Update: Revising and About Hourglass

I'm pretty sure I said something about this before, but I put Call of the Piper on the back-burner for a bit so I can break it down a bit better and fix the plot holes and just the big mess I made with it. Instead, I'm writing a novel called Hourglass. Well, it's written, I'm just revising it now (because it's a mess).

There isn't a synopsis right now. I'll be working writing one soon. I'm currently focusing on revising the first few chapters before sending it to my critique partner...but I'm finding a hard time fitting it in. I need to revamp my schedule because classes started up again and the professors this semester aren't messing around. I can't slack off like I usually do. I'm currently working on fitting everything in.

For my WriYe challenges, I decided to jump in on one (like I didn't want to do) and participate in the Genre Challenge. It's Origin Story. It's such a good pick for the month. I couldn't pass it up. I decided to write an origin story for someone in the novel I'm currently working on. It's really good to know the backstory of this character, though I can't tell you without giving some kind of spoiler.

Other than that, I have to say, revising is probably one of my least favorite steps in the process. It's long but it's worth it.

WriYe Blogging Circle: More and more goals

What’s your Wriye Word Count goal and why did you chose it? What are you going to be focusing on this year? What are you doing differently this year compared to last year?

Bonus:

What are you most excited about for in 2017? Writing wise or not. Let us know!

The Blogging Circle for 2017 is up and thought I've already written a post about my goals, I'll be a little more specific on my writing goals and there are things that I didn't talk about. 

My WriYe word count goal this year is 250,000 words. I might raise it later but I'm uncertain at this point how much writing I'm going to complete but 250,000 words sounds like a manageable  goal to me. 

This year, my focus is on publishing. I after many changes, I've decided to nix the Call of the Piper as the novel to publish and just start working on Hourglass. I have a lot to work on for that and I've already figured out my plot and start working on my new outline. Hopefully, I'll be able to start revising by this weekend. 

The biggest thing I'm doing differently this year is having a critique partner or two.  I'm actually part of a critique group in one of the writing groups I'm a part of...but I haven't sent anything to them yet. Maybe this will be a good chance to send them something. I also have a few beta readers and a deadline. Some of the other things that I've done differently is join a writing contest. I might join more or try to write for an anthology. Just trying to get my writing out there is important.

I'm most excited for publishing. This is a goal I've been working toward for some time. After lots and lots of research, I finally feel like I have everything ready to publish this year. It's probably not going to go smoothly, but it will be a good experience.

Motivation Behind the Character

Not the final version of my Firewall cover art.

Character Motivation: What is the main motivation behind your characters? Where do you come up with that motivation? Do you tend to use the same sort of motivation in every novel, or do you tend to mix it up more? What is your favorite example of character motivation?

Bonus: Share with us an excerpt from your current or completed novel(s) that demonstrates your favorite example of character motivation.

The motivation for my characters usually vary. In the novel I'm currently editing, Call of the Piper (temp title), my main character Radley starts off by wanting to figure out more about her past, why she ended up in the place she did and the like but later on, it becomes apparent that there is something else motivating her to keep going. That becomes a huge point in her character development. 

That's just my current example. Where they come from is questionable. I'm sure some conflicts come from something I saw in real life or a very indirect connection to something happening in my life.

I try not to use the same motivation but occasionally it will happen. It will come out different than the other story but it's still similar. The common factors are there and are noticeable to me (and possibly to others).

My favorite example of character motivation - that's a hard one. I'm not sure if I have a favorite example but since I've already written about Radley's motivation for doing stuff. I guess I can give you another example of some character motivation that I like and that is from my novel Firewall. My minor character's motivation is to try to gain control of his life (that's the best way to word it without giving away too much). Though he is in the background, a lot of his decisions caused my main characters to be where they are in the novel.

I'm not sure if I explained that right. Well, if it doesn't make sense, I'll try to explain it again in a different way.

Sadly, no bonus again this month.