Oh look. IT’S JULY. THE YEAR IS HALFWAY OVER.
Are you panicking? I am, of course, not panicking. (#lies) I hope you’ve been having a successful writerly year AND for those doing Camp NaNoWriMo this July…I hope you are not dead. Or at least if you’re dead, just be only mostly dead so you can still join in Beautiful People with us. Because priorities, writerly fiends. Get them in order.
This month we have a fun random assortment of questions! Just remember: BP is designed to help you get to know your characters better, so delve deep when answering the questions! SEARCH YOUR SOULS. Or do whatever you want, because that’s fun too.
[accordion_wrap][accordion id=”one” title=”CLICK TO READ WHAT BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE IS ABOUT” open=”false”]If you’re new here (greetings, mortal) this is a linkup hosted by Sky @ Further Up and Further In and me! It’s aimed at writers so they can answer the questions about their characters and their books. It’s designed to help you get to know your book better! (And also give your followers a sneak peek of your works-in-progresses.)
The linkup is open all month. Just a) grab the questions, b) answer them on your own blog, c) either link to our blogs or take the official button, and d) linkup below!
You can check out the official page (FAQs and examples and archive of previous lists) if you wish [/accordion][accordion id=”two” title=”FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” open=”false” ]What is Beautiful People? Beautiful People is for writers. Every month, we post a list of 10 questions for you to answer about your characters (or your novels). It’s designed to help you get to know your characters – their quirks, their personality, their flaws, and who they are.
Can I join Beautiful People anytime? Absolutely. It’s designed so you can jump in whenever new questions are posted. They’ll be posted at the beginning of the month, but you can join in at aaaany time.
Can I submit questions to Beautiful People? Yes! In fact, we encourage it. If you’d like to submit questions, you have two choices. Either leave a comment on Paper Fury or Further Up and Further In, or send us emails. Whichever way you choose, we’ll attempt to use your questions.
When is it? The meme is live on the 5th of every month! You can join in at any time during the month, just add your post-url to the linky. And don’t forget we’d love you to share the comment-love and visit some fellow linkers.[/accordion]
Don’t forget to grab the button and/or link to this page on your blog! So anyone can join in!
- Do they want to get married and/or have children? Why or why not?
- What is their weapon of choice? (It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical weapon.)
- What’s the nicest thing they’ve done for someone else, and why did they do it?
- Have they ever been physically violent with someone, and what instigated it?
- Are they a rule-follower or a rebel?
- Are they organized or messy?
- What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?
- What do they eat for breakfast?
- Have they ever lost someone close to them? What happened?
- What’s their treat of choice? (Or, if not food, how else do they reward themselves?)
Okay well I am AIMING to finish Grizzly (this draft) by the 15th, and then the third draft of Wanderland by the end of July. Because I’m bananas and I like working on things simultaneously?? But these are fabulous questions for BOTH of them. Or for some shiny new characters. We shall see…
YAYYY GRIZZLY. *taps foot impatiently* I mean, take your time, because YA KNOW I’M SUPER PATIENT AND ALL.😇 But being bananas is like totally part of the writers life. I’m not even why we’re called writers? Bananas would be a better title.
OMG THE YEAR IS NEARLY OVER AND I RECENTLY PASSED MY ONE YEAR BLOGVERSARY (ONE FULL YEAR CAN YOU BELIEVE IT). I THOUGHT THAT WORDPRESS WOULD NOTIFY ME AND THEY DIDN’T SO I ACTUALLY MISSED IT. I ACTUALLY MISSED MY ONE YEAR BLOGVERSARY *sobs* And now it’s kinda way too late to post anything about it – plus I’m too poor to do another giveaway and I don’t have any insightful discussion posts about how blogging has changed my life T_T
I’ve actually been considering writing a book recently (especially after your amazing recent post on why I should) – but I suck so much at writing and I KNOW that people say you need to start somewhere, right? But I hate reading my own writing. *burns computer* But I promise if I ever DO write a book or some extended story of some sort, I will definitely join in on Beautiful Peoples 😀
OMG FOR SHAME FOR MISSING YOUR BLOGVERSARY, PAUL. BUT HAPPY 1ST YEAR ANYWAY! YOU LITTLE TODDLER YOU. I GET TO SMUSH CAKE IN YOUR HAIR BECAUSE I AM A 5 YEAR OLD BLOGGER SO I HAVE THESE RIGHTS PROBABLY. (I mean, shh, that sounds logical) *smushes congratulatory cake in your hair*
I do get that about hating-one’s-own-writing. I mean, I was a beastly child who thought everything I wrote was glorious. BUT then I had like 4 teenage years where I hated everything I wrote.😂 Now I’m back to being a beastly adult who thinks everything I write is glorious. *flips hair* I tell you. IT CYCLES. You just gotta start and ignore the doubts and keep going. Excellent advice from me, omg. *awards self with cake*
GAH! CAIT YOU ARE SO OLD AND WISE.
Cait!! You think of the most tremendous questions! 😀 (Is that a right usage?) I look forward to following the July edition. And those arrows are absolutely gorgeous. Best design to date!
AHH THANKYOU! Well, Sky and I come up with them together.😂 Definitely not just me ahhaah. AHem.
These are some really good questions! Ummm, over the last few weeks I’ve been doing some worldbuilding and plotting in preparation for a novel sized beast I want to write during the (weekends of) the school year. It’s about a girl who works in an inn and is privy to all sorts of secrets, and the fantasy world is based on Indian culture–but not your average North or Southern culture, the area where I used to live which is this odd syncretic mix of hindu and buddhist in the mountains. And I accidentally discovered a novel I don’t even remember plotting that would be a perfect companion novel…. and I have some short stories and essays (I know, I wierdly enjoy writing essays) brewing too. (Ha ha as well as craft projects and final year of school starting and blogging and helping out at home and music practice and volunteering for a week and reading and everything else.)
Ooooh, novel sized beast sounds EXCITING. And I am loving the sound of this inn-story. ALSO YAY FOR INDIAN CULTURE because I think we need more fantasy books like that. *nods* And that is even more awesome that it automatically has a companion novel! YAYYYYYYYY.
And you’re just a little bit busy there with all those things, aren’t you?! 😂 GOOD LUCK!!
YAY I love Beautiful People! XD Writing is in the process of chewing up my brain, because I finished the second climax of ‘Golden Revenge’ this morning and it was intense. There was a lot of death. So yeah, just a normal writing day…But apart from that, I’m feeling pretty good about my multiple WIPs, and I should finish the first draft of Golden Revenge by the end of this month. (I hope). How’s your writing going, Cait? 😀
*gives you rejuvenating cake* Lots of death is definitely just another day at the office for we writers. *flips hair* I always find book finales EXHAUSTING to write! I need to like sleep for a year afterwards.😂 And omg good luck for finishing this draft at the end of the month! I BELIEVE IN YOU! I SHALL CHEER FOR YOU!
I’m on writing hiatus for now since I wrote in June. 😛 I’ll probably either edit or write something new in August before for July I haaave to catch up on my TBR.😂
This is new! I’ll do it soon 🙂
I’m at a standstill with my writing (I haven’t written anything for two weeks) and I’m just not feeling the inspiration to write!
If I do feel like writing, its in pen and typing it onto my main file is tedious and I don’t feek like doing it
YAY! I hope you enjoy joining in! Agh, but no inspiration is the wooooorst. I tend to devour a gazillion movies and books when that happens to me. IT WORKS. We must refill our creative tanks!!
I’m doing Camp NaNo. I’m 500 words behind on my goal, give or take, but I can fix that easily. 🙂 It’s a first draft, so I’m really just getting to know my characters, and that’s my favourite part of writing! XD
That’s how I approach first drafts too, basically.😂 It’s nearly just like a super detailed outline sometimes omg. haha. (My last book was SUCH A MESS I’m trying to pretend it’s going to edit itself if I ignore it long enough.) GOOD LUCK FOR CAMP!! *cheers wildly for you from the sidelines*
I AGREE, CAIT, I AGREE. I LOVE THESE MONTHLY WRITER CHAT UPDATES AS WELL.
I’m going to start writing the first draft of my third book this Friday ?!? WHAT EVEN ?!?! I am so nervous but excited at the same time because this story has been bottled up in me for a few weeks or even a whole month now. I want it to explode into words when I finally get to writing it 😜
Well things didn’t go as planned when I was incredibly naive the start of this year. I wanted to finish three drafts by the end of Decmber this year, but then I guess I’m going to finish one draft. THIS YEAR IS ALL ABOUT ME TAKING IT SLOW BECAUSE I deserve a break from learning I could ACTUALLY write books last year.
Maybe I’ll do NaNoWriMo? I mean I’ve never tried the actual one, and I am of age to join it now and I might do it this year. If not, for sure I’ll do it next year.
ENOUGH ABOUT ME. TELL ME: when do you plan to write your adult fantasy? ALSO, I HAVE BEEN STALKING YOU ON PINTEREST AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES STORY. AND THE STORY CALLED THE FOX CIRCLE. AND EVERYTHING ELSE. 😂
I will feed you cake in return. 🍰
OMGGGG GOOD LUCK FOR FRIDAY!! AHHH *stockpiles cake and chocolate around you* I love counting down to starting a story. :’) And by “love” I mean, it’s also incredibly nerve-wracking.😂 I hope it’s fun to write, though!! But hey, finishing anything is still SOMETHING, right?!? For some reason 2016 has been an epically busy writerly year for me…but last year I did like NOTHING. haha. I mean, I did write but none of it worked out too well. *facepalm*
I’m going to do NaNo in November! If you do it, we can cheer each other on!!
JFASDKLAD I THINK I’LL DO THE ADULT FANTASY EITHER IN SEPTEMBER OR NOVEMBER. or sometime. Because I am absolutely BUSTING to write it.😂 I swear. Omg. I have so many scenes and it just excites me so so so much. I just finished writing The Fox Circle in June actually! And the Boy Who Steals Houses is also like VERY high on my need-to-write-list. THANKYOU FOR BEING INTERESTED IN THEM THO BECAUSE THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY. <333
Good to see Beautiful People is still going strong! Good questions for this round too. I won’t be taking part this time as but as always, I look forward to reading the responses from other bloggers, and yours as well Cait!
Awww, you’re so SWEET. :’) And I’m glad you like the questions!! Sky and I work hard hehehe.
I’m combining this months BP with Snazzy Snippets again and it’ll go up on Friday normally. MORE DEREK & NIC, YAY!
Oooh, I CAN’T WAIT TO READ IT BEE! <3
Hey Cait!
I am so excited for my camp nano story! It is about a kid named Mik who is a pickpocket. He gets a job in a five story mansion, which is run solely by a sullen butler and a hysterical housekeeper. It is sort of a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Yeah, we’ll see how it all goes!
Wait a second, rewind! The year is halfway over?!?! No. Way. That is CRAZY!! Would you excuse me for a minute? I need to scream into a pillow real quick. (Oh, by the way, that really helps when you are mad. Like really. Trust me, I know.)
~E ( in the Yellow Shirt) 😀
OMG YOUR STORY SOUNDS AMAZING!!!! I love all of those elements, plus retellings, plus pickpockets?!? THIS BOOK. *stamps it with approval*
And yes, um, please, can we just…um…pause the year? I’M NOT READY FOR IT TO BE HALFWAY THROUGH.😂
Oh thanks! This is kind of out of the blue, but do you want to beta- read it when my first draft is done? If you can’t that’s fine, just tell me! It won’t be till after nano, but still.
I’m going to have to do some Beautiful People with these characters. *jumps up and down* what fun we’ll have! Well, at least I will.
~E
Aw, sorry, I don’t do beta-reading!
Nah, that’s okay! I understand. 🙂
I am writing a spacey story with racers, and smugglers, and a kickbutt alien librarian with a machete. LOL, B/C LIBRARIANS ROCK!
Yes, I AM DOING CampNaNoWriMo! Although I’m not really getting 1,700 words done per day. 🙁 BUT then again I dont think I really need to write 50k b/c my novel should be done be4 then. I AM HALFWAY THROUGH! YEAH! Then I can start EDITING.
yay.
I am so enthused about that. Can’t you tell?
And no Cait, I dont think my brain has been eaten. But thank you for asking.
OMG THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF AWESOME THINGS, HANNAH. *flails* And yayyy for your first draft! I think I share your “enthusiasm” for editing. AHHAHHAHAHA. No. *cries*
And I’m really glad your brain is uneaten. This is excellent news.
How is it halfway through the year?! That’s scary 0_0 I’m currently writing a fantasy novel, the beginning of a series, and so far it’s going wellish…I’m enjoying it but I’m not sure how good it is, and I’ve had to ask a friend for tips on fighting because I don’t know anything! I considered doing Camp NaNoWriMo but I chickened out, and I’m glad I’m not doing it as I don’t have to rush any scenes. I love these questions btw! (:
I KNOW. I think maybe it possibly should not be ALLOWED TO BE HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR. OMG I’M NOT READY. *flaps about trying to do everything and failing*
Ooh, huzzah for fantasy! That truly is my FAVOURITE genre. <3 I'm hoping to write a fantasy next because I so miss it when I'm not writing it.😂 But yes! sometimes it's good just to take these things at our own pace, right?!
My #secretsummerwritingproject is off to a very good start. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m writing the whole first draft on paper, and so far it’s been such am interesting process. Like, when you write on the computer, you have the space to add in a lot of unnecessary stuff and you have room for mistakes, but when your writing on paper (and in a notebook with limited space) you don’t have room for all that stuff, and no room for mistakes. So you really have to think things through, and pick and choose what you put in, which makes for a very clean, sharp first draft. I’m still at the very beginning, but it’s so much fun.
Writing is definitely eating my brain. I’m working on two WIPs, (Gearbound and the secret summer thing.) I have like eight blog posts drafts, plus I randomly start working on my other ‘back burner’ stories at random times, which does not help my productivity. Basically I’m living on coffee and tea. *sighs* I think I’m allergic to coffee though, as whenever I have coffee, I become OCD about mess, I can’t sit still, my heart starts pounding super fast, I can’t breathe very well and I become super grumpy. *is sad*
When are we going to see a new Wattpad story? I just thought I’d ask, bc I enjoy your writing soooo much.
Ohh, I can totally imagine that it’d make the while writing process SO different! Like when I type, often I type like 3 sentences trying to get the wording right?😂 So I can imagine handwriting would make you want to get the wording the first time and save your hand. hhaha. Ahem.
THAT IS A LOT OF PROJECTS THERE. *gives you motivating chocolate* And living on coffee is totally fine, of course of course. We creative geniuses must do what we must. *flips hair majestically*
I will have news about the new stories SOON! I PROMISE. 😂 I’m slacking off for July and just taking a break. I knoooow, for shame. 😉
Ooh what interesting questions! I’m trying to do Camp NaNo this month but omg it isn’t going well… I thought July would be a relaxed month. Nope. Turns out I’ve been really busy??? So yeah, need to get back on track, haha!
Agh, don’t you hate that?!? I hope July settles down for you a little so you have time to write though!
Ahhhh! I’M GOING TO DO THIS!! My characters are my little cinnamon rolls 😍👌
HUZZAH FOR ADORABLE LITTLE CINNAMON ROLL CHARACTERS <3
YAY THESE QUESTIONS ARE GLORIOUS AND PERFECT FOR MY CAMP NOVEL’S MC! Thanks so much, Cait : )
In fact, I think I’ll go do this right now.
Excellent post as always, Cait!
x, Em
YAY!! I Can’t wait to read it!
Yay, new Beautiful People! I’m debating whether to do it with Callie (MC of my current superhero novella) or Rinna (MC of last year’s April Camp novel). Callie needs developed, but if I do Rinna I can write it in story format, which should be fun.
And Camp is going well, for the record. I’m halfway through my (very low) goal, which is good, because my pace dropped from about 1K/day the first four days to about 300-400/day the last two days. 😛 But I’m on track all the same, and I should make it through all right.
I’m sure you’re not really writing anything right now, since you just finished writing another book (seriously, you’re amazing), but how’s other stuff going? Reading? Editing? Life in general?
YAY FOR BEING ON TRACK!! *cheers for you and busts out the cake* And any amount of writing is still progress right?!? I look forward to whichever character you choose! EEEP.
Ah and yes! I’m taking July completely off all writing things.😂 okay complete lie hahahah HAHA AHHA *dies* I can’t stop inventing stories! So I’m plotting two. But that’s still technically taking a break right?! 😉
I had absolutely no intention of participating in Nano this July, because I have a thesis to write and then I planned on collapsing for the rest of the month. A week into July and somehow I have created a project on the site, and am 10 pages into a new story I have absolutely no plan for. The only thing I have is a name (Save the World Another Day) and some dialogue that amuses me. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, CAIT.
Ooooh, so the story just HAPPENED? Spontaneously COMBUSTED OUT OF THIN AIR. HUZZAH! How did it happen? Probably black dark arts, Vlora, most definitely that’s the answer. Also a bit of amusing dialogue and an amazing title can get you a long way. Probably to being published and famous. I AM JUST SAYIN’.
(GOOD LUCK!)
Is that a reference to The Princess Bride in your first paragraph?
Yes, yes it is.😂
I think I’ve been living under a rock because I didn’t even know Beautiful People was a thing until today! It’s so motivational so I’ll definitely be doing it each month!
I should be starting my dissertation for uni, but instead I am 10,000 words into Camp NaNoWriMo writing another stand-alone fantasy in the world I’ve created. I finished the first stand-alone at the start of June but instead of editing I just wanted to keep writing!
You are so motivational so I just wanted to say thank you!
YAYY I AM SO GLAD, CHRISTINE!! And omg a standalone fantasy sounds amazing (and honestly I think we need more standalone fantasies in the world!) and I hope it goes well for you! hehe, and I hope your dissertation goes well too. 😉
I can’t wait to do this!!! *rushes off to copy and answer questions* They look SO GOOD–I think they’ll be especially helpful for my hero, who definitely could use some clarifying and character-building 🙂
I’m still working on my Holocaust/WW2 novel, and it’s going really well!! I’m super excited about it, actually 🙂 I’m already in Part 2 (of 4) and I’m overall very pleased with the way the plot and characters are shaping and everything. And no, it hasn’t completely eaten my brain–it’s only eaten about half my brain 🙂 But I don’t care because I LOVE IT TOO MUCH. #thewritinglife
AHH I’M SO GLAD THEY’RE HELPFUL FOR YOU!! 😀 And omg a WWII novel?! That must be tough! GOOD LUCK. I totally admire historical-fiction writers because omg all that research. You are AMAZING.😂
Thank you so much!! Haha, *I* admire FANTASY writers because ALL THAT WORLD-BUILDING. I just don’t understand how you guys do it–I never could, in a million years 🙂
I really wanted to join Camp NaNoWriMo this year because I have a great MG book in my head that is actually practically plotted (which for me is a miracle!), but we have an exchange student here from Spain this month, and I have little humans to teach, and I’m taking a copyediting course … it didn’t happen. Someday. Someday. Sigh.
I need to do this!