P is for Plotter

When it comes to the question: Plotter or Pantser, I’ve always plotted, in a sense. When I was younger, I’d play-act out the scenes of a book before bed, sometimes multiple times in different characters’ eyes, so I got it right. Most of these stories never got written LOL but that’s okay. I feel every story, even unwritten, helped build me into the writer I am today.

Not to say I’ve never pantsed (aka: writing by the seat of my pants, for all you non-writers out there :D ) a novel; I have. Well…somewhat. Most of my NaNoWroMo novels have been pantsed (and failed!). With me, instead of freeing me up? I get anxious when I don’t know what happens next; I bite my nails, I squirm in my seat. I get blocked. I -need- to know what happens at least one scene ahead of where I am. Right. Now.

With Spellbound, I was frustrated and needed something -new- to write. Wylde came to my mind, fiery and free, and she and Kascien took turns painting scenes. I pantsed 20-25k. Panicked. Calmed down. Plotted it out, scene by scene for the next 10 scenes. Ended up giving up at 40k. Picked it back up a year later and decided I was going to finish it!

My saving grace were those plotted scenes, the crucial next steps in the story, because I’d forgotten most of it. Of course, I never plotted the ending, but my previous outline was enough to help me plot the rest of it. And voila! A book was born.

So for me, I guess I prefer to pants the first few scenes, get a feel for the characters, and then plot the rest of it out according to what I’ve learned. The first part of the book is both scary and exhilarating. The second half I have to be dedicated because, I’ll admit, once I know the story, it’s hard for me to want to finish it. xD But I do.

Writers: Are you plotters or pantsers or a little of both? :)

Now Available: Spellbound

This novel has come a long way from being completely pantsed one fateful NaNoWriMo when I’d been through three dead-end drafts of books I’ll never go back to and couldn’t figure out what to write. I sat down, ready to start one project…and then Spellbound ran away with me. I had my main character’s name and the fact she was a dragon. The rest? Pfft. Who needs to know? :P

Of course, me being me, after about half the book spent floundering, going “What happens next?!” I decided to plot it. Well, about halfway. Then I hit 50k, shelved it, deciding I’d go back to it later. Two years later, I dusted it off, polished it up, plotted the end, and wrote the rest of it. It turned out to be slightly darker than I’d intended, but I love it.

Today, I’m happy to announce that Spellbound is now available for sale at AmazonAmazon.co.uk Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords ($2.99). I will update Spellbound‘s page as more venues become available. :)

Until then:

Wylde Debraux is 16; sassy, fiercely independent—and the Wyvern princess of the desert tribe of Kiir’vanan. When her father demands she choose a suitor within a fortnight to become her mate, Wylde rebels…and finds herself face to face with her enemies.

Born without power, Kascien Trump is a slave to the Magi. He’s as trapped as the bio-engineered dragonhounds he breeds and fights for his master. Then Wylde blazes into his life, offering him the possibility of freedom, and he knows she’s probably his only ticket out of there. Alive, anyway.

But when Wylde’s captured, the spellbound slave and the fiery dragon-shifter have to put aside their differences and work together to outwit the Magi and escape the clutches of Kascien’s corrupt master…or lose themselves trying.

Happy reading! I hope you enjoy! :)

Spellbound: Finished! Now With More Cover Reveal!

So. I started the beast that is Spellbound as a fun, seat-of-my-pants ride through NaNoWriMo 2010. I made it through 40k and crashed. I thought it was horrible and never wanted to look at it again. Earlier last year, I decided to put it on my Kindle and give it a read-through, to make sure I wasn’t missing something.

And I loved it. Sure, it needed a few fixings, but I quickly went back to work, adding changes and freshening up the prose. I love Wylde’s spunk and Kascien’s stubborn spirit. I was determined to have it done in December…and that got moved to January. And now it’s February. It’s been a long three months…but as of today, February 8th, Spellbound is officially done. Well, first draft, anyway :P 71.6k total. This number will change come edits.

The next month and a half will be filled with read-throughs and critiques. Changes will be made, all for the better (I hope!) to make Spellbound as strong as it can be.

So, what better to celebrate the end of a novel…than to have a cover release? :) I’ve been working on this for the past three months and I’m finally happy with it! If all goes well, I aim to have Spellbound available in e-format by the end of March!

Spellbound:

Wylde Debraux is 16; sassy, fiercely independent—and the Wyvern princess of the desert tribe of Kiir’vanan. When her father demands she choose a suitor within a fortnight to become her mate, Wylde rebels…and finds herself face to face with her enemies.

Born without power, Kascien Trump is a slave to the Magi. He’s as trapped as the bio-engineered dragonhounds he breeds and fights for his master. Then Wylde blazes into his life, offering him the possibility of freedom, and he knows she’s probably his only ticket out of there. Alive, anyway.

But when Wylde’s captured, the spellbound slave and the fiery dragon-shifter have to put aside their differences and work together to outwit the Magi and escape the clutches of Kascien’s corrupt master…or lose themselves trying.

Saturday Snippet: Spellbound #2

Today’s snippet comes from my dragon-shifter WIP, Spellbound:

Wylde sprang away, crouching next to the fallen deer, her wings receding into clawed hands which spread, splay-fingered, on the ground. The doe’s brown eyes were wide, still hanging on. Wylde stroked her fingertips against the velvety nose as nostrils flared and unflared. The doe shuddered and then the last breath left her lungs and she was merely a shell of herself. Her soul ripped free with one final jerk. Wylde, graced, watched as the whisper of a ghost found her legs and took off into the woods, her spectral form blending in to the wisps of mist gathering around them before disappearing.

“Thank you, Free One.” The Wyvern’s voice was thick as she uttered a soft Vanlan prayer and sliced her claws across the doe’s throat. Ribbons of crimson flooded free and Wylde bent down. Heat still pulsed off the corpse, the smell of the blood sickly sweet, making her mouth water.

With both hands, she lifted the deer’s heavy head, bringing it close and licked the blood flowing from the wound. The taste of the doe’s lingering energy made Wylde’s stomach roar, a gargoyle statue brought to life by the pallid light of the moon.

And baring her fangs, she began to feed.

Saturday Snippet: Spellbound #1

Subtitle: Wow, I Really Fail At Blogging.
Subtitle’s Subtitle: And Coming Up With Creative Titles. FTW.

Haha, that said, I am going to have to start scheduling posts because Monday goes by and it’s Wednesday and I’m like: “Whoo…I forgot to post!”…and then it’s Friday and I’m like: “Oh, I forgot again -facepalm-”. Just a matter of daily habits. Which I’m learning. Slowly. Blargh! ANYWAY. I’ve decided to start my Re-blogging on Saturday, instead of waiting until Monday.

I’ve decided that Saturday is a good day to share a snippet for the week. So weekly, I’ll be taking a few sentences out of my current work-in-progress, to share with readers. They might be happy, they might be sad…they might just be what I consider ‘pretty’ words, or a piece that I really like. Who knows!

So. I’d like to start off with the first excerpt from Spellbound. Wylde is a Wyvern princess quickly coming upon the throne, and her father’s making her choose a suitor in a fortnight to be her lifemate and future king, even if she doesn’t love the man she chooses:

He wouldn’t act like this if Mother was still alive. She blinked back the threat of tears and let the breeze carry her to the edge. Her gaze stole across the horizon, the light of the moon casting the sands of Vanla in a blue-violet hue. The stars dotted a black velvet sky, tiny pinpricks of light, and Wylde raised her arms.

He didn’t own her. His blood might run deep within her body, but he had no control over her soul. She threw her head back and let loose another shriek, the sound piercing the silent night air like a siren. Not at all human, but then again, she wasn’t one.

Before anyone could come up and stop her, Wylde threw herself forwards. Three steps and she was suddenly mid-air, careening towards the ruthless ground, hundreds of feet from the top of the Nest. Her silk dress fluttered in the wind as she fell: down, down, down.