Perfect Date, Round Two– Hunter Jackson

Hi, reader-peeps!

A few Twitter friends and I came up with the idea to do a few Valentine’s Day posts with our characters. Keep an eye out for another post in a few days!

I’m doing another Perfect Date post. This time, I’m doing a character from LASER, an old project.

 

I actually have a picture this time.

Name: 

Hunter Xavier Jackson.

Hunter: Did you have to put my middle name in that?

You’re the one who wanted to do this.

Hunter: Point. Just… don’t make this worse.

How does he look? Eyes, hair, any tattoos or scars. What’s his style?

Hunter is 5’11”, with dark hair and his eyes are blue, but so dark that they look black. He has a bunch of scars, but they are small and mostly insignificant scratches from animal claws.

His style is casual, but he has been known to rock a leather jacket every now and then.

Hunter: And I look good in it!

What kind of music? What kind of food?

Hunter: These days, I like Twenty-One Pilots. I don’t listen to much else.

As for food, his favorite is cheeseburgers, hold the onions. But he’ll eat anything.

Hunter: Except onions.

What’s his family like?

Hunter: Do I have to answer this question?

Hunter’s family is… broken. His older sister is dead. His parents are divorced. His dad is an extreme activist.

Hunter: My grandma is okay, though. She’s nice.

Why he would be a great date?

Hunter wants his girl to have a good time. He’s also willing to protect her at all costs.

Hunter: *cough* Not that there would be a need for protection on a date…

Right.

Things he values:

Loyalty. Hunter is loyal to the very core. No cheating here. He’ll start an apocalypse for you.

Hunter: Katie, do you think apocalypse is the right word to use here…?

What he would do for a first date?

Hunter would take you out to dinner. And then he’d take you stargazing.

Hunter: There’s are mountains where I live and we would go to the top of one and drink hot chocolate and just watch the stars for hours.

Looking for long term relationship or just a quick date?

Hunter looks for long term.

We’ve had our pros, what are the cons?

As we said earlier, Hunter is very loyal. But it’s loyalty to a fault.

Hunter: That’s in the past.

True.

also, he’s a werewolf

Hunter: MOVING ON.

flowers , chocolate, or promises he doesn’t intend to keep?

Flowers and chocolate and whatever else will make his girl happy.

Hunter: Absolutely!

 

And that’s Hunter! And if Hunter or Cloud isn’t right for you, check out the Perfect Dates Kate, Wendy, Olivia, and Jameson advertised!

And feel free to take this tag and do it yourself! Just use the banner and leave a link to your post in the comments!

~Kate out!

Beautiful People– One Last Post for LASER

Hi, reader-peeps.

As the title suggests, this is the last time I will be posting a LASER post. At least for the foreseeable future. For right now, I am considering LASER a story for myself. Something like fan fiction of characters I didn’t know very well from another story. And if nothing else, it helped me figure out who those characters are so if I ever want to write them again (or their children, more likely), I know who they are.

All that being said, I said in the last Beautiful People tag post, I wanted to do this tag with two more characters from LASER, who never got a spotlight in this tag on their own: Gavin MacBay and Elden Carp.

Let’s start with Gavin.

He is Riley’s boyfriend and comes from a very superstitious family.

I do not have an accurate picture of him.

How did you come up with this character?

Gavin really just appeared. For that matter, so did Riley. I knew I wanted my MC Isabella to have a best friend and that was Riley. I knew Riley had a boyfriend. That was Gavin.

Have they ever been starving? Why? And what did they eat to break the fast?

No. I don’t think so.

Do they have a talent or skill that they’re proud of?

Gavin used to build Rube Goldberg contraptions when he was a kid.

List 3 things that would make them lose their temper.

Gavin is honestly a pretty calm person in general. But someone endangering his family or friends would make him angry to say the least. Someone acting stupidly also angers him.

What is their favourite type of weather? Least favorite?

Sunshine is his favorite (hot enough to going swimming is the best). Least favorite is below 0 degrees.

What is their Hogwarts house and/or MBTI personality?

I’m not going to even try to figure out MBTI.

I am 98% sure Gavin is Gryffindor. He’s also the only character in LASER that I have sorted as Gryffindor. (I haven’t sorted absolutely all of them, though.)

Are they more likely to worry about present problems, or freak out about the unknown future?

Gavin worries about the present, not the future.

What is their favourite thing to drink?

Coke.

What is their favourite color? Least favorite?

Green! Least favorite would probably be burgundy.

What is a book that changed their life?

Gavin, what books have you actually read? 

I don’t know. I’ll think about this.

 

Now for Mr. Carp.

Elden Carp is the weapons teacher at LASER. He’s an elf– think like Legolas, not Santa’s elves.

Once again, I have no picture. NO WAIT HOLD ON.

YES! NOW MOVING ON!

How did you come up with this character?

Mr. Carp was also made up on the spot. LASER needed a weapons teacher.

Have they ever been starving? Why? And what did they eat to break the fast?

Again, no.

Do they have a talent or skill that they’re proud of?

Pride goes before a fall. But he very good with all weapons.

List 3 things that would make them lose their temper.

Mr. Carp does not lose his temper. Ever. It’s like he’s not human… oh wait.

What is their favourite type of weather? Least favorite?

Mr. Carp loves the rain. Thunder and lightning are glorious.

Hurricanes are not glorious.

What is their Hogwarts house and/or MBTI personality?

You know what? I’m going to say that Elden is Gryffindor, too. He could also be Ravenclaw, but I really think he’s more Gryffindor.

Are they more likely to worry about present problems, or freak out about the unknown future?

Mr. Carp worries about present problems but it’s not really worrying as much as it is thinking about them in order that they might be dealt with properly. He doesn’t worry. Ever. It’s like he’s not human… oh wait.

What is their favourite thing to drink?

What is their favourite color? Least favorite?

Purple.

He can’t stand yellow.

What is a book that changed their life?

War and Peace by Tolstoy. He started devouring the classics ravenously after that.

 

And that’s it! I hope you guys enjoyed this. Hopefully soon I’ll be ready to share more about my new story and we can do fun things with that.

Kate out.

 

The Editing Diaries–All the Force of a Great Typhoon (or The End?)

Welcome to my series, The Editing Diaries!

In a nutshell, I’m editing my story LASER and bringing you guys along for the ride. I want you to see how my process for editing novels works (and maybe I’ll figure out my process with you). So, buckle your seatbelts, we’re going on a trip!

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Hi, reader-peeps.

Imma feed you all. You get porridge! And it’s HAPPY TO SEE YOU!

I’ve said a few times that I have been writing for over ten years. I realized recently that that particular statement is not the entire truth. While it is true that I do indeed consider the beginning of my writing journey to be in about 2004, I have been only writing with writing craft in mind for 3 years.

That’s right. THREE years.

I learned how to critique in about July of 2013. I was a beta-reader for the first time in August of 2013. I “edited” a story over the course of the next 9 months. I have finished two first drafts since August of 2014.

Wait, how many?

TWO.

2

The Number After One.

Is this a bad thing, Katie?

No. Of course not. It’s actually a good thing.

It’s just not a lot.

Hemingway is credited with a quote that says “We are all apprentices in a craft in which we will never be masters.” (I may have mangled that a bit…). When you’re a writer, you don’t stop learning. But there are different levels of experience.

And I’m not sure that I am at the level I thought I was. I thought I was ready to query. Or thought that LASER was almost ready. At least one of those things is not true. LASER is going to need more work. I could probably use some more teaching myself.

What are you saying, Katherine?

I’m putting LASER aside for now.

I don’t know how long that’s going to be. Could be a few months. Could be a few years. Could be forever. Or it could be just a few months.

This is the end of The Editing Diaries. Or at least it’s going on hiatus for a while. Mainly because I don’t have anything to edit (or anything that I want to edit).

What’s the plan then?

I’m going to write. Just write. Nothing LASER- related. Maybe the next novel will be something that I can work into getting it ready for publication. Or the one after. Or some novels down the road. But right now, I’m just going to write. Just focus on telling a story and having fun. The thing about writing is that you get better by doing it. Will I ever be a perfect writer? No. But can I come close? I hope so.

So, I’m going to write and have fun and maybe lock my internal editor out of the metaphorical house because she’s being a bit annoying.

Is this the last you’ll hear of LASER? I doubt it. I still have a few characters who never got to be interviewed with the Beautiful People tag. And one day, maybe I’ll take LASER out of it’s document and salvage the good stuff and throw out the dross and continue to make it lovely. Or I’ll just hide it away.

To all the people who beta-read or are still beta-reading, thank you. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, even now; your notes are helping me figure out what I still need to work on. Hopefully, next time, I’ll be able to send you a story that doesn’t need quite so much work.

To my precious alphas, thank you for the encouragement to keep writing in spite of all this and for being the shoulders I cry on when writing is hard. You guys are the best of friends and I thank God for each of you.

And now…

Death or Story!

 

 

 

Beautiful People– Victoria Clairvoy

First of all, there is a poll open for who else I should do this tag with this month. I’ll leave the poll open for a while longer, but not much longer so get your votes in!

Second, I got a comment on the poll post from a beta-reader who told me that she would actually rather hear about a few of the characters I don’t have listed as an option.

Victoria Clairvoy is the director of the division of LASER that is in the story. She’s one of the adults in the story, an authority figure and role model to Riley.

I’ve never thought about what she looks like enough to locate a Pinterest picture. *thinks about this*

Oh! Found her!

Divergent is providing a lot of my character-pics for LASER.

On to the questions!

Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?

It’s not that she doesn’t want to get married. She is just very content with life as it is. Children would be nice, but she’s okay not having kids, too. She has 50 apprentices to look after and train, anyway.

What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical weapon.)

Pistols and secrets.

What’s the nicest thing they’ve done for someone else, and why did they do it?

Hmm… Vicky? What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done?

Oh. She helped with research of a cure for lycanthropy. Why? Because it’s a cure for being a werewolf of course.

Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?

Yes, she has.

What instigated it? A threat. Compromise safety and she will do anything to stop you.

Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?

Depends on the instance. Most of the time, Clairvoy is the one making the rules and she prefers them to be followed.

Are they organized or messy?

Organized with clutter. She keeps things neat, but there is often three coffee cups, a jar of mismatched pens, and piles (not stacks– piles)  of important papers on her desk at any given time.

What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

Someone listening to her and taking her seriously. Someone being there for her. Someone who wants to help her, no matter the costs.

Someone, a long time ago, did all this. And then left without warning or reason.

Since then, the closest anyone has done to that is her second in command, Miss Mina Jenness.

What do they eat for breakfast?

Yogurt and granola.

Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?

Clairvoy lost her grandfather to lycanthropy when she was 22. Yes, that means being a werewolf.

What’s their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)

Hmm. Coffee ice cream and mystery-romance novels.

And that’s the end of the questions!

Be sure to vote on the poll and if you beta-read/are beta-reading and there’s a character you want me to do, let me know!

Kate out.

The Editing Diaries–The Beginning of the End

Welcome to my series, The Editing Diaries!

In a nutshell, I’m editing my story LASER and bringing you guys along for the ride. I want you to see how my process for editing novels works (and maybe I’ll figure out my process with you). So, buckle your seatbelts, we’re going on a trip!

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Salutations, reader-peeps.

So, nearly all of my beta-readers have LASER in their possession.

Which is exciting. But it has also occurred to me that editing while they have it is somewhat pointless.

I can’t fix what mistakes I catch and keep sending them updated drafts. That would be crazy.

So… I’m not editing right now.

Thank God I have other writing projects to work on while I’m not editing. For whatever reason, if I don’t have a writing project at any given time, I go nuts. Can’t focus. Start worrying that my last project was indeed my last project forever (especially when plot bunnies aren’t being compliant).

But I do have two more projects going and I’m looking forward to revealing those sometime within the next couple of months.

Also, I need to start getting a query letter for LASER together.

Which makes me realize just how close to the end of all this that I am.  I mean, once I get beta-feedback and revise and get a query letter together, this stage in LASER‘s life is over. It’ll be time to move on and query and get published, if at all possible.

It’ll be time to move on to something else.

Which… I kind of already have moved on. At least, I have started to.

Again, I really want to reveal my new stuff. But if you’ve been around this blog for long, you will know that I can’t talk about new projects without losing momentum.

My internal struggle.

Anyway.

So, short post. But an important one, I think.

On another random note, the YAvengers writing blog is recruiting again! They’re looking for more writers to pretend to be Marvel superheroes while they write about writing.

 

So, take a look if you’re interested. Or not. The form is open until July 1st.

Now then…

Let’s go carpe the heck out of this diem.

 

Beautiful People– Talking about Hunter

It occurs to me that I have never done a Beautiful People tag with Hunter Jackson, who is one of my absolute favorite characters in LASER.

Now, part of this is because he has major spoilers as a character and there were a lot of times that the questions would’ve revealed those spoilers.

But this time, the tag is asking questions about childhoods. I think I can tell you about Hunter’s childhood without spoiling too much.

For anyone wondering what Hunter looks like, I’ve always thought he looks like Liam Hemsworth’s Gale.

On to the questions!

What is their first childhood memory?

A night on a mountain top, under a sky full of stars and a bright yellow full moon. Sitting on his dad’s shoulders, looking up into the heavens. The sounds of crickets when all else was silent. The amazing howls of wolves that silenced the crickets.

What were their best and worst childhood experiences?

The best experiences were when his family would spend time together– they loved to do things outside, like camping, biking, and hiking.

The worst childhood experience for Hunter was when his parents got divorced.

What was their childhood home like?

Hunter has lived in the same house ever since he was born. It’s small, but it never needed to be bigger because there were only four of them– Hunter, his big sister Kara, their parents– and then there were only three.

What’s something that scared them as child?

Hunter was scared of being alone and no one liking him.

Who did they look up to most?

Hunter looked up to his dad the most. His dad stood up for what he believed in and didn’t let anything get in the way of that. He didn’t let anyone tell him he couldn’t do something just because he was different.

Favourite and least favourite childhood foods?

Favorite food was cheeseburgers. With everything on them. Except onions.

Least favorite food was onions. Couldn’t stand onions, always picked them off of pizza, never ate onion rings.

If they had their childhood again, would they change anything?

The one thing Hunter would want to change, he couldn’t. He couldn’t change the fact of his parents’ divorce, couldn’t make it so it never happened.

What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

He was a loyal follower. And he was a bit wild definitely, but the trouble he got into was usually Isabella’s idea, not his (Yes, this is Isabella Bronze, MC of LASER. She and Hunter were best friends when they were little).

What was their relationship to their parents and siblings like?

Most of the time, the relationships were good. He and Kara had their share of sibling squabbles but the fights never lasted long. And Hunter loved his parents. Boring answer, I know.

What did they want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

Hunter wanted to stand up for what he believed in. He wanted to protect his friends and protect people like him. He wanted a world where discrimination didn’t exist.

Hunter wanted to start a revolution.

You’ll have to read LASER to see what he actually became.

Go carpe the heck out of your diems.

Summer!

Hiya, reader-peeps!

Summer is upon us and with that comes summer plans and summer TBRs and plans to go swimming or camping or gardening or start a new novel.

Hey, Katie. What are your plans for the summer?

So glad you asked!

1. 100-4-100!

In case you don’t know, 100-4-100 is a challenge hosted by Go Teen Writers in  which you write 100 words every day for 100 days. It starts June 1st. You’re allowed to work on one project only (there are exceptions to this rule), with one grace day a week and one grace week for the entire challenge. I’ve done it a few times before and it really does help get through drafts.

2. Vacation Bible School

VBS is always fun. This year, I am working in crafts, where I will be explaining where the stickers go and that paper is not for eating.

3. Editing!

Because LASER is not done yet. I hopefully will be getting it to betas within the next few weeks.

4. Writing!

Editing does not translate well into 100-4-100.

I think I’m going to spend the last few days of May outlining this new novel and trying to figure out what the heck I’m doing with it because I am having a lot of trouble getting it started.

We’re going to do something scary and see how fast we can plot this thing using Cait’s method.

Why is it scary? Because 1. we are resorting to outlining at all, 2. it’s fabulous Cait plotting and while she is fabulous, this is her plotting and it may not work for me (because I am not Cait), 3. we have to keep editing during this, and 4. there are only a few days left in May.

5. Reading

Because we can’t forget this.

I honestly don’t know what exactly I’m going to read this summer. (Any suggestions?)

6. Driver’s License!

Because I don’t have one yet. And I need one. And once I get one, I will have no reason that I can’t go to the library and get  books. Or a job. Or both.

7. Ch1Con! 

This will be my first writer’s conference ever and I will also be going with Lily J. one of my bestest friends ever! SO EXCITED!!!

8. Secret Project. 

This is a secret for now. So I’m not telling anyone yet.

9.? 

I feel like I’m missing something big, but I’m…

OH.

9. Blogeversary! 

Spiral-Bound will be two years old in a little more than a week! Not yet sure how we will be celebrating.

10. My Birthday

Which is in August. Not sure yet how we will be celebrating.

So, that’s some of what I am going to do this summer.  What are your summer plans, reader-peeps? And is anyone else going to Ch1Con?

 

The Editing Diaries–DONE

Welcome to my series, The Editing Diaries!

In a nutshell, I’m editing my story LASER and bringing you guys along for the ride. I want you to see how my process for editing novels works (and maybe I’ll figure out my process with you). So, buckle your seatbelts, we’re going on a trip!

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DRAFT FOUR OF LASER IS DONE.

AND I AM QUITE PLEASED.

Like this! Look how pleased they are!

 

56,367 words! My baby grew so big! It was a 38k first draft.

So… now what, Katie? What’s the plan?

My plan is this:

1. Go over Alpha-beta Reader Amanda’s notes and make small adjustments.
2. PRINT IT ALL. Double-spaced.
3. Write all over it, changing words and sentences.
4. Implement the notes.
5. Send draft to all my beta-readers hopefully at the beginning of June.

But right now, I’m going to bed. I’m tired.

Good night, reader-peeps! Go carpe the heck out of your noctems.

 

 

Updates and Things

Hi, reader-peeps!

So, it’s been a couple weeks.

Long story short, I’ve been away on a top-secret, classified mission that is full of redundancy. All and every thing is redundant. And repeated.

Okay, I’ve just been uninspired and editing LASER.

Or have I??????

 

So. Editing is going well and fast. Well, was going fast. I had one day where I did seven chapters, but they didn’t need much. And then I promptly got stuck on a chapter that needs to be rewritten or trashed or both.

What else have I been doing?

Acquiring beta-readers (10 is quite enough I think… oops).

Lightly plotting my next project (I gotta do SOMETHING once I get done researching agents and still waiting on beta-feedback).

Stalking people on Tumblr.

Cleaning the house.

Playing Multiplayer Minecraft with a couple of my hobbits (and trying to get a server to work).

Wondering how I still don’t know what a side-charrie from my next project wants, even though I wrote the original in 2011.

(Next project is most likely a reboot, by the way. And I need to shut up about it now.)

Trying to come up with a new title for LASER. And I feel like I’m getting close. (Betas, if I haven’t figured it out by the time I send the story to you, I will probably draft you into helping ask for your help.)

Waiting for the release of The Raven King by Maggie Steifvater.

And that’s about it!

So. What have you been up to?

Carpe the heck out of your diems!

 

The Editing Diaries–Isabella

Welcome to my series, The Editing Diaries!

In a nutshell, I’m editing my story LASER and bringing you guys along for the ride. I want you to see how my process for editing novels works (and maybe I’ll figure out my process with you). So, buckle your seatbelts, we’re going on a trip!

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Good day to you, my lovely reader-peeps!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter. I certainly did.

So! Editing update!

I am up to the midpoint! Sort of. It’s technically still pre-midpoint, I think, but things are going faster now and I’m more excited because stuff is happening. We are leading up to the midpoint and it is awesome!

Also, I started learning French because I completely underestimated how much I’d be using it with these few characters.

So. Having been a bit AWOL in the blogging department, I thought it was definitely time to post. And I decided to do the Beautiful People tag from this month and talk about my LASER MC, Isabella.

What first inspired this character? Is there a person/actor you based them off?

Isabella was actually in a book I wrote 4 1/2 years ago, but grown up and someone’s mother. Someone’s kidnapped mother, Percy Jackson-style. But Isabella didn’t get to be fierce and confident girl she is now until a rewrite of said previous book and then more so in her own story.

As for if there is a person I based her off of… not really. I wanted to write a kick-butt YA heroine and I wanted to write a Pride and Prejudice style romance for her. And while she does have a trait or two of mine, I didn’t base her off of me.

Describe their daily routine.

Wake up. Fight. Sleep.

That is really it. I don’t mean literally fight (though sometimes she does). I mean she faces the day, ready to take on whatever life throws at her and win (most of the time; if she were completely ready, there wouldn’t be romance here, I think).

Alternatively: Wake up. Train. Sleep.

If they joined your local high school, what clique would they fit into?

This is not a good question for a homeschooler to answer. And I’m hesitant to shove her into any one clique. Moving on.

Write a list of things they merely tolerate. Ex: certain people, foods, circumstances in their lives…

-The romantic attempts of one of her friends

-Being called Iz (she absolutely will not tolerate ‘Izzy’)

-Her brother leaving the milk jug out on the counter in the morning

-Sci-fi movies (she is not a Star Wars fan or a superhero fan)

-Her other friend’s matchmaking attempts (though she is just barely tolerant of that)

-Assigned reading (suddenly I’m starting to wonder if I’ve got yet another character who doesn’t read for fun that often)

How do they react in awkward silences?

Wait for the silence to be over.

Can they swim? If so, how did they learn?

I have never thought about this.

Yes, Isabella can swim. She probably learned  when she became a LASER apprentice when she was about 14 (I can totally see swimming as part of LASER’s academic requirements).

What is one major event that helped shape who they are?

When she started her LASER apprenticeship. LASER’s apprentice program is training for teens who might be interested in one day having a job with LASER, protecting humans from creatures of myth and legend. I think Isabella must have already been ambitious, but LASER probably helped her focus those ambitions. It possibly also made her more competitive. And she is very competitive.

What things do they value most in life?

Being the best. Her family. Her friends. Trust.

Do they believe in giving other people second chances? Do they have any trust issues?

I think so, yes. (And she certainly needs a lot of second chances herself…)

This whole book is about Izzy’s trust issues.

Your character is having a rough day…what things do they do to make them happy again? Is there anyone they talk/interact with to get in a better mood?

Isabella goes to her godmother’s house and talks to her. Talking to her godmother usually also involves eating cookies.

And that’s Izzy! You can find out more about her here, when I talked about her and her twin brother. Also, I updated LASER‘s blurb on the My Creations page.

How are all your writing projects going? Anyone doing Camp NaNo? 

Carpe the heck out of your diems!