Real World Setting – Industrial Revolution…and Steampunk?

So far, I think the most difficult thing about this story is the ‘real world’ setting I chose.  I considered making it modern day and wondered if that would bring it to a wider audience, but I still love that older feeling of stories set in the past, and it just seems like it would be wrong to take them out of London – though I’ve also considered spicing it up a bit and making it alternate history, or otherwise adding fantasy to the real world and giving it a bit of a steampunk vibe.

But so little time is spent in the real world that I don’t think it matters much anyway. Blah blah, bad life for Wren. Blah, blah tragedy… And then the good stuff in Nevermor where I make all the rules!

Still, the backstory has to be in place.  Of course, with that comes research. So I find myself wading through documents about child labor in cotton mills.  Some seriously dark and terrible stuff. It made me kind of sad reading about it. Now comes the trick of taking what I learned and condensing it into just a few chapters, so that I don’t bore readers to tears with a history lesson. I think I’ve been able to do that…maybe. I guess I’ll see when it gets down to the line.

What do you think? Do you think it matters what time period they live in? Should I keep it along the same lines as Forsaken Dreamscape, or change it?  Did that bother you about the other, or enhance it?

12,000 words and counting!

I’m moving along so well with this! I have over 12,000 words …though not all of them are in order.  I have to fill in some of the first few chapters before I would even consider posting some of it.  I sort of wanted to hold it all until it was done, but at the same time I find myself thinking that I might get more interest in the project if I go ahead and get people reading it with the new names. Not sure what I’m going to do yet, but it is coming along nicely.

But I’d also hate to post it while Forsaken Dreamscape is still posted…but now I don’t really have a choice since I have it in the Watty Awards. It’s very important that I can get people to read it, because I’ll need help spreading the word once it actually becomes a book.

Now the weekend is about to hit, which means I’ll be slowing down as I go to work at my real job. (boo!) Still, I’ve made some nice progress. Maybe I can get a couple thousand more words down today before it’s too late!

Character Sheet – a few more important profiles

There are only a few more characters left to talk about, so let’s go ahead and get it all out in the open!

Wren’s brothers:

Henry (formerly John) – He did not have a character in Forsaken Dreamscape, and so when I killed him off at the beginning, you didn’t quite have an emotional tie to him except what you remembered from your childhood.  This time, he’s going to be full-blown, and the more time I spend with him, the more I like him.

Henry is not what you’d expect from the movie or even the book.  At 12, he’s a hot-tempered, moody little scamp who never seems happy and always seems to be angry about something.  He is bitter because their parents gave them up, and longs to make his own rules.  Wren is often worried that he will simply decide to run away, but he hasn’t yet, because he won’t leave his siblings- even though he’d never admit that.

He’s small in size and is often dirty, but he has many good qualities too.  He’s not afraid to stand up for himself, no matter how big his opponent is.  He has a defiant eye and a sharp tongue to compensate for his small stature, and even though he disagrees with Wren often, he would fight tooth and nail to protect the family that he has left.

Maxwell (formerly Michael) – He’s a cute little guy at 4, and a constant source of worry for Wren, just as Henry is, but I suppose the difference is that Wren does not want to see Max turn into Henry.  He’s still young and innocent, and her greatest wish is to get him out of the orphanage before it is too late – before he has memories that he won’t be able to forget.  It is undetermined at this time whether or not Max will be present in Nevermor, or whether he will remain at home.

**I’ll admit that in Forsaken Dreamscape, the reason that I killed these two off in the beginning was because I simply could not think of a thing to do with them!  It wasn’t part of the story as much as it was an effort to get rid of them so that I could only use Wendy.  But it became an important aspect of Forsaken Dreamscape and I intend to keep with the spirit of that.

I have already planned out what their fates will be, so I guess you’ll just have to wait and see if I changed my mind about them. =P**

The Fairy:

Whisper (formerly Tinkerbell) – She is probably the character with some of the biggest changes, though not to her personality.  She is still protective of Rifter and has an intense dislike for Wren, and as you might expect, often tries to kill her.  Perhaps she can’t be blamed, however.  You’ll have to judge her for yourself.

As indicated by her name, she no longer talks with the sound of bells, but instead speaks in quiet whispers in a different language.  (I think this will also be nice and eerie.)  Another really enormous change that I have made is that I have done away with pixie dust…sort of.  The dust might still exist in the form of a fairy’s remains, but the general idea has been changed to a Fairy Blessing, in which a fairy must whisper a blessing over you before you might be able to use fairy-like abilities. Wisp’s bond with Rifter is exclusive, however, and will be explained in greater detail within the book.

I guess that it is safe to say that instead of actually changing her character, I’ve changed the fairy lore.

The Beautiful Savage:   

And now for the last one… Tiger Lily, who I have yet to rename even after quite a bit of thinking.  I know how I’m going to use her, but I just can’t decide on a name.  There is something about the name Tiger Lily that I like, because it’s fierce and yet delicate at the same time.  I want her name to be unusual and yet still convey that same sense of wildness and beauty.  I’d love to hear suggestions if you have any.

Tiger Lily (????) – I’m not entirely sure that she’s an Indian.  She does, at least, belong to a group of natives that seem to be indigenous to the island.  More will be discovered about them later.  She is around the same age as the boys and Wren, but that is about as far as their connection goes.

I think it’s a common misconception that Tiger Lily is counted among ‘friends’ of the boys.  Not true.  The Disney movie conveyed their hunts of each other as games, but the book indicated that they often killed each other.  The Indians wore the scalps of pirates and Lost Boys, showing that their hunts were a little more serious than that.  Keeping in the true spirit, this young woman is not their friend.  In fact, she can’t even speak English, but might turn out to be quite a pivotal character.

My version of her has evolved quite a bit since I first started Forsaken Dreamscape.  She went from what I considered a snooty, ‘best friend preppy’ type character to becoming what she is now – a lot darker, more sullen and warrior-like.  I’m happy with how she is now, even though some people said they liked her better before, or that they don’t like her now.  But with her on one end and Wren on the other, there should be something for everyone.

I think that just about does it for our main players.  Oh, also, it’s undetermined whether I will feature any other prominent pirate characters, though obviously, there will be more than just Scourge himself.

Getting Started

I’m very excited about this project, if you couldn’t already tell. I was supposed to wait until November but I’m starting early with the actual writing, but also still doing some planning.  It’s not fully formed yet, but I do have a lot of it ready to go.  Hopefully I’ll leave 50k for November, but if not, I don’t think it will hurt my feelings.  I guess I’ll just have to start on what I’m going to rewrite for Forsaken Dreamscape.

As of right now, I have a rough draft of the prologue and the first chapter! I also have some bits of the second and third chapters written, and a good bit of the fourth!  Excellent and great.  I am pleased with me (in the true spirit of our hero).

All in all, I have around 7700 words already! It doesn’t seem like much in the big scheme, but that can grow quickly, especially once I get going.

I may not release any of it for a bit, but you may see some excerpts popping up here and there on the blog. I’m looking forward to revealing the characters as they are in the actual novel!

And there are only a few more characters to be revealed! So I’ll be doing that soon too.

Character Sheet – The Hero of Nevermor

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the announcement of what Peter’s name will be changed to.  This is one that I feel very certain about, even though it didn’t come to me right away.  I thought about it for a while, but this one settled in and I haven’t looked back.  I really like it and I think that, if you give it a chance, you will too.

Peter’s new name will be… (drum roll please…)

Nothing. (hehe, got ya)  But really, I’m serious.

This doesn’t mean that I’m not changing it. It means that his character will not actually have a name.  He will be known as The Rifter and will otherwise be called Rifter.

So, Peter will be known as Rifter.

I know I revealed quite a lot to you about Wren, but the Rifter is one of those characters like the Scourge, who is simply going to be explored within the story as Wren discovers the world, and him.  I already gave you some hints about this in the post The world of Nevermor.

As a Character:

There are going to be a few differences between his story and that of Peter Pan, but some things will be the same.  He can fly, and he has a fairy companion.  He thinks he’s the greatest, he doesn’t believe in rules and above all else, he has a deep, dark hatred for his enemy, the Scourge.

He appears to be around Wren’s age, though he’s not even sure quite how old he is.  He’s been in Nevemor for so long that he’s forgotten, but even in all that time, he hasn’t changed much.  He still has a terrible stubbornness and some of his brothers have quite a bit more wisdom than he does – though he’s not always willing to hear it.  He’s brash, arrogant and doesn’t like to be opposed.  But you will find that he has a soft side as well.  He can be brave, honorable, protective and even compassionate, just as long as he doesn’t let that pesky pride get in his way.

He may seem like the sort which you quickly realize: ‘what you see is what you get’, but don’t be so sure.  There might be a bit of depth to him after all, even if he doesn’t know it himself.

So what do you think? Is this a change you can deal with?  I have to say, I’ve already swapped the names in one version of Forsaken Dreamscape (still have the other) and I’m accepting the changes more all the time. It’s getting a lot easier, and I kinda like it.

Working on layout – already thinking about cover images

The layout for Nevermor is coming together. I’m finally getting all my events in order, and the whole thing is looking pretty good.  I’m going to be working on this for NaNoWriMo this year, but I’m going to start it before then because I’m pretty sure it will be well over 50k, so hopefully NaNo will see me to the finish line.  (Those of you who are doing it as well are invited to friend me: L.C. Lenore) So maybe by December, we will have a book! – or a first draft, anyway.

I’ve already gotten a few thousand words written, and the plans are coming along. It’ll only be a matter of time before the full-on writing begins.

I’m already thinking about what the cover might look like, and I’m curious: would you be more drawn to a book with an obvious Peter Pan type cover? Or otherwise? Say, a dark silhouette of someone flying? Or would you be drawn to an image of the world?  Would you be more likely to pick up a book with a male or a female on the cover? What sort of things draw your attention?

Character Sheet – The Never-Ones (or Never-boys)

One main thing about Forsaken Dreamscape that I always loved was the Lost Boys.  They were all individuals with their own stories and contributions to the plotline.  Even though some were more important than others, they all had a presence.  I really enjoyed designing them; everything from the weapons they used to what they wore.

Later on in the book, I loved how they all bonded together again to deal with the problems in their world, and one thing that gets me going every time is that huge epic battle at the end.  There is so much going on during that and, to me, it’s the best part of the book.  The Lost Boys weren’t the only ones there, obviously, but they brought it together (and I do include Nibs in that).

In this book, you are going to see the backbone of some of that brotherhood that they share, even though they will look somewhat different.  This is the beginning of all that.

And most importantly, new names!

As a group:

They have all been hand-picked to stay in Nevermor after they washed ashore on the sea of dreams.  They were all looking for a way out – for a new life – and these are the ones the Rifter felt were worthy enough to stay and be his band.  They are not the first, nor are they the only group of boys that have ever walked the grounds of Nevermor.  They are merely a handful of many – the ones who, presently, have been apt enough to survive.

They do not age because of a vow they made when they agreed to stay in Nevermor.  They wear the skins of animals and monsters they have killed, and decorate themselves with their spoils.  They wear necklaces of teeth, and they mark their kills by drawing lines of blood on their skin to count how many they’ve had for the day. They are fierce, wild and rebellious, but above all else, they love to have fun – even if their ideas about fun are a little skewed.

Let me introduce them to you:

Nix – (formerly Nibs) – He is the moodiest of the group, and though he follows fearlessly at times when he’s at his best, he also tends to rebel quite often when he thinks that his leader is not making the right choice in something.  In appearance, he has dirty blond hair and blue eyes.  He is among the oldest and the tallest.  He is the best hunter, and is also the most skilled with weapons.

Finn – (formerly Curly) – He is the most naturally charismatic of the group, and also likes a bit of mischief.  He’s a prankster and never misses a chance to crack a joke.  He has bright eyes and curly black hair – of course.  He’s an inventor, always trying to figure out the best way to make a new gadget or weapon.  He gets along with all the rest of them well enough, but he has a close friendship with Toss, perhaps since he’s the only one Finn can pick on without having to dodge a swing.  (I’m very excited about his name change, because I just hated calling him Curly!  Now he can have a proper name.)

Toss – (Formerly Tootles) – He is the biggest among them, but he is the gentlest.  He is fiercely loyal and can follow orders without question.  He’s generally happy and likes to joke around.  He is glad to be accepted by his brothers and normally just follows along with what they do, even if it doesn’t fit with his personal ideas of fun.  His job among the group is forging blades.

Sly – (Formerly Slightly) – He is a thinker, a philosopher, a scientist.  He collects information about the island – the beasts and the people.  There is very little he doesn’t know – or at least he won’t admit to not knowing it.  The others consider him a know-it-all, yet they always consult him when they have a question about something.  He often chides them for what he knows and they don’t.  He is the smallest in stature, but not the youngest, and uses this often when someone is needed for stealth.

The Twins – Mach and Mech – (same names, since I made them up to begin with) – All of the boys contribute to designing things to make their lives better, but somehow Mach and Mech have a way about them that brings them together on an idea, and they can pull off a new invention like no one else.  They often work with Finn to create contraptions to make their lives easier.  Even though they look the same – small with red hair – they desire to be different ,and even though they have a silent war against each other, do not pick on one, or the other will bite back with a vengeance to defend his brother.  They are the only two who are blood-related.  They share secrets among themselves and are notoriously rude with impish dispositions, and are quick to lie if it will benefit them.

Do these descriptions sound familiar?  They should.  These are pretty much the same characters that you already know. =) They just have different names now.

Let’s recap:

Nibs is Nix

Slightly is Sly

Curly is Finn

Tootles is Toss

Mach and Mech will remain the same since I named them myself anyway.

Wendy is Wren

John is Henry

Michael is Max or Maxwell

Captain Hook is Jarus the Scourge/ the Scourge

Only a few more of the main players left!  Those will be revealed within the next few days.  Keep an eye out!

Clothing of Leaves

A little more random today, but still part of the fun.  Designing fantasy characters is great.  They can look like absolutely anything, and no one seems to care much.  In fact, if they have weird eyes or outrageous style, it’s even better!  But that also leaves (haha) the writer with all these little details to figure out in advance, because appearances are important (but a note to other writers: don’t go too overboard with descriptions. Readers can only take so much concerning the specifics of eye color before they zone out.)

I made my rules for Forsaken Dreamscape, but since this is before that, I have to re-examine what all my characters look like and how they are dressed. To me, saying that someone is clothed in leaves is a little bit unusual and hard to imagine, but it’s something I wanted to consider.  I decided to look up actual clothing made of leaves and I did find some pretty cool outfits!  It gives me a new perspective. This dress is so gorgeous and the coat is too cool.

If you want to look at some more of the cool (but some crazy looking) designs, check out the slideshow here:

Imagine rocking an ethereal yucca dress like this to your prom?

Character Sheet – The Scourge of Nevermor

Ahoy!

I was going to save this one for later on, but someone brought to my attention that it is International Talk like a Pirate Day, so how could I put this off?  The character that I’m going to reveal to you today is a very important one indeed, who didn’t get as much attention in Forsaken Dreamscape as some people had hoped.  I’m going to remedy that in Nevermor.

If you read my The world of Nevermor blog post, then you have a little bit of an idea of what I’m  talking about here.

Me hearties, I present to you, your villain:

Jarus the Scourge

Yes, he’s a pirate.  He’s the evilest of the evil; he’s the worst of the worst…right? I regret to inform you that, for now, I can’t say very much about him.  No one knows much, and yet he has managed to cast a shadow of fear over Nevermor for the many years that he’s been there, and his battle against the Never-Ones seems endless and unyielding – not that he doesn’t torment others as well, but has a particular hate for the boys.

The book is going to tell us more about his story, so I can’t say too much except that this is his name change. Our old friend Captain Hook is now Jarus the Scourge, but most simply refer to him as the Scourge (especially those who aren’t his friends).

Summary of Changes:

I can’t say that there are any changes to make.  Because of how Forsaken Dreamscape was, I have a pretty clean slate here – except for what we already expect of our villainous pirate.  Tall, dark, debonair, ruthless and sophisticated.  He will be those things.  I’m not going to take his character portrayal lightly, and hopefully this will fill the void from Forsaken Dreamscape.

Hook has often been portrayed as a bit bumbling and easily tricked, but don’t expect to see that side of him in mine.  He’s bad to the bone and will stop at nothing to kill his enemy – though he’s been trying for many many years.

One more thing about him – and this is going to blow your mind: he has two hands. =O

____

Does anyone want to tell me what they expect from their wicked Captain? (aside from a hook.  I get that.)  Is he a frightening villain to you?  What scares you about him?

(Also, if you want to get in on the pirate fun for Talk like a Pirate Day, go here: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Assembling my Playlist

Usually when I work on something, I put a playlist together so that I can listen while I brainstorm and keep the energy up for the project.  I don’t always listen when I’m writing because it’s distracting (depending on the type of music it is), but plotting is a big part of it, and I need to be able to see the characters moving around in my brain.

Weird, yes.  Helpful, totally.

Back when I was writing Forsaken Dreamscape, I had a whole playlist of songs picked out, but my computer got zapped and I lost a lot of those – I also forgot what some of them were.  But I do remember a few of them, and so I’ve gotten some of those back together for now, and added new ones.

I’ve made a playlist on Spotify, if you use that, so you can check them out and have a listen as you imagine all the cool stuff that’s going to happen!  If you’re friends with me on Facebook, you can link up with me on Spotify to see it.  If not, I put the list below.

Forgive some of these songs.  I fear that they show my age. Haha But you can’t change the things that inspired you, even if they are a little older.  They still sound awesome to me.

 

Nevermor Playlist

It’s Not Over – Daughtry (This one has been with me for a long time, and I pretty much consider it my main theme for the storyline, of Forsaken Dreamscape at least)

Wanted – Vanessa Carlton

Enemies – Shinedown

So Cold (Remix) – Breaking Benjamin

Made of Stone – Evanesence

Monster – Skillet

Knights of Cydonia – Muse (This one too, is pretty much my main battle theme)

Hero – Skillet

Time Is Running Out – Muse

Beyond the Sun – Shinedown

Whispers in the Dark – Skillet (This is a newer song I discovered, and really like this one for it too)

Bleed it Out – Linkin Park (Love these guys for high energy)

The Little Things Give You Away – Linkin Park

You Are Goodbye – Holly Conlan

Fully Alive – Flyleaf

Plug In Baby – Muse

Breaking Inside – Shinedown feat, Lizzy Hale

Haunted (Acoustic Version) – Taylor Swift (Specific version of this song. I don’t like all of her music, but I love this one)

Life is Beautiful – Sixx: A.M

 

Those are the songs I’ve chosen for now, but I’m sure it will grow.

Do any of you have any songs that you think fit with the story?  Anything you may have latched onto the first time you read it?  It would be great to hear your suggestions. =)