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TAG #3 – The Sunshine Blogger Award

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments
[Apologies for the delay, folks! Saturday got away from me.]

The sun is out (today at least–I’ve no idea if it will be on the day this is posted), and I’m back to thank Belle Anne @ Worlds of Ink and Paper for the Sunshine Blogger Award! I have a sneaking suspicion I’ve done one of these before, or else I’ve just seen it circulating the blogosphere countless times. But that’s totally fine because it’s always different!

The rules are simple: answer 11 questions from your nominator, then tag 11 other bloggers, and ask them 11 new questions.

[Enjoy random pictures that have nothing to do with the post and everything to do with the fact I simply like them.]

[via Pinterest]

1. Who was your fictional childhood hero?

I went through a big mystery phase during my elementary school years. I started out admiring Jigsaw Jones for his money-making, mystery-solving prowess–to the point I begged my mom for a mystery to solve and wanted to be paid a dollar just like Jigsaw. Then my attention moved to the Mandy Shaw series, which I positively devoured, and after that to Nancy Drew. Somewhere midway through the Nancy Drew books, my interest petered out.

2. Who is your favorite band?

Gah, what a hard question! I love Owl City for his whimsy and gorgeous music (though he’s not really a band, just one person). But I also love For King and Country for their incredible voices and profound lyrics. And I’ve also been loving a number of worship songs by Young & Free, Hillsong United, and Bethel Music.
As you all know, I am a multiple choice kind of girl when it comes to these narrow “favorites” questions.
[via Pinterest]

3. What was the most deep book you’ve ever read?

Aside from the Bible, I’m assuming.
I’d have to say the entire Chronicles of Narnia, because I connected with them in a deep, powerful, simple way during my childhood. They encapsulate something precious about that time in my life, a piece of which I carry with me permanently. That’s not to say I haven’t read all kinds of wonderfully deep books since then–just that Narnia happens to have a depth of life history for me as well.

4. What was your least favorite book you’ve ever read? (and I mean if it’s your least favorite due to opinion, and not morality of material)

Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, which I had to read for school, was a book I found mind-numbingly boring (sorry, Hemingway fans!) and not at all deep like my curriculum claimed it was supposed to be. It all seemed rather pointless to me, and either too generic or too stark to be the kind of allegory I enjoy.
[via Pinterest]

5. Who (disregarding the classic authors, like Tolkien, Stevenson, and Dickens) is your favorite author?

If you’ve been an adventurer ’round these parts for any length of time, it’s pretty safe to say you know the answer to this.
And once again my answer is not singular.
Bryan Davis, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, and Ted Dekker–in no particular order–are three of my tippity top favorite authors. Together they represent some of my favorite qualities in fiction!

6. What is your favorite movie scene of all time?

TOO MANY. And actually I’ve never sat down to analyze favorite scenes as opposed to favorite movies. Even if I knew what my favorite movie was, you’ve now made my dilemma a hundred times more difficult by giving me a hundred options within an option!
Huh. Options within options . . . Dreams within dreams, anyone? Because that final dream sequence in Inception is one of my faves. (I also hate it with a vengeance. If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand perfectly.)
And I love Aslan’s death and resurrection scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; as well as the attack on Miraz’s castle in Prince Caspian.
While we’re discussing fantasy movies, can I just say the entire Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is my favorite? No? Okay. Anything taking place in the Shire = favorite. Anything containing Gandalf quips = favorite. The scene in The Return of the King where shots of the battle are intercut with Pippin singing = also favorite.
Lizzy and Mr. Darcy in the field at the end of Pride and Prejudice (2005) is another favorite.
Oh, I also love the boat scene in Tangled where Rapunzel and Eugene sing “At Last I See the Light.” All the feels.
Aaaand I’d better stop, but before I do–the “ground rules” scene between Peter and Gwen in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is just . . . just . . . excuse me, I have to go have a good cry.
[via Pinterest]

7. If you had to pick one pen name/stage name to use forever instead of real one, what would it be?

Oh dear. I have difficulty coming up with pen names, because . . .
a) Where do I start?
b) It’s so final–you don’t want to write one book under a pen name and then decide, “Oops, I like this other name better. Can I change mid-series?”
c) There’s pressure to make it a good name that represents you and your books and your main genre and it’s supposed to memorable.
d) I would be paranoid about avoiding ridiculous pen names like Daisy Meadows (who writes juvenile fairy books) and Michael Steel/Gunn (not a real person, but I’ve seen something similar for an author of thrillers).
My real name just seems easier. But if I absolutely had to pick a pseudonym, I would call myself Violet Dragonsbane.
HA. NOT.
Okay, to be serious, the name Samantha Quinn just came to mind. My parents considered naming me Samantha, and the letter Q is fun. Except now I’m squinting and wondering if Quinn sounds as ridiculous as Meadows, Steel, and Dragonsbane. It’s also worth considering the fact that a Q name would put me near the bottom of the shelf in a library or bookstore. Maybe Samantha Blake or Samantha Foster. I really don’t know!

8. What do you think is the best hobby a person could have? What about your own personal favorite hobby?

Journaling. It’s an ebbing and flowing hobby for me, but I find it so helpful for venting feelings, clarifying thoughts, and writing down prayers and musings. Obviously not everyone in the world processes their thoughts in written form as I do, but for those who share that tendency, I think journaling does wonders.
My personal favorite hobby is–wait, I want you to guess! It’s a laughably easy thing to notice, so tell me in the comments what you think it is.
[via Pinterest]

9. What is your favorite kind of scenery to be in (forests, riverside, etc.)?

Any place with trees, so yes, forests are a favorite of mine. I also find mountains cropping up all over my books, so those too. Lakesides and meandering streams are also lovely.

10. Do you enjoy poetry? If so, who, in your opinion, is the greatest poet ever?

I do! Unfortunately, I have not studiously sought out many poets’ works yet. But from what I have read, I really enjoy Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. (I know, I know. Typical high school assignment kind of poetry, but I’m serious. I love most of the (very little) Frost and Dickinson I’ve read.)

11. Where, if you could choose anywhere in all Europe, in any time period, would you go?

Italy! Renaissance! Yes!
But I would make it a point to travel Britain and France and probably the entirety of Europe as well.
[via Pinterest]

A new set of questions:

1. What’s the most addicting app on your phone?
2. What’s a song that speaks to your life right now?
3. Do you have a book or movie that’s your “happy place”–a fictional world into which you retreat when you need a breather? What is it?
4. What’s a book you were (or are) looking forward to so much you’re scared to read it, for fear it won’t live up to your expectations?
5. If you had to have all of your past memories wiped except for one day, which day would you choose to remember?
6. What question would you like to ask one of your favorite authors?
7. If you had to describe yourself as one of the four seasons, which would it be?
8. What’s your personality type? (Myers Briggs, DISC, whichever test you prefer.)
9. An envelope containing $500 shows up on your doorstep. On what do you spend it?
10. Would you rather be trapped in a lamp, a tower, or an enchanted sleep?
11. Which Disney villain(ess) do you find the most scary?
Whew, now to tag 11 bloggers. Here we go:
Allison @ Allison’s Well
Savannah Grace @ Scattered Scribblings
Mary Horton @ Sunshine and Scribblings
Abbey @ Regarding Reading, Writing, and Sometimes Life
Madeline J. Rose @ Short & Snappy
Skye Hoffert @ Ink Castles
Olivia K. Fisher @ Whispers on the Wind
Astrid @ astridkaniele.com
Ellie @ On the Other Side of Reality
Florid Sword @ The Writer’s Song (Congrats on your new blog!)
And Chloe @ Faeries and Folklore (Welcome to the blogosphere, sis!)

What would your pen name be? Do you have any poets to recommend? What do you think my personal favorite hobby is?

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TAG #2 – Dual Character Inquisition

Tracey Dyck 12 Comments
Welcome to the second instalment of the tag fest! In case you missed it, I’m catching up on all the tags that have piled up over the past few months.
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Today’s tag is somewhat ironic, considering it’s a Dual Character Inquisition, and I was tagged twice: first by Kate @ Story and Dark Chocolate and then by Lucy @ Tangle Webs and Fairy Rings.

The way this works is I use two characters to answer a list of questions, include pictures of them, and at the end tag three bloggers. Because The Brightest Thread is now my primary work-in-progress (when I actually have writing time, that is), what better time to brush the dust off my two main protagonists and reintroduce them to you lovely questers?

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Princess Luci
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Prince Hadrian

Who inspired this character?

Luci, or Princess Alucinora of Iror, was obviously inspired by the titular character of Sleeping Beauty. The original didn’t have much personality, so I had lots of room for invention.

Prince Hadrian of Bauglind, by the same token, was inspired by the prince in the same fairytale. But . . . the original tale’s prince is not at all like Hadrian. (If you’ve never read the original, maybe don’t. It’s twisted.) To be more accurate, I guess Hadrian was inspired by the montage of noble heroes I’ve read and watched over the years, heroes burdened by other people’s plights and mistakes.

What is their weapon of choice?

Luci has never wielded a weapon, though she wishes her mother would have taught her swordplay.
Hadrian is undergoing rigorous battle training. He’s most adept with a sword.

Have they ever been physically violent with someone else? What instigated it?

Luci has wished she could instigate violence a few times, but some of her magical gifts from the fairies prevent it, such as her grace and diplomacy. (Oh, how she hates the diplomacy.) Honestly, the most violent she ever gets is slamming doors.
In his father’s court, Hadrian drills with Chief Rook, but has never exercised violence with the intent to hurt or kill until the events of The Brightest Thread. Ogres become a bit of a problem, you see.

Are they more of a rule-follower or a rebel?

Ha! Luci is a rebel at heart, through and through. Being squeezed into a predesigned box by her magical giftings is something she deeply resents. She’s too perfect because of them. But inside, where no one can hear her, she’s a passionate young woman with a fiery temper.
Hadrian, in comparison to the corruption running rampant in Bauglind, is a rule-follower. He has a strong moral code that he didn’t learn from his weak-willed father or his greedy ogress stepmother. (I think it was his birth mother that influenced his goodness.) But if there are rules put in place that go against his convictions, he’ll break them without a second thought.

What kind of child were they? Curious? Wild? Quiet? Devious?

Luci was all of the above, actually. Curious about the world she was forbidden to explore, wild at heart, forcibly quieted by her magical gifts, and slightly devious (though she had precious few chances to let that out). She had a fascination with any activity she was terrible at, such as art. The model dragon hanging above her bed is the misshapen product of her enthusiasm as a youngster.
Hadrian was a rough and tumble outdoorsy kid, a boy who dug in the dirt and lost himself in the jungle whenever he could. He was obedient and uncommonly kind, though these traits led to frustration and sometimes even anger against others who acted the opposite way. When his stepmother came into his life, he became noticeably quieter, and retreated to green, growing places more often.

Where would they go to relax and think?

If permitted, and even sometimes if not, Luci would escape to the woods outside the castle. Iror’s fairy steward, Aleida, always accompanies her. Being out in the fresh air, where the only barriers are trees and mountainous slopes, helps Luci breathe.
Hadrian gravitates toward the outdoors too. When palace politics or street depravity becomes too much to bear, he disappears into his personal garden to tend his plants and clear his mind.

Do they have a temper?

Luci certainly does, especially when stifled or forced into things. Hadrian is much more laidback. It takes injustice toward someone else to really rile him up.

Would they be more likely to face their fears or run from them?

Luci will face some of her fears dead on, but her deepest fear–that there’s no love strong enough to break her curse, or that she will draw that love to its death before it has a chance to save her–is something she hides from for a long, long time.

Hadrian will think it over quickly, make a decision, and simply muster up the courage to face his fears, even if they haunt him deeply.

When they are upset, do they turn to other people or isolate themselves?

Luci shuts everyone out and hides in the castle’s library, back hallways, or her chambers. Only Aleida has a chance to get through to her when she’s upset.

Hadrian would turn to other people if he had them, but true friends are few and far between in his life.

Say 3 things about where your character lives (as broad or specific as you like).

Luci: She lives in the upper Branch, a steep mountain range in the kingdom of Iror. Her castle is old and majestic, a blend of her father’s unshakeable personality and her mother’s worn beauty. Her country is struggling financially due to the outlawing of spindles.

Hadrian: He resides in the heart of Bauglind, a kingdom of rainstorms and humidity. His palace has been decadently renovated by his ogress stepmother, at the expense of the people. His country’s wealth is severely unbalanced, due in part to the rich/poor divide, and to the support Bauglind lent to Iror in recent times.

* * *

Well, that was enjoyable! It made me even more excited to dig deeper into The Brightest Thread. Now comes the time to tag three people . . .

Christine Smith @ Musings of an Elf
parchmentpathwalker @ The Parchment Path
Blue @ To be a Shennachie

Looking forward to meeting some of your characters! To all who read this whole thing: who do you think you’re most like: Luci or Hadrian?

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TAG #1 – One Lovely Blog Award

Tracey Dyck 30 Comments

Hear ye, hear ye! For the month of March, Adventure Awaits will be inundated with tags. Yes. I have a small mountain of them to get through, so I’m borrowing Deborah’s ingenious method of catching up all at once. What fun!

Today we’re kicking it off with the good ol’ One Lovely Blog Award, given to me by Emily @ Ink, Inc. Thanks, Em! The only guidelines are to share seven facts about me. Well. This sort of tag gets more difficult the more of them one completes, as one has only so many facts about oneself to plaster all over the internet.
So to switch things up a bit, and because this is a primarily story-related blog, let’s talk about seven popular books I have not read! Some I want to read, and a few others . . . not so much.

1. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Heh. Eheheh. I remember when this series was absolutely huge. I had no desire to read about sparkly vampire boyfriends then, and I have no desire to read about sparkly vampire boyfriends now. Well, okay, I might try the first book someday, if only to determine whether all the Twilight bashers are right. And to see if there’s any saving grace in there at all that somehow made Stephanie Meyer such a popular writer. Bottom line: if I ever read this, it will be for observational purposes and not out of any burning desire to enter Meyer’s story world.

2. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

There, I said it. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books. GO AHEAD, BURN ME AT THE STAKE NOW. This has got to be the shining-est of shining examples of my White Rabbit tendency when it comes to popular books.

(What is a White Rabbit tendency, you ask? It’s the inclination to be “late, very much late,” in joining the masses of various popular fandoms. I seem to be at least a couple years behind big sellers like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and even classics like The Fellowship of the Ring.)

As a child, I intuitively stayed away from these books; it was not really a case of my parents banning them from the house. That was probably wise. More recently, however, I’ve heard opinions from all across the board. Some people adore Harry Potter, some shun the books as evil witchcraft, and others say it’s not the magic that’s the problem but the characters’ immoral choices to lie and disrespect authority. So honestly, if/when I pick up the series, it will be an experimental, I’ll-try-book-one-and-see-what-I-think kind of thing.

3. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Classics! Do I love thee or loathe thee? That all depends. In this case, I’m rather daunted by the bloated size of this book. Yet its popularity and premise piques my interest. But great gobs of pumpernickel, does Hugo really go into reams of historical tangents that have no bearing on the story? I’m not sure I can wade through that, but one of these days I’ll give it a go. As long as I wear history-proof hip waders (with which to wade through the historical tangents, you understand) I should be okay.

4. Emma by Jane Austen

So far the only Austen novel I’ve read is Pride and Prejudice, which was fantastic, if a little long. It  was kind of like an extended tea time with just one too many sweet crumpets–light, sweet, entertaining, and just a tad thick on the details. I think I’d love P&P even more upon a reread, but before I do that, I want to try a couple more of Austen’s works. Emma seems to be well-loved.

5. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I absolutely LOVED To Kill a Mockingbird. I need to buy a copy to keep forever and ever. But I also want to read Lee’s other book. I know there was a fair bit of controversy surrounding its publication, and I’ve heard the quality is not as excellent as her first novel, but I’ll be reading this regardless. It’s one of those books on which I need to form my own opinion.

6. Storm Siren by Mary Weber

This one seems popular among Christian speculative fiction circles. I actually have a copy of this waiting patiently on my shelf, its beautiful cover calling out to me. And seeing as I think I’ll be taking a class by Mary Weber at Realm Makers, reading one of her books has moved higher on the priority list. Plus all the great reviews sound promising! I just hope the physical attraction part of the romance isn’t as over-the-top as some people have said.



7. A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes

Again, this one seems big in the Christian spec fiction world. The premise sounds ah-MAY-zing, and I just want more Christian dystopian in my life. Quite a few Goodreads friends have enjoyed this one too. So A Time to Die is definitely on my list of books to read ASAP!

Honorable mentions:

Because you want to see my entire TBR list, right? Right? Don’t fret, this is not the entire thing. If it were actually as short as what you’re about to read, the world would be a simpler place, folks. Oh, and this is actually not a pure TBR because there is one series I don’t want to read anytime soon.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman (because unique formatting and threatening AI sounds fun)

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare (nope, NO thanks, don’t need to have a shirtless dude plastered over the front cover. plus it just kind of looks like Twilight-caliber to me.)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner (one of these days I will find out which is better: the book or the movie. somehow I suspect movie.)

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (kind of a modern sci-fi classic, plus the movie was great, so why not?)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (because MARISSA MEYER and ALICE IN WONDERLAND)

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (so many people love it, and it sounds amusing)

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (I feel like lots of bloggy friends o’ mine adore this, but in reality it might just be three? regardless, it sounds adorable)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown (highly recommended to me! highly anticipated!)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (sounds epic)

Jackaby by William Ritter (I hear it’s good, and I love the name)

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (oh my lands, when will I finally get around to this?)

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (somebody will respond to this in all caps, I just know it (love ya, darling), but I don’t think I’ve actually read the real thing before . . . #oops)

What are some well-known books you haven’t read yet–some you want to read and some you definitely don’t? Are any of the books I mentioned on your list? Are any of these “Tracey, bump these to the tippity top of your TBR this instant” kind of reads?

I almost forgot to actually tag some more people! Feel free to do this in the traditional way (seven random facts), or the “I have never read . . .” way. Or whatever other way you fancy!
And whoever else may want to snag this for themselves! (Honestly, I can’t make a specific list too large, otherwise I may run out of people to tag by the time the end of the month rolls around.)
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Subplots and Storylines – February 2017

Tracey Dyck 17 Comments

I’M BAAACK!

(I have been hanging on to that gif for months, just waiting for the perfect moment to use it. This is so fulfilling.)
But I’m kind of lying, because I’m only halfway back. Posts are scheduled for March, but depending on how day camp prep goes, I may not be able to reply to comments until that’s all over. Not to fret, I will get to them eventually! And come April, I’ll be back for real. Whew, that sounds like a long time from now. But if the next month explodes just like February exploded, it’ll pass in a flash.

Subplots of a February Variety

I think just about every week was packed. I had a friend over for a slumber party . . . I attended my church’s young adult night (an awesome Valentine’s-themed evening about dating relationships) . . . I was a stagehand for a special Valentine’s skit at church (basically just carried stools off stage and carried an easel back on) . . . the youth group where I volunteer every other week had a winter formal . . . I volunteered at a big indoor carnival for families, which was tons of fun (did you know Canada gets a long weekend in February?) . . . and attended a business/leadership seminar one evening.
College is full of volunteering, but this month had all kinds of extra stuff, it seems.
In other college news, I did a book presentation on The Purpose Driven Church, a project on which I made a few mistakes that I learned a lot from. Such as:
  • The way I manage a personal project is not how I should manage a group project. As the lead, I overestimated my group’s abilities and started too late, causing us to have to compromise on a couple of things.
  • Don’t assume your team can read your mind!
  • Don’t assume they will push themselves as hard as I push myself. I need to encourage and motivate them.
  • Stop and think about the why behind the project. Remember the purpose and the people first; the task is secondary.
Oh, and I received my most exotic letter from a friend EVER–it traveled from Kenya!

February Films



The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (rewatch)

Peterrrrr. Gwennnnn. My poor heart. Watching it a second time didn’t make the ending less sad (or frustrating, considering there won’t be a third movie–thanks, Andrew Garfield). I was also watching it late at night, and was too tired to appreciate the last hour of it.

Once Upon a Time – Seasons 1, 2, and 5

I’m still rewatching season 1 with my siblings, but I started season 2 with my parents, and my sisters and I watched a bit more of season 5. I’m all over the place! But now that I’m in the second season, it’s a lot of fun to have Captain Hook around.

The Flash – Season 2

Watched a bit more of this with the sibs too, and it continues to be amazing! Patty Spivot is one of my favorite female characters ever.

On a side note, I just realized that all three pictures up there mirror each other, and all of them included a blonde female. Ha.

February Reads

I went 25 days without reading a novel. 25 DAYS. I felt a bit lost! But I was reading plenty of nonfiction for school, so that sort of made up for it. (Sort of. Recently I started reading Marissa Meyers’ Winter, which now makes up for it completely. Still love mah fiction.) I didn’t complete a lot of books this month, but you do read slower when you’re taking notes.

The 5 Love Languages Singles Edition // Gary Chapman

I’d heard of the love languages concept before, but it was good to read about it for myself. In case you’re unfamiliar, the basic idea is that everyone receives love in different ways: either through words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. It’s important to recognize how you receive love, and to see how to best give love to others in a “language” they’ll understand.
My whole class took the test, and I confirmed that quality time is my top love language. (Words fell in second–no surprise!)

Self-Improvement 101 and Teamwork 101, both from The Complete 101 Collection // John Maxwell

I’m reading through an eight-book collection of John Maxwell’s core leadership principles, and the two parts I read were both amazing! Very easy to read. The info is so condensed, I know I’ll be rereading chapters as I need them in the future. The best part is, many of the principles I’m learning here are directly applicable to college.

February Writings

Technically, I didn’t write anything this month. But I did make the decision to set aside The Prophet’s Key for the time being, in favor of getting started on the expansion of The Brightest Thread. I had wanted to finish the first draft of TPK completely before switching gears, but I was struggling to get into the right frame of mind. And . . . well, before I explain more . . .
I registered for Realm Makers! Yippee! It’s becoming more and more real. My hotel is booked too, but I’m still watching flight prices and hoping they’ll come down soon. If not, I’ll just have to go for it and buy my ticket. I’m very excited for the learning opportunities a writing conference will bring!
Realm Makers is one reason I switched gears. You remember how I wanted to publish a standalone novel before publishing all the Prophet books? And how that standalone is going to be my Sleeping Beauty retelling? Well, there’s the chance to pitch a complete, ready-to-go manuscript to agents and acquisitions editors at the conference, and I’d really like The Brightest Thread to be ready for that! But if I were to plod along for another few months to finish The Prophet’s Key, I would have precious little time to write an expanded TBT draft and edit it to my satisfaction–and figure out my pitch–before the end of July. Even starting out now, in February, may be cutting it close.
But I want to put my self-imposed deadline out of my mind, and simply focus on enjoying this story. Enjoying the process. I want to get myself back into a healthy writing place. But that’s a post for another day.
In the meantime, what I actually accomplished this month was reading over TBT, both the polished version and the longer first draft, and writing up several pages of notes on what I’d like to expand. There’s still work to do: I want to write out a brand new outline, possibly experimenting with the Snowflake Method, before jumping into the actual writing.
I’m looking forward to it! This is one of my favorite stories I’ve ever written, and it’s exciting to think of how it will grow and change in the near future.

Storylines of Growth

February was definitely a month of growing and learning. Some days were overwhelming, but I’m arming myself with what I need to face March–a month that promises to be even more of a stretch!
What have y’all been up to? Tell me all! And while you’re at it, what are some ways you gear yourselves up for a busy season of life?
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