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Subplots and Storylines – May 2018

Tracey Dyck 30 Comments

Happy Saturday, everyone! By the time this post goes up, it’ll be almost Sunday. Oops. It actually feels like I just wrote my last S&S post a week ago, but May is over already. Who on earth gave it permission to go so fast? It’s been a really good month. For one thing, it was unseasonably warm, and the days were full of gardening, ice cream, and peppermint tans.*

*This is when a bookworm sits out in the sun to read and ends up with limbs that are pink on top and still winter-white on the bottom.

For another, May was also full of friend-stuff. Confession: although I love all my friends dearly, I am also an introvert who guards her alone time and likes her social life to have . . . gaps in between. But this month I decided that my introversion, while valid, does not have to mean I’m stingy with my time! So I ended up face-timing a writer friend, shopping with a college friend, inviting another friend over for dinner, and then taking a six-hour road trip to another pal’s place for a weekend. (All of you extroverts may take this moment to laugh at me making a big deal over only four social events.)

Anyway, ’twas all very fun! I’d never road-tripped anywhere by myself before, so it was like a mini-vacation. The friend I visited (whom I haven’t seen in a year) lives on a farm with horses and bees and the most affectionate, slobbery, big dogs I’ve ever met.

And now on to the story-related happenings of May: the ones I watched, read, and wrote.

Screen Subplots

Justice League

Recommendation: do not watch this half a week after seeing Infinity War, because it will pale in comparison. It seems like Justice League was trying to be a DC version of Avengers and it just . . . didn’t work for me at all. The plot wasn’t cohesive, none of the major characters had any personal stakes in their cause, the villain was a negative number on the Scariness Scale, and Clark Kent’s face was botched by poor CGI. The best part of the movie was the presence of Wonder Woman and the introduction of the Flash. (Except Grant Gustin brought the character to life so, so much better in the TV show than Ezra Miller does in this flick.)

My brother reviewed the movie over on The Steadfast Pen a while back, and he went into more detail about some of the things that didn’t quite work.

Spider-Man 2

Watched this with my siblings and ahhh, the cringe! The nostalgia! Sadly, it was far less cool this time around than it was the first time I saw it. But it’s one of those movies that’s still fun to see, if only for the fact that my siblings and I had way too much fun joking about it.

The Death Cure

Still every bit as good as when I saw it in theaters! I might even go so far as to say it was the strongest movie in the trilogy. More thoughts were shared in February’s Subplots and Storylines post!

Emma (BBC 2009 version)

I LOVED IT SO MUCH. This is only the second Jane Austen movie I’ve seen–the first being Pride and Prejudice, the one with Kiera Knightley–and I thoroughly enjoyed all four hours of it. So much that I want to go buy it right now.

Emma is the sort of person who believes she is always right, and it was rewarding to see the crumbling of her matchmaking plans force her to grow in humility. And Mr. Knightley . . . I didn’t think anyone could top Mr. Darcy, but Knightley might have just done it for me. He and Emma have the sort of bantering/bickering sort of friendship that grows between two stubborn people who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. His loyalty and honesty was fantastic.

There was a plethora of other vibrant characters gracing the screen too: the worrisome Mr. Woodhouse (“They might do something reprehensible–like open the windows!”), kind governess Anne Taylor, empty-headed Harriet Smith, snobbish Mr. Elton, charismatic Frank Churchill, incessantly talkative Mrs. Bates, and reserved Jane Fairfax. Speaking of Mrs. Bates, I found the picnic scene surprisingly convicting–if you’ve watched it, you might know why.

But seriously. Mr. Knightley. Excellent character right there. I must read the book.
Period Drama Confessions! gif

Page Storylines

Eye of the Oracle // Bryan Davis

Well, I’ve finished rereading the Dragons in Our Midst series this year, so it was time to kick off the Oracles of Fire series! Returning to this huge story was really enjoyable. I’m in awe of Bryan Davis’s ability to weave a single story through millennia–literally, because the book starts just before the Great Flood and ends in the modern day.

Sapphira and Elam remain some of my favorite characters; so do Makaidos* and Thigocia! It was neat to refresh my memory on all the connections between the dragons and other important characters–both heroes and villains–throughout history. But lest you think this tome is boring, oh no! Battles with demonic Watchers, the toils of underground slaves, portal jumping, the growth of a Nephilim army, and so much more jumps off the page.

*Makaidos is probably one of my favorite dragons ever.

Plus the foreshadowing is spectacular. New readers could pick this up without much trouble, but readers of Dragons in Our Midst will catch dozens of hints.

5 stars!

The Sea of Monsters // Rick Riordan

I read primarily YA, so whenever I dip my toes in MG (middle grade), I’m fascinated and amused by the different approach. But before I go all writer nerd on you, here’s what I noticed as a reader.

I loved the humor, the taxi of death, Tyson, Percy’s water navigation skills, the sirens, the man-eating sheep, and the shouted conversation about Nobody.* The villain’s plan, although revealed a little late, was great too. On the negative side, the plot matched that of the first book almost beat for beat, and there could have been some more introspection at certain moments that needed a reaction.

*”I REMEMBER YOU!”

Thankfully, Percy didn’t suffer the fate of the unchanged-protagonist-who-learned-nothing-in-the-previous-book. He was stronger, braver, and more at ease with his gifts, even if he was simultaneously more upset with his father. I’m looking forward to finally continuing the Percy Jackson series.

4.5 stars!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone // J.K. Rowling

Hello, my name is Tracey Dyck, I’m 22 years old, and this was my first foray into the world of Harry Potter.

Yes. You may all gasp.

But guess what? I’m utterly enchanted! This made me laugh out loud multiple times, and made me want to visit Hogwarts for myself. Harry is a wonderful hero–sympathetic, clever, relatable, and unexpectedly brave. Ron and Hermione make for brilliant friends. The whole cast of characters, in fact, was distinct and charming.

I did have some quibbles. There were times when the lying and sneaking around actually weren’t necessary–and it did seem that Harry and his pals could have faced more consequences for their frequent breaches. Hagrid, though I love him, was revealed to be a bit less worthy of respect than I thought, which was too bad. And I still can’t figure out how Harry and Ron chucked pipes and bathroom taps at the troll–did they rip them right out of the wall or what? (Seriously, someone please enlighten me.)

But the deft writing style, magical wonder, and pop-off-the-page characters make this a book I’ll probably buy. It may have taken me two decades to get to Hogwarts, but I’ll be visiting again real soon.

4.5 stars!

Gravestone (audiobook) // Travis Thrasher

What better way to make a road trip pass by quickly than to listen to an audiobook? Although I did briefly question the wisdom of listening to a creepy story whilst driving through remote countryside. Heh.

This sequel to Solitary is a dark and winding road, much like the mountain path leading up to the Crag’s Inn where Chris works. It’s gloomy. It’s sad at times, intense in others, but just like the inn, there are rays of light beginning to penetrate Chris’s messed-up world.

The plot kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out who to trust. Even though I’ve read this book before, that was five years ago, and I forgot some of the twists. There were genuinely creepy moments standing in stark contrast to several sweet interactions and thought-provoking conversations. Chris’s emotions are very real–the grief, the anger, the confusion, the weariness, the fear.

Looking forward to revisiting the rest of the series. 5 stars!

Written Subplots

Despite the fact that I am so behind on my writing goals, this was actually a pretty productive month. (More on those goals in an upcoming post, I think.)

During the first half of May, I finished compiling beta reader feedback on The Brightest Thread. This covered chapters 20 through 31. I also reviewed the feedback forms I had sent them, which resulted in a document almost fifty pages long.

Because my head was swirling with all the helpful reactions and advice from about a dozen different people, I cracked open a fresh, new notebook to scribble in while I edit. This will be the place I nail down the biggest issues to fix in each chapter and brainstorm how to patch them up.

And then . . . in the second half of May, I dove into ACTUAL EDITING. I love this stage of the writing process! But it’s also challenging right now. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve rewritten my opening several times (bringing me up to about six different versions of chapter one, including one that was split into two chapters because it got so long). Just when I thought I might be on the right track, some sage feedback from a mentor opened my eyes to several blunders I’d made while trying to correct the original chapter’s mistakes. Sometimes you have to make a mess in order to clean up, you know?

So as June unfolds, I’ll keep hammering away at chapter one. It’s a tricky beast, for some reason, but I just know there’s a smashing good opening to be found somewhere!

By the by, once editing is really in full swing this summer, I plan to put together a walk-through post of my editing process, since some of you writerly types have shown interest.

On another writing note, Realm Makers is less than 50 days away now! Say what?! This month I scheduled my mentor appointment and two agent appointments, which makes the conference feel incredibly real and incredibly close. I also submitted the first ten pages of The Brightest Thread for a paid critique appointment . . . which now feels a bit silly, since I’m reworking those pages entirely anyway. But perhaps I’ll still glean something valuable from the feedback?

Yet another writing thingamajig that went down this May was a brainstorming/planning session for a Very Secret Project. I shall not breathe a word of it yet, but it’s coming along. Simmering busily in the back of my mind while I go about my work and editing and other such things. I have tentatively planned to reveal this project sometime this summer, so keep your eyes peeled!*

*Is this not just the weirdest phrase? The thought of putting a potato peeler anywhere near my eyeballs is horrendous.

So yes! That was May!

I hung out with actual people, went on a road trip, got a peppermint tan, hopped back on the Percy Jackson train, and at very long last caught the Harry Potter train too. (Speaking of trains, I’m so happy to finally understand what platform nine and three-quarters means.) I’ve not had this much writing news to share in a long time, and it feels good. Also I seem to be footnote-happy today. So there you have it. My summer break is off to a lovely start.

Now tell me, how are you? Do you like road trips? Harry Potter: yay or nay? Any guesses as to the nature of the Very Secret Project? What are your summer plans, folks?

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Subplots and Storylines – April 2018

Tracey Dyck 20 Comments

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

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

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

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

In other news . . .

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

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

Screen Subplots

Once Upon a Time season 4 and 6

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



Piglet’s Big Movie

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

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

I’m a kid at heart, all right?

Avengers: Infinity War


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

Page Storylines



The Returning // Rachelle Dekker

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

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

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

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

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

Tears of a Dragon // Bryan Davis


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

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

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

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



The Story Peddler // Lindsay A. Franklin


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

Written Subplots

Eheheh . . . heh . . .

*crickets*

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

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

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

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

Happy May, my friends!

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

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Subplots and Storylines – March 2018

Tracey Dyck 34 Comments

March was a head-down, nose-to-the-grindstone kind of month–at least in terms of schoolwork. As soon as one project wrapped up, another one (or two) would be added to the list. I’m sure most of you students can relate! But I’m chugging along, counting down the weeks until freedom summer break!

We had an honest-to-goodness SNOW DAY at the beginning of the month–which is impressive, given that Manitobans are stubbornly snow-resistant–so it’s kind of amazing that four weeks later, I can practically watch the snow melt. Spring is on its way! That always fills me with hope.

A couple of random highlights before we jump into the juicy stuff . . .

I took my sisters to our church’s youth group, which doesn’t happen all that often due to the distance. But during leadership college last year, I spent many, many Friday nights volunteering there. So it was refreshing to go back and spontaneously throw on my volunteer name tag, roll up my sleeves, and dive in again. I had missed that place.

Second-hand book fairs are a Very Wonderful Thing. I went to one with my fam jam and came away with an arm-aching load of ten books, six of which were hardcovers: all for $14! I am still ecstatic, despite the realization that at this rate, my floor will disappear in approximately 2.3 months.*

*This is what happens when your bookshelves are so full they throw up on the floor. You’re welcome for that mental image.

Juicy News Item #1: I registered for Realm Makers! Yes! It’s official! This will be my second time attending (actually my second writing conference altogether), and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The lineup of speakers looks amazing, and I’m not at all ashamed to admit that at least half of my classes will be held by Nadine Brandes and Mary Weber, both of whom are Queen Authoresses in my humble opinion. I’ve got roomies set up, the hotel is soon to be booked, and I’m working on my flights right now. Deciding to attend this year is, once again, a step in faith financially speaking (thank you, college tuition), but God provided for me last year and I’m confident He will again!


Juicy News Item #2: Today marks the third anniversary of Adventure Awaits! Say what?! I know, it snuck up on me this year too. I’d love to do some kind of celebration to thank all of you incredible souls who have either recently joined me, or have been around since the beginning, or something in between . . . But. College life. See first paragraph. That being said, what do you all think about a belated blogoversary party sometime, oh I don’t know–end of April? Beginning of May? I want to do something this year, since last year I didn’t have time to do anything either! (And I’d be open to party suggestions!)


Juicy News Item #3: Many of you probably know this already, but the winners (and honorable mentions, and Special Unicorns, etc.) of Five Poisoned Apples are being announced on the special Facebook page TONIGHT at 8pm EST! I . . may have created a temporary account just so I wouldn’t miss the festivities.* I am about to burst with excitement. There has been such creativity and skill this year that no matter who wins, I can’t wait to get my hands on the complete, polished Five Poisoned Apples book when it releases!

*But at this point, I wouldn’t bother friending me, if I were you. My plan is to keep Facebook very much in the background after the announcement until I can figure out a productive, disciplined social media schedule. I’m spending too much time on such things as it is!

Screen Subplots


Avatar: The Last Airbender

I watched only two episodes of this with my sisters, but it’s still an amusing show, and Aang is still cute.

Finished Once Upon a Time Season 3 and started Season 4
Yep! My siblings and I finally finished the third season, which may be one of my favorites, and dipped our toes into the fourth–as in, we watched only one episode. It’s a rewatch for me and my sisters, but it’s all new to our brother, Josiah, whom we’ve successfully roped in.

Once Upon a Time Season 6
My sisters and I saw a little bit more of the second-newest season. It hasn’t wowed me yet, but it’s starting to improve. Here’s hoping it continues that upward trend! (I’m still in this for Hook, no matter what.)

Finished The Flash Season 3
*sobs for hours*

Um.

Guys.

My heart is a mangled mess of feels and the only way I’ll recover is if Season 4 FIXES ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE BROKEN AND MAKES EVERYTHING HAPPY AGAIN. I refuse to give spoilers, but let’s just say that was the most bittersweet ending of a Flash season yet. Yet it’s currently my favorite show! Because I like pain, apparently.

Image result for thor ragnarok

Thor: Ragnarok
I’ve been waiting forever for this to come out on DVD, and it finally arrived. I felt like I knew a bit too much going in, after seeing so. many. pictures. all over Pinterest, but it was a really fun, really enjoyable movie. I laughed out loud. Like a lot. Seeing Thor’s funny side take over, rather than his moody god side, was just the refreshing twist a lot of fans were looking for, I think. Although, like Christine said, there were a couple of places I would’ve liked to see the emotion drawn out a bit more. Still–Loki was there! I will never get tired of seeing those two banter back and forth (albeit in a “I’ll kill you if you so much as hint at betrayal” kind of way).


Image result for ferdinand movie


Ferdinand
Eh. It was cute, and it had a few laughable jokes, but . . . I don’t know, guys, I feel like I’ve seen this plot about twenty-five times before. And Pixar does it better. Still, apart from the eccentric goat nicknaming the titular character “F-Bomb” once, I think kids would enjoy it. On a more positive note, this movie is set in Spain, which is unusual! And Ferdinand himself stuck to his convictions without wavering, so that’s another plus.



Black Panther
SO GOOD.

Not perfect, but really, really, really good. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since we don’t get to know all that much about T’Challa in Civil War, and since half the internet seems to be making this movie a race thing when–I’m sorry, but can’t we just focus on making good art? (Which is a whole ‘nother post for a whole ‘nother day, if I decide to put on my controversial hat.)

Anyway! Where were we? Right, it was a great movie, beautifully shot, and full of well-drawn characters. I loved T’Challa’s sister, Shuri! She’s the real deal, guys. And there were so many other great ones: Nakia, General Okoye, Klaue, and Agent Ross being among my favorites. If you didn’t get the hint yet, I’m always in it for the characters! But truly, the action and plot and setting (Wakanda forever!) were fabulous too. The main downside for me was the ancestor worship, but even that didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment.


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Jumanji (2017)
I remember watching the 1995 version a long time ago. It was one of my first scary movies, and I loved every thrilling minute of it. So when I saw the hilarious trailer for the remake, I was super excited!

And . . . well. It wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped. I was fine with the plot being the shallow action flick kind–and it made fun of videogame tropes, which even I enjoyed as a nongamer–but I really could have done without the crude humor. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, the basic idea is that four teens get sucked into a videogame, where they appear as the avatars they chose. One girl unwittingly chose a male avatar, and as you can guess, this becomes the source of way too many inappropriate jokes.

Other than that, it was pretty funny! I still liked the old one better, though.

Page Storylines

Image result for last star burning caitlin sangster

Last Star Burning // Caitlin Sangster

Hmmm, very mixed feelings on this one.

I liked the world–a dystopian/futuristic China! I liked the hints of Sleeping Beauty scattered throughout. The Sleeping Sickness, based off a real disease called encephalitis lethargica, was cool too. I liked that Sev, the protagonist, was actually loyal to her City’s (abusive) government, which is uncommon for dystopian heroes. And because this book came in a PageHabit box, there were sticky note annotations by the author, which I also liked.

But I wasn’t a big fan of the info-dumping used to explain how everything worked, especially at the beginning. I didn’t like having to reread action scenes to understand what was going on, since the writing style got a bit jerky at those parts. By the end of the book, there were very few characters left that I actually liked. Most people turned out to be backstabby. And a lot of the conflict could have been avoided if Sev had just asked more questions and used her common sense. You’d think that an orphan who was branded and bullied by the City would naturally be a little more suspicious!

Oh, and Howl’s name made me think of Howl’s Moving Castle, which this book was definitely nothing like. Not a bad thing, per se, just a thing.

So overall, I was decently entertained and will probably pick up the second book when it comes out. But my disappointment in a certain character has colored my opinion of the whole story, sadly. Three stars.

Image result for circles of seven bryan davis

Circles of Seven // Bryan Davis

THIS IS MY FAVORITE DRAGONS IN OUR MIDST BOOK AND I LOVE IT SO. I’m such a sucker for symbolism and metaphor, and this one is packed with it, so of course it’s my favorite!

Billy has grown so much since the beginning of the series. It’s refreshing to see a hero actually learn from his mistakes, instead of constantly backsliding to square one. And as all the friendships deepen, these characters just keep growing. Bonnie is one of my heroes; her faith is so beautiful to see. I loved seeing Ashley and Walter argue and banter more–there’s so much snark, but also a really healthy conflict resolution! Professor Hamilton continues to be a lovable, sprightly old gent who yells about driving on the wrong side of the road, physically attacks baddies, trips a rude cameraman, and holds fast to godly wisdom through it all. I love him. The only character I hate is Morgan, and she’s, well . . . supposed to be hated.

I loved the setting too. Most of it takes place in England and in the seven circles, which carry so much of that spiritual symbolism I was just raving about! And there’s one scene near the end that I’d nearly forgotten, a scene heavily inspired by Ezekial 37 . . . chill-inducing, in a really good way.

I feel like I uncover more of this book every time I read it. This was my third time, I think, and I’m sure I’ll still find more next time. Five stars!

Written Subplots

I’m not quite sure how I managed to get any of this done, but . . . apparently I did!

I compiled more beta feedback on The Brightest Thread, this time covering chapters 7 through 15. I was hoping to get to chapter 18, but didn’t quite make it. I’m seeing patterns in what’s working and what’s not working in the story, and the more I prepare, the more excited I get to tackle revisions this summer! Just this week, I received some golden advice for how to fix one of my main trouble spots.

I also wrote another little flash fiction piece this month, and I quite like it. It needs a bit of buffing up, but then I plan to submit it to Splickety for one of their summer editions!

Farewell, March

So it was a good but busy month! It looks like I watched more movies and read fewer books than usual (oops), but still got some writing progress done. Now I’m looking forward to April!

Happy Easter, everyone! Tell me, how was your month? Are you going to be at the Five Poisoned Apples reveal? Any ideas for a belated blogoversary party? And–as if our TBRs need any help–what’s a book that gets richer every time you read it?

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Subplots and Storylines – February 2018

Tracey Dyck 21 Comments

February can be a bit of a slump. December is abuzz with Christmas hype, January opens a fresh new year, and February . . . well, good old Feb is just another cold month following three other equally cold months, at least where I live. Is it much the same for you, or are you already melting in southern heat?

Life Subplots

Thankfully, this last week it has finally begun to feel like spring! There’s something hopeful about seeing the snow creep back from under the pine trees, where the sun’s rays begin to gather in the boughs . . . hearing the birds start to sing again . . . hearing the drip of snowmelt trickling from the eaves. Spring has always been about life and new beginnings to me.

“O wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” -Percy Bysshe Shelley

February was a pretty average month here in my corner of the world. Life went on as usual: going to work, going to school, wrapping up some projects, studying, and–gasp–I just finished midterms! It’s funny, but once again midterm week was a really nice change of pace. It was actually less busy than a normal week of school, because I booked it off work to give myself time to study. We’ll see if it paid off once I get my marks back.

One noteworthy event amongst the averageness was going grad dress shopping with my sisters, one of whom is graduating this spring. I can’t believe she’s the third in the family to finish high school. My siblings are growing up!

Screen Storylines

My siblings and I are just about finished with Once Upon a Time season 3 and The Flash season 3. This season of The Flash is the most intense, feelsy one yet–my poor heart has been mangled at least five times over, and the last couple of episodes promise to do an even worse number on me. It’s fantastic and terrible and I just want my favorite characters to be happy for once! Is that too much to ask?!

I also watched a teensy bit more of Once Upon a Time season 6. I’ve yet to be impressed, sadly. But Emma, Hook, and the Charming family are enough reason to keep watching.

As far as movies go . . .

The Death Cure


OH. MY. WORD. My siblings and I went to see it in theaters at the beginning of the month. I’ve enjoyed the first two Maze Runner movies, but this final one blew me away. It was better than expected, and yes, it did rip my heart out and shred it into pieces. Yes, I did almost shed a tear. Yes, I did spend most of the movie with my hands close to my face as if I could shield myself from the adrenaline and feels. (Didn’t work.)

The Death Cure definitely felt like a war movie. It was darker than the first two. Lots of strategy, rescue missions, gunfights, chases, and heart-stopping action–but also grave consequences. Characters have worked hard to get where they are, but some of them risk everything to go against WCKD one last time to rescue their friends. It wasn’t a perfect movie, and there was quite a bit of violence (obviously), but it somehow did an excellent job of making me feel deeply.

I’m nervous to read the book now because I don’t think it’ll top the movie.

Frozen


Much more lighthearted than The Death Cure! I haven’t seen this one in a few years, although with all the hype that surrounded its release, I feel like I’ve watched it more often than I have.

My youngest sister and I decided it would make the perfect cozy film for Valentine’s Day evening, which it was. I’d forgotten how sweet the story is, how nutso Kristoff is, and how well the foreshadowing was woven in.

Allegiant


Okay, I quite enjoyed the books a few years ago. I loved the Divergent movie (and its epic soundtrack, oh my goodness). But Insurgent fell kind of flat. I was hoping the series would fight past the sequel blues and deliver at least a decent finish, but based on reviews when Allegiant came out, I wasn’t too hopeful.

Finally I sat down and watched it for myself. Yawn. I could have looked past the weird Martian-red landscape beyond Chicago’s protective wall (which looks nothing like it did in the book). I could have chosen to ignore the plot holes and lack of explanation behind the sleek technology of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.

But even though there were some good action sequences, like the escape over the wall, the story totally lacked emotional depth. Tris and Four felt like wooden cut-outs of who they were in Divergent. Tris makes stupid decisions (which I think she did in the book too, but somehow they felt more pronounced on screen). Four goes around being Mr. Brooding Boyfriend and punching people. Christina is practically absent. Peter is still his annoying self, but now in a juvenile way. And Caleb is . . . himself, I suppose. Don’t get me started on the villain–his final moment was laughable.


It’s a shame this movie bombed the way it did. I believe they were planning to split this book into two films (noooo, whyyyy), but that the fourth movie, Ascendant, was canceled. It’s too bad, because Allegiant ended anticlimactically, with little sense of resolution. I was hoping for the kind of courage and sacrifice we find in the book, but alas, all Tris does during the climax is run through a ventilation shaft and shoot some things.

If you’re looking for a solid finish to a dystopian movie series, watch The Death Cure instead.

Page Subplots

This was a good month for reading! I finished up a book I’d started in January, read three more, and started another one that will show up in March’s Subplots & Storylines. Here’s what I finished:

The Scorch Trials // James Dashner


(Funnily enough, I was in the middle of this book when I watched the third movie. Bad bookworm!)

The writing in this one was a slight improvement over book one. I really liked the change of setting found in the Scorch and the ruined cityscape. It was a sharp contrast, and the lack of walls and rules made things more difficult for the characters. Moments like the scene with the Cranks in the Underneath were pretty intense! Newt’s dry levelheadedness and Minho’s blustery leadership style were fun, and Thomas’s dreams/memories were interesting, if a bit repetitive.

My main quibbles fall on the two female characters. Toward the second half, Teresa was just plain annoying. “Trust me, Thomas. This is all an act. No, wait, the act is an act! No, the act is an act of an act! Trust me!” I’m not sure what Thomas sees in her. I was waiting for a better explanation behind her actions, but maybe the payoff is coming in book three.

And Brenda. I was blurring the movie version of her with the book version (that’s what you get for watching the movies first), so for the most part I genuinely liked her. Some of her unwarranted touchy-feely moments were grating, but my sisters assure me she improves a lot in book three.

Speaking of movie versions of characters, I just couldn’t picture Jorge as being “young” like Dashner described! My picture of Jorge is the 50-something face in the movies, and I can’t see him any other way.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book overall! Rat Man was properly infuriating. The sheer craziness of the tests WICKED puts the teens through is . . . well, crazy. There are a lot of unanswered questions, but again–I must read book three and find out. Four stars.

The Candlestone // Bryan Davis

I continued my DIOM reread with the second book in the series this month. Once again it was great to return to beloved characters! In The Candlestone, Billy battles his own darkness, Bonnie faces a deep fear, Walter steps up as a comrade in battle, Professor Hamilton reveals secrets, and Ashley’s eyes are opened for the first time. Their journeys really begin to gel and intertwine in this one as a centuries-old story comes to light.

The candlestone itself provided a canvas for several vivid analogies, which I appreciated again in a new way. It nearly brought tears to my eyes. I’ll never forget Billy lying on the cavern floor with Excalibur in his grip. “Truth . . . truth is my sword. Faith . . . faith is my shield.”

And I couldn’t help but notice that Bryan Davis’s writing improved over the first book. Both are fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but it’s neat to see how even your favorite authors grow their craft over time! Five stars.

Hostage Run // Andrew Klavan

Klavan’s books are always super fast reads for me, and this one was no exception! I finished it in a few days.

Some things I liked:

  • Klavan’s writing style is sharp and to the point. Nothing fancy, but that’s what makes it sound like the main character himself, an ex-football player named Rick, is telling his story.
  • Rick’s friend Molly featured more prominently in this book, which I loved. She was sadly lacking in book 1, and felt like just another personality-less girlfriend type. But she got a lot more page-time this time around, and her parts of the story were my favorite. She’s almost six feet tall, super fit, and spiritually strong as well, a combo I don’t find very often.
  • Victor One. He is the BEST.
  • Rick was honestly trying to forgive his father and mend their relationship, unlike so many embittered sons in fiction.
  • The Breach was cool, even if it wasn’t explained as much as I wanted.

What I didn’t like as much:

  • Mainly just the Octo-Guardian, a humongous creature with octopus legs and a humanoid face. This creature guards the villain’s ship in the Realm (the videogame world that Rick is able to enter). Given the videogame context, I guess it works, but it was a biiiit of a stretch to take seriously on my part. Still, it didn’t ruin the book for me.

It felt great to devour a book so fast. With that cliffhanger ending, I won’t let another couple of years before I pick up the sequel! Four stars.

Orphan’s Song // Gillian Bronte Adams

My friends in the blogging/bookish/Goodreads communities have been buzzing about this book ever since Enclave Publishing released it over three years ago! I was intrigued by the premise of a Songkeeper wielding some kind of musical power, but to be honest, I was hesitant about the quality. (I seem to be wary of self-pubbed or small publisher books–always wondering if the writing will be polished enough not to snag my attention with too many mistakes.)

But aside from a small handful of typos and missing commas, my fears were unfounded! This was a really sweet, cozy fantasy that reminded me the type of books I read as a tween/young teen. It just felt homey to me. With a cranky peddler, ancient griffin, mistreated orphan, mysterious sword, and young street rat, it carried many classic elements of a good ol’ fantasy adventure.

Amos was my favorite character, even if his refusal to share information with Birdie, the main character, got a little old by the end. For some reason, Amos’s voice clearly sounded like Hector Barbossa’s in my head??? Except more kindly? I don’t know, maybe it was his accent or his amusing insults!

I also enjoyed Ky’s storyline and how it eventually wove into Birdie’s journey. I’m looking forward to their adventures together. I sense that both of them will flourish in the sequels! Speaking of sequels, the plot twist at the end took me by surprise, even though I should’ve seen it coming.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for book 2! Four stars.

Writing Storylines

I actually have a few little somethings to report here.

First, I wrote a piece of flash fiction about 1,000 words long, called Dead Magic. I intended to submit it to Havok Magazine, but thanks to school and procrastination, I didn’t finish in time. I might post it here someday, or brush it up and find another place to submit it. Either way, it was fun to actually write something!

And I purchased an annual Realm Makers membership! Even with the exchange rate to Canadian dollars, it still will save me a bit on conference registration.* When you get a membership, they send you four free audio recordings of past RM classes, so I listened to one by Steve Laube about Theology and the Cosmos. Inspiring! I also caught part of a webinar by Thomas Locke that was open just to RM members.

*Speaking of which, earlybird registration ends on March 15 and I need to do something about that!

But the best writing thing to happen this month was that I finally started working on The Brightest Thread again! YES!!! Not editing yet–that will come later, once this college term finishes. No, for now I’m compiling all the feedback from my beta readers into one place so I can, you know, actually use it. There’s about ten sets of complete feedback, give or take a few, so that’s a lot of comments to go through! I’ve covered chapters 1-6, and there are . . . gulp . . . 371 comments to deal with so far. Granted, some of them are positive! But there are also substantial issues to fix in the first section of the book.

Farewell, February! How was your month, adventurers? Is it spring yet for you? Have you seen The Death Cure? Are my book/movie reviews getting too long? (Be honest now.) Should I post about my beta/editing process someday? Let’s chat about allll the things!

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