Author Games: Vengeance (The Punished, #2)

Champion's Epilogue

Karla, author of Danelieux de Leon

Were You Surprised To Find Out You Won?

Umm, heck yes! I'm confident in most of my entries: I have a set stream of a 10 average. However, that doesn't mean that I don't ever go up for votes. As the pool gets smaller, a 10 is nothing. Danelieux went up for votes twice during the contest, once right before semifinals, and then before finals. It was pretty hectic because I was against amazing writers for both rounds, two of my best friends (@ShayTree and @WhovianHorseLover) included. I cried so much when Corradhin and Reed died because their characters were so great, but also because the Shay(tree) got eliminated. Then the pool got even smaller and the "best of the best" were left. Everyone had an established style by then, and they were all powerful. Reading the introduction paragraph for the chapter in which the Victors were announced was one of the hardest things. I didn't want to see if Danel won or not. If he won: amazing! Go me! If he didn't: okay, it was expected. Why are you crying? Stop crying. I kind of wanted it over, but not necessarily. Garrett was with me the entire time (through Kik) when I gave up on Vengeance. I seriously didn't care (I did).

Basically: Yes.

What Was The Most Challenging Part When Writing?

Emotion. Period. I wanted him to be this really indifferent character that just cared about proving his dad, and the general Career mindset, wrong. He would occasionally sing by himself, but suck everything up. He would show emotion, but only as a reaction. Danelieux de Leon turned out nothing like that. Towards the beginning, he was fine. There was hardly any emotion; he was bored of the Capitol. He was simple minded (kind of). But he didn't click with me the way Bellona did. I know I structured him more than her, I gave him more aliveness, but when it came down to it, she was more fun to write because she cared. So I slowly started to weave some thoughts into him: some happiness, some glumness, some being. And then we ended up with a boy who cried over his mother, over Corradhin, over a girl he never met until he had to kill her (Bellona), and over a cub. Over a tiger cub. Are you kidding me? There was also the whole connecting people to their eye color and all that jazz too. We also can't forget his song: Danelieux's Song. I think that's when he clicked. (I read it every so often and cry.)

Was There Ever A Time You Were At Your Lowest?

Yeah, a couple of times. The first: his character form. It sounds outrageous, but it's true. He was going to be my first ever Career. Ever. And from District One of all places. If I had started from Four, it may have been a bit easier. I know Two would have been disastrous, so One was left. I didn't want to make an airhead that only cared about looks and money and girls. But I didn't want to make him regal and austere and just completely apathetic. So I made a mix of the two: someone attractive, that was very aware of it but never flaunted it, someone who was military set, but never ruthless, someone intelligent, but never bragging, and someone who could be relatable through singing. Then there was also Task Seven but I don't want to talk about it because I would cry...again.

Did Having Alliances Make Anything Easier?

YES, YES, YES. A MILLION TIMES, YES. Writing Danel was hard enough, but writing him made me melt down. (That probably doesn't make sense, but whatever!) If it weren't for Amani, the nicer side, the more caring side wouldn't have come out. It would have made him apathetic. If it weren't for Corradhin, Danel's playful and curious* side wouldn't have come out either. Allies are fun to incorporate because you learn about them, somehow weave them into your writing, and give life to your tribute as well!

* ;-))) @ShayTree

What Was Your Favorite Task?

TASK SEVEN FOR THE WIN!!! Everyone who knows me knows that I love bringing Bellona into any Danelieux conversation. So here it goes. I loved this. I got to bring my baby back to life in an aspect that was never seen from her. Like, she was...I don't even know. It was weird seeing them both clash because they're so different: A Career trained to kill v. a simple girl from Ten. When I was reading the task, I was like "Haha. You have no one to hurt me with." Because a) Beckett and Corradhin were a "thing" so it was obvious that was going to be paired. B) Anastasia and Amani were sister for Christ's sake, so that was expected as well. I thought I was going to get paired with like that Roxanne chick because she was so out there, and Danel was not. And then I saw "Danelieux de Leon will be hunted by Bellona Viellana" and I was like "I got this. I know her better than anyone!" But then: PLOT TWIST. THEY'RE MUTTS. THE RETURNING TRIBUTES ARE MUTTS!!! HA. But still, it was fun just giving her a last breath of life before, you know, Danelieux had to kill her.