Interview #19: Lady Courage

Lady Courage: The Tear Stopper

I did not actually make this myself. Some UBER talented guy on the NaNo forums made this for me. And. I. Love. It.

Your Nweb and NaNoWriMo usernames, were they inspired by anything?

Both usernames are the same; Lady Courage. And yes, they were inspired by stories my sisters and I used to tell together. Actually, those stories were what I now know to be roleplay/fanfics.
They were about three girls who got whisked away to various worlds, starting with Narnia. Looking back, I realize that the stories started out CHOCK full of Mary Sue-isms, but we DID get better about that later on. Still, despite the glaring flaws in the stories, I think on them very fondly. And my character (Courage, who at one point became a Lady ) still holds a dear place in my heart. I don't expect I'll ever use another username.

Who are you?

I am the ageless Lady Courage; wise beyond belief, of superior intelligence and condescendingly kind.

... Um, no. I'm a homeschool graduate who loves to write, but is starting to find less and less time for it (yeah, yeah, you don't "find time" to write, you make time, I know. But other things sometimes have to come first before novel writing. Like, for instance, work. ). Though I love engaging in creative work, I also love solving puzzles and applying rational logic to situations. Though I haven't quite figured out the answer to the puzzle of when to write... Currently, I'm studying web design and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). I work alongside my father to further our family business. I also recently started my own business, which I am building rapidly. And did I mention that I struggle with finding time to write?

How were you sucked into NaNoWriMo? Did someone person brainwash you into joining?

I heard about it through a blog years back and have always wanted to join. But I'd never had time/had a good enough story/felt like I could win it. I'm also a rather slow typist (and yes, I technically type out stuff on the computer for a living... ) and I was worried I could not make the 50k; not because I didn't have the words for it, but because I literally couldn't get them out of my head fast enough. But no, I made this decision all by myself; Lady C's a big girl now. *proud*

Was this your first, second, tenth time participating?

First NaNo, though I did CampNaNo its inaugural year.

What was your novel synopsis (or original idea) at the beginning of nano? Genre?

"“It’s just a job, son.”
That’s what my father always told me. “It’s just a job.” Everyone has a job, he would remind me. Everyone has something that is their job to do. Turns out that my job is different than I thought it was.
I am the Tear Stopper.
For some reason, my clan’s job always makes the women cry. I guess I can’t blame them too much: It might even be their own job to cry. But it sure makes an awful lot of trouble for us. Every time a woman weeps, something bad happens to us. Their boo-hooing brings terrible, terrible luck.
I am the Tear Stopper. I stop tears no matter what it takes."

Genre: Fantasy/Satire/Humor

Was your synopsis the same or different at the end? Or did you end up writing something completely different?

Well, so far, it's the same. I have not finished the story, but it seems to be the same as when I started. At least... I think it is. It hasn't confirmed this to me yet.

Did you finish? What superpowers enabled you to write 50k in one month?

I DID! I FINISHED!! *cheers!!* My ever useful superpowers of ignoring surrounding racket™, being stubborn™, hanging on until the last shards of hope splinter away™ and super awesome storytelling™ saved the world from utter chaos and Lois Lane from being plunged into the dismal abyss of NonNaNoWinners (*horror music and old timey female SCREAM!*). Don't thank me.

What method of writing proved to be the most effective?

Lean closer so I can whisper this to you... The method of writing that was MOST effective was- *darts look from side to side to make sure nobody is listening in* finger-to-keyboard-rear-to-chair-brain-to-story-sanity-out-window *sits back and smiles mysteriously*

Did this method involve glue, ropes, caffeine or some other forceful inducement?

Glue and ropes? Bah! Such wimpiness! Nahhh, I used SUPER glue and CHAINS. SUPER glue on the chair and CHAINS around my neck and bolted to the table. Oh yes.

What lesson(s) did NaNoWriMo teach you this past November?

It taught me the value of outlining every single stinkin' chapter, that I need to manage my time better, the value of letting go and just writing trash in the first draft, and that I need to learn to type faster.

Website, blog, twitter, etc you want readers to know about?

... Um... I have two blogs and write for several more. I also write for several websites. But I HIGHLY doubt most people would be interested in Italian Greyhounds, gluten free food, gluten free makeup, grass-fed cattle and text marketing. All of those above were-started/are-being-used for business. Why yes, I have diverse interests and skills; thank you for asking.