August Story Character Announcement

August is (very) quickly approaching and I'm slowly but surely getting this new story ready to go! 

Last week I announced the title (you can read that here) and this week we're taking a look at one of the main characters. 

When I decided to commit to this "writing a book in a month" thing (even though I have won NaNoWriMo several times) I knew this was going to be different. Sure, you can write 50k in a month BUT no one is going to read it. It's more of a personal challenge that gets your words on the page and helps you keep pace. But blogging a book in a month is a different beast to tackle. 

Some things to consider when writing a book in a month...

1. You have to know where you're going - This isn't like NaNo in that you have to actually know where you're headed. Why? Because you're not exactly writing for the revision process, you're writing for an audience. This is one of the main things that scares me - if I mess up and don't tie loose ends up, you'll all know! 

2. You have to be concise - This is good for all forms of writing, but this format is especially focused on short bursts of fiction created daily. I'm hoping this will really help me eliminate unnecessary words, phrases, or actions that could distract from the true plot. 

3. You can't miss a day - Another scary thing is that people are counting on you to give them the next scene. No matter what. I plan to maybe work a day ahead if I can just on the off chance that things happen and prevent from writing, but I see this as a good type of pressure to create each day. 

The first thing I did upon decision to join this challenge was write a detailed outline. Now, normally, I am a plantser - I discovery write the beginning of my novels and then stop and go "Wow, that was fun, what what in the world happens next?" But, as I said in point 1 - I need to know where I'm going no only for myself to write to get there, but for you all reading along with me. 

Having this outline down (to the day!) ensures I have a leg-up on each days writing. It doesn't mean things won't change, but at least I'll have laid some good plans to get there. Or so I hope. 

Now to introduce you to one of my main characters: 

Talie Zarna 

At seventeen, Talie has a truly mystifying act as a trapeze artists as part of the circus. In fact, she is the only person to do such an act alone. She's been traveling with the circus for five years and has seen more of her galaxy than most girls her age. 

Some favorites...

Food: Quaras 6 Ice cream. She says, "There is absolutely nothing as delicious and fun as eating Q6 ice cream in zero gravity."

Drink: Coffee. 

(Hey, it may be space, but they still need their caffeine.)

Hobby: Dot painting. This is done using a pin-point board and digital brush to dot the "paint" on to create an image. It's a more accessible from of pointillistism.

Color: Dark blue. She's surrounded by it in space and it's one of her favorites. 

Images from Pinterest

So there you have it - Talie: smart, beautiful, talented, and hiding a secret. 

Remember to come back on Friday for my second character announcement!