Character Interview #5: Dertryn Jesyn

Hello, fellow digressors. I apologize for my lack of activity on the blog lately -- my addled (read: demented) brain has not been cooperating. I did, however, get some work done on a prequel novella focusing on Talsyn Lethar, Siran Lethar, and Rystar Teln. It's fun. And also painful. They're all so cute... *sniffs* Oh, also, I've been on book withdrawal, because I just finished Jill Williamson's 'Blood of Kings' trilogy, and it was pretty much the best thing ever. I've had a hard time moving on. I mean, how do you move on from something so awesome? Anybody have any ideas? 

ANYWAYS. 

This week, Dertryn Jesyn showed up for an interview, and you all were kind enough to submit questions so that his poor author wouldn't have to come up with them on her own. (No really, you have no idea how much I appreciate y'all's participation. *initiates group hug* Now I just need to step up my game a bit. Character interviews are fun, but I do want to offer other things along with them.) 

(Thanks to the lovely Elizabeth Liberty Lewis for adding the scars!)

What exactly happened while you were captured to leave you scarred? 

My author failed to mention that I don't talk about that time of my life. 

*holds up Dertryn's only remaining relative threateningly* 

Fine. It was more or less a branding. I have other, less visible scars, but the ones on my face were deliberate, left there to remind me that I belonged to the Saethen. I believe Kyra Daehr could elaborate on the process. It involved demon-dragons dragging their claws down my face and leaving some burning substance in the wounds that kept them from fading. It was all very twisted, really. I prefer to think of them as battle scars. 

You do that. What were the captors like? 

Madmen and cowards, most of them. The dragons did little with me directly. It was mostly left up to the men in their employ to break me. I think the idea was to either kill me or wear me down so much that I would gladly join them. A few men protested to the idea of torturing a child, but it didn't end well for them. After that, most of the guards gladly did their part. There was one who broke the mold, but I doubt he's still alive. He helped me escape, and I'll be eternally grateful, but if he's still breathing, he's probably had that last shred of decency beaten out of him by now. 

Mhm. I'm sure. Do you have any lady friends? 

...Could you clarify? 

Lady friends. You know, anyone you're romantically interested in or who is similarly interested in you. 

I don't see how that's anyone's business but my own. I'm not attached to anyone, if that's what you're wondering. I've had a few relationships, but they were all short-lived. Apparently. I'm too hardened for most women's tastes, and the women who are attracted to that aspect of my personality aren't exactly the women I'd keep company with, if you see what I mean. 

What was your best memory from when you were a kid? 

Probably the time Paeren took us to the dragon pens. 

Paeren...? 

...Father. You can't tell me you didn't know that. 

For all you readers at home who can't observe Dertryn's physical reactions to my questions, the look he's currently giving me says something akin to, "You are an idiot." 

You fool around too much. Anyhow, when I was young, Paeren took us to the dragon pens. They weren't literal pens, you understand, but they served the same purpose. Think a horse ranch, except with dragons. Paeren even let me ride with him for a few minutes before he had to leave. Nolan wouldn't even go near the things -- said they looked hungry. He was more interested in whatever book he'd brought along that day. This all happened before the Saethan-servants invaded, of course, so I wasn't afraid of the dragons. They excited me. I could talk of nothing else the whole way home. A week before, I would have jabbered on about a trip outdoors in the same way. I was easily excited. 

You were adorable. And hyperactive. I seem to recall that Nolan hardly got a moment of peace. Have you found yourself confronted with any fangirls? Or have the fangirls all avoided you so far? 

Fangirls, no. Interested persons, occasionally. I think my author only wrote me into about three or four scenes in her book, so it's likely that most people have forgotten I exist by now. Which is fine by me. 

You do know that you're a semi-major character in the next book, right? 

...I was trying to forget that, actually. 

Oh, okay. Well, I'll just keep reminding you, then. What is your dragon Tyri like? Does he feel like a friend to you? 

First off, he is a she. And she isn't especially fond of battle. She'll go into it if I urge her enough, but she's more like a big, scaly, winged dog than anything else. She's black, with silver eyes, and doesn't like people in general. I know people have all these ideas about dragon-riders having a mental connection with their dragons, but that's a myth. We form bonds, but it's the same as any bond a man might form with a favorite dog or a horse he often rides into battle. In that sense, Tyri is bonded to me and no-one else. We were sort of assigned to each other years ago. When I got back to Serdakai territory-- 

Serdakai? Wait, is that the possessive form of 'Serdak'? All these vocabulary words... 

You invented these words and these phonetics. Stop pretending you don't know them. 

Fine, Mister Grumpy-Gills. Continue. 

Gills...? *sighs* Anyhow, when I got home, I was terrified of dragons. That was a slight problem, since our entire culture revolves around the breeding, raising, and training of dragons. It's rather hard to navigate one's way through the mountain without them. Too many pits and drop-offs that would be impossible to cross. So my fear of them was unacceptable. But they couldn't get me to go anywhere near the creatures, so they gave up. Then Tyri came along, and they tried preliminary training with her, but she was too skittish. They didn't know what to do with either of us, so an old friend of Paeren's suggested pairing us. She was small and non-threatening enough that she didn't scare me, and I didn't try to force her to do anything until we were used to each other, so I guess I became her person. Eventually I trained her, and over time I was able to work around other dragons, as well. So it worked out. She's still lazy. And very protective. It's like having a jealous girlfriend with claws and sharp teeth. 

I certainly hope she hasn't eaten any real potential girlfriends. That would be unfortunate. Do you have a favorite food? 

I don't have much preference. We have limited resources inside the mountain, and prolonged trips outside are risky, so anything that originates on the surface is a luxury. I suppose I like apples. I had one once a few years ago, and it was good. Otherwise, I'll eat what I'm given. 
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Well, there it is. Mister Grumpy-Gills made an appearance and actually answered the questions given, for the most part. Or should he be Mister Grumpy-Scales, since he's a dragon-rider...? What do you think? Do you have any more questions now that you know a little bit about the character? This whole interview thing is helpful in keeping him away from Kyra and Sohrem. None of them get along particularly well with each other. 

Anyways, I must be off now. Although I have done some work in that novella I mentioned (which currently has no title), I have done nothing in 'The Rescuer' in a couple of days. I need to go do that. *is distracted by her shiny signed copy of 'Captives' by her favorite author*

No. No distractions. I must be productive. I must cease my continual ramblings and focus my attentions on something worthwhile, something that will make the world a better place. I must cease my digressing once and for all!

...Ha.

Character Interview #4: Yannah Delraen

Hello again, fellow digressors! This past Saturday, I opened up my character, Yannah Delraen, for an interview. For those who might not be aware, this is Sheth's girl, the one on whom Sohrem had a crush strongly enough to make him try to kill Sheth. Yeah, it was interesting. But anyways, here are the answers to your most pressing questions. 

What is being in the Guard like? 

It's not quite what I expected. I mean, I knew that except near the borders, the Guard was fairly inactive. We don't get that many conflicts with other nations these days. But life at the base is actually a little boring outside of training sessions. But that could just be because I was among the younger recruits, so we had to take classes and such. Things get a lot more exciting on patrols. Or at least on the only one I've joined so far. But at the base, since I'm grouped with the newer recruits, it gets extremely tiresome. You'd think people joining the military would at least know how to act their age. They don't. Believe me. The officers are fine, and the people who have some experience under their belt are generally manageable. But I wouldn't be surprised if all recruits under the age of nineteen were discharged for disorderly conduct within the next six months. 

Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised, either. But if they're not discharged, at least you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you'll probably advance more quickly than they will. Maybe. What was the hardest part about having to take care of your younger brothers? Or was it all extremely challenging? 

The hardest part was convincing them that they weren't going to lose me, too. Mother died, Aviram ran away, and Father acted like we didn't exist. But in the end, they lost me anyways. And I always knew deep down that it would happen, so it felt like I was lying to them. But I had to, or they would have lost whatever hope they had left, and where would we have been then? So I guess that was the hardest part. 

If you were suddenly reunited with your younger brothers and the government allowed you to take care of them again, would you leave the Reshan Guard without a moment's hesitation? Even if it meant not being able to say goodbye to the people you met there and leaving them all behind? 

I promised I would come back for them. So I guess I wouldn't have much of a choice. 

What about Sheth? 

He would understand. Or... he would recover. But either way, I have to look after my family, no matter what else I lose in the process.  

Which one of your brothers were you closest with? 

Aviram and I were close for a long time. I was his little sister, and we were both "big siblings" to the younger boys. I mean, the age gap between me and Rens is -- 

Whoa, hold up. Let's just clarify here: How old are your younger brothers, and what are their names? 

...Rensan is fourteen, Shan is eleven, and Joram is eight. 

Got it. Continue. 

I was just going to say that the age gap between me and Aviram is only a little wider than the gap between me and Rens, but I'm... older, I guess, in personality. So it sort of felt sometimes like Aviram and I were parents and our brothers were our children. After Mother died, he got... distant... but we were close once. 

Were you closest to your father or your mother? 

My mother, definitely. My father was... He wasn't cruel or anything. I did love him. Whether he loved me back is debatable. But Mother and I were more alike in personality and beliefs, and the two of them fought so much that I just found it hard to be close to him while I was still close to Mother. 

What are some of your fondest memories about your mother? 

...I... Carissa, I don't want to answer this question. 

Well, you have to. 

Well, I don't want to. 

I wasn't giving you a choice. 

I'm not. Answering. This. 

Come on, kiddo -- it's just a simple question. 

About my mother. 

Yes! 

My dead mother. 

Yeeeeesssss. 

I don't talk about my mother. 

You just did two seconds ago. 

No. 

I'll hurt Sheth. 

You do that fairly frequently. 

I'll hurt him again, and it will be your fault. 

You already did that. 

JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION, WOMAN. 

...No. I don't think I could choose one memory, anyways. They're all painful now. 

All this time, and you still don't have one memory you can look back on and be happy? 

I'm happy for about two seconds before I remember that she's dead. 

Well, what's a memory that makes you happy for two seconds? 

...I guess the time we stayed up late sewing a new tunic for Aviram's birthday. I was anything but a seamstress, so we kept having to yank out stitches. But she always had this way of making me laugh when I was upset. And I swear she intentionally made mistakes just to make me feel better. You could never tell with her. Then Joram came in and wanted to help, so she let him. That was one of the sloppiest tunics I've ever seen, but Aviram actually wore it a lot after that. I'm not sure whether it amused him, or whether Mother asked him to do it. But... actually, that was Aviram's last birthday before... See, this is why I didn't want to answer this question. 

Okay, okay. You can go now if you want. 

But now your readers will think I'm some stubborn, spoiled little brat like Dehlara. 

Ha. I think that's the first time you've called her that out loud. 

...I-i have to go. 

--------------------------------------------------- 

Well, there she goes, folks. I remembered about two-thirds of the way through this interview that Sohrem was attracted to her temper. That might have been a useful thing to take into account while I asked the questions. However, it did not occur to me until too late. She's generally kind and likes to help, but once she's decided to be stubborn about something... Jinkies. 

Okay, well, thanks for reading! Did you enjoy this interview? I'd love to hear your thoughts! (And I'm sorry about that spell where I didn't reply to any comments; I shall make an effort to be better about that now. Y'all are cool people.) Feel free to ask any questions that might take your fancy (serious or no) in the comments.

I shall also try to come up with a non-interview-related post in the next couple of days. Maybe something about NaNo, eh? A lot of people I know have written blog posts and such about NaNoWriMo already (some before the event began), and I haven't yet. That might be a good topic. And I have this terrible habit of jumping onto bandwagons as they're rolling off into the sunset. You guys have any ideas as to what I should choose as a topic? You're the readers, after all. I'm just a rambling, crazy writer sitting in a room with a laptop and a ton of books. How am I supposed to know what the public wants? Well, I guess I have a general idea, but... 

But, um... but whatever I was saying, I'm sure I digress. 

Character Interview #3: Talsyn Lethar

Good morning again, fellow digressors! How are you today? I'm feeling more productive than usual. I recently finished writing my synopsis for 'The Merchant's Son', and am in the process of editing it. I hope to submit the proposal to my publisher of interest before NaNo starts (GOOD NIGHT, THAT IS IN THREE DAYS, AND I HAVEN'T FINISHED PLOTTING 'THE RESCUER' YET, PEOPLE). 

Anyways, if you were here on Saturday, you know that I opened up my character, Talsyn Lethar, to be interviewed. He's the first antag to be interviewed here, and while he's a bit point-blank and shameless, it was a fun interview, and I did manage to drag some answers out of him. 

Sohrem: I. Want. To. Talk. To. Him. 

I. Will. Not. Let. You. *pushes Sohrem out* Sheesh. Little brothers, huh? *ahem* Now, to the results of the interview! 

Why was your heritage something that made you ostracized? Is there a history there? 

I'm not used to having to answer this question. Shamindo are known for being lawless and taking advantage of their neighbors by thieving, ambushing, playing pranks, and the like. The reputation may or may not be earned. There's that, and the fact that I'm poor and orphaned. No-one wants to deal with orphaned, impoverished troublemakers, as a general rule. And the fact that we live close to the Reshan-Shamindo border doesn't help, because it means we're in contact with foreigners constantly. One of these days someone needs to show them what it's like to be hated just for showing up. 

Oh, I'm sure "someone" will. What are some of your favorite things to do? Do you have any hobbies or pastimes? 

What, are you joking? I'm too busy to eat or sleep sometimes, much less to do anything nonessential. Which is a big part of why I don't think I'll stay here long. 

Are you the hero of your own tale? 

I'm a survivor. Heroes are overrated. 

Come on -- you can't tell me you've never wanted to be a hero. 

I got over it. 

*sigh* What are you most ashamed of? 

I'm not ashamed. Irritated, yes, because someone didn't hold up their end of the deal. And now I have to take the flack for it. Any shame I had about anything faded a long time ago. 

I noticed. What is your happiest moment? 

I don't think we know each other well enough to be sharing details like that just yet. 

Who are you kidding? Just answer the question. 

I don't know. I've had a few. I guess the happiest moment for me was the moment I realized I could actually do something about my situation. 

You made a deal with the devil. Almost literally. 

I made a deal to escape. I'm still waiting on results, but it's still better than sitting around and being powerless. 

What's your favorite color? 

Red. 

That's it? You're telling me your favorite color, just like that? 

I'd like to get out of here as quickly as possible. 

Okay, then. This question has technically already been asked, but I'd like to see you elaborate: Why did your race mean you were ostracized? 

I don't see why elaboration is needed. People don't like Shamindo because they're unruly. If we go into bordertowns without anything truly valuable to trade, we'll get spit upon, cursed at, and the like. My brother and I and other Shamindo urchins got kicked or beaten sometimes because we stole to survive. Sometimes we wouldn't even have to do anything, because supposedly, the fact that we were Shamindo and in the general area of something that could be stolen meant we were there to steal it. Maybe the stereotypes are generally accurate, but people prefer to stab first and ask questions later, in my experience, so it wouldn't really matter if we were actually decent. They would treat us like scum anyways. 

Ah, yes. Racial tension is so much... fun. What is your greatest asset to success? 

My ability to improvise and get things done when no-one else will take responsibility for the situation. If I don't like the idea of doing something, but it's the only way to solve a problem, I'll do it. Say what you will, but at least I didn't run away and leave Siran to fend for himself when things got difficult. Neither of us would still be breathing if I'd been a weakling about it. 

And the whole "dealing with the devil" thing...? 

I did what was necessary for us to survive. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Right. I guess from your point of view, that's true. So what is your relationship like with your brother? 

He doesn't understand everything I do, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. I don't need his understanding -- I need him safe. And that means I need him to man up and let me do what's necessary. He's overly sensitive and disagrees with my methods. That's his problem. 

Uh-huh. I would beg to differ, but that would mean giving you a glimpse of your future. What kinds of things does the dragon make you do? 

It doesn't exactly "make" me do things. It gives orders, and I follow them. It's easier that way. Resisting is painful, and really doesn't get me anywhere. Sometimes it gives me orders that include inconveniencing or harming someone else. In any case, I do what needs to be done for my own good and for my brother's. And until you've been in my situation and had to make the decisions I've had to make, you are in no position to judge me. 

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And there it is, folks! *pushes Tal out of the room before he can set anything on fire* I hope you enjoyed this interview. Please comment below if you have any more questions or just... er... comments. Sorry, my vocabulary has failed me at the moment. Next week, I will be interviewing... *drumroll, please* ...Yannah Delraen! A few of you may be familiar with her. If not, know that she is one of the main characters in 'The Follower', and is apparently on a lot of people's lists of their favorite characters from the book. So stay tuned! 

Oh, and, uh... please keep watching my back, will ya? I think Sohrem still has it out for me. Actually, I'm pretty sure he does. Especially now that I've interviewed his long-lost brother and not let him get a word in edgewise. He might not be too happy with me. 

But, of course... I digress. 

You Might Be A Writer If...

Hello again, fellow digressors! Well, today was another singularly unproductive day for me, at least until the evening. I pounded out another 961 words (and counting) in my synopsis that I'm writing for this book proposal of mine. Yes, I'm still working on it. Yes, I'm slow. But I'll get there eventually.

I did, however, find out that the 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' soundtrack is excellent writing music. It has the same fun, but epic feel as the first, yet it is unique, and very inspiring. I should probably avoid listening to it at night, though, because it makes me want to do productive things. Sleep? Pah. Sleep is for the weak.

Anyways, as I said, the only really productive thing I did today was write in my synopsis for 'The Merchant's Son' (well, I also responded to some messages, but those didn't really count). Thanks to a creepy ad that played twice last night when I was listening to music (thanks, Spotify), I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. Instead, I spent much of the night either bolstering things against my door (because no-one can get in if I block the door with a big, heavy pillow, right?), or doing a "character chat" with a friend.

Wait, wait -- what's a character chat? Well, it's sort of like a game that writers play with one another, wherein we push our characters into a room (or forest, or wherever) together and force them to interact. A brief excerpt might go something like this:


(Joanna: *walks into the room, looks around and grimaces* Yikes. Who did the decorating in here?)

(Titus: *is sitting on the couch; rolls his eyes* Elvis. Who else?)

(Joanna: *crosses her arms* Elvis, huh? You know him?)

(Titus: I know he's a terrible decorator. *stands, offers his hand* I'm Titus.)

(Joanna: *eyes him, then takes his hand and shakes it stiffly* Joanna. I don't like you.)

(Titus: *chuckles* I can live with that.)


See how it works? It's like a collaborative, improvisational short story. It is so muchly much fun, and actually helps a lot with character development. Think about it -- you're throwing your character into an entirely new situation, and they'll have to explain themselves (or maybe, in Joanna's case, refuse to explain verbally) to these new people, so you'll have to really think about their personality, backstory, motivation, etc. and navigate this uncharted world in a way that is internally consistent with who you've made them to be. In some cases, you might even decide that you don't like how they interact with others and change that. It's just a really great tool. Or at least that's what I tell myself to excuse the inordinate amount of time I spend CCing with friends.

And it's also what I tell myself when characters from different stories end up falling in love, the other author and I "ship" them, and our conversations for the next few months are filled with shrieks and exclamations at how adorable these characters are together.

...Ahem. Yes, I know that's really weird. But it happens, and it's fun. If a bit confusing when trying to talk to non-CCers about the growing list of differences between the book-versions and CC-versions of your characters.

In any case, it's become another one of my weird writerly activities that normal people don't always understand. Or maybe they understand how it works, and just don't find it appealing. That's up to them, of course, but it's one of my favorite things to do in my spare time (of which I have entirely too much). If it sounds interesting to you, there is a group on Facebook that's dedicated to it. Check it out here, if you like.

But besides CCing, there are so many odd things that we writers do sometimes, and those things tend to set us apart from most other people. I can't tell you whether that's good or bad. I guess it's just proof that God made everyone different, so I'm going to assume that our common (or uncommon) quirks are not entirely bad.

So, without further ado, I shall present to you my own version of You Might Be A Writer If...



You might be a writer if...

...Everything with blank space on it is fair game for a note on your latest story. Everything. Notebook, church bulletin, napkin at a restaurant (although please, don't use a cloth napkin)... If it's available and you won't get in trouble for marring it, it's perfect.

...Unusual/unpleasant experiences are not just new stories to tell to your kids someday -- they're writing research. I know not every writer does this, but I've known many who could break a bone, pass out, get their wisdom teeth removed, etc., and among the many thoughts rushing through their head would be, "I have to write down how this feels so I can use it later." (I've done this, too; there is no shame in it.)

...You can't read a book anymore without thinking such things as, "I wish I had written that line." "Wait, was this thing edited?" "Ooo, awesome plot twist. That was very evil. I love it." "I could write better than this." "Oh, no, wait -- I couldn't." "ONE DAY I WILL WRITE BOOKS LIKE THIS. ONLY BETTER."

...You may or may not be an artist, but you have at some point either tried or wanted to try drawing your characters, because seriously -- Pinterest has all these great pictures, but they can't come up with ONE perfect picture of your protagonist? Sheesh. Come on, internet elves -- do your job. 

...The idea of going anywhere without either your laptop or your pencils and trusty notebook terrifies you. 

...You do pay attention in church, and you get a lot out of the sermons. It's just that half of what you "get out of it" is stuff that applies to your story and the issues your characters are dealing with. You might even find yourself pulling out your notebook to jot down a quick note mid-sermon. (It's okay; I do this, too. And hey, C. S. Lewis got the idea for 'The Screwtape Letters' in the middle of a sermon. Not that you should be writing the whole time without paying attention, of course. But I don't see anything wrong with applying what you've learned to your writing. Writing is a means of expression, right? Of teaching? So it makes perfect sense.)

...You're afraid that if the government gets a good look at your internet history, they'll arrest you under suspicion of being a terrorist. Or a serial killer. Or maybe you're just afraid that your parents will think you're hiding something because you've visited, like, a dozen baby name sites in the past hour. ("No, Mom, I'm not pregnant -- I just can't figure out what I want to name this new character!")

...You have a deep appreciation for movie soundtracks, The Piano Guys, classical music, or really any other music that inspires you to write. Billboard Top 100? Meh. Has James Newton Howard released any new soundtracks recently?

...You have checked out the soundtracks from movies, TV shows, or games that you haven't even seen or played. You just heard from a friend that the soundtrack was amazing (or the name 'Hans Zimmer' appeared on the cover), and you just had to try it out.

...If you have a Pinterest account, it is probably filled with storyboards, character profiles, pictures of celebrities who look like your characters, and random boards about books and writing. (Incidentally, if anyone wants to follow me on Pinterest, my profile is here.)

...A trip to the library is a perfectly acceptable excuse for having forgotten to text your best friend back for an hour. (I have done this, and I have had it done to me in return. It is completely understandable.)

...You have your library card number memorized.

...Your stack of books to check out at the library is so tall that the security guard walks over to you to tell you about the upcoming library book sale. (This has actually happened to me.)

...Whenever you get some extra money to throw around, you run to the nearest bookstore and spend it all on those books you've been drooling over for months. (Though I hope you weren't literally drooling on them. Respect the books, please.)

...You half dread, half hope that someone will bring up writing in normal conversation, because you know you'll be talking non-stop about books, writing, plotting, editing, etc., for the next half hour. (Or until someone whacks you in the face with a chair. Whichever comes first.)

...It doesn't matter how socially awkward you are. If you find out the person you just met is another writer, you will automatically have things to talk about all day long. And you just might talk all day long, if people let you. Because hey, this person gets you! They're like you! This means you're not crazy! Or, er... at least you're not the only crazy one.

...You have at least considered writing someone you don't like into your story and torturing their fictional selves.

...You have based a character off of yourself, with some "improvements" (e.g., less clumsy, has a superpower, has great hair, always knows what to say).

...You played make-believe as a kid, but there had to be an actual storyline, and things had to make sense and be interesting. (I got into fights with my little brother because I wanted some secondary characters to die at this particularly foreboding place in our fantasy world. "But if nobody dies, there won't be any reason to be afraid of coming here! That wouldn't be any fun!")

...You want a typewriter. Or at least to use one. You might even own one. (If you do, may I borrow it? Pretty please?)

...You like grey, rainy days, because they mean you get to hole up in your room and either read or pound away at the keyboard. Thunder makes surprisingly good background noise sometimes.

...You possess a vocabulary noticeably more extensive than that of your peers, or if not, you at the very least tend to use antiquated or unnecessarily lengthy words in normal conversation. (Because "if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them, haven't you?")

...You know what it's like to adore your antagonist, to hop up and down with glee over the horrible things you're doing to your protagonist, and to smile when family and friends threaten your life because of that dreadful plot twist you showed them.

...You could swear sometimes that your characters are actually alive and that they're really writing this story, not you.

...You are tempted to take pictures of random strangers because OH MY GOODNESS THEY LOOK EXACTLY LIKE YOUR CHARACTER. And it makes you feel like such a creeper, but what's a writer to do? (And anyways, maybe that really is your character, come into the real world to seek his revenge. If so, you'll need documentation so that the police know who's responsible for your untimely demise.)

...You own enough notebooks to build a life-sized replica of the Empire State Building. And at least half of them are full.

...You can't remember a time when you weren't making up stories.

...The idea of anyone hating to read baffles and horrifies you.

...You have a strong opinion on which is better -- paperback, hardback, or eBook. Also an opinion on serif versus sans serif fonts. And possibly of the usage/relevance of the Oxford Comma.

...Discovering a typo in your newest status update triggers a small panic attack and a frantic rush to either delete the post or edit it before anyone finds it.

...You have playlists made up of songs relevant to your characters and/or stories.

...You know what NaNoWriMo is. You know that it is starting in about two and a half weeks, and you are in a frenzy trying to get everything ready before it starts. You are probably equal parts excited and terrified, and wondering how you're going to make time to write all those words in one month. (If you don't know what it is, go and check it out here. And if you decide to join, add tellingHISstory94 to your buddy list; that's me.)

...You go to Google, Bing, or your other preferred search engine, and search for things like 'You Might Be A Writer If'. Or even make your own list. Now, there's an idea.


I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. And now I must be off. I have a synopsis and two novels to write, lines to rehearse, supplements to take, and a bed to occupy. Goodnight, fellow digressors, and God bless. And please comment below with your own writerly moments; I'd love to hear them. Maybe even share your favorite soundtrack or composer with me. I'm always on the lookout for more awesome writing music. Incidentally, some of my favorite artists are Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Audiomachine, and Two Steps From Hell (I promise, that last one is not nearly is bad as it sounds; it's more soundtrack-type music, though I'm not in love with every single track). Audiomachine and TSFH have a few tracks that are a little too loud/pounding/screechy for my tastes, but most of their tracks are orchestral and make for excellent, inspiring writing music. And I'm not entirely sure you can go wrong with the others composers I mentioned. They're amazingly talented composers. Their work makes every writing session just that much more productive and awesome.

But, of course... I digress.