Hello hello and welcome to August! Today I’m doing the “What’s Your WIP?” Blog Tag that I saw my friend Kaley do! WIP stands for Work-in-Progress, which is what writers refer to as the main project they are working on.
Presently, I’m at the Ydubs Conference (hear more about that from me in a week or so!), and so I’m quite busy and probably won’t be responding much for a few days. Now, let’s carry on!
Rules:
– Thank the person who tagged you and link to their blog (thanks, Kaley!)
-Link back to the creator, Katja @ Little Blossoms for Jesus, & add the tag graphic.
-List the rules.
-Answer the questions.
-Feel free to add snippets.
-Tag as many or as few people as you wish & let them know they’re tagged.
-Add a clean copy of the questions at the end of your post for the tagged.
*ahem* I present to you. . .
The Questions
1. Has your WIP a working title?
*cough* No, not actually. I’ve had some ideas, like Search for Peace, A Blaze Worth Quenching, Pyromaniac’s Dream, Finding Peace, Seeking Peace, but I don’t like any of them. I’ll keep working on it, I guess.
2. Have you a synopsis for your WIP? If so, give it to us! If not, can you give us a blurb on what your WIP is about?
Yeah I actually don’t have a professional synopsis yet either. I will explain a bit of what it’s about, though.
There’s a 15-year-old boy named Pax living in the desert with his family (mother, uncle, and little sister Talia). They’re foreign to the northern deserts, but they moved there for two reasons:
Pax’s father has a rare condition: an addiction to blood. His son, Pax, has a different addiction: one to fire; he’s a pyromaniac. Eventually, the father’s condition forced his wife and her older brother to take her kids (Pax eight, Talia newborn) and flee for safety from him.
As for Pax’s pyromania, it earned him a permanent scar across his whole left side. With the Northern Deserts’ wilting heat and glorious glaring sun, Pax’s uncle and mama thought it could keep his emotionally-stimulated addiction at bay—if not extinguish [wordplay intended] it.
But with the appearance of a strange stalker, the army, and a devasting accident (the result of a pyromaniac session of Pax), the four are forced to move again.
After much travel, they find a lovely town. They begin to settle in, get comfortable, make friends, find work. But is everything really going to stay slow? Is it peaceful within Pax’s own mind? What happens when he runs straight into the thick of inevitable religious and life questions? Who knows. . . .
3. Have you a working/mock cover for your WIP? If so, show us! If not, have you an idea in mind?
Not yet. I have several projects I’ve been working on, but again, I don’t like any of them. Some themes I’ve been working with are: desert, sun, fire, fleeing.
4. How did you get the idea for this story?
It sprung up from the thematic questions of peace. Where is it found? What does it mean? Is it acquirable? Also, I think the idea of Pax just popped into my head. I first called him Jarvis, but the sound and meaning of Pax is so much better.
For more, refer to #12!
5. How long do you think it will be? Is it longer or shorter than you thought it would be?
I’m planning for it to be a novella, maybe 30K words, but you know me. It’ll probably end up 60K or something. 😅
6. Who’s your favourite character so far?
Oh, that’s a good question. Maybe Talia, Pax’s 6-7 year old sister. Or Maia, one of the friends Pax makes at the aforementioned small town. Conley (another friend like Maia) is up there, and Pax is great too.
I’d tell you why, but I really haven’t gotten far, and without much being written in stone/on Docs, I can’t exactly word my thoughts just yet.
7. What’s your favorite memory related to this WIP?
I don’t have one.
8. Any special person(s) who helped create it?
Um, not really. Some characters are loosely based on friends and family, but I haven’t shared it with anyone just yet.
9. What’s your favorite scene so far (if you can tell about it without spoilers!)?
I can’t. 😎
10. Can you give us a snippet?
Sure, why not.
I shivered as one of the last fresh breezes of the morning slipped through my clothing and pricked at my skin. Like with every day, soon the goosebumps on my limbs would be replaced with beads of sweat. This was weeks from the day I reached fifteen, and my work had been carrying on for some time.
Up ahead from the path I was meandering down lay a small lake, surrounded by bushes and plants. A few trees dotted the little oasis, and behind it spread several yards of farm, some, empty fields to be hoed, and others, crops to be sparingly watered and picked. Farther still were the herds of animals we watched.
Several men and women were already there, nursing the plants, working the fields, and tending to the animals.
11. Is the story still what you thought it would be or has it thrown you a couple curveballs?
It’s generally what I’d thought it’d be, but to keep it that way, I have to overcome the few curveballs that are shooting at me 90 mph that want to mess things up.
12. Is there a Bible verse, poem, hymn, or quote that has helped shape this story?
Yes! Actually, the whole story is based on a verse in the Bible.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68, NIV, emphasis mine.
I forgot where I first saw this verse, but it hit me hard. As for context, it occurred shortly after Jesus fed a whole lot of people/the 5,000. He was proclaiming Himself as the Bread of Life, and it was a hard message for a lot of his disciples. Many left Him. When they did, he turned to the Twelve and asked if they would leave. Simon Peter responded with the above. Find the whole section in John 6:60-71.
It’d take a while for me to explain the verse (I had thought about making a post on it), but essentially, it’s saying that Jesus is worth it. “Truly truly,” more worth it than any earthly pleasure, glory, or wealth.
Another huge inspiration for this WIP is the song You Got It by Trip Lee. It’s one of my all time favorite songs, and heavily based on John 6:68, I believe. Give it a listen!
13. When and where have you done the most of the writing so far?
At my cousin’s house, my own, and whenever. I have bad writing habits which I need to work on.
14. Where do you get inspiration for this story?
Refer to question 12.
15. Are you a plotter or a planster?
Plantster! I usually start with a light outline, then let it guide me but I end up going wherever I feel is best.
16. Do you have a little ritual you do before writing?
*cough* No. As in #13, I need to build writing habits.
17. Are you thinking of publishing this story?
Nope. I thought about it, but I’ve temporarily decided against that. I’m just not ready yet—time, knowledge, and skill-wise.
18. What things have you learned while writing this story?
That summer can be mean. It hardly allows me time to write. XD
But actually, I’m learning how to create fantasy cultures using the geographic knowledge I already have, more tips and tricks of map-making, and what makes characters interesting, compelling, and relatable! Those are a few things.
I’m not going to tag anyone—I’ll just leave it open—so feel free to do this yourself!
Here are the questions:
- Has your WIP a working title? If so, tell us! If not, have you any idea of what it might be?
- Have you a synopsis for your WIP? If so, give it to us! If not, can you give us a blurb on what your WIP is about?
- Have you a working/mock cover for your WIP? If so, show us! If not, have you an idea in mind?
- How did you get the idea for this story?
- How long do you think it will be? Is it longer or shorter than you thought it would be?
- Who’s your favourite character so far?
- What’s your favourite memory related to this WiP?
- Any special person(s) who helped create it?
- What’s your favourite scene so far (if you can tell about it without spoilers!)?
- Can you give us a snippet?
- Is the story still what you thought it would be or has it thrown you a couple curveballs?
- Is there a Bible verse, poem, hymn, picture, or quote that helped shape this story?
- When and where have you done most of the writing so far?
- Where do you get inspiration for this story?
- Are you a plotter or a pantser?
- Do you have a little ritual before you start writing?
- Are you thinking of publishing this story?
- What things have you learned while writing this story?
We have now come to the ending. I hope you’ve enjoyed this and also found my WIP idea interesting! Sorry for being so late! See you next week.
The Right Kind of Writer 