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Tag: Mirrors Never Lie

Subplots and Storylines – December 2017 // Year-End Recap

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments

Hello, my friends! December is winding to a close and 2018 is nearly upon us. It has certainly been quite the year, and there’s much to talk about today. I’ll try to keep the December subplots relatively short in order to save room for a look back on the year as a whole! (Does anybody else feel ridiculously self-centered when dedicating an entire post to themselves and their own life? No? Just me? Okay. Moving on.)

Storylines of Life

It was a simple equation this month. Exams + Christmas = December. But I’ll give you a bit more detail than that! My brother, Josiah (who also blogs!), had a birthday. And then I had a week of final exams, during which I buried myself in textbooks and sighed wistfully for Christmas and at last passed first term with very satisfying grades. That means I’m a quarter of the way to graduating, woohoo! I’ve been on break since then, but between work and family gatherings and a baby shower, it’s been a full month. Only in the last few days have I finally slowed down.

Christmas itself was wonderful. I had four days off in a row to spend with family. We went to our church service on Christmas Eve and then opened stockings and swapped ticket gifts. My middle sister Chloe (who is also a fellow blogger!) gave each of us a piece of original artwork. What she drew for me was Hadrian and Luci, the two main characters of my novel The Brightest Thread. I’ve never received fanart before, so this made my day!

Aren’t they the cutest?! (Sorry about the bothersome watermark–I just wanted
to keep her artwork protected.)

On Christmas Day, I slept in and then we gathered around for homemade apple scones and a reading of the Christmas story, followed by our leisurely way of unwrapping gifts–one at a time, captured on video. It was slow and relaxing and so much fun.

Aaaand like the good little bookdragon I am, I’m sharing my bookhaul! My brother gave me The Tournament at Gorlan (hooray for Ranger’s Apprentice prequels!). My parents gave me the first three Lunar Chronicles books (been eyeing them at the bookstore for months), Wanted: A Superhero to Save the World (not pictured because it’s still in the mail–phooey on Amazon), and Steal Like an Artist (which looks utterly inspiring and is sure to kickstart my new year of writing). I also threw my new Leuchtturm into the picture because it’s going to be my 2018 bullet journal! And my first two Funko Pops ever: Frodo Baggins and Captain America. Oh, and one other nerdy gift I received that is also not pictured was a S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt–I now feel like I’m part of Team Flash, and that’s awesome.

Subplots on the Screen

As far as TV shows go, I picked up Avatar: The Last Airbender with my sisters again and watched two more episodes. I also saw more of season 3 of The Flash (it’s getting extremely feelsy, you guys, and I might not survive). I rewatched more of Once Upon a Time season 3 and started season 6 at last!

Wonder Woman


A rewatch with a friend from school, because we needed to give our exam-addled brains a break. Just as amazing as the first time!



Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides


Lo and behold, this PotC movie miiiight be my new favorite! I found the plots of the first three excessively complicated in some regards–maybe I just need to rewatch them–but this one was more straightforward. No less chaotic, however; it’s Jack Sparrow, after all! I really liked the new character Philip (which has nothing to do with Finnick from the Hunger Games, nope, not at all . . .) even if he was a bit sappy in regards to Syrena. It seems rare for a missionary character like Philip to be painted in a positive light, so I appreciated that!



Cars 3

The Cars franchise has had some ups and downs lately, but I found this one to be a truly solid sequel! It had just the right balance of nostalgic nods to the first movie and new direction to breathe some fresh air into the story. Cruze was a cute addition, and I quite liked the mentor relationship between her and Lightning. One scene in the middle, which I won’t spoil for you, had me laughing out loud like a kid.

Storylines on the Page

Hollow City // Ransom Riggs

I read the first book almost exactly a year ago, so I was a bit fuzzy on things going into this sequel. Thankfully there was a character guide at the front, or else it would’ve taken me even longer to get the eight main peculiar children straight in my head! Once I did, however, the book was pretty interesting.

I liked the new flavor of this one, with a much broader setting, and a very clear and definite goal for the characters. What can I say? Quests are one of my favorite things! Each of the children got to have an important moment in which they helped the group in some way with their abilities, which helped keep this large cast necessary and active. (Ahem, my writer side is showing.) Time loops, gypsies, bombed London, wights, trains, chase scenes . . . it was certainly a unique read, and I look forward to the finale! 4 stars.

The Phantom Tollbooth // Norton Juster (5)

I already gushed over this book in a recent post, but it’s officially a 5 star book! Philosophical without being overpowering, equal parts delightful and wise, and simply a joy read. This is a new favorite!

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King // William Joyce

I loved the movie Rise of the Guardians, and have been wanting to try the Middle-Grade book series for quite some time, so Christmas seemed like the ideal season to start. This book is wildly imaginative, and I do mean wild! There’s a lot going on. Ancient spaceships, wizards, the magical haven of Santoff Klaussen, Pitch’s nightmare creatures, a robotic djinni, Russian bandits, Santa’s origin story, Yetis . . . But that’s precisely what would’ve captured my attention as a kid!

What I loved now as an adult were the fun characters, especially North himself and dear little Katherine. The two make an unlikely and adorable pair. 4 stars.

The Maze Runner // James Dashner


My youngest sister (yes, she ALSO is a blogger–I’m just linking to all my sibs today!) was very eager for me to read this book. I’m actually in the middle of it right now, but I aim to finish it before New Year’s! At first, I didn’t fully connect with the writing style, but now things are getting exciting, so I’m able to look past it. And I want more Newt, please! Also Minho! (I’m estimating that this will be a 4 star read for me–we’ll see!)

Subplots on My Writing Desk

I edited Mirrors Never Lie through two or three drafts this month, and submitted it to Rooglewood Press at last! Hooray! That moment before hitting send is always a little nerve-wracking. I know the story is not 100% perfect . . . but I also know that I did the best I could given the time constraints.

Now that it’s officially off my plate, I am free of writing deadlines for a little while! More on that in a future post, probably. I have some thoughts percolating in regards to 2018 and goals and writing and whatnot.

That was December! It was a good month, especially the second half. So much for keeping this post short, though, because here comes the recap . . .

Later on I’ll be dedicating a whole post to the books I read in 2017, so for now we’ll chat just about the highlights of life and writing and such.

life in 2017

I could look back on 2017 and consider it to have been a busy year, and that would be true. But I kind of hate that word–so instead I choose to see it as a full year. 365 days of adventure, in every risky, messy, exciting, monotonous, challenging, stretching sense of the word. Here’s the highlight reel.

I ran a spring break day camp with my classmates at leadership college. That experience was the most stressful and the most rewarding part of college, and it taught me countless lessons about being a leader. Stuff comes out of you under pressure–some of it good, some of it surprising. After three months of preparation, we threw ourselves into that week, and made lasting memories with the kids.

I went to Calgary and Banff, also with my classmates. Beautiful places, fond memories, good food, and a breath of fresh air for my soul.

I graduated leadership college and said goodbye to nine incredible months.

I went to the Realm Makers conference in Reno, Nevada. So many firsts! First time flying, first time traveling internationally by myself, first writing conference, first time meeting some lovely internet friends, first time pitching to agents . . .

I took a vacation with my fam jam at a cozy cabin in the northern U.S. After a whirlwind of activity, that was a much-needed time of relaxation and fun.

I saw the band Skillet in concert. And my ears were ringing for the next twenty-four hours, but it was worth it.

I turned 22.

I completed my first term of business classes at college. I learned some really practical things–and some things I’ll never use again–but it will be a steppingstone toward what I want for the future.

writing in 2017

I wrote 17,000 words in a rewrite of The Prophet’s Key, book 2 in my multi-world fantasy series. That was all in January, before I put it aside to focus on another project.

I expanded the novella of The Brightest Thread, my reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, into a novel of almost 70,000 words. I edited it a couple of times, pitched it at Realm Makers, and when I came home I sent it out to a group of AMAZING beta readers.

I wrote and edited Mirrors Never Lie for Rooglewood Press’s Five Poisoned Apples contest. (Final wordcount was 19,962 for anyone who cares about such stats.) This novella is a loose retelling of Snow White, involving a Nordic fantasy setting, seven huntsmen, and a mirror laced with unkindly magic.

I also wrote two poems–maybe three if you count the post hey dreamer. Definitely didn’t do as many writing prompts or poems as last year, due to an intense focus on TBT.

And here on Adventure Awaits, I published 56 posts. One blogging highlight was co-hosting the second annual Silmarillion Awards, which was just as epic as the previous year’s. As a whole, I feel like I haven’t been able to give you, my followers, the dedication I wanted to this year, but I thank you for understanding the fullness of my season of life. Stick around–there are fun things in store!

(If you made it to the end of this monstrously long post, good on ya, mate.)

2017, you were a year that pushed me past my limits. You were groundbreaking–not in the sensational sense of the word, but in the sense of calloused hands tilling the earth. Breaking new ground. Every time I reached the end of myself and thought I surely couldn’t go further, God proved me wrong and provided the strength for just one more step.

A chance to attend Realm Makers was an answer to prayer; so was getting into college this fall, after being told they had no room for me. Sometimes in the daily grind, it’s easy to feel like dreams aren’t anywhere close to being fulfilled . . . but when I look back, I can see there was never anything to fear.

2018, let’s see what you have in store! Dear readers, how was your year?

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Subplots and Storylines – November 2017

Tracey Dyck 27 Comments
Wait–November disappeared? I left it right there, turned around for one second, and when I looked back, it was gone!
I suspect many of us are feeling that way, especially all of you who participated in NaNoWriMo! I could use a really long nap right about now. But before I crawl into hibernation, I suppose you’re expecting some witty summaries of how November shaped up in my corner of the world, right?
Well, the month opened up with my 22nd birthday.
Po Po Po
And what with blueberry bran muffins for breakfast and a rousing game of bingo in the evening, it’s been confirmed that I am now an old lady. It was a lovely day, despite school taking up half of it, and a few days later I received a surprise birthday package in the mail from a dear friend (you know who you are!). Later on I also went out for coffee with another good friend whom I hadn’t really chatted with in–oops–close to a year, so that was fun too. (You know who you are as well!)
Let’s see, what else . . .
My little sis had a birthday too! The end of the year is when half the family’s birthdays snowball into Christmas, so there’s always lots of shopping involved. Speaking of which, I started Christmas shopping in November too, but still have a ways to go. That, plus putting up the Christmas tree and seeing the glittering hoarfrost all over the trees on my way to work this morning, means the festive feels are rolling in.
I bought a painting from another friend of mine who was selling her artwork at a local craft faire, and the green-and-blue colors match my room quite nicely.
I finally moved a two-foot stack of books–all acquired last summer–off my desk! Had to clear a shelf to make room for them, but at least now they have a home. Any other book dragons out there struggling to fit your hoard into your existing shelves? It’s tough.
So basically lots of little happenings this month, because school was intense. All the assignment due dates, quizzes, and studying kind of fell into November, plus the deadline for a group project was (and still is) looming, so much of my spare time was funneled into textbooks. Unfortunately. This is why I’m heading off to hibernate!

P.S. Marvel’s Infinity War trailer dropped and I am F R E A K I N G  O U T.

Subplots on the Screen

Yes, yes, I watched more of Once Upon a Time season 3 and The Flash season 3, both of which are still great! And is it just me, or have I been stuck on these seasons for months?!
Wonder Woman
(I actually watched this in October, but somehow forgot to include it in that month’s S&S post.) Back when I first heard they were making a Wonder Woman movie, I’ll admit I rolled my eyes, expecting two hours of overly-feministic claptrap. The character’s appearance in Batman v. Superman didn’t impress me much–she seemed like just another beautiful, kick-butt heroine with little personality.
Buuuut then I started hearing great reviews from friends who were watching Wonder Woman, and when I finally saw it myself–well, I realized they were right! It wasn’t a perfect movie (and it did bear some amusing resemblances to Captain America: The First Avenger), but it was one of the best DC films I’ve seen. Diana’s strong moral compass and pure view of the world rang true for me. (“But the war is that way!”) Seeing her charge into battle, inspiring dozens of men to follow her into the fray, almost brought me to tears. Plus, it was super fun to see an Amazonian women at odds with American WWI society.
The Dark Tower
The preview gave me chills! I’ve never watched nor read anything by Stephen King, but this one had enough of a fantasy vibe (and less of a horror vibe) to interest me. Unfortunately, the plot lacked the depth I was hoping for, and the boy, Jake, could have had a lot more personality. I did enjoy it, though! Matthew McConaughy was the BEST as the Man in Black. He saved the movie for me. So did Idris Elba as the Gunslinger–both were really cool characters. The score was fantastic too.
Not sure if this is true, but apparently the movie was based off a whole series of books by Stephen King, so maybe that’s why it felt like it was missing something. Anyway, I don’t regret watching it.
Priceless
Soooo good! This is a movie about human trafficking, so it wasn’t an easy watch, but the filmmakers did a good job of conveying the worst parts in a subtle, implied way. Even so, there was lots of emotion, and some characters I wanted to smack really hard–disgustingly hard.
Did you know that Joel Smallbone from For King & Country played the lead role? He did a stellar job. Actually, the whole movie was surprisingly good quality. Sorry, but you never know if a Christian film is going to feel low-budget. Terribly unfortunate, and I have many thoughts on that topic, but that’s for another day. This movie was great, though, even if it wrapped up a bit quickly!
Due to the subject matter, I would caution younger viewers to use discernment when deciding whether to see it themselves.

Storylines on the Page

Prodigy Prince // Natasha Sapienza
The author was so sweet and gave me a free e-book copy in exchange for review! (All opinions are my own.) This was a high fantasy novel that kind of toed the line between MG and YA, and the action starts right off the bat with Prince Nuelle’s older brother leaving him in the role of Supreme Prince. It was a really creative story, exceedingly colorful in all senses of the word, with things like magenta grass and blue hair and elemental-ish superpowers. My favorite powers are spoilery, however, so I can’t talk about them!
A slew of fantasy creatures and battles kept the pace running at high-speed; the Savage Shifters in particular were nifty because they were actually limited in their shapeshifting powers (hallelujah for realistic limits!).
I’m a big sucker for training sequences and heroes banding together in an Avengers-like style, so that was another plus for me. My favorite scene, however, took place in an infirmary, where a certain character with healing powers literally absorbed the wounded people’s pain.
My main quibble was that the pace didn’t allow me to delve as deeply into the mind of the protagonist or the nuances of the storyworld as much as I wanted to. I posted a longer review on Goodreads HERE. (Just an FYI, I believe Natasha is making some changes to the story before she fully releases it, but if you’re interested, definitely add it to your to-read list on GR!) Three stars!
The Tomb of the Sea Witch // Kyle Robert Schultz
Eeep, I loved this one! The Beast of Talesend was really fun, don’t get me wrong, but somehow the sequel was just BETTER. I laughed out loud numerous times while the characters went undercover at the Warrengate Academy of Advanced Magic and dealt with threats from the sea (sirens! mermaids! artefacts! oh my!). Full of twists and turns that honestly surprised me, humor on nearly every page, lots of snark, and deliciously fun spins on several different fairy tales at once, this little book was like fluffy chocolate cake. No, make that Black Forest Cake, because the surprises and jokes are like . . . cherries? No? Analogy’s not working? Okay, fine. It was a great book, and I’m so glad I bought it straight from the author at Realm Makers last summer!
I caught a few unfortunate typos, but am still giving it five stars!
A Time to Die // Nadine Brandes

Another book I bought at Realm Makers, yay! And OH. MY. GOODNESS. This trilogy gets a lot of hype, at least in my reader circles, and I was desperately hoping it would live up to all those glowing reviews. IT DID. Bless Nadine’s heart, it did.
This is one of the most unusual dystopian novels I’ve read, because it’s infused with a lot more faith and hard questions and almost urban fantasy-ish settings than others. One setting in particular almost felt out of place, but I found it so fascinating that I didn’t care.
But let’s get back to the beginning. PARVIN. She is gold. I related to her so stinking much. In a society where everyone has a Clock counting down the time until they die, she has a year left and yearns to find her purpose, some way to make her last days count. She swings from apathy to passion a few times throughout the course of the novel, which was uncomfortably realistic (but in a good way). And she’s something of a writer–well, technically an autobiographer–so that was neat.
Some quickie thoughts on other characters:
  • Parvin’s mom was hard to like at first, but that was on purpose, and I felt their somewhat rocky relationship was done really well.
  • Parvin’s twin brother was lovable, except for a few times when he was annoyingly secretive.
  • A certain man with a fedora was verrrrry hateable.
  • Jude–I have conflicting feelings about this guy even now. At times I hated him too, at other times I adored him. He was flawed, temperamental, but he had his reasons. So my undecided opinion is not a bad thing! Just an observation!
  • Hawke–okay, him I like. He had some moments that made me unsure as well, but in other ways he reminded me of the beloved Remko from Rachelle Dekker’s Seer trilogy, minus the stutter. I want more Hawke in the next two instalments!
  • Willow was precious.
  • One minor character had a strong Ecclesiastes (“everything is useless!”) vibe going on, which was intriguing.
  • The Albinos were despicable and strange and yet some of them had redeeming qualities.
I don’t even know how to sum up my thoughts on this book! I’ve been thinking about it for weeks since finishing it. It brought me close to tears. It resonated with me powerfully. The emotions were palpable, the writing was excellent, and the worldbuilding was fleshed out wonderfully. Low cities and high cities, a humongous wall, tightropes, wilderness, a train, the Dregs, emotigraphs, super cool suits: all of it shone through the pages brilliantly. Nadine writes with truckloads of heart, and consequently, mine was broken in a beautiful way.
Can’t wait to read the next two! Five stars!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream // Shakespeare
GASP, what is this? Tracey read a classic? A Shakespeare play, no less? Why yes, I’m not a completely uncultured bookdragon. Sometimes the classic bug bites me, and I’m in the mood for old books. That happened this month, so I picked up this wee little play and enjoyed it immensely. All I knew about it going in was that Puck was in it. And I wanted to read about Puck. And I was not disappointed. He was one of my favorite parts–a mischievous imp who, together with Oberon, mess everything up for the play’s main characters. This was a comedy of errors indeed. Very amusing.
And essentially we have a love square going on. (Thanks, Shakespeare, for inspiring 98% of all modern YA romances–although it looks like you were really just poking fun at the melodrama.) It’s all rather over-the-top and hilarious, but there are also gorgeous descriptions woven throughout, along with musings on the nature of art, love’s blindness, and imagination.
“The lunatic, the lover, and the poet
Are of imagination all compact . . .”
Also, Nick Bottom and the other peasant actors are officially the second-best thing ever. Puck is still the best! Another five stars.
In other book news . . .
I won a discount on a PageHabit book box in October, caved in, and subscribed. My box arrived early November, containing two new hardcover YA books–both annotated by the authors–and a small collection of bookish goodies. Quite fun! But it’s an American-based company, and so it’s not exactly cheap for a Canadian . . . so my plan was to unsubscribe after my first box, at least for now while I’m a student paying tuition fees. Except I forgot to unsubscribe in time, and now my second box is in the mail. Oops! Oh well, it means a couple more new books.

Subplots on My Writing Desk

Hey, remember last month when I told y’all that I was going to edit my Snow White retelling for the Rooglewood contest before the end of November so that I could have a month off writing?
That didn’t happen. Instead, school happened.
I think I had exactly four editing sessions the entire month, and the first two were spent reading over the novella and making notes.
But as of now, I did my first pass through chapters 1-4 (out of 9 in total). So . . . I can still finish before the deadline on December 31st. And on the plus side, it’s not as much of a mess as I originally thought? So yay? I don’t know, I guess I’ve been dealing with some writer’s doubt on this one. But it’s starting to shape up a bit–progress!
Oh, guess what! I also have a title AT LAST! No longer must I refer to it as Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling (or ECaPSSWR). No, now it is called Mirrors Never Lie. Having something to call it is a relief!

[image via Pinterest; graphic my own]

Hello, final month of 2017!

November was a packed month, so I can’t wait to get final exams done and over with so that I can take Christmas break! How did all of you fare this month? Did you survive NaNo? Has it snowed yet wherever you live? Whatcha think of the new novella title? Pour yourself a hot chocolate and let’s chat!

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Beautiful Books – “Snow White”

Tracey Dyck 34 Comments

(Here I am, posting a day late again–sorry, everyone!)

So apparently I’ve been working on ECaPSSWR* for the last couple of months, but you’d hardly know it because I haven’t properly introduced that messy little novella here!

*”Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling.” Not the final title. Ha.

But thankfully, Cait @ Paper Fury (who’s publishing a book next year, hooray!) and Sky @ Further Up and Further In have Beautiful Books to help all writers everywhere introduce the world to their works in progress. Normally, the link up is called Beautiful People and focuses on specific characters, but from October to December it’s all about the books themselves. Because it’s NaNoWriMo season! (But you don’t have to be participating in NaNo to do Beautiful Books.)

I’m not doing NaNo myself, so I’m something of a rebel in the writing community this month. I also missed October’s BB post . . . So why not embrace that rebel identity, ignore the Beautiful Books rules entirely, and use last month’s set of questions AND this month’s set at the same time for double the fun? Right? Who’s with me?

Okay. Fine. I wouldn’t be that excited either. After all, nobody knows much of anything about this ECaPSSWR thing except that it involves Snow White. Well, I’m here to tell you that I don’t know much more about it either. (Editing it this month is going to be so much fun. Heheh.)

Let’s get on with it, shall we? Perhaps I’ll gain some clarity along the way!

Beautiful Books October 2017


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

I’d like to say something grandiose and romantic like, “I’ve had this story burning in my heart for ten years, and now I finally have the chance to tell it!” In reality, it’s more like I want to enter the final Rooglewood contest, Five Poisoned Apples, and I’ve had this idea for about three months.

Describe what your novel is about!

Here’s where I run and hide, because IT’S A LOVELY LITTLE MESS AND I HAVEN’T GOT A SYNOPSIS. But I’m a bold and noble writing warrior who never backs down from a challenge, so I shall try!
Ahem.
Skadi wasn’t born a hunter. But when tragedy forces her away from her home clan, she falls in with the seven huntsmen and soon learns how to shoot a bow and skin a deer. Yet a piece of her never got the chance to say goodbye to her old life.

When a mirror from the past draws her back across the fjord years later, she follows. Along the way, the mirror’s reflections tell stories. Stories spun into strange shapes that do strange things to Skadi’s mind. Meanwhile, a legendary lindwyrm stalks the woods, with its hungry gaze set on her second home–the home of the seven huntsmen.

Skadi will never let them burn, but according to the mirror, that means she must stand in the path of the flames. Mirrors never lie, people say. That may be so, but this mirror doesn’t reflect the whole truth.

A bit rough, but writing that blurb did help me sharpen my view of the central conflict!

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

It just so happens, I have Pinterest boards for most of my stories. And they happen to all be private boards, because I’m not the greatest at pinning down my characters’ faces (pun intended), and so I have probably a dozen different people for each character. Likewise for many different settings. Those boards are all fun little messes. Buuuut I’ll let you all in to the Snow White board, even if it’s still a work in progress, just because I’m nice like that! You can check it out HERE.

Introduce us to each of your characters!


Skadi (Snow White): She’s a tough gal, rarely squeamish, the kind with dirt on her knuckles and callouses on her palms. She tends to shoulder more than she should bear. Underneath her armor of independence, however, is a heart quivering with the thought that she’ll never be enough.
Torben (the Prince): He’s the youngest huntsman and Skadi’s best friend. In fact, he’s the one who saved her from the aforementioned tragedy in the first place, back when they were kids. He’s a good shot with the bow, and his lighthearted jabs keep Skadi’s smile from hiding too long.
Hackett: Former huntsman and now the leader of the Weylyn clan. Walks with a limp. Gruff as a grizzly but intensely protective.
Bruni: Oldest active huntsman, second in age only to Hackett. Wise. Doesn’t talk much.
Sigmund and Osmund: Twin huntsmen, constantly bickering. Os is large, with an impressive beard. Sig is average, with impressive eyebrows. Os has a knack for pointing out the negative. Sig likes to argue just for the sake of arguing.
Alfrigg: Another huntsman, but a rather rotund one. (Pretty much the Bombur of the group.) Happy. Likes simple things. Somehow manages to bring home just as much prey as anyone else, despite is ungainly size.
Kjell: Second youngest huntsman. Skinny as a twig and fast as a rabbit. Extremely extroverted; always asks for a pal when Hackett sends him hunting.
And then there’s also Skadi’s deceased father, mother, and stepmother. The stepmother still needs a name, and she’s the one who’s mentioned the most in the story. She could be best described as glacial.

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


This time, I started with an undignified braindump in a fresh Word doc, in the form of bulleted lists and lots of crossed out words.
Then I discovered a way to outline that actually calculates the length of your story, thanks to author K.M. Weiland! I have this genius method to thank for finally staying under the contest’s word limit! Even so, no outlining process is perfect, and my scattered thoughts resulted in a scattered first draft.
So let’s commence that chocolate and howling.

What are you most looking forward to about this novel?

Fixing it!

List 3 things about your novel’s setting.

1. It’s Nordic-inspired, but still fantasy, so I can make up cool trees, invent adorable creatures called burrowbirds, and say Groundsleep instead of winter or Groundwake instead of summer.
2. It’s set in the same wide storyworld as The Brightest Thread! Just much further north, and decades earlier.
3. It’s more primitive than any of my other fantasy settings, which is fun.

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

I think this is one part of the novella that’s still a bit foggy. “What?” you exclaim. “Isn’t the character’s goal pretty much what THE WHOLE STORY HANGS ON?” Well yes. You’re right. This might be why the story’s having problems.
[Pinterest]
But I’m not entirely clueless.
First, Skadi wants to return to her home clan, Renshaw, to make peace with what she was forced to leave behind.
But then stuff happens–what she finds there isn’t what she expected, and the mirror starts playing with her head–so then her goal changes to, “I have to defeat the lindwyrm before it decimates my other home.”
Obviously it’s the lindwyrm (a type of two-legged dragon) that stands in her way! Come on, guys. Did you really think I’d write a book without a dragon in it?

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

She lets go of some of her pride and independence, realizing that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to not do something alone. It’s okay to need family.

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

We tell ourselves a lot of lies, you and I. That’s the heart of what this book is about. We too often swallow the lies other people say about us; but even worse, we adopt as truth the lies we spin about ourselves. And sometimes we can go for years without realizing it.
At the end of this still-untitled story, I hope readers have peeled back just one more layer of their hearts in order to confront their own lies and discover the truth.

Beautiful Books November 2017


Overall, how is your mental state, and how is your novel going?


My mental state is a cross between this:

And this:

What’s your first sentence (or paragraph)?

All stood still.

The birches, white branches stripped of most of their leaves, made not a rustle. No wind stirred. Even the hare in the middle of the clearing sat erect. Its long ears pointed straight up, and it was no longer chewing as it had a moment ago.

I held my breath. My whole body was strung taut as the bowstring I had pulled back against my jaw. The arrow’s fletching tickled my cheek. I narrowed my gaze down the shaft and pointed the tip at the hare’s furry white chest. One . . . two . . .

(Oops, that was three paragraphs!)

Who’s your current favourite character in your novel?

Um, not Skadi, unfortunately. I think she will be once I’ve cleaned the manuscript up and given her personality something of a re-haul in the first half of the story!
Currently, I’d say Torben. He’s not in the middle of the story much, mostly just the beginning and the end, but he’s a fun contrast to Skadi’s inner gloom. And he’s kind of adorable and stubborn.
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What do you love about your novel so far?

I love the Nordic setting because it’s something new for me. I love the mirror’s powers because I’m always up for story elements that play with the mind. (Plus mirrors are packed with so much imagery and interesting connotations.) I love having a motley family/crew of seven rough huntsmen, because it’s a fun twist on the solitary huntsman of Snow White + the seven dwarves. I also love the  singularity of Skadi’s journey. Whereas The Brightest Thread encompassed 100 years and a wide spread of characters, this story focuses on the journey of just one girl’s heart.

Have you made any hilarious typos or other mistakes?

Probably some typos, but I haven’t actually started editing yet, so I haven’t found them. However, I did accidently forget to incorporate the poison apple element! WHICH IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL. So far, the only resemblance to the original fairytale comes in the form of huntsmen and an evil stepmother. I really wanted to add the apple in somehow, but throw a big twist into it. Good thing I’ve got some vague ideas for how to write that into the climax . . .

What is your favourite part to write: beginning, middle or end–and why?

In this case, I fell in and out of love during all three stages! Overall, I would say my favorite part to write is whatever part clicks right away. You get this feeling that you’re on the right track, building off a decent foundation, heading in the right direction. Contrary to my complaining, I did have some of those moments. Now it’s my job to go back, find them, and use them as a guide to hammer the rest of the novella into shape.

What are your writing habits? Is there a specific snack you eat? Do you listen to music? What time of day do you write best? Feel free to show us a picture of your writing space!

Snack? Music? Time of day? WRITING SPACE? What are these luxuries? I starve in silence at midnight in the corner of my dungeon!
I kid, I kid. In all honesty, I’ve been writing on the weekends once I catch up on homework. So the time of day is never ever set in stone. I will clarify that I write best when I don’t have other things on my to-do list hanging over my head, and I prefer an earlier start over later.
I don’t eat much while writing, although all the Halloween candy sitting around the house makes for good brain food. Tea is my usual choice, though! As for music, lately it’s been the soundtrack from How to Train Your Dragon and Two Steps from Hell’s latest album, Unleashed.

You don’t want to see a picture of my writing space. It’s a disaster.

How private are you about your novel while you’re writing? Do you need a cheer squad or do you work alone (like, ahem, Batman)?

Thus far, I’ve pretty much been pulling a Batman, which is weird for me. But now I’m finally, actually talking about this novella with you! Hooray! It kind of makes it feel more like a “real” writing project now.

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What keeps you writing even when it’s hard?

A deadline. That sounds woefully uninspiring, but I LOVE the satisfaction of completing something on time! For this story, my hard deadline is December 31st–that’s the contest rule. But my personal soft deadline is more like December 1st. I’d love to blaze through the editing process during the remainder of November, but we shall see!
Also lots of prayer. My family and I have been praying that I would find ways to balance my college schedule with writing and life and all those other good things. And so far, though it hasn’t been easy, I’ve been surprised at how much writing can be packed into one or two days a week! The bursts of speed are definitely an answer to prayer.

What are your top 3 pieces of writing advice?

Top three pieces of writing advice ever? That’s tough! Let’s narrow this down to the top three pieces of writing advice I’ve been learning from this particular project.
1. Try new things, and don’t be alarmed when you fumble around with them the first time or two. They’re new. You haven’t written this before. Keep at it, and you’ll get better.
2. They always say you should compete with yourself and no one else–keep improving on your own performance. There’s a lot of truth to that, I agree, but I’ve found that comparing this wet, wobbly-kneed, barely standing novella with the full-fledged novel that I just wrote (The Brightest Thread) isn’t helping. Rather, I have to keep reminding myself to play. Have fun. Writing is oftentimes hard, but if you’re not having fun overall, there’s something wrong. Deadline or no deadline, you need to relax enough to enjoy the process!
3. With every story you pen, put a little piece of yourself into it somehow, and let that shadow of you struggle and fail and win inside the confines of that story. Be real on the page, even if it makes you wince at the dark corners you try to forget you have. There’s light to be had there too.

Thanks for sticking around! That was a double-whammy. Hopefully it makes up for posting late. 😉 How many of you are fellow Five Poisoned Apples entrants? Any tips for liking your own protagonist?

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Subplots and Storylines – October 2017

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments
I’m always amazed at the huge spectrum of events and emotions that one month can hold.

Gratitude & Contentment

  • Celebrating Thanksgiving with family a couple times over
  • Stuffing made with mandarin oranges and cranberries (the best in the world)
  • Yummy pie
  • Remembering that I don’t have to feel thankful to be thankful

Stress vs. Peace

  • Lots of homework, which is always an ebb and flow
  • Working on several group projects
  • Surviving midterm exams (which was actually more relaxing than a regular week of school, oddly enough–I booked time off work, so besides sitting for a 1-2 hour test each day, I had the rest of my time to study and do whatever the ham and eggs I wanted) (that felt soooo good) (and I actually did pretty well on the exams, yay)

Sorrow & Hope

  • Attending the funeral of a dear mentor’s wife. She passed away too young; her love story with her husband was too sweet and strong to be cut short . . . and yet we celebrated her life, singing “Amazing Grace” and “Beautiful Things” with tears and smiles both.
  • In times like these–when we wish the tale had taken a different turn and don’t understand why it didn’t–we cannot give up what we know for what we don’t know.

Joy & Camaraderie

  • A simple coffee date with a close friend
  • An evening out with my church’s young adult group
The contrasts aren’t always this stark, but this October brought with it something new every week, it seemed. Mostly good things, some growing opportunities, and one difficult event. I’m thankful once again that no matter how things change and no matter what life throws our way, God is unchangeable.

Storylines on the Screen

Yes, I watched more of The Flash season 3 and rewatched more of Once Upon a Time season 3. I sound like a broken record by now, I’m sure. Moving on!

The Lego Ninjago Movie
The first Lego Movie is still my favorite, but I did like the Ninjago one more than The Lego Batman Movie! (And I’m wondering how many times they can put “Lego” and “Movie” into their titles before people start mixing them up.)

Anyway, it was a lighthearted flick with a generous dose of humor and quotable quotes. We went to the local theater to watch it, and I splurged on popcorn because I never do that–and I figured, if I was putting homework aside to go to the movies, I might as well really go to the movies.

Also there was a cat. A real, live-action cat in a world of animated Lego people. Pretty great. And Jay’s comments are still my favorite. “This is my new least favorite place.”

Spider-Man Homecoming
It came out on DVD recently, so of course I had to rewatch it! And it was just as awesome as the first time, even if I saw it on a much smaller screen.

The Scorch Trials
Another rewatch! My sisters have read/are reading The Maze Runner books, so they had great fun pointing out all the things the moviemakers got wrong. (What else is new, right?) That ending still frustrates me like crazy! I’m pretty sure The Death Cure is coming out in the near-ish future, so it’s good I refreshed my memory on the plot.

The Giver
I read the book a while back, but this was my first time seeing the movie. It wasn’t quite as good as I expected–a bit of a step down from other dystopian films like The Hunger Games or Divergent. And Fiona’s character annoyed me. But it was still neat to see the book in visual form, and I found the ending of the movie more satisfying than the book!

Subplots on the Page



Beyond the Gateway and Reaper Reborn by Bryan Davis

I reviewed both of these amazing books last week! If you missed it, check it out HERE. Bryan Davis also reposted my reviews on his own blog HERE.

Sadly, I didn’t finish any other books besides those two this month.

Storylines of My Own Creation

Is it just me, or have I been pretty quiet about my writing world lately? Maybe it’s because I still don’t know what I’m doing with my work-in-progress. Heh.
But during the month of October, I wrote 12,000 words in my Snow White novella (for the Five Poisoned Apples contest)*, which means I finished the first draft! I wasn’t sure if I’d manage to meet that goal before November hit, but midterm week gave me the time to write 8k of those words. So grateful for that!
*The story still doesn’t have a title. I think I might call it “Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling” and leave it at that, because I changed things halfway through and didn’t stop to edit the beginning. xD
And you know what else? ECaPSSWR (that’s Epically Confused and Possibly Schizophrenic Snow White Retelling abbreviated in case you missed the footnote, pal) clocked in at 19,906 words. I FINALLY LEARNED MY LESSON. I FINISHED IT UNDER THE MAXIMUM WORDCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE.

Take a look at these first drafts, all written for the Rooglewood contests, which require entries to be 5,000-20,000 words long:
The Glass Girl (Cinderella) – 21,689 words
Blood Rose (Beauty and the Beast) – 21,224 words
The Brightest Thread (Sleeping Beauty) – 29,933 words
Untitled (Snow White) – 19,906 words
I. Am. So. Pleased. Because honestly, if I ended up with a 30k first draft like TBT, I’m not sure I’d be able to wrangle it into shape before the December 31st deadline. Not with college going on. Buuuut I know I have different problems with ECaPSSWR. Things like that schizophrenic plot I mentioned, a whiny protagonist I didn’t even like half the time, forgetting to add an important fairy tale element to the ending, and overall choppiness.
But that’s what editing is for, isn’t it?
In the meantime, I also received even more feedback from beta readers of The Brightest Thread (talking about the current novel right now, not the old novella). Guys, I have some of the best betas EVER with this project. I’ve been so blessed and encouraged by their praise, and challenged and motivated by their critiques. I’m already eager to start implementing their feedback sometime in the New Year! (Which is two months away . . . excuse me, but who gave 2017 permission access to the HyperSpeed 3000 button?!)
Going forward, I plan to edit ECaP . . . you know what, that’s too long to type and I’m getting lazy. Snow White. I plan to edit Snow White this month and submit it so that December is free of writing deadlines. November is a great month to push myself, because I’m surrounded by epic NaNoWriMo participants who are surviving on coffee and wordsprints alone, and their insanity creative energy is catching!
Oh, and one more thing! This month, I have been bombarded by SO MANY IDEAS for things I cannot yet disclose. I think business school is actually helping, you guys. Somehow in the quagmire of income statements and supply/demand graphs and platitudes about marketing, another side of my brain is waking up. And it wants out.

basically me
Wait, no, that sounds terribly gory. The ideas in that part of my brain want out! Sheesh, Tracey.
Everything’s in that fragile bubble state of newness, so I doubt I’ll have time to develop those ideas until December or January . . . but I’m hoping that I can start creating these secret projects and unveiling them to you all sooner rather than later! This is going to be fun, trust me.

So that’s October in a not-so-small nutshell. How was your month? Are you doing NaNo? (I’m jealous if you are!) Are you entering Five Poisoned Apples? And if you’re the one who gave this year a HyperSpeed 3000 button, confess now, or I’ll send my army of time dragons to your doorstep.

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