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Tag: The Brightest Thread

Beautiful People – Vyntyri

Tracey Dyck 14 Comments


I am getting to this month’s edition of Beautiful People early for once! Beautiful People is a helpful magic potion concocted by wizards Cait and Skye, designed to aid writers in their quest to better understand their characters. (You can find out more on their blogs.)

As you already know from the title, I’ll be using this round of questions on the villainess of my Sleeping Beauty novella:

Vyntyri

(pronounced Vin-teer-ee)
That woman’s a nasty one, but oh so much fun to write about! She just oozes power and authority, yet beneath the surface she’s a little broken. Not that anyone around her realizes that–she’s much too good at hiding the truth, even from herself. Before we get into the questions, here’s a little taste of this fairy . . .
~*~


The
silhouette shifted, stepped forward. The doors whispered shut behind her.
Somehow, their soft thud sounded worse than the bang with which they’d opened.
Without a bright backdrop, the figure became clear. Robed in glowing silver,
she seemed like a star fallen from the heavens. Silver hair hung freely over
her shoulders. Chin tilted high, she surveyed the assembly. “My, so many guests
here today. King Cedric, surely your table held room for one more?”
(Vyntyri dresses a bit like this.)


Cedric
wiped a hand over his face, now pale. “Vyntyri.”


Riar
pressed closer to the cradle. “We thought you—”


“Dead?”
Vyntyri began walking toward the front, weaving through the tables. Commoners
shrank back from her on all sides.



“Or
locked in enchantment,” Riar replied. “You have not been seen in fifty years.”



Vyntyri,
now moving between the nobles’ tables, laughed. “How happy for you, then—to
discover that I am neither dead nor enchanted. Still, was it not . . . rude
of you, Riar, to neglect to send me an invitation to your daughter’s
christening?”



Cedric,
staring at the silver woman, seemed lost in a trance. Riar’s face tightened.
“Forgive me. I am not in the habit of inviting dead people to parties.”


Vyntyri
bowed her head, but the gesture seemed mocking rather than reverent. “Perhaps
you should have investigated the state of the eighth steward’s health, hm? Not
every piece of news crosses your courtyards. A simple envoy to Contalabutte
Island could have revealed that I am indeed alive and well, and very eager to
bestow a blessing upon your infant.”
~*~



1. They’re in a crisis: who would they really like to see right now?
Vyntyri doesn’t like to rely on anyone but herself in a crisis, but by necessity she will depend on some allies . . . as long as it serves her purposes.

2. Are they easy to get along with?
Ahaha . . . no. She possesses a veneer of civility, but there is too much menace beneath that mask for her to cooperate with anyone. The only time she’d be remotely easier to get along with would be the rare occasion that you and her both want the same end result. And even then, prepare to be stabbed in the back.

3. Who was the last person they had a deep conversation with?
I would have to say Princess Luci, the object of Vyntyri’s curse. But the details of said conversation will be withheld. (Spoilers!)

4. They’re in the middle of a huge crowd of people: how do they feel?
Above them all. Powerful. Suspicious and judgmental of everyone else’s motives.

5. Do they believe in luck or miracles?
No, but she believes in magic, which is really just another way of saying she believes in herself. Her own efforts, her own plans, her own strength.

6. Do they like and get along with their neighbours?
Well, that depends. If you mean her literal neighbors, the people of Contalabutte Island (her kingdom), they get along splendidly. She holds the true seat of power there–not the king–and her people love and depend on her for protection. But if you mean the neighboring kingdoms, that’s a whole ‘nother story. They hardly give Contalabutte a second thought. It’s such a tiny nation, anyway, and the fate of it hardly concerns them. Needless to say, Vyntyri feels ignored.

7. If they could travel anywhere in the world, where would they go?
Someplace where her people could be safe.

8. How do they feel about their body?
Um, strange question . . . Not particularly relevant to this story. But I suppose she feels it is a serviceable vessel. Perhaps she wishes it was a stronger conduit of magic, but it has served her well enough.

9. What is the cruellest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?
Rather than one single thing, the cruellest words spoken to her have built and gathered over the years. A callous remark here, a stinging phrase there. However, the cruelty is found more in the silences and gaps than the actual words. (And just between you and me, Vyntyri reads far more into people’s words and silences than is intended.)

10. What’s the kindest thing someone has ever said to them? How did they react?
I shan’t tell you the actual words, only that someone finally listened. Someone offered help, and in doing so, attacked the very hate festering in Vyntyri’s heart all this time. But being so embroiled in her beliefs, she rejected the offer entirely. I think that may have been her biggest regret.

Hopefully those answers weren’t too vague. As I was writing them, I realized that several of them reached into spoilery territory. But at least you’ve had a glimpse of this story’s primary antagonist!

Are you planning to participate in Beautiful People this month (or have you already)? Who do you think you’ll feature? And what are your thoughts on this malevolent fairy?

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Subplots and Storylines – August 2015

Tracey Dyck 12 Comments
Well, it appears that I am two days late getting this post up. But you patient questers don’t mind too much, right?
August. How shall I begin to describe thee? Thou art fleeting as the wind, capricious as the sea . . . Ahem. Now that I’ve got that Shakespearean hooey out of my system, I believe I can articulate myself in a more contemporary manner.
This month began on a relaxing note, what with family holidays (which I documented HERE). It was lovely to take some time off from life’s busyness together. One thing I forgot to mention in that vacation post was the night we had a campfire–complete with s’mores, naturally–and took turns telling each family member something we loved/appreciated about them. It brought on tears for some of us, and remains one of my favorite memories of the vacation.
And then it was back home–back to work! writing! movies! corn on the cob! Don’t laugh. Fresh corn on the cob, salted and slathered with butter, is one of the very best things on God’s green earth.
But I know you all have much more pressing questions than “what did you eat?” Unless you are Cait of Paper Fury. Because that is probably her primary question for everyone. (Pst, go check out her new blog design–gorgeous!) But the rest of you folk may be wondering . . .
What did you watch?
Too much.
  • A bunch of rewatches, which I mentioned in that vacation post.
  • The last three Indiana Jones movies. As with many things, I was late getting on that particular train. Those iconic adventure movies are pretty great, though, even when they make me howl with laughter over the leaps in logic and unintentional bits of hilarity. Indy, please explain to me how you and your crew managed to float down not one, not two, but THREE successive waterfalls without losing each other in the current or, excuse me, killing yourselves. While I’m asking questions, here’s one for Spielberg and Lucas: what possessed you to mix aliens into the fourth movie? But I digress. I did quite enjoy the Indiana Jones films. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is probably my favorite.
  • Rewatched Mockingjay: Part 1 with my brother, and remembered exactly why I can’t wait for the final Hunger Games installment.
  • Rewatched Teen Beach Movie with my sisters, Mom, and honorary aunt. It was a girly night, okay?
  • Because my littlest sis went off to camp for a week, us three oldest had the leisure of watching a number of older-audience movies. (Who am I kidding, we needed a diversion from all the tears cried over Kitty’s absence.) So we watched The Amazing Spiderman, Thor: The Dark World, and then we gals watched Pride and Prejudice.
  • Finished the first season of Once Upon a Time. I can’t say anything more here, otherwise it might swallow up this entire post, and it’s supposed to be a balanced summary, not a TV show review. (But my poor heart . . .)
What did you read?
Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum. A fun little bundle of chick-lit, and for all you gals who don’t prefer that sort of thing, you might find enough depth here to make this worth your while. I really identified with the main character Paige. Plus, Erynn Mangum’s writing is just hilarious.
 
The Spirit Well by Stephen R. Lawhead (Book 3 in the Bright Empires series). Another brilliant piece of the Bright Empire series! Things are building toward an epic climax, I tell ya.
 
Golden Daughter by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Words cannot express how amazing this novel is. But I shall try to employ those feeble tools in effort to do so anyway. This book, with its pseudo-eastern culture (I’m not learned enough in that sort of thing to pinpoint its exact inspiration–probably Japanese or something), definitely had a different feel to it than the previous installments. Yet it was so distinctly Goldstone Wood, and it shed light on some very important elements of the series. I just might have to write up a book review . . . or more like a reaction post, because a review implies that there may be some negative opinions. And I have zero of those.
 
Mindwar by Andrew Klavan. I’m excited that this is the first of a trilogy, since his last few books have been standalones. Sci-fi-ish videogame stuff allows for a fantasy feel in some portions of the story, and the villains are wonderfully creepy. I started off wanting to hit Rick Dial (main character) upside the head, but he straightened out by the end. There were some nice allegorical elements worked in, encouraging readers not to live by their feelings, and demonstrating the power to be found within us because of Christ.
 
Above by Leah Bobet. *le sigh* I wanted to like this book. I did. I stuck it out to the end, hoping that the unique writing voice and cool elements would make it worthwhile. But poetically off-kilter sentences and people with crab claw hands, lightning powers, or transforming-into-a-bee abilities were not enough. Or I should say, they might have been, had the book not veered into hot-button-topic territory. (Talking to ghosts. A weird, almost-séance scene. Mental disorders, which isn’t a bad thing to address, but just didn’t quite click here. Gender issues. That one jumped out of nowhere and totally messed up the ending. I couldn’t even figure out exactly what the author wanted to say on that topic.) Also, the cover implies the book is about the girl with bee’s wings. It’s not. She’s the love interest of the main, a lovesick, melodramatic boy named Matthew.
 
What did you write?
Glad you asked! (Er, glad I . . . asked . . . myself?) I didn’t write anything the first half of the month (holidays, y’know), but afterward I got a good bit done in my Sleeping Beauty novella. And guess what? I FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT. Yay! But guess what else? IT’S EXACTLY 9,934 WORDS OVER THE CONTEST LIMIT. Oh no.
So it’s obvious I didn’t reach my goal of 20k by July 29th. But 30k by August 29th isn’t too bad if you remember I didn’t write a word for ten days. And that I worked a number of the other days. But boy oh boy, do I ever have my work cut out for me. I’ll have to chop off almost a third of the story. Can it be done? We shall see. I suspect my blood, sweat, and tears will stain this blog in the coming month or two.
Oh, and I still do not have a title. This is not good. But I do have a few possibilities I’m toying with, and I hope to settle on a keeper in time to participate in the Show and Tell being hosted this month.
I can’t leave the topic of Sleeping Beauty without sending a big shoutout to my lovely beta readers! Their responses have made drafting this story twice as much fun, and their input on various things has been so valuable. Thank you, gals!
Good heavens, you’ve been watching, reading, and writing so much–have you had time for anything else?
Yes, but the only noteworthy thing was the walk I took with an old friend the other day. We had a great time getting some exercise and catching up on each other’s lives!
So now I must ask you, questers, what your epic quests are for September. How was your summer? Do you have plans for the fall? And if you’re participating in the Five Magic Spindles contest, how’s your entry coming along? I, for one, will be attempting to trim down my inbox and catch up on some beta reading before jumping into edits (ahem, lumberjack practice).

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Sleeping Beauty Snippets

Tracey Dyck 6 Comments

I’m without internet connection for a little while, so I’ve temporarily disabled the comment moderation. Feel free to comment away, and be sure to check back later, because I’ll be responding to you all when I return to the realm of internet.

This is my first official snippets post, and what better story to give you a peek into than my current WIP! Yep, that’s the Five Magic Spindles entry . . . which still doesn’t have a title. Botheration. Anyway, enough rambling. Behold the raw magic of a first draft. (Or perhaps, the raw mess. Take your pick; there’s a bit of both in there.)

 

Shutting the book, Luci leaned her head against the wall. “If loves puts you in a cage, I’d rather they didn’t love me.”

~*~

Reverie prattled on through the second and third courses, by which time the conversation had veered from dwarves and boots to rumblings from the ogre colonies, to the torrential rains sweeping across her homeland, to the princess’s lacy wrappings spun by Iror’s best spinners, to the quality of the rubies in the cutlery.
Aleida nodded along and inserted an “Oh my” or “Indeed” when appropriate.

~*~

Riar’s face tightened. “Forgive me. I am not in the habit of inviting dead people to parties.”

~*~

Luci eyed her company. “Master Boris.”
Her tutor raised his head. “Yes, Princess?”
“Have I ever told you that you have the nose of a pig?”
Boris blinked and touched his rounded, upturned nose. “I–no, Princess, you haven’t.”
“I think it goes lovely with your squinty little eyes.” Luci sliced off another bite of melon. “You would make a convincing swine in next year’s children’s pageant.”

~*~

“How fares your training?” Father asked, chipper tone belying his wasting frame.
”Better than ever.” Hadrian massaged his sore bicep.
Father sighed contentedly and shifted against the pillows. “Good. A king should know how to wield his sword.”
Hadrian looked down at the tiled floor. The onset of the withering six months ago had served to bring out Father’s greatest wisdom, however slight it may be, and in the past weeks he had talked of little more than kingship, death, and the crowning of his only son.

~*~

Without a backward glance, she ran up to her chambers and slammed the door. If her tongue could not speak her mind, that echoing boom certainly could.

~*~


Two things happened at once. The royal couple’s faces paled to the color of frost, and Aleida staggered back with a sudden wave of realization, crashing like the Falls when they were swollen with snowmelt.

~*~

“Who are you?”
“My name matters little.” She still did not face him, but stood rigid, arms crossed.
“It does if it belongs to the one who rescued me.”
 
~*~
 
Kronna turned on him, prematurely-grey braid swinging. A small beam of daylight fell on one side of her face and painted it paler than usual, while shadows cloaked the other side–a grotesque contrast on her harsh features. “Where are you going?”
Hadrian met her gaze unflinchingly. “The gardens.”
With an impatient wave of her hand, she turned to Father. “Go. If Bauglind were a plot of dirt, you would make a very prepared heir indeed.”

~*~

Floating. Falling–ever downward, never stopping. Nothingness full of something. Silence full of sound.

~*~

“Hold your thundercloud, I’m coming!” a voice shouted from within. Moments later, the door banged inward. “Oh! Prince Hadrian!” Reverie blinked. Her faded golden curls formed a tangled halo, mussed from sleep. “Good mor–is it morning?” She peered outside at the sky. “Hardly close enough to even wish you a good one. Hmph.”

~*~

In the waking world, during the hour before the sun rose, the sky would always begin to brighten in preparation, lightening in subtle shades. And slowly, the darkness would lift, and the shapes in Luci’s chambers would grow more distinct. That was how it felt now, as bits of knowledge floated back to her mind.

~*~

Reverie . . . launched into a story drawn from history, just wild enough to waver on the brink of belief, and just strange enough to make sense.


~*~

“There is a magic deeper than the curse, and deeper than my blessing.” [Aleida] spoke softly, but her words echoed against the mist. “We fairies cannot touch it. It lies within the very marrow of the earth’s bones, and it is beyond our comprehension to control.”

~*~

Luci whispered the words burning in her throat. “I have called them to their deaths.”

~*~

He came up behind her. “If I close my eyes, will you face me and hold out your hand?”
“Promise to keep your eyes shut?”
“Promise.” He closed them. “Now hold out your hand.”
Grass rustled. He reached out blindly and found her hand, warm and smooth as silk-leaf. Carefully, he wrapped her fingers around the star. “There. Something unasked.”

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Beautiful People – Alucinora

Tracey Dyck 22 Comments

I’m super excited to use this month’s Beautiful People to introduce a character from my Sleeping Beauty novella! Hosted by the ever-creative Cait and Skye, these questions are particularly summery, and a number of them relate quite well to my main character:


Combine this face…

Princess Alucinora

(Known by her closest friends as Luci)

Luci
lowered her gaze and plucked the strings a little faster. “I would very much
like to go dragon riding with Aleida. Her dragons are well-trained—you’ve seen
how gently they draw her carriage.”
Father
cleared his throat, the sound like loose rocks tumbling down a mountain. “That
is not a particularly . . . er, ladylike activity.”
Luci
picked the next note harder. Simply because it requires one to wear
trousers? Aleida wears breeches all the time.
“Nor
is it safe,” Mother put in. “What would Iror do if the crown princess plummeted
to her death on the rocks?”


With this hair (though not quite as red),
and you get Luci.

Oh, and because some of the questions are worded for more modern stories, I’ll be tweaking a few along the way to fit my classic fairy-tale setting.

So without further ado, curious questers, let us begin.


 
1. What’s their favourite ice cream flavour?
There’s no ice cream in Luci’s kingdom, Iror, so we’ll change the question to favorite dessert. She loves fresh fruit, and there’s nothing better than cubed Glair melon and valley berries sprinkled with sugar.
 
2. Your character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What are they wearing? Who will they be with?
Well, *cough* Luci doesn’t really . . . go out much. Or at all. Her parents are overprotective that way. A night in, however, is not out of the question, and often consists of performing for the nobles. As an infant, Luci received some very special gifts, you see, from eight fairy stewards. Among those magical talents are song, dance, and a way with musical instruments. Thus, she is a popular entertainment choice. So she’ll be in the castle’s Great Hall, she’ll be wearing one of her finer (though still poorly-woven) dresses, and she’ll be with her parents and the nobles.

3. Look at your character’s feet. Describe what you see there. Do they wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Are they in socks that are ratty and full of holes? What do they consider comfortable and what do they consider agony?
 
Slippers of the royal sort, though likely scuffed from Luci’s wanderings about the castle or the occasional forest stroll. (When accompanied by guards, of course.) If she’s not wearing slippers, she’ll be barefoot–the most comfortable choice during the summer. What does she consider agony? Well, there is that one beaded pair that pinches and chafes in all the wrong places . . .

4. Do they have any birthmark or scars? Where are they and how did they get them?
Baby Luci–isn’t she adorable?
Another of Luci’s gifts is beauty, so if she was born with any birthmarks, they didn’t stick around. As for scars, not much dangerous or strenuous activity is allowed, so the worst she can boast is paper cuts from all the books she handles. She desperately wishes her appearance wasn’t so perfect, though. It’s rather tiring to have the castle staff gaze at you in awe every time you walk by.
(I have to insert a little aside here. Luci’s best friend Aleida, who happens to be the fairy steward of Iror, has a most intriguing scar . . . a star-shaped one on the back of her neck. She got it at a young age, during magic practice with an older fairy steward.)

5. What kind of music do they listen to? Does it change depending on their mood or is it always consistent? (Feel free to share samples!)
Luci avoids music as much as she can. She has little interest in something she can do perfectly. Her thoughts on being asked to perform?

“Like
asking someone to sit and just breathe for an audience. Ridiculous and dull.” 

If she’s honest, though, she doesn’t mind music in general. The beauty of it has been tainted by her gifts and the attention they bring, but if she can get away from all that, there is something about airy woodwinds that stirs her desire for freedom.

6. Do they have any musical talent? Play an instrument? How’s their singing voice?
I believe we’ve covered that one quite well already.

7. What kind of book would you catch them reading?
Anything and everything, particularly adventure stories or fantastic legends. They’re the closest thing she has to an adventure of her own.

8. How would they spend their summers (or their holidays)?
Outdoors as much as possible! The forest is a favorite, and she loves visiting the waterfall with Aleida. But Luci dreams of an even better summer pastime: dragon riding. Unfortunately, the king and queen aren’t particularly keen on that idea.

9. It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. Ex. If they’re eating breakfast, what’s on the menu? Are they hiking, shopping, lazing around?
Spending time with Aleida. They’ll either be talking, dreaming, walking, or holing up in the library together.

10. Is there anything your character wants to be free of?
All her days, Princess Luci has lived in the cage her parents made. They love her dearly, and since her safety has been compromised since birth, they’ll do all they can to ensure she is protected. Luci feels stifled, both by their caution and by her gifts. Beauty and music are the pedestal upon which others have set her, and her gift of diplomacy prevents her from voicing her deepest thoughts. With everything in her, she longs to be free. Free to speak her mind, free to be seen as herself and not her gifts. Free to risk. Free to live. And as her story progresses, the bars of her cage only thicken, bringing a captivity far worse than any her well-meaning parents place on her.
 
~*~
 
I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting my headstrong princess as much as I’ve enjoyed presenting her to you! If you’ve done Beautiful People this month, let me know so I can come meet your characters too.
 
By the way, you know the goal I made to finish the first draft of this novella before the end of July? Well, I’m at about 14K words right now, which gives me less than two weeks to write the next 6. According to the chart I made (yes, I did that), I’m on track . . . but whether this story will actually be done within the word limit is questionable. It’s trying desperately to become a full-length novel. When the whole falling asleep thing occurs around the halfway mark, you know you have a problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have my editing knife to sharpen in preparation.
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