Menu Close

Category: Uncategorized

Holes in the Literary World Part 1 – Realism in Fantasy

Tracey Dyck 16 Comments

Thanks to the response on the recent Beautiful People post, we’re launching another blog series! This one is on five of the holes in the literary world that I’d like to see filled. (Credit goes to the lovely Arielle of The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls and Intuitive Writing Guide for suggesting this.)

The first point we’re tackling today is realism, specifically in speculative fiction. “Wait just a dragon-blessed minute,” you might be thinking. “The very reason I read speculative fiction is to get away from boring reality. If you make fantasy or sci-fi realistic, will you obliterate every dragon and spaceship entirely?”

To that I say, “No.”

Because I agree, one reason we love speculative fiction is the otherworldliness of it all! I love dragons! I love superheroes and tech that doesn’t really exist. I love quests and kingdoms and new worlds and magic and everything else that comes with these genres. And I love these things so much that when I read about them, I want to be able to suspend my disbelief long enough to fully enjoy the story. I want to forget that Narnia’s not really at the back of the wardrobe. I want to forget that superheroes aren’t actually blazing over New York. I want to believe just for a few hundred pages that elementals can shape lightning with their hands, dragons rule the skies, and a portal could suck me into another realm at any minute.

That’s what I mean by realism. Not an absence of wonder, but a means of grounding a story so that my mind is free to wonder.

Here are just a few ways that can be achieved. Keep in mind this is opinion time–these are things that help me personally to connect to a story (regardless of genre, actually), but your list might look a bit different!

1. I want all my senses engaged.

This is particularly important for fantasy, or any book that introduces a new world. Fantasy readers want to be immersed. For the duration of the book, they want to live and breathe a new place. But even the most amazing worldbuilding falls flat if the reader feels like a spectator, rather than like he’s inside that world right alongside the characters. Using the five senses is one of the easiest ways to make such a connection.

I want the story details to be deftly painted–neither overwritten to the point of eyeball exhaustion, nor skimmed over with barely a glance. I’d rather not wade through pages of exposition on what a single setting looks like, but neither do I want to encounter “White Room Syndrome.” It’s a bothersome thing when visual details are so lacking that it feels as if the characters are talking heads floating in a white room.)

[via Pinterest]

I want to see the thunderclouds roiling, the sun beaming through a dusty windowpane, the moss growing like skirts around massive oak trees, the unraveling hem of a peasant’s cloak, the dents and scratches in a knight’s shield.

I want to hear the characters’ voices, the ambient background noises, the clamor of battle, the patter of rain on the roof, the snap of a log in the fire, the rush of wings.

I want to feel the aching muscles after a long day’s ride, the damp rock of a cavern wall, the electric tingle of portal jumping, the swaying of a precarious rope bridge, the blistering flames springing from my hand with only a word.

I want to taste and smell the rain in the air, the smoke of a burning building, the butter melting into fresh bread, the acrid scent of a witch’s brew, the coppery blood when I’m punched in the teeth.

In short, I want to feel like I’m there.

Some books that succeeded in this:

  • The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater // I can’t recommend the entire series due to the amount of language and some worldview disagreement, but she is marvelous at conveying setting and atmosphere.
  • The Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl // Incredible depth and scope! Even though it’s written in an omniscient point of view, I can see and feel everything.
  • Wither by Savannah Jezowski // Part of the Five Enchanted Roses anthology. Very immersive and engaging.

2. I want the emotions to pop.

This is where so many books fall short. Maybe I’m just particular about how I like my characters, but the number one thing I look for is connection. I don’t want to just feel like I’m walking the same dusty road or smelling the same ancient library as they are–I want to smile with their joy, weep with their sorrow, cringe at their pain. I want my pulse to race. I want my breath to catch. I want to feel a laugh rising in my chest.

In fact, I think the lack of realistic emotions is one reason speculative tropes feel so . . . well, cliché. Like two-dimensional cardboard cut-outs with little more than tradition to prop them up. But that also means there’s an incredible opportunity to breathe fresh live into those well-worn tropes with grounded, relatable emotions and reactions!



[via Pinterest]
You’re the chosen one? Great. What does that feel like? Actually? The crushing pressure, the crippling self-doubt, the spine-tingling excitement . . . You’re alienated from your friends and family. You’re elevated to a spot of high publicity, usually in very short order. A whole kingdom, or perhaps a whole world, is riding on your shoulders. You’re probably not ready for the task ahead of you. Oh, and guess what? You’re probably sixteen and haven’t even figured out high school. I want to experience that chaotic spectrum of emotions!
You’re a superhero? Love it! Let me feel what it’s like to discover your powers, to live a double life, to save the very world that critiques and condemns you, to accept a role you never asked for.
You’re fighting an epic fantasy battle? Okay, put me on the battlefield. Let’s hear the chaos and see the carnage, utterly stripped of the soaring musical soundtracks and nicely choreographed movements. Let’s feel the desperation, the animalistic actions mixed with startling humanity. Do it tastefully, but show me the heartbreak of war. And don’t forget to show me the damaging emotional aftereffects.
I could go on and on! Basically, what I’m looking for is real humans within the strangeness of spec fic. I’ll believe your dragons are real if I can believe in the living, breathing, thinking, feeling people in their midst.

Some books that succeeded:

  • A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes // I felt Parvin’s ups and downs so deeply. One of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read.
  • Eye of the Oracle by Bryan Davis // Despite the fact that this sweeping story covers entire centuries, I felt all of the major characters’ struggles.
  • The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer // Every character is well-drawn, and each point of view is arresting and immediate. Cinder in particular offers a deep perspective.

3. I want to the world to be beautifully balanced.

Yes, I want some fabulous worldbuilding! Give me convincing cultures and subcultures, populated by believable people, anchored in a world that’s so tightly woven it seems as if it’s always spun on its axis. Give me realistic politics where nothing is as black and white as we wish it were. Give me geography that makes sense. Give me history that builds upon itself and affects the current storyworld. Give me realistic prejudices, worldviews, values, fears, and desires that spring naturally from the world you’ve created. Give me something that has meaning, something nearly as textured and intricate as our own planet earth.

There are books, particularly in fantasy, that feel as if they’re checking off a series of worldbuilding boxes. Like the author took a template* and divided everything into little boxes. Each individual box is cool, but none of them work together cohesively. They’re cogs on a wheel, but each are different sizes, so when the wheels start turning, the story jolts. And suddenly I’m a spectator again–or worse, a critic with a red pen.

*By the by, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using templates! I’ve done it! They’re great for helping a writer beef up the parts of their storyworld they tend to neglect.

What I’m looking for is a story where all the moving parts fit together, and each element affects all the others. For example, if we look at a fictional kingdom’s geography, that aspect alone should play a crucial role in:

  • natural resources, exports, and imports
  • political position
  • global influence or lack thereof
  • culture
  • dress
  • food
  • history
  • wars
  • etc.

Are they landlocked? Do they have access to other countries? How rich are they in resources? Which ones? Are these resources scarce in other parts of the world? How does the climate affect what the people wear, eat, and do? What parts of the country’s geography are strategic advantages or disadvantages? How has that impacted wars fought on their soil? Who are their geographic neighbors? Are they on good terms? Do mountains or oceans separate them from each other? There’s so much to delve into based on a single aspect of worldbuilding!

But the book doesn’t have to show all of this “on screen.” That would get rather dry and boring pretty quickly. And because the book is a work of fiction, the author could spend the rest of his or her life developing a single world and never getting around to writing the story that’s supposed to take place in it! So I’m certainly not asking for a set of encyclopaedias about every made-up world. I just want the slice of the world I see on the page to be cohesive and natural.

Some books that succeeded:

  • The Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
  • The Auralia Thread series by Jeffrey Overstreet
  • The Bright Empires series by Stephen Lawhead
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark

In short, I’d love to see more speculative fiction that immerses me in a believable world and makes me truly feel with the characters.

There are many, many wonderful books that do some or all three points on this list, and I’ve shared only a few of them! I hope this literary hole continues to be filled in the future. Yes, it’s a pretty tall order. But it’s possible.

And as a side note, it’s important to take into account that not all books are trying to do the same things (which could be a whole ‘nother post on its own!), so not every book will hit all of these points with the same amount of gusto, nor do they automatically need to.

But at the end of the day, if a novel can make me feel deeply connected to the characters and solidly anchored in their world, I will probably scream my happiness from the rooftops! That’s the kind of fiction I’m hungry for!

Okay, your turn! What’s something you see lacking in the world of books? Is there anything you’d add to this list? Oh, and hit me up with your realistic speculative fiction recommendations! (That’s a mouthful.)

Keep Reading

Subplots and Storylines – April 2018

Tracey Dyck 20 Comments

(I almost wrote Subplots and Services. What even? Is that some kind of shop offering services for authors struggling with their plots? Do book mechanics work there? “Yup, not to worry, Mr. Author. Your subplot about the orphan hero just needed a little tune-up.”)

(. . . I don’t know where my brain goes sometimes, to be honest.)

Parenthetical intro aside, hello! How is everyone? It’s crazy to think that a third of the year has whooshed by already. But I’m not too sad because it’s finally summer break! The snow has melted at last and it’s looking like spring out there.

Blogging nearly fell by the wayside during April, since college was incredibly busy with projects wrapping up, quizzes being crammed in, and final exams happening. Now that year one of business school is done, I’m free for the summer! College was a lot of hard work, but I don’t regret it–rather, I’m excited about where this new knowledge might take me in the future.

In other news . . .

  • I bought my flights to and from Realm Makers, so that’s another item to check off the list!
  • Two family members plus a grandma had birthdays in April, which amounted to much celebrating and good food.
  • During exam week, I went on a spontaneous cleaning spree and also reorganized my bookshelves. Such a satisfying feeling!

That’s about it for life-y stuff, really. School swallowed everything! But I did manage to watch and read a few things.

Screen Subplots

Once Upon a Time season 4 and 6

I think I watched only two or three episodes all month, but season 6 is improving, I’d say!



Piglet’s Big Movie

I still love the Hundred Acre Wood, you guys, and I don’t plan to ever grow out of it. This here is one of my favorite Pooh movies. It’s so precious! Piglet just wants to be important enough to be useful. When he goes missing, his friends set out to find him. Being the brilliant fluffbrains they are, they decide Piglet’s scrapbook can show them where he is. As they go along, the memories inside remind them of all the ways Piglet has helped in the past. It’s rather sweet.

My only quibble is that I got my DVD secondhand, and because it’s scratched, it skips my favorite line: “Kanga, is that a fish in that tree?”

I’m a kid at heart, all right?

Avengers: Infinity War


I AM NOT OKAY. NOT OKAY AT ALL. But I loooooved the movie! It was completely epic and well worth going to the theater for! Marvel’s been building up to this for years, so it’s payoff time–and wow, they delivered. (I didn’t get enough of certain characters, but there were a lot of them sharing the screen, so that’s understandable. And some of them may get more attention in the fourth Avengers movie.) I’m zipping my lips and not saying anything more right now, since . . . you know . . . #thanosdemandsyoursilence. Maybe I’ll talk more about it once it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray.

Page Storylines



The Returning // Rachelle Dekker

I started this one in March and it took me a couple weeks to finish, thanks to schoolwork. Reading a book too slowly tends to skew my perception of it, but I’ll try to present balanced thoughts.

Firstly, I didn’t feel as connected to the heroine, Elise, as I was expecting to (partially because of my reading pace), and there were too many secondary characters to keep track of. The group dynamic would have been a lot stronger had the cast been smaller or been introduced more gradually.

That being said, there were some truly beautiful scenes that nearly moved me to tears, particularly one that took place in a hospital. With a strong theme centered around identity, this book approached the topic in a thoughtful, refreshing way. References to God were a little vague–referring mostly to “He,” “the light,” and sometimes “the Father”–but from the right vantage point, it’s easy to see how Dekker is referring to the immense love and power living in us through Christ.

Speaking of which, I was hoping she would finally clarify who Aaron’s character is supposed to represent, but she didn’t. It’s unclear whether he is an allegorical image of Jesus, a regular human being, or a prophet-like character similar to John the Baptist. I’m all for writing outside the box, but in this case, I’m not even sure where the box is.

There were parts I liked in The Returning, don’t get me wrong. But this didn’t feel like the strongest book in the trilogy, which is unfortunate, seeing as it’s the finale. You can check out my review on Goodreads for a few more thoughts. Wavering between 3.5 and 4 stars on this one.

Tears of a Dragon // Bryan Davis


Of all four Dragons in Our Midst books, this is the one I remembered the least plot-wise. So it was rather fun to return to it and refresh my memory! This time around, I especially appreciated how Bryan Davis concluded the series. If I didn’t know there were eight more books following DIOM, I would be content with this ending. It’s solid and satisfying. (But there are definitely a few things that make me very glad the story continues in Oracles of Fire!)

The main characters of Tears of a Dragon have all grown and changed significantly since the first book, and it shows. Elements introduced earlier gain greater importance as resurrected dragons face off with the Watchers, and Billy and Bonnie seek to free several key characters from another dimension called Dragon’s Rest. The core story thread, Billy’s relationship with his father, becomes even more compelling here too. I just love these characters so much!

And that ending . . . it still brought tears to my eyes, even though I’ve read it a few times! 5 stars all the way!

(I know I’ve been talking about Dragons in Our Midst in every S&S post this year, since I’m rereading it, but would you guys be interested in a spotlight post on the series? With it fresh in my memory, I feel it would be fitting to pay tribute to something that’s been such a big influence on me.)



The Story Peddler // Lindsay A. Franklin


I fangirled over this brand new novel earlier this week! If you missed it, you can see my review HERE. 5 stars!

Written Subplots

Eheheh . . . heh . . .

*crickets*

Not much to see here at all. Like I said. Final exams. They are a black hole.

But I did submit a flash fiction piece to Splickety, which I mentioned last month as something I wanted to do. It wasn’t chosen, but I’ll write another flash fiction and try again! Truth be told, this little 600-some word story has the glimmerings of an entire novel* behind it, so it wasn’t a waste.

*Something along the lines of Jennifer Nielsen’s Ascendance trilogy, but a little darker and with a stronger fantasy vibe. Very twisty. Very stabby.

Right at the end of April, I also managed to compile beta feedback on a few more chapters of The Brightest Thread. Just chapters 16 through 18, though. It’s fun to relive the story through my beta readers’ eyes.

Happy May, my friends!

How was your April? Read anything wonderful? Students, are you slogging through your last stretch of school? (You can do it! I’m sending you reviving unicorns and memory-enhancing wizard brews!) Do we need Subplots and Services to be a real shop or what?! And tell me honestly, would you like a spotlight post on Dragons in Our Midst?

Keep Reading

Book Review: The Story Peddler

Tracey Dyck 11 Comments

Hello, questers! I’m popping up in the middle of the week to chuck a book at you! Nicely, of course, because I am not a violent bookdragon (usually). But I just finished reading The Story Peddler, Lindsay A. Franklin’s debut novel that released today,* and I. AM. IN. LOVE.

*Today being May 1st, but only just barely. I meant to post this in the morning!

Isn’t it gorgeous?!
* * *
Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.


During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers . . . and they’re after her too.
* * *

You can find Lindsay A. Franklin here, among other places:
Website // Facebook // Instagram

And find her book here:
Amazon // Goodreads

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not required to be positive.

* * *

This was a beautiful tale–as cozy as Tannie’s sleepy farming village, yet brimming with breathtaking wonder. Although I love fantasy with all my heart, I’m sometimes skeptical at the beginning of a new book in the genre . . . unsure about whether I’ll click with the writing style and characters and plot. But I had nothing to worry about with this one! About two-thirds of the way through, I commented to my brother, “It’s such a wonderful thing to enjoy a novel as much as you expect you will.”

What I Loved

Tanwen

Tannie was such a refreshing protagonist! Plucky, wise, headstrong, creative, ambitious, funny, seldom quiet, and full of vim and vigor–so it didn’t take me long at all to connect with her. Being a story peddler, she weaves light into crystallized symbols of the stories she tells, which is a deliciously fun element that ends up deepening every aspect of the book: character, plot, world, and theme! (Oh hi, that was just my writer nerd self showing up.)

A country orphan from Pembrone, Tannie dreams of leaving her tattered, humdrum life behind for a chance to see the world and become the king’s Royal Storyteller. She has big hopes, a shrouded past, and the will to weave a future of her own making.

And did I mention that she’s a storyteller? A creative, an artist? Did I mention that I love that?

The Cast

Tanwen was great, but so was the entire cast of characters! Seriously, every single one of them, even those who showed up for just a few pages, were well-drawn and compelling. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll keep the following thoughts on some of the major players brief.

  • Brac // He’s such a sweet farm boy. I quite like him, even if I didn’t always agree with him.
  • Mor // Okay, so I fell head over heels for him. He reminds me of a younger, slightly less rascally version of Once Upon a Time’s Captain Hook!
  • A certain ragtag band of characters whom I will not name // The danger of a large group of characters is that only one or two manage to have any personality, but each individual was distinct, so kudos to Lindsay for that. Each had their own strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and sorrows. My heart hurts for them.
  • Braithe // As a princess in a corrupt court, she was a beacon of strength, poise, and mercy. I looked up to her, which takes something special.
  • The One in the Dark // I will say nothing!
  • Sir Dray // *barfs*
  • King Gareth // He managed to be more complex than the stereotypical “taxes, taxes, taxes!” kind of malevolent ruler, and I was very much not a fan of him. (Which is good.)

The World

Like I said before, the world of The Story Peddler is cozy and exciting at the same time! Tir is full of farms, villages, the seaside, a river, a forest, a bustling capital city, a palace . . . at first glance, it’s your standard medieval fare. But a certain level of lively detail made the setting come to life. I wasn’t sure at first about things like fluffhoppers (basically rabbits) and watta roots (essentially potatoes), but pretty soon I realized that the charm of such worldbuilding is that fantastical elements are instantly recognizable and require little to no explanation. So it was very easy to slip into this world and get comfortable.

But don’t fall asleep on me! There was much political intrigue afoot to keep the plot moving and keep Tanwen on her toes. Opposing religions and cultures made for an intriguing backdrop to the story’s events too.

Story Weaving

Again, I really don’t want to spoil anything about anything, because it’s best discovered for yourself, but suffice it to say I loved the concept of weaving stories. It was like seeing my own creative passion (writing) play out in a gorgeously visual way. And about halfway through, it all suddenly became ten times more awesome!

The Theme

The way this story embraced creativity and fanned the flames of imagination . . . wow, you guys. It reaffirmed and refreshed my storytelling heart–and I think it would do the same for anyone’s creative passions, no matter what they are. This is a book that honors art in such a unique, eye-opening way, I can’t say any more without blurting it all out! Just go read it!

What I Wasn’t Sure I Loved at First . . .

The Beginning

It took me about 70 pages or so to get past my own built-in critic and really settle in, I’m sorry to admit. (It’s a weird thing, the way I sometimes take a while to warm up to a story even if it’s hitting all the right beats. So it’s probably one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” issues!) I suppose the plot was a smidgen slower at the beginning, but in retrospect, I loved getting to experience Tanwen’s life in Pembrone and get a handle on the world at large before things exploded into action. Because trust me, once I crested 100, maybe 150 pages, I refused to put the book down.

Some Vocabulary

Maybe I’m just used to melodramatic speeches and prose-y dialogue, but some of the phrases felt a bit modern. A very minor quibble, and one I very quickly forgot about. Besides, Tannie herself is a bit of a country bumpkin who has to concentrate to keep a polished vocabulary when selling stories. It actually works for her narrative voice to be casual. And speaking of vocabulary, I loved that there were some words she didn’t recognize, and yet she never came across as stupid.

Flying Fluffhoppers, Why are You Still Here?

Go snatch up a copy for yourself so that we can flail about this book together! The Story Peddler is one riveting, enchanting book that I am sincerely proud to have on my shelf. Now I can’t wait for next summer when the sequel releases!

Keep Reading

Beautiful People – Favorites Edition

Tracey Dyck 17 Comments
The Beautiful People blog link-up is saying farewell (for now, at least). I’ve had such fun joining in over the last few years, exploring my characters and getting to meet those of other writers. It’s sad to see this meme go, but it’s been a great ride, hasn’t it? To wave goodbye, the inimitable Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In are doing a throwback edition with a bunch of favorite questions! Let’s jump right in.

Favourite genre to write in?

FANTASY. Really, I love almost everything under the wide umbrella of speculative fiction, but fantasy is my literary homeland. (In fact, I wrote a whole post last summer about why I love it and why it’s important, which you can read HERE.)

What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?

6544353

Well, if we’re talking about the characters of my sort-of-WIP* The Brightest Thread, then Luci should read The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood by Charles Perrault. For obvious reasons, of course. She might find hope that her sleeping curse can be broken.
Hadrian, on the other hand, should not read that fairy tale, because Perrault’s prince barely has to lift a finger to rescue the princess, while Hadrian has a long and difficult road ahead of him. Instead, he could try Raven’s Ladder by Jeffrey Overstreet. I think he’d find much common ground with the main character, King Cal-Raven.

*I say “sort of” because I’ve barely had time to work on it lately, and yet I still claim #amediting on Instagram, so . . . ?

Favourite piece of dialogue you’ve written?

Hw can I answer that? Dialogue is one of my favorite things to write, and there are way too many fun snippets I could choose from! But for the sake of continuity, let’s stick with The Brightest Thread, and I’ll try to find something not too spoilery . . . Ah, how about this one from chapter one?

Queen Riar pressed closer to the cradle. “We thought you were—“


“Dead?” Vyntyri wove between tables toward the front. Commoners shrank back on all sides.


“Or locked in enchantment,” Riar replied. “You’ve not been seen in fifty years.”


Vyntyri laughed, a smile on her pale lips. “How happy for you then, to discover neither tale is true. Still, was it not . . . rude of you, Riar, neglecting to invite me to your daughter’s christening?”


Riar’s face tightened. “Forgive me. I am not in the habit of inviting dead people to parties.”


What did your character want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

Luci just wanted adventure out in the rolling green mountains of Iror. She wanted dragon flights and travel and the freedom to roam. Instead, she spends decades trapped in sleep, with only the warped adventures found in other people’s dreams to keep her occupied. They are stranger adventures than she might find in the waking world, to be sure, but they aren’t real.

Prince Hadrian wanted to grow things. He wanted to grow his garden and grow his kingdom—and to marry the two goals by helping the sick and oppressed in Bauglind with the medicinal plants he nurtures. But Bauglind is in pretty bad shape, and there are those who would make it even worse if they got the chance, so he becomes strong, noble, and unyielding. He becomes king material, even if he doesn’t believe he’s ready for the crown.
[via Pinterest]

Favourite character name(s)?

I love finding the perfect name! Okay, correction, I don’t always love the search—the poking and twiddling and combing through baby name sites, the dictionary, and Google translate—but I love it once I’ve found the right name that clicks with the character.

In TBT, I’m quite fond of Luci’s name. First, because I find the shortened version sweet and simple. Second, because her full name, Alucinora, is actually inspired by the Latin word alucinor, which means to dream/wander in the mind.

I also like Reverie, because it’s as whimsical as her character. And Queen Riar, because it’s a bit like briar, as in Briar Rose. And Aleida, just because. Also Hadrian just because. How about we say that pretty much ALL the character names are my favorite?

What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

Luci feels loved when she’s understood and truly seen. The last person to make her feel that way was either Aleida, her kingdom’s fairy steward and her dearest friend, or Hadrian (depending on which point of the story we’re talking about). But after certain spoilery events, Luci has trouble even letting herself be seen, and so closes herself off to love in all of its forms.

Hadrian, too, feels loved when he’s understood, but also when he’s believed in. There aren’t many people who make him feel that way. Reverie, who is his kingdom’s fairy steward, believes in him wholeheartedly. And a doctor in the slums of the capital city shares his vision of a better kingdom, and thus believes in him too. But Luci becomes the only person to truly understand his heart.

Favourite character you’ve ever written?

Gosh darn it, WHY would you make me CHOOSE? I have favorite protagonists, antagonists, side characters, allegorical characters, favorite everyone!
Fine.

If I must . . .

This sounds like a copout answer, but it’s true—Luci and Hadrian, individually and as a couple, are among my favorite characters ever. That’s one reason I still love TBT, even after almost three years of working on it off and on. They each carry a little piece of me, pieces I never intended to plant within them but somehow did anyway. Each took on a life of their own, until they felt like living, breathing people in my mind.

If your character were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? (Why?)

Luci would throw out her harp. She hates playing music anyway, even if she’s fairy-gifted to be perfect at it. She’d refuse to part with the little model dragon hanging from the ceiling of her room, because it’s ugly and imperfect and represents freedom to her. Plus, she’d probably want to take along the roughest, hardiest dress she could find. After all, if she’s leaving home, she’s bound to encounter some adventures for which her royal attire is not suited.
Hadrian would gladly throw out any of the fancy trappings of princehood, but he’d keep his sword, his plants, and his gardening notes. The sword because he enjoys swordplay (but not the real reasons that demand using it—those times are unwelcome necessities); and the plants and notes because he’s just a plant nerd.

Favourite tropes to write!

Any trope involving dragons. Royalty, lost or otherwise. The power of true love, but in a non-cliché way that’s actually grounded in a genuine relationship and meaningful sacrifice. Good vs. evil against a sweeping fantasy backdrop. Shapeshifters. Elemental powers. I’m also still attached to the stigmatized Chosen One trope, guys. (In the back of my mind, I’ve been brewing some ideas for how to subvert that one and make it more believable and interesting. Nothing’s fully formed yet, but I will return to my poorly-named Journeys of the Chosen series one day.)

Which story has your heart and won’t let go?

The Brightest Thread, absolutely. It’s the kind of story I love, full of so many story ingredients that excite me, populated by characters who (as I mentioned before) feel real, and so naturally I’m head over heels for this thing!

But the Journeys of the Chosen series (you might remember me chatting about The Prophet’s Quest and The Prophet’s Key many, many moons ago) won’t let me go either, no matter how many times I put it aside. I know I’ll return to it one day, and I know that when I do, it’s going to be the biggest, baddest, awesomest rewrite in my entire writing history! It’s a humongous project already, so it will take a lot of work to tear it down, find the gold in the rubble, and rebuild it from the ground up. Honestly, that’s what it needs. And I think it has the potential to be one of those passion projects or soul-works or whatever you might call an idea that’s so big and so close to your heart that it makes you gulp.

[via Pinterest]

Favourite relationship between characters you’ve written?

Luci and Hadrian are just too precious for this world and I adore them together! But since all I’ve been doing is gushing about TBT, we’ll just keep moving right along now.

Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?

So many! I could write a whole post about this topic! But here’s a short version:

  • I want speculative fiction that feels REAL. I think that’s one reason tropes become tired and worn—because they’re presented in a flat, two-dimensional way with little care given to what it might really feel like to be a “chosen one,” to be a superhero, to be sent to another world, to fight in a battle, or anything. I want all my senses engaged, I want the emotion to pop, I want the world to be so beautifully balanced that I forget it’s the product of the author’s imagination. This kind of cohesiveness is a tall order, but it’s often the missing ingredient in books I read.
  • I want more family relationships. Parents and siblings are usually missing, dead, or dysfunctional.
  • I want characters to stop withholding information for no other reason than to increase the tension. #guiltyofthisone
  • I want fantasy with lower, more personal stakes. You don’t have to save the world every time. #guiltyagain
  • I want clean, yet gritty, books that take mainstream YA by storm. Yeah, Christian authors, I’m talking to you! I want you on the NYT bestsellers list, I want you to be the talk of the bookish community, and I think it’s possible for you to get there without being preachy or weird. Without slamming people who disagree with your worldview, and without feeling the need to write a conversion story in every single book. (Although there is a place for that.) (Okay, I really do need to write a post on this, because I have ALL THE THOUGHTS.)

Favourite pinterest board / aesthetic for a book?

I made this collage for The Brightest Thread while participating in WIP Joy on Instagram this month!

Favourite time periods & settings to work with?

Eheheh . . . medieval fantasy? It’s a comfortable, fun setting to work with for me, but I want to keep broadening my horizons and finding new cultures to inspire my fantasies too! I deviated a little bit with Mirrors Never Lie by writing a primitive Nordic-inspired culture.

Real historical time periods intimidate me, because you could lose yourself in research for months! Modern day North America is easier, but I’m still learning how to make things sound probable and authentic. (And how to research real settings better.)

When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

I love this question! When readers turn the final page of The Brightest Thread one day, I hope they sigh and smile softly. I hope their hearts are full. I hope they feel a little braver when it comes to opening themselves up. I hope that the weary and disillusioned find some hope. I hope they dare to dream. I hope they feel noticed, seen, and loved. And I hope they feel like they’ve come home after a heart-pounding adventure.

Well, we’ve come to the end. What’s your favorite character, friends? (That you’ve written, if you’re a writer, or that you’ve read about, if not?) What kinds of books do you see a need for? And to Beautiful People, I bid you adieu!

Keep Reading