Writing Knowledge: Basics to Advance

Interview with Lady Lucia on where to start.

Know your character. I have character sheets where each character’s physical (ex. eye color, height, age, etc.)  emotional (ex. greatest trauma, biggest secret, etc.) and other random facts are recorded. Even if these details don’t make it onto the story, it helps me understand and determine what kind of character I have on my hands and how they will interact with their environment and situations.    

Did you know Ram’s favorite food is bacon and his favorite drink is chocolate milk? :P

3.       Did you do research on the topics you wrote about before you wrote them?

Yes. I researched the climate and topography of Washington State general region where the fictitious hometown of Reyna is located. I looked up their average temperatures, cloudy days, sunny days, rainfall, snowfall and other climate facts broken down by months. I also asked my best friend about the Washington topography since she once lived there. I based Esterwood’s climate and surrounding topography on her old hometown. 

I also researched the Japanese culture of Feudal Japan for Ayame’s side of the story and different types of jewels, gems, and other materials that appear in the demon world’s structures.

Yup. So research if you’re not sure and even if you are…make sure! I live in Texas but still looked up facts about the land for when the story’s scenes were set there.       

4.       How did you decide what audience Inner Demon would be suited for?

The main reason why I started writing Inner Demon was ‘cause of the audience, actually. I was tired of reading such “frilly” YA supernatural/romance novels with creatures that didn’t even get into fights or if they did, it was off screen.

I was just thinking…what the hell? If you’re going to write about a demon, vampire, werewolf, etc. then show them being a demon, vampire, werewolf, or whatever! They kill and fight and damnit they love too! Er...some do. So that’s why I wrote Inner Demon. I wrote it for myself and others frustrated with overly romanticized supernatural/romance novels that only hold flat or unrealistic characters.

I understand in a romance story there is going to be…romance, but if supernatural aspects are also going to be present, you can’t just throw in a fantasy being and chalk it up as supernatural. You have to also explore that character as a supernatural being. Not just a romanticized hunk that has fangs and claws.  

5.       Where did the idea of the environment in Inner Demon come from? Did you do research about it?

Well, the human world side of it—Washington and Japan and all that—I did research. I wanted to have the MC’s hometown somewhere I haven’t been before.

Demon World was a little harder. I wasn’t sure how it was going to look. I originally thought of it being some amazingly detailed place but ended up settling for something simple. The trees in Demon World are huge, so I researched tall trees. Haha. How they looked, their trunk and branch sizes, and all that jazz to help me visualize that aspect of the world. :D

6.       What type of writing method do you use? Were you aware that there is a program that records your voice as you talk into text? If so, hell why didn’t you tell me!

Well, the following questions below help break down my “methods”…hehe.

I do like to write longhand first and then transfer it to the computer. It helps edit the chapter to make more sense. Er…I think Hemingway can say it better. He says:

 When you start to write you get all the kick and the reader gets none. So you might as well use a typewriter because it is that much easier and you enjoy it that much more. After you learn to write your whole object is to convey everything, every sensation, sight, feeling, place and emotion to the reader. To do this you have to work over what you write. If you write with a pencil you get three different sights at it to see if the reader is getting what you want him to. First when you read it over; then when it is typed you get another chance to improve it, and again in the proof. Writing it first in pencil gives you one-third more chance to improve it. That is .333 which is a damned good average for a hitter. It also keeps it fluid longer so you can better it easier.