#gerirambles

What was your first favorite book?

I demolished the tiny American Girl section at my local library multiple times between 2nd and 4th grade. My favorites were the mystery books, like Secrets in the Hills, The Silent Stranger, and all of the Felicity mysteries. A later favorite was the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage!

2. What is your current favorite book?

My all time favorites are Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood or My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. My favorite short story, which I highly recommend, is Saint Marie by Louise Erdrich.

3. What Genre is your favorite, reading or writing?

Historical fiction. Not up for debate.

4. Favorite trope?

I don't know if I have a favorite trope at the moment, but my favorite as a kid was "girl cuts her hair, disguises herself as a boy, to [insert stereotypical masculine activity here]." You'll never guess what realization hit me 15 years later!

5. If you could, what world building or story would you love to have written yourself?

I NEED to know what sort of 5D chess Tamsin Muir plays when she's plotting the Locked Tomb. WHAT DO YOU MEAN [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN [REDACTED]???

6. Your favorite line (or three) that you've written?

You have to actually write to have a favorite line. :(

7. Favorite medium to experience a story? (Book, IF, video game, movie, etc)

Definitely books first, but I do love a good podcast/radio drama when my hands are busy.

8. Favorite character versus your favorite character to write: Who would win?

Hmmm. Harrowhark Nonagesiumus can actually fight through proxy skeletons, so Francis doesn't stand a chance. But? Let them work together, and their combined Catholic guilt and self-destructive tendencies would level the Eastern Seaboard in mere seconds.

9. What story keeps inspiring you to keep writing?

Really just any historical fiction story that isn't set during a momentous event, featuring monumental people, or set in a famous location (I'm looking at you, WWII fiction 😒). Finding stories that shine outside of the norms always keeps me motivated.

10. Random fun fact about you, your writing, your interests!

Some of you know this, but the very first version of tEoEH was set at a lighthouse!

I'm tagging @shipsandtea, @armentas, and @sodaliteskull! Have fun!

The panster and procrastinator in me pitch a full-body rebellion every time I try to set a half-decent plot to paper. My outline shutters around in fits and starts for a few weeks, dragging its bloated husk through notecards, loose-leaf paper, and keyboard strokes. I very rarely get past the first act of 1921 before the conspirators corner the outline in a dimly lit back alley and end its pitiful struggle. It's not a pretty process.

This spring, however, I stumbled upon what might be the source of this creative block! I was asking my plot to advance itself faster than it should in Act One, leaving the characters either inexplicably hyper-motivated or aimless for the start of Act Two. I changed Samuel's initial motivation, which introduces him at a different time in the investigation and gives the first act room to breathe.

For my outline, I've adapted Brandon Sanderson's outline process. I write down the major plot beats on notecards and include the purpose of the scene. How does this scene impact the narrative? What characters or ideas are introduced? What does it reveal about these characters? Then, I try my best to actually flesh out the scene. This is where I veer away from Sanderson's methods. I like detailed scene outlines, full of whatever notes I need for symbolism, red herrings, foreshadowing, and other such things.

Perhaps this is where I go awry with too much 'pre-writing.' But I've just finished Act One with more breathing room, so we'll see how Act Two goes!

W - West Dakota Rose, Wyatt Ellis & Christopher Henry

I - I Don't Love Nobody, Elizabeth Cotten

L - Lady of the Lake, Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman

D - Dangerfield Newby, New Dangerfield

G - Ghost Dance, DBH

E - Eternal Blues, Aubrey Haynie

R - Red Rocking Chair, The Gawler Sisters

A - Angeline The Baker, Crooked Still

N - Niwel Goes to Town, Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi

I - In the Pines, The Kossoy Sisters

U - Undone in Sorrow, Ola Belle Reed

M - Mountain Banjo, Rhiannon Giddens

I'm tagging @armentas, @petalsandspiderwebs, @sodaliteskull, @orphanheirs (you mentioned enjoying bluegrass!), @tragicheirs, and anyone else who wants to join in!

Last Book: -- --: a History by G. F. (a local history book), Religion In the Lands That Became America by Thomas A. Tweed, and maybe going to start The Hills Stand Watch by August Derleth.

Last Song: We Light the Way by Ramin Djawadi.

Last Film: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). My dad's been on a Bond spree and I happened to be in the room.

Last Series: Little Women (2017).

Last Video Game: Pentiment, my favorite story-based game in the world. I cannot recommend this game enough! (shocker, the memory and grief woman loves the memory and grief game!)

Sweet or Salty: Salty!

Coffee or Tea: Always tea! My favorite right now is a local blend of black tea, raspberry leaves, and rose petals.

Working on: Meetings with grad school professors and final decisions?! Also pulling together all my research, world building, and character info into a new Scrivener set for tEoEH.

I'm tagging @shipsandtea, @pulcherri, @starwright, @sakugraphia, and @charlesjosephwrites!