Tuesday, July 23, 2013

WIPpet Wednesday: "Pretty Mousey"

     I've been really naughty this week. I've been stalking my amazon stats page like a psychotic ex-girlfriend. But, I guess all that obsession paid off, because tonight, I got a snapshot of this:


     Yup, that's The Beloved Daughter sitting pretty at number five in Christian suspense. (It also somehow got listed as a mystery; don't ask me why). It's place in the spotlight only lasted for about twenty minutes, so now you see how important it was for me to compulsively refresh my amazon page thirteen times an hour. Anywho... I am so thankful for our little band of WIPpeters and wish we could all have a big reunion somewhere together. (Actually, since most of us have never met each other, we couldn't even call it a reunion, could we? Shucks.)

     Anyway, back to the important stuff. Yup, it's Wednesday. Happy WIPpeteering day, everyone! Here's seven sentences (in honor of the seventh month) from The Beloved Daughter: Bonus Features. This comes in my character studies section, where I dissect my favorite (and not-so-favorite) characters and tell you all the stories behind their fictionalizations. If you've read The Beloved Daughter, you might remember Mee-Kyong, the protagonist's resourceful and effervescent best friend from labor camp.

***

     Why do I love Mee-Kyong? Because she's so much the opposite of me. I'm pretty mousey, if you really want to know. I don't rock the boat. If I were a hobbit, I'd be the kind that didn't like adventures. Mee-Kyong's dramatic flair and zest for life - even life behind barbed wires - is such a striking contest to my own timid, rationalistic existence that I can't help but love her. Maybe even envy her.

***

     So that's what I had to say about Mee-Kyong in the Bonus Materials for The Beloved Daughter. Short, isn't it? But that's ok, because I liked writing Mee-Kyong's character so much that she's about to get her own novel. Consider this the last WIPpet from the Bonus Materials since I am now in editing phase for Not Alone, which will star none other than the dramatic, vivacious Mee-Kyong. Tune in next week for more!

Random Fact: My favorite literary character is Vera Aleksandrovna from the Russian play A Month in the Country. She's a mousey little ward of a rich noblewoman, but she gets this great scene where she tells her manipulative, overbearing benefactress off. Gives me chills! Vive le mice!

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22 comments:

  1. Squeeee!! #5 in the paid slot for twenty minutes is just so... COOL!!! Congratulations on capturing that moment in time!!

    As for Myee-Kyong, it's great when a character blooms inside of you so much that they deserve their own story. Who knows, maybe one of these days you'll find a little bit of Mee-Kyong blossoming out of yourself, and you can pump your first in the air and say "YES! Thanks Mee-Kyong!" *grins*

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    1. I like the idea of Mee-Kyong rubbing off on me! Hadn't ever thought of it that way.

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  2. Woo hoo! #5 in Christian Suspense and #887 in the paid kindle store is just fantastic! I'm so pleased for you! :-)

    I'm glad Mee-Kyong's got her own story and I agree with you about liking characters that are different to ourselves - I'm not feisty like Mee-Kyong either, but those characters are so much fun to write. I love the style in which you're writing your Bonus Materials and the humour that's apparent in the short extracts you've shared on Wednesdays.

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    1. Thanks Kate, yeah the bonus materials have been fun to write! Are you like any of the characters in Butterfly Storm?

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    2. Not really, no! I'm sure there are elements of my character in some of the characters like Sophie has my indecision but otherwise I think they're very different. Leila was the most fun to write being so feisty, confident and opinionated and the complete opposite to me!

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  3. Congrats on the #5 slot!! Makes you a bestselling author, doesn't it? Top ten and all that. :)

    Vive le mice! Hee, hee. I love your voice in the bonus material. The humor really comes rippling through.

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    1. Yup, I think I can now officially claim amazon bestseller for being in the top ten. Yeah, gotta love those mice!

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  4. There is something definitely appealing about an opposite of ourselves. And I find it so interesting how we as writers bring life to such people.

    Congrats on the ranking!

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    1. It's kind of like our kids right.... Where did you get that from?!?

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  5. Oh can't wait for Mee-Kyong's story. I loved 'The Beloved Daughter' so anything more from that world would be wonderful. (I know it's the real world, wasn't sure how else to put it!)

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  6. That's awesome! Congrats! Characters that are different from the authors, I think, are often times the best to create!

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    1. I've thought the same with actors, too. Who would want to play yourself when you could be someone else?

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  7. WOOHOO!!!! #5!!! (Tsk, tsk for that stat-stalking.)

    I like Mee-Kyong. I was always a little disappointed that we never got to see her again in Beloved Daughter. I'm glad you wrote Not Alone. =0)

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    1. Thanks for capping the woohoo. It made the tsk tsk less cutting. ;)

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  8. Anywho! So cool to see someone else who uses that "word"!

    Having a character who is completely opposite of our own natures always seemed odd to me... I mean, I know we all do it as writers, but really, isn't that more a case that we're giving voice to a part of ourselves that we don't want to share with the world? Or that we wish we could share with the world?

    Hmm, wait... That's kind of a horrific thought when I think of some of the bad guys we write about too.

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    1. Isn't anywho great? But I couldn't decide if I should do anywho or anyhoo...

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    2. I always imagined it as "anywho". But it's so much fun to say no matter which one we use.

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    3. yeah, my computer didn't like anyhoo either - kept wanting to change it to anyhow! :)

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  9. Awesome news on your book!! I applaud you!!

    On another note, I nominated you for an award! http://icansaymama.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-versatile-blogger-meets-semper.html

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  10. Congrats on reaching number 5!!!!

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