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Small is Beautiful

Tracey Dyck 18 Comments

A couple months ago, Jenelle Schmidt totally made my day. She was joining in a “Small is Beautiful” blogging thingamajig highlighting the smaller, but still wonderful, blogs out there–and she included Adventure Awaits. Her words brought a big smile to my face. Blogging can be difficult, and attracting readers can be even harder, so to hear authentic encouragement from a follower is so motivating.

And so today I wish to spread that encouragement around by giving a big ol’ shout-out to some small blogs that I love! You might discover a new corner of the internet, and it might just be such a fun place you’ll want to stay.

Guidelines:

  1. Feature 3-5 blogs with fewer than 100 followers.
  2. Write 1-3 paragraphs about each blog, including information like what the blog is about, a brief bio of the blogger, and/or why you recommend their blog. Don’t forget a link to their blog!
  3. Include an image for each blog, whether it’s a blog button, profile photo, header, or simply a screenshot of the blog.
  4. Thank the blogger who featured you, and include a link to their blog. If you like, you can even include them as one of the blogs that you feature (especially if they joined the tag without having been featured by someone else).
  5. Include the tag image somewhere in your post.

Optional: For extra visibility, share a link to your post on Twitter with #SmallBlogsTag. Don’t forget to follow the hashtag and retweet others’ links!


Jenelle, I’d love to feature you if you had less than 100 followers, but you’ve surpassed that number (so good for you!).


Okay, I may be biased, since Lost is my littlest sister, but she has a fun blog. She writes about Animal Jam (an online game she plays) and occasionally the books she reads and stuff she does. She shares her artwork, which is detailed and completely adorable, and is also posting chapters of a story she’s writing. Her blog is as quirky and fun as she is!

As a busy university student, Sarah doesn’t post super often, but when she does, they’re usually entertaining posts about writing or reading, or sometimes life-y things. One of her book ideas–which I’ve heard about personally–is a superhero flip book. As in, half the book is from the hero’s perspective, and then you flip it over, and the other half is from the sidekick’s. How cool is that?

Skye writes honestly about writing, the difficulties of life, and miscellaneous other things like books, movies/TV shows, art, inspirational things, etc. Her photo shoots are AH-MAY-ZING. Serious photography skills here. She ropes her siblings and friends into dressing up and posing in the beautiful BC woods where she lives. This one is a recent fave of mine.

Mary is just a ray of sunshine wherever she goes, so it’s no surprise her blog is like an instant shot of caffeinated happiness. She writes about her stories, reading, occasionally life, and yes, more books. Her book photo shoots are so cute and colorful! She has a love of Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Pride and Prejudice. Her posts and comment replies never fail to make me smile!

This friend of mine just recently started blogging! She writes dramatically about–you guessed it–books and writing, including her own journey and some of the clichés that drive her batty. I’ve had the opportunity to help edit some of her work in the past, and it’s neat to see how she’s growing.

If you’re looking for thoughtful reflections on life, history, and stories, look no further! Blue’s ponderings (which she posts every few weeks or so) make me think. They’re short and sweet, and often point out the little things in life we can be grateful for, even something as simple as the scenery we pass every day.

A relatively new friend of mine also recently started her blog, where she posts her ramblings about anything and everything–her life as a farm girl turned student, things she’s learning, places she wants to travel, and little stories she writes based on holidays/events (such Remembrance Day or Daylight Savings).

Tori’s blog has become one of my favorite writing blogs–the advice she shares is always comprehensive and well-thought out. She frequently uses specific books or movies as examples of writing lessons, and has a “So Your Character Is . . .” series. She also reviews novels, and interviews her characters, and talks about the books she’s writing. I can’t wait till her books are published!

These are just some of the blogs I enjoy!

I sense a bookish theme going on . . . Anyway, go on and check them out! Show them some love! (I do have to mention there were many blogs that were around the 100-200 followers mark that I wanted to mention, but couldn’t.) What are some of the smaller blogs you love?

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The Writer’s Life Tag

Tracey Dyck 19 Comments
Time to make a dent in my pile of accumulated tags! Way back in spring, fellow bookdragon Christine Smith tagged me for the Writer’s Life Tag. It sounded like fun, since who among the writing community doesn’t like chatting about each other’s methods and habits? Yet despite my enthusiasm, I somehow forgot about it, and went on my merry way for half a year. #oops
But here I am, digging it out at last! Pull up a chair, honorable questers, grab a cup of tea (or coffee, or juice, or Viking-worthy ale if that’s your thing), and let’s talk.
picture & graphic belong to Christine Smith

Write-fuel: What do you eat/drink while writing?

I’m don’t usually munch and write at the same time, because crumbs in my keyboard = blegh. But I often have water nearby, or sometimes tea. My go-to flavor is vanilla chai. If I’m really in the zone, I sometimes forget to drink, though.


Write-sounds: What do you listen to while writing?

Recently, I haven’t been listening to anything besides whatever background noise is going on. It’s been a while since I was holed up in my room in front of my laptop–these days I write wherever my family is (usually I’m curled up on the couch or parked at the dining room table) or during breaks in college. But when I do listen to music, it’s movie soundtracks or instrumental albums. Some favorites are the Narnia soundtracks, the Divergent soundtrack, Epic Music I and Epic Music II by indie composer Jonathan Maiocco, and music by Two Steps from Hell.

Write-vice: What’s your most debilitating distraction?

Emails, blogging, Goodreads . . . let’s just say the internet in general! There are always little things to check or take care of instead of writing those words, and they can either break my momentum or keep me from starting to write at all.

Write-horror: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you while writing?

I know plenty of writers have horror stories about losing their work and whatnot, but that’s only happened to me once, and it was only a page or two. So I’d have to say the worst thing would be the times in high school when I got so wrapped up in my story that I lost track of time and neglected to put supper in the oven or change a load of laundry. My family has had to change supper plans at least a few times on account of me!

Write-joy: What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you while writing, or how do you celebrate small victories?

Every time I get caught up in a story, in a stream of words and images and emotions–when I’m so focused, the outside world barely exists–it’s euphoria. I will slog through pages of uninspired words for a moment like that.
It’s also very encouraging to receive feedback from beta readers or blog commenters, people who have read something I’ve written and care enough to share their reactions. It’s the best feeling to know that they’ve been made to think, to feel, to see things in a new light, or to draw closer to Jesus . . . through a story I penned. It blows my mind every time, and I have Him to thank.

Write-crew: Who do you communicate with or not communicate with while writing?

When I’m actually, physically writing . . . I speak to no one, if I can help it. Human beings are distracting. But outside of writing sessions, I talk with a number of friends online and “in real life” (I don’t like that term because it implies that my online friends aren’t real as well, but I’m too lazy at the moment to come up with a better name for it).
“In real life,” my closest friends aren’t even writers, but they love me enough that they’re fascinated by my authorial rambles and enthusiastically support these dreams of mine. I’m also blessed with a few friends who do write, and they’re fun to bounce ideas around with.
Online, my main writing buddies are most often these lovely gals: Christine Smith, Deborah O’Carroll, and Mary Horton. Not to mention my broader network of bloggers and commenters who are always up for a writing-related chat!

Write-secret: What’s your writing secret to success or hidden flaw?

Let’s talk about both, because while I certainly don’t possess the key to conquering the writing universe, I have learned a few things along my journey thus far. And contrary to the brave face I may wear online, I am flawed. (I try to be genuine, but it’s easy to highlight the good stuff and filter out the bad.)
Secret to success: keep at it. Yes, there are times to drop a manuscript entirely or take a break from it, but I see so many young writers flitting from one story to another with the attention-span of a butterfly. They’re missing out on what can be learned from actually finishing a story, typing The End, bringing character arcs to completion, and tying up a plot. And if you never reach the end, you’ll never edit. If there are things to be learned from completing a book, then there’s ten times more to be gleaned from navigating the editing process!
Hidden flaw(s): I’m a relatively slow writer (though I’m not sure if that’s 100% true or if I would actually be faster than I think if I could devote full-time hours to writing). I often find research to be a drag and may procrastinate in getting to it. I struggle with self-doubt–sometimes while pushing through a messy first draft, and sometimes while staring at the fifth-and-still-vastly-imperfect draft and hoping that if I stare hard enough, it will fix itself. I’m still finding the balance between beautiful prose/immersive description and action/dynamic plot. Perfectionism gets in my way. But I’m working on all these things, slowly but surely!

Write-spiration: What always makes you productive?

Goals, just like Christine said for herself. A plan of action, self-imposed deadlines, the satisfaction of seeing progress being made. I’m always motivating myself, not necessarily with rewards, because the accomplishment is often enough for my task-driven personality. If I don’t set goals for myself, I don’t get anywhere and have little drive to keep writing when it gets tough.

Write-peeve: What’s one thing writers do (or you do) that’s annoying?

I am as guilty of this as anyone else out there: talking about writing more than actually writing. Whether it’s reading yet another blog post on the craft, or emailing a writing buddy, or coming up with a blog post about writerly issues–those are all good, helpful things, but they can take over the place of real writing. And the best way to become a better writer is to simply write.
There’s a place for talking, but if that’s all you do…

And now I tag . . .

And you, should you so desire! If you do the tag, leave me the link in the comments! Happy writing to you all, and especially those of you participating in NaNoWriMo.
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Starting Sparks // Rewritten

Tracey Dyck 19 Comments
Ahem, so this is all a little slapdash, but today I am once again joining the Starting Sparks linkup hosted by the ever-fabulous Emily @ Ink, Inc. and Ashley @ [insert title here].
This month’s prompt instantly jumped out at me as something I had to try. I’m not sure what exactly this is, but it’s kind of a parody/satire thingie, kind of metafiction, kind of breaking the fourth wall . . . I don’t even know. It was fun, regardless!
Le prompt is as follows:

Pretty great, right? Here’s the thingamabob I threw together today. Enjoy!

Rewritten

I sit up with a start, blinking in the light shining over my desk. Had I
fallen asleep? I rub my eyes and look around my bedroom. Everything looks the
same as it always has. The clock shows 1:47 p.m. in glaring red letters.

“Hello there, Tracey.” The voice, female, emanates from everywhere
and nowhere. Somehow it fills the room without being loud. “Nice to finally
meet you.”

I whirl around in my chair. “Who are you? Where are you?”

“I’m Author.”

“Excuse me?” I stand and begin poking around, first looking under the bed,
then opening the closet. I am alone.

“This is the first day of your existence. It’s very exciting, isn’t it?
Your story has been percolating inside my brain for months, and I’ve finally
discovered my main character. You.”

I scan the ceiling for some wispy ghost floating above me, but there is
nothing. A disembodied voice in my room? I must be dreaming. “I’m sorry, can we
start at the beginning, please? This is not the first day of my existence. I’m
twenty years old, thank you very much. I think you have me confused with
someone else.”

“Take a look at your journal.”

Cautiously, I retrieve the notebook from its shelf and flip it open. But
instead of the scribbles pouring out my thoughts, the pages are blank. Well,
not quite. Blurry smudges of blue ink are smeared across the pages, like fresh
writing soaked in a rainstorm. “Where did my journal entries go?”

“They never were.”

My furrowed brow and darting eyes must have shown my confusion.

“You have a history, but I haven’t exactly . . . written it yet. Hence
the mostly blank journal.”

I point to the page. “But I remember writing this! I remember what I
wrote! August eleventh, twenty-sixteen, four-something p.m. . . . I wrote down
a verse from Proverbs 18, and then some thoughts on—”

“That’s good to know about you. I’ll jot that down. But listen to me,
Tracey. You do have a vague history, the one I came up with. It feels real to
you, but in real life it never happened. I haven’t written it, see? Only what I
write exists. Today I just started writing about you.” The voice gets
excited. “The story starts on a typical day to show the reader your life
situation. You have a day off work, so you’re writing . . .”

“Hold up.” I toss the journal onto my bed. “This is crazy. My life never
happened? I have crystal clear memories of that life! It’s a peaceful one. I
have a family—”

“Oh, thanks for reminding me. They died.”

The world shifts. My stomach lurches as if I just staggered off a spinning
carnival ride. It’s like the colors of the room change, and yet they don’t.
It’s like the furniture rearranges itself, but it doesn’t. My cheeks are wet—I’m
crying? Something has shattered inside me. I can feel the jagged shards of it
scattered throughout my bloodstream.

“What—” My voice catches. “What do you mean? They’re just upstairs, my
parents . . .”

“Died in the same explosion that killed your siblings.”

It doesn’t sound right, but as the girl—Author—speaks, images flash in my
memory. A man at the door, grim-faced, bearing the news. Footage on TV of the
hotel exploding in fire and smoke and debris. It’s not right, because I
remember what it used to be: my family, intact and happy. But now I also
remember the tragedy of one year ago. Which is true?

“Your backstory was too boring. I decided you needed a disaster to spur
you on and give you emotional depth.”

“You killed my family?” I whisper.

“No, the terrorists did. Oh, but they’re actually dragonriders. You just
don’t know that yet.”

“You killed my family!” I scream. “What is this? You rewrote my life?”

“Hmm. I’ve been thinking maybe your brother survived the blast, though.
You’ll discover him at the end of the book, and it will look like a
happy reunion—until you find out he joined the evil dragonriders.”

I shout a word I’d never used on anybody. It tastes dirty on my tongue.

“Goodness, Tracey, that’s not in keeping with your character.”

“You don’t know me! I don’t know how you’re doing this, changing my history,
but I demand you change it back!”

“Calm down. I can’t get this story written if you insist on being
obstinate. Your grief means you have nothing to lose, so when the dragonslayers
rope you into their plan to send the riders packing—the dragons are all evil
monsters, by the way—there’s nothing to keep you from joining their cause.”

I pinch my lips together and swipe the tears from my eyes. This has to be a
sick joke. “If you know me so well, you know I’m a writer too.”

“Yes, that’s a particularly fun aspect of your character. It’s kind of
like a slice of me walking around in the story.” Author giggles. “And
when you encounter dragons and otherworldly fighters, you’re enraptured because
it’s just like the books you write. And read. I wonder which way the back cover
blurb should go? ‘When dragons flame into Tracey’s life, just like the books
she’s always lost herself in . . .’ Or ‘When dragons flame into Tracey’s life,
just like the tales she pens . . .’ I can’t decide.”

“Shut up! I was going to say that as a writer, I can tell you that
making your main character an orphan is the most clichéd tool in the box.
Likewise with the just-like-the-books trope.” I cross my arms, sorrow quickly
hardening into rage.

The Author prattles on, apparently heedless of my words. “You know, I
wonder if maybe you killed your family and you just don’t know it yet. Yes,
what a great idea! You used to be part of the riders, and you did something
that enabled them to blow up the hotel. Then you left. I don’t know why yet,
but I’ll figure it out. Oh, and they wiped your memory before you left them.
Ha! This is fabulous!”

The whole time she’s talking, the room does that spinning, shifting thing
again, and my insides heave. I double over. My head pounds as memories are
created and erased and pieced together—rewritten. “I hate you,” I gasp out.

“I’ve been told that before. I’m such an evil authoress, aren’t I? You know what they say. Drive your character up a tree and throw rocks at them.”

I can’t believe she sounds delighted. I almost expect her to break out in a
villainous mwahaha, but she doesn’t. I rub my temples, trying my utmost
to suspend my disbelief over this horrible turn of events. If I were Author,
wouldn’t I be gleefully torturing my main character too? Of course I would. The
thought sickens me, but it’s the truth. Maybe a more reasonable approach is best.

“It sounds like you have a cool story going, Author.”

A blatant lie. It sounds awful.

“But I’m not an interesting enough person to be your Main Character. I’ve
always thought I’d be a better Sidekick. Or even a Background Character.”

They had easier lives. The whole universe wasn’t conspiring against them.

Author seems to consider this. “No, I like you. I want you to be the
Main. But you may be right about being uninteresting.”

I barely stop myself from rolling my eyes.

“I know! You have dormant superpowers that you don’t know about yet!
Dragon telepathy, perhaps? That way you can discover your gift and help defeat
the dragons by convincing them to go away.”

Once again, the nauseating shift. I grab my head. “No, no, you’ve got it
all wrong! I don’t want superpowers, I don’t want amnesia. I just want to be
normal. Give all those things to someone else. Let me be a supporting character
instead. Please.” I gaze up at the ceiling, not sure where exactly Author was.
“They have far better mortality rates.”

“Not true. Sidekicks frequently die, and their deaths have the double
benefit of being a disadvantage to the Hero, while also driving their quest
forward at the same time. Mains seldom die, and when they do, they can often be
resurrected. Besides, you’re saving the world!”

“But life is an awful lot harder for Mains. I don’t think I can take that.”

Author laughs. “That’s what they all say until I prove them wrong. Just
wait till you reach your happy ending. Wait till your story becomes a
bestseller! Then you’ll thank me.”

I open my mouth to protest, but Author continues.

“I’ve also been thinking of adding a love interest. Gotta have a little
romance in this thing. I think he’ll be a dark, brooding dragonslayer. But he’s
a double agent, also working for the evil riders—who, by the way, are trying to
take over the world with brute force and flaming beasts.”

How does one girl manage to stuff this many clichés into one story? I grit
my teeth through another round of my world being rewritten at the whims of a
psychopath. As I do, I glance in the mirror, not at all shocked to see the
pallor of my skin. Having one’s life torn down and rebuilt within minutes would
have that affect.

The voice seems to hover over my shoulder. “You know, we’re going to
have to do something about that hair. It’s the wrong color.”

“What’s the matter with dirty blonde?”

“It sounds gross. Let’s make you simply blonde.”

My hair brightens a few shades, turning golden.

“Are you serious? Do you want me to have blue eyes too? There are too many
Barbie dolls in fiction.”

“You’re right. Black hair.”

Glossy black spreads from the roots to the tips. “I look like a vampire.”

“Now that’s an idea—”

“Wait, forget I said anything! Black is fine.”

“You need to be shorter. Petite. So it’s more adorable when your big,
buff love interest sweeps you away from danger.”

My bones grind painfully as I shrink several inches.

“What am I forgetting? Oh! A mysterious scar.”

A thin pink mark draws itself down my jawline, then vanishes only to
reappear on my forearm.

“There. That’s better. Facial scars are so overdone.”

I grab two fistfuls of hair. “Enough! Go bother someone else! Stop meddling
in my life. I’m no longer me anymore. You’ve changed my appearance, you’ve
given me superpowers, you’ve erased memories and added others, you killed my
family . . .”

The lights dim. “Well . . . You have a point, I guess. You’re no longer
the girl who first popped into my head.”

This time the room seems to flip upside down. I fall to the floor—or is it
the ceiling? When everything finally stills and my stomach stops doing
somersaults, I sit up and look around. In the mirror, my reflection is back to
normal. I think back on my life. No tragedy, no explosion.

Upstairs, footsteps creak and muffled, familiar voices are talking. My
family is back.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe Author decided to abandon her story, or at
least to scrap my character and find someone else. I settle back into my desk
chair. My laptop is open, my work-in-progress novel staring back at me.
Suddenly I’m not in the mood to write. Just as I close my laptop, Author’s
voice returns.

“Okay, okay, but we’re keeping the telepathy. That part was awesome.”

My enraged shout is loud enough to rattle the window.

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Infinity Dreams Award – VLOG STYLE

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments

And now, questers, announcing that “brand new thing I’ve never done before” I referenced in the last post: my very first (and possibly only because it’s mildly terrifying) vlog. Yes. I braved the camera for the sake of a challenge given to me by Emily @ Ink, Inc.* She’s a fabulous blogger with a dry wit and love of books. And she writes prettiful things, so go check out her blog!

*link leads to the post in which she tagged me


The rules are simple: 11 facts, 11 questions, 11 nominees (but I’m doing less).

11 Facts
  1. I love watching lightning storms.
  2. If watermelon is an available candy flavor, that’s the one I’ll likely pick.
  3. My travels are not extensive; so far I’ve been to only five provinces and three states.
  4. There is a spider trap in my room that has been rather successful of late. Three dead spiders are sitting there in plain sight. Pleasant. (But rather there than running freely.)
  5. I quite like bookmarks, but I don’t use some of my favorites because I want to keep them nice.
  6. Christmas candy lasts me months. I still have a jar of licorice allsorts on my shelf.
  7. My favorite tea is vanilla chai.
  8. I can pull off a halfway decent English accent, but my Scottish, Irish, and pirate voices seem to blend together.
  9. If I start a journal using blue pen, I hesitate to ever use black in the same notebook, and vice versa.
  10. I keep shoeboxes, with the intent of using them to store knickknacks and whatnot. Sadly, there is a stack of shoeboxes I have yet to assign a use for, and the knickknacks are still running wild.
  11. As a child, the word interrupt brought to mind the picture of a trumpet.
11 Questions Answered in Vlog Form

This is a momentous occasion. And like I said, a little freaky? Obviously you all have seen my face before. It’s right there on the sidebar. And I don’t mind going one step further and letting you hear my voice. You guys are friends! You’re wonderful people! It’s just the thought of random people strolling through the internet and happening upon my blog and watching this video that gives me pause. Stranger danger, you know.

Ahem. All that aside, I was going to edit the video to make it a bit shorter and therefore more manageable, because everyone’s busy and time is scarce, but my program was giving me technical difficulties . . . so this is unedited, imperfect, and at some spots, a little repetitious. C’est la vie. Just proves I’m a human bean.*

*I like saying bean instead of being. And the sunburn I’m sporting is also proof of my humanity.

So here it is. Enjoy!

11 New Questions
[stealing some from Emily because her questions were great]
  1. What’s your current favorite song?
  2. In the context of either reading or writing (or both): do you prefer standalones or series?
  3. Have you ever met a book or movie character who was a lot like you? If so, who?
  4. What’s your biggest pet peeve as a reader?
  5. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or supper?
  6. What’s been inspiring you this week?
  7. What does a perfect day look like for you?
  8. If the world was flat, and you came to the edge of it, what would you like to find there?
  9. If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
  10. With what word would you like others to describe you?
  11. What’s one book that changed your life?
And I tag . . .
Whether you answer the questions in a vlog or just in a regular post is up to you! Of course you’re not obligated to do the tag at all, but it’s here should you want to.
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