Superhero Muses

--Where is the scene you're in the middle of writing taking place? What sensory detail are you particularly satisfied with in your description of it?

Oh no, I'm kind of between scenes at the moment! The scene I just recently finished is set in the Thunderdome (that's the professional wrestling answer to the pandemic--it was an arena filled with huge LEDs that showed the faces of fans who had Zoom called in) I was particularly happy with the way I described the sound of the Thunderdome--there couldn't be any organic audience noise so they had to pipe sound in, and it was never organic, just a kind of dull roaring buzz that wasn't very satisfying. But fun to describe!

Where are your characters right now and how have you described it?

--Do the characters in your current WiP have any motivations that are hidden from other characters, or that they themselves are unaware of?

Hmmm, well, if they do, they remain hidden from me as well right now! Wrestlers are so cagey in interviews and rarely give much away, it's a sleuthing process to guess at anything...

No writing this week either, but I did do some research and canon review and am hoping to write this weekend! Here's to good research and writing for all of us!

--Have you ever discovered new themes emerging in a WiP unexpectedly as you progressed?

I think this often happens with stories that take a while to write! I honestly think it can be hard to see that shift once I'm done because once I'm done the story is what it was meant to be, if that makes sense! In the book I'm writing, I think there's been an evolving theme of what it means to "tell a story" in wrestling, the way that some stories end up being told in small moments here and there that the wrestler adds in without the input of the "official" writers. The fact that so much storytelling is impromptu in wrestling makes it really fascinating!

I hope your writing is going smoothly this week!

--What writers' styles have influenced your writing, both in the past and recently?

I don't know about you, but I often kind of get influenced by the books I'm reading and my writing shifts a bit to echo that (if it's a very distinctive style). I had been reading some hard-boiled detective stories (Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, which I love because he evokes 70s-80s New England so clearly) but lately I've switched over to a book of poetry by Mary Oliver, who I love but I can feel the tug toward writing more elliptically and I have to resist it, because it doesn't suit my book, lol!

I hope writing is going well for you! How was the week in writing for you?

How do you approach world-building in your WiP?

Of course for those of us writing fanfic, the answer is usually fairly simple (one of the joys of fanfic!), though if you're doing something in an AU or canon-divergence it can be a little more complex. Giving enough information about how the AU works and how it's different from the main canon can bee an interesting challenge!

For my book, my sister is reading the chapters as I go along, and that's useful because she doesn't know much about wrestling or its history, so keeping her in mind lets me know when I need to slow down and explain why X character showing up means that things are about to go badly, etc. I wrote about 2,000 words yesterday! I'm putting aside 3-4 hours a day right now because I really need to get done (or as close as possible) before classes start next month. I hope things are going well for your writing too!

--What's the major conflict or challenge that the main character of your current WIP is facing?

I suppose this can be either external or internal, depending on what you're focusing on at the moment in your work! In mine, it's basically a lifelong challenge to reach the top of one's art/chosen profession, with each smaller challenge along the way just being steps to that big one. And they got there! About a year ago they achieved one of those highest goals, and I got the end of my story (and the end of the book is starting to be in sight!) What conflicts are your characters facing?

--What are the themes or messages you're exploring in your current WiP?

Oh, that one is easy! The tensions between competition and cooperation, the need to balance independence and collaboration to reach the pinnacle of any creative art. I'm getting there! I desperately want to finish my grading and focus on the book, but I still have maybe 2 or 3 hours of grading to do. Wish me luck! And let me know what your themes and messages are shaping up to be!

--Can you share a brief overview of the plot of your current WiP without giving away too much?

Oh, well, that's pretty easy: it's a history of the intertwined careers of two professional wrestlers in their twenty-year climb from the pool halls of Montreal to the main event at WrestleMania. Bang! Done. I mean, the book isn't, alas, but I did get 300 words written this morning and hope to get more done later. Wish me luck as I wish you luck!

The holidays took it out of me! They're always busy but of course this year, the first without my mother, they were especially difficult )Christmas was her holiday, she loved it so much. I went up into the Japanese Alps to find some snow and just sat all weekend in a snowstorm, sitting in an outdoor hot spring watching snow fall. It was nostalgic and totally different at the same time, which helped. I hope your holidays were peaceful and bright.

As usual for the first post of the year, I'll ask for either your 2023 in review or your writing hopes for 2024! For me, of course, my main goal is to finish the book I'm currently working on. I'm about 66% done--I wanted to be done by the end of the year, but that didn't happen, alas. But I've got spring break that I can dedicate to the goal and am hoping I can get there quickly. The project seems rather snake-bit--my publisher got in touch with me to tell me that his sister had fallen down on Christmas Eve, struck her head and died a few days later, so we're both struggling with tragedy now. Here's hoping we can make it across the finish line... And here's hoping whatever goals you set yourself in 2024 come true for you!

--Who in your current WiP is most sarcastic?

It's funny, I think most people would assume Kevin, but actually Sami is the one with the really cutting sarcastic attitude! He just employs it against bad people so it manages to be endearing.

In the superhero world, Bruce tends to win out, though part of what I love about the animated series Clark is that he's but a quiet snarkiness to him as well.