My Novel was Born Out of SAT Vocab Practice

Source for Topic: This Website

Topic: "Talk about the inspiration behind your current book (if you have more than one book out, do a series on what inspired each of those books)"

Probably I should tell you about my book.

Figment: Write Yourself In: Liaffon

This is my book and here is the description I posted on Camp NaNoWriMo.

Belome Konas is given the job traditionally meant for his older brother! With his father away, there is no way for him to get out of this mess until Pops gets home. Now it is the Harvest Festival and he must set aside those negative thoughts and enjoy. Can he ask the girl he loves to dance with him without chickening out? Will he out dance everyone again this year too? Things go smoothly until a traveler from a mythical city comes to visit them, proposing change and integration. Some agree and some disagree and it is decided by the Guardians who shall go to see what these lands are like. With a twist of fate, Belome is now sent on a journey with a grumpy family friend, a previous neighbor he hates, and a girl whose family was exiled years ago. Their guide is the traveler from the Eastlands. Belome must face strange lands and most importantly, himself, as the East Seekers make their way toward the East which they seek.

Okay so the inspiration behind my book is kind of a funny story. You see, though I was born in the States and everything, I was completely brought up in Japan so my English vocabulary was a little weak compared to girls my age who have spend their whole lives in the U.S. My Mom was teaching me TOEFL, I think, or maybe it was SAT (I was sixteen at the time, first year of high school). Anyway, I needed to get used to using "sophisticated" words like "sordid" or "culpable". Anyway (overusing "anyway"), she decided that, since I already did like writing that I would use a bunch of words and create a short story around it to get used to them in a fun way.

I think the longest short story I wrote with those words was a page and a half of Word document single-spaced.

Liaffon was born using: sordid, laconic, cherish, ambiguously, ignominy, and implement

Here is the beginning paragraph. It makes me cringe and laugh because WHO DA HECK would want to live in a SORDID straw and mud hut???? Geesh, how poor is this guy? :P

" Velodis, a poor old farmer who lived in a little sordid straw and mud hut, never wanted anything more than a warm place to sleep and enough food to live on.  He was very laconic and even with his closest friends he only spoke a few words.  However, he was liked by the people of Liaffon Village.  Apart from his rather shabby appearances he was very wise and people would cherish his few mighty words.  Some even said that he was the kin of the Guardian of Liaffon. "

This little paragraph is completely gone from the original story, though I did keep the names.

"Liaffon" which is the title of my book, was kind of loosely, slightly derived from "leaf" and just a sort of fantasy-leafy-vines-and-flowers feel.

Imagine that SAT vocab practice is what my novel came out of! :D

The only reason I actually decided to continue on the story is because of Figment. I was introduced to Figment about the same time I was doing these paragraph practices. All thanks to Mom *shrugs*

The very original Liaffon only had 6 chapters and it switched between two characters.

Today it is longer, denser, and only has one Main Character (MC).

Well, that's my crazy story behind my novel. I wonder how many novelists created their story like I did...probably not many! :D

See ya later, alligators!

Happy Writing :)