All Hallows Write

#AllHallowsWrite

This is a writing challenge (like the Ice Bucket Challenge, but without the risk of hypothermia). I’m not normally a big fan of Hallowe’en, but I stumbled upon this one, and it looked like a lot of fun. I am responding to this, following the open invitation made by Jenna Moreci (@jennamoreci) on her You Tube Channel (link at the end). I highly recommend other writers check out her channel. She has good tips, funny gems, and a lot of home truths to share.

Anyway, the challenge is to talk about/blog about whatever novel you are currently working on (or have recently finished). Here are the rules:

• Provide a BRIEF description of your novel before starting.
• Don’t use the same character for more than three answers.

As National Novel Writing Month is approaching, I’ll be using the novel I’m writing for that for my answers. It also happens to be the novel I have been wrestling with for the last few years. I currently have 45,000 words of it on paper and I am hoping to double that (plus a bit) during NaNoWriMo, so that, by the end of November, I have 100,000 words done (and hopefully most of the novel).

The Novel is called The Greenstone in The Fire. It is a Psychological-Fantasy-Western about three different people in three separate worlds.

First, we have Runcorn, a gunslinger who is making his way across the arid wasteland of the Requiem Valley in hot pursuit of Elias Jaecks, the man who killed his best friend (Charlie) and his lover (Theresa).

Next up is Aurelia who, after living in captivity for years as the Duke’s reluctant Bride-to-be, is finally on her way home. On her way, though, she is trapped in Idris, a strange, gothic, towering green castle in the middle of a vast desert. Once inside its walls, she finds she cannot leave, as the labyrinthian castle shifts and re-arranges itself around her.

Finally, there is Simon Locke, an author known for writing Runcorn’s adventures. He is on his annual writing retreat in Utah and trying to work on something new about a girl with red hair, called Aurelia.

Gradually, the lines between these worlds begin to blur.

So, on to the questions…

1: It’s Hallowe’en night! What is your protagonist dressed up as?

I’m going to pick on Simon for this one. He would be dressed up as a cowboy. Aside from the genre he usually chooses to write about, he is known to be a big Clint Eastwood fan, so his costume would most certainly be Chaps and a Stetson. And probably a poncho.

2: Who in your cast refuses to dress up, and shows up at the Hallowe’en party without a costume?

That would be Runcorn. It’s not so much that he would refuse to dress up, but he spends most of his time out in the wilderness tracking down Jaecks. He doesn’t know (or care) what day of the week it is most of the time, never mind what holidays and festivals are coming up!

3: Which character wears the most outrageous costume and what is it?

For definite, this would be Naomi dressed up as a crazy psych patient, complete with the bloodied-up straight-jacket. As a psychiatrist, she would find this quite funny. Most people at the party will just be freaked out by it. Either way, Simon probably won’t notice the costume. He’ll be too busy downing tequila shots in the hopes of working up enough Dutch courage to ask her out.

4: On Hallowe’en, werewolves, vampires and zombies are on the prowl. Which of your characters gets caught in their clutches and which creature do they subsequently turn into?

Dylan. Poor Dylan. He gets killed before the story even starts, so if he’s at this party, he is definitely a zombie already! If he had survived into the first chapter, he would have bravely stayed behind to fight off the people with Mountain Madness while Aurelia got away. No doubt they would have overpowered him in the end. By the way, Mountain Madness leaves you in a similar state to being a zombie, so either way Dylan is a goner. Sorry.

5: Who wins the contest of best costume?

Aurelia. And she would look FIERCE! I can see her dressing up as a Huntress or something similar, complete with leather corset, knee high boots (this is turning a little more kinky than I was going for), and bow and arrows. As soon as she walks in, all other entrants are irrelevant. No-one is beating this fiery redhead!

6: Who hands out toothbrushes to the trick or treaters?

This was a hard one, but I think it would be Dr Wilson. It is his job, after all, to keep everyone healthy, and patched up (looking at you, Runcorn). It may not be the most popular gesture to the trick or treaters, but it comes from a place of love and genuine caring, so go easy on the man.

7: Which two characters pair up as the Angel and Devil costume together?

Without a doubt, this would be Tom and Beth Craddick. Tom is the Pastor in one of the towns that Runcorn frequents. Beth is his wife, and the pair of them are kind of badass (not something you would usually associate with a Pastor and his wife, I know). As for which of them would wear which costume… I honestly couldn’t answer that without actually writing the scene. I can see it going either way after a fairly heated argument.

8: Someone is too scared to attend the Hallowe’en party. Who is it?

That would be Tor (the Apprentice). He has had his fill of people not being what they first appear to be.

9: Who overdoses on Hallowe’en candy and ends up sick?

Simon. Writers need sugar, right? Although, I think the tequila shots contribute to at least 60% of his sickness.

10: Which character is most likely to place a curse/hex on someone, and who would they curse?

Thane, and he would curse EVERYONE! It’s pretty much what he did on an annual basis with the Feast of Candles, so a Hallowe’en party is right in his wheelhouse. He is the wizard who built Idris and he is ready with a curse for anyone who doesn’t obey him. Seriously, guys, don’t invite him to your party!

So that’s my answers! What would yours be? I’m not going to nominate anyone specific to take this on, but I am going to encourage anyone who is taking part in #NaNoWriMo2017 to give it a whirl. If you do, be sure to use the tag #AllHallowsWrite so that others can easily find it.

Enjoy, and…

Happy (pre) Hallowe’en!

Links:

Check out the original All Hallows Write post by Sam Kasse.

For more from Jenna Moreci on YouTube, click here.

If you’re looking for information on NaNoWriMo, click here.