Excerpts from Darkness Surrounding

*To clarify: I've edited the excerpt to the best of my ability and with much diligence. However, it has not seen a professional editor, so you may encounter minor errors.

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at·a·vism 

  • The return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior after a period of absence.

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Permalink Reply by Kelsy Johnson on April 24, 2011 at 6:07am
Did you base your characters off of anyone you know in real life? :)
Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on April 24, 2011 at 8:23am

Not really. A few of the characters introduced in the second book are based off of guys that were in my French class, but that's it. I think that the three main characters (Zanni, Garr, and DeathX) are versions of myself in a way. Well, not DeathX so much (he's not introduced until the end), but definitely the other two.

 

Oh! Benny and Todd (who are also introduced at the end of the book, sorry) were characters that I asked a few friends to name and give a physical description for the sake of variety. It's unfortunate that I won't be posting the entire book online because those two are hilarious.

Permalink Reply by Dani on April 24, 2011 at 2:16pm

When will the amazing first novel hit the bookshelves? 

(seriously, I need it NOW.)

Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on April 24, 2011 at 2:34pm
At this point, I'm just hoping "if." :] It also depends on how I publish. I'm still debating Traditional vs. Internet vs. Self Publishing, which have their advantages and disadvantages.
Permalink Reply by Amber Johnson on April 25, 2011 at 4:44pm
What initially got you started in writing your book?  Also, how much time did you put forth to writing each day?
Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on April 25, 2011 at 4:56pm
I honestly can't remember. I'd always liked writing, so I think that when I realized doing a manga was out of the question, I just sat down and started writing.

When I'm in the habit of writing, I write for half an hour every morning. NaNoWriMo was super helpful because within a month, I had a first draft of the second novel and 1/4th of the third done. I definitely recommend doing NaNo during November if you want to get a novel written. It's a good kick in the butt and everyone is very encouraging!

Also, I tend to prefer writing in cafes. Writing at home can be too hectic/distracting.
Permalink Reply by Amber Johnson on May 19, 2011 at 5:51pm

Do you want your novels to become movies or do you feel like if they did, they wouldn't be captured how you would want them to be?

 

Also, do you have a soundtrack for your novels?

Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on May 19, 2011 at 6:35pm

If someone were to make a movie, I'd want someone with a strange and offbeat mind to direct it. I'd want it to seem surreal. Ideally my three main characters would look as I'd imagined them. I'd hope that they'd use at least one A7X song per film and that they'd build the basketball court that I made up (it's not based on any courts in NM).

 

Thank you for reminding me! I keep forgetting to pull the titles off of my home computer for the "Playlist" page. I do have a few original recordings, and I made the chorus of one of them available as a ringtone. If you sift through my blog posts on here, you should be able to find it and download it. 

Permalink Reply by FreeFallen on July 11, 2011 at 1:05pm
How on earth did you manage to finish off a novel? (I tend to start books but never finish them...)
Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on July 11, 2011 at 3:57pm

The key is to have a story and characters that you really, really love. It'll feel like a crime to not tell their story. This is certainly true for The Atavists and for Jess and Wess of Creation. You don't have to write every day, but you do need to be thinking about your characters constantly. You'll bond with them. 

 

Also, abandon your social life, invest in a speedy laptop, and turn on some good music! ;]

Permalink Reply by FreeFallen on July 12, 2011 at 4:19am

Thankyou for the advice! I will put it into practise as soon as I get a laptop ;]

 

Also, with The Atavists, did you plan out your story on paper, or did you have a vague idea and let it take you onward?

Permalink Reply by Kat Mellon on July 12, 2011 at 7:58am
I never wrote the outline down on paper, but I've known for a long time what was going to happen from beginning to end. That's not to say that I have the "filler" planned out; rather, I know what all of the major landmarks are of the story and a rough idea of how to build up to them.

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