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Five Poisoned Apples: A Celebration

Tracey Dyck 33 Comments

The results are in, folks!

So we’re going to have a little party to celebrate, because this is the last fairy tale contest Rooglewood Press is going to hold, and it deserves to be commemorated.

The Winners

The Facebook party last Saturday was such fun! This year there were 27 finalists, 13 honorable mentions, and four special unicorns (stories that received perfect scores from the judges). From that lengthy list, the five winners were selected. So many amazing stories were celebrated, and I know there were many more that went unlisted but still possessed such creativity and imagination. I don’t envy the judges’ job at all!

I was hoping to share the announcement here before it was officially posted on the Rooglewood Press website, but alas, school was rude and didn’t let me. So by now you’ve probably all seen the five winners’ names on the cover already. In case you missed it . . .

Isn’t it stunning? And look, look–I KNOW ONE OF THE WINNERS. It’s our very own Skye Hoffert! And I couldn’t be happier for her! You’ve probably seen Skye in the comments around here. She and I have been blogging buddies and writing pals for years. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of beta reading Falling Snow. Believe me, the grungy circus vibe of her story is the perfect way to open up this anthology.

Next up, Jenelle Hovde’s historical fantasy Raven’s Heir. It sounds like this one follows the original tale most closely. In Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s words, this story carries “that perfect blend of poetry and grit,” which sounds like a writing style I’ll love.

Then we have Cortney Manning’s The Fairest One, a tale with a Middle Eastern flavor and dwarven mythology. It sounds positively delicious! And apparently Cortney entered five stories in this year’s contest, earning a place as a winner, a special unicorn, and a twice-over honorable mention.

Following on that tale’s heels is Maddie Morrow’s vampire spin called Red as Blood. That’s one genre these anthologies haven’t explored yet, so I’m excited to see what sort of dark and twisty road this story will take me on.

And wrapping it up is Rachael Wallen’s Snowbird and the Red Slippers. Involving a scholarship to a prestigious New York dance school, this contemporary tale is peppered with magical realism. It sounds like a sweet and satisfying way to end the book!

The Special Unicorns

These four ladies impressed the judges with their impeccable story skills. To reward them, Anne Elisabeth Stengl created beautiful covers for their entries! I’m unsure if I’m allowed to share them here, but they were each gasp-worthy works of art. The four special unicorns are:

  • Sarah Pennington with Blood in the Snow (I believe I’ve seen Sarah somewhere around the blogosphere, so I feel like I distantly “know” her.)
  • Cortney Manning with Yellow Bright (As I mentioned, she’s also one of this year’s winners.)
  • Elizabeth Brown with Heir (You may remember her as one of the Five Glass Slippers winners!)
  • Esther Brooksmith with The Blood of Beauty (I’ve recently gotten to know Esther through the super fun countdown posts she shared on her blog leading up the announcement!)

The Finalists & Honorable Mentions

Rather than list alllll the finalists and honorable mentions, I’ll simply direct you again to the list posted on Rooglewood’s website HERE. But I do want to take a minute to give a shout-out to my friends and acquaintances who received recognition!

Several finalists’ names were familiar to me, but these two in particular are people I’ve interacted with online more often:

  • E.F. Buckles: Moonsilver (Loooove that title! I bump into EFB around here and Goodreads, both great places to chat about books.)
  • Sophia White: The Colour of Life (It’s a Ukrainian/Russian setting with nesting dolls! Sophia frequents my blog too.)

And I’ve also interacted with these honorable mentions:

  • Meredith Burton: The Princess and the Invisible Apple Tree (I remember Meredith from back when the Tales of Goldstone Wood blog was active; she’s very sweet!)
  • Claire Banschbach: Threads of Yellow, Blue, and Red (I’ve just recently started to get to know this indie authoress!)

And . . . well, if you already peeked at the list, then you’ve stolen my thunder, but . . .

You guys, I am blown away.

Seeing The Brightest Thread among the top ten in the Spindles contest was incredible, but with the way this year’s story was going, I did not expect to match that success. Of all four stories I entered in Rooglewood fairy tale contests, Mirrors Never Lie was the one in which I was LEAST confident.

When I submitted to Glass Slippers, I was the kind of writer who doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.

When I submitted to Enchanted Roses, I loved what I’d written but was missing a few key ingredients.

When I submitted to Magic Spindles, I knew this was one of my strongest works yet. Yet everyone deals with doubt, so making it to the top ten list was a huge boost of confidence.

However, when I submitted to Poisoned Apples, my writing life was in a dry spell and I seriously doubted that novella would make it anywhere. What a thrilling surprise to be proven wrong! And I am deeply grateful for the feedback I received from judges. It nearly made me cry.
Now what are my plans for this story? As you probably know, revising The Brightest Thread is my top writing priority right now. That’s what I plan to work on all summer long (and I really, really can’t wait!). But that doesn’t mean that Mirrors Never Lie is getting shelved forever! In fact, I specifically wrote it in the same world as TBT, years earlier in a different land. Soooo . . . there’s the possibility of expanding MNL into a novel sometime. Maybe this will grow into a whole series of standalone fairy tale retellings connected by the same world? But I’m getting way ahead of myself! For now, rest assured that MNL is a story I plan to return to eventually.

Everyone Else

Okay, here’s where I brush the confetti off the table and bring out a box of tissues and give hugs to all of the precious writers who submitted to this contest . . . but didn’t see their names anywhere. All of us received feedback, so in that sense you’re walking away with something! (Along with a completed story that you were brave enough to send out into the world!) But some of that feedback likely stings. In the wake of disappointment, it’s easy to fixate on the critiques we received and the insecurities that come clawing back. This story is garbage. I’m not a good writer. Who am I fooling? Will I ever make it? I’m terrible at ____. Thoughts like this–and worse–threaten to black out the truth. So imagine we’re sitting across from each other right now, and I’m looking you in the eye and telling you:

It’s okay to hurt. When you’re hoping against hope that you might get at least an honorable mention, your heart falls as name after name scrolls by, and none of them are yours. I get that. I’ve been there. Like I mentioned in a recent post about these contests, I’ve lost more competitions than I’ve won. And I’ve received feedback that shredded fragile parts of me and left me sobbing, others that left me sulking under a dark raincloud for days. So allow yourself to lick your wounds. But please, please don’t stay there.

One contest does not a writer make. The results do not define you. They are not a measure of your worth as a person or as a writer. Don’t let it touch your identity! As my pal Katie Hanna mentioned on a Facebook post, you’ve fallen off the horse, but get back on. Try again! Keep writing! If writing is something you love, if it’s a thing you feel called to do, you owe it to yourself to pursue it.


Use this as a springboard. Let that feedback sheet rest for a while. Put the story away for a bit. But then when you feel up to it, go back and look at it again. All those critiques mentioned? All those areas that received low scores? Those are opportunities. Those are things you can actually learn. Did you get a low score in dialogue? Then pay careful attention to the way characters in your favorite books chat back and forth. Was your plot a mess? Go find some excellent books and blogs that teach story structure. Critiques can hurt, but they have been my best teachers.

And one more thought to help keep your spirits up as you tackle these problem areas: Whichever judge read your story has your best interests in mind. Look for the positives she highlighted and build on them. Also look for the things she didn’t mention at all! A doctor may tell you your heart is having issues, but if they don’t mention your lungs, I’d guess you’re breathing just fine! Meaning the elements that don’t get critiqued are probably at a functioning level. All is not lost, my friend.

Some Links

To wrap this party up, I’m sharing links to a few places where fellow writers have shared wonderful posts regarding Five Poisoned Apples!

Skye Hoffert @ Ink Castles // In this post, Skye shares her reaction to winning, as well as pictures of a completely magical party she threw with a friend! Go show her some love, you guys!!!

Esther Brooksmith @ The Pen of a Ready Writer // I’m just giving you a general link to her blog, because she’s been posting thoughtful questions to spark discussion in the weeks and months leading up to the announcement. So go take a stroll through her archives, and while you’re there, congratulate her on her Special Unicorn status!

Allison Tebo @ Allison’s Well // Alli shares about the poison of playing the comparison game and how each of us are on our own journeys. She dug up some amazing, thought-provoking reflections! (This is a post you should all read whether you won, lost, or didn’t even enter at all. Go on, shoo.)

Well, folks, these contests have been an adventure! Thanks for putting up with my sentimental self. 😉 I send my warmest congrats to the winners, unicorns, finalists, and honorable mentions! Can’t wait to read the collection when it releases December 2018!

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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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Lessons Learned from Rooglewood Press Contests

Tracey Dyck 42 Comments



The journey began in 2013.

It was summer when I spotted a pretty novel in the local bookstore. The cover was deep blue, depicting a dragon’s face with the image of a young maiden in its eye, the girl gazing thoughtfully into the water. The back of the book looked interesting too. But . . . Aethelbald? The love interest was named Aethelbald? It sounded odd, and being the wary book-buyer I am (or was; I’m getting alarmingly good at purchasing books these days), I resolved to check it out at the library before I invested $20.

That book was Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. And as often happens with mental notes-to-self that are never committed to paper or phone notes, the promise to seek out the book later quickly slipped through the cracks of my memory. Until one day in late November, I rediscovered Heartless on the library shelf. “Why hello there,” I said to myself. “I do believe I forgot about you. Good thing you popped up again.”

Image result for heartless anne elisabeth stenglVery good indeed, I soon found. It was a snowy November Sunday when I first cracked that book open. My family and I were Christmas shopping. The opening tale of young Una and Felix’s adventures–the bridge, the sibling dynamics, the talking cat–drew me in so fully I couldn’t help but twist around in my seat as we drove along and read funny excerpts to my siblings.

I devoured the story cover to cover. Not since beloved favorites like Chronicles of Narnia or Bryan Davis’s Dragons in Our Midst had I been so captivated with a perfect elixir of wonder, magic, tension, and heart-wrenching hope. Heartless was an instant favorite, oddly-named Aethelbald and all.

I don’t think I’d even finished the book before I Googled its author, curious to see who she was and what else she’d written. Lo and behold, there was a whole Tales of Goldstone Wood series! Not only that, but Anne Elisabeth had a blog full of interesting archives–and her most recent posts talked about a writing contest called Five Glass Slippers, held by Rooglewood Press. Curious, I investigated and found that entrants were to write creative retellings of Cinderella, five of which would be published in an anthology together.

The wheels started spinning. Apparently, the contest had been announced back in June, and the deadline was December 31st. Just one month away. Accepted story length: 5,000 to 20,000 words. “Well,” I said to myself. “That’s not that long. I’ve written a novel much longer than that.”

So I made a crazy decision. This young writer, with twelfth grade studies on her plate and writing speedometer typically set somewhere around tortoise mode, decided to give it a go.

I have since entered all four fairy tale contests hosted by Rooglewood Press, and each one has played an important part in my writing journey. So today I’m going to share with you the lessons I’ve learned.

(Thanks to Esther @ The Pen of a Ready Writer for sparking some of these ruminations!)

Five Glass Slippers – 2013/14

I wrote like mad all that December. I’d never written a retelling of a fairy tale before. I’d never written a novella before, either, just short stories and a couple novels. But digging into the original Cinderella tale was a whole lot of fun! The classic elements–orphan waif, evil stepmother, nasty stepsisters, fairy godmother, glass slipper, and nameless prince–I threw into a bottle with a cup of creativity and a sprinkle of plot twists, then whipped it into a froth.

The result? The Glass Girl, a messy story about a glassmaker’s daughter turned into glass herself by her stepmother, an evil Mystere pulling the strings in a power conspiracy.

Blunders Made

Plot holes: Oh, the plot holes! I cringe now to think of the gaps I didn’t catch in the rush of getting my story submitted in time.

Insta-love: Yep, Ella met Dominic, a lord’s son, and proceeded to fall in love with him that evening. Within twenty-four hours, she was confessing a deep secret, crying on his shoulder, and saving his life Tangled style. Ella and Dom still have my affection, but if I ever rewrite this thing, I’ll make sure their affection takes a little longer to develop.

Weak writing: It wasn’t bad quality considering where I was as a writer at the time. In fact, I discovered something about my own voice while writing The Glass Girl. (More on that in a minute.) But I’ve grown since then. And looking back? I’m cringing again. I wasn’t even sure at the time if novellas were long enough to merit having chapters (news flash: they are), so I wrote one big, long story split up only by scene breaks!

Lessons Learned

Writing fast: There was only a month to write and edit 20,000 words. Professional authors usually accomplish that many times over in a month, but I’d never worked that fast before. I learned a good lesson in butt-on-chair-fingers-on-keyboard that December!

Cutting words: I ended up going a little bit over the word limit, so in my feverish editing, I had to do some trimming. See, I tend to write long. (Ahem, this post is a case in point.) But this contest provided me with valuable practice in cutting back.

Catching a glimpse of my voice: Writing teachers always talk about that elusive thing called voice, and quite frankly, I had not yet found mine. But Ella’s story, framed in a fairy tale, set in a fantasy world, and laced with emotion, provided me with an opportunity to fuse poetry and prose. Was my writing flawed? Of course, but that’s how everyone starts: in a mess. I caught a glimpse of what it was like to write the kind of imagery I’ve always loved.

Conclusion?

I didn’t win, but I learned to produce a story in short order, practiced putting myself out there, and had a really fun time doing it. There’s enough likable bits of The Glass Girl that it might be worth revisiting in the future.

image via unsplash

Five Enchanted Roses – 2014/15

When the second contest rolled around, I was ready for it! And let me tell you, I was so excited to find out that the chosen fairy tale was Beauty and the Beast, because it has long been one of my favorites. This time, I had the full half a year to ponder the original tale and spin a new twist on it. I decided to step a wee bit out of my fantasy comfort zone and write a contemporary . . . although in the end, it still had a fantastical flavor. (Apparently the fantasy genre won’t leave me alone.)

So Blood Rose was born: the tale of a young medical graduate stranded in the secluded mansion of a man who is much older–and deadlier–than he appears.

Blunders Made

Plot holes: The genre mashing of this story meant that my fantasy/sci-fi ideas had to have a real-world medical grounding. I did as much research as I could within the time limits, but in retrospect, I do believe I left a few shaky spots.

Somewhat unbelievable romance: While Emi and Will had much longer than twenty-four hours to get to know each other, I don’t think there was quite enough development between them. Emi should have been more reluctant to take shelter in Will’s mansion, and Will needed to exhibit a lot more positive character traits in order to outweigh all the red flags he was throwing up. (I mean, he is actually a good person, but that’s not always . . . ahem, obvious. He is, after all, the Beast.)

Lessons Learned

Plot holes again: Yes, those dreaded holes were actually a positive as well! See, about two-thirds of the way into the story, I wrote myself into the most difficult corner I had ever encountered. If I didn’t find a way out, Emi was going to die, and then Blood Rose wouldn’t have an ending. Hemmed in by medical facts that I couldn’t change, I had to either find a real-world loophole, or scrap the plot and start over. So I prayed about it. And I prayed some more. And then I went back to researching. You know what happened? I found a little-known medical tidbit that saved Emi’s life and the story itself, and was able to write my way out of that corner! So this lesson is two-fold: trusting God with my writing, and persisting through the tough parts.

Friends: I found a lovely group of writers to beta read this story for me as I wrote it. (I guess some people call that alpha reading if it’s the first draft, right?) Through our back and forth interaction, I built some amazing online friendships which I still carry with me today! One of my readers, in fact, was also writing a story for the contest, and I got to be her beta reader at the same time. That story was called Burning Thorns. Anybody who peeks into the comments around here can probably tell that the authoress, Christine Smith, became a dear friend, as did several other sweet souls!

Conclusion?

I didn’t win Five Enchanted Roses either, but I still felt like a winner anyway. I loved my characters, loved my story, and had a blast sharing it in almost real-time with a group of fantastic betas. I also grew closer to God by realizing again that He really does care about my stories.

image via Pinterest

Five Magic Spindles – 2015/16

Confession: I wasn’t over-the-moon thrilled when Rooglewood announced the theme of the next contest was Sleeping Beauty. Maybe that’s because I didn’t watch the Disney movie as a kid, or maybe it’s because nothing could quite compare to my beloved Beauty and the Beast. But the more I pondered the original fairy tale of the princess trapped in an enchanted sleep, the more I got excited about all the possibilities!

The Brightest Thread, the journey of a princess walking the realm of dreams and a faraway prince whose dreams are more real than he knows, ended up being my favorite Rooglewood entry yet.

Blunders Made

Trying to fit a big story into a small space: This was more of a challenge than a serious mistake. Since my idea involved a long rivalry between fairy stewards, one hundred years of history between two nations, a curse and all the rules it entailed, and the development of a romance, I had my work cut out for me. Or rather, I had to literally cut out some of my work. If you’ve been around the blog long enough, I’m sure you remember me wailing about my first draft being 10,000 words too long!

Lessons Learned


Making every. little. thing. count: On that note, when you need to rip out a third of a story, it feels like you’re maiming it. But it’s amazing how much leaner a story can be when you’re ruthless about weeding out the fluff. Extraneous dialogue? Out. Long-winded descriptions? In the garbage. Unnecessary secondary character? Repurposed. The large-scale result was that every single person, place, or thing in The Brightest Thread absolutely had to be there. On a smaller scale, every word was chosen with purpose.

Writing with abandon: Writing that first draft was a beautiful experience. Sure, it had its ups and downs (especially later on during the editing stage!), but I was so in love with my characters and the world of Iror and Bauglind that spending time with them felt like a dream itself. Years down the road, I have a feeling I’ll look back on this story and say, “There. That’s when I really discovered my voice.” Because that’s what it felt like. The story was unapologetically me.

Conclusion?

Was The Brightest Thread perfect? Hardly. Even the expanded version of it I’m working on right now has its issues to be addressed. But the heart of the story, then and now, feels right. And to my surprise and delight, my dear Luci and Hadrian made it to the top ten in the contest! That news, plus the judge’s thoughtful feedback, was a confidence booster and served as confirmation that this is a tale worth pursuing. Plus, I have precious memories of sharing the journey of writing TBT with amazing beta readers once again.

image via Pinterest

Five Poisoned Apples – 2017/18

Rooglewood Press postponed the 2016 contest to the following year, so by the time Snow White was announced as the final theme, I was itching to enter again! For a long while, though, I wasn’t sure what to do with the Snow White tale. I was busy editing the novel version of TBT, and then I was busy starting business school, and my brain just didn’t have a lot of extra space to create a new story.

Eventually, however, Mirrors Never Lie unfolded–a look at what happens when a young woman is ensorcelled by a cursed mirror and puts her surrogate family of seven huntsmen in danger.

Blunders Made

Fragmented writing sessions: Being in college made writing a challenge. Rather than immerse myself in the story like I wanted to, I wrote in short snippets on weekends and evenings whenever homework wasn’t looming. That approach got the job done, but the downside was that I felt disconnected to Skadi, my main character, for quite some time.

Misconceptions: I was frustrated with the story and myself because Skadi’s outer journey seemed disjointed at first. Her goals take her in one direction for a while, and then she literally turns a 180 and runs off in the exact opposite direction. It wasn’t until I realized that Skadi’s inner journey formed a satisfying arc that I understood the story.

Lessons Learned

Three act structure: After pulling out my hair over cutting The Brightest Thread down to size, I was determined not to make the same mistakes with Mirrors Never Lie. Thankfully, K.M. Weiland wrote a helpful article over on Helping Writers Become Authors that explained how to break down the three act structure in a way that allows you to calculate your story’s length . . . before you ever write a word of it. I used this structure to plot my novella and I think it worked! I barely strayed over the word limit, and having signposts to guide my way helped me write even when I felt disconnected.

No matter how terrible a first draft is, there’s always editing: You know what I found? The story wasn’t nearly as bad as I first thought it was. There was plenty to edit, but when I looked back over my first draft, I found enough to love. Enough diamond under all the rock to encourage the refining process.

Conclusion?

I love Mirrors Never Lie the way I love memories of scraped knees and stumbles. There is a rawness in that story that makes me flinch–a combination of self-doubt about the writing quality and my own vulnerability laced through the story’s theme. Yet something good came out of that experience. Skadi may not be my favorite protagonist ever. But maybe that’s because she embodies a part of myself that isn’t my favorite, and maybe that’s a good thing.

I don’t know what the results of Five Poisoned Apples will be. It’s bittersweet, knowing this is the last contest. I hope to see familiar names on the cover in fifteen days when the announcement is made on April 2nd!* Whatever happens, I can’t wait to read the winning stories!

*I hear tell of an early announcement on Rooglewood’s private Facebook page for the contest (March 31st), but since I don’t have Facebook, I likely won’t hear anything until the official news is posted.

image via Pinterest

Was it Worthwhile?

Was it worth it to spend so much time writing fairy tale novellas when I could have been focusing on my longer works-in-progress?

Yes! It absolutely was. I’m a firm believer in no writing being a waste. I learned something in each contest.

How to write faster.

How to edit with purpose.

How to share my stories with others.

How to write from the heart.

How to write past doubt.

Not to mention these four opportunities to send my writing out into the world! Hitting send is hard. Waiting is hard. Not knowing is hard. But every time it gets a wee bit easier. And I can say with confidence that the motivation the Rooglewood contests provided have made me a stronger writer.

Whew, you made it to the end! Perhaps I should’ve taken my own advice and cut this post shorter, but I really wanted to share these lessons–almost like a tribute to the opportunities Rooglewood Press has provided. How about you? Have you entered a contest in your field of creativity before? What’s something you’ve learned? (And are you counting down the days until April 2nd as well?!)

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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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