It’s time to answer some curious writer questions.
Mostly because I get to say curious and curiouser and remind myself that Lewis Carroll is pretty heckin’ famous despite making up his words because he couldn’t think of any existing ones. If that isn’t a big mood. That is like the origin of writers waving their hands vaguely and saying, “Can you pass me the thingie thing,” because wording on the paper is easier than wording with the mouth.
Anyway.
I am here to answer some QUESTIONS (that I pretty much stole) because I really love answering questions! I also love how writers can be so different with their processes and styles and reasons-for-writing — it’s most fascinating to discuss.
I’m always curious about other writers, so here let me just answer…
I got these questions from @rebeccarmix (who is fantastic on twitter you should follow her!!) from a thread here and am turning them into a blog post instead of a tweet thread because LET ME RAMBLE ON AND ON. So if you want to grab these questions for your blog, make sure to link back to Rebecca!)
Otherwise it’s nearly NaNoWriMo…so hey! Let’s talk writing!
OMAGHAOGH IT’S NEARLY NANO.
what are your favourite kinds of scenes to write? why?
Oh, hands down, it’s the banter scenes. I absolutely love them. Although the true irony is I put a lot of effort into making my banter sound, well…effortless. When it flows though, I AM MAGIC. I AM A MAGICAL CREATURE AVAST AND ADORE ME. (Usually it is a struggle that makes me cry tho so like, do not worry about my ego. It’s that smudge on the floor generally.)
I also really like the scenes were I absolutely break. everything. and. everyone.
(I am NICE.)
we’re all our own worst critics—so, what about your writing are you genuinely proud of? don’t hold back.
I’m genuinely proud of my prose! It can be a purple and flowery, and I use a lot of metaphors built from gossamer and eggshells and I freaking love it. I think, if you write the kind of books that you crave reading, then you’re on a good path.
I’m also super proud of MY DISASTER SONS. Ugh they are such ridiculous messes and make terrible decisions, but they feel like real people to me and I just??? I love writing my characters. I love it even more when my readers fall madly in love with them too.
what do you love about writing? what excites you? what makes all of this nightmare struggle worth it?
✧ i love love love writing outlines and developing threads of new stories and thinking, wOW DON’T MESS THIS UP CAIT, THIS COULD BE GREAT. (No pressure clearly.)
✧ publishing excites me. WILDLY!! seeing my book’s cover for the first time!! getting copy-edits back!!
✧ dude?! copy edits excite me !! I’m a real author!!
✧ I love finishing. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the writing process and losing myself in writing a scene, but that moment when you FINISH?! it is glorious.
✧ when you’re typing a line and you think, “Wow. Wow that was good.”
✧ the part where i explode into a thousand moths and vanish into the grim moors to avoid my problems
what’s something you’re not as strong in that you’d like to improve?
I need to get better at world building WOW do I just. I get so scared of info-dumping that I leave you with three breadcrumbs and a piece of cotton fluff and say, “Yes this my world, adore it.” Which is…not helpful.
I also want to get better at characters?! I tend to write many similar personalities (panics) and my idea of romance is often they kiss and then someone gets shot/falls off a cliff. You think I’m exaggerating but those are ACTUAL SCENES I have written. Because like what do you do with post-kiss emotions??? Burn them with fire???? hElp
we talk a lot about “big” writing dreams (movies! shows! bestseller list!) but do you have a smaller, quieter dream for you and your work? what is it?
✧ go into a library and see my book there !! (seeing it in a bookstore WAS UNREAL I’M STILL FLAILING)
✧ be blurbed by an author I admire (might be considered still a “big” dream though bUT I WANT THIS)
✧ have a shelf lined with books I have written
✧ hire someone to draw fanart for my books ajfdksald
✧ the cover of my book = on little edible cupcakes
✧ meet my agent/publisher in London someday!
are there things that pop up in your writing over and over again whether you like it or not? what are they?
The theme of “protecting” comes up a LOT. I find myself drawn to writing about characters who both need protecting and will do anything to protect another.
I also write a lot about violence, which is very ironic for someone who is a pacifist. But I like to explore things that make me angry or that make me want to do something to help. I write about how violence is also invisible bruises and how, just because you can’t see pain, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
I also write a LOT OF SLYTHERINS AND HUFFLEPUFFS OK. I CAN’T STOP. IT JUST HAPPENS. The stab and the soft. My children.
what are some tropes that you unapologetically adore writing? what are ones you never write bc you can’t stand them?
LOVE
✧ tiny feisty people who bite ankles
✧ nearly-happened-but-then-didn’t kisses
✧ monsters who want to be human
✧ sassy mouthed flirts who are secretly damaged inside
HATE
✧ alpha males ughghg my boys will nEVER
✧ any sort of cure storyline ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
✧ they-break-up-they-get-together-they-break-up
✧ mean girls
if you could hop in a time machine and give baby-writer you one piece of advice, what would it be?
Write more books before you’re published and panic about meeting expectations!!
NEVER LOOK FOR REVIEWS. WAIT FOR NICE PEOPLE TO TAG YOU FOR GOOD ONES BUT (SMACKS HAND) GET OFF GOODREADS YOU LIMP LETTUCE
Just accept your 1st drafts are horrible. They are little night-demons. Let them be. They will settle down someday and wash their nasty little feral faces and learn manners, it’s ok. You are not a failure for needing to write a book 4 x to get it right.
what’s the last book/last books you read that made you go HOLY SHIT that’s some good writing!!?
oh!! OH!! I have read so many good ones this year! But ones that just made me sit with my jaw hanging while I whispered, “I want to learn to write like that,” are definitely:
do you have a book out? a book you’re working on? tell me about it!
You already know about my first son, A Thousand Perfect Notes, which has been out for FOUR MONTHS already! (And also just sold rights to be translated into both Czech and Slovak! And Polish!) And if you haven’t read it yet (OMG YOU SHOULD YOU LOVE ME) it’s about music and domestic violence, disaster siblings, the softest friendship, a whole lot of dubious cakes, many good dogs, and saving yourself.
And my second book, The Boy Who Steals Houses, is out in April (WHICH SEEMS SOON) and I swear the cover reveal is coming soon. Eventually. Maybe. (I have really no idea lmao.) But just know !! it is about homeless disaster brothers, a messy big family, autism, thievery, a very long string of bad decisions, lifesaving waffles, a prickly Slytherin girl and the softest honey Hufflepuff boy.
As for my current WIPs?!? It’s hard but I can’t really tell details much anymore. But I’m hoping my NaNo project will be something that tastes delightfully and wickedly of a story that’s Jumunji x Stranger Things.
Oh I love your writing posts! 😍 And I am so sad I have not yet read A Thousand Perfect Notes BUT today I got a notice from my library that IT IS HERE! 😆 I requested it a few weeks ago and they listened to me! 🙌 So now you have a book in a library in Sweden! (I’ll send you a picture when I pick it up! 🙂
As far as my writing goes it’s in a weird place right now as school is taking over my life! Help! But in a week I am having my Fall Break so I’m planning on starting my Second Draft of my WIP and hopefully finishing it by the end of the year.
This is my first full length draft of a novel so I don’t really have a pattern 😅 But I also love Hufflepuff boys and Slytherin girls! And, romance is also pretty awkward for me.. What is love??!!
P.S. I have a new Writing Update where I go more in depth about my WIP if you are up for some writing struggles. 🙈
OMG EMA, THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY IT IS AT YOUR LIBRARY!!!! And in Sweden!! Omg!! *flails forever* I will love to see a picture. 😍😍
Aw but I understand how tough it is to balance school vs writing. I actually didn’t write very much while I was in school. It’s so tough to fit it in? But good on you for getting drafting done in holidays! 🎉POWER WRITING QUEEN. (Why is romance so hard to write though. 😂I try to avoid instalove and then realise it’s like 2 chapters from the end and they’ve only held hands once lmao.)
And ooh I’ll come read your writing update now!!
Agreed about alphas! OMG they scare me. But I do like cute plots, to an extent. As long as it’s believable xD because a lot of cute plots have a serious case of “this would never happen” xD
Anyway, short comment today cause I’m feeling off. Just wanted to check out the new post 🙂
Ugh it’s just toxic masculinity and I’m DONE with it. So so tired.😂 And I like cute plots too! I actually really like reading fluffy stories, but I can’t…write…them.😂Like at all. Ahem.
(Aw don’t ever worry about the lengths of your comments! And we’re only sending small book-sized messages to each other in DMs anyway.💛💛💛)
Yeah, I can see you not being able to write cute stories xD some things are just not… for some of us. xD Well, but I can’t write any stories at all! So I think you are fine :DDDDD plus, dark stories are popular right now! LOL (they are though!)
(Although, to be honest, I have written a story. It was the middle of the night, I couldn’t sleep and I just had to write it. I don’t know where it is. I think it wasn’t bad. I wrote it years ago. Maybe I should find it…)
Lol haha you got that right about the DMs. I maintain that they only look long because the Twitter screens on my phone are.. tiny xD
Oooh maaaaybe you have a little bit of writer in you after all. 😉 JUST WAIT! YOU’LL JOIN THE RANKS OF SCREAMING AUTHORS.😂
Awesome post! I might commandeer it for my own blog next month (with all due credit, of course).
SADIE AND THE WICKER KING. MY GOD. What amazing writing. The Wicker King in particular has a style I’ve always wanted to master because its content matches up with a lot of what I write.
(ALSO I’M SO HYPED FOR THAT COVER REVEAL. A Thousand Perfect Notes has such a lovely cover; I can’t wait to see what The Boy Who Steals Houses Ends Up With.)
Eleanor | On the Other Side of Reality
AHH I can’t wait to read your version too!! And omg The Wicker King SLAYS ME. Like how does it even have such short entirely emotionally ruining chapters?! I can’t fathom it. I can’t get that much emotion out in like 3 sentences. The author is a genius and I hope she never changes. aFdsjakld.
AHHHHH YOU AND ME BOTH FOR TBWSH COVER.😂I’ve seen a draft but it’s being tweaked so I’m still not sure what the final is going to look like. *pretends is not super nervous* 😂
“The stab and the soft.” THIS IS MY NEW MOTTO.
Honestly I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH?? like yess @ all quiet author dreams. I actually DON’T want to sell movie/tv rights to my books (ONE DAY they will be published!) just because? no. imagine it in your minds as you please, reader children. Also yess @ the banter scenes though.. I…I don’t do well with those…or any dialogue…or character development, really. IDK. I NEED PRACTICE IN WRITING BUT MOTIVATION IS HARD TO COME BY, OKAY. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’VE BECOME addicted to certai tv shows and school matters and there is work to be done arghh. but it’s okay. I always come back to writing.
Things I write often…basically death/horrific scenes where someone gets very badly hurt, is in emotional or physical pain, crying, panic/anxiety etc. which is like ughh because i LOVE fluffy books but don’t really write a lot of fluffy stuff–i want to though. i’m beginning to see a possibility of it.
Also really into this butterfly graphic you got there. it’s beautiful! do you make all your graphics yourself?
Aww I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I mean I *kind of* would like to sell TV/movie rights?😂Even if it never gets made, you still get paid for the rights lmao. But I have such distrust of movie adaptions I know I’d just end up being annoyed. (Although it would still bE KIND OF COOL knowing someone like your book enough to make it into a movie…holy wow. I can’t even imagine.)
I love fluffy books too, but can I write them? *laughs hysterically and then stabs a character* Everyone is always anxious and crying in my books. Usually after chapter one. It can be a problem. We are in this together at least, Deeja.😂
Oh no haha I just buy the graphics with licenses.😂I can draw a stick figure and that’s about it.
*coughs* so it took a while for me to notice that all my mc’s are wired the same way, with big smiles and hugs for their besties all the time, but if someone so much as glares at them they will furiously explode and stab you many times. They also have no impulse control. Hey look at that, I’ve been writing ME…..
I also just finished reading the illuminae trilogy! Its was SO GOOD and my mom is a little bit behind me, she is currently halfway through obisidio and pestering me for spoilers.😛
Most crazily, ~Olive
Ah ahhah 😂😂well just know you are NOT alone there! It’s very hard to write different sort of characters?! I still need so much practise.
And omg Illuminae is a work of talented and devious art.
Wait, my favorite type of book romance is where they kiss once and then fall off a cliff! Then I don’t have to read any more romance! This seems perfect to me.
OMG EXCELLENT. THEN I AM WRITING THE RIGHT WAY.
Oh we have enough of mean girl and alpha male tropes. Keep writing about artistic guys and real people with real problems, like you do. I loved your book!
Awww thank you you!!😂💛💛And I shall definitely stick to my arty soft character ways!
Yo Cait, we actually have your book in our library (because I mcfreaking could not buy it *cries* but I ordered it in specially and convinced all my friend to read it). They really liked it. Also I saw your book in our local bookstore and it was great 😀
DUDE THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!! I’m so so glad your library has it!! 🎉🎉 (And omg thank you so so much for recommending it to your friends too?! You lovely bean!!😍😍😍)
* Raises hand * Also a pacifist who LOVES writing violence. Also sarcasm, protective characters, and banter. :’) I also love writing mean girls though. If they’re only there for background, I like to parody the whole idea of the archetype. :’) Ooh! And all of my worldbuilding is ridiculously overcomplicated. This is not a good thing. I don’t know why I made it sound like one. Although maybe it just feels that way because I’m writing it…
I like mean-girls-who-aren’t-really-mean or like calling out the trope is good too! Like I think a lot of girls get cast as “mean” when they’re not, just because society is awful!? So THOSE twists on the trope I like! But just girl-on-girl hate for no reason? Ugh. So over it.
Hey complex worlds are good!! It makes it seem more real!
This was such a great post, Cait! I really enjoyed it. (I’m looking forward so much to The Boy Who Steals Houses!!)
I’ve been writing a lot lately, but I keep project-hopping. First it was a book about bird people and right now it’s a book about Thanksgiving and lovers/friends and siblings, and NaNo is going to be a book about werewolves and literature.
“Just accept your 1st drafts are horrible. They are little night-demons. Let them be. They will settle down someday and wash their nasty little feral faces and learn manners, it’s ok.” <–– :DDD
<3
OMG THANK YOU!!😍I’m so glad you liked it! And that is awesome that you’ve had a lot of inspiration lately! Bird people though!! *flails at how interesting that sounds*
Let’s hope our first drafts hurry up and get some manners. 😂😂
I am definitely stealing these questions for a post closer to Nano! I loved your answers, especially the tropes you love to write. And how wants to write scary macho boys? I just DON’T GET IT.
Also, let me panic because NANO is SO SOON!
Oooh excellent!! I will greatly look forward to your answers! And omg I know right? I am so over reading/writing/thinking-about-the-existence-of macho boys. OVER IT.
(HOW IS NANO SO SOON?!)
I either info dump about my world that I built or I tell you nothing at all. But it’s just SO HARD to keep track of the rules, even when they’re rules that you created?? Clearly we both need to work on this. xD
Witty dialogue is some of my favorite stuff to write, too. It’s a lot easier to have characters tease each other than to have them actually DO things that advance the plot. But who needs plot, right?
So here’s what I’m picturing as the perfect way to achieve all of your “smaller” writing dreams at once: Go have a release party in a library in London so your agent and publisher will be there and celebrate with an edible cupcake book cover that sits right underneath shelf lined with books you’ve written that have been blurbed by authors you admire. Oh, and someone you hired to draw fanart for your books is in charge of all the fanart decorations. Boom.
OMG, I am HERE for nearly-happened-but-then-didn’t kisses. I am such trash for that trope. x’D I, too, enjoy writing monsters who want to be human. It’s just way too much fun writing that gray area stuff.
I started Sadie a couple weeks ago, then stopped reading it abruptly for no reason at all, but I loved the writing from the very beginning and I definitely need to go back and finish it.
I can’t ever seem to escape the allure of dual POV books. Every time I set out to write a book from one person’s perspective, I manage to sneak another perspective in there. It’s a slippery slope. And it makes editing exhausting when all of your critique partners convince you to finally see that this book is really stronger if it’s only told from this person’s POV, which makes 50% of the book complete garbage that needs to be rewritten. So much fun.
DUDE YES TO THE WORLD BUILDING STRUGGLES.😂Like I never know what I’ve even said. And when you write a ton of books it’s like: ok which world had what going down in it.😂
And absolutely will go for long scenes of teasing vs like long scenes of people um having confrontational or emotional opinions? Like should you talk about your emotions vs just bicker??? Pft. Let me write the bickering.
Dude, you have organised a great party for me WELL DONE THERE. I just need to like catapult myself to London.😂Or teleport would be nice?! I don’t wanna spend a million years on a flight ah haha. Ahem.
OMG NEARLY KISS SCENES ARE TH BEST. They’re so frustrating.😂I love it.
I’ve done only dual POVs this year too!! My NaNo is finally getting back to one POV and !! I’m kind of excited.😂Less characters’ brains for me to fight with.😂
Congrats on selling ATPN’s Czech/Slovak/Polish translation rights! Sounds like you’re well on your way to world domination 😀
Aww thank you!! It’s SO exciting ahhh!!!
I ADORE writing outlines. It’s such a weird thing – okay, maybe I like writing them too much because I have outlines for books I’ve first thought about seven years ago – and I’m STILL adding more info. Maybe I should just go ahead and write them.
But nah because my short stories are calling me out 🙂
And your nano project looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE IT TOO!! I actually love it so much because it’s flexible and fast and is so full of like pure creation. 😍 Whereas actually writing makes me want to get it right lmao. And yessss go write all your outlines into books though. It’s SO rewarding ahh!!
Do you know what the MBTI personality types are? I think they are incredibly helpful to build characters with colourful personalities. You should look it up! Also, I know you are crazy about Hogwarts Houses so / search through her bookmarks / [ https://www.thethings.com/actual-hogwarts-house-according-myers-briggs-personality-type/ ] here are their Hogwarts Houses equivalent!
I’m currently working on my Jack Frost meet Peter Pan WIP. Precisely, I’m designing Tinker Bell! She’s by far my favourite. 💛
I do actually! I confess I don’t do them much for characters (I do Hogwarts houses haha, just because it’s easier)😂 But I should, because it gives lots of personality traits that could be good to flesh out characters. I’m an INTJ which fits because apparently that’s Slytherin and YAY I am slytherin.😂
ooh Jack Frost meets Peter Pan sounds AMAZING.
INFJ for me! SO, technically I can say I’m Ravenpuff. 🤣 AH! My Tinker Bell is INTJ / Slytherin. 💛
Yay for writing posts! I absolutely ADORE writing dialogue, but maybe a little too much because I have a vague memory of writing so much dialogue in one scene that I kind of ended up writing an entire page of it, oops 😂
I also have a tendency to always write at least one character who’s either a little clingy or really clingy and I have no idea why. Like, my most recent MC is SUPER clingy to the point that it’s a big plot point, but it’s a little hard to not make them be annoying and clingy at the same time.
Hey entire pages of dialogue ARE AWESOME. NONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE. 😂 Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe is mostly done in dialogue, right?! and it’s famous. So we should get away with this.😂
Honestly balancing characters being flawed vs still likeable is hard. 😭Especially when readers are prone to forgive different things??? Like I understand clingy characters, but ones who are rude to people when they’re hurting always leave me mAD. When I should understand that it’s the flaw, so like !! Realistic! BUT STILL. Writing is hard. 😂
Oh I LOVED reading this. Thanks for your interesting answers. I am obsessed with reading how other people write or think about writing, their processes etc. It is quite fascinating to me!
On an interesting side note, I actually recently DID hire someone to do a illustration of characters from my book! hehe. It was a pretty cool experience, and now I have a beautiful illustration of my main couple in my debut, and I really love it. I think if I manage to get more books published in the future I will get one done for each book 🙂 Just for fun!
Mmmmh… perhaps I will end up stealing these interesting questions for my blog at some point, I think they would be super fun to answer 🙂
Thanks Cait!
Oh me too for other writers!! I always get curious about everyone’s processes since they can be so different?! And omg that’s so cool you got some illustrations done !! I’m thinking of hiring someone too because I really want to do some for giveaways!
And aww I hope you get ALL THE BOOKS published in the future!
(Can’t wait to read your answers😍)
Well I used @icandrawthingz on instagram, but beware she means American dollars. It still wasn’t too bad though for a full length drawing that belongs to me that I can reuse whenever I want! She does a lot of couples from books so you can see her stuff on instagram to see if you like it or not. 🙂
Hope that helps!
This post was just so lovely and I’ve kinda fallen in love with you blog over the past few weeks, lest be honest!? But your VOICE is just so unique and real, as if you were speaking right beside me and it makes me want to read your book, no lie (and I hope to read it one day and congrats on the translations!). But thanks for always writing such insightful and awesome and hilarious posts and sharing your wisdom and personality in your corner of the internet!
AWW NICOLE. This means so so much to me!! 💛💛 (And I seriously hope you get a chance to read ATPN someday 😍) I actually have been a bit down about blogging lately so this is like THE most encouraging thing ajfdskald I can’t thank you enough!
YAY, I”m so glad I was able to brighten your day a little bit. Tbh, I was a little intimidated to comment, because you write all of the hilarious Twitter lists and you’re PUBLISHED and just so cool, but then I was like, “But she also seems so sweet and down to earth and I totally understand half the things she’s saying, so I’m going to say hi and tell her how much I like her blog!” (I do plan to! It’s out of my usual reading wheelhouse, but I’ve heard such good things, so I think I’m going to have to give it a try! <3) If you ever need another blogging pick-me-up, you know where to find me! <3 <3
At the moment I’m prepping for NaNo! *cue hysterical laughter and sobbing* I tend to write a lot of shy girls with not many friends but who can take care of themselves and said friends. I also write a lot of urban fantasy because I love that merging of fantasy and the contemporary world.
As for inspirational reads, I’d have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m finally tackling the entire trilogy and am onto the final book and I’ve found myself wanting to attempt a fantasy (again). It’s also helping to expand how I describe my settings in my writing.
*sends you cake to help with hysterical sobbing* I KNOW THAT FEEL. And aw, I love shy girls! (Being a shy girl myself.🙈😂) And urban fantasy is the greatest tbh. If I could only pick one genre, it would probably be that!
oooh so this was exciting! I have *some* time on my hands because lectures are over and I only have two more exams so I’m kind of thinking of doing nano. or at least editing one of my previous manuscripts because I need to learn how to edit a novel! but let’s see. I still need to work (because money…my bank account has $28 right now lolol) and I want to try writing some different things too. so let’s see! I write loots of biracial/peple between worlds, for obvious reasons, and I love writing mysteries even though I’m bad at it, and I always try to feature student journalism in my stories. if I can. because that is something I do lots of! I’m waiting for my copy on Muse of Nightmares which I hope will be inspiring haha. I’ve also been rereading the Ingo books which are really amazing children’s literature, whih is reminding me of how great writing for young people is. Apart from that journalism inspires me heaps.
Oh good luck if you decide to do NaNo! And I hope you can squeeze it in amongst everything else 🙈 I’m kind of thinking that I won’t get to start till the end of the month?! But we shall see eep. And YAY FOR WRITING MYSTERIES. I have yet to write a convincing one but they’re fun to read!
(Muse of Nightmares was all sorts of perfection.)
Loved reading all of this! I hope all of your big and little writing dreams come true! 🙂
Aww thank you!💛 THIS IS SO KIND OF YOU.
YES SOMEONE WHO HATES ALPHA BOYS CAUSE SAME. HATE THAT TROPE!!!
I agree banter is so hard to write like it takes a lot of effort and then shows in the writing like so rude. Sure I made effort but why is it showing it needs to be effortless!!! But somehow it’s the most fun things to write 🤷
Also like I am so conflicted whether to call myself a writer or not like I have two unfinished first drafts(I always leave near the end gah) in the past 3 years and I just don’t lie them anymore? I mean I love the WIP I am currently working on but like I have no time??? 😭 Highschool is a bitch I can’t wait for college 😐
Books that have inspired are definitely Six of Crows, STRANGE THE FREAKING DREAMER (I haven’t read Muse of Nightmares yet😭) and any work by Jane Austen, really. I’m a huge Austen fan 😅 About my wip… Basically, it’s about a soldier who is cursed and creates a rebellion against the empire bc #issues and she’s Slytherin and she suffers quietly while telling other people in a calm Kaz-Brekker-like tone of voice what to do, cuz she likes to give orders… So, yeah… I am reslly trying to make her relatable, cuz this curse she has is kinda like a parasite eating, literally, her emotions. And she will do really bad things and I don’t know what to do with her or my life, lol 😂 Things that come up in my stories are mostly soldiers (I have nO iDEa of why), a peculiar they-flirt-but-nothing-will-happen-in-this-book-cuz-they-need-time-THEY-JUST-WENT-TO-WAR relationship and dark horrible magical creatures. Also, there are always sibblings, of all three types: the kind that love and protect each other, the kind that love and protect each other but pretend they really want to kill each other, and the kind that really want to kill each other hehe