Welcome to the first Subplots and Storylines post of 2018! How was your January, questers? Mine was rather full, and I’m about ready to take a nap. Or hibernate until spring. Someone build me an igloo and bring me a stack of fuzzy quilts, please.
Life Subplots
So what happened to make January so busy? The third semester of college, that’s what. I had five projects on my plate for the majority of month. Now it’s down to three. Most of them are/were group work, which is good in the sense that the load is divided among several brains . . . but not so good in the sense that it’s harder to juggle everyone’s schedules and actually make progress. (Also I am Batman when I get grumpy. I prefer to work alone. Group projects are meant to make me patient, I suppose.)
I shouldn’t complain, though! After all, getting into college this year in the first place was an answer to prayer, and this is all part of getting me where I want to go.
Aside from homework and school and my job, there wasn’t really much else going on. Three bright spots in the month were moments spent with friends–coffee and a heart-to-heart with one local friend, a long-distance phone call with another friend (whom I didn’t get to see over Christmas holidays), and Skype with a pal in Oxford!
Oh, and tell me–was your January as frigid as mine? There were a couple of days in which spring seemed to be whispering in my ear, but the rest of it was blustery and often thirty below with the wind-chill (in Celsius, mind you). Usually I don’t want winter to end until I’ve gone sledding or ice-skating at least once, but this year I haven’t done either and yet I’m still ready for spring to arrive.
Screen Storylines
Yes indeed, I kept plugging steadily through my two favorite TV shows–well, the only shows I currently watch, but you know. I rewatched more of Once Upon a Time season 3, started Once Upon a Time season 6 (eeep!), and also continued watching The Flash season 3 (which I really, really, really need to discuss here on the blog someday).
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
I saw this way back near the beginning of the month, and although I’ve forgotten some things already, I did enjoy it! Aside from a few unnecessarily inappropriate jokes and a characteristically rambling plot, it was a fun high-seas adventure. Jack is back, ever his charming, stumbling, selfish self. Henry Turner was a great addition, I thought–and at some angles he almost reminded me of my own character, Prince Hadrian, except with longer hair. Carina was a bit of your stereotypical “I’m a lady intellectual in a sexist world; step aside, please” kind of character, but it was still fun to have a spitfire young woman in the story–especially towards the end. Even if you’re wary of watching the latest film in this looooong running franchise . . . do it for the bank robbery scene at the beginning. You can thank me later.
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The Bourne Identity
Can you believe this was my first time watching a Bourne movie?! (And can you believe how young Matt Damon looked in 2002?) I’m a sucker for amnesia stories, so a movie about a man waking up with a tracker embedded in his skin and seven different passports bearing his picture, yet no memory of his past at all–that was super intriguing. All the getaways, fistfights, adrenaline, and unspoken character development were awesome! I loved the scene with the sniper in the field, for some reason. Considering the genre, there was less objectionable content than I expected, so yep, I’ll be watching the rest of the movies! Probably reading the books too.
Bookish Subplots
I read only two novels this month, but both of them were good, so I’m satisfied.
Raising Dragons // Bryan Davis
One special reading goal I have this year is to reread the twelve Dragons in Our Midst/Oracles of Fire/Children of the Bard books, so book one of DIOM was obviously top of the list. I first read Raising Dragons at the age of twelve, and I think this was my fourth time going through it! My favorite scene still is, and always has been, when Billy and Bonnie are taking shelter in the woods for the night in chapter 13. (“Forever and ever, Bonnie. I will always be your friend.”)
Rereading this was like returning to old pals. Cozy and familiar. Some scenes I knew nearly by heart, and other details I’d forgotten (such as Professor’s crazy driving). And while I had to smile at some minor headhopping and cheesy lines, it was really neat to see just how far Bryan Davis’s craft has come since his first novel! Despite the minor flaws, a heart pulsing with dragonfire still shines through this story, and I’m looking forward to picking up The Candlestone this month. 5 stars!
Siren’s Fury // Mary Weber
Wow, this one was a few shades darker than the first book! With more of a steampunk flair injected into the fantasy world, most of the story takes place on board an airship or within the metal castle walls of an industrialized city.
Nym undergoes yet another dramatic sweep in her character arc. There were moments I just didn’t like her, but I was both fascinated and hopeful enough to wait for redemption. And it was very interesting to see how she reacted to a severe setback (okay, more like a hundred setbacks, poor girl) that affected her on a personal level. I wish I could be more specific, but I don’t want to spoil anything!
Thanks to the cliffhanger ending of the first book–and what that ending entailed for the second book–there was less of the sappy romance. Not nearly as much emphasis on the love interest smelling like “pine and honey and sunshine” and having “jagged bangs” and muscles and being the idealistic YA fiction boyfriend. (I realize this is part and parcel of most YA fantasy romance plots, but I seem to be less patient with that sort of thing the older I get.) Anyway! There was less of that, and a bit more of a focus on the actual relationship . . . well, as much focus as there could be, given the circumstances. I’d better stop talking or I’ll give stuff away.
A couple of other things I enjoyed: Princess Rasha gets much more developed, and I discovered I liked having her around. Myles is still despicable, but he also got a lot more page time. Again, I found that more fascinating than annoying (because don’t we love having characters to hate?).
Also, can somebody please kill the villain soon. Yesterday would’ve been good.
I was thinking of giving the book 4 stars, but that deep ending bumped it up to 5 stars!
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Digital Pulse // Josiah Dyck @ The Steadfast Pen
Yes, I said I read two books this month. And yes, I do know how to count. This was kind of an unofficial read since a) I don’t really include beta reading in my totals because it usually sits on the fence between editing and pleasure reading, and b) this is a novella.
It’s my brother’s entry for Rooglewood Press’s Five Poisoned Apples contest, actually, and I think it might be one of his strongest stories to date! A futuristic superhero spin on Snow White was a lot of fun. If you like brooding heroes, cyborgs, and bubbly AI units, you’d better hope this one wins a spot in the anthology!
Written Storylines
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Nothing to report here.
As I mentioned in this post, I’ve given myself the freedom during the remainder of this semester to not rabidly pursue any writing goals. Yes, I already miss the flow of words, but I’m also relieved–because January held approximately zero minutes to give to any of my WIPs. So I’m on a semi-hiatus right now. But hopefully homework will slow down enough that I can organize the beta feedback on The Brightest Thread soon. (I recently received some unexpected critiques on the first few chapters, which is going to be so helpful when I finally get to edit this book in summer! You know who you are–thank you!)
It’s not precisely writing-related, but my brother did read my Snow White novella, Mirrors Never Lie, this month. And surprise! He put together a playlist for me! He’s the soundtrack aficionado in our house, and his superpower is matching songs to stories that he (and others) write. I was delighted! This playlist includes mostly instrumental pieces, but also two lyrical songs that fit my main characters quite well: Face It by NF, and I Won’t Let You Go by Switchfoot. If you want a glimpse of the themes of Mirrors Never Lie–or just want to hear two really stirring songs–give these a listen!
Onwards to February . . .
I’m glad January is over. Not that it was a bad month, but I’m ready to keep moving forward. Midterm exams start at the end of February, so I foresee some studying in the future, but hopefully there will be time for books, editing prep, and good memories in between!
