Press "pause"

Once again I've put my actual writing on temporary hiatus. I have a couple of reasons for this; first, even though I have the basic story arc planned out, I'm not liking the situation so far. My MC isn't as developed as I need her to be (a character with no past still has a past), and I'm not sure her reactions to events fit my concept of her. Second, I realized I also don't know the world as well as I should. The world your characters in habit should be as well developed as the characters themselves, and an author who doesn't know his world doesn't know the story.

So, I'm taking time off from writing to do some serious world building and character development. Unfortunately, this may result in a complete rewrite of the story opening, but so be it. I'm not on a deadline or contract anyway, so this is just for fun.

Harajuku

Japan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Wherever you go, you get a display of light and color that's almost overwhelming in its beauty and variety. Nowhere is this displayed more beautifully than in the bizarre world of Harajuku fashion.

You have to admire the artistry and dedication that these girls show in their fashion and makeup. When you start with canvasses this beautiful, you can't help but get incredible results.

Meet Sophie Andersen

In today's post I'd like to introduce Sophie Andersen, the MC of my current work. Sophie is about 23 years old, with dark skin, blue eyes and light brown hair she usually keeps in dreadlocks. Picture is courtesy of the Sims 2 Body Shop. She's the latest hot talent in the European art community, and no one knows the slightest thing about her, even Sophie herself.

In fact, she's a witch (or mage, haven't decided which terminology to use yet), but has no memory of her past and isn't aware of the talent she has. She knows there's a vast chunk of her life missing, so she paints in order to remember.

In a few days' time she will be commissioned by a wealthy patron of the arts to produce a series of five paintings, each with a different theme, as a sort of "war memorial." Of course, there's more to it than that, but telling you would be giving away too much. Suffice to say, the artwork will form a powerful magical artifact when complete (she doesn't know that yet, so don't tell her).

Oh, and she also has tattoos covering her body from neck to ankles, everything but the hands, head and feet. However, they've been magically "erased" like her memory, and will begin to reveal themselves through the course of the story.

Aside from all the weirdness, she's pretty normal - likes hardcore metal, doesn't smoke or drink heavily, has a flat in London's West End, and enjoys rock climbing.