck, Senators.”

When I first conceived the idea of Shadowplay, Kim definitely wasn't there — but somehow she found her place as a cameo, then as a secondary character, and look at her now in Matryoshka: a PoV character in her own right and my favourite character.

Instead of being the strict matron-like and randomly Asian character with an unbending grip on the law, Kim has now developed to be much, much more. And if you'd like to explore her character more fully, my takeout army will receive an early Christmas present in the form of an entire Kim chapter from Matryoshka. So don't miss out on the chance to read it!

Writers, how have your characters developed behind the scenes? Readers, do you approve of Kim's character changes?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• How did @AlyssaC_HK's secondary character become her fav PoV character in the sequel? (Click to Tweet)

#WatchMeWrite is a campaign started by E. R. Warren and Samantha Chaffin, wherein writers record their process, speed it up, add music, and show it to the rest of the world. Here are all past #WatchMeWrite videos!

Snazzy Snippets: Evidence of a Terrible First Draft

So in case you didn't hear last week, Snazzy Snippets co-hosted by myself and Emily @ Loony Literate is back! Snazzy Snippets is a chance for writers to share snapshots of their writing around certain themes. You can find out more and link up with us here!

Today I'm sharing two snippets from my NaNo project Witches Black and Silver, and one from my other WIP Matryoshka.

WARNING: the first two snippets were written in NaNo, and are appropriately rambling and absolute weirdness from typing too quickly. I hope they are at least entertaining.

Oh, and another thing: because of school and such, I have not been replying or commenting back for the last couple posts. I'm barely finding enough time to complete my NaNo project, so right now blogging is on the back burner. I have posts to last for a few weeks, but we'll see. Thanks for understanding!

A snippet without dialogue

Mo had time to wash the blood off her hands and violently eat a Hong Kong snack—probably fishballs—before she had to be at the mechanical shop.

Mechanics were dull and Mo really preferred the impossibilities of the nighttime sky. They said the stars disappeared above Hong Kong decades ago, but the city broke down and the stars shone again. Mo sometimes stood on one of the tallest buildings with teeth at the top—yes, I mean IFC in case you were wondering—and looked over the skyline and felt really rather powerful. And this paragraph was supposed to be poetic but it’s too early in the morning.

Is this in any way clear she likes maths instead?

Besides, mechanics paid less. But Mo needed a pretence that she wasn’t actually robbing corpses because tradition. Everyone pretended that was still a thing, and this line should be more quotable.

... I did tell you I rambled in these snippets.

WIBAS is set in Hong Kong, or at least starts in Hong Kong and kind of becomes a roadtrip up north to China. It's all rather vague right now. It is, however, a futuristic wartime Hong Kong, so it's not completely realistic, but I do hope to convey that sense of a city almost too large to remember its people.

A snippet featuring a family member

This being a Mulan retelling, you'll be surprised to hear Mo's father never appears in person. It's complicated. I swear it's still a retelling. Here, have her brother instead:

Mo murdered two people that morning and her family would never know.

And of course she didn’t feel guilty about that, and she didn’t feel guilty about brushing her mum off. Mo went off to boil Chinese medicine, which smelled absolutely horrible and might be kind of useless, if she went by the mechanic, but it worked if you believed in it kinda thing.

Bro: I don’t like this.

Mo: Too bad. I don’t like life much. Drink up! [feeds to bro] [cuddles] Mo hugged him mainly because she wished someone did the same for her, and her mum totally used to, but no.

Bro: Could I go to school?

Mo: We’ll see. [He always asked, her answer was always the same, and she did not take pleasure in this lie.]

Mo never went to school bc she was poor and stuff. Her mum tried to teach her bits of stuff when her father was around but then she had depression and stopped. Her grandmother had a proper education but that didn’t happen.

Basically, to sum up this family, the dad was missing, the mum had depression, Mo had some sort of murder complex, and the bro had some kind of chronic illness.

Yeah, that is actually my first draft. Revising is going to be such a pain in the neck, to put it politely.

Me when revising, to put it less politely.

A snippet that took forever to write

To stop the blookunity from rioting at the abysmal quality of the above two snippets, have a snippet from Matryoshka that's slightly more coherent:

Mallister curled his fingers around a quill. “We are dealing with criminals of a most subtle mind. Thomas schemes like his father, Ramzi Nejem pushed for war right alongside Stanley Mexrenne, and Aisha would throttle me if not for reputation. There’s no shame in admitting we need help.”

Kim reclaimed her composure during his speech. “An extra garrison is not what Your Excellency has in mind?”

“No indeed. I thought we might hire the pirates of Barbos.”

The Midli islands had their fair share of pirates sailing the straits, but Barbos boasted brutality and absolutely no morals. Kim never managed to drag them into the courts after their attack on the capital at the end of the war.

“I would go myself, but …” When he sighed, Mallister’s breath rattled like an old man’s.

They’d all grown old. They stitched together the country after war and the rebels tore the stitches apart. The fight didn’t seem worth making. “What terms would you offer?”

“You disapprove.”

Kim tolerated much that she disapproved. “Justice is blind. I am not.”

I don't even know why this snippet was so hard — I think it was just general out-of-inspiredness at the time, and the wording still feels awkward to me, but I am rather proud of Kim's lines. I'm rather proud of Kim, in general, as I feel obliged to mention she is the hanbok-wearing justice lady of Matryoshka.

Did you link up with Snazzy Snippets? (Hint: click here to join us.) What books are in your hometown?

Snazzy Snippets: Arabic Food and Rebel Judges

So in case you didn't hear last week, Snazzy Snippets co-hosted by myself and Emily @ Loony Literate is back! Snazzy Snippets is a chance for writers to share snapshots of their writing around certain themes. You can find out more and link up with us here!

Today I'm sharing more snippets from Matryoshka. Without further ado:

A snippet with food

The sitting room was polished to a bronze shimmer. The singers fluttered behind the screen in the corner, and Thomas personally tasted the sweet and spiced teas. The kitchens were still working, but the tables were laden with food already. Flatbread with a side of mashed lentils and cumin seeds, duck and chicken roasted with mint, figs rolled in honey and cinnamon, a basket of mangoes and peaches shipped from the south.

Thomas estimated how much of a dent tonight made in their funds. They couldn’t shame the Mexrenne name by being a poor host, but Thomas was not a Mexrenne. He did not command his father’s fortune.

He greeted their guests himself. After all, Thomas was the showpiece tonight, a second chance for the south after losing the civil war. “You have much of Stanley’s look” was the new catchphrase, often attached to “for a bastard”. That was the best compliment of the evening.

Since Thomas comes from Valz Sommari, inspired by a mix of Spanish and Egyptian and Arabic (but mostly Arabic) culture, I had to research all the food. Mashed lentils sounds delicious, in my opinion.

The latter two paragraphs aren't really about food, but they add context to the lavish food descriptions. Hospitality is an important part of southern culture. In order to acquire political and social sway, Thomas and his family are taking some financial risks.

It's not much of a plot point unless I ever write the sequel, but personally I think more challenge-the-government stories need to address the issue of finances.

A snippet you're really proud of

Oh, remember the quote posters I made? Here's the context for one of them, in which Thomas is, as usual, both arrogant and adorable (hopefully):

“You will succeed to your father’s legacy in time, we promise.” His uncle poured Thomas a cup of spiced tea. “But we will never build a future chasing the past, said a wise poet.”

“You’re not a wise poet, uncle.”

The past was not such an ill thing to chase. He learned accounting and trading in his childhood home with the white stone arch, his father’s thrice-yearly gifts of books and jewellery, and the unkept promise that he would come back from the war.

But the war never ended. Not for him. Thomas would fight to his dying breath for his father’s legacy. No one else could stand in his place.

Just to jog your memory, here's the quote poster I made:

Your first 500 words

I actually did share a good portion of my first 500 words last round of Snazzy Snippets, so this time I'll instead share the first couple paragraphs from the PoV of Kim, my semi-antagonist.

(Really though, I want to see a show of hands in the comments. Who roots for Kim, and who's on Thomas' side?)

Kim traded her good sense for justice seven years and eight months ago. She never stopped regretting it, and she would never choose differently.

On the weathered gallows, a corpse rattled in the autumn wind and leered down at her. The trial had been yesterday and Kim remembered every detail. Which house was burnt, whose graves raised, which children orphaned. That hadn’t changed for all the terrorists of the past years. Nor had their sentence—death, death and nothing else for treason—or her silent vow to spare them if they apologised.

They never apologised. They set the world on fire for their dreams and the law meant they perished in the flames.

Kim's character started as an unbending justiciar, as Shadowplay readers may recall. But when I fleshed out her backstory as a Matryoshka PoV, I soon realised she started out as a revolutionary/terrorist like the rebels in Matryoshka. To balance these two sides, I had her stick to this one ironclad rule: she'd forgive any rebel who repented of their bloody terrorist ways.

How ironclad is it really? You'll find out in later chapters. (To stay updated, join my takeout army and be the first to know anything and receive chances to read it!)

Did you link up with Snazzy Snippets? (Hint: you should.) Do you root for Thomas or Kim more?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Read @AlyssaC_HK's snippets of Arabic food, bastard boys and a vow. (Click to Tweet)

Beautiful People: Thomas Continues His Bratty Ways

Beautiful People is a linkup hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In, where writers answer questions about their books/characters. As should be obvious from the headline, I continue to discuss Thomas of Matryohska.

Before that, though, a confession—I'm right now in something of a writing slump. I hope that answering today's questions will help somewhat, but if you're so inclined, go and stalk me at myWriteClub. And if I'm not writing, throw unicorns at me or something. It works.

Now, onto the questions!

1. They’re in a crisis: who would they really like to see right now?

In a sticky situation, Thomas uses the fake-smile-on-face and look-for-help method. Which is to say, he can't do anything and he knows it.

Normally, he'd look for his mother Aisha, who is his political and life coordinator. After a while in the capital, Thomas might keep an eye out for Dan, the street-smart and gorgeous Chancellor's aide. And that is all I shall say on the subject.

2. Are they easy to get along with?

HAHAHAHA. No.

There's a reason I call him a brat internally, and so do a bunch of people in-universe. Thomas has excellent social skills which are limited to smiling when insulted and threatening people when smiling. But he's not quite mastered the knack of actually being considerate instead of acting considerate.

3. Who was the last person they had a deep conversation with?

Okay, Cait, this is just a weird question. When are you asking this? Is it at the beginning of the story? Halfway in the middle of the boss battle with legendary Pokemon? At the end of the story?

I will say that one of my favourite "deep" conversations in the book features Thomas and his uncle. Some unfortunate revelations regarding his father are made. Let's just say it's unwise to dedicate your life to avenging your father when he, you know, started a war.

4. They’re in the middle of a huge crowd of people: how do they feel?

While Thomas is competent at social gatherings, it's more out of necessity for his political goal of unseating his father's killer. I do imagine it takes a lot out of him to pretend not to be hurt by other people's assumptions of him due to his bastardy.

5. Do they believe in luck or miracles?

He probably believes in luck. If he believed in miracles, he'd have to believe in deities, which (a) I did not create for the Matryoshka universe and (b) he'd probably blame them for his father's death anyways. He factors neither into his consideration, being an arrogant brat.

6. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?

So ... he does not really have neighbours. When he was young, he stayed indoors so that no one knew his father, the unmarried provincial Governor, had a lover and a child. Then he was kind of on the run, and fugitives don't tend to mingle. In the capital, though, he does invite the southerners there to several dinners and gatherings.

7. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?

I'm gonna quote a little passage by our resident brat that's less bratty than usual:

I have never been to my father’s grave. The moment we lost the war, I fled my own country to save my neck. The best reminder I have of my father is a mirror.

8. How do they feel about their body?

Ooh, this is an interesting one. Even though Thomas resembles his father, he's not particularly handsome and is aware of that. And because southern society places a lot of emphasis on appearance—not just natural hotness, also make-up and fashion—he does overcompensate for it by nitpicking on his own fashion.

9. What is the cruellest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

Look, Cait, this vague timeline of questions has to stop. I mean, seriously.

It's hard to pinpoint one exact thing. Most probably it's a lifetime of insults at his parents' marriage (or lack thereof). But there is this one paragraph I feel it's necessary to quote:

“Brave for one of bastard blood to seek vengeance.” The grain merchant Rashid twirled the end of his purple headscarf. “Or are you here to lick Mallister’s boots?”

This happens at a party Thomas is hosting. This guy is his guest. Seriously, to hell with guest right and rip his head off already, Thomas.

Instead of taking my sage advice, Thomas smiles and shrugs it off. That is basically the sum of his coping mechanism, and it doesn't work for the entire novel. Again, lips sealed.

10. What’s the kindest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?

Again, it's difficult to pinpoint exact lines, but there are two moments where Thomas is kind of speechless with feels:

Aisha beckoned him forward and kissed him, a light brush on each cheek. “Peace be with you, Thomas. You would make your father proud.”

Thomas' mother does an excellent job of raising him, but Thomas' eventual goal to defeat Mallister hung between them for half his life. Besides, Aisha herself doesn't hold up quite that well after her lover's death. Not that Thomas notices without his uncle telling him, because Thomas has the observation abilities of a log.

Moment 2 is fairly insignificant for Thomas, but a wonderful, wonderful defining moment for the Chancellor Rosalina, who I've only mentioned briefly in this post before. After Thomas rescues Rosalina from an unwelcome conversation:

“Thank you, Thomas.” Rosalina’s smile turned warm, and Dan echoed the grin with a flash of teeth.

Thomas bowed his head to hide the heat in his cheeks. When he did well, strangers laughed him and his mother praised him, but no one thanked the bastard. “My pleasure,” he said, and it was not a lie.

That's a wrap! Did you participate in Beautiful People? Do you pity Thomas or does he annoy you?

For chances to read Matryoshka, join my takeout army and receive monthly news of my writing and other magic, madness, and murder! Also, keep an eye on this spot next Wednesday -- the next Snazzy Snippets is arriving then with more Matryoshka snippets.

Inside the WIP [1]: 777 Challenge

So if you have an extraordinarily long memory, you may remember the flash survey we had a while ago. I suggested a new feature to showcase excerpts from my WIP.

Then the ingenious Christina said this on Twitter:

@AlyssaC_HK Also psst if you ever decided to do a quote wallpaper blog series or something, it would be the best thing. :D

— christina im (@_christinaim) July 7, 2015

And also the lovely Heather tagged me for the 777 Challenge, to share lines 7-14 from page 7 of my current ms, which, of course, is Matryoshka.

First, I shall share my excerpt:

“We lost that currency [of surprise] at the harbour.” His uncle spoke more quietly than Thomas, but made Aisha turn her eyes to him. “Thomas has a point. And we always wanted Kim’s friendship.”

“Why do we need her friendship?” Thomas asked. “She is legally bound to consider our petition.” 

Aisha shrugged in response, then said to Ramzi, “The chances of her betraying Mallister are too slim. We don’t want to let her see our full strength. I’m certainly not parading Thomas in front of her.”

“Meaning no offence, mother, but I can parade myself. I will not stand aside while you scheme to avenge my father.”

I tag these people for the 777 challenge, mainly for the completely unaltruistic pleasure of reading their stuff:

• Cait @ Paper Fury: please please please do this because Tremolo is a gift to humanity and needs to be shared
• Topaz @ Six Impossible Things: I know you don't do tags, so no pressure, but oh it would be glorious if I could read more of your words. 
• Aimee @ To the Barricade: Just keep writing and breaking my heart. That is all.
• AnQi @ moonbeams in a jar: your contest-winning Pinterest boards have such glorious premises.

And now, here are a few quote posters from my favourite lines of Matryoshka so far. (You can find out how to make these quote posters yourself in my guest post on Christina's blog here.)

At one point, Thomas is challenged at the cost of starting a second civil war. This is Thomas' response; you have to admit, he does have a point. Even if it's arrogant and bratty.

Another one by Thomas. Kim criticises his late father, and Thomas of course puts that sharp tongue to use. I'm really rather proud of this poster, because the background is technically marble but it looks a touch like blood capillaries.

Some of you may have seen this on Twitter—it's the last line of the entire manuscript. Kim says this, so naturally it is awesome.

This poster was inspired by Christina's cover over at her design shop. This poster is an experiment and I think it could do with some tweaking, but I picked up a couple of stray GIMP techniques making this one.

And one last not-quite quote poster:

he wanted a fairytale and the stars snatched his father.

I've discovered a new love for blackout poetry. Well, okay, it's not really typical blackout poetry, but it's an amazing feeling to juggle fitting these specific words in but free-write the rest.

If Matryoshka catches your fancy, to be sure to watch this space for Snazzy Snippets on September 10th where I'll share more sneak peeks! And for the chance to read it in full, join my takeout army to receive monthly letters from moi!

Favourite quote and/or poster here? OH, and if I joined Ello and posted these, would you follow me?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Writer @AlyssaC_HK shares her novel as quote posters and blackout poetry. (Click to Tweet)

Inverting the Hero

As you read this, I am deep in revision hell, wrestling with Matryoshka. Because I need to procrastinate, this post is a throwback to the wonderful times I had thinking about the grand concept of this novel.

Shortly before planning, I read Aimee's post about nice guys in fiction, and I decided Thomas ought to be a nice guy. Except my inner dark side took over and decided he couldn't be too nice. But he was already perfectly situated to be the hero.

I then traipsed over to TV Tropes (see how much of writing is procrastinating?) and searched up The Hero and You Killed My Father. Then because I like to cause my own violent and painful death, I decided to subvert and/or invert as many of these as possible.

1. A hero is morally superior.

Thomas definitely thinks he has all the unicorns and angels on his side. And from a certain point of view, he might even be right. Seeing as Mallister is more or less a textbook example of manipulative bastards, pun not intended. But his goal is solely to avenge his less-than-virtuous father, not the country!! or the people!!! or even justice. (That last one is Kim's prerogative, anyways.)

If you'll forgive the cliché: doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons. And even more than that, Thomas is his father's son, in that the means justify the ends, and the end is yourself.

2. A hero can bring together his allies as a team.

.. really, I should just re-use the gif, but I wouldn't want to bore you.

From the moment Thomas arrives at the capital, he becomes politically significant. And so there are quite a number of people who negotiate alliances with him. I chose to subvert this in two ways:

a) Most of his alliances were brokered by his mother and his uncle, not him. Plus, his friends are around for political benefits and such, not solidarity or loyalty.

b) Thomas alienates more people than he befriends. At least, the ones who don't look down on him for being a bastard stay well away from his brattiness.

(Thomas is the cutest brat ever, but gods he is a brat.)

3. A hero is skilled in swordfights or the equivalent.

... let's say this again. NO.

Thomas deals in words and politics and threats and he's not half bad at it. But the extent of his martial ability extends to dodging at the right moment. Still, because he's determined to make the world respect him, he does try to pick up a knife when masked miscreants (ooh, alliteration) crash his party. It doesn't end well.

(But really, it shouldn't matter. Because he doesn't want the world's respect, he wants his father's. Sad to say, neither knives nor words can impress dead men.)

4. The hero seeks vengeance for his father; his mother holds him back.

It would be more accurate to say Aisha groomed Thomas for avenging his father. Really, his mother does way more work than him. She does let Thomas do a few things for himself, but as said above: they don't typically end well.

Because really, what fifteen-year-old is excellent at politics compared to a forty-something lady who was a Governor's lover for two decades and in exile from a Prime Minister for another? To be honest, by the time I finished plotting, Thomas wasn't the hero any longer. The capital takes dreaming boys and buries them in graves where they can see the stars forever.

5. Miscellaneous other notes that amused me and therefore happened:

• Thomas is not classically attractive (tangent: have you all heard of the Arabian guy who was deported for being too hot?)
• And really, he never wants to kill Mallister per se. Fight him, ruin him, yeah — but Thomas thinks himself too mannered.
• He's so wary and calculating that if I told the story from another PoV, he could end up being a literal manipulative bastard.

So there we have it. I write problemative-fave antagonists. I write problematic protagonists. There is clearly something wrong with me. (And all my characters, really.)

Did I play enough with the "hero" trope? What other archetypes would you like to see subverted?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Writer @AlyssaC_HK talks about inverting the hero archetype. (Click to Tweet)

For exclusive Matryoshka updates and chances to read it, sign up to receive monthly letters from moi!

Beautiful People: I Don't Have Friends (Just One)

Beautiful People is a linkup hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In, where writers answer questions about their books/characters. And today, we're talking about a topic that really, really doesn't belong in my novels: Friendship.

I've decided, therefore, that I shall rebel and instead portray the working relationship between Kim, the justiciar, and Mallister, the Prime Minister, both characters in Matryoshka.

1. How long have they known each other, and how close are they?

Kim has been Mallister's justiciar for over a decade, and in all that time she has served him loyally through a civil war that was more or less a schism for the entire country. They met much earlier, in an incident often referred to but never quite explained in Matryoshka: the Atelle Incident, on Taglia.*

Because of Kim's cultural and very much Confucian upbringing, she tends to be rather formal around Mallister. And for all her loyalty, she's aware politics aren't quite governed by justice, and so she keeps her distance. Mallister is fond of Kim and appreciates her help, but not enough by half.

2. What’s their earliest memory of being best friends acquaintances?

When Kim left her home country and reached the Republic. She played some part in the aforementioned Atelle Incident, and got out of trouble mainly because Mallister saw potential in her and thought she might be useful. Meanwhile, Kim was blunt even as a younger girl:

But she accepted Mallister's offer of a job as a judge, and once he was elected as Prime Minister, she respected him for trying to bring order to a lawless country. And eventually they began to trust each other.

3. Do they fight? How long do they typically fight for?

Oh, they fight alllll the time. Normally it begins with Mallister suggesting something dodgy, Kim advising against it, and Mallister either prodding Kim to agree it's necessary or conceding and switching to even dodgier methods.

Except because of aforementioned Confucian values, Kim is very formal and emotionless when speaking out against Mallister. This doesn't mean she's any less blunt.

4. Are their personalities similar or do they complement each other?

Kim has the best deadpan snark possible, but her sense of morality is rigid. She may bend to Mallister's will in light of the threat Thomas brings, but her rulings in court are no less brutal than Mallister's political maneuverings. Terry Pratchett said it best:

If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know you're going to die. So they'll talk. They'll gloat.

They'll watch you squirm. They'll put off the moment of murder like another man will put off a good cigar.

So hope like hell your captor is an evil man. A good man will kill you with hardly a word.

Mallister is wily as a fox and calculates his every step when in the political arena against our protagonists. Although his continual struggle for power wearies even himself, he will never stop thinking of increasingly sneaky ways to win. And so they argue quite some.

But between them (and the Chancellor, who really is Kim's friend and would serve better for this theme if I were less of a rebel), they've restored the country to relative security and prosperity after civil war. So yes, I suppose they complement each other.

5. Who is the leader of their friendship (if anyone)?

Mallister, absolutely. As her direct superior, Mallister often commandeers Kim's courts for his political purposes. And Kim, having seen a civil war and the scars afterwards, lets it go more often than not. As Mercutio said:

If love be blind, love cannot hit the mark.

Justice is not so different.

6. Do they have any secrets from each other?

Oh, all the secrets. Mallister ... well, let's just say he doesn't see the law to be an issue so long as he can worm his way out of it. Kim isn't oblivious to it, but again, she cuts him some leeway.

Kim's clever enough to know about Mallister's ruthlessness, so if she can, she hides other people's vulnerabilities from him. She also doesn't bring up her doubts of him, especially as they fight together against Thomas.

7. How well do they know each other’s quirks and habits?

Kim's picked up several tricks from reading people in the courts. She pays attention to Mallister's social cues to try to work out what he's not saying, what he's hiding from her. But she also worries about him when he starts to push himself too far to rid themselves of Thomas.

On the other hand, Mallister knows Kim's motivations dangerously well. It's how he's avoided Kim turning against him, for all his less-than-legal tricks. But he doesn't quite know, or even care, about her state of mind or preferences or anything, really, so long as he's secured her loyalty..

8. What kind of things do they like to do together?

... persecute the street fighters who are the remnants of the losing side in the civil war, I guess? Kim makes some killer tea (of the Korean sort, if you're curious), so they also drink tea while discussing state affairs.

Look, I told you they weren't really friends.

9. Describe each character’s fashion style (use pictures if you’d like!) How are their styles different/similar?

I'M SO HAPPY YOU ASKED THIS.

Kim wears a hanbok, which is not really called that in the novel but nonetheless. It's a Korean style-gown that's cinched at the waist with very wide skirts. I'm really not doing the actual garment justice, so here's a picture. Kim prefers to wear dark colours rather than the richer fabrics in the picture, but it has a lovely aura of dignity I associate with Kim.

Kim's spent most her life in the Republic, but just as the world never forgets she's a foreigner, she never forgets her home country either.

Like Kim, Mallister also prefers darker colours, but doesn't shy away from overt expressions of wealth. And he's old enough to carry more ostentatious clothes without appearing much of a peacock. Imagine this, but with white hair:

10. How would their lives be different without each other?

Kim would still be wandering the west with her brand of vigilante justice. And Mallister? Our master politician might still manage, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Writer @AlyssaC_HK shares a non-quite friendship and her hanbok-wearing antagonist. (Click to Tweet)

For the earliest deets on Matryoshka, join my takeout army and receive monthly lettesr from moi!

*The person who understands this absolutely terrible pun receives brownie points for being an excellent troper.

#WatchMeWrite: The Matryoshka Antagonist Triumvirate

#WatchMeWrite is a campaign started by E. R. Warren and Samantha Chaffin, wherein writers record their process, speed it up, add music, and show it to the rest of the world. Here are all past #WatchMeWrite videos!

So basically I have ranted on the blog again and again about my new Camp NaNo WIP. And you shall be hearing more of Thomas and the crew, except ... it sort of became not about Thomas and the crew.

Or click to view in new tab.

Curiously, I find myself more and more partial to the apparent antagonists in Matryoshka. Here's why they are my problematic faves:

Kim, our foreign justiciar

• Asian (Korean to be specific)
• DID I MENTION SHE'S KOREAN (and her culture influences her a lot)
• pretends to be stern but snarks at everyone
• is right 99% of the time
• but no one listens to her 'cos no one listens to the lady with the awesome dress
• did I mention she wears a hanbok? BECAUSE SHE DOES.

Mallister, our Prime Minister 

• the most dignified tyrant of ever
• may be old but is still the best manipulative bastard in town
• even more than the actual bastard Thomas
• loves his missing daughter (Shadowplay readers, do not spoil who she is)
• is (platonically) fond of Kim, no matter what he says

Rosalin, the resident Cinderella

• by Cinderella I mean she's kind and no one gives her credit
• lost an arm and is still Mallister's technical deputy
• literally gives everyone a chance
• is friends with Kim and in a better book, i.e. not mine, they would rule together

Oh, and for even more antagonist goodness, I'm recording a version with a voiceover (thanks @inkylove16 on Twitter for suggesting!) just for my takeout army. I will talk about everything from the music to puns to playing with languages. And if you're not part of my ranks, you can join now to receive that upgraded version in a week!

Do you prefer heroes to villains, protagonists to antagonists? Or are you secretly evil like me? I MUST KNOW. Comment away.

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Writer @AlyssaC_HK abandons her heroes for her antagonists in a #WatchMeWrite. (Click to Tweet)
• A trio of antagonists and problematic faves in @AlyssaC_HK's latest #WatchMeWrite. (Click to Tweet)

Snazzy Snippets: A Closer Look at Matryoshka and Sparse Drafts

So I'm linking up with my own link-up. It sounds weird, but hey, my link-up, my rules.

(Okay, so really it's a collab project with Emily @ Loony Literate, but still.)

Snazzy Snippets is a chance for writers to share snapshots of their writing around certain themes. You can find out more and link up with us here!

Today I'm sharing snippets from the first draft of Matryoshka, which I first introduced in this #WatchMeWrite. You can read all related posts here. Without further ado:

A snippet that shows your MC’s personality

"You’ve always wanted to go to the capital," Thomas' mother said.

"We want a great many things." He wanted to sail across the world, learn a thousand languages and taste as many wines, slay exotic beasts and raise a city in his name, make promises and sell his heart to keep them, kiss a girl with hair of sunlight. He wanted a fairytale and the stars snatched his father.

He was back now to defy the stars.

His mother rewarded him with a thin-lipped smile. "Mallister’s head most of all."

That paragraph right there is a heavy dose of foreshadowing. I had so much fun with it.

A snippet featuring the villain

Well, to be honest, I'm not sure that Thomas can't be the villain as well. Another POV character, Kim, definitely views him as such.

Soldier: *smiling*

K: Stop smiling.

Soldier: Why? We're at the Dpt of Justice, no one can see us.

K: Stop. Smiling. *is watching Thomas* *approaches him carefully*

“Peace be with you,” the boy said in Derroni, pressing his hand to his heart. “I’m looking for the justiciar.” His [skin colour] face was too long and solemn to be called handsome, but that crooked smile made a thousand empty promises. That wasn’t why Kim’s heart was racing.

The boy wore the loose white robes of the south and the face of Stanley Mexrenne.

Remember I mentioned my Camp NaNo draft was basically a "sparse draft"? Here's an example in full force. Notable points:

• asterisk-framed actions like cyberspeak
• no true dialogue tags
• shortened names (K = Kim)
• square brackets as I hadn't decided on how exactly to describe Thomas' skin colour

A snippet that’s mostly dialogue

Basically my entire novel is mostly dialogue, since that was the focal point of my sparse drafting method. But here's a cute passage I quite enjoyed writing:

T: Kindness does the dead no favours.

D: And vengeance does? *exasperated*

The whiplash reply [elevated] Thomas’ opinion of Daniel at once. T: We began on a bad note, Dan, and I apologise. Perhaps we might begin again. *hand on heart*

Dan: *shrugs* sure. The Chancellor sympathises with some parties in less desirable parts of town, but she is set against violence. I might take you there and you could ask them to stand down? Since you serve the same cause.

T: Take me where?

D: The abbey. It’s abandoned, but the rebels have turned it into their base. Just behind the old market by the sea.

T: The old market is the black market. [in less modern but equally blunt terms]

D: You’re quite sharp for a southern boy fresh to the capital.

T: *thinks* You’re quite rude for a Chancellor’s assistant.

This dialogue is way snappier (snazzier, dare I say?) than the time period I'm setting this story in, but that's how it came to me and therefore that's how it's on the paper as a first draft.

Did you link up with Snazzy Snippets? (Hint: you should.) Thoughts on sparse drafting? Was the banter funny?!?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• @AlyssaC_HK linked up with Snazzy Snippets and shared her #CampNaNoWriMo draft. (Click to Tweet)
• Read @AlyssaC_HK's snippets of broken dreams, bastard boys and banter. (Click to Tweet)

Want to stay updated on Matryoshka? Join my takeout army and be the first to basically know anything!

Win CampNaNoWriMo in 14 Days: Sparse Draft

Here's a confession: I've never joined NaNo or its official branch-outs. This July, I tried Camp NaNo out, and finished in 14 days!

After writing, revising, rewriting, revising, and editing my last project, I've come to learn that I have a few main weaknesses:

• confidence in that most of the story won't change
• inability to pin down character motivations in the first draft
• trouble with plot structure and pacing

Additionally, most of my writing comes from me obsessively thinking about my idea, and then picturing snapshots or snippets of scenes in my head. And so here's my idea to draft my new project in Camp NaNo:

Sparse draft: a draft composed mainly of dialogue and character interactions, with minimal description or words in general. Often includes excessive square brackets indicating changes to be made.

What sparse drafting allowed me to do:

This draft is only about 40K compared to a projected 90K of the final draft. Basically I spilled ink all over the virtual page. So basically, the first upside is that I'm free-wrote really really quickly. If I know a scene needs to exist but it's not in my head, I leave a note in square brackets and move on. If I can't figure out the chinks in this scene, I leave a note in square brackets and move on. If I don't know what I'm doing, I leave a note ... yeah, you get the idea.

It'll also get rid of all the fluff and pretty metaphors that I'm rather fond of. I'm not saying I'll leave them out if they come to mind, but I'll do my utmost not to dwell on style at all. Sentence fragments, square brackets, even script-type dialogue — it doesn't matter. My job isn't even to get the words down, it's just to get the ideas down.

And the ideas that I have to get down? I made this list for myself:

• plot events and general structure
• dialogue
• character goals and motivations
• genre elements

What sparse drafting will stop me from doing:

All the things that I won't be focusing on:

• character thoughts and characterisation thereof
• writing style
• worldbuilding
• any sort of literary stuff

These are mainly things I've judged unimportant until I have the approximate novel down — I might not reintroduce them until I finish the second draft. A sparse draft stopped me missing the forest for the trees, and we can hammer it out from the panorama to the pixel.

My progress at myWriteClub. Find me at alyssacarlier!

The actual project I worked on:

Background by Jon Vlasach (x)

Matryoshka: a story set in the same world as the now-shelved Shadowplay, eight years after the events of that project. In a nutshell, it's a novel about:

• Thomas, the bastard son of a now-dead rebel leader, returned to take revenge on his father's nemesis after eight years in exile;
• Kim, the right-hand woman of said nemesis, sworn to enforce law and order in the country but with a soft spot for revolutionaries;
• Alisaria, a scholar of an institution that's just invented gunpowder, tasked by said institution to return to her home country and depose the somewhat autocratic ruler;
• and what's really frightening is that it's smack in the middle of a "dead" genre: YA dystopian.

You could see me plan in my #WatchMeWrite, and stay tuned for up-close looks at excerpts this Saturday and in July's #WatchMeWrite. And stay updated on my process by reading monthly letters from me to you!

Thoughts on my process? On my novel idea? The comments are yours!

Share my Camp NaNo love on Twitter:

• How did @AlyssaC_HK finish her Camp NaNo goal in 14 days? Read about her sparse drafting method. (Click to Tweet)

#WatchMeWrite: New WIP, feat. charming boys and steel-hearted princesses

#WatchMeWrite is a campaign started by E. R. Warren and Samantha Chaffin, wherein writers record their process, speed it up, add music, and show it to the rest of the world. Here are all past #WatchMeWrite videos!

Exams are over, winter summer is coming, and it's time for a new project. I'm jumping on the Camp NaNo bandwagon — still not sure whether I'll actually sign up on the site, but hey, I'm writing in July and that's what counts.

'Tis the season for discussing pantsers and plotters, and to be honest I've always identified with the former. Except for this ms all the ideas just kept spilling out during exam season, and I ended up writing so many character and plot details I decided to just plan. So here we go.

Or click to view in new tab.

This new WIP is called Matryoshka, and takes place in the same world as my now-shelved ms Shadowplay. Some of the ways I'm framing it:

• Charming boys and the brave princesses who'd die for them.
• Two golden-hearted boys in a world of steel-hearted ladies.
• East meets West. Revenge meets politics. Murder meets mundane. Gunpowder meets everyone.
• Star Wars if Luke Skywalker went into politics to take down the Emperor.

If that catches your fancy, I'll be sharing bonus scenes in my monthly letter next week to the world's best takeout grasshoppers, plus a chance to read it!

Thoughts on Thomas and Matryoshka? Are you in Camp NaNo?

Twitter-sized takeout:

• Charming boys and steel-hearted princesses in @AlyssaC_HK's #WatchMeWrite. (Click to Tweet)
• A pantser starts plotting charming boys for Camp @NaNoWriMo. (Click to Tweet)

P.S.: Music for the video was the Rains of Castamere sung by Paola Bennet. I mean, it's a revenge story, how could I not use Castamere?

Beautiful People and #MoreHappyThanNot

Beautiful People is a linkup hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further in, where writers answer questions about their books/characters. In retrospect, it wasn't such a smart idea to plan to join this month's Beautiful People, right as exams begin.

But I kept missing it, so who cares. Also, this month's questions were made in heaven for my character.

Today, I'll be unveiling a character from a somewhat secret WIP. This month's #WatchMeWrite will reveal more about the WIP, but I'll tell you know the main character's called Thomas and he'll be answering these questions. *pokes him out into the takeout spotlight*

1. Do they know both their biological parents? Why/why not?

I'd prefer it if you spoke to me if I were actually here. My mother has lived with me and mentored me for my entire life, so I daresay I know her well. My father always took the time to visit me, although circumstances meant it was difficult for him to be around.

Alyssa: What he's not saying is that his parents weren't married.

A private wedding, if you please. And I'd argue that his murder for political dissent was a more significant factor. I do hope to reclaim my inheritance soon.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

A striking resemblance to my father, I'm told. Much to the dismay of certain onetime rivals in the capital. Although we do try to encourage that viewpoint—well was it said that looking the part is halfway to being the part.


3. What's their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

My mother tends to dress more modestly, with a veil or a headscarf, to avoid attracting undue attention. We'd hardly want the northerners to know about me. On the other hand, my father—

Alyssa: Ahem, the question said 'parental figures'. Besides, we can't let Shadowplay readers know whose son you are.

I beg your pardon. My uncle, who escaped with me to exile after my father's death, prefers more richly embroidered fabrics. He is a merchant at heart, and only left to assist me.

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

*nudges Thomas offstage* I'll take this one.

Even though Thomas' father wasn't present for much of his life, Thomas is very similar to him. He's wary and likes to have as much information as his fingertips as possible before making decisions. He also feels somewhat entitled to others' support, since he's the only living heir of a political dynasty.

But like his uncle, he's a very good judge of character. Other people's, that is, based on his uncle's information network. He's not a very good judge of himself, which is why I'm here. For the next question, too.

5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

I haven't decided a lot about southern culture, but I'm fairly certain that family would be a huge aspect, especially the mother figure. Besides, Thomas spent half of his life in exile when he could only trust his mother and uncle, so he respects both of them. He reserves unlimited admiration for his father.

6. If they had to describe their parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be?

My mother is ambitious—on my behalf, that is. She will open her veins before she lets the northerners force us into hiding for the rest of my life. I don't mean to disappoint her.

My father was a revolutionary. He died befitting one, although ideas and legacies don't die out. They live on and break through the night. Although this particular sun rises from the west.

My uncle is kind. A strange trait for a merchant, you'll agree, but his empathy means he's extremely good at predicting others' moves and mistakes. And he's always been there for me.

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life? + 10. What’s their favourite memory with their parental figure(s)?

My mother and uncle raised me in exile, and they continue to advise me as I return to the capital. And my father—he once gave me a silver coin and showed me the two sides. The sigil of the Republic, on one side, and on the other one of our Prime Ministers. Power and death. He gambled on that and the honour of his rivals, and lost. I intend to win.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?

Alyssa: *endows Thomas with the power of author's foresight*

When my mother decided to remarry. To be sure, she was acting in my interests, but she would settle for half-measures when I would have fought until my last breath. It was not her choice, her sacrifice to make. I am her son, and my father's, and no one else.

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?

*jumps back in* I haven't decided what real-world equivalent race he'd be, although his homeland is a cross between Spain and Egypt, so somewhere in the Arab world is likely. On that note, the pictures of Thomas don't necessarily represent his ethnicity.

Then—gloriously—Shelumiel over at Bookish and Awesome created the tag #MoreHappyThanNot. I figured I might make Thomas answer this extra question:

What makes you #MoreHappyThanNot?

I'm more happy than not to be the son and legacy of a great man, of course, and to defend his reputation under the guidance of my mother —

Alyssa: Don't be dull.

Apologies for being dull, as you phrase it. Do you know, I've always wanted to be in the capital. They northerners think all we do in Valz Sommari is feast and fight and wait for summertime, that we can't be trusted with our own province. In their eyes, we're monsters without the scarves of the desert nomads, looking to run every passerby through with a sword. Who's more monstrous, the blunt or the blind?

I'm more happy than not to prove Mallister wrong, walled up in his castle of red bricks. If he looked out of his window, he might notice us outsiders taking over his capital, what with our barbaric silks and tapestries and jewelled knives. The truth is, the capital is the place where history is made, and history isn't just made by the northerners. I'm more happy than not to make history.

(Restrained myself SO HARD from using stage directions. Not super happy with the voice, but it's a start.)

I'm tagging Christina @ fairy skeletons, Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight, Emily @ Loony Literate, Aimee @ Deadly Darlings, Chiara Sullivan @ Delicate Eternity, or basically if you want to do it, consider yourself tagged and let me know in the comments so I can add your name and link here!

Thoughts on Thomas? Shadowplay readers, guess who Thomas' father is? Oh, and if you're in either of the link-ups/tags, drop a link in the comments!

Want to know more about this project? I write monthly letters with exclusive writing updates to my newsletter subscribers!

Oh, and I've removed the faulty related posts widget and added a new one -- let me know if it appears and if the posts are actually relevant :)

*Disclaimer: I haven't read More Happy Than Not before, but Simon Vs was fabulous.