The Soul of Sails

Well, I have seen so many others do this, so I felt I had to do it, too. Anyway, I thought it could be fun. I blame Megan and Abigail, for instance. As you see, it’s all from Sails for The Western Sea and this questionnaire actually gives you a simple look over the story. I’m not sure who made the questions though, but I must give them credit. I see that it all got rather long, but please, bear with me. I had to write it all! Here we go:

1. What’s your word count?
It’s very hard to tell since I’ve got documents here and there and all over the place, but based on my last calculations, I would say around 25,000 words. I know, it is not much, but I’m not much of a proper writer. However, I try to ignore the word count, but it’s not that easy.

2. How long until you finish?
Pfft, how can I know? It may take months and years for all I know.

3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?
It’s not finished.

4. Do you have an outline?
That depends. I know how it begins and how it ends, but I’m taking it a bit as it comes. What more is, I have certain events connecting the story so it may look more like a story with an outline.

5. Do you have a plot?
Er… Plot is such a big word. Can we rather say an idea? Or thoughts? Ask me later, please. I may have a better answer then, if you’re lucky.

6. How many words do you typically write a day?
I don’t really write everyday. I write when I feel for writing, and because of that, I cannot give a proper answer on this one, I’m afraid.

7. What was your greatest word count in one day?
Around 2,000 words? I know, it’s not much, but it’s something.

8. What was your least impressive word count in one day?
I… Have no idea. I don’t remember those numbers.

9. What inspired you to write?
I believe when I saw the ones I stayed around wrote and wrote, I also wanted to write. To be honest, I felt very alone and left out so I thought I’d give it a try. When I started to write, I remembered how much I had loved it, and keeping a certain character from Hornblower in mind as well as Retribution; the words just came. I believe the ending of Retribution is the very source of Sails for The Western Sea because even though something else nodded me towards writing, it was a relationship and a person I wanted to bring over to something I could work on; all simply because I loved (and still loves it) it so very much.

10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?
You had to ask that, did you not? All I can say is Wonderful Life by Tina Cousins. That pretty much summons up everything.

11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.
Do I have to do so? They’re still growing and I don’t feel for giving them a theme song just yet. If I am just going to take some of them now, it won’t be perfect, but it will be something. For Ewan, it has to be Wonderful Life (it’s here I go all teary). For Romain, I’m thinking Elegie by Secret Garden and for Nathan, I’m thinking about Amazing Grace. However, I shall answer this one more properly later.

12. Which character is most like you?
I admit that I wanted Ewan to be based on me, but he’s not. Yes, we are similar at some points, but in fact, we’re completely different! It certainly was a surprise to me when I realized that the character most similar to me, was the character that doesn’t seem anything like me in the very beginning. Yes, I see Romain Adama as the character that’s most similar to me.

13. Which character would you most likely be friends with?
Oh, that would probably be Ewan. He’s the one I think I could have a good laugh with because Nathan is a rather deep character you’ve got to know before you can see yourself as his friend. Ewan is rather shy, but he’s rather lovely and he tries as hard as he can. As soon as he finds somebody that knows a bit about what he thinks and why, he’s likely to be more open.

14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character?
Oh dear, I hope not! I haven’t intended to include one, at least.

15. Who is your favourite character in your novel?
Ewan and Nathan. Yup, it has to be them. They’re like the two sides of a coin, like Horatio and Archie, like Merlin and Arthur; to have one, you need them both.

16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?
Yes, they have. I cannot tell everything, but what they do is more than what’s expected of them, even though as the author, I know what they’ll do. Oh, and Romain may say things you don’t expect, or rather the truth you don’t expect.

17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences?
Well, somehow. Parts of the plot are based on personal experiences, especially the mental challenges Romain faces. Furthermore, I believe I know how it’s for Nathan and the thing about trying to write something. At least, it’s something I can relate to.

18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?
Pfft, why would you ask such a question when it’s so obvious?

19. Is there magic in your novel/story?
No, there’s no magic.

20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel/story?
Important holidays are mentioned (for instance Easter and Christmas), but nothing more.

21. Does anyone die?
You know, this story is inspired by Hornblower and much of the action is during a war… If I was you, I would absolutely assume so. (I’ve already killed one. It nearly made me cry, but I survived. The character however, did not.)

22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?
To begin with, I don’t drink coffee. It tastes horrible and I absolutely refuse to drink it. Tea however, has been a faithful companion alongside with hot chocolate, and I’m sure they’ll continue to be with me as the story goes on.

23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?
Oh, it has been rather late, but only in the weekends. I haven’t stayed up late to write much, but it has happened, at least with the introduction of Lord Nathan.

24. What is the best line?
My favorite so far is perhaps one of the first lines I actually wrote for Sails; James’ famous quote: “My Dear Sir, I am sorry to interrupt you. I am coming here with the message that somebody felled outside of your door.” (And you almost have to include the “I shall go and take care of it immediately, and thank you for coming with the message. However, James, I beg you to do one thing; do work on your grammar!” alongside with it, though.)

Oh, and I admit I’m pleased with Romain’s comment. “Having the name of a grape isn’t exactly the most helpful business in the world when you can’t stand botany.”

25. What is the worst line?
Dur, that has to be the opening line of the story. It’s absolutely terrible, especially as the very first line: “It was a fine morning.” How awful isn’t that?

26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story or its characters?
Not as I can recall.

27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?
I want to say that you should read what I’ve already said and that I adore Hornblower and that I’m a Christian, but I won’t. I’ll just be a polite and nice girl and say yes.

28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words.
You've done the same for me and others besides a thousand times; it’s my time to return it. (La la la, let’s pretend that I can’t count.)

29. Do you love all your characters?
Yes, I think I do. They all mean something to me in one way or another.

30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count?
No, not to increase my word count, but yes, I’ve been cruel to my characters. However, I did it for the plot and not the word count.

31. What was the last thing your main character ate?
Disturbing enough, I don’t think any of my characters have eaten anything so far. Well, a fox almost ate a cat at the very beginning. Does that count for anything?

32. Describe your main character in three words.
But… I’ve got two main characters! Okay, then we’ll just take them both. Nathan is loyal, a leader and brave while Ewan is faithful, supportive and thoughtful.

33. What would your antagonists dress up as for Halloween?
A bunch of frogs, I’m sure.

34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship?
Yes, several of them do, but there’s just one scene that really is about a place of worship and worship itself.

35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel/story?
There are very few of them, but of course, you have the “standard” married couples. You also have a relationship which can be seen as a romantic one, but it never develops into anything more. It never gets the time.

36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
Yes. For instance, a ship explodes…

37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel/story?
Not really, but I would say there’s a mental apocalypse. It’s rather hard to explain, and I know it sounds disturbing, but it’s in a different form of the word and has to be taken along with a spoon of salt. It’s rather a metaphor.

38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
Nope, of course not!

39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?
Erk, what an awful question! No, Sails for The Western Sea is a zombie, vampire and werewolf free zone.

40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel/story?
Not exactly, but they are often mentioned in Nathan’s papers and he likes to talk about them as well as writing about them. It’s an old interest of his and he brings it along with him through the story. In other words, you shouldn’t be surprised if Morgan Le Fay or Merlin is mentioned and written about.

41. Is anyone reincarnated?
None of the ones who die comes back to earth.

42. Is anyone physically ailed?
Excuse me?

43. Is anyone mentally ill?
Ack, I hate that phrase of “mentally ill”. Yes, some characters have emotional troubles or as most would call it, mentally problems, but none are mentally ill. Pfft, I want to throw that phrase out of the window…!

44. Does anyone have swine flu?
Er, the swine flu wasn’t invented at the time my story takes place.

45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?
Unless you include the dust bunnies, there are no pets to talk about. Yes, there are horses in the story, but they’re not really owned by one man alone.

46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
I would absolutely say that there are religious references because this is a story about two men who grows in their faith. I don’t think it needs to be said more.

47. How about political figures?
Oh yes, you’ve got Lords and Ladies. The King is also mentioned at several occasions, but he’s never there. Oh, and you’ve got Earls, Bishops, a Countess, a politician…

48. Is there incessant drinking?
I haven’t included anything of that, unless you look away from all the salt water that was accidently swallow and the nice water that rarely was drunk.

49. Are there board games? If so, which ones?
There are several card games, but I don’t know the names of them. To me, they’re just playing cards now.

50. Are there any dream sequences?
Ha, yes! A very confusing one, too.

51. Is there humor?
Oh no, it’s dry as a dead fish. Hallo, we’re talking about Lord Nathan Heverrick here and his future friend Ewan Archiebald Tyde; what do you think! Well, they may not be found funny, buy I hope they’re enough to make people smile a little…

52. Is there tragedy?
No comment. *shifty eyes*

53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
…and that means what? No, I wouldn’t say so, but someone is known for their temper.

54. How many characters end up single at the end of your novel/story?
How can I tell? We’re in the Navy here…

55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
Yes. For instance, you’ve got little Abigail who’s adopted.

56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
I repeat, we’re in the time period where Jane Austen may or may not have been born. I doubt that glasses were very fashionable then, not to mention invented and used!

57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
Maybe. It’s helped me look at things in a different way and I suppose that have provided me a type of insight. It has also offered me the chance of looking at things in a deeper way for then turning it around to something I can use. By using this, I believe I’ve learned more about how one can react in different situations and things I’ve taken for granted are not exactly taken for granted anymore.

58. Your personality?
Bleh, yes. Two names: Romain Adama and Ewan Archiebald Tyde. I blame them for bringing up something with my personality and made me see more of it.

59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
I… Don’t think so. However, it’s not a question for me to answer.

60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
Um… Not many.

61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
If I did do so, I would be cruel. I can’t draw if it so was to save my own life. I rather jut find pictures on the internet and use them.

62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
No. I would love to see somebody draw a character from my imagination, but I fear I don’t know anybody who would do so.

63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
Oh yes. Thank goodness, it’s not explained though. Poor Lucy, she’ll have to take most of the vomiting.

64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Last time I looked, the story was during a war, there’s an explosion, there are battles, several dies; I would expect so. It’s a messy business, but its handled as nicely as possible. (Right… “Shoot him! Shoot him!)

65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
No, they’re too busy at the sea. Anyway, it’s difficult to get a cable to reach all the way to the other side of the world.

66. What size shoe does your main character wear?
I don’t know, but I can tell you that his shoes are too tight for him and it makes him highly annoyed. Lord Nathan makes a great issue of this, but it never gets sorted. Does that count?

67. Do any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?
Sure…

68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?
You don’t want to know. If it happens, I’m not responsible for the damages that will occur after this event.

69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?
I don’t believe it’s wise for the plot if I answer this one. However, I can say there I have cried and that I will cry.

70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
Not yet. However, I think I shall be a bit guilty when it comes to this one. It will be just like the death of the Frogette; Horatio cries “NOOOO!” when she dies while I’m screaming “YEEEEEEES!”

71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?
I’m not much of a proper writer, but I believe I would say that they should not be desperate after finding something to write; they should write something they feel is right to write. Also, don’t force yourself to write because everybody else is doing so; write because you want it and write in a way that you’re comfortable with.

72. Describe your ending in three words.
Bittersweet (nyha Megan, I didn’t know you had written that until I saw your post after writing this), spiritual and emotional.

73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.?
You’ve got sine and cosine; do the math yourself. Oh yes, did I mention that they’re in the Navy?

74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank?
Oh dear, I’m feeling bad, but I have to say between eight and nine.

75. Was it worth it?
Until now, there’s been a lot of crying over the story. Everybody else had more words than me, I don’t know how to use the words, I have language troubles, it’s a terrible story, I’m not full of knowledge, I’ve been so frustrated that I’ve cried four hours, I have edited and deleted; it’s been a nightmare! However, it’s something that’s growing with me; I am growing with the story and at the end, I know it’ll be worth it. There is no way that I’m going to give up now.

Archie and his Companions

Okay, I admit it. Abigail tempted me, and I wanted to do something similar as she did. However, I haven’t asked her yet (I’m sorry, Abigail!), but I hope she won’t mind too much. However than putting up Archie (my bookshelf), I shall put up a few of my own books. These are books I own; some of them I’ve bought myself while others have been gifts. I wanted to present a few of my books that I adore in one way or another, for then putting down a few words about them.

World History
This, as you may see, is a book in Norwegian. I got it for Christmas one year, and it’s been with me ever since. It’s, obviously, a book about all important historical events that’s happen since the time of Jesus Christ, but never is religion mentioned. Well, it’s told which religion people did follow, but it’s not explained any further. Also, even though it may tell about awful happenings, it’s clean, brilliant when it comes to facts and I would say everybody can read it without being hurt or offended in any ways. There are also lovely pictures; for instance from The Middle Age and The English Civil War.



Winnie-the-Pooh on New Adventures
Of course I had to mention this book. I don’t know when I got it, but I was a little girl, I’m sure. It’s published by Disney and based on one of the well known movies which also were made by Disney. As you may see, this is also in Norwegian. Small stories about him are collected into a big one and I would absolutely say it fits for anyone. You cannot help sitting there, thinking “Daww!” and “Ooh!”. At least, I know I can’t. It’s a delightful read with clean language, nothing offensive and adorkable characters. Is it weird I adore it? (The page numbers you may see are made by BabyMarthe.)

Kitties
It’s mah kitty book! The book contains adorable pictures of small kitties as well as quotes from famous and not so famous people. It belonged to me dead grandmother, but after her death, it was given to me. I don’t know why I was the one who got it, but it’s safe to say that I’ve enjoyed it more then what I actually thought I would. It’s a book I take up when I’m sad or happy; bored or not. You will easily understand when I’m reading it. The only word in my vocabulary in French, English or Norwegian, “DAWW!” is all I can say. I truly do love it, and I feel blessed to own it.

The Chronicles of Narnia
You saw this coming, didn’t you? I’m known for adoring Narnia, at the same time I’m collecting everything that has anything with Narnia to do. C.S. Lewis has written a beautiful allegory divided by seven books; each telling a beautiful story. My first meeting with it all, wasn’t the very best. A mournful girl at 9 years picked it up at the library because she couldn’t find anything better and since that, it’s become one of the most important things in her life. I believe everyone knows what I’m thinking, and if they don’t... They should read Narnia. Yes, this is in fact the dearest books to me except the Bible. It has followed be until now, and I know it shall continue to follow me, which I’m very thankful of. ^.^

The Gammage Cup
This cannot be a big surprise, can it? It’s written by Carol Kendall and the book was given to me last Christmas. In the Land Between the Mountains, you can find the village Slipper-on-the-Water. It’s a peaceful place where the Minnipins live, unaware of the fears lurking around. However, when Muggles wakes up one night and faces a special event, everything changes. I don’t know where to start, because this book is nothing but adorable. It’s clean, funny and it has some brilliant characters. It’s written from a point of view which may be seen as simple, but if you sit down and read, you’ll soon understand that it’s not as simple as you though. I absolutely think others should read it, but they won’t get my copy!

Little Women
This book is written by Louisa May Alcott and it tells the story about the four sisters; Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. The March sisters are living during The Civil War in America, and because of this, they’ll have to face ups and downs. I was slightly sceptical at first, but the characters, especially the March sisters, are so interesting in their own way. None of them are the same, I adore the differences among them and how the author has captured it. It’s not secret I adore Beth March because of her gentle and shy character, and this makes me believe that every girl can find some of herself in at least one of the sisters. It’s funny, clean; yes, everything I believe a book should be. It’s a piece well worth to read.

Boxen
Here we come to a book I haven’t read just yet. It’s written by C.S. Lewis and his brother W.H. Lewis and it’s about their imaginary land and all the creatures you can find there. I’ve just looked over it, and it’s amazing to realize that this was created by two young children. Around the book, you’ll find pictures made by the two brothers. Believe me, Warnie was an exceptional artist. The writing does also seem to have some depth and it’s through a charming book when it comes to the look of it. It shall be delightful to be able to read it, as soon as I’ve got time, of course.

Here you see some of my very favourite books, and yes, they’re the ones I can read over and over again, and never get tired. ^.^

The pictures are taken by me, but the book and their covers do belong to their proper owners. No copyright infringement intended. These pictures are only for personal use, and shall not be spread further. Thank you.

51 Things About Myself

I thought it could be fun to write a blog post that is based on my character and a bit about who I am. The other posts do so, but not in this way. I know Dana and Jenny have done something like this, but I decided to go with a slightly different list. You must excuse me because I found a list with 100 questions, but 51 are more than enough. I want to say though, that I found the title of the list rather amusing. “100 useless questions about myself.” I laughed. So I started editing it, but I must say it looks terrible random. Also, I did barrow parts from Jenny and Dana’s lists. Well, here we go:

1. Your name spelled backwards? Ehtram. Beautiful, isn’t it? It sounds like a name for a cow.
2. Where were your parents born? They both are born in Norway, but father was born in the south and mothers in the north.
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Some free textures I found on the internet.
4. Last time you swam in a pool? This summer, I think.
5. Have you ever been in a school play? Yes, several. I find it rather enjoyable, but the funniest thing must have been to be a small elf. I remember I loved the socks.
6. Who is your favorite movie character? That’s a hard one. I know people will give me weird looks when I say this, but it has to be Dopey from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (But a certain Archie(Squee) do come rather high.)
7. Have you ever ridden on a moped? You must be joking with me here.
8. Who is your favorite book character? Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia.
9. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? None of them. It sounds so dangerous, and I would not like to do so.
10. Do you have cable? Yes. I don’t watch that much TV, but there are some rather good history programs occasionally.
11. Do you have a garden? Yes. Do I take care of it? No. Daddy is the one that takes care of it. It’s a hobby.
12. Favorite pizza topping? Minced meat and cheese.
13. What color lipstick do you usually wear? I don’t wear lipstick, so I can’t answer the question.
14. Crisps or popcorn? I think I will go with popcorn. Warm popcorn and butter. Not the healthiest thing in the world, but it does taste nice.
15. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? And you are asking me that question? No, I have not, and I don’t want to either.
16. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? I’ve never been eating homegrown tomatoes.
17. Have you ever won a trophy? With the lego league team I was on, yes. We won some trophies made of lego. I rather liked them.
18. Are you a good cook? Do I have to answer to that one?
19. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Some plaster.
20. Ever thrown up in public? I’m afraid I have. It was on the worst place that was possible. Thank goodness its many years ago. (It was at a grocery store.)
21. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? My grandmother’s uncle and aunt.
22. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? According to baby pictures of me; yes.
23. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? Reading a good book while sitting in my bed.
24. What do you like to collect? That is a long list. To take a few things; books, shells, stones, coins, rubbers and Narnia things.
25. Have you ever had surgery? Yes, a couple.
26. What is your favorite season? You can’t ask me that question. Each season is unique in their way.
27. If you had to choose, what branch of the military would you be in? I know so little about it, but something close to the sea maybe.
28. What kind of fruit have you never had? Grapefruit is one example. And as far as I know, I have not tasted apricot either.
29. What is your least favorite fruit? Ananas. Last time I tried to taste one; I had to spit it out. It was gross.
30. Do you sing in the car? No, that does not happen.
31. What is your favorite breed of dog? There are so many beautiful types, so I don’t feel that you just can make a choice based on how they look. Of course, it will always be some of them that are prettier than others, but I think that is a slightly different question. But if I Must say something, I’ll go with Pomeranians.
32. If you could attend an Olympic Event, what would it be? I am not much of a sport person, but as far as I know, fencing is an Olympic Event. That could have been fun, but if I could choose anything, it would have been a chariot race in the old Greece.
33. If you could participate in an Olympic Event, what would it be? Fencing or archery. Anyway, I don’t think they would let me participate, but oh well.
34. Do you need corrective lenses? I wear glasses occasionally.
35. Have you ever locked yourself out of the house? I think so. I know others have locked me outside, but I’ve probably done it myself as well.
36. What's your favorite number? The number 9.
37. Did you make mud pies? Ha! Yes, I did. It was indeed a lot of fun. I do it sometimes today, but that is if very few people can see me.
38. Do you prefer scrambled or fried eggs? Yes. My answer is yes. Really, it’s hard to say which one I like the best. They are so different.
39. Have you ever fallen asleep in school? No.
40. Can you pick something up with your toes? Heh, yes. That’s a funny question.
41. Have you ever blown bubbles in your milk? Yes, if I had a drinking straw. But it should be said I did it mostly in my chocolate milk.
42. Are you superstitious? What makes you think that? *shifty eyes*
43. Are you allergic to anything? Yes, grass and a type of tree. I think its birch, but I can’t remember.
44. What are you thinking about? I’m thinking about that its school tomorrow and that I should get out of bed soon.
45. Do you wear a lot of make-up? It depends what you call a lot, but no. I just wear mascara at times.
46. Which book was the last one you read? Er, I can’t remember. It’s been an awfully long time since I finished a book. If I think very hard, it must be “Star of the Sea” by Joseph O'Connor. It was a strange book.
47. What are you reading now? The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall. It was given to me by Jenny. (Thank you my dear.)
48. How many Olympic Game arenas have you visited? Two. I’ve been at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. The games were held in 1936, but the finale in the World Cup in football was held there in 2006. Also, I’ve been in Olympia which is where the whole thing started. We walked inside the Olympic museum, and around the whole field where the ruins were left. That is maybe the most amazing place I’ve ever been.
49. How many siblings do you have? Two. An older sister and a younger brother.
50. How many Jane Austen works have you read? Just one. I’ve read Sense and Sensibility, but I’ve watched Northanger Abbey and the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. I will also watch Emma in the near future, and perhaps read it as well.
51. What are you going to do now? Post this and crawl out of bed so I can start my day properly.

And that’s it, I think. Some of the questions do look rather absurd, but that just made it more fun to work on this list. But oh, I should do as I said in the very last question. I really should go and start my day. (And the Dopey picture is there because I always said that was me.)