Three More Questions about “Soulless.”

I’m stealing some more questions from a post by Harliqueen, because they’re just so gosh darn good and it makes for an easy post topic for me. Granted, this is a romance weekly thing that a few blogs do, and Soulless is definitely not a romance, but I’m going to do these three questions, anyway, because I’m shameless like that. Mwa ha ha.

1. When writing your novel, do you know how it’s going to end before you write, or do you write from start to finish?

For as much as I’m mostly a pantser, I do usually have a general structure in mind for how a book will begin and end. Sometimes, like with Serpent in a Cage, the details in the middle are also plotted out, but more often than not, the details develop as I go along, hitting a few high points here and there. Most of my non-Aryneth books are like that. I have a start point and an end point, and I just see where it leads me, while all the Aryneth books are meticulously planned, due to the complex nature of the books. Still, even then, I get a few surprises along the way.

Soulless started as a mere blip of an idea without much of an endgame in mind, to be honest (and I'm sure some of my beta probably noticed that, haha). It's since developed into a three-book series, and I know what's going to happen in books two and three already. A lot of times, I wanted to just throw it out the window, I was so frustrated, but I dedicated myself to plowing ahead and reaching the end, no matter what. Now it's all about smoothing out the bumps and making it more of a cohesive story rather than just a driven ramble.

2. How do the people you know impact your writing? Are you influenced by friends and family for your characters?

There are a few characters there in my head-space that have been inspired by a few people in my life, but the characters of Soulless are not in that realm, unless you count the fact that Veroh’s name is inspired by the two Veronicas I know. When it comes to influencing me on a critique level, though, the opinion of the people I know can really help shape a character and make them richer. Unlike the Aryneth characters that I’ve been developing since childhood, this cast is pretty new to me, too. They just came into being about a year ago, so I’ve been eager to incorporate some tips and suggestions from other people. Still, if their opinions stray too far from the original idea, then the influence will likely stop. Any author worth their salt will always consider what other people have to say, and I do not plan to be an exception to that.

3. Describe the hero in your current WIP in three words.

The Soulless Slayer. Wait, is that cheating? Hehe.

Fine, how about this:

That’s all! Let me thank Harliqueen for letting me steal more questions off her blog. I’m off to do more edits, and don’t forget! The chance to pledge money to support Soulless via Kickstarter ends tomorrow!