Menu Close

Tag: The Brightest Thread

The Comp Title Challenge

Tracey Dyck 24 Comments

Brains are busy places, you know. Many things go humming through them, here and there, to and fro, and so it stands to reason that occasionally brains suffer traffic jams. And sometimes brains with too many thoughts to think don’t have room to squeeze in one more, and so, occasionally, at times, now and then, it is necessary to choose a simple topic to blog about.

 

Which is my roundabout way of saying that my pal Madeline J. Rose @ Short and Snappy invented another tag this week! And because my brain is busy sorting out some traffic jams, this tag is just the thing to make sure Adventure Awaits doesn’t sit cold and forgotten today.

 

introducing the comp title challenge

 

What is a comp title, you ask? It’s short for comparison title–you know, when authors, reviewers, and moviemakers throw other names around to try to describe their own creations. Here are some of Madeline’s tips for comp titles (paraphrased):

 
  • Think about the genre of your story. Where and when does it take place?
  • You don’t have to use the biggest names out there–in fact, it might be better if you don’t.
  • Don’t worry about describing your story perfectly. If you find something that you think describes it well, then great, but don’t stress it. It’s just a general idea.
 

And the challenge’s guidelines:

  • Pick a few (or all!) of your WIPS!
  • Give them some comp titles!
  • Tag a few peoples if you wish!
  • Have fun!

(All following pictures via Pinterest.)

NOVELS

The Brightest Thread // Tales of Goldstone Wood meets Diana Wynne Jones meets the Auralia Thread


Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl: rich fantasy world and lyrical writing style. The latest book, Golden Daughter, works particularly well as a comp title because of the dream world stuff. Diana Wynne Jones: the bits of humor (I’ve only read Howl’s Moving Castle, but still). The Auralia Thread series by Jeffrey Overstreet: the allegory and some of the political subplots.

The Prophet’s Quest // Raising Dragons meets Narnia meets The Door Within

So this was my first novel ever, and thinking up comp titles was incredibly easy since my work was heavily influenced by a few certain books. Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis: his human/dragon offspring characters are a lot like my characters turning into dragons. Narnia: hello, new fantasy world! The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson: my Captain Dauntless (in charge of the dragon army) sounds an awful lot like Captain Valithor, a general who likes to SHOUT INSULTS IN ALL CAPS.

The Prophet’s Key // Narnia meets Mission Impossible meets Storm Siren meets the Dragonkeeper Chronicles

Yes, I am aware that sounds like a strange combination. Narnia: again, there is a world besides our own. Mission Impossible: only because there are chase scenes in various parts of our world, not because of any spy missions or gadgetry. Storm Siren by Mary Weber: elementals. And the Dragonkeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul: because Wizard Fenworth was a big inspiration for my crazy wind Shifter named Wimwhile.

NOVELLAS

Mirrors Never Lie // How to Train Your Dragon meets A Time to Die

HTTYD (the movie): Viking/Norse elements. A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes: solely for the intensity of the main character’s inner journey. I suppose I could throw Snow White in there with the other titles, but being a Snow White retelling, that should be obvious.

Blood Rose // Illusionarium meets . . . something medical?


Illusionarium by Heather Dixon: No steampunkiness here, but the plague in that book reminds me ever so slightly of the medical aspect of my story. I really can’t think of any comp titles that fit this Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s modern day, takes place solely between two characters in a mansion in the woods, and has a light touch of sci-fi/fantasy/something. If songs work as comp titles, I would readily say Salvation by Skillet!

The Glass Girl // Gail Carson Levine meets Dragon Slippers

For this Cinderella retelling, I’m not entirely happy with these comp titles either. Gail Carson Levine: simple, sweet fairy tales. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George: something about the medieval city setting reminds me of my story.

UNWRITTEN

Welcome to Absurdity // Eyes Wide Open meets The Dark Unwinding meets Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children


You guys have no idea how excited I am to start this novel one day! The idea has been stewing in my head for years. Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker: unsuspecting allegory and a mental asylum. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron: the aesthetic. I don’t know how else to say it–it’s just the feel of the setting, despite being the wrong time era. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: unusual characters and creepiness. (Man, I really want to start writing this someday soon . . .)

Untitled // Indiana Jones meets Ranger’s Apprentice


Indiana Jones: artefacts and tombs and traps. Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan: good ol’ high fantasy and weapons and rollicking adventures. I just really feel like a fantasy Indy would be a ton of fun to write about.

Well, that was fun! And good practice for future querying as well. I think we can conclude that I have a hard time sticking to the traditional two comp titles per story! What about you, if you write? How would you compare your work-in-progress story? Do any of these tales pique your interest? And if you like, consider yourself tagged!

Keep Reading

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?

Keep Reading

Subplots and Storylines – August 2017

Tracey Dyck 49 Comments

I think I’m stuck in a Donkey Kong game.

You know, where he hops into a barrel cannon, and it shoots him into the next cannon, and that shoots him into the next? That is Donkey Kong, right? (Correct me if I’m wrong.) This whole year has been a series of cannons–all very good ones, though not necessarily all easy–and despite feeling full to the brim, 2017 is only two-thirds done.*

*Pshh, “only.” I feel like it should still be April, thank you very much.

But for the most part, August gave me a chance to catch my breath. The day after I returned from Realm Makers, my family and I packed up and headed south of the border again for a week of much-needed vacation at a cabin! It was so, so good to not have anywhere to be, anything to write, or any deadlines to meet. Just wide open hours to swim and kayak in the lake, soak in the sunshine, devour books, eat too much food, stay up too late, and sleep in every morning. Just amazing. And I loved spending all that time with my family!

The next couple weeks were the steady as she goes kind, during which I:

  • tried (and failed) to clean my room
  • took my youngest sister out for fun stuff like riding a tandem bike for the first time ever (we didn’t die! and it was so much fun!)
  • had a video chat with a dear friend who lives miles away
  • went to orientation day for college
  • had a campfire with another friend who lives a lot closer but is leaving for university
  • ate fresh corn on the cob from the garden
  • met yet another friend for root beer and a catching up

And now summer feels like it’s officially easing into autumn. The days are getting a little cooler already and parts of the garden are being harvested, but the biggest indication that summer is over is this:

I started college this week!

Which is kind of a big deal. I’m adjusting to a new schedule, figuring out how to stuff as much homework as possible into the nooks and crannies of my days, getting to know my teachers, and finally experiencing a public school classroom.*

*Some classes are great. Others feel like a waste of time because hi, I was homeschooled, and I’m used to just reading textbooks for myself, no need to read it to me, thank you, good-bye. Okay, it’s not all that bad. Besides, it means less school reading at home later.

Oh, yes, I suppose I should mention this is for a two-year business admin diploma! I sincerely hope to keep up with Adventure Awaits in the meantime. That may mean shorter posts sometimes, or even some Sunday posts instead of Saturdays, but I’ll try to keep things as normal and scheduled here as possible.

Subplots on Screen

Mostly rewatches this month!

The Flash season 2 – rewatched three episodes
My family was watching it while at the cabin, so hey, why not join them? I was missing Barry Allen and Co.

Once Upon a Time – rewatched some of season 2 + 3 and finished season 5
My siblings and I are almost through season 2, and with my parents we’re well into season 3. But my two sisters and I FINISHED SEASON 5. IT BASICALLY BROKE MY HEART AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.

Avatar: The Last Airbender
My sisters pulled me into it, and so far I’m only three or so episodes in. Aang is cute and the episodes are nice and short.

The Maze Runner – rewatch
Also a holiday movie. My sisters had never seen it before, so it was super fun to see it with them and my brother.

Storylines on the Page

books read on holidays

August was a great reading month for me, thanks to vacation!

Ink and Bone // Rachel Caine


Ink and Bone is . . . how to describe it? Aesthetic. Rich. Colorful. Raw. It feels like dusty old books and hot Alexandrian sun and rattling trains and bloody, muddy war. It wasn’t the fastest read, but that was okay because I wanted to be immersed like that!


I loved the vaguely steampunk setting, the school aspect, and the way Jess is the son of a black market book smuggler. Instant cool points! Wolfe, the ruthless teacher, was someone I hated at first, then slowly grew to love. I also loved the premise of the library of Alexandria still being around!


Unfortunately, there was a bit of language and one homosexual subplot off to the side that I didn’t care for.


Still, I gave the book 4.5 stars! Read my full review on Goodreads HERE.

The Penderwicks // Jeanne Birdsall

This book came highly recommended by several friends, and it did not disappoint!

Think back to your fondest childhood summer, sprinkle it with imagination and adventure, and mix it with a dash of humor and buckets of warm fuzzies. That’s pretty much The Penderwicks. Like Peter Pan did for me last summer, it transported me back to childhood in a way that made me smile and want to live at Arundel with these kids just a little longer. Seriously, if you haven’t read this yet, GO DO IT.

5 stars! Read my full review on Goodreads HERE.

The Fatal Tree // Stephen Lawhead

The Fatal Tree ended the Bright Empires series differently than I expected, but it was still really, really good. I can say very little without plunging straight into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that:

a) I love the crew, especially Kit, Cass, Mina, Etzel (dear, dear Etzel!), and Gianni.
b) I am endlessly fascinated by this multiverse of ley lines and by the topics this series has examined, such as time, the humongous effect everything and everybody has on everything and everybody else, redemption, human will, and WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE UNIVERSE STARTS TO SHRINK.
c) That beautiful cover.

5 stars! Read my full review on Goodreads HERE.

Some Kind of Happiness // Claire Legrand

I bought this on a whim, and by the time I finished I was a small mess of feelings. Which may have been the point of the whole story. Despite it’s title, Some Kind of Happiness deals with a lot of sad topics: depression, cancer, broken families, secrets. (It’s labeled MG, but I probably wouldn’t give it to a reader that young.) However, it was a powerful, beautifully written story packed with my favorite kind of imagery and grand adventures shared by a pack of rambunctious cousins and their friends.

But to back up a little–the whole premise of this book is amazing. 11-year-old Finley deals with her sadness by writing stories about a place called the Everwood, stories that mirror her own struggles. So it was cathartic and affirming to see how her life inspired her writing, and how her writing, in turn, helped her real life!

4 stars! Read my full review (including my favorite quote from the book) on Goodreads HERE.

The Five Times I Met Myself // James L. Rubart

I actually met Jim Rubart at Realm Makers, and he is one of the kindest, most encouraging authors I’ve talked to!

The Five Times I Met Myself is a trippy, introspective book dealing with regret and second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. At first, the concept of Brock’s lucid dreaming and actually talking to his younger self was a bit hard to believe, but the concept was so interesting that pretty soon I didn’t care. Especially when Brock’s attempts to improve his life by getting his younger self to make different decisions start making everything worse.

4.5 stars! Read my full review on Goodreads HERE.

The Beast of Talesend // Kyle Robert Schultz

Another author I met at Realm Makers. You might recognize his name from the Silmarillion Awards this summer, because he hosted the award for Most Incompetent Henchman!

I’d heard great things about The Beast of Talesend as well, the highlight of my friends’ reviews definitely being the humor. And it was quite an amusing tale! The dialogue is one of this novella’s greatest strengths for sure. I also really liked the 1920’s alternate history setting, where fairy tales actually happened long ago, but magic has since faded into obscurity. Except for instances like this one, where Detective Nick Beasley happens to turn into a beast . . . despite the fact he’s spent his whole career disproving magic! His brother, Crispin, and the unstoppable Lady Cordelia prove to be entertaining sidekicks on their little quest.

My only quibble would be the writing. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t particularly arresting either, and I found the sentence structure repetitive now and then. Nevertheless, this was a good, quick read! Kind of a fluffy cupcake sort of thing, and–oddly enough–something that reminded me of Adventures in Odyssey radio dramas (even though the two aren’t related in the slightest).

3.5 stars! (As of right now, I haven’t reviewed this on Goodreads yet.)

Subplots on the Writing Desk

After the intensity of May-July, followed by no writing during vacation, I’ve been taking it easy in this department. I received an amazing, thought-provoking critique of The Brightest Thread’s first chapter at Realm Makers, so I spent my writing time this month brainstorming ways to incorporate that feedback.

I ended up experimenting with chapter one and trying different approaches. My first attempt flopped halfway through. With tea and prayer, I tried again, and it went a lot better . . . though that version of chapter one is really long. Then I wrote yet another version, which was much shorter. I haven’t yet decided which approach is best.

But TBT is currently in the hands of betas, so I’ll see what they say!

Oh, and I updated my Writings page here on the blog! That was a long overdue change.

I had planned to brainstorm a novella for Five Poisoned Apples in August, but that didn’t happen. Hopefully this month! There are only four months left of the contest–yikes.

What about you, valiant adventurers? How was your August? Are you going back to school? What was your best summer memory?

Keep Reading

Subplots and Storylines – June 2017

Tracey Dyck 35 Comments

What ho, questing June bugs! I’m pretty sure June was struck by lightning when the particle accelerator exploded, because it went by in a flash.*

*Ahem. Lame reference to The Flash show. I couldn’t resist. Also I have no idea why you are June bugs today. I had coffee this morning, so I guess you have my cup of joe to thank for the offbeat humor.

Happy Canada 150, by the way, to all my fellow Canadians!
(graphic made by little sis, lostfairy)

It’s crazy! We just flipped the calendar page yesterday, didn’t we? And now we have to flip it again? I’m constantly amazed at just how much can transpire in just thirty days.

The month started off with Rooglewood Press announcing their fourth and final fairy tale retelling contest: Five Poisoned Apples! I have yet to develop even a sliver of an idea, but I would love to enter later on this year. That cover is drop dead gorgeous. A few friends of mine are starting to work on some seriously incredible entries too, from what I’ve heard.

Some of my college classmates and I spoke at an elementary school chapel, even though college is over by now. It was supposed to be our teacher’s thing, but we students had come up with the lesson before grad, so some of us decided to participate anyway, even though we weren’t required to be there. Lots of fun! The best part was an object lesson involving blenders.

Afterwards, I spent the day catching up with a dear friend. Pizza in the park, rants about the trials of customer service, smoothies, and a heart to heart = my kind of outing.

I somehow managed to lose my voice, but just for a day. A stupid cold lingered all during the month of May, but then it came back over a weekend this June–a weekend I was working, a weekend the store had a big sale . . . so that means trying to talk to lots of customers. The old folks couldn’t hear me, one guy asked if my voice always sounded like that or did I have a cold, and several ladies gave me tips to get rid of it (tea, sleep, a cold drink–I think she meant alcohol??–vitamins, honey, etc.). All in all it was quite amusing, although manning the till was not a good idea.

Later in the month we threw a belated party for my mom’s birthday! I haven’t planned or hosted a party in ages, but it ended up a success anyway, and we had the perfect weather for eating outdoors.

Father’s Day also happened–rather low key this year, but still very good.

This week I took my middle sister to the city for a girls day out. We spent over an hour in a bookstore (I bought The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall and Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand–thank you for the recs, my Goodreads friends! I can’t wait to read these summery slices of goodness) . . . went for pizza . . . explored walking trails in the park because when it smells like rain, it’s the best time for adventures . . . and ended off the day with London fogs and macarons in a cutesy little tea shop while it began pouring outside. A lovely time!

And last but not least, I finally sent in my application for the college I want to go to this fall.

Storylines on the Screen

Once Upon a Time – parts of seasons 2, 3, and 5
Still watching it in three different groups: season 2 with all three siblings, season 3 with my parents and sisters, and season 5 with just my sisters. (I’m reminded of how Neverland is one of the best parts of the show EVER. The character conflict is spot on, and Peter Pan is fantastic.)
Rogue One
My second-ever Star Wars movie–go me! I knew in advance that this would be a feelsy movie. Let’s just say it lived up to those expectations, and maybe even surpassed them. There goes my heart in a million pieces on the floor, guys. Jyn, Cassian, and Bodhi were my favorite characters, so if you’ve seen it, you know why I had to sweep up the pieces! And now I can’t decide whether I like Rogue One or The Force Awakens best.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
I rewatched it with my whole family. It didn’t make me cry this time, but it was still gorgeous. For more thoughts, visit Subplots and Storylines – April 2017.

Storylines on the Page

The Shadow Throne // Jennifer A. Nielsen

Within fifty pages, I was scared for every single character on the good side. I loved how this book–and the whole Ascendance Trilogy–managed to be witty, intense, and still have a heart. As always, Jaron is full of sass and clever plans. At one point, when asked what he has up his sleeve, he replies, “Catastrophic levels of bad behavior.” And that about sums it up.

Okay, but before I move on, it bears mentioning that while I did predict the twist at the end, I still loved this final instalment! If you’re looking for a romping, sarcastic fantasy adventure with a handful of great plot twists, look no further.

The Reluctant Godfather // Allison Tebo

What a delightful, hilarious take on the Cinderella story! Check out my review for more thoughts.

The Raven King // Maggie Stiefvater

(Apparently all the books I read this month have matching titles!)

I’ve had difficulty reviewing all four books in the Raven Cycle, but this one was the hardest. In The Raven King, there’s a sharp dichotomy between the magical prose and subtle character development (which I adore), and the frequent swearing, elements of the occult, and now homosexuality (which I cannot endorse).

Without spoiling who or what, I’ll just say that one of my favorite characters was ruined by the gay relationship added to the book. It was saddening.

The ending was also kind of anticlimactic after all the buildup, but in a way it was supposed to fall a little flat. And yet because of that, it didn’t fall flat enough for a long enough time, because by the very end it felt like pretty much everything was solved. The sacrifices made didn’t have the lasting consequences I expected. Certain threads weren’t wrapped up satisfactorily, either.

But the things I did like are Blue’s very relatable longings/frustrations, her developing relationship with Gansey, Gansey’s backstory, more explanations for magical things, and the way that Maggie Stiefvater made me feel things without outright telling me what to feel. Her prose, while not quite to the level of the previous three books, is downright amazing. Plus the cover is gorgeous.

In conclusion . . . I don’t really have a conclusion. This book left me feeling something, left me thinking about it long after I closed the cover, which is the mark of an impactful book. Now if only I could figure out just what kind of impact it had.

(for a few more thoughts, including some spoilers, check out my Goodreads review)

Storylines on My Own Pages

This was the month I planned to add 50,000 words to The Brightest Thread! To keep myself on track, I logged my progress both in words and in time spent writing. This month, I spent over 43 hours on TBT and added 29,238 words to the manuscript. This brings it up to 62k . . . not quite what I’d aimed for, but it was still the best writing month I’ve had this year!

I continued going through TBT from start to finish, basically retyping a mix of the very first novella draft and the polished novella draft, while adding in new stuff along the way. Buuuut by the time I reached the end, the story was still only 55k long. So I took half a week to read over what I had so far and gain a wider perspective. And then I jumped right back in, working on some spot cleaning sort of editing here and there, incorporating a few small subplots, etc. That’s where I’m at right now.

I originally wanted to get this novel up to an 80-90k length, but considering how I feel like I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas at the moment–and considering the fast approaching deadline called Realm Makers–I’m aiming for 70k.

It seems a bit low for the genre, but I’ve been scouring lists of typical industry standard wordcounts. YA, it seems, ranges anywhere from 55-80k, though some lists mention the genre is tending to run longer these days. Fantasy in general ranges from 90-120k. My questions is: what about YA fantasy??? A 70,000-word novel ends up under 300 pages, if I estimated that correctly. And I can’t remember the last time I picked up a fantasy novel that small. However, I think that for the sake of having something to pitch at the conference, a 70k novel isn’t bad, and if an agent shows interest but suggests lengthening the book, that can be done at a later date.

(For all of you nonwriters, I’m sorry for the boring stats and wordcounts. Such is the writer life.) (I also apologize for taking longer to reply to comments this month. When I’m focused on something, I’m obsessively focused.)

Anyway, it’s been a very intense month of patchwork writing/editing, and I really, really hope that the result turns out well. It would be nice if I had time to send the story to beta readers before I leave for the conference, but that will have to wait until afterward. In the meantime, my July writing plans are to:

  • write those last 8,000 words
  • do a quick round of editing
  • prepare a pitch (along with written material such as a query letter to hand out)

Farewell to June and hello to July

The first three weeks of July will be full of TBT work and conference prep, and then at last I shall fly to Nevada for Realm Makers!

And here on the blog, I’ll be posting mostly on Mondays instead of Saturdays, because a certain special thing is going on in July, and you all get to be a big part of it!

That’s right, it’s the second annual Silmarillion Awards!

I would explain all the rules here, but this post is getting long enough. Come back on July 3rd, however, and the fun will begin! In the meantime, start thinking of all your favorite fantasy characters!

How was your June? Is it just me, or is summer just flashing by? (Oops, another Flash pun. After finishing the second season last month, I must be suffering withdrawal.) How many of you will I see at Realm Makers? How many of you are pumped for the Silmarillion Awards?!

Keep Reading