Hi! Kitty_blush here :-)
As you can tell, this episode is a little different! I decided to take a break from writing to answer some questions. Let us begin!
Q1. WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR LADY FLORENCE IS NOT EVIL?
I read a LOT of manhwa, webtoons, manga...and while I enjoy my ??tropes??, one day I just got REALLY FRUSTRATED with plots that rely on a stupid amount of miscommunication, "strong" FMC's who still manage to trip on air, and reading the same storyline over and over (and over and over...). Being a writer (of books), I thought, "I should just write my own webnovel with everything I want to see in a story!"
(So simple, right? Famous last words!!)
Q2. HOW LONG WILL "LFINE" BE?
Right now I have it panned and plotted out to about 100 chapters. I don't think it will deviate too much from that. (More famous last words?)
Q3. WHO IS YOUR ARTIST? DO YOU EVER SEE "LFINE" BECOMING A WEB-COMIC?
I hired an artist for the original cover and my avatars, but all other art you see is by me. If "LFINE" EVER DOES get a comic adaptation, it won't be drawn by me! I'm far too unskilled and slow. So, I would need a lot of money to make that happen ;-)
Q4. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER?
~Florence! She's never boring to write about!
Q5. A COMMON CONCERN READERS HAVE IS AUTHORS ABANDONING THEIR STORIES. HOW WILL YOU PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING?
Nothing in life is certain, but I try to "set myself up for success" by planning ahead as much as possible. For "LFINE," I wrote a full, detailed outline all the way to the end, and I try to keep a buffer of 5-10 episodes. Things like detailed character sheets (there are many more people to meet!), my #index, and background lore help with consistency and make it easier for me to write.
Q6. LAST ONE. WHAT ELSE ARE YOU WORKING ON?
As I mentioned, I also write books! I've been hard at work on a new series, The Blackmeare Bastards, which is about nine half-brother Sylmancers, who manipulate 'syl,' a mana-like force, and their (mis)adventures in love. (Written by: Kitty Caldwell.) I also have TWO more webnovels panned! A "reverse" isekai and a "second chance" romantasy mystery told primarily from the ML's POV. :-) BUT- neither of those will be out anytime soon, and they are also somewhat contingent on the success of "LFINE"...
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you joy, rest, comfort, and fun.
Thank you for reading!
xo??kb
EDITED TO ADD: BONUS QUESTIONS!
Q7. I may have missed it originally (or did you rewrite your blurb?) but I noticed this story is listed as harem which I found interesting! Is the dragon character one of the potential love interests, or am I reaching a bit there?
I use "harem" in the loosest sense possible: all four of the male leads are romantically interested in Florence at some point, simultaneously, but they do not engage in a polyamorous relationship. Florence will (probably? possibly? wink, wink) end up with only one of them... And yes! The dragon character is one of the love interests :-)
Q8. Do you have an ending in mind already, or are you still tweaking the plot as you go?
I do, BUT I am open to tweaking it as/if the story evolves. So far we've stayed pretty much on track, but sometimes those plot bunnies pop up out of nowhere...
Q9. Were there any real-world inspirations for you in formulating this plot? Or are there any real-world topics you wanted to explore through this story in a fictionalised lens?
I touched on this a little in question #1, but that was mostly the REASON I decided to write "LFINE," and not so much the inspiration for the plot. I thought of many of the webtoons, webnovels, manhwa, and manga etc. I read and what emotionally engages me in my favorite stories. Then, I thought about what frustrates me the most. If I was going to write a webnovel, I wanted to write a story I would both personally enjoy AND be proud of. I needed an actually strong FMC, not a twig with no muscle who still trips on air, who doesn't need to rely on snarky or boss bitch dialogue to instill respect (and fear...) in others. I needed realistic levels of miscommunication and believable explanations for changed behavior (though, the jury might still be out on Florence's family at this point in time, wink, wink). And, I needed an emotional journey with lots of room for growth as our main character figures out who she wants to be, where she fits in, and what she wants to do with her life in a situation that looks quite different than most of her peers.
I mentioned earlier that I do love my tropes, but that's when I voluntarily sign up for them. I don't enjoy them when a story has to fall back on them to "progress." The interesting thing I've discovered I struggle with when writing from Florence's perspective is, she may have the appearance of a young woman, but right now she has two warring worldviews inside her. One is a 12-year old who doesn't know much of anything about romance, high society, and the accomplishments expected of her, and the other is someone who only knows survival- running, hiding, staying quiet. So, putting on a mask every day and doing what Madam Rosanna tells her to do, I think many of us can relate to that. We'll definitely explore more about expectations (especially those of women in this kind of setting), feminism, abuse, privilege, classism, and sexism, to name a few that I already have planned.
Q10. (This is a little self-indulgent a question so feel free to disregard) Since this is a harem story, will there potentially be a queer route? Even if it stays platonic, I think it'd be nice if Florence had another woman to bond with.
Great question! The dragon could be considered bi, and there will definitely be a lot more about that at a later time :-) While there are no women in the harem, Florence does form some strong bonds with women as the story progresses.
Thanks so much for the extra questions!
xo??kb
