#Tag
#PennedPossibilities 940: Do you regret anything about the creation of your WIP?
Honestly, sometimes I regret creating it at all. Elisabeti is part of a deeply traumatic series and writing it is hard.
Before anyone suggests it, yes I know I can stop work on this story. No, I am not going to.
#PennedPossibilities 939 — How would your MC respond if they were falsely accused of a crime?
(Current WIP): It's very unlikely indeed that Jum or Tabitha would ever be falsely accused of a crime, because they're full-time professional career criminals. They will pick pockets, cheat at cards, rob banks, and take over planetary governments with cheerful aplomb. If you got them in an interview room and convinced them to confess to everything they'd done, it'd take years to record it all.
#PennedPossibilities 937 • Which of your characters is the most controversial? Why?
In the Laundry Files, probably Fabian Everyman MP, who becomes Prime Minister of the UK after book 8.
I mean, "Strong and Stable Goverment Under the New Management" sounds like a reasonable campaign slogan until you realize he's the living avatar of Nyarlathotep, the Black Pharaoh, and he's basically farming us for our souls! Also, pay no attention to the giant skull rack at Marble Arch, or the mass executions!
#PennedPossibilities 937 • Which of your characters is the most controversial? Why?
In the Laundry Files, probably Fabian Everyman MP, who becomes Prime Minister of the UK after book 8.
I mean, "Strong and Stable Goverment Under the New Management" sounds like a reasonable campaign slogan until you realize he's the living avatar of Nyarlathotep, the Black Pharaoh, and he's basically farming us for our souls! Also, pay no attention to the giant skull rack at Marble Arch, or the mass executions!
#PennedPossibilities 936 — Tell us about something that disgusts your MC.
Current WIP: both MCs quietly despise stupid rich people and take a vindictive glee in separating them from their wealth and privilege. Also, Jum detests violence: Tabitha detests patriarchy. (As patriarchal systems are inherently violent, Jum follows Tabitha's lead on this subject: in return, Tabitha mostly takes care of murdering their enemies so Jum doesn't have to.)
#PennedPossibilities 935
What are your writing goals for 2026?
Finally getting "Old Goatfoot", my book on Devil-tales from German folklore published.
Anything on top of that is gravy.
#PennedPossibilities 935 — What are your writing goals for 2026?
Deliver "Starter Pack" to agent for sale (in hand, by end of Feb)
Execute another rewrite of "Ghost Engine", this time refactoring as sequel to "Starter Pack" (start: by end of Feb, probable duration: 6 months+). Deliver to agent.
Stretch goal: finish untitled New Management novella (on pause at 24,000 words since 2024)
Joker goal: get bitten by another attack novel, maybe? And have cataract surgery on the remaining eye.
#PennedPossibilities 934 — Do you have a book cover for your WIP?
No.
I'm 100% trad published and cover design/art is the publisher's job. That would currently be Tor in the USA and Orbit in the UK. (They sometimes remember to ask me if I like it before it's frozen …!)
#PennedPossibilities 929. What is your MC’s country or place of origin, and where do they currently live?
Elisabeti grew up in Long Valley, a (you guessed it) long valley cutting through a large mountain chain that was home to the Long Valley werewolves. She's recently become a refugee and is currently in a refugee camp adjacent to a human army base.
#PennedPossibilities 928: Tell us a bit about your story's (or stories') style, writing process, research, or what you enjoy writing.
I use a variation on the Snowflake Method. (https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/)
I made two big changes in my Snowflake variation. First, in character development, I removed the question about conflict and epiphany, and replaced them with 'how does the character need to grow to reach their goals?'
Second, I only follow the Snowflake up to step six, the four page synopsis. Instead of going on to do character charts and spreadsheets and such, I take the four page synopsis and expand it again into a 20 page 'synopsis', and keep expanding and adding until I have a complete story.
#PennedPossibilities 926: Do your characters play any sports, or did they play any in the past?
(Current WIP):
Jum: as a gentleman, was taught the usual at school; fencing, shooting, riding, and the four noble ball sports: kick-ball, hand-ball, bat-ball, and hoop-ball (with spherical and oblate balls, whether solid or inflated). Also boxing.
Tabitha: ladies don't get sent to school, but after she convinced daddy to let her ride around the estate she practiced knife-work and mayhem in secret.
#PennedPossibilities 925
Would your characters enjoy camping? Why or why not?
Elisabeti has never been camping in the normal sense, though she has spent many nights out in the woods in wolf form. I think she'd be intrigued by the idea.
Aswathi has spent far too many nights sleeping under his cart since he started working for the army. He appreciates the amenities of a warm house and soft bed, thank you very much.
#PennedPossibilities 925 — Would your characters enjoy camping? Why or why not?
For some of them it's a necessity, like the refugee MC and her family in the big WIP who had their village burned down by soldiers, or the ecoterrorist short story MC who was expelled from their village after their family were murdered.
For the refugee MC getting a home with walls again was the priority and the idea of willingly camping out would be strange for a while. I think she starts to find the fun in it eventually, though, when she makes friends and starts visiting and traveling.
The ecoterrorist MC makes a new home in the woods as a mystic so camping is basically everyday life and their spiritual practice which they find joy and beauty in. They also enjoy the comforts of settled life when they visit their girlfriend's home in the village, though.
#PennedPossibilities 925 — Would your characters enjoy camping? Why or why not?
For some of them it's a necessity, like the refugee MC and her family in the big WIP who had their village burned down by soldiers, or the ecoterrorist short story MC who was expelled from their village after their family were murdered.
For the refugee MC getting a home with walls again was the priority and the idea of willingly camping out would be strange for a while. I think she starts to find the fun in it eventually, though, when she makes friends and starts visiting and traveling.
The ecoterrorist MC makes a new home in the woods as a mystic so camping is basically everyday life and their spiritual practice which they find joy and beauty in. They also enjoy the comforts of settled life when they visit their girlfriend's home in the village, though.
#PennedPossibilities 916.1 — Your MC wakes up as a wolf (or if a wolf/werewolf, a rabbit/wererabbit), what do they do, how do they react?
As I've never written a shapeshifter-compatible fic, that'd be problematic!
(Current WIP: "Werewolves don't exist," Tabitha said evenly, aiming her pistol at Jum's head. "And we're inside a techné eruv so you're not a robot. What are you *really*?" Seeing her finger inside the trigger guard, Jum whined then flopped over on his back and played dead.)
#PennedPossibilities #ketchup, 915 In your SC's opinion, what would be the worst way to die?
(Current WIP):
Agrippina smiles angelically then asks, "how badly would you like to find out?"
How would your MC react to being mocked or made fun of?
(Current WIP):
Tabitha would smile tightly, but she maintains an enemies list and people who end up too high on it tend to show up as a wired and articulated skeleton in a cautionary diorama that appears in front of a police station when nobody is looking.
Jum would take it good naturedly but later pick their pockets and/or steal their dignity.
#PennedPossibilities 914 — Does your antagonist have any redeeming qualities?
(Current WIP): None whatsoever.
The antagonist is not a person, but a deliberately designed system of intersectional oppression, engineered to sustain political and personal supremacy for an elite minority among the population of more than 8000 worlds. They knew *exactly* what they were doing and it has stood the test of time. Resistance is futile: escape is almost impossible.
(Our protags have a desperate plan ...)
#PennedPossibilities 914 — Does your antagonist have any redeeming qualities?
Well, the Devil does love to punish really horrible people, especially the rich and powerful. The following tale is a good example:
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/The_Fire-Spraying_Cherries
#PennedPossibilities 911: Which of your characters would watch films (and marathon them) together? What type of films?
Oh, Elisabeti and Aswathi would absolutely curl up together for a movie fest. I kind of see them both loving the old 90s romcoms TBH.
