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Tag: Josiah Williams

Beautiful Books – The Prophet’s Key

Tracey Dyck 23 Comments

I haven’t participated in Beautiful People for a while, have I? And even though this month’s questions were written with Nano in mind–which I’m sadly not participating in this year because I want to keep my sanity, thank you very much–they were a great tool to get to know my current WIP better. The Prophet’s Key has been trickier to write than I expected, so the more help I find, the better!

Link-up hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In.

1. What inspired the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea?

I’d have to look back at my old notes to see when I first got the idea, but it struck when I sat down on the old wooden swinging bench on my back porch as a young teen and started brainstorming ideas for The Prophet’s Quest (untitled at the time). The Prophet itself needed some exploration, and somehow the idea of there being a key to unlock all its mysteries struck me. I pursued that trail further, and the winding paths of brainstorming led to the five Shifters too.

Funny thing: The Prophet’s Quest was initially going to be called The Prophet’s Key, until I actually wrote the thing and realized all those ideas about the key didn’t fit, and thus were moved into the sequel.

2. Describe what your novel is about!

I don’t have an official synopsis yet. The inner journeys of the two MCs are still a bit foggy to me, so that will have to wait. But here’s the general idea:

Aileen and Josiah are searching Earth for five hidden elementals called Shifters. These powerful individuals may be Demetria’s only chance in the battle hovering at the nation’s doorstep. All the while, the two teens struggle to reconcile their chosen status to their old lives and find a way to succeed without the advantages of dragon form.

3. What is your book’s aesthetic? Use words or photos or whatever you like!

I don’t have a lot of photos gathered right now, beyond some boring maps. But it’s set mostly on Earth this time, and yet the realism is infused with the fantastical: elementals, espionage, an ancient evil, and other (rather spoilery) stuff.

4. Introduce us to each of your characters!

We’d be here a long time if I trotted out every single person in this book’s large cast of characters! So I’ll just say a short blurb on all the main ones.

Aileen McKay: Sixteen years old. Brown hair, brown eyes. Introverted, intense personality, makes thoughtful decisions. Was once a white dragon with ice breath.

Josiah Williams: Sixteen years old. Blond-ish hair, grey eyes. Bold, self-assured, makes snap decisions. Was once a red dragon with fiery breath.


Mr. Hawkins: White hair, steely eyes. Guardian of the Prophet and all-around epic person. Skilled in geography.


Diver: Talking otter considered the leader of all Demetrian otters. Wears a smooth grey stone on a cord around his neck to indicate status. Spunky, adventurous, and afraid of heights.


Wimwhile: Wind Shifter. Long white beard. Always wears a long, shabby coat. Cranky, arrogant, but noble at heart.


Skaes: Water Shifter. Auburn hair. Scottish accent. Soft-hearted and fluid. Read more HERE.


Cauxle: Plant Shifter. Dark hair, mismatched eyes. Has a piratical air to him. Excellent in hand-to-hand combat.


Nisi: Light Shifter. Pale blonde hair. Cold, brusque personality concealing inner pain.


Brollier: Fire Shifter. Brown beard, eyes perpetually crinkled in a smile. Warm and jovial and courageous.


Mr. Spencer: Leader of the Sagire (a group of my main villain, Criffel’s, men employed as hunters on Earth). Middle-aged. Looks harmless, but is actually secretive and deadly.

5. How do you prepare to write? (Outline, research, stocking up on chocolate, howling, etc.?)

Back in the summer of 2015, I wrote a new and improved outline. (TPK was actually written four years ago, but that draft is so outdated I have to start from scratch.) At the beginning of 2016, I started researching my various settings. Much howling has been involved in this first draft. Heh. I also try to remember to pray before I write, which helps.

6. What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

Finishing the first draft! Ha, no, I’m actually looking forward to the climax. The crew will finally be together, some of the villains’ advantages will be revealed, and everything will come to a head. It’s gonna be good!

7. List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

Well, there are lots of exotic Earth locations . . . The crags of the Rocky Mountains, the rolling Highlands of Scotland, the verdant Daintree Rainforest in Australia, the urban sprawl of Moscow, and the rugged landscape of Iceland. (That’s more than three. Guess I’m a rebel.)

8. What’s your character’s goal and who (or what) stands in the way?

Their goal is to find all five Shifters before the Sagire do. Not only do the Sagire (with all their prowess and resources) stand in their way, but so does the mystery of each Shifter’s location. All Aileen and Josiah have is a journal full of riddles and unlabelled maps to guide them.

I’d have to say another thing standing in their way is themselves: their own fear, their inadequacies, and their self-doubt. Which flows seamlessly into the next question . . .

9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel?

Both of them lose faith in themselves throughout the novel, but by the end, they will have (at least partially) resolved that. They both learn to lead. Josiah begins to come to grips with his father’s rejection. Aileen learns to hold both her home and Alewar in her heart without being completely torn apart. As you can see, neither of them are anywhere close to truly grasping these lessons, but they are slowly transforming. The issues they face in this book will only escalate as the series goes on! Poor charries.

10. What are your book’s themes? How do you want readers to feel when the story is over?

Facing failure and fear, confidence in yourself, faith, perseverance–all are present in this novel. I want readers to walk away realizing they’re not alone in these things, and that fear can be beaten.

***

Now would be the time I wrap this up, but a new thought just struck me. Fear can be beaten. The moment I typed those words, I realized how impactful they are for me. In life, of course, but also as the writer of this story. I’ve been afraid to write this book. Afraid of handling a large cast and a sprawling, real-life setting. Afraid of failing to keep the pace going. Afraid to disappoint future readers by featuring less of Demetria than in the first book.

But really, there’s no need to fear any of that. How many times have I talked about giving yourself permission to write garbage in the first draft? It’s about time I take my own advice. Cast and setting and pace can be smoothed out during editing. And I actually have an idea or two to up the “other world content” in this book–again, during editing. IT’S TIME TO JUST HAVE FUN WRITING.

Let that be a lesson to all of you, questerlings. 😉

Oh, before I go, one more thing. Make that two.

First: I’m sorry I’ve had a couple of late posts, and that I’ve been slower in replying to comments. I’m trying to fit blogging in on meal breaks at college.

Second: writer friends of mine told me about a really sweet giveaway, so I thought I’d keep spreading the news. You can win up to $3000 of cover design, editing, proofreading, and content editing! How sweet would that be? And, as a little extra sweetness, if you enter through THIS LINK, I get extra entries. Which is not an entirely self-serving request, because by entering you get your own shareable link that can get you extra entries as well. It’s a lovely snowballing method.

That’s it, now. Promise. Till next week!

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Beautiful People – Friendship Edition – Josiah & Aileen

Tracey Dyck 18 Comments

I put off doing this month’s Beautiful People (which is friendship themed) for a while because I just didn’t know which companions to feature. Luci and Aleida came to mind, but that would be somewhat repetitive in light of last month’s BP post. Then there’s Luci and Hadrian, but they’re a romantic pair. And, erm, she doesn’t really have any friends beyond those two people. So I crossed Sleeping Beauty characters off my list of candidates, and settled on the obvious choice.

You may have seen their names floating around here before: Aileen McKay and Josiah Williams, the main characters of that fantasy series spoken of in vague terms on my Writings page above. I’ve spent so much time with them, they’ve almost become real in my mind. Answering these questions will be fairly easy!

Before we continue, if you’re new to the wonderfulness of Beautiful People, you can find out more from the hosts, Skye and Cait. Now: onward!

1. How long have they known each other, and how close are they?
Only a matter of weeks (although for me, they’ve technically known each other for seven years). Yet in those few weeks, they form a bond stronger than most. Death-defying experiences tend to encourage such bonds, you know.

2. What’s their earliest memory of being best friends?
They were distant acquaintances for a long time–knowing names and faces, passing each other in the halls at school–but the whole best friend thing is quite recent. Their first real connection was when they started talking about the disturbing visions they were both experiencing. Shaken by their most horrible waking dreams yet, they found empathy in each other.

“You mean you’ve been having dreams too?” Aileen gave
a wobbly smile. “I wondered, especially since you were researching dreams in
the library.” The smile disappeared. “Does that mean you had a dream like mine?
About your family?”

Josiah crossed his arms in an effort to ward off the
cold, both inside and out. “Yes.” In as few words as possible, he outlined the
visions of the past few days, right up until the end of the latest one. As he
finished, his eyes welled with tears again. Something conclusive needed to be
said now, something comforting, but no suitable words came to mind. So instead,
he pulled Aileen into a hug—the kind of embrace between friends who have borne
the same miseries. They stood there shivering, Aileen’s head resting against
his shoulder while snow swirled around.

3. Do they fight? How long do they typically fight for?
So far, they’ve fought only once, but it was a doozy and lasted for days. Let’s just say they could have avoided some very bad things if they’d only been more open with each other. *coughs to hide evil author laugh*

4. Are their personalities similar or do they complement each other?
Josiah is more outgoing, whereas Aileen tends to be introverted. He makes snap decisions; she thinks things over, too much sometimes. Both feel very deeply. As for negative emotions, Aileen releases tiny amounts of pressure through biting, sarcastic remarks (which don’t prevent the inevitable explosion later on), and Josiah processes them as they arise. Depending on what’s going on, that process will either be verbal or else shown through body language.
I would say they complement each other . . . which is sometimes code for “they clash.” Most of the time they mesh well, though.

5. Who is the leader of their friendship (if anyone)?
Josiah definitely is. Or at least, he leads in action. Aileen may lead more in the emotional sphere. She was the one that instigated their first connection, and she’ll often be the one to bring up deep or difficult topics.

6. Do they have any secrets from each other?
Naturally–they haven’t known each other long enough to know everything. But do they keep intentional secrets? Well, considering that open communication is pretty vital to staying alive in another world, no. Except for that time when tension drove them apart (see question 3).

7. How well do they know each other’s quirks and habits?
What they do know, they know quite well. But it’s hard to pick up on all of someone’s quirks when they’ve been transformed into a dragon! Facial expressions just aren’t the same, you understand. As for verbal mannerisms and other such things, I’d say they’ve got a pretty good idea of what to expect from each other.

8. What kind of things do they like to do together?
Save multiple worlds. Fly around in dragon form. Train together. Fight together. Go off on epic quests together. When life returns to normal, however, they enjoy having long talks, being in the woods outside of town, and wondering when the next adventure will turn up.

9. Describe each character’s fashion style (use pictures if you’d like!). How are their styles different/similar?
In a few words . . .
Josiah: functional and comfortable. Tees and jeans will do the trick.

Not quite how I envision him, so ignore the face.
(Although the hair color is pretty close…)

Aileen: artsy in a casual, somewhat vintage way. Maybe a scarf or cute ankle boots added to a basic outfit.

Again, this picture is here only because of the clothes,
but this one’s a wee bit closer to how I imagine Aileen.
Oh, oh–except her eyes should be brown. (Finding
good charrie pictures is so HARD.)
10. How would their lives be different without each other?
They would likely be dead. If not dead, then significantly less than they are now. Aileen wouldn’t have gotten outside her own mind or learned to risk, fight, and forgive. Josiah wouldn’t have discovered humility, sacrifice, or the uplifting strength of companionship. Together they are more than they are apart.
I’m getting excited about this series all over again! In a way, I’ve been missing them. Their world is sometimes an insane challenge for me as the writer of it, but I love it to bits. Keep being patient, Aileen and Josiah–I will come back to you. (Just as soon as my Sleeping Beauty novella finishes growing up, then goes on a cruel diet to lose about five thousand words in weight . . . But that’s another post for another time.)
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Beautiful People Parental Edition – Josiah Williams

Tracey Dyck 12 Comments

How many orphan Annies and lone Tom Sawyers have you encountered in fiction? A lot? Me too. There are many orphaned children in literature, and I’m just as guilty as the rest of you writers for adding to their population. Not that parent-less characters are bad—not at all! They’re often fun to write about, partly because they have no one to stop them from going on their death-defying escapades, partly because they come with ready-made sad backstories. But sometimes it seems that complete family units are a little lacking in books.

Which is why this month’s Beautiful People is so brilliant! Cait and Skye have concocted a set of questions revolving around parents. You may think of said parents as those pesky individuals who are ridiculously hard to deal with when your main character is underage (“No, you are most certainly not invading the bad guy’s fortress with only a gun and your boyfriend to keep you safe! You have a curfew, young lady! Where in the world did you get that gun in the first place? And excuse me, but that boy never asked for my permission to take you out.”) . . . or perhaps you see them as those helpful beings who provide your character with lots of angst and emotional ammunition . . . or maybe they’re part of a supportive cast for your main. Or all of the above? Anyway, parents play such a vital part in our own lives. It only makes sense that they affect novels too.

As soon as I found out what this month’s theme was, I knew instantly who I was going to pick. I later had a secondary idea come to mind, but felt that option #1 was significantly more interesting. (No, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my knowledge of option #2’s characters is about the size of a pea. Not at all.)

Josiah Williams

(Regrettably, I have no picture to show you. I don’t know enough actors/faces, nor do I have a Pinterest account. Help! If you think of anyone falling under the “16-years-old, brown-ish blond hair, grey eyes, intense gaze” category, tell me!)

Swinging the door open, Josiah peered out again. The hall was empty. He treaded softly toward the kitchen, his socks noiseless on the hardwood floor. The ting of cutlery and the upbeat melody of a song on the radio filtered down the hall. Mom hummed along for a few notes. Josiah paused at the entryway. What’s my problem? Why won’t I just go ahead and tell her? He leaned against the wall and called to mind an image of Mom’s face, framed in loose, dark curls, her sparkly eyes laughing at the world. Her face shrank to give room for the rest of her—arms quick to pull him into a hug and fingers ready to muss his hair or flick his arm just to get a silly reaction out of him. Her concern over his disturbing dreams wouldn’t merely provoke a phone call and a psychologist appointment. She’d be absolutely sick with worry. Fear would silence her song and wrap her heart in its icy clutches. How could he subject her to such imprisonment?

1. Does he know both his biological parents? Why/why not?
Yes. Josiah’s grown up with both parents (whose names are Robert and Jessica Williams, in case you were wondering), along with his three younger siblings.

2. Has he inherited any physical resemblance from his parents?
He has his dad’s grey eyes and brown-ish blond hair, although his dad’s has darkened with age. Josiah’s facial structure is more like his mom’s though: well proportioned and not bad to look at.

3. What’s his parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

Robert, who works at a bank, dresses very businesslike. Suit, tie, the works. This adds to his already strict appearance.
Jessica, on the other hand, prefers soft, flowing materials. She’s creative and fun-loving, and it shows in her wardrobe.

4. Does he share any personality traits with his parental figures? And which does he take after most?
He makes quick decisions and is very passionate about certain things, which are traits his mother gave him, along with imagination and a love of life. And Josiah may not realize it, but he and his father both have a deep-seated desire to protect those they love. They just express it in different ways.

5. Does he get on with his parental figure(s) or do they clash?
As you may have guessed, he gets along with his mom really well. The two have an easygoing, loving relationship. They banter back and forth together, and she seems to understand his soul. But things are strained between Josiah and his father these days. Robert has high expectations of his son, who doesn’t feel he measures up. From Josiah’s perspective, his dad doesn’t listen, doesn’t hear when Josiah tries to show him who he really is.
As I planned book two’s rewrites, this father-son conflict unspooled even more in my mind. When Josiah comes home after book one, full of stories about his adventures, and Robert doesn’t believe him . . . well, let’s just say things get simultaneously very cold and very fiery between them. Josiah’s relationship with Jessica also takes a considerable weight, because she has trouble believing him too.

6. If he had to describe his parental figure(s) in one word, what would it be?
Dad: rigid.
Mom: uplifting.

7. How has his parental figure(s) helped him most in his life?
Robert has instilled in Josiah strong morals (perhaps not in all areas, but some—I have to give him a bit of credit). Although rare, the words “Well done” spoken by his father have impacted Josiah as well.  Jessica has always given him a safe place to be, all while encouraging his various pursuits.

8. What was his biggest fight with his parental figure(s)?
As I was saying earlier, the beginning of book 2 will see a lot of conflict between Josiah and both of his parents. Jessica honestly doesn’t know what to think of her son’s claims, and Robert angrily labels him a lunatic, yet still hopes to shake his son out of his ‘delusions.’

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in his ancestry?
He has British blood somewhere on the Williams side, and a trace of Jewish ancestry on the Soloway’s side (his mom’s).

10. What’s his favorite memory with his parental figure(s)?
Right before he hit his teen years, Josiah and his dad went on a weekend fishing trip in the mountains. Robert seemed lighter then, as if by shedding his suit jacket, he’d put off his unyielding ways. The two of them actually connected that weekend, actually laughed together and had a good time. Unfortunately, the connection faded afterwards.
His favorite memory with his mom was when she helped him with a school project in middle school. Together they built a model castle, complete with working drawbridge and miniature knights. She surprised him the day before the project was due by giving him a homemade dragon to add to the display. That whimsical touch has stuck with Josiah. He still keeps that dragon on his desk.


~*~
That’s the Williams parents for ya! So what are your thoughts on fictional parents, either as a reader or as a writer? Are they a nuisance? Do you enjoy reading about them? Do they add depth? And hey, can you think of a best and worst set of parents?
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