Julia Benally's Blog, page 15
June 24, 2019
The Two Faces of N'Nar
N'Nar is Vijeren's oldest brother, but he almost wasn't. He started out as a villain who turned good, but there wasn't a plausible reason for it, and I had no idea where he came from. There was something wrong and when he finally became Vijeren's brother, he fell into place.
N'Nar's physical appearance also changed drastically, because N'Nar's race is Sirilith. The Sirilith race used to have no legs at all. They were built like merpeople, but instead of a mermaid tail, it was a snake tail. They were bald, earless and had some serious snake eyes. The word Sirilith wasn't even Sirilith. I called them plain old Snakemen.
Snakemen existed for a really long time, and then one day I said, "I don't like this. It screws with my muse." Besides, when I saw N'Nar in my head, I saw him as he is today. So why the crap was I describing him like a snake that sprouted arms? So I revamped the entire race and gave them a new name, legs, hair, arms, ears and I redid their eyes.
N'Nar is also a Terlithin. He didn't have that gift in the beginning, and yet he sure acted like he did. He did stuff that made no sense. Once he received this gift, everything made sense. This gift didn't exist until I revamped him, so it's truly because of him that Terlithins exist.
So why does N'Nar have two pictures? You better read the book and find out. All I got to say is that it flowed into place and I had the greatest fun with it.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up "Pariahs" here on Amazon.
N'Nar's physical appearance also changed drastically, because N'Nar's race is Sirilith. The Sirilith race used to have no legs at all. They were built like merpeople, but instead of a mermaid tail, it was a snake tail. They were bald, earless and had some serious snake eyes. The word Sirilith wasn't even Sirilith. I called them plain old Snakemen.
Snakemen existed for a really long time, and then one day I said, "I don't like this. It screws with my muse." Besides, when I saw N'Nar in my head, I saw him as he is today. So why the crap was I describing him like a snake that sprouted arms? So I revamped the entire race and gave them a new name, legs, hair, arms, ears and I redid their eyes.
N'Nar is also a Terlithin. He didn't have that gift in the beginning, and yet he sure acted like he did. He did stuff that made no sense. Once he received this gift, everything made sense. This gift didn't exist until I revamped him, so it's truly because of him that Terlithins exist.
So why does N'Nar have two pictures? You better read the book and find out. All I got to say is that it flowed into place and I had the greatest fun with it.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up "Pariahs" here on Amazon.
Pariahs character reveal: N'Nar
N'Nar is Vijeren's oldest brother, but he almost wasn't. He started out as a villain who turned good, but there wasn't a plausible reason for it, and I had no idea where he came from. There was something wrong and when he finally became Vijeren's brother, he fell into place.
N'Nar's physical appearance also changed drastically, because N'Nar's race is Sirilith. The Sirilith race used to have no legs at all. They were built like merpeople, but instead of a mermaid tail, it was a snake tail. They were bald, earless and had some serious snake eyes. The word Sirilith wasn't even Sirilith. I called them plain old Snakemen.
Snakemen existed for a really long time, and then one day I said, "I don't like this. It screws with my muse." Besides, when I saw N'Nar in my head, I saw him as he is today. So why the crap was I describing him like a snake that sprouted arms? So I revamped the entire race and gave them a new name, legs, hair, arms, ears and I redid their eyes.
N'Nar is also a Terlithin. He didn't have that gift in the beginning, and yet he sure acted like he did. He did stuff that made no sense. Once he received this gift, everything made sense. This gift didn't exist until I revamped him, so it's truly because of him that Terlithins exist.
So why does N'Nar have two pictures? You better read the book and find out. All I got to say is that it flowed into place and I had the greatest fun with it.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up "Pariahs" here on Amazon.
N'Nar's physical appearance also changed drastically, because N'Nar's race is Sirilith. The Sirilith race used to have no legs at all. They were built like merpeople, but instead of a mermaid tail, it was a snake tail. They were bald, earless and had some serious snake eyes. The word Sirilith wasn't even Sirilith. I called them plain old Snakemen.
Snakemen existed for a really long time, and then one day I said, "I don't like this. It screws with my muse." Besides, when I saw N'Nar in my head, I saw him as he is today. So why the crap was I describing him like a snake that sprouted arms? So I revamped the entire race and gave them a new name, legs, hair, arms, ears and I redid their eyes.
N'Nar is also a Terlithin. He didn't have that gift in the beginning, and yet he sure acted like he did. He did stuff that made no sense. Once he received this gift, everything made sense. This gift didn't exist until I revamped him, so it's truly because of him that Terlithins exist.
So why does N'Nar have two pictures? You better read the book and find out. All I got to say is that it flowed into place and I had the greatest fun with it.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up "Pariahs" here on Amazon.
June 19, 2019
From gentleman to wild man, Sibare
In the first of all first drafts of "Pariahs," Vijeren didn't have any brothers. Sibare existed as his perfect, gentle, patient cousin. Vijeren hated his guts. Sibare was also a lot duller-looking. So dull in fact, that I saw him as a blurry image.
After writing him for almost 1000 pages, by hand in about 5 notebooks, and then typing it all out on a computer, and going through SEVERAL drafts, I decided that I hated him too. So I did a full character redesign until he was reckless and bold, tough as nails, braver than a retsinist and possessed a wicked sense of humor. His features did a full 180 and for the first time, I was able to see his face.
Thank goodness the agents kept rejecting the manuscript, or you would have had a piece of Cubon to suffer through forEVER.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Order "Pariahs" here on Amazon
After writing him for almost 1000 pages, by hand in about 5 notebooks, and then typing it all out on a computer, and going through SEVERAL drafts, I decided that I hated him too. So I did a full character redesign until he was reckless and bold, tough as nails, braver than a retsinist and possessed a wicked sense of humor. His features did a full 180 and for the first time, I was able to see his face.
Thank goodness the agents kept rejecting the manuscript, or you would have had a piece of Cubon to suffer through forEVER.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Order "Pariahs" here on Amazon
Pariahs: Sibare character reveal
In the first of all first drafts of "Pariahs," Vijeren didn't have any brothers. Sibare existed as his perfect, gentle, patient cousin. Vijeren hated his guts. Sibare was also a lot duller-looking. So dull in fact, that I saw him as a blurry image.
After writing him for almost 1000 pages, by hand in about 5 notebooks, and then typing it all out on a computer, and going through SEVERAL drafts, I decided that I hated him too. So I did a full character redesign until he was reckless and bold, tough as nails, braver than a retsinist and possessed a wicked sense of humor. His features did a full 180 and for the first time, I was able to see his face.
Thank goodness the agents kept rejecting the manuscript, or you would have had a piece of Cubon to suffer through forEVER.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Order "Pariahs" here on Amazon
After writing him for almost 1000 pages, by hand in about 5 notebooks, and then typing it all out on a computer, and going through SEVERAL drafts, I decided that I hated him too. So I did a full character redesign until he was reckless and bold, tough as nails, braver than a retsinist and possessed a wicked sense of humor. His features did a full 180 and for the first time, I was able to see his face.
Thank goodness the agents kept rejecting the manuscript, or you would have had a piece of Cubon to suffer through forEVER.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Order "Pariahs" here on Amazon
June 14, 2019
Little Lights, Vijeren and Miranel
The main character Vijeren came about in a convoluted way. Some say it's a heartfelt way. I guess so. He's based off of one kid I used to substitute for a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. He wasn't popular, got picked on, and he had a hard time learning, but he was the best kid. I saw him as a little light, hence Vijeren's powers.
Vijeren went through a million changes until he became what he is today: an adventurous little nut full of mischief. Writing a lively character was extremely fun. I usually like side characters best, so when I made Vijeren, I made him like a side character, and then I made him the main character.
He bounced off of Miranel perfectly. Miranel is the little girl he has to watch over and help gain a soul. She's cheesy, she's embarrassing, and she has freakish articulation. It took me thirteen years to write "Pariahs" and Miranel is the only character in the cast that was the same from beginning to end.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up your copy of "Pariahs" today here on Amazon.
Vijeren went through a million changes until he became what he is today: an adventurous little nut full of mischief. Writing a lively character was extremely fun. I usually like side characters best, so when I made Vijeren, I made him like a side character, and then I made him the main character.
He bounced off of Miranel perfectly. Miranel is the little girl he has to watch over and help gain a soul. She's cheesy, she's embarrassing, and she has freakish articulation. It took me thirteen years to write "Pariahs" and Miranel is the only character in the cast that was the same from beginning to end.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up your copy of "Pariahs" today here on Amazon.
Pariahs: Vijeren and Miranel, character reveal
The main character Vijeren came about in a convoluted way. Some say it's a heartfelt way. I guess so. He's based off of one kid I used to substitute for a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. He wasn't popular, got picked on, and he had a hard time learning, but he was the best kid. I saw him as a little light, hence Vijeren's powers.
Vijeren went through a million changes until he became what he is today: an adventurous little nut full of mischief. Writing a lively character was extremely fun. I usually like side characters best, so when I made Vijeren, I made him like a side character, and then I made him the main character.
He bounced off of Miranel perfectly. Miranel is the little girl he has to watch over and help gain a soul. She's cheesy, she's embarrassing, and she has freakish articulation. It took me thirteen years to write "Pariahs" and Miranel is the only character in the cast that was the same from beginning to end.
Drawing by Nicomelia Benally
Pick up your copy of "Pariahs" today here on Amazon.
Vijeren went through a million changes until he became what he is today: an adventurous little nut full of mischief. Writing a lively character was extremely fun. I usually like side characters best, so when I made Vijeren, I made him like a side character, and then I made him the main character.
He bounced off of Miranel perfectly. Miranel is the little girl he has to watch over and help gain a soul. She's cheesy, she's embarrassing, and she has freakish articulation. It took me thirteen years to write "Pariahs" and Miranel is the only character in the cast that was the same from beginning to end.
Drawing by Nicomelia BenallyPick up your copy of "Pariahs" today here on Amazon.
April 22, 2019
Developing Your Writing Style by F. Allan Roth
Today I have with me F. Allan Roth, who will be teaching us about developing your writing style! He and his wife live in Idaho. He is the author of Fighting the Promise (https://mybook.to/Fighting-the-Promise), a post-apocalyptic novel set in the mountains of Idaho. He is also the author of a commentary on the Book of Mormon titled A Missionary’s Musings on the Book of Mormon (https://mybook.to/Mission-Musings).
So without further ado, developing your writing style.
Developing a recognizable, unique writing style is one of the hardest problems new or inexperienced writers face. I have a three-step process that helped me polish my writing style and that also helped many of my writing students at Brigham Young University and Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho).
What I’m about to tell you will probably contradict everything your composition teachers ever taught you. That’s okay. It works. The three steps are these:
1. Reading to analyze style.
2. Writing to emulate style.
(These first two steps are repeated several times before moving to the final step.)
3. Synthesizing your own style from what you’ve learned.
Reading to Analyze Style
Anybody who wants to write well needs to read, read, read. But reading to analyze style is tightly focused reading. Find an author—in your genre—whose writing you absolutely love, and read carefully to see how she wrote the parts that you like the most.
Stop if you find yourself “getting into the story.” Go back and read for understanding rather than for the joy of it. How did your author build her sentences? What kinds of words did she use? What point of view? How did she write dialogue or describe settings? How did she describe the main characters’ feelings or thoughts? How much physical description of characters? Read and re-read, taking notes as necessary, until you think you understand how she created the passages that you fell in love with.
Writing to Emulate Style
When you think you understand how your chosen writer wrote, try to emulate her style. Not the subject matter or characters or setting, just the style. Write short exercises of a thousand words or so, but just write exercises. DO NOT try to write chapters of the novel you hope to publish—yet. These are just practice exercises. You’ll probably need several tries before you begin to approach your author’s style. As you write, notice which of this author’s techniques feel natural to you and which feel wrong to you.
When you think you have a pretty good feel for your first author’s style of writing, pick another author—in your genre—and repeat steps 1 and 2. Repeat this process at least three or four times. More if you can.
Synthesizing Your Own Style
By the time you have studied the writing of four or five authors, go back to your notes and review which techniques felt most natural to you in your exercises. Did a first-person deep POV feel right to you, or did you prefer a third-person limited POV? Did you like using the flowery, ornate prose of regency romances, or did you prefer the terse language of tough-guy detective stories? What techniques felt the most comfortable to you? What techniques best fit the story you dream of writing?
Then start deliberately working these techniques, only one at a time, into your serious writing. Don’t try everything all at once. You aren’t going to become Hemingway or Asimov or LeGuin overnight.
You’re going to become you.
Mr. Roth would love to have you follow him.
Twitter: @FAllanRoth1
Facebook: FAllanRoth1
Blog: http://faroth.idahowordman.com/
So without further ado, developing your writing style.
Developing a recognizable, unique writing style is one of the hardest problems new or inexperienced writers face. I have a three-step process that helped me polish my writing style and that also helped many of my writing students at Brigham Young University and Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho).
What I’m about to tell you will probably contradict everything your composition teachers ever taught you. That’s okay. It works. The three steps are these:
1. Reading to analyze style.
2. Writing to emulate style.
(These first two steps are repeated several times before moving to the final step.)
3. Synthesizing your own style from what you’ve learned.
Reading to Analyze Style
Anybody who wants to write well needs to read, read, read. But reading to analyze style is tightly focused reading. Find an author—in your genre—whose writing you absolutely love, and read carefully to see how she wrote the parts that you like the most.
Stop if you find yourself “getting into the story.” Go back and read for understanding rather than for the joy of it. How did your author build her sentences? What kinds of words did she use? What point of view? How did she write dialogue or describe settings? How did she describe the main characters’ feelings or thoughts? How much physical description of characters? Read and re-read, taking notes as necessary, until you think you understand how she created the passages that you fell in love with.
Writing to Emulate Style
When you think you understand how your chosen writer wrote, try to emulate her style. Not the subject matter or characters or setting, just the style. Write short exercises of a thousand words or so, but just write exercises. DO NOT try to write chapters of the novel you hope to publish—yet. These are just practice exercises. You’ll probably need several tries before you begin to approach your author’s style. As you write, notice which of this author’s techniques feel natural to you and which feel wrong to you.
When you think you have a pretty good feel for your first author’s style of writing, pick another author—in your genre—and repeat steps 1 and 2. Repeat this process at least three or four times. More if you can.
Synthesizing Your Own Style
By the time you have studied the writing of four or five authors, go back to your notes and review which techniques felt most natural to you in your exercises. Did a first-person deep POV feel right to you, or did you prefer a third-person limited POV? Did you like using the flowery, ornate prose of regency romances, or did you prefer the terse language of tough-guy detective stories? What techniques felt the most comfortable to you? What techniques best fit the story you dream of writing?
Then start deliberately working these techniques, only one at a time, into your serious writing. Don’t try everything all at once. You aren’t going to become Hemingway or Asimov or LeGuin overnight.
You’re going to become you.
Mr. Roth would love to have you follow him.
Twitter: @FAllanRoth1
Facebook: FAllanRoth1
Blog: http://faroth.idahowordman.com/
March 30, 2019
I didn't write today, I ran off to the mountains
I haven't done anything asinine of note lately, and so here are some pictures. Some of these places have been sad and dry for a while. Since all the snow and rain we've had, they've been restored to glory.
After I took some pictures, the camera decided to drop dead.
After I took some pictures, the camera decided to drop dead.
March 4, 2019
Character Bio Sheets from M.C. Sheridan
With me today is the talented M.C. Sheridan with some awesome writing tips for you on character bio sheets. So let's get this party started.Hi! My name is M.C. Sheridan but you can call me Mea. I’m a writer of short stories that I accidently turned into a Fantasy series. Oops! I love video games, cross-stitching and am a huge RPG enthusiast. I’m a brand-spanking-new writer and an indie author. I may be a bit green, but I’m learning as I go and loving every second it.
Let me tell you about character bios. When it comes to writing, I’m a total pantser so I don’t always have my thoughts—let alone my character descriptions—clear in my head. When I started my book, I had an idea of what I thought my characters looked/acted like but when it came to typing it out, I sometimes forgot the colour of their eyes, the stubble on their chin, or the subtle nuances that made them stand out from the others. I even forgot for a hot minute that one of my characters was missing a thumb!
No, no this just wouldn’t do. Enter character bios. Giving my characters each a bio was one of the best things I’ve ever done for my book and it was kinda fun too. I answered all of them as if the character himself/herself were in an interview. Name, age, nationality, pet peeve, favourite ninja turtle. Okay maybe not the last part but you get the idea. I like to use Scrivener when I write and it comes ready with a character sketch template for you to use but if you don’t have that program, or you just want to get a more in-depth look into your MC’s, the internet is filled with tons of templates for character bios that you can use. You can also search questions to ask my character and you’ll get some really great results. I had no idea who my MC’s first kiss was until I answered that question in her bio and now it’s become a pretty important part of the second novel, maybe even the series. Now, I find myself confidently able to check back through my character backgrounds and making sure that my characters look like they’re supposed to, and say, or not say, things that are within their ‘character’. It’s like my own little cheat sheet that my second-grade teacher Mrs. Palmer won’t give me a detention for when she catches me peeking at it after I forget to study for my spelling test the night before. It’s really amazing how helpful they can be.
The point is, it’s never a bad idea to get to know your characters, even your secondary ones, beforehand. It gives more depth to them that maybe you yourself didn’t even know they had. Part of the magic of writing is being able to breathe life into your characters and making them come alive on the page. Knowing your little babies inside and out will make it easy for your audience to fall in love with them just as much as you did. Until… you know… you kill one of them off.
tldr; Make bios for your MC’s. It’s the best advice you never knew you needed.
Writing Announcements
My Novella and first book, The Echo: A prelude to The Adventure of Dauntless Grimm, is now available in ebook for pre-order on Amazon. Paperback available March 15th. I also recently launched my new website and blog! Yay!
A special thank you to Mea for her fantastic contribution today! You can find her in these places:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCSheridan2
Website: https://www.mcsheridan.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07P5GYC2R
February 28, 2019
The story behind "Coffin Walker," a writer's reunion
My story "Coffin Walker" has finally come out! I'm so excited for this one. I wrote it a while back. I had read "Dracula" and had a sudden urge to write something really elegant and poetic, yet horrific at the same time.
I had no ideas at all in my head, but the urge for poetic elegance was in my fingers, so I grabbed my computer, sat on the floor in the middle of my cold messy room, and began to write. The whole thing came out right then and there. I went over it a couple of times and I was done.
After that, the rejections rolled in and I wondered if I needed to work on it, but those who had read it said "Don't touch it." So "Coffin Walker" wandered the world, as lost as the main character in the story. Everybody hated.
Siren's Call Publications had a submission call for Women in Horror Month. I had been trying for that magazine FOREVER because that magazine is WOW, and I've always gotten rejected or almost made it, so this time I was like, "What do I have to lose?" I sent it in, and a few weeks later, I had an acceptance letter from them.
Being in Siren's Call Publications has been one of my hugest goals and desires, but something more happened. When I had first started out, I was published by Sanitarium Magazine, and from there, invited by Gwendolyn Kiste, the author of The Rust Maidens, to be in her anthology A Shadow of Autumn. Several of the authors I had come to know through these publications were in this issue of Siren's Call. I saw their names and felt like I was having a reunion.
That was a beautiful thing.
Download issue 43 of The Siren's Call Publications here and get stories from some of my first writing buddies.
Scarlett R. Algee, Miracle Austin, Jamie R. Wargo, and Tawny Kipphorn
And from new ones: Elaine Pascale and Nina D'Arcangela.
