Perhaps We Shall Dance: A Dramatic Reading

I was supposed to read a scene or act out a scene from a book or something. But I'm weird, so I decided to read a scene from my WIP Soaring, Falling, Crashing (a tentative title.)
I give you a good five minutes of background info, so you can skip ahead if you don't want rambling and background info. I've pasted some background info below.

It's a story about the House system and betrayal and traitors. The main character Oswald 'Oz' and love interest Alessandro 'Les' are part of the Invisible House and are participating in the House Trials for Acrobats and Herbalist respectively.
In this scene, Les is stressed out because he's a well-known Herbalist advising the Small/Smaller House Alliance against the Higher Order. And, of course, shy Les gets mad at Oz. And the scene is about what follows.

Please enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/wrenthereader/read-a-scene-perhaps-we-shall-dance

DateMe! Ravenda and Dyvian

Today, I create wonderful dating profiles for my babies from Ravensoul and King of the Crows: Dyvian and Ravenda.

Dyvian

Gender: Male
Occupation: King of the Ravens. Also college kid. I can always handle more than one thing!
Likes: Sunshine. (Not the sunshine you're thinking of.) Being with friends. Happy things! 
Dislikes: Nothing. Except the freaks who killed my Sunshine... -clenches teeth- (He is actually serious about this comment.)
Past dating experiences: I had a significant other once. But...she died. -looks broodingly to the horizon-
What type of person are you? I am the happy person who will always be your friend. Do you need a hug? I'm your guy! (With a plan for revenge.) WREN. (Okay okay.)
Where would you go on the first date? Hm...the amusement park. It's sweet and cute. And fun!
What type of person are you interested in? I'm interested in a happy person like me. (Without my emotional luggage.) What did you say? (Oh me? Nothing.)
Do you want kids? Of course! I love kids.
Thoughts on religion? Hm...I'd rather not answer.
What is your favorite restaurant? I like this quaint little place in my hometown. It has amazing and weird stuff. Like roasted mice! Yum.
What is your dream job? Hm...King? But I am King!
What is your favorite book? Romeo and Juliet. A lovely love story. And one that is oh-so similar. (Star crossed lovers...how true.) Stop, Wren!
What would you do for your loved ones? Anything. Everything.
What place do you want to go to the most? Home. I miss it. But I can't go back. Not yet... (Not until I-) NO.

Ravenda

Gender: Male
Occupation: (Epic Brooder...) King of the Crows.
Likes: I do not like things. (Brooding. Pouting. Ordering people around.)
Dislikes: You. And the rest of the world. (Please ignore him. He's rude.)
Past dating experiences: I don't like humans. I don't like woman. (He's kidding...)
What is your favorite book? I don't read.
What is your worst fear? I fear nothing.
Where would you go on a first date? Nowhere.
What is your secret spots? That's none of your business. (He means flying. Teehee.)
What do you think you did in your past lives? I don't believe in that.
How would you react to another country invading your country? Retaliation is the only answer.
Thoughts on other races? Peacocks are pathetic. All show and no brains. (So...background. Ravenda and Dyvian are part of the Animalia Kingdom. Which is basically all the creatures on Earth. But in human form. And in the story King of the Crows, Ravenda talks to the peacock king. And kinda hates him.)
How do you define love? It's stupid. And a pathetic emotion from humans only. I am above that.
Describe your happiest moment. The second I left this interview. (How rude! I will ignore that. I know you love me.) I do not.
What type of person are you looking for? I am not. Dyvian made me do this. Now, let me leave.

Do you like this? I do! I'd love to do more. I love involving my characters. SO MUCH FUN.

Why I've Totally Not Edited (Aka Excuses): Beautiful Books Three

Another episode of the Beautiful Books link-up with Cait and Sky!

And this is where I prove that I'm an awful writer. 

1) On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best), how did the book turn out? Did anything defy your expectations?

Haha. I didn't finish my novel. Haha. Procrastination! I still have like...four chapters left. Haha. It's awful, though. A negative infinity. It's so awful. There is boring repetition and whatnot. And I have lots of inconsistencies. Plus, I'm moving onto MAIM. I'm not good at finishing projects...

See? I'm totally good at faking laughter. 2) Comparative title time: what published books, movies, or TV shows are like your book? (Ex: Inkheart meets X-Men.)

Uh...no clue. I hate comparing different things... 

Maybe Paper Town's Margo Roth Spiegelman meets...ugh. This is too hard...

3) Do you enjoy working with deadlines and pressure (aka NaNoWriMo)? Or do you prefer to write-as-you’re-inspired?

Deadlines because I'd say I'd write but never write. Procrastination team!

4) How do you go about editing? Give us an insight into your editing process.

I don't typically edit. Haha. I didn't edit my first NaNo. My dad did. And I never worked on my second NaNo. And FSF was edited by the chapter. (But then I dropped that project too!)

5) What aspect of your story needs the most work?

All of it. No, I'm being serious. All of it.

6) What aspect of your story did you love the most?

I'm not sure. I kinda hate all of it. But I kinda like the family and whatnot. I have some awesome mother and daughter moments. Might have to cut them, though.

7) Give us a brief run down on your main characters and how you think they turned out. Do you think they'll need changes in edits?

 Trixie is still interesting. Still reckless. But gets more reckless. McLaugan and Faith both get really fed up with Trixie. Really fed up. Like they want to kill her fed up. Or leave her. I might have to add Trixie's symptoms and her relationship with Faith more. That's what I think. After I finish, of course. Might do that over winter break.

Plus, editing changes EVERYTHING.

8) What are your plans for this novel once you finish editing? More edits? Finding beta readers? Querying? Self-publishing? Hiding it in a dark hole forever?

Hiding in a dark hole probably. Haha. It's not good. I might put it on Wattpad. Dunno. But publishing won't happen. It sucks. I'd rather have Ravensoul or MAIM or my time travel story published

9) Share a favourite snippet!

Uhm. I'm supposed to have a favorite? Um...

10) What are your writing goals and plans for 2016?

Well. I have MAIM a video game story in the works. It'll be the project I work on during the winter break (maybe.) It's really cool. I actually really like it. You might too. And the MC is pretty cool. And I get to write an asshole character Shenadoah Russ. It'll be fun. And then there's my I-think-it'll-be-my-2016-NaNo. It's about this guy who is an assistant to the guy who improved time travel. (It was there. But it was expensive and icky and ugly.) Kinda an eccentric Doctor-type inventor. It's actually a murder mystery. Can't wait for that. I do adore the MC Ziri this shy but smart guy. And...Ravensoul. It's my pride and joy.  It's always in the works. It's gone through major changes from when I originally thought it almost two or so years ago. It's always there. I'm not sure how it'll go now. Not sure I'll write it soon. But it's there. I'm always working on it. I also have other story ideas. And in case you're wondering, titles mean a lot to me. MAIM was a complete coincident. But now the MAIM series will all have titles that spell out words that are related to death and whatnots. Like I'm thinking MURDER and MORTEM. Stuff like that. You'll get it later on. Who knows? That actually might be my NaNo, and FSF (a fangirl finding love) might be what I work on before NaNo starts. Or I might just edit Trixie's story until then. Writing is never linear for me. It's fluid. I do what I want when I want. And back to titles, my Trixie story seems all cutesy, but it really isn't. I like duping you to think one way. Well, it's ruined now. But still!

Beautiful Books: In Which I Ramble About 'Trixie's To-Do-Before-You-Drop-Dead List'

Did you know that Cait is doing this awesome NaNo blogger thing? (With someone else I don't know. Sorry...) So I decided to do this! Even though my story is an unofficial NaNo. (I can't do NaNo officially since I'll be using my iPad to write. Haha. Bus rides are good for writing. You get my meaning?)

How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea? 
My beauty idea is called Trixie's To-Do-Before-You-Drop-Dead List. It's about a girl who will die and her completion of her bucket list. Including kissing a girl and getting married. (And she's a teenager. Woohoo!) I personally wanted to make a bucket list, but I'm so lazy. So I thought of this girl who would complete her bucket list. And I also like the name Trixie. Heh heh. It's a brand new idea. (I have this one idea called Ravensoul which has been my baby since two years ago or so. So yeaaah. It'll be written. One day.)

Why are you excited to write this novel? 
Because I'm a better writer than you, Cait. Oh wait what? I also like writing dark contemporaries. I really like the idea of a bucket list. (As I said.) I also ADORE unnamed narrators. For some reason. I think it's because anyone can relate to the character without any defining features. So the other character McLaughan is named but not really described. You'll be surprised who McLaughan turns out to be.

What is your novel about, and what is the title? 

Oh. I already kinda answered this. It's called Trixie's To-Do-Before-You-Drop-Dead List. It's about Trixie who has a disease that might kill her one day. She starts a bucket list and starts to complete them. It's about love and death and poetry and books and writing and road trips and freedom and disobeying and life and grades and school and LGBT and I should stop now.

Sum up your characters in one word each. (Feel free to add pictures!)
Trixie: brave-fantastic-funny-fabulous. The hyphen makes it one word. (Wink wink.)
McLaughan: cautious-but-also-a-little-risky-since-oppressive-parents (Pronounced mick-la-h-an. A little weird throat thing on the laugh part. It's not la-ff but la-h. Yeah...)
Faith: adorable-in-the-bubbly-way
Ardor: let's-teenagers-get-tattoos-without-permission
And there are many more.
And I don't have pictures. Yet. Pinterest sucks me in and wears me out. So I waste hours liking photos.

Which character(s) do you think will be your favourite to write? Tell us about them! 
First. Favourite. Haha.
Second. I think I'll like writing Trixie. She's flirty and fun and out-there. But she's also a reader and a writer. She knows she's going to die, so she's a little negative. But she always tries to be happy. I'm as shy as can be. (It took me forever to try out my new TKD place. I kept procrastinating.) My imagination makes me worry so much about how people will react. In the end, I miss the chance to say things. Which sucks. Trixie is very in the moment, my polar opposite. I write characters who are like me, so it'll be different. For sure. And I get to use sarcasm! Yay!

What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way?
Will I sound weird if I say not dying? Maybe? She wants to truly live her life. She knows she doesn't have time. She knows her life could send soon. Many are killed by her disease. Not telling which, though! And, duh, her disease stands in the way. Also school and family. And money and time and whatnots.
And my other leading roll McLaughan just wants to get out of Texas. McLaughan wants to be free from the parents and his/her life. (Can't reveal anything about our darling McL, can I?)

Where is your novel set? (Show us pictures if you have them!)
Where? It's in Texas. They also spend time on the Loneliest Road in America and in Vegas. Yaay. You wanted a cooler answer? Sucks. It's a contemporary fiction story.
Again, no pictures. Sorry...

What is the most important relationship your character has?
Most important relationship. Hm. A toughie. I want to say something like McLaughan and Trixie.
But I'll be cheesy and say Trixie and Books. Because books are life, bro. Haha. Kidding.
If I'm being a little more serious, Trixie and her disease is important. It's seeped into her life and spreads harm and hate. She is seriously affected by this. It does change her life entirely.
But. Completely serious mode activated. (Haha. As if.) It's Trixie and McLaughan. These two are polar opposites. One bubbly and fun and crazy and brave. The other more of a stick in the mud. And McLaughan changes because of Trixie. For better or worse, I can't say.How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?
How does she change? Well, the answer you're hoping for is if she dies or not, am I right? And I can't tell you that you I'd have to kill you. Haha.
Honestly, Trixie doesn't change too much. That sounds so bad, but it's kinda true. Something she does realize is that
And if we're gonna talk about McLaughan, that's a different story. McLaughan completely changes. The character starts out as a reluctant friend. Someone who doesn't take a walk on the wild side a lot. Then, McLaughan is someone else.

What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over?
Holy pizzacake I feel like I'm in English. Geez, Cait. Why do you have to do this to me?
I'm just going to answer that second question here.
I want my readers to feel a little warm and fuzzy. I want them to feel like you can change. I want them to feel as if life is worth living and that friends are there for you. I want people to feel as if anything is possible and that there is always a helping hand.
Wow. That's so serious yet cheesy.

BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month.
As someone who has done and won NaNo twice (in years gone by), I have to say just keep writing. Honestly. It seems so stupid, but you gotta just keep writing. This year, this is an informal NaNo for me, unofficial. I can't write a lot except during bus rides and after studying, and that's mostly on my iPad. This year, I have no goals except for writing. I had a year-long break that left me drained and exhausted. I only read and went to school. It wasn't a fun year. Then, I got back into writing this year. So TTDBYDDL this year! And then, maybe in the future, Ravensoul. And maybe my gender bent Sleeping Beauty and fangirl story.
Another piece of advice: you're not alone. People all over are doing NaNo as well. Internationally even. (For example, Cait who started this feature. She's in Australia.) You can find a NaNo chapter near you. And you can meet other local NaNo-ers. Don't feel discouraged. There is a built-in support group for you. You just gotta meet them. Don't matter your age. It truly doesn't. Writing is writing. The struggles are real.
And more advice: the worst critic of your story is yourself. It's cheesy, I know, but it's true. You will slam down your story, but you gotta let it grow and cultivate. It's your child. Would you call your child disgraceful? If yes, well den. If no, you get my point.
My last piece of advice: your characters will take control of the story. They have their own personalities and backstories. Let them take control. It's their story to tell not yours. Technically, it's yours. But that's semantics. 

So to simplify: (cue Don't Stop Believing)
Keep writing. You're not alone. The worst critic of your story is yourself. Your character will take control of the story.

Good luck, NaNoers!

(Sassy Beckett. Love it!)