Novel Progress: meet Amethyst

My latest assignment in Coursera's "Creative Writing: the Craft of Setting and Description" had me trying something new: writing in the second-person point of view. We were told to describe a ritual or routine for the character. The resulting scene won't fit directly into my novel, which I'm writing in third person. However, it's an amusing glimpse into the relationship between Zach and the duckling named Amethyst.

Brothers and Sisters

Like their canon counterparts, Neal and Diana have formed a comfortable friendship in the Caffrey Conversation AU. They enjoy teasing each other. Diana's no-nonsense snarky comments make an effective counterweight to Neal's wit. But we've also taken a few liberties with the canon portrayal.

Novel Progress: a slow-motion moment

In Coursera's "Creative Writing: Craft of Setting and Description" the first assignment was to take a brief moment in time and describe it in vivid detail, so that it seems to move in slow motion. I decided to write about my character Zach being shot.

The Many Faces of Mozzie

In Nocturne in Black and Gold, Neal returns to New York City as he continues to grapple with hearing multiple contradictory voices inside his head. Peter is anxious for him to see a psychologist for help, but Neal already has a specialist waiting for him at the mansion. Take a bow, Mozzie! Neal may not give you much respect as a love advisor, but as an expert on multiple personalities rattling within one cranium, he knows you're unsurpassed.

Novel Progress: Zach's backstory

My main character Zach has a backstory, of course. If you've read my Caffrey Conversation stories you know I looooove spinning long, complex backstories for my characters. For the Coursera "Creative Writing: Craft of Style" course, one of the assignments was to write a story approximately 600 words in length. The next assignment was to cut that first story in half, to around 300 words. I chose to write about an angsty incident in Zach's past.

When a Shapeshifter Can No Longer Shapeshift

Neal derives a sense of identity from what seems to be a non-sequitur, namely his ability to shapeshift. He is a superb con artist because, like an actor, he can immerse himself in a role and transform himself into another person. What would happen if he lost that ability?

Puppy Love: the Splash vignette

In case you're wondering, I haven't forgotten or abandoned the Caffrey Conversation AU. For several months, I've been pondering a story from Satchmo's point of view. What would a dog want to tell us a story about?

Novel Progress: Welcome to Zach's home

Since the last time I posted about the novel I call "Prime," I've exceeded my goal of writing 12,000 words in July's Camp NaNoWriMo. At the end of the camp, participants received an invitation to take a set of online writing courses to prepare for November's NaNoWriMo. Last week I completed Coursera's "Creative Writing: The Craft of Style" and now I'm working on the second course. Rather than posting dry updates about how the classes and writing are going, I thought it would be more fun to post a few of the things I'm writing for the courses. This time, I invite you to see the main character's home through the eyes of a visitor.

The assignment: to write a brief description, appealing to all of the reader's senses. I hope you like it!

Klaus Mansfeld: The Character Who Wouldn't Stay Dead

I introduced Klaus Mansfeld, aka the Leopard, in The Woman in Blue as a master art thief and mentor to Neal during his years in Europe. Initially I had no intention of Klaus hanging around. He was killed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art about a third of the way into the story, and I assumed I'd seen the last of him. But characters have a way of taking matters into their own hands and it wasn't long before I began to hear rumblings that Klaus was alive.