Menu Close

Tag: The Prophet’s Quest

The Voices of YA Tag

Tracey Dyck 22 Comments

I have been tagged by Lisa @ Inkwell for the Voices of YA tag! (Everyone go say hi to her. She’s awesome.) Truth be told, she tagged me a whole Y E A R ago, and here I am, finally getting around to it.

 

The Rules:

  • Thank the person who tagged you (thanks again, Lisa, and sorry for my tardiness!)
  • Link to the original creator (you can find it from Caitlin Lambert @ Quills and Coffee HERE)
  • Answer the ten questions
  • Tag at LEAST two other YA writers/bloggers
  • Share with the hashtag #VoicesofYA




[graphic from Caitlin Lambert]

1. What draws you to YA?

 

The emotions! Everyone knows teenhood is fraught with them, and so is young adult fiction. Now, I’m not a big fan of melodramatic angst–that can get ridiculous fast–but I am in love with the full range of excitement, confusion, doubt, passion, and fear that can be found in teenaged protagonists.

Of course these things are also present in adult fiction, and even to a certain extent in middle grade fiction . . . but YA is where it really shines. It’s the bridge between the carefree days of childhood and the responsibility of adulthood. It’s when a person starts to define who he or she is. It’s one big cocoon of transformation, and that’s what I love about it.

 

I may be older than most YA characters by now, but that doesn’t make their struggles any less relevant. If anything, I think teens are just more honest about the hard things, and it’s the adults who try to hide behind masks. I hope I always stay young at heart.

 

2. Describe your writing process. Do you like outlines and structures, or seeing where the story takes you?

 

Both! When I started out, I wrote by the seat of my pants, content to see where the story wandered. (Outlining? Pfft, that was for school.) That worked until I started writing actual novels and got very stuck. Then I switched to outlining–the full Roman numeral chapter-by-chapter method–and that worked until the plot and characters took on lives of their own and refused to listen to my plan. I tried bending them to my will, but they clammed up and became wooden and boring.

 

So now I’m a hybrid, neither a pantser nor a plotter. I like a good roadmap with all the important signposts in place, but I want the freedom to figure out the road in between as I go. Whenever the space between signposts (a.k.a. bullet points in a Word doc) is too big and I get lost, I step back and re-evaluate, usually filling in a few more plot points before I keep writing.

 

That’s what works for me now, but who knows? That could change one day. Every book is a new adventure, and my process keeps evolving.

3. How long have you been writing? Where are you in your journey?

 

I have been writing in some form or another since I was six or seven, when a love of books and the encouragement of my first grade teacher overflowed into the act of writing my own tales.

 

I have been writing novels since I was twelve, when I started The Prophet’s Quest, which, at the time, was a thinly veiled Chronicles of Narnia / Dragons in Our Midst crossover.

 

Since then, I wrote the sequel (The Prophet’s Key) and started the third book in the series (untitled). I edited TPQ, the first book, numerous times–first on my own and then with the help of amazing mentors (you know who you are!)–when I was sixteen. That’s what really jumpstarted my writing craft. I also started rewriting TPK, the second book.

I wrote four novella-sized retellings of fairy tales in between those edits/rewrites: The Glass Girl (Cinderella), Blood Rose (Beauty and the Beast), The Brightest Thread (Sleeping Beauty), and most recently, Mirrors Never Lie (Snow White). All of these were for contests hosted by Rooglewood Press, and I’m still delighted whenever I think about TBT and MNL placing as finalists.

 

Because I fell irreversibly in love with The Brightest Thread, and because it had so much room for more story, I expanded it into a full novel last summer. After taking a break for college, I’m now editing this special story.

 

But I guess that’s my writing history, and the question asked about the journey. So where am I right now? I’m honing my craft, working to sharpen my plotlines and smooth my characters’ rough edges. I’m devouring all the education on writing I can, from blogs to books to conferences to conversations with real-life authors. I’m researching the publishing industry. I’ve been putting my work out there in little ways. And right now, I’m slowly but surely researching literary agents and preparing myself to query in earnest.

 

This author thing is a long road, and I refuse to put timelines on it anymore, but I honestly do feel like I’m a lot closer to publishing than I’ve ever been.

 

(None of this is supposed to be an “oh, look at me!” statement. Just sharing my journey: where I’ve been, where I am, and where I dream of going.)

 

4. What do you need to write? Coffee? Music?

 

Neither is a necessity. I like coffee, but most days tea is more appreciated. I love music, but it’s been a long time since I wrote to it consistently. All I need is a spot on the couch in the living room, my laptop, maybe a notebook, and relative quiet. (People can be talking, but I can’t have a movie playing in the background.)

 

In high school, I would hole up in my room for hours at a time with Narnia soundtracks on loop, and that’s how I wrote. But since the adult life takes me away from home a lot more often than the homeschooled-teen life did, these days I like to camp out someplace in the house that’s closer to my family. I guess I’ve gotten used to having distractions people around?

 

5. If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer (other than “don’t give up”), what would it be?

 

If you want to publish, you’re going to need to be in this for the long haul. Even if you don’t want to publish, and your dream is to share your stories with friends and family, you still need to see the long game. Because writing a book is not a fast process. Publishing it is an even longer process.

 

See question #3? I’ve been writing seriously for ten years, and only now do I have a novel I think might be publishing-worthy. (And it’s not even done. Revisions take time.) As a young writer, I dreamt of being a breakout bestseller at age sixteen. All those other authors with stories about hundreds of rejections and years of waiting? Ha, that wouldn’t happen to ME. Fast forward to today, and I’m honest-to-goodness glad it’s a longer journey than I once thought. Sixteen-year-old me was not ready. That book I was writing at the time wasn’t ready. Great gobs of gravy, I’m not sure if I’m 100% ready now, but I’m a lot closer than before. Your journey will look different, but be willing to see the big picture and Take. Your. Time.

 

The thing is, if you’re serious about this, you’re going to need patience by the truckload. Determination, humility, a willingness to learn, and courage help a lot too. Writing is easy. Writing well takes a lot of practice and a lot of guts. And publishing? Well, I’ll let you know how that goes! See the big picture. It will keep you from getting discouraged when you feel stuck.

 

6. What book still has you reeling from its plot twist?

 
It’s so hard to pick just one! But since we’re talking about YA, I’ll point to one of my favorite YA fantasy books, The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen. A number of my Goodreads friends say that they saw the twist coming, but for some reason I did not. Maybe knowing there is a twist makes it easier to see coming?

Anyway, it surprised me! Suddenly the plot clicked in a way it hadn’t before, and niggling little things that had bothered me started to make sense. It was epic. Go read it. The rest of the Ascendance Trilogy is a lot of fun too.

 

7. What books are you most anticipating for this year?

 

FAAAAAAAWWWWKKKEESSSSSS.

Ahem. I’ve only read one book by Nadine Brandes so far, but I am ridiculously excited about her historical fantasy coming out next month! Because hey, it’s historical fantasy, and I do not have enough of that wonderfulness in my life. Also it involves the Gunpowder Plot (y’know, Guy Fawkes and blowing up the king and all that jazz?). And it involves masks. And magic. And the cover is gorgeous. And Nadine Brandes wrote it. So I am all the excited.

 
I’m also looking forward to reading A Thousand Perfect Notes, C.G. Drews’ recent debut! It’s Cait from Paper Fury, people! Our very own queen of the universe! So I’m very happy for her and can’t wait to have my heart broken by her book.
 

Some other books that have been out for a while, but are among the “highly anticipated” books on my TBR this year . . .

 

The Scorpio Races and All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron. Wanted: a Superhero to Save the World by Bryan Davis. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer. By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber. (I’d better stop.)

 

8. In your opinion, which YA book/series has the most unique premise?

 

Excuse me? How am I supposed to answer that?

 

Pardon me while I go stare at my Goodreads shelves.

 

. . .

 

Okay. I’m back. The problem is that all my favorites have something unique about them, whether it’s fairytales in space (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer), the non-burning of the Library of Alexandria (The Great Library series by Rachel Caine), or a spiritual journey in the midst of a creepy small town (Solitary Tales by Travis Thrasher).

 

But I honestly can’t think of anything quite like the mashup of awesomeness found in the triplet series Dragons in Our Midst / Oracles of Fire / Children of the Bard by Bryan Davis. Where else can you read about dragons, Arthurian legend, Biblical history, and sci-fi technology in one storyworld? These books span Earth across literal millennia, plumb the depths of Hades, ascend to Heaven, and venture into realms straight out of the author’s imagination. Rereading them this year has been awesome.

 

9. What is your all-time favorite quote from YA?

 

I’m no good at these “all-time favorite” questions, so I’ll cop out and offer you two quotes I like–one amusing and the other deep.

 

First, from Winter by Marissa Meyer:

 
“Did you see any rice in there? Maybe we could fill Cinder’s head with it.”

 
Everyone stared at him.

 
“You know, to . . . absorb the moisture, or something. Isn’t that a thing?”

 
“We’re not putting rice in my head.”

 

Second, from my current read, Enoch’s Ghost by Bryan Davis:

Sapphira held the brick with the red diode close to the photometer. “You can’t do this alone, Ashley.”

 
She released her hair, leaving a bloody smear. “I couldn’t reach Larry. I already tried.”

 
“I don’t mean Larry.” Sapphira’s eyes once again blazed. “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

 
Ashley looked up at her and stared. “If you mean have faith, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

 
“I know you’re trying.” Sapphira laid a hand on Ashley’s cheek. A ripple of fire rode along Sapphira’s forearm and crept into her hand. “You have been trying all your life.”

 
Ashley closed her eyes. Heavenly warmth radiated into her cheek and flowed throughout her body, loosening her muscles and draining her tension.

 
“Relax, Ashley, and let Jehovah work through you. Faith asks that you let his power flow, not your anxiety, not your fears, and not your sweat. His power.”

 

10. What books do you most hope will have a movie adaptation?

 
Ooooh, that’s a good question. My one caveat with this list is that these movies have to be made really well or not at all. Ha.
 
  • The Lunar Chronicles // Marissa Meyer
    • If they get the casting right and use top-notch special effects, this could be epic!
  • Solitary Tales // Travis Thrasher
    • These would be so. stinking. creepy. Especially with a good composer for the soundtrack!
  • Rangers Apprentice // John Flanagan
    • Again, good casting, please! But how fun would it be to see these adventures on the big screen? I think a TV show would work a lot better than a movie series in this case.
  • Illusionarium // Heather Dixon
    • Because I just want a steampunk movie.
  • The Montmorency books // Eleanor Updale
    • Set in Victorian London, with the main character living the dual life of a gentleman and a criminal, this could be a fun set of movies. It’s been forever since I read them, but now I want to reread . . .
  • My own books!
    • Come on, every writer dreams of this, right?
 

Thanks for the tag, Lisa! It rescued me on a day my brain didn’t want to cooperate with blogging, and it was fun to boot.

 

I hereby tag:

 

Chloe @ Faeries and Folklore*
Kaitlyn @ Animal Jam Jumble*
Hanna @ Taking My Time
Josiah @ The Steadfast Pen
Savannah @ Inspiring Writes
Victoria Grace Howell @ Wanderer’s Pen
You, if you want to steal it!

*You both are YA readers, not necessarily YA writers, but go ahead and tweak the first five questions to suit yourselves. 🙂

Keep Reading

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 2016 // Year-End Recap

Tracey Dyck 16 Comments



O December, how paradoxical art thou

Long as the White Witch’s winter
Short as a bearded dwarf
Crowded on one end
Tranquil at the other
Thirty-one wonderful, taxing, joyous, exhausting, brimming days
Farewell 2016.*

*Starting out with free verse was not my intention, especially considering my sleepy brain is still trying to figure out where to take this post. But there it is, random Narnia reference included.

This really was an all-over-the-place month. My brother’s birthday . . . long, long, LONG volunteer days . . . family gatherings . . . more Christmas parties than I’ve ever attended . . . big projects . . . Needless to say, by the time I reached Christmas break, I was rejoicing!

Near the beginning of December, an honest to goodness snow day kept my brother and I home from school, and then the following day we had to battle slick roads, iced up windshields, and poor visibility. Fun, fun.

Upon request (thanks, Savannah!), here is
the tree ornament I received this Christ-
mas: an angel made entirely out of paper.
Besides presenting my second speech in my public speaking class, I also had the opportunity to speak (preach?) in two high school chapel sessions this month: one about standing up against familiarity, the other about three ways to improve family relationships, particularly over the holiday season. I received excellent feedback and constructive criticism, leading to visible growth in this area. It’s stretching me, but I love it! Honestly, after delivering the first chapel and realizing I could actually do it, I was on top of the world.
As a college class, our biggest project this month was running the Christmas hampers. My brother was put in charge, and I was one of two “assistant managers,” so to speak. Most of the work was placed in our hands–acquiring and wrapping boxes, making grocery and toy lists, overseeing the shopping and organization, and forming delivery teams. Though it was a lot of work, it was also so rewarding to see the joy on the recipients’ faces!
A second blizzard hit at the tail end of Christmas Day, and this one actually was fun. (Minus the fact that my car got stuck at the end of my driveway two days later. Thank goodness for helpful neighbors.)
Christmas itself was cozy and quiet, just the six of us at home. Nowhere to go, no one to see. Exactly what I needed. My family is an incredible blessing. Wherever they are is my favorite place to be.

movies



A wee bit of Once Upon a Time Season 1 with my parents and sisters, and a wee bit more of the same with my brother, since we finally roped him into the show. Season 5 showed up under the Christmas tree (!!!), so I watched one episode with my sisters too.



[source]



Princess Protection Program — Re-watched with my sisters. It was very . . . Disney-ish. Crazy to see Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez so young and innocent, though. This time around I recognized Jamie Chung, who also plays Mulan in OUAT.



[source]

Finding Dory — OH MY JELLYFISH, THIS MOVIE. It had the perfect balance of Finding Nemo nostalgia and new story freshness. Baby Dory was the most adorable animated creature to ever grace the screen. Watching her story play out was both hilarious and heartwarming. (My favorite scene is still when Hank the septipus–aka the seven-armed octopus–drives the truck.)



[source]

The Star of Bethlehem — This is more of a documentary of sorts that I first watched in class, and then showed my family on Boxing Day. It uses historical timelines, Biblical text, and the math behind the universe to pinpoint what exactly the Star was. Utterly fascinating! The symbolism is incredible, and I was touched by the way God set everything in motion with a perfect, precise plan to announce our Savior’s birth.



[source]

Civil War — Finally. I have been waiting and waiting since this hit theaters, and let me tell you, it was worth it! Y’all probably know by now that Captain America is my favorite superhero. This third movie does not disappoint. My incoherent reaction pretty much consists of: ALL THE FEELS EVERYONE’S FIGHTING LOOKIT THE ALLIANCES AND CHARACTER INTERACTIONS AND MORAL DILEMMAS AND EPIC ACTION AND FRUSTRATIONS AND SADNESS AND BUCKYYYYY.

books



Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children // Ransom Riggs
This pretty book was a birthday present, not like you were wondering. I found it to be less creepy, overall, than I had expected. The language was unfortunate, especially considering the protagonist’s young age. (I tend to think the protag’s age is a reflection on the intended audience. A 15-year-old should not be using those words, okay?) But the settings and characters were super fascinating, and I loved all the strange old photographs. Definitely a unique formatting style! I also would’ve liked a bit more explanation about certain things, but maybe the next two books will clear it up. Four stars.



Cress // Marissa Meyer
One word: awesome. And a few more words: amusing, intense, heart-wrenching. I’d definitely say Cress rivals Cinder for favorite Lunar Chronicles instalment thus far. Cress herself is adorably naïve, yet brilliant. Pairing her with cocky Carswell Thorne was a stroke of romantic genius: the two make a hilarious couple! Following the rest of the Rampion crew was way too much fun as well. Cinder and Kai continued to be precious, Scarlet and Wolf were better than in their own book, and Iko made me ridiculously happy.

I almost considered reading Winter immediately afterward, but decided not to on the singular basis that I probably couldn’t finish it before the end of the year, and then it would have to count toward 2017’s Goodreads challenge. (Yes, I am particular like that.)

(sorry for the fuzzy picture quality; this is the only
one I could find of my cover)



Treasures of the Snow // Patricia St. John
Rereading this childhood favorite right after Christmas was like sipping hot chocolate whilst bundled up in a cozy quilt. I had forgotten portions of it, but the general direction and feel of the book was very familiar. The themes were more overt than I tend to enjoy, but this book is a classic to me, and so for nostalgia’s sake I forgive it all. It really does have some profound things to say about forgiveness and pride. Five stars.



Paper Crowns // Mirriam Neal
I was surprised to find this little gem wrapped under the Christmas tree this year! I’ve been meaning to get it ever since my lovely blogger friend Mirriam announced it was being published. I’m not quite to the end–though I hope to finish tonight–but so far it’s been a light, fluffy, adorable book! I adore Hal. And Azrael. And Salazar. And basically everyone but Maven. I know I’ll be giving this four or five stars.

I was blessed by an EPIC Christmas book haul: Paper Crowns, Quiet (a nonfiction book about introverts), The Calling,
Reapers, Five Magic Spindles, and Golden Daughter. ^_^

writing

11,734 words in The Prophet’s Quest this month! Most of that, as you can imagine, was done in the latter half of the month. I have for sure crested the halfway point. It’s a relief to bring all the characters back to Demetria at last. I’m hoping the return to a purely fantasy setting will help the words flow better in the future.
I had plans to hit 80k before Christmas holidays, and then use my break to reach 100k. I’m behind schedule, since I didn’t hit 80k in time, but I still want to write as much as I can while I have time. Without running myself ragged, that is. I do need to rest during this break as well.

This recap will cover only life-y stuffens and writerly stuffens. (That is my own invented word, if you were scratching your head and wondering what sort of typos this supposed ‘writer’ just made. It’s more fun to say than stuff, don’t you agree?) I almost decided to list bloggy stuffens, too, but decided those highlights would be better saved for the next blogoversary celebration. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Books of 2016 post, though!
 
For now, prepare for lists! Because lists are life. And lists are easy to write, easy to read. Lists keep overweight blog posts from becoming positively obese.
 

2016 life

  • was a bridesmaid at a best friend’s wedding
  • watched Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time
  • went on a young adult/youth retreat in the spring
  • bought my first car
  • got promoted at my job
  • went to a Piano Guys concert
  • started college, which included . . .
  • another retreat (much more intense than the other one)
  • public speaking
  • projects (like chapels and hampers)
  • volunteering
  • youth ministry
 

2016 writing

Things I Did:
  • finished some minor edits in The Prophet’s Quest
  • researched some literary agents and some book stuff (like psychology, delusions, airplanes, and exotic locations)
  • discovered my novella, The Brightest Thread, was a top ten finalist in the Five Magic Spindles contest
  • bought and started Ted Dekker’s The Creative Way writing course
  • revamped my publishing plans
Things I Actually Penned:

It’s been quite the year! Don’t let me give the false impression that 2016 was one glorious highlight after another, though. Monotony, weariness, and blandness made their mark on a number of days in between.

And yet the storyline weaving through the last twelve months was undeniably one of growth. The fast, painful, stretching kind . . . and the slow, gradual, imperceptible kind. The sandpaper days are smoothing a few of my rough edges, and yet the more I learn, the more rough edges I discover.

I’ve become a more confident person.

I’ve become a better writer, largely through the sheer keep-on-keepin’-on element of my writing life lately.

I’ve become a better public speaker, even though I’m still working on inflection and talking more slowly.

I’ve invested into myself.

I’ve been learning how to work hard, and how to keep working hard when I think I’m too tired to go on.

I’ve been learning how to rest, and not feel guilty for resting.

I’ve been learning that excellence is doing the best I can with what I have, and that there’s no reason to beat myself up when I can’t do more.

I’ve seen how very patient my Father God is with me. How faithful His love is, even when I am not. How deep His grace is, how perfect His plan is.

2016 was not an easy year by any means. But looking back over my shoulder, I can see that it was good. It was sandpaper to raw wood, fire to a forge, and in between, it was breath to oxygen-starved lungs. 2017, you will be even better.

How was your December? And your entire year? Highlights, lowlights? In-between-lights? Life is hard sometimes, so let’s find empathy and encouragement in each other’s company!

Keep Reading

Rethinking My Publishing Plans

Tracey Dyck 28 Comments

At the beginning of the month, I mysteriously mentioned that I was “reconsidering publishing tactics.” Well, since then I have spent about half a dozen journal pages–and a fair bit o’ brainspace–tossing the ideas about. Though it scares me a little to move these thoughts from a private journal and personal conversations to a place as public as a blog . . . I shall bare my soul. (Not really. Just inform you of my thought processes on this topic.)

The blog post that knocked me over

In July, I read a post on She’s Novel that tossed all my plans upside down. (By the by, if you’ve never checked out Kristen Kieffer’s blog, you’re missing out on some awesomely detailed writing advice!) In How to Create a Smart + Savvy Publishing Plan, Kristen talks about how your first novel is not necessarily the one you should publish first.

The whole post is golden, but what really jumped out at me was this: for a publishing house, signing a brand new author is always a risk. But it’s riskier to publish a debut author’s first-book-in-a-series than it is to publish a debut standalone novel. Because what if that first-in-a-series flops? They’re left with an unfinished series, which is kind of awkward for everyone involved. If it’s a standalone (especially one with series potential) however, it’s not as big a deal if it bombs; and if it succeeds, they can capitalize on it by having the author write follow-up books.

Or–here’s another thing–if you have a series you want to publish, but you’re a new author . . . You could publish a standalone in the same (or similar) genre to prove to publishers, “Hey, I can actually sell genre X. I have an audience! They like what I’m writing! And, just a little aside, I also have a four-book series in that genre I’d like to get out there.”

And the publisher might say, “What’s that? A series in the same genre? Can we have that too, please and thank you?”

Because you’ve got a track record, taking on your series is now less risky.

What does this mean?

Remember my long-time baby, The Prophet’s Quest? For years, it’s been my dream and my plan to publish that first, and to follow it up with The Prophet’s Key and at least a couple more books in the series. Epic high fantasy with dragons and world-hopping–that’s my jam. It’s a series I’ve poured time and effort and pieces of myself into since I was twelve.

Now all of a sudden, I’m hearing advice that suggests delaying that plan. Again. If there was one word that could sum up the journey of writing this Journeys of the Chosen series, it would be DELAY.

I read the She’s Novel post, nodded along to some parts, but kind of passed off the rest as a “that might be good for you, but not for me” sort of thing. (Don’t we all like to think we’re the exception to the rule?) But I gave it some more thought, and uncomfortably realized she made a lot of sense. Plus, I don’t relish the idea of shopping The Prophet’s Quest around for months, if not years, waiting for a bite.

Now I’m thinking it would be the wisest course of action to first put out a YA fantasy standalone, and then get TPQ & Company into the big, wide world.

The next question is what that standalone should be. Why, The Brightest Thread, of course! While trimming it down to size for the Five Magic Spindles contest last year, I ached because there was so much more story to explore, and the word limit kept me from doing so. But even in its lean, streamlined form, this story made it to the top ten list,* which gives me hope that it could become a successful debut novel–once I expand it, of course.

*I’m still in shock when I think about it!

There was something special about writing The Brightest Thread. I felt as if I’d truly discovered my voice. The story and I just clicked, and though there were struggles along the way, most of the writing felt very natural. Very much me. In the context of a fairy tale world, I could paint in vivid color and deepest black. I could craft my sentences with musicality and rhythm and punch. I could draw out themes in a fantastical way different from the more grounded Journeys of the Chosen books. Thinking back on Luci, Hadrian, Aleida, and Vyntyri, I sense they have a fuller story to tell.

But reaching this decision was not one resolute nod of the head and squaring of the shoulders. Like I do with many big decisions, I deliberated. A lot.

Deliberations

  1. It feels like abandoning my “baby,” Journeys of the Chosen. I’ve never been the type to leave a good story in the dust to chase after a shiny new one. I hate quitting things I’m passionate about.
  2.  It feels like betraying the mentors who helped me so vastly with The Prophet’s Quest.
  3. I’m scared that after expanding and publishing The Brightest Thread, I would return to my series and discover I’ve outgrown it. And if my love for it does grow cold, maybe TPQ was never meant to see the light of day. Oh, it pains me to entertain such thoughts!

My brain offered arguments against all three hesitations, however.

  1. It’s not abandonment, just postponement. I don’t want to give up Journeys! I will come back to it, just at a later date than expected.
  2. Practically speaking, it’s not betrayal. The mentorship I’ve received has affected all of my writing, not just this series.
  3. I have outgrown them numerous times, and each time the series has evolved along with me. Every break away only fosters my love for it, so that when I come back, it’s new and exciting again.

At the end of the day, I really just need to trust God with this series. Trust that He knows best, and that every delay and detour is for a reason. My dreams, including my dream career as an author, is safe in His hands. Whatever twists the road may take are not surprising to Him.

So what’s the plan?

Once I get back into agent research, this means I’ll be researching with The Brightest Thread foremost in my mind, and Journeys second. And it probably also means I won’t begin querying this year like I thought. There’s information to gather and things to write first.

But I don’t like leaving one project hanging unfinished for long, so I will finish drafting The Prophet’s Key before moving on. It’s currently sitting at just under 60k words. I’ve been consistently adding approximately 10k a month, so at this rate I expect to finish sometime between the end of 2016 and the end of my first year of college. That’s a big window, I know, but it’s impossible to predict how much I’ll be able to work on it while in school!

TPK is trying to throw a bit of a wrench into those loose plans, though. It’s telling me it needs to be split into two books. Say what now? Well, the pacing is weird. According to my outline, I kind of have two climaxes. There’s a very distinct line between the first half of the book and the second half–and the first is becoming quite a large half, even though there are lots of details I’ve left out. We’ll see. I’ll have a better idea of whether or not to split it up once I reach that halfway point.

(And today is not the day to get into the concern that if I split it, book 2 will be a letdown for readers. After spending most of book 1 in Alewar, who’s going to want to hang out on Earth for a whole book? But I said I wouldn’t go into that . . .)

Anywhozens. Once that draft of TPK is complete, whether it’s half my outline or the whole kit and caboodle, I want to rewrite an expanded version of The Brightest Thread.

And then we shall think about querying agents and such!

It’s my not-so-secret hope to go to the Realm Makers writing conference . . . hopefully next year? It’s being held in Reno, Nevada, which is a long ways away for me–but Ted Dekker is going to be the keynote speaker. (!!!) I mention this now because wouldn’t it be the most awesome thing ever to have The Brightest Thread rewritten in time to pitch it to agents at the conference?! Big dreams, yes, but it’s something to shoot for, right?

Flexibility is key!

Some of these things are next to impossible to plan because there’s no way of knowing how full life will be or how well the stories will flow. If nothing else, I have the sequence of events laid out–finish drafting The Prophet’s Key, write the new and improved The Brightest Thread, get TBT published, then start publishing the Journeys of the Chosen series. It’s the timeline that is very much subject to change!

And now I’ve talked about myself for more than long enough. I wanted to keep y’all in the loop, but didn’t mean to get so longwinded.

So. A question for you: as a reader, do you prefer standalones or series? How about as a writer, if you are one?

Keep Reading