Davinia Evans (Dee)

It all comes together in revision planning. That's when I collate the profiles, and reconcile discrepancies. Choose one of the three eye colours I mentioned. Retcon that emotional baggage that the finale pivots on. Fit them together. Decide that those two characters are actually the one. (3/3)

Sometimes a scene only works if a character is taller than everyone else. Sometimes what this visual really needs is his lustrous, flowing locks. Sometimes I realise she's told five contradictory stories about her brother, so ok, now she has five brothers. Congrats! (2/3)

I absolutely do not build character profiles in prewriting. 😂

Sometimes my initial inspirations will come with, or infer, character details, but I don't try to figure out more ahead of writing. I just write, and see what I learn about these characters as it comes. (1/3)

So pretty! I'm mildly obsessed with le creuset colour names - what's this one?

It's such a great belt!

Nonsense advice! Put on at least one more accessory, is my motto!

(Also your hair continues to delight me every single time I am reminded of its cotton-candy gorgeousness. Almost typed "cotton-dandy" instead, which may in fact be more correct.)

the polish figure skating team in the kiss and cry holding a plush pierogi

IMPORTANT OLYMPIC NEWS:

THE POLISH FIGURE SKATING TEAM HAS A PLUSH PIEROGI

I have a semi-trunked circus/mermaid novella that was all Rasputina all the time, but particularly "Sweet Water Kill". When I needed to get back to basics on Siyon in NOTORIOUS SORCERER, I broke out the Cobra Starship. I've done a lot of daydreaming on FAVOUR to chamber music of all kinds. (2/2)

Mostly not, but sometimes. I absolutely cannot listen to music while writing, or I get distracted. (Even if no words; I can still sing along!) But there may be particular songs or styles that I will listen to while I'm daydreaming or untangling a story. I am a vibes, not lyrics, listener. (1/2)

ohhhh that's... yeah. 😬

The one that I always remember was a book where the setting felt Japanese-ish, but half the names, for no discernible reason, were French. I kept trying to figure out whyyyy - what set these characters apart/together? So distracting.

ooh yes, the PARTS of a name - indicators of family, gender, whatever else - are such a wonderful part of worldbuilding, because there's a shortcut indicator of the things that are important to that culture! I love that sort of stuff.

In the Burnished City, Bezim names started from Armenian traditions, but I used a slightly different surname suffix. In FAVOUR, I'm leaning on Ukrainian naming traditions (because fuck Russia). Either way, I work from an established database (I like behindthename) as my list as needed. (2/2)

I got behind on this - let's catch up!

Names are a big niggle of mine - if I read a book where people of the same ostensible culture have names from totally different Earth traditions, it trips me up. So I tend to start with an Earth culture and sometimes give them all a twist. (1/2)

New Premee Mohamed book! Always a good time*! And "le Carre meets Gormenghast" sounds like a GREAT time, frankly!

(* not necessarily a NICE time, but always a GOOD time)

I want to say YES because I really did love it so much, but I will acknowledge that part of why it succeeds for me is that it's so deep in what it's doing, and I liked those things. Mileage may vary. Let's talk. 😆

A SOLID choice, given how much the whole story hangs together in tension!

This whole series really was so good. Scottish Jedi, but kinda make Anakin an abuse-survivor with so much grit and even more emotional baggage that she is dealing with, ok, she is trying her best dammit (I loved her, I loved her so much).

Also, that drink sounds perfect! 🥂

Band of Skulls do a nice line in these. Can't choose between: "I feel like ten men: nine dead and one dying" & "You're not pretty, but you got it going on".

PS: Sometimes ideas spring out of negativity. Some input - another story, a prompt, an event - makes me NOPE so hard, but my brain immediately starts considering what angles work better. If I ever say "I could never write a story involving x" expect me to be pitching an idea for it within a week. 😂

Everything spins out from there. If this character is doing x, wanting y, having trouble with z, then: a) what makes those choices sensible or important? and b) what are the funniest / best / most challenging things to have in the world, events and supporting cast? (3/4)

The novel I'm revising (FAVOUR OF THE DEMON QUEEN) sparked from me thinking, "lol, Catherine the Great's string of boytoys would be even funnier if she were immortal" but the story really started when I found the main character, a young man brought to court to be her next toyboy... (2/4)

General answer first, and then I'll get into specifics...

Ideas come from everything and everywhere, all the time. But for me, STORY starts with character.

For instance, NOTORIOUS SORCERER started with Siyon and Izmirlian, then I built a world for them to play in, and friends to play with. (1/4)

She is a constant inspiration to me 😂

awww, happy birthday, Pebbles! (From my "mature" lady cat, Zizou, comes the advice that no one can make you act your age; you can definitely still scamper through the house like a mad thing and do flips off your cat tree.)

DO ART.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

DIVE IN WITH AN OPEN HEART AND FULL COMMITMENT.

Your art will be better for it.

Work kitchens are where weird forks go to die. Or possibly to lie in wait for new victims.

I feel every word of this. I wish I had more to offer than sympathy and solidarity.

What am I going to do for B!E!? Whatever it needs. I'll start with big points: the start, the first turn, the midpoint shift, the second-half escalation, the finale. Then I'll see what I need to feel ready to start.

I do have a massive collection of beat sheets; I try them on like dresses! (3/3)

In the past I've outlined a LOT. Details on every scene in order. Everything planned. (This has NOT saved me from having to rip it all apart and rewrite almost from scratch in revisions. Alas.)

But the project I'm currently revising was more "nail down the key points, then discovery-write!" (2/3)

Early process is VIBES. Pulling together everything that feels right or fun or interesting into the same pot, stirring it up, seeing how it mixes and what rises to the surface.

Then: STRUCTURE (which I guess I consider "proper" outlining). This is... constantly in flux! (1/3)