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Beautiful People – 2016 plans

Tracey Dyck 32 Comments
It’s time for Beautiful People! I’ve missed doing these link-ups. I skipped the last three months, partially due to the Nano focus of the questions, but at last I’m participating again.

This round of questions is about writing plans and goals, which is perfectly timed. On my way home from the city earlier this week, I was talking out loud to myself and making plans for this year’s writing. (What? You guys don’t talk to yourself when you’re driving alone?) They’re rather ambitious, and I have to wonder if it’s insane to ask so much of myself, especially when 2016 is full of so many unknowns. But I want to aim high, and if Life has other ideas, so be it. Contrary to my usual thinking, goals can be adjusted.

Hosted by the lively gals Cait & Sky!


What were your writing achievements last year?

I finished up a couple rounds of edits on book 1. I read over book 2, outlined a new version of it, and had way too much fun masterminding stuff about the series as a whole. I completed a novella-sized retelling of Sleeping Beauty and entered it in the Five Magic Spindles writing contest. I also helped both my brother and a friend of mine edit their entries.

Tell us about your top priority writing project for this year.

I have three, actually! And now’s as good a time as any to whip out my 2016 Writing Goals.

January: Finish editing book 1.

February: Begin querying agents for book 1. (Yipes!) Review the outline of book 2 and do some research.
March-May: Draft book 2.
June: Draft Rooglewood entry.
July: Edit Rooglewood entry and send it off. (I’d like to be much more on the ball this year, so I’m going to try finishing it in two months. Two and a half, tops.)
August-December: Finish drafting book 2, and if I’ve actually managed to meet my monthly goals, I’d like to do a round or two of edits on it as well.
So to directly answer the question, my writing priorities are books 1 & 2 plus a fairy tale novella. Because these plans must be balanced with things called Work and (very hopefully) School, I’m trying to remember to take my own advice and have grace for myself if circumstances change and crowd out writing.
List 5 areas you’d like to work the hardest to improve this year.

Efficiency. I’d like to write more often, and write better when I do write. Even if all I can do is a little bit here and there, I want to be more consistent.

Moving forward. I’d like book 1 to be ready for the next phase.

Writing first drafts that aren’t littered with dragon-sized plot holes. It’s been about four-ish years since I’ve actually written a first draft for my fantasy series, and the most recent was possibly one of my worst. But I’ve grown since then, and I know a lot more about my fantasy world, so maybe the new book 2’s first draft will be more structurally sound. We can hope.


Continuing to cultivate my writing craft in general. One should never stop growing, after all.

Poetry. I wrote only seven poems last year, but I’d like to do more this year. Stretch my poet muscles. Try new techniques.
Are you participating in any writing challenges?
Only if you count the annual Rooglewood Press contest. Nano might be a possibility this year, but I’m not putting any expectations on myself.
What’s your critique partner/beta reader situation like and do you have plans to expand this year?
I stumbled into a wonderful Pack of writer gals online a year and a half ago, and have since had the pleasure of beta reading a number of their stories. Some of the girls have been betas for me too, which is heaps of fun. (My goodness, that sounds British: heaps of fun.) I’m quite content with my current situation, so no, I don’t have expansion plans.
Do you have plans to read any writer-related books this year? Or are there specific books you want to read for research?
Finish Gail Carson Levine’s “Writer to Writer,” which I started last year. I’ve heard that “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon is good, so maybe that too? I don’t have many specific titles in mind. I’ll probably look for some good books on mental illness (specifically delusion-related stuff, though there’s probably a nicer word for that). I have a character whose parents believe he’s crazy, resulting in psychologist appointments. I’d like to at least sound like I know what I’m talking about.
Pick one character you want to get to know better, and how are you going to achieve this?

Basically my entire supporting cast of book 2! Aileen’s and Josiah’s family members. The Shifters, a group of five elementals. Rex Nelson, the pilot. Yeah. Basically everyone. I’ll get to know them better by writing their story and doing character sketches.
Do you plan to edit or query, and what’s your plan of attack?
Some of both. See question #2. As for a plan of attack . . . with editing, it’ll be the usual process. With querying–well, that’s a whole new arena for me. So I have no idea!
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?
More clean, excellent fantasy. Whether it’s Christian or not is almost besides the point. I want to see good fantasy–without all the foul language and sleazy content so many of them seem to carry.
More steampunk, because the genre is awesome and quite underrated.
And I don’t know if this is a hole, exactly . . . But I want to see an off-kilter story that plays with mind. One part crazed humor, one part creepy, and one part deeply hidden meaning. I have something like this cooking in my brain, but it’ll be a while before it’s ready to be written.
What do you hope to have achieved by the end of 2016?
I hope to have book 1 actually, for real complete–and if all goes well, I want to either have an agent or at least be actively querying. I hope to have another fairy-tale novella completed, and I also want to have book 2 drafted. Somewhat edited too, if I have the time. Like I said before, it really depends on how these next several months pan out.
If nothing else, I want to be able to look back on 2016 and say that I made good use of the writing time I had. (But if I’m honest, I’d really, really like that whole querying thing to . . . you know, be a thing.)
What do you think? Insane or doable? (Wait . . . don’t answer that.) What are your writing plans for the year?
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New Adventures

Tracey Dyck 18 Comments

It’s a new day, the second in a brand new year. And although some may argue that we’ve merely put a new calendar on the wall, I think that here in the confines of time, as humans we like to mark definite starts and finishes. We like to think that two nights ago at midnight, we closed one book and in the next minute opened a new one rife with possibilities gleaming on blank pages.

And so we did.

And so we do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. To a smaller degree, perhaps–but each day is fresh. God’s mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.

Many of us, giddy with the idea of a fresh slate entitled 2016, make resolutions and goals for the year. Stats say only a small percentage actually reach those goals. Don’t get me wrong; I love goals! But let me just encourage you to strive for this delicate balance:

Dream big.

Savor the small moments.

Start each day with thanks.

Forgive. Forgive yourself, forgive the humans in your life. We’re all imperfect. Forgive the world for whatever bad turn it may have given you. Know that your Father is in the business of making beauty out of brokenness.

Divide your lofty goals into chunks, little milestones that you can celebrate along the way. The way to reach them truly is one step at a time.

Go for your goals, yes; but have grace for yourself along the way.

You cannot give what you do not have–ground yourself in God’s love more than ever before, and watch as it overflows into the lives of those around you.

As the quest of 2016 commences, I’m so blessed that our paths intersect here! May the road be straight before your feet. May you happen upon unexpected beauty along the way. May you have the strength to scale the mountains and the perseverance to cross the valleys. Sally forth, warriors! The best is yet to come.

P.S. I like to be a polite little blogger and cite the sources of the pictures I use, but these two I found a long time ago and merely saved to my computer without marking down where I found them.

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Suplots and Storylines – December (and 2015 summary)

Tracey Dyck 16 Comments

How is it the end of December already? I feel like I just wrote November’s S&S post.

This month opened with my brother’s birthday. He did not just become a legal adult. No, he did not. I refuse to believe it.

The store I work at was positively buzzing with activity this month, and I was shocked (though I shouldn’t have been) over how many people procrastinate with their Christmas shopping. Seriously, people. Christmas is on the same day every year. You know it’s coming. And you know your size 4XL father-in-law is hard to find clothes for. Yet you expect to find something in his size two days before the 25th?!

Speaking of work, early in the month we had a Pajama Day. A day on which I wore PJs. To work. It felt completely weird to leave the house in pajama pants instead of jeans, drive to work, and actually . . . work . . . dressed like that. Customers gave me odd looks until I explained the reason for my unprofessional attire (and, like a good employee, took the opportunity to talk up the PJ sales).

We babysat my cousin’s four children, ages 3-9 one evening. I adore those kids.

A stunningly beautiful piano/violin duet visited my church and played along during praise and worship, then performed a few carols on their own. Swoon.

I spent an evening with my mom, littlest sister, and aunt browsing a cutesy little shop in town, then having chai white hot chocolates together.

Christmas festivities sprinkled the entire month in good cheer, from decorating the tree, to two family gatherings (with another yet to come), to shopping for my parents’ stocking stuffers, wrapping gifts, listening to Christmas music, etc. I worked Christmas Eve, which meant that I got the following four days off! Hallelujah! It was so good to have a little break. To spend time with my family, no interruptions or calls or places to be. My homebody, hobbit-y side rejoiced.

As per request, I have a few pictures of our traditional Lego building on Boxing Day!



I realized later that we don’t look particularly happy here.
Forgive us. We’re all concentrating.



my “Battle of the Five Armies” set
(an eagle and Bard and Legolas and Azog and awesomeness!)



my “Attack on Lake-town” set
(yay Tauriel! and Bain!)

You know those minifigure series that come in individual packages, and you never know which one is inside? We’ve been finding those little packages tucked into our usual Christmas presents the past few years, hidden in sweater pockets, DVD cases, socks, etc. Below are some of my favorites this Christmas.



from left to right: a king, a fire wizard, a phantom thing, a stone
gargoyle, and a banshee

Since my dad was not featured in the first Lego picture (he was my photographer), here’s what he built last year. He hasn’t started this year’s set just yet . . . it’s rather large, and from the Technic series (meaning it’s complicated and intricate and not quite my cup of tea). He’ll build it later on, when he can have the whole kitchen table to himself. Anyway. As I said: last year’s epic build . . .


Metalbeard’s ship

December’s movies

Last month I only watched one; this month I saw four (plus TV episodes).

Maleficent (rewatch): I loooove this one! It had been a really long time since I’d first seen it, so watching it for the second time ’twas fun. I hold a deep dislike for Stefan, and a deep fondness for Diaval.

Rise of the Guardians (rewatch): Again, I hadn’t seen it in quite a while. Rewatching it reminded me why I love it so much. The characters are awesome, and the film itself helped put me in the Christmas spirit this year.

The Song: Starring Alan Powell of the band Anthem Lights! I watched this just with my parents, as it’s not a family-friendly flick. (I would recommend checking reviews like the one on Plugged In before watching.) The story is a modern day retelling of King Solomon, so as you can probably imagine, it’s not pleasant. The main character, Jed King (Powell), is not a likable man for much of the story. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as expected? As a cautionary tale, it’s great. But if you’re wanting a character to love and root for, side with his wife.

Ant-Man: I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it was definitely a worthy addition to the Marvel library! The humor was great, the visual effects of Ant-Man’s shrinking were awesome, and the pacing was different from your typical superhero movie. I really enjoyed it.

Minions: While it offered some funny moments, this movie ultimately fell flat. Despicable Me (1 and 2) were much better.

7 episodes of Once Upon a Time, season 2: Guess what entered the house on Christmas day? Once Upon a Time seasons 2-4! So of course my sisters and I dove right into it. You need only know this: Hook is awesome. Mulan is awesome. Everyone is awesome. And I have already flailed and shrieked and analyzed the storylines more than my sisters think is necessary.

December’s books

You’ve already seen the list in my Books of 2015 post, but here are some brief thoughts.

The Choosing – Rachelle Dekker

I tried not to compare her to her dad, Ted Dekker, but I needn’t have worried. This gal can hold her own in the realm of storytelling. The intensity and deep nature of her themes are like a feminine slant of her father’s, yet the dystopian flavor is very much her own. Carrington is a relatable main character, and Remko–a CityWatch guard with an endearing stutter–is just AMAZING. Can’t forget about Aaron. He was one of the best Jesus figures I’ve read about.
Rachelle used a lot of sensory ‘showing’ phrases (she saw, she heard, she felt, etc.), which rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. But the characters were special enough that I really enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!



A.D. 30 – Ted Dekker

One Dekker book after another! This one took me a while to get through, which is little fault of the book itself. I was simply busy at the time. It is a meatier, somewhat slower, read; involving political subplots and historical depth. The story follows Maviah, a Bedu woman born into the most dishonorable circumstances, as she sets out to save her people . . . and meets Yeshua along the way. Some powerful scenes in this novel, that’s for sure.


Angels Walking – Karen Kingsbury

So I’m technically not quite done yet, and probably won’t be before midnight either. (Nevertheless, I’m cheating by counting it a December 2015 read.) Anyway, it fulfills all the usual Kingsbury requirements: touching messages, heartwarming character arcs, and an easy, faith-filled, feel-good aspect. The story involves a supernatural element–angels are sent to earth to aid the characters. It’s not 100% accurate in that regard (but then, how should I know?), but the human side of the drama gets a lot more page-time and is definitely engaging.


Life Is ___ – Judah Smith

Again, I’m a chapter away from finishing, but this one I plan to complete tonight. Judah Smith has such a great voice. Humorous, simple, engaging. It’s like reading a book-length blog post, or chatting in the living room over coffee. The book is divided into four parts. Life is: to be loved and to love; to trust God in every moment; to be at peace with God and yourself; and to enjoy God. I found those reminders to be rather timely.

December’s writing

Due to the social nature of the Christmas season, I didn’t accomplish much in the writing department. Most of what I did do was in the first half of the month, too, so I feel like I’ve done very little writing lately. (January, I have high hopes for you!)

  • Read over The Brightest Thread one last time, and sent it off to the judges on December 7th! Now we wait . . .
  • Read over and edited five chapters of book 1. I was able to cross off one or two things on my editing list. And a discussion with my brother relieved my mind over a really Big Thing further down that list, leaving me feeling a lot better about the whole matter.
  • Spontaneously decided to line edit for a friend whose story I was beta reading. I thought I was crazy to even volunteer during such a busy month, but it actually didn’t take long at all, and I had so much fun doing it!

Well, that was December! It was an overflowing sort of month, as one day spilled into the next, and as life plunged headlong toward Christmas . . . and then kind of sat back, sighed happily, and continued on as normal.

As for 2015 in general?

I went from unemployed to working a temporary job at a jewelry store for a month, to unemployed again (oh, the dreaded job hunt), to working part-time at a clothing retailer. I’ve been there eight months now, two and a half of which were full-time. I started out coming home exhausted after each shift, tired of people in general. Since then, my capacity has grown so much, and talking to strangers on a regular basis is becoming much more natural.

I cleaned up a number of editing issues in book 1, including a stylistic edit. I engaged in ‘masterminding’ for the series’ storyworld and fleshed out a number of previously vague elements. I started this blog and discovered how much I love it. I read over the horrid old draft of book 2 and laughed at my younger self, then proceeded to outline the new and improved book 2. Progress on this series halted when the Five Magic Spindles contest was announced. This led to the writing of The Brightest Thread . . . and the subsequent squishing down of a 30,000 word novella into a 20,000 word novella. I assisted my brother in editing his entry, edited book 1 some more, and then concluded my year of writing with the aforementioned line edit for a friend.

Far more important than the writing and the working, though, are the signs of growth I’ve seen in myself. Painful growth, but important. And all of it is still very much a work in progress. I feel as if I’ve made few forward strides–but at least the truth is working roots into my heart. Truth about my identity, and how it’s not linked to my performance. Truth about God’s faithfulness. Truth about the unpraised glory of the little moments of life and the importance of sandpaper days.

The tension between my dreams and my reality has perhaps never been stronger. But this season of life is a training ground. A chapter of preparation for, I believe, great things. 2016, no matter what you hold, I’m deciding that you’re going to be the best year yet.

Now that I’ve blabbed on about myself, tell me something about your year!

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Books of 2015

Tracey Dyck 18 Comments

Yes, I know I missed last Saturday. But it was the Christmas weekend, and I’d already put up my Emmanuel post . . . and it only hit me Saturday morning that, oh right, today is Saturday. I have a blog. I have a blog on which I post things every Saturday. Well then. Obviously, such thoughts resulted in nothing. So I thought an impromptu beginning-of-the-week post might be nice to tie us all over until Subplots and Storylines goes up on New Year’s Eve. Explanation over. Read on.

~*~

I’ve been keeping track of the books I read for the past four years now . . . not via Goodreads (I’m not on there–yet?), but in a black three-ring binder. I wish I’d started sooner, because it’s such fun to keep a record of my reading adventures, to see what genres I’ve been gravitating toward, and to check whether or not I’ve actually read that book that looks vaguely familiar but seems somehow new.

So as 2015 is drawing to a close, I’ve been looking back at the books in which I buried my nose this year. Of course you’re curious too, aren’t you? Yes you are. You’re scrolling down already, I know it. Bookworms love peeking in on other bookworms’ bookish lives.

Rereads are starred (*), and my favorite book (or two or three) of each month is pictured.


January
Viral Execution // Amanda L. Davis

The Hunger Games // Suzanne Collins

*The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe // C.S. Lewis

*Prince Caspian // C.S. Lewis

*The Voyage of the Dawn Treader // C.S. Lewis


A toss-up between these two vastly different books. They’re
both amazing in polar opposite ways.

February
*The Silver Chair // C.S. Lewis
*The Horse and His Boy // C.S. Lewis
*The Magician’s Nephew // C.S. Lewis
*The Last Battle // C.S. Lewis
Catching Fire // Suzanne Collins
Asylum // Chantelle J.Z. Storm
One of my favorite Narnia books ever!

March
Mockingjay // Suzanne Collins
To Kill a Mockingbird // Harper Lee
Sketchy Behavior // Erynn Mangum
The Princess Academy // Shannon Hale
Mockingjay follows close behind, but in
an entirely different way.
(I wrote a guest post on To Kill a Mockingbird, which you can find on Bryan Davis’s blog HERE.)

April

Exodus Rising // Bryan Davis
Whadd’ya Gonna Do? // Joey O’Connor

Eldest // Christopher Paolini
The Outcasts // John Flanagan

Stormbreaker // Anthony Horowitz
The Giver // Lois Lowry

Series finale! Glory! Epicness! Pain!
May
Outlaw // Ted Dekker
*Divergent // Veronica Roth
11 Birthdays // Wendy Mass
The Storybook of Legends // Shannon Hale
The False Prince // Jennifer A. Nielsen
*Insurgent // Veronica Roth

I couldn’t decide! How do I pit a mind-transforming book against a fast-paced bullet of a book against a yummy fantasy
book? How, I ask you?? Answer: I don’t. I choose them all. ^_^

June
The Chance // Karen Kingsbury

Allegiant // Veronica Roth

The Anatomy of a Miracle // Dr. James B. Richards
Eyes Wide Open // Ted Dekker

Gathering Blue // Lois Lowry

Because one’s fiction and the other is non-fiction, it’s completely fair
to pick both as favorites, right? Both rattled my mind in a very,
very good way.

July
Pride and Prejudice // Jane Austen

Plain Kate // Erin Bow
I’m sorry, Jane Austen, but Plain Kate is
just an easier read. That’s the only thing putting
it ahead of P&P, and only by a very little bit.
Like a millimeter or two.
August
Paige Torn // Erynn Mangum
The Spirit Well // Stephen R. Lawhead
Golden Daughter // Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Mindwar // Andrew Klavan
Above // Leah Bobet
Words cannot express my love. (The
Spirit Well and Mindwar follow on
this book’s heels, though.)
September

Doon // Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon
Full Disclosure // Dee Henderson
Captivating // John & Stasi Eldredge

Suspeeeensssse!
October
Messenger – Lois Lowry
Paige Rewritten // Erynn Mangum
Mrs. Jeffries Reveals Her Art // Emily Brightwell

Emissary // Thomas Locke

I couldn’t get enough of the fantasy
gorgeousness!

November
Omega Dragon // Bryan Davis
Point Blank // Anthony Horowitz

During which I sniffled and waved
goodbye to beloved characters…

December
The Choosing // Rachelle Dekker
A.D. 30 // Ted Dekker
Angels Walking // Karen Kingsbury
Life Is ___ // Judah Smith

(I haven’t picked a favorite for this month yet,
because I’m not quite finished the last two books.)

Total:

52 books all told! February, April, and May were my biggest reading months–six books each. July and November were my lowest with two books each.

My books-per-year has been going slowly downward since I started keeping track, but a) I’m reading bigger books than I did as a mid-teen, b) I’m working now, and c) I’m writing more. So an average of a book per week makes me happy.

Genres

My biggest genre this year was fantasy. Aren’t you all shocked? Here, have a slice of pie–that is, a pie graph, because data visuals are fun. After 20 fantasy novels, dystopian takes second place with about half as many books, and romance slides into third with again half as many. (Note: “romance” includes chick-lit and any vaguely romantic contemporaries. “Thriller” includes suspense. They’re not quite the same thing, you know.)

Miscellaneous Stats

Most read authors:
C.S. Lewis: 7 books
And then Ted Dekker, Suzanne Collins, Erynn Mangum, Veronica Roth, and Lois Lowry tie with 3 books apiece.

Favorite new (to me) authors:
Harper Lee, Jennifer A. Nielsen, Erin Bow, Thomas Locke, Rachelle Dekker.

Worst book of the year:
Leah Bobet’s Above. You can read my reaction in this edition of Subplots and Storylines. It was a strange, off-kilter book whose cover LIED TO ME (because it’s not actually about that blonde girl with bee’s wings–she’s just the whiny love interest of the melodramatic main character) and whose plot leaped gleefully into rather muddy waters near the end.

Best fictional book of the year:
Please don’t do this to me. I read so many amazing books this year, I just couldn’t single out one over the rest! The month-by-month favorites were hard enough. But here’s a few that really stood out to me, in no particular order:

Eyes Wide Open
Plain Kate
Golden Daughter
Emissary
Exodus Rising
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Hunger Games

(Yay, me. I cut a list of 16 favorites down to 7, and even now I’m still waffling over it.)

Best nonfiction book of the year:
I’d have to say either Anatomy of a Miracle or Life Is ___. (More on the latter in this month’s Subplots and Storylines.) The first one shifted the landscape of my thoughts, and the second–which I’m almost done–is written in an accessible style about things we all need to be reminded of often.

I’d say 2015’s reads were pretty fabulous, overall. They took me to places I’ve never been and showed me people I’ve never seen; and yet many of those places felt like home by the time I reached The End, and many of those people lived in my mind like real human beings. Echoes of our world. And that’s what a good book should be. A surprising number of those good books also made an impact on me personally, reinforcing my faith and clarifying my worldview.

I can’t wait to see what sort of pages I’ll fall into in 2016!

Now’s your chance: inundate me with bookish talk! What did you read this year? Best book? Worst? Any surprises, good or bad? And most importantly, do you have any recommendations? Books that Tracey absolutely must read in 2016, or else all life will be dark and meaningless? Chatter away.

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