Monikers and things
on a normal project, I take incredible care and time in choosing my names. I like to research meanings and historical uses of names before I bestow them on a character.
and I’m doing that, to some extent, with A God Grown Old, but I’m also wrestling with a bit of a legacy these characters already have. both Tikva and Jaren are the original names of characters my sister and I pretended to be when I was 10 and she was 4. they’re so intimately associated with the characters that I’m afraid to change them. but are they the best names for the characters? Tikva means “hope,” and that’s ironic in light of his (vastly changed from his origins) character. Jaren means “cry of rejoicing” – again, not particularly relevant. and Karru, whose name is about six years younger than theirs, means “ploughshare.” no idea why I chose these at first, but…they’re starting to seem a little weird.
can I change them, though? it’s not a legitimate question, it’s a rhetorical one for myself. it’s an interesting thought exercise. would I get more out of the characters if I broke them out of that box? it’s a little bit tempting.
names for characters I’m creating just for A God Grown Old are certainly being chosen with care and pickiness. the ostrich, Luta, is named after my boyfriend’s parents’ two obnoxious animals, Lucy and Pita. it’s very intentional – the ostrich is a pain in the ass, and it’s a fun way to pay tribute to the time of my life during which I’m writing the novel. I’ve also had to use a few names from the myth, which actually works out well because they really do fit.
I’m thinking about changing up the names on the outline and seeing how it reads, and maybe having a few brainstorming sessions where I use placeholders just to see if there are possibilities I’m missing because I’m trying to revert to their original characteristics.
Want to star in my novel?
just four days to go. get your entries in!
—-
as I launch into the final phase of preparation for my novel – I’m about to write the final draft of the outline, eek!! – I want to start ramping up my promotion of my baby! A God Grown Old is going to be AWESOME… and this is your chance to be a part of it. a real part of it.
so yes, this is a giveaway for a guest appearance in my novel!
I’m still in planning mode, so I’m not giving away too much about the book itself, but here are a few tidbits that should give you a feel for what I’m going to be writing:
- it’s set in the Middle East and North Africa, around 200 AD.
- it’s a re-telling of a famous myth, but from an unusual point of view.
- the main character is a dragon, and the four primary secondary characters (shhhh, it makes sense) are two humans, an Egyptian wolf, and a karkadann.
your character could be just about any animal, creature, or human that would exist in this kind of story-world (remember, this is a myth, so traditional African mythical creatures are welcome as well). you can choose to include an OC you haven’t written into something, or you can have yourself wandering through the wilds of Libya. I am happy to take any name and set of characteristics so long as I can find a creative way to work him, her, or it in to the story.
want to enter? rules rules rules!
- you must be following me. I know, I know, but I don’t post more than two or three times a day max, so I won’t be flooding your dash. plus, if the book sounds like something you’d like to read, you may want to stay informed anyway!
- you may reblog twice and like once. each will be considered an entry, for up to three entries.
- you may follow me on Twitter (AGodGrownOld) for one entry.
- I will be choosing the winner randomly on Monday, April 23rd, and contacting them by the next day. so basically you have ten days from the start of the contest to get your entries in!
I think that’s everything! if you want some more details about A God Grown Old, I am happy to answer some specific questions via my ask, but I’m kind of keeping it under wraps to some extent until I’m a little further along.
thanks for reading, following, reblogging, or snorting with derision! 😉
– August
Today, I outline!
this is a very strange place to be with a project – confident enough to draw up a road map, but hesitant because there’s no way I could be done with research on this subject.
which, in fact, I am not. superhandyawesomeboyfriend was able to find a buttload of helpful stuff last night, which I’m going to peruse today before/while/after I start typing up this outline. yes, it’s finally time – moving away from the notebook and pen and into the digital world.
I’m a little nervous, to be honest. when a project is on paper, it feels alive, real, and changeable. once I have typed it up, it feels like it settles into something resembling really thick clay: I can mold it, but it takes a lot of work and grunting and general whinging. but this has been a new experience, enjoying a novel idea this much, so maybe it will be different.
future-fear is a silly thing. it’s useless, except for informing my plans, but it can be crippling. I experience it a lot, especially regarding people I care about, but it settles like a bad cold over my projects as well.
so here’s to facing future-fear and overcoming it with a few good keystrokes!
Win a character appearance in my novel!
don’t forget about this! just one week to go!
—-
as I launch into the final phase of preparation for my novel – I’m about to write the final draft of the outline, eek!! – I want to start ramping up my promotion of my baby! A God Grown Old is going to be AWESOME… and this is your chance to be a part of it. a real part of it.
so yes, this is a giveaway for a guest appearance in my novel!
I’m still in planning mode, so I’m not giving away too much about the book itself, but here are a few tidbits that should give you a feel for what I’m going to be writing:
- it’s set in the Middle East and North Africa, around 200 AD.
- it’s a re-telling of a famous myth, but from an unusual point of view.
- the main character is a dragon, and the four primary secondary characters (shhhh, it makes sense) are two humans, an Egyptian wolf, and a karkadann.
your character could be just about any animal, creature, or human that would exist in this kind of story-world (remember, this is a myth, so traditional African mythical creatures are welcome as well). you can choose to include an OC you haven’t written into something, or you can have yourself wandering through the wilds of Libya. I am happy to take any name and set of characteristics so long as I can find a creative way to work him, her, or it in to the story.
want to enter? rules rules rules!
- you must be following me. I know, I know, but I don’t post more than two or three times a day max, so I won’t be flooding your dash. plus, if the book sounds like something you’d like to read, you may want to stay informed anyway!
- you may reblog twice and like once. each will be considered an entry, for up to three entries.
- you may follow me on Twitter (AGodGrownOld) for one entry.
- I will be choosing the winner randomly on Monday, April 23rd, and contacting them by the next day. so basically you have ten days from the start of the contest to get your entries in!
I think that’s everything! if you want some more details about A God Grown Old, I am happy to answer some specific questions via my ask, but I’m kind of keeping it under wraps to some extent until I’m a little further along.
thanks for reading, following, reblogging, or snorting with derision! 😉
– August
