#whateverwarrior

Hi there! Kassius Song is one of my characters from the tragically-not-even-close-to-finished-the-first-draft WIP “Blood Song”. He’s the main character’s (June’s) brother. He loves to learn and loves taking care of animals, I think another life he could have been a vet! As it is right now he tries to lay low and just works part-time as a PA on a news set. He’s quiet, shy, quite the optimist, thrives on approval, and just wants everyone to be happy. He has anxiety disorder and a chronic illness that can cause a whole lot of pain sometimes, so he spends a lot of time at home where he knows he’ll be safe if the pain hits. Sometimes it hurts worse if he’s cold, and he’s hardly got any fat on him, so he spends a lot of time in thick sweaters and under blankets and with a hot tea in his hands. He’s a very peaceful soul, just really gentle and almost naive. Also he can do this thing where if he holds his breath, he makes you stop breathing too. It’s a talent.

thank you for asking!!

If your path of publishing that you choose for yourself requires an agent, I would advice that you read through Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s collection of posts about [Contracts and Dealbreakers], especially the posts [My Agent Will Negotiate] and [The Agent Clause].

Even if you find an agent you trust, do not hand over all the financials to them. Do your own bookkeeping, keep track of the royalties you’re owed. Your agent may be the nicest person ever but when it comes to money, you are the only one on your side. Make sure that all you earn goes to you, and then you pay the agent. Apparently it is common that the agent gets the money from the publisher because it’s easier bookkeeping for them and then the agent pays out 85% to the writer. That makes it just too easy to embezzle from you.

If this is what you want, despite the alternatives we have today with small presses and indie publishing, then please treat it like a business. You’re an artist when you write but you have to be a business person when you sign contracts. Learn the business, pay attention and let people who know contracts (meaning lawyers, not agents) look over anything you sign.

I’m firmly in the indie publishing camp, I’m definitly biased. But seeing things like this post by [Chuck Palahniuk] just makes me furious. His agent was with Donadio & Olson, a reputable, good literary agency and he’s almost broke. He thought his dwindling income was due to piracy and that there’s just no money in books. And now he apologizes!

So on the minus side, I apologize for cursing my publishers.  And I apologize for any rants about piracy.  My publishers had paid the royalties.  Piracy, when it existed, was small scale.

    I do hereby humbly apologize.

He apologizes because his agent stole from him!  Because he thought his agent was his friend.

He seemed like a good guy.  Like a prince of a guy.  Like man-crush material.  And then he wasn’t.

🥀 What is something your OC blames themself for and is it really their fault? Does it keep them up at night and is there any lingering trauma?

I think i’ve answered this about Alinora before, so this time, I’m going to go Aishlynn!!

Aishlynn blames herself for Kai’os’s rise.

When she was first claimed as a Slaeyr, it was his clan that she joined. Prior to being claimed, she was very angry and upset at her mother and feeling very estranged from her people, which made the acceptance and welcome she got within Kai’os’s clan very poignant for her. When Kai’os told her about his plans, combined with his perspective on why he was doing what he did, Aishlynn decided to follow him.

It wasn’t until several years later that she got a different perspective and decided to flip sides. Unfortunately, by then, it was already too late—Kai’os’s plans were close to fruition. Aishlynn lost someone very close to her, and lost any chance she had at reviving her relationship with her mother.

I just did a huge ask for the mains of Hyacinth, so I’m gonna pick individual characters for this insteadda all eight!

16. How does your OC feel about gender?

Hazel. Haze has a complicated relationship with their gender. There’s a certain element of “Am I not cis or do I have internalised misogyny?” that comes with hating to be called a girl so vehemently. But, they know that they’re nonbinary. They know that. Even if sometimes they feel like an impostor. 

17. Does/Did your OC enjoy schooling?

I just saw that you already did 🦊 so do 🥳 instead 

answering for the in-between!

🤫 — Which character is keeping secrets…?

technically Baby keeps her powers a secret for a good portion of the story👀 but also not technically a character but the IBIP is deffos hiding Something 👀👀👀

🥳 — Are any of your characters a party animal?

ain’t nobody got time to party when there be black holes opening up willy nilly all over the world

🐣— Which character is the youngest?

Baby even though she’s like 19

thanks for the ask!💕