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A Walk, a Brainstorm, and a Discovery

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments
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I mentioned in passing that I’m currently redrafting The Prophet’s Key (sequel to The Prophet’s Quest). What I didn’t say is that this novel is being a petulant little child.

I’m over twenty thousand words in, and something doesn’t feel right. That’s one of the worst feelings as a writer–that uneasy sense that something is wrong. It’s when your spidey sense, which grows more and more accurate the more you write, tells you that something isn’t working, and then you need to figure out what that something is so you can fix it ASAP.

This dull alarm is even worse when it comes for a story that’s very near and dear to your heart. Journeys of the Chosen is a big project for me. It’s important. I’ve invested a lot into it. So I want to be ‘in the zone,’ as it were. I want to be head over heels in love with this book I’m writing. That’s what drafting is for! (And then I’ll fall out of love during editing, only to fall back in again. It’s how the cycle goes.)

So on Sunday, after lazing around and devouring half a novel (I can’t remember the last time I read so much in one sitting–it was glorious, folks), I decided to take a walk to stir up my creative juices so I could make use of some writing time. And, let’s be honest, I was falling asleep on the couch, so some physical exercise was a good idea.

Walking is a great time to contemplate things, specifically writing things. Marching along, hands stuffed in my sweater pockets and hair tossing in a brisk wind, I stewed. What’s the problem? I asked myself. Why haven’t I clicked with TPK yet? I ordered my wandering thoughts into a list.

  • Is it drafting doldrums? Drafting can be massively fun–in fact, it often is for me–but I know I usually go through bouts of wishing everything was already on paper so I could just fix and fiddle. So am I struggling to manufacture new words?
  • Is it prolonged editoritis? When I transition between editing obsessively (*cough* The Brightest Thread *cough*) and creating something new, it usually takes a bit for my left brain to settle down and shut up enough for my right brain to freely and messily explore things. But if I’m 20k in, I shouldn’t still be feeling like this.
  • Is it because chunks of my plot are shaky and not yet researched? There’s some stuff I haven’t mapped out yet, and some of it is potentially tricky. Writing oneself into a plot wormhole is never a pleasant feeling.
  • Or . . . is it something else entirely? Maybe I haven’t yet connected to the heart of the story. Maybe I haven’t hit upon the reason I’m rooting for these characters and this book. Am I in love with the book yet? And if not . . . why?

In Ted Dekker’s writing course that I’m slowly going through, The Creative Way, he teaches that in order to write powerful, transformational fiction, you need to take that journey of transformation yourself, along with your characters.

So I asked myself, “What’s my journey with this story? Where do my struggles and my characters’ struggles intersect?”

I know that once I figure that out, I’ll truly, deeply care about TPK.

As I walked, I turned that over in my mind. And I came up with some good stuff that resonates with me. One intersection of author/character struggles I thought about was that of homesickness. The paradoxical kind you can get even when you’re under your own roof. The longing for times past–good times, safe times–coupled with the bittersweet resignation towards an uncertain future. I’ve experienced that, and it’s something my characters are going through in an even worse way. So in their journey through that homesickness, I need to take my own journey. Work through my own struggles.

I thought, “Let’s delve into that, Tracey. Make it poignant and palpable on the page. Grip the readers with that aching, that yearning. Make Aileen and Josiah hurt in their individual ways, so much that I feel the pain and the readers feel the pain.”

Oh.

Pain.

One criticism book 1 received from my editor was that I raised good challenges, only to let them fall away without much effort. I see myself doing the same thing now with book 2. Am I afraid of the pain?

I so badly want my protagonists to succeed because I so badly want to succeed in life. So is this too-easy conflict resolution my way of trying to make my own problems fall away with little effort? I’m scared of those dark moments when I have nothing but blind trust to lean on, and so I avoid putting my characters into those moments. Or rather, I put them there, but I don’t let them stay for long.

It comes down to trust. I have trouble trusting that God will come through in my valleys. But I need to live bravely. And like my dear friend Christine recently said, we need to write bravely too.

This, then, is my journey. A journey of trust, of faith in the blackest darkness and of clinging to hope when all other handholds are washed away.

I must make my characters suffer. Chip away at their resolve bit by bit until they fall into a deep valley from which they see no way out.

Pain.


Heartache.


Doubt.


Make their lives a living hell, so to speak (progressively worse in each book as I raise the stakes and whatnot), in order to discover alongside them how to trust the King and believe He’s still there and still in the business of rescuing lost hearts. This is my journey just as much as it is theirs. When my own heart recognizes the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ for just that–shadows–and trusts in the light, that transformation will be apparent in the story too. What I bleed onto the page will transform the characters. In turn, it will transform the readers.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a book to write.

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Introducing “The Prophet’s Quest”

Tracey Dyck 40 Comments

Before we get into things, I wanted to take a minute to say a big thank you to all 19 wonderful people who filled out my survey! I appreciate the feedback so much. (And I recognized a number of you without having any names to go on. *wink*) Hopefully I’ll be able to start incorporating some of your suggestions in the near future.

One thing that came up a couple times in the survey results was a desire to see more about my writing. Synopses, blurbs, that sort of thing. And while I’ve talked openly about The Brightest Thread and other smaller projects, my main love has been kept mostly under wraps. I’ve done a few Beautiful People posts for it, and even shared a few snippets, but that’s about it. I mean, I’m still referring to the books as book one, book two, and so forth–not even their real names!
Seeing as I need some practice summing up my book(s) anyway, why not start here? (Querying will be a whole ‘nuther thing, but shhh.)
Also, Daniela Ark started a linkup called A Book’s Genesis that provided me with another nudge in this direction. You can use the linkup, which runs until the end of 2016, to talk about what inspired your current work-in-progress (WIP). Each month features a new slant, beginning with April’s introduction to your story.
Um. Well. This feels a little awkward. You see, this series has been part of my life for eight years. It was the first time I got serious about a long project, the first thing I stuck with beyond a few chapters, and maybe also the first idea to hold any merit. Prior to this, my stories consisted mostly of girls and horses, or talking pets, or mysteries that . . . were so mysterious I can’t even make sense of them. So you can see how it might be difficult to sum up something that has been such a long-time fixture in my life. It’s just there. How am I supposed to explain something that feels like it’s always been around? But I shall certainly make an effort to give you a window into it.
That “book 1” I’m always vaguely mentioning is titled The Prophet’s Quest (or TPQ, as I tend to shorten it). It’s the first in a four-book YA fantasy series. The second is The Prophet’s Key, and is currently being wrangled into a brand new form, so we won’t speak of that wild infant thing just now. Books three and four exist only as nebulous ideas in my head, and thus do not yet have titles. The series is called Journeys of the Chosen, though I’m not happy with that name. It’s a placeholder until inspiration strikes me with a brilliant replacement.
My badly rendered picture of the Prophet. XD
The Prophet’s Quest has evolved massively since I sat down as an overzealous twelve-year-old to begin penciling out a thinly-veiled hybrid of The Chronicles of Narnia and Dragons in Our Midst. In more recent years, I have grown tremendously as a writer–though I still have so very much to learn–and the book has been through fire after fire, being purged of loopholes and spineless characters and bad writing. Not that it’s perfect now, but it’s a whole heck of a lot closer than it used to be. And considerably more original, I hope. It also went from 68,000 words to 131,000. Not even sorry. According to my rough estimates, it will probably make a 300-400 page book.

Anyway. It’s a portal fantasy/high fantasy/contemporary fantasy mash-up. Which basically means it starts on modern Earth, and then moves to another world with a medieval fantasy setting (called Alewar, for those of you who want to know–and that’s pronounced Ah-luh-WARR . . . rhymes with car . . . just in case any of you are fantasy pronunciation nerds.)

I feel like I’m blandly describing a piece of real estate or something. Goodness.

Here’s an actual blurb to give you a sense of the story:

When visions of suffering begin to plague Aileen and Josiah, they pursue answers, and discover they are the prophesied rescuers of Demetria, a nation in another world. On that world, war hastens. And the very evil threatening Demetria has extended a branch to Earth as well. Transformed into dragons, Aileen and Josiah are propelled into a harrowing journey. Only a mysterious orb called the Prophet guides their way as they embark on a quest to save the Demetrians . . . and their own world as well. But the malevolent dragon Criffel will stop at nothing to keep the prophecy from coming true.


So we have a prophecy, some deliciously evil bad guys of the human and beastly sorts, a transformation into dragon form, talking animals (I can’t seem to get away from those), awesome Demetrian people, and a huge new world to explore. And, of course, there’s the Prophet–an object of which there is more than meets the eye. There are guardians, lords, warriors, mountains, waterfalls, long flights, battles, fortresses, fire, ice, allies, enemies, betrayals, division, ALL THE EPICNESS. (That’s the incoherent synopsis, methinks. The one where my writer side goes all bubbly and excited.)

That gives you a sense of the plot, but what about the characters? If you’re like me, an awesome storyline is well appreciated . . . but if it’s not populated by vibrant characters, my interest level severely drops.

Main Characters

Note: I’m terrible at finding accurate character pictures. The ones that follow are rough representations of how I picture these people.



Aileen McKay – Sixteen years old. Brown hair, brown eyes. Introverted, intense personality, makes thoughtful decisions. Turns into a white dragon with ice breath. Read more about her HERE.
Josiah Williams – Sixteen years old. Blond-ish hair, grey eyes. Bold, self-assured, makes snap decisions. Turns into a red dragon with fiery breath. Read more about him HERE.

The POV switches back and forth between these two. It’s fun to get both of their perspectives and see the storyworld through two different lenses.

Secondary Characters

(Alas, I have next to no pictures for these guys. One of these days I might just cave and make a Pinterest account. Google images is almost useless for good character pics.)


Mr. Hawkins – Aileen and Josiah’s geography teacher. Guardian of the Prophet and all-around epic person.

The Sagire – A group of Criffel’s people on Earth, hunting for the Prophet and the chosen ones.

Lord Mauray and Lady Geneva – Benevolent rulers of Demetria.

Captain Dauntless – Fierce leader of the Demetrian dragons. Trains Aileen and Josiah.

Korohan – Centaur. Head of Lord Mauray’s security.

This is a bit like how I imagine the lesser cousins of Criffel’s species,
which appear in The Prophet’s Key (book 2).
Sheena – A female leopard warrior who befriends Aileen.
Leander – A white lion with a broken past. Read more about him HERE.

Fay Blacktail – A spirited crow brimming with opinions.
Criffel – Powerful mith’vel dragon. Main antagonist. Twisted ideals and bloodthirsty methods.

Character who will not be named due to spoilers – Criffel’s right hand. Mysterious magical abilities. Skilled in the art of deception.

This is a very brief look at just a few of the important characters. I fear it doesn’t do them justice, but I guess you’ll have to wait until the book is published to learn more! Because yes, this is the book I plan to start querying this year. (!!!)

Your turn to yammer away!

Do you like portal fantasy? Are you partial to the chosen one trope, as long as it’s done in new ways? DO YOU LIKE DRAGONS? (Most important question right there.) Oh, and if you have anything to say about my synopsis–constructive criticism definitely included–please tell me. Not like it’s the official synopsis, but you know. I need to make one soon, so if you feel this one was too broad or too specific or something, I want to know.

And do tell me about your work in progress! I love hearing about other people’s stories–rejoicing over fabulous ideas or commiserating over stubborn plots/characters/what have you.

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My Top 10 Pet Peeves as a Reader

Tracey Dyck 36 Comments

I usually like to focus on the positive side of things. And as a bookworm who is also a writer, I try to give my fellow authors room for occasional slip-ups because I know how hard it is to produce a book. (At the same time, as a writer I also tend to hold authors to high standards. So it goes both ways.)

I guess what I’m saying is I try to be positive, but I also try to be honest, and I appreciate quality writing. There’s just not enough time to waste on a bad book, am I right? I’m here today to discuss some of my personal pet peeves as a reader.

(I have discovered that Dr. Who gifs are fun, even if I’ve never watched that show.)

1. Dumb parents

You know those books–often children’s literature, but sometimes YA too. Mom and Dad are clueless. Their kids are ten times smarter than they are. The joke’s on the parents. Events conspire to highlight their deficient intelligence, and it’s usually played for laughs. Where’s the respect? Those impressionable children need good examples. They need somebody other than Mom and Dad to back their parents up. To show them that Mom and Dad are wise, they’re doing what’s best for you, and you would be well advised to listen to them and realize how much they love you.

Let’s just say I didn’t read many Robert Munsch books growing up.

2. He saw/heard/felt/knew

This might be the ultimate object lesson for “show, don’t tell.” Many authors feel the need to spell things out explicitly for the reader, and it comes off forced and lacking in emotional punch. Please don’t tell me that Bob is angry–show me. Show me the reddened face or the bulging vein at his temple or the clenched fist or the slamming door. Don’t tell me Sally is feeling sad. Show her fighting tears or her downturned eyes or her shoulders quaking with silent sobs.

Likewise, telling me that Bob knows something ruins the POV intimacy. There are more creative, subtle ways to convey the main character’s knowledge than: “Bob knew the enemy tribe bred small, light-footed horses for crossing the plains quickly.”

And while we’re at it, I like immersive sensory details. None of this, “He could see the horsemen cresting the ridge,” or “She heard Granny snoring in the next room.” Just say, “The horsemen crested the ridge.” We should know at this point whose head we’re in, and if he can’t see it, neither should we. If you’re writing this way, there’s no need for “he could see.”

For the second example, just write, “Granny’s snores rumbled through the thin wall,” because it should already be apparent that the point-of-view character is the one hearing this.

It’s a waste of words, lazy writing, and an insult to the reader’s intelligence to overuse those sensory tags.*

*Now, there are exceptions to every rule (not that this is a rule, necessarily–just my preference), and so of course there will be instances when an author just has to say “he saw/heard/felt/knew,” because that really is the best way to say it. Those times, however, are few.

3. The world is falling to pieces, but let’s spend all day kissing instead of saving everyone.

Looking at you, Tris and Tobias.*

This is predominantly a problem in romance, whether YA or otherwise. The world is about to crash and burn, lives are at stake, a rebellion is launching, and the couple is making out. Firstly, ew, can we cut back on the details, please? And secondly, where are your priorities? Yes, I get that life-threatening circumstances can forge a deep bond, but maybe you two can work out your relationship later on. When the fight is over and people are safe. When the world isn’t ending. Save your kisses for then.
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*I like the Divergent books, I do. I just have a bone to pick with this particular aspect.


(Also, don’t get me started on the tendency among female protagonists to have this mindset: “Ooh, there’s a tall, dark, and handsome fellow with daddy issues and anger problems. I love him!” This mindset is made even worse when you throw it into the paranormal soup. “A tall, dark, and handsome fellow who probably wants to kill me or suck my blood–I love him!”)

4. Lack of emotional connection

Sometimes tied to #2. It’s just . . . I find it hard to enjoy a book where I can’t establish an emotional connection with the main character. Or with any character. I want the author to slip me inside that MC’s skin. I want to be in their head and feel what’s on their heart. I want them to react to things. Even if the character is a relatively unemotional person, I still want to make a connection of some sort. When I can’t, the entire book falls flat.

5. Instantaneous transformation

You may remember my vehement thoughts on Shadowmancer back in January. In that book, Demurral (the villain) looks out over the land and is instantly overcome by greed and blackness and hunger for power. Just like that. No real motivation at all. Bleck.

This goes for all characters, by the way, whether they align themselves with the good guys or the bad guys. I love transformation, redemptive character arcs, downward spirals, etc. But not instantaneous ones. Internal change takes time. It takes strong emotion and logical motivation.

Please don’t make a normal guy turn bad on a dime. Please take longer than a few paragraphs to redeem a villain. Don’t chuck your soon-to-be hero headlong into his journey without setting up something to motivate that quest. And pretty please, stay away from instantaneous or miraculous conversions to Christianity. Not even we Christians like that.

6. Agendas

While we’re on the topic of conversions . . . *cough* I have a problem with writers approaching their books with an agenda. Even if I agree with that agenda, I don’t read to get a sermon, okay? Of course I adore strong themes, but these should arise naturally from the story instead of being shoehorned in there like propaganda.

I picked up your book because I wanted the story, not because I wanted to hear your thoughts on climate change (pfft) or homosexuality (Above, you were a waste of time) or politics or diversity or any of that. Not to say those topics can’t be skillfully incorporated into a book–they certainly can–but when the story is a thinly veiled sermon on said topic, I’m very much turned off.

7. Bad grammar

There have been books that have made my fingers twitch for a red pen. This is bad. No book is perfect. No editor is perfect. But argh, it drives me up the wall to see typo after typo, or consistently bad grammar! It makes me think somebody accidentally published the wrong draft, or that the editor took a vacation. And sometimes, when it’s really bad, I wonder how this person is even an author. I thought acceptable grammar was kind of in the job description?

Speaking of grammar, I’m a strong believer in the Oxford comma. I can forgive those that don’t use it, but its absence always snags my attention.

8. Sluggish pacing (because we readers are desperate to spend another fifty pages watching your characters do nothing)

One word: ERAGON. I don’t believe I’ve talked much about these books here before. Let me start out by saying that I know people who love the Inheritance Cycle hugely, and I say good for them. But I am sadly not one of them. I’ve read the first two books, and I plan to read the last two at some point. I have a few things to rant about, but the biggest is probably the pacing. Or lack thereof. Have you seen those books? They are massive. Again, nothing against big books, but please–if you’re going to write something long, make sure that every single one of those gazillion pages does something important for the story!

As a young adult, I have less reading time than I used to. (This is a great tragedy of adulthood, one which I hope to redeem somehow. Magic would be helpful.) So when I do read, I want to be sucked in right away. I want the story to keep moving forward. Lollygagging about watching the characters accomplish very little or waiting around while the plot camps out in the same spot for a dozen chapters is . . . well, it’s a little boring.

Just to clarify, not every book needs to be a thriller, either. I don’t need (or want) a breakneck speed every time. I just want something to be happening.

9. Mr. Evil-to-the-bone & Mistress Strangle-you-in-your-sleep

This particular pet peeve totally depends on the context. It’s when a villain comes onto the scene for the first time, and the other characters don’t know who he or she is–but it is immediately obvious to the reader because of the villain’s name. It’s hard and guttural, or slimy, or slick and smooth in a vile way. The name might include something to do with black, night, chills, shadows, or the like. I don’t mind blatantly obvious villain names (besides, Saruman sounds way more menacing than, say, Kyle). But if we’re not supposed to know right away that this character is bad, then, um . . . you should’ve picked a less obvious name.

If, however, the story is self-aware and a little tongue-in-cheek, then I can smirk at the hero’s ignorance when Sir Blackheart oh-so-innocently enters the scene, and read on.

10. Floating POV

This is when there is practically no established POV whatsoever. I can’t tell if it’s limited or omniscient or something else, because it waffles between them all. Whose head am I even in? Are you going for an omniscient feel, Mr. Author? Because right now it just feels like head hopping, and sporadic head hopping at that. It’s so muddled up, I can’t even tell which rules you’re breaking. (I think maybe all of them . . . ?)

What are your pet peeves?

Do we share any? Do you disagree with any of mine? These are all preferences, so maybe what bugs me makes you the happiest bookworm to ever devour a book. Let’s discuss things!

P.S. The blogoversary giveaway is still open until midnight on Sunday the 10th, so hurry and enter! The survey doesn’t have a closing date, so you still have plenty of time to participate in that if you so wish.

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Subplots and Storylines – March 2016

Tracey Dyck 29 Comments

Sometimes life walks along calmly, sedately, hands in its pockets, whistling as it goes. And sometimes life dashes willy-nilly down the street, hat flying clear away and feet slapping a staccato rhythm on the pavement. My March was more like the latter. New subplots sprang up on the page at the same time old ones wrapped up, and I’m sitting here today blinking at the calendar and wondering how in the world a whole month is over already.

The weavings of life’s subplots . . .

March began as it usually does, and as all months tend to do: on the first. But this first of March was special. The long-awaited announcement of the Five Magic Spindles contest had arrived! I was scheduled to work an early shift that day, and wasn’t sure if the news would be posted before I left. Fortunately, it was up in time. With my brother (who’d entered that awesome Japanese samurai story I mentioned a while back) looking over my shoulder, I scrolled down . . . and saw five names that were not ours, nor those of any of my friends who had entered.
Naturally, we were disappointed. But then I checked the list of the Top Ten Finalists–AND MY NAME WAS LISTED.

I could hardly believe it. Me? Among the top ten?

Let’s just say it was a good thing my work shift was short, and even better that I was working in the back room the whole time. I seriously doubt I would’ve been much help to customers. My brain was running in ecstatic circles, screaming the same thing over and over: “I’m a finalist!” As if repetition would make it sink in.

Needless to say, that was an amazing way to start my month!

The next subplot of life to be woven in was a week-long trip my parents took, during which I ran the household. Not that it needed much running. My siblings are fantastic and helped out a lot. (Love you guys!)

The morning after my parents returned, I packed up and headed out of town for my dear friend’s wedding. I got there the day before to help set up and decorate. The wedding was gorgeous. The weather was perfect for outdoor pictures (meaning I didn’t go completely numb like I’d expected), I had so much fun with the bride and my fellow bridesmaids, and the ceremony and reception were beautiful! My friend has found an amazing, godly young man. They’re perfect together. I was honored to celebrate their special day with them. And you know how most weddings have something that goes wrong? There was nothing like that for theirs. Crazy amazing.

(I snagged a couple pictures off the photographers’ Facebook.)

The happy couple!
If you look really closely at the left picture,
I’m the bridesmaid on the far right. 
a collage of my own pictures
My Bible study group began a series on the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11. We started with Rahab, and guess what? If you check the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, you’ll see that Rahab married a guy named Salmon. Multiple historical sources say that Salmon was one of the two spies that Rahab hid in her house! How cool is that?! We’ve also spent two sessions studying Gideon, which was quite inspiring.

Spring is well on its way. Only a teensy tiny bit of snow is left on the yard, and we’ve had some sunny, warm days, which is very welcome. (And also snow. Falling from the sky. That’s just Manitoba for ya.)

You know that quick decision I made that just felt right? Well, that decision was to sign up for a writing course offered by an author I respect and admire. What he’s already posted freely online has helped me gain new perspectives, so I’m excited to dive into the actual course material soon.

My brother and I attended a college info night. The application is sitting on my desk, waiting for me to fill it out. I’m honestly so excited for fall!

And basically there were Easter gatherings, long walks, errands, way too much pizza, journaling like crazy last weekend to try to sum up my month, and falling behind on my inbox and blog reading. (So sorry, folks.)

Storylines on screen

As you can see, life’s goings-on didn’t leave a lot of room for media, but I did watch a few things.

  • Epic (rewatch): I love this movie about tiny leaf men who ride hummingbirds, and a villain rotting the forest, and a young girl trying to connect to her absentminded father. This time around, I found myself paying more attention the storytelling techniques, and appreciating the strong chain of cause and effect.
  • The Scorch Trials: I haven’t read the books, so I don’t know how much it deviated from the source material, but I thought it was good. My biggest problem was with the frequent swearing. Not too sure what I think about the Cranks, either. I couldn’t decide if they were so exaggeratedly creepy that they were almost comical, or if they were simply creepy. Either way, they are wince-worthy. But I did really enjoy certain characters, especially Thomas, Minho, and Newt. (I don’t even know why, but I’ve loved Minho’s character since The Maze Runner.) With fast pacing, awesome scenery, and even a difficult and thought-provoking ethical dilemma, The Scorch Trials was a great sequel.
  • Once Upon a Time (part of Season 3): You probably saw this coming, huh? My sisters and I are quite enjoying this season! We’re about halfway through, and lots is happening. Lots. I have a few minor complaints, but most of it is fantastic. Peter Pan. The Wicked Witch. And the development happening in some of the key characters makes me a really happy Oncer. (Is that what they’re called? I don’t even know.)

Storylines on the page

Only two books this month. To be fair, I am 100 pages into my third book, but seeing as I’ll finish it in April, it doesn’t count.

  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer: I’ve heard mixed reviews on this one, so finally I picked it up for myself. And I loved it! The whole cyborg element was a fresh twist on Cinderella, and it was fun to pick out the references to the original fairy tale, such as the old fashioned orange car (aka pumpkin coach). This novel was by turns intriguing, heart wrenching, and adorable. Seriously, I ship Cinder and Kai SO MUCH. With every chapter I finished, I kept wanting to write up a fangirly email to send the author, but then I remembered this was published and I wasn’t beta reading a friend’s book. For some reason it felt like I was. Anyway. If I starred books, I’d probably give this one four and a half!
  • Paige Turned by Erynn Mangum: This is the final instalment of the Paige Alder trilogy that I started last summer, and it continued to be what the first two books were: fun, lighthearted romance with surprisingly profound moments. Paige is such a relatable character. I was rooting for her all the way. It was great to see her finally doing what she’s always wanted to do, and finally dating the “right guy.” And the ending was perfect!

Sort of in the reading department–I went to a book faire and scrounged up four books to bring home. Tada!

Clockwise from top left: Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, Storm Siren by Mary Weber, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and Greatest Adventures by Jules Verne (a 2-book collection including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Round the World in 80 Days.)

I bought Captivating because I enjoyed it so much earlier this year, but didn’t have my own copy. Storm Siren because I’ve heard many people like it, so for a couple dollars, why not? (Also that cover!!) Strange & Norrell because my good friend Sarah recommended it numerous times. And the Jules Verne book because . . . well, mainly because of that delicious old cover. And because owning classics makes me feel smart. Hey, just being honest!

With every book faire I go to, I keep my eyes open for any Diana Wynne Jones books–specifically Howl’s Moving Castle–and have had no such luck. This time was just as fruitless in the DWJ department as all the times before. Sigh.

Subplots of my own making

According to my monthly goals, March was to be the month I began drafting (or redrafting, to be more accurate) book 2 of my YA fantasy series. I didn’t get as far into it as I might have liked, but considering the circumstances, I’m quite pleased with the 7,786 words I wrote. I’m on chapter three by now. Things be happening, folks.

I feel like I’m starting to hit my stride. The beginning of a writing project is usually the slowest for me–I’m getting used to the story, oftentimes reorienting my brain into drafting mode (instead of editing or planning mode), and figuring out what I’m doing. But I’m beginning to get back into it, and I have high hopes for April’s writing.

Once I’m further along–perhaps once I’ve finished writing this book and started editing–which means like *cough* a year from now?–I may have to write a more in-depth post about sequels. It’s so weird to write one! I’ve been stuck on book 1 for so long, in which I’ve been able to mentally check off all the techniques and elements needed in a first book. “Yep, this sets up that plot thread. Here’s the incident that motivates Character A to do this. And there’s the foreshadowing for that . . .”

It’s all different, and yet all somehow similar, in a sequel. There’s a whole book behind you to build on. It’s a blessing and a curse, a pro and a con. You don’t have to set up everything all over again, yet you have to reference the first book in a clear, concise way that moves this story along. Your characters have grown, so they’re better at what they used to struggle with, but at the same time, they’re struggling even harder with other things. It’s fun, but definitely not easy.

Also in writing news is something I’ve mentioned already: I was featured in a guest post on Stori Tori’s Blog called So Your Character is From Canada. I had tons of fun participating, as well as getting to interact with commenters afterwards. If you haven’t checked it out yet, there’s lots of great stuff to learn from all three of us who were interviewed! Kudos to Tori for such a brilliant series of posts. There’ll be more on other countries yet.

Oh yeah, and I wrote a poem for the first time in months, which you can find here.

And I did a bit more agent research too. The list of potentials is slowly growing . . .

March was a whirlwind, but I’m still alive.

Actually, it was an amazing whirlwind. Tiring on some days, but when I look back on just how much was packed into this month, I’m–what? Content? Excited? Satisfied? Looking forward to April? Is there a word that combines all of the above? I don’t know. March was a good month.

So how about your wonderful selves? Was March like a lamb or lion for you–tame or wild? (Or some other animal, such as a platypus. Interpret that creature simile as you wish.) I’ve blabbered on quite long enough about my own life. Now I want to hear something about yours!

P.S. Today marks one year since Adventure Awaits began! I had grand plans of posting this S&S yesterday, and having a blogoversary post ready for today, but I overestimated the time involved and underestimated my schedule. So hopefully I’ll have a late blogoversary thingamajig ready for this weekend sometime. Stick around–it should be fuuuun . . .

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