It's not a story contest, I know, I'm bad and I'm breaking my own 'only-about-writing' rule for this blog. But it's important, 'kay?
I'd appreciate it if those of you who can would like, comment, and/or share one or both of my entries on Photobucket.
http://s1322.beta.photobucket.com/user/CelticThunderAngel/story/18851
http://s1322.beta.photobucket.com/user/CelticThunderAngel/story/18857I
I don't know if you need a Photobucket account to like entries or not, though. I don't know; if you can vote though, please do. If you can't, it would be helpful if you promoted them on a forum or something of the like. It would mean a lot to me, as I'm trying to earn money, and even if I was just a runner-up, it would help a lot.
Thanks a million, you guys!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
I regret to say this, but...
...I think I'm going to fail NaNoWriMo.
I mean, I won't if I lower my word count goal to 30,000. Most likely I'll win. It won't feel like an accomplishment though, since I wrote 80,000 words for The Night Phoenix last year.
But I guess things are busier. Or it might just be my loss of energy. It's kind of both--my family and I are very busy, and I don't have much energy this month. I blame it on emotional instability.
Ah, well. I guess I just have to give up writing a novel in a month and take a few months instead. All I've finished on my Calendar is editing my friend's novel. I've only written about 20,000 words so far on Operation Valiant--that's really bad, even for me.
I feel very ashamed of myself. But I keep telling myself I shouldn't, because it takes professional writers themselves a whole year to write a novel. It might take me a few extra months; hardly something to cry about.
And so... yeah, I don't know. I'll probably focus on writing Calm Tom Dawson so I can get self-publishing that out of the way, then editing The Night Phoenix. Then I'll most likely spend Camp NaNoWriMo of next year working on Operation Valiant some more.
I mean, I won't if I lower my word count goal to 30,000. Most likely I'll win. It won't feel like an accomplishment though, since I wrote 80,000 words for The Night Phoenix last year.
But I guess things are busier. Or it might just be my loss of energy. It's kind of both--my family and I are very busy, and I don't have much energy this month. I blame it on emotional instability.
Ah, well. I guess I just have to give up writing a novel in a month and take a few months instead. All I've finished on my Calendar is editing my friend's novel. I've only written about 20,000 words so far on Operation Valiant--that's really bad, even for me.
I feel very ashamed of myself. But I keep telling myself I shouldn't, because it takes professional writers themselves a whole year to write a novel. It might take me a few extra months; hardly something to cry about.
And so... yeah, I don't know. I'll probably focus on writing Calm Tom Dawson so I can get self-publishing that out of the way, then editing The Night Phoenix. Then I'll most likely spend Camp NaNoWriMo of next year working on Operation Valiant some more.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Another New Writing Schedule
Okay, here's an updated
version of my writing schedule for the next few months--circumstances have
changed, thus so does the calendar.
~
November -- Write the first draft of Operation Valiant; finish editing a novel for a friend; begin a novella called Calm Tom Dawson.
December -- Finish editing The Night Phoenix; try to finish Calm Tom Dawson;
January -- Work on a query letter for The Night Phoenix; if I haven't yet, I have to finish Calm Tom Dawson; give The Night Phoenix a few last check-overs.
February -- Send the query letter for The Night Phoenix to Mr. Rothe at Black Rose Writing; edit Calm Tom Dawson.
March -- Begin work on self-publishing Calm Tom Dawson (cover art, final edits, formatting)
April -- Self-publish Calm Tom Dawson; return to Operation Valiant and edit the first draft.
May -- Take a break before I fall down dead.
~
November -- Write the first draft of Operation Valiant; finish editing a novel for a friend; begin a novella called Calm Tom Dawson.
December -- Finish editing The Night Phoenix; try to finish Calm Tom Dawson;
January -- Work on a query letter for The Night Phoenix; if I haven't yet, I have to finish Calm Tom Dawson; give The Night Phoenix a few last check-overs.
February -- Send the query letter for The Night Phoenix to Mr. Rothe at Black Rose Writing; edit Calm Tom Dawson.
March -- Begin work on self-publishing Calm Tom Dawson (cover art, final edits, formatting)
April -- Self-publish Calm Tom Dawson; return to Operation Valiant and edit the first draft.
May -- Take a break before I fall down dead.
Friday, November 2, 2012
NaNoWriMo has arrived.
And I'm panicking my pants off because of two primary reasons:
1. I'm not entirely happy with my plot and I was too lazy to outline.
2. My characters won't get off my back! Gosh!
"Why are you watching George and the Dragon instead of writing?" (Because I'm lazy.)
"Why are you watching Balto II: Wolf Quest instead of writing?" (Because I'm lazy.)
"Why are you eating instead of writing?" (Because I have to eat to survive, Tommy, you dolt.)
"When are you going to be finished?" (It's only November 2nd, for crying out loud! I'll be finished when I'm finished!)
So yep. That's pretty much what's been happening. Here's a synopsis thing for my novel, since I don't want to leave you empty-handed.
We lost World War II. Hitler won. He destroyed all who opposed him, and got rid of any city that refused to obey him. It has the left the world in 2999 broken and desolate. Only a few major cities remain, beaten into submission. All other militia, besides the German army, have been crushed. At least, the leader of Germany believes that to be true. The British SAS has created a secret underground base, where they plot and plan, waiting for the right moment to strike.
One day, seven British soldiers are sent out on a mission to assassinate the German leader. It is a last ditch attempt; the world will end if they don't succeed, and if they die, then it will not change anything.
And so the fate of what little world is left rests on the shoulders of seven men, led only by their hope and by God.
And that, my friends, is the synopsis of Operation Valiant. Yes, I know, it needs a lot of work. Here, have a cover made by a friend from the NaNoWriMo YWP site.
1. I'm not entirely happy with my plot and I was too lazy to outline.
2. My characters won't get off my back! Gosh!
"Why are you watching George and the Dragon instead of writing?" (Because I'm lazy.)
"Why are you watching Balto II: Wolf Quest instead of writing?" (Because I'm lazy.)
"Why are you eating instead of writing?" (Because I have to eat to survive, Tommy, you dolt.)
"When are you going to be finished?" (It's only November 2nd, for crying out loud! I'll be finished when I'm finished!)
So yep. That's pretty much what's been happening. Here's a synopsis thing for my novel, since I don't want to leave you empty-handed.
We lost World War II. Hitler won. He destroyed all who opposed him, and got rid of any city that refused to obey him. It has the left the world in 2999 broken and desolate. Only a few major cities remain, beaten into submission. All other militia, besides the German army, have been crushed. At least, the leader of Germany believes that to be true. The British SAS has created a secret underground base, where they plot and plan, waiting for the right moment to strike.
One day, seven British soldiers are sent out on a mission to assassinate the German leader. It is a last ditch attempt; the world will end if they don't succeed, and if they die, then it will not change anything.
And so the fate of what little world is left rests on the shoulders of seven men, led only by their hope and by God.
And that, my friends, is the synopsis of Operation Valiant. Yes, I know, it needs a lot of work. Here, have a cover made by a friend from the NaNoWriMo YWP site.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Makeshift Calendar
Here is my vague calendar for the next few months, relating to writing.
~
November (LESS THAN A DAY AWAY! *dies): Write Operation Valiant; edit my friend Mary's novel; work on The Elven Werewolf Project with August Sinister and Nevik; don't die.
December: Edit The Night Phoenix; put Operation Valiant away for a month to give myself time to dwell on it; don't die.
January: Work on a query letter for The Night Phoenix; start editing Operation Valiant; don't die.
February: Finish editing Operation Valiant; don't die.
March: Fall down dead.
~
Okay, I think I'm good.
~
November (LESS THAN A DAY AWAY! *dies): Write Operation Valiant; edit my friend Mary's novel; work on The Elven Werewolf Project with August Sinister and Nevik; don't die.
December: Edit The Night Phoenix; put Operation Valiant away for a month to give myself time to dwell on it; don't die.
January: Work on a query letter for The Night Phoenix; start editing Operation Valiant; don't die.
February: Finish editing Operation Valiant; don't die.
March: Fall down dead.
~
Okay, I think I'm good.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Update on The Night Phoenix
So, I might have mentioned a while ago (or maybe I didn't... ah well) that I was editing The Night Phoenix. Well, I finished that a few weeks ago.
Then I turned the manuscript over to a person I met on www.holyworlds.org ; his username there is Aratrea, and that's what I'll call him to avoid confusion. I had posted a notice on the fantasy section of that website, asking if anyone would be able to do a third edit of The Night Phoenix (I had already read through it twice). Aratrea offered to do the job.
I got the revised copy back just a few hours ago. I haven't gotten the chance to read it, but it seems like he made quite a few suggestions--and all of them are very helpful.
So I'm going to go through again and make changes again. Then, depending on how I feel about it, I might ask another of my friends to edit it again. If I like how it turned out, I might just leave it and start working on a query letter to send out to some publishers.
Wish me luck!
Then I turned the manuscript over to a person I met on www.holyworlds.org ; his username there is Aratrea, and that's what I'll call him to avoid confusion. I had posted a notice on the fantasy section of that website, asking if anyone would be able to do a third edit of The Night Phoenix (I had already read through it twice). Aratrea offered to do the job.
I got the revised copy back just a few hours ago. I haven't gotten the chance to read it, but it seems like he made quite a few suggestions--and all of them are very helpful.
So I'm going to go through again and make changes again. Then, depending on how I feel about it, I might ask another of my friends to edit it again. If I like how it turned out, I might just leave it and start working on a query letter to send out to some publishers.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
NaNoWriMo 2012
I've been working on coming up with an idea for my
NaNoWriMo novel. I knew I wanted to do something about the British SAS.
Unfortunately, historical research is a problem for me, since I have a ton of
school I need to focus on (I'm in major danger of flunking high school at the
moment) and don't have time.
So, my little historical novel has transformed into a science fiction novel, which I believe will be easier for me.
I started out with two vague ideas--World War II and time travel--that I would have liked to work with. Using the 'What-If' process that my good friend Varon showed me, I created a list of questions for myself to answer. Here are those, along with the answers I came up with:
~*~
What if a specific, major event in our history had gone differently?: Let's say Hitler had won the World War. There would be very little Jews left, and very little men willing to oppose him. Hitler would probably have soldiers posted in most of the major cities (the ones that hadn't been destroyed during the war), making sure everybody stays in line--and consequently terrifying everyone into submission. Obviously, Hitler would be dead by now, from old age (unless Indiana Jones failed and Hitler came in control of the Holy Grail [or perhaps the Fountain of Youth]). New leaders at least as cruel as Hitler would have been appointed through the years.
How would that have changed the world in the future?: In my mind, pollution and general negligence of protecting the environment would make it a very cold, very dull, and very disease-ridden place. Also, most of the cities of the world would have been destroyed, taken over, or turned into factories or concentration camps, more than likely. Germany would be the most busy place; where the largest amount of people are safe, healthy, and alive--not in danger, sickly, and dead.
What if the end of the world was brought on by that event, and the mission was a last desperate attempt--similar to a 'we're all going to die anyway, so if we die on this mission it's just happening sooner' affect?: Well, I can understand how that might happen--in the end, all of humanity might die out, except for the people in Germany and safe strongholds/underground hiding places. Also, the climate or air in general could be majorly compromised, thus making the world a diseased place, plagued and uninhabitable. The world wouldn't be destroyed, per se; there would simply be no chance of people living there. If the SAS mission was for them to assassinate the new leader of Germany, it would be a last chance effort: win, or lose.
What would the world be like in the future?: Very desolate, gray, and dangerous. Threats from soldiers and feral animals that have no food. Mutated animals who have had to evolve into hideous creatures in order to survive. Sunlight almost always blocked by clouds of smog and smoke. Lots of concrete near the places where people live and had lived before; mostly brown grassland where no one lives, since the grass isn't getting enough sunlight and most of the forests and jungles have been cut down.
Would any of the militia have newer, more advanced weaponry?: Well, most likely Germany would. But the other militias of the world have either been wiped out or have surrendered. Even though they had surrendered, they would not be supplied weaponry.
What about newer, more advanced technology in general?: Most likely not. Except for Germany of course.
What sorts of new inventions could there be?: Probably nothing past what we have now, and certainly most advanced in Germany. Germans (the only ones allowed to invent things, besides very well-contained prisoners) would only be able to go so far with inventing stuff.
Is time-travel possible, or could it become possible (maybe that's the reason for all the fighting)?: Hmm... maybe time travel is something Germany's new leader is on the verge of discovering (if this is the case, I might have to invent some more new technology instead of just modern stuff). Perhaps my team of SAS soldiers would be trying to stop him, because if he did, he would go back in time, mess everything up, and possible capture innocent people to use as his slaves.
Would it be too much to bring aliens into the mix?: Probably, yes. Honestly, I would really want to deal with aliens anyway. Mutated animals and maybe people, yes. Aliens, no. I'd have my hands full trying to figure out what to do with time travel and the historical differences.
Or to have humans that have evolved to receive some odd attribute, like breathing underwater?: Definitely too much. That makes it more into a fantasy story (which, I admit, I would love; other people might not). Time travel is even stretching it.
What climate/geography changes could have occurred to bring this on?: None, since I don't believe any of my humans will evolve and receive some weird ability.
~*~
Okay, I have no idea where or why I came up with the underwater-breathing human question. Just my mind rambling.
But those questions gave me a vague idea of a plot. Vague, mind you; no need to poke fun or criticize the questions, since it was simply a brainstorming exercise. Though I think I could fit the time travel in without making it too much.
Ideas? Suggestions? Advice? Please leave a comment!
So, my little historical novel has transformed into a science fiction novel, which I believe will be easier for me.
I started out with two vague ideas--World War II and time travel--that I would have liked to work with. Using the 'What-If' process that my good friend Varon showed me, I created a list of questions for myself to answer. Here are those, along with the answers I came up with:
~*~
What if a specific, major event in our history had gone differently?: Let's say Hitler had won the World War. There would be very little Jews left, and very little men willing to oppose him. Hitler would probably have soldiers posted in most of the major cities (the ones that hadn't been destroyed during the war), making sure everybody stays in line--and consequently terrifying everyone into submission. Obviously, Hitler would be dead by now, from old age (unless Indiana Jones failed and Hitler came in control of the Holy Grail [or perhaps the Fountain of Youth]). New leaders at least as cruel as Hitler would have been appointed through the years.
How would that have changed the world in the future?: In my mind, pollution and general negligence of protecting the environment would make it a very cold, very dull, and very disease-ridden place. Also, most of the cities of the world would have been destroyed, taken over, or turned into factories or concentration camps, more than likely. Germany would be the most busy place; where the largest amount of people are safe, healthy, and alive--not in danger, sickly, and dead.
What if the end of the world was brought on by that event, and the mission was a last desperate attempt--similar to a 'we're all going to die anyway, so if we die on this mission it's just happening sooner' affect?: Well, I can understand how that might happen--in the end, all of humanity might die out, except for the people in Germany and safe strongholds/underground hiding places. Also, the climate or air in general could be majorly compromised, thus making the world a diseased place, plagued and uninhabitable. The world wouldn't be destroyed, per se; there would simply be no chance of people living there. If the SAS mission was for them to assassinate the new leader of Germany, it would be a last chance effort: win, or lose.
What would the world be like in the future?: Very desolate, gray, and dangerous. Threats from soldiers and feral animals that have no food. Mutated animals who have had to evolve into hideous creatures in order to survive. Sunlight almost always blocked by clouds of smog and smoke. Lots of concrete near the places where people live and had lived before; mostly brown grassland where no one lives, since the grass isn't getting enough sunlight and most of the forests and jungles have been cut down.
Would any of the militia have newer, more advanced weaponry?: Well, most likely Germany would. But the other militias of the world have either been wiped out or have surrendered. Even though they had surrendered, they would not be supplied weaponry.
What about newer, more advanced technology in general?: Most likely not. Except for Germany of course.
What sorts of new inventions could there be?: Probably nothing past what we have now, and certainly most advanced in Germany. Germans (the only ones allowed to invent things, besides very well-contained prisoners) would only be able to go so far with inventing stuff.
Is time-travel possible, or could it become possible (maybe that's the reason for all the fighting)?: Hmm... maybe time travel is something Germany's new leader is on the verge of discovering (if this is the case, I might have to invent some more new technology instead of just modern stuff). Perhaps my team of SAS soldiers would be trying to stop him, because if he did, he would go back in time, mess everything up, and possible capture innocent people to use as his slaves.
Would it be too much to bring aliens into the mix?: Probably, yes. Honestly, I would really want to deal with aliens anyway. Mutated animals and maybe people, yes. Aliens, no. I'd have my hands full trying to figure out what to do with time travel and the historical differences.
Or to have humans that have evolved to receive some odd attribute, like breathing underwater?: Definitely too much. That makes it more into a fantasy story (which, I admit, I would love; other people might not). Time travel is even stretching it.
What climate/geography changes could have occurred to bring this on?: None, since I don't believe any of my humans will evolve and receive some weird ability.
~*~
Okay, I have no idea where or why I came up with the underwater-breathing human question. Just my mind rambling.
But those questions gave me a vague idea of a plot. Vague, mind you; no need to poke fun or criticize the questions, since it was simply a brainstorming exercise. Though I think I could fit the time travel in without making it too much.
Ideas? Suggestions? Advice? Please leave a comment!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Methinks I Might Have An Idea For This Year's NaNoWriMo (finally)
Well, this is just a vague idea. But I've been learning about different wars and warfare lately, and I thought it would be cool to take seven soldiers, maybe ones from the SAS, and send them into a mission.
...
In which my sadistic mind kills off at least three of the characters. Which, it isn't really sadistic since that's what war is, but I don't normally kill any of my characters off.
Anyway, all I really have at the moment is a list of characters and some famous lookalikes. I need a title and a plot...
Seth Sheppard - Sean Bean
Tommy Cade - Dominic Monaghan
Christopher Gunn - Viggo Mortensen
Jamie Grant - Ewan McGregor
Ewan Dillinger - Jude Law
Finn Morann - Random Scottish guy I don't know
Nathan Shaw - Billy Boyd
...
In which my sadistic mind kills off at least three of the characters. Which, it isn't really sadistic since that's what war is, but I don't normally kill any of my characters off.
Anyway, all I really have at the moment is a list of characters and some famous lookalikes. I need a title and a plot...
Seth Sheppard - Sean Bean
Tommy Cade - Dominic Monaghan
Christopher Gunn - Viggo Mortensen
Jamie Grant - Ewan McGregor
Ewan Dillinger - Jude Law
Finn Morann - Random Scottish guy I don't know
Nathan Shaw - Billy Boyd
Friday, August 3, 2012
Songs Of Old
Well, I was so interested in my brainstorming activity earlier, I got an idea for a song from it. Granted, the song isn't very good--most of my songs aren't--but I'm rather happy with the overall product. I also hope to put it to music soon...someday...
Let me know what you think!
The drumbeats pulse in time with your heartbeats,
The melody of the flute gently urges you to compete,
The wandering tune of the lute shows you the way,
Let the songs of old show you the path to take.
CHORUS
I summon the Windsong,
Both gentle and strong,
I summon the Rainsong,
Giver and taker of life,
I summon the Thundersong,
One whose path is straight and right,
I summon the Earthsong,
Dark and hidden from all light.
Pound your stoic fists against the drum,
Let your fury free and let the storm come,
Send your gentle breath into the flute,
Let the music out, let it embrace you.
Fingers flying across the strings of the lute,
The leaves of the trees dance, let your foes follow suit,
Draw your hand across the strings of the harp,
Soft the melody is, but its effect is cruel and hard.
CHORUS
I summon the Windsong,
Both gentle and strong,
I summon the Rainsong,
Giver and taker of life,
I summon the Thundersong,
One whose path is straight and right,
I summon the Earthsong,
Dark and hidden from all light.
BRIDGE
Wind, Rain, Thunder, Earth...
Wind, Rain, Thunder, Earth...
Wind...Rain...Thunder...Earth.
Let me know what you think!
The drumbeats pulse in time with your heartbeats,
The melody of the flute gently urges you to compete,
The wandering tune of the lute shows you the way,
Let the songs of old show you the path to take.
CHORUS
I summon the Windsong,
Both gentle and strong,
I summon the Rainsong,
Giver and taker of life,
I summon the Thundersong,
One whose path is straight and right,
I summon the Earthsong,
Dark and hidden from all light.
Pound your stoic fists against the drum,
Let your fury free and let the storm come,
Send your gentle breath into the flute,
Let the music out, let it embrace you.
Fingers flying across the strings of the lute,
The leaves of the trees dance, let your foes follow suit,
Draw your hand across the strings of the harp,
Soft the melody is, but its effect is cruel and hard.
CHORUS
I summon the Windsong,
Both gentle and strong,
I summon the Rainsong,
Giver and taker of life,
I summon the Thundersong,
One whose path is straight and right,
I summon the Earthsong,
Dark and hidden from all light.
BRIDGE
Wind, Rain, Thunder, Earth...
Wind, Rain, Thunder, Earth...
Wind...Rain...Thunder...Earth.
Brainstorming Fantasy Trilogy Ideas...
I got this idea from an 'Idea Pool' down at Castles, Quills, and Cameras. Be sure to check it out; it's an amazing blog!
All right, so, let's say that the MacGuffins for my fantasy trilogy are musical instruments. That would be a good idea, since I'd like music to play an integral part in the book.
So, let's say that the three instruments are a drum, not unlike a bodhran; a flute; and a lute.
Each of them could have a magical song you have to play. And each specific song calls up some sort of...thing.
Maybe the drum could call up thunder and lightning storms. And the flute could call up water. The lute could summon the wind, maybe?
If so, the titles of my books could be as follows:
The Songs of Old: Windsong
The Songs of Old: Rainsong
The Songs of Old: Thundersong
That would be nice. Three instruments, three books, three main characters to use them. Ingvar could have the lute, Terran could have the drum, and Keallan could have the flute. Technically, that even fits with their characters! Keallan is related by marriage to the Elves, whom use flutes as a major part of their music. Ingvar has played the lute since he was a young boy in Evenir. And Terran harbors so much pent-up anger and loathing towards Rarrick that he needs to get out; a drum would be perfect for him.
And maybe there could be a fourth, unknown musical instrument, and owned by none other than Lord Rarrick. It could call up something like...rock, or earth, and it could be, like, a Celtic harp. "I summon the Earthsong" or something like that. Or, if I manage to fit a fourth book in (although that's doubtful), the title could be:
The Songs of Old: Earthsong
And Rarrick could have stolen it from the Dwarves. It would fit, y'know. I already planned for each of the MacGuffins to belong to one of the major kingdoms/realms of Elani.
So, for instance, the relations could go something like this:
The Rainsong (flute) belongs to Daerdan, kingdom of the Solas Elves
The Windsong (lute) belongs to Cambria, the Western Realm
The Thundersong (drum) belongs to Evenir, the Eastern Realm
The Earthsong (harp) belongs to Kazad, kingdom of the Dwarves
Hmm. It actually seems more likely for the drum to belong to the Dwarves. So perhaps I should switch instruments so that the Thundersong is actually a harp--no. It only makes sense for it to be a drum, because of thunder and all that. Besides, I kind of like the contradiction of the Dwarves, commonly a gruff, rough, and tough people, playing music on Celtic harps.
And it would be interesting if the musical instruments were created with the intention of teaching peace of mind and serenity in chaos to the user. For instance, whoever is using the instrument might have to play a specific melody, and speak an incantation. Now, obviously, they'll be in the middle of great danger while doing this; it'll take a lot of serenity and courage to be able to do that without messing up.
The incantation for the Rainsong could be something like, I call upon the Rainsong, the one that can give life; the one that can take life. I summon the rain. I summon the seas, the oceans, the rivers. I summon the Rainsong.
And then maybe the instruments don't actually summon storms and wind and all that; maybe they summon animals or humans with magical powers to fight. Or maybe it can just summon the actual storms. Or...
Sheesh. Brainstorming this has gotten me majorly excited. It just might be the motivator I need to finish my trilogy once and for all.
All right, so, let's say that the MacGuffins for my fantasy trilogy are musical instruments. That would be a good idea, since I'd like music to play an integral part in the book.
So, let's say that the three instruments are a drum, not unlike a bodhran; a flute; and a lute.
Each of them could have a magical song you have to play. And each specific song calls up some sort of...thing.
Maybe the drum could call up thunder and lightning storms. And the flute could call up water. The lute could summon the wind, maybe?
If so, the titles of my books could be as follows:
The Songs of Old: Windsong
The Songs of Old: Rainsong
The Songs of Old: Thundersong
That would be nice. Three instruments, three books, three main characters to use them. Ingvar could have the lute, Terran could have the drum, and Keallan could have the flute. Technically, that even fits with their characters! Keallan is related by marriage to the Elves, whom use flutes as a major part of their music. Ingvar has played the lute since he was a young boy in Evenir. And Terran harbors so much pent-up anger and loathing towards Rarrick that he needs to get out; a drum would be perfect for him.
And maybe there could be a fourth, unknown musical instrument, and owned by none other than Lord Rarrick. It could call up something like...rock, or earth, and it could be, like, a Celtic harp. "I summon the Earthsong" or something like that. Or, if I manage to fit a fourth book in (although that's doubtful), the title could be:
The Songs of Old: Earthsong
And Rarrick could have stolen it from the Dwarves. It would fit, y'know. I already planned for each of the MacGuffins to belong to one of the major kingdoms/realms of Elani.
So, for instance, the relations could go something like this:
The Rainsong (flute) belongs to Daerdan, kingdom of the Solas Elves
The Windsong (lute) belongs to Cambria, the Western Realm
The Thundersong (drum) belongs to Evenir, the Eastern Realm
The Earthsong (harp) belongs to Kazad, kingdom of the Dwarves
Hmm. It actually seems more likely for the drum to belong to the Dwarves. So perhaps I should switch instruments so that the Thundersong is actually a harp--no. It only makes sense for it to be a drum, because of thunder and all that. Besides, I kind of like the contradiction of the Dwarves, commonly a gruff, rough, and tough people, playing music on Celtic harps.
And it would be interesting if the musical instruments were created with the intention of teaching peace of mind and serenity in chaos to the user. For instance, whoever is using the instrument might have to play a specific melody, and speak an incantation. Now, obviously, they'll be in the middle of great danger while doing this; it'll take a lot of serenity and courage to be able to do that without messing up.
The incantation for the Rainsong could be something like, I call upon the Rainsong, the one that can give life; the one that can take life. I summon the rain. I summon the seas, the oceans, the rivers. I summon the Rainsong.
And then maybe the instruments don't actually summon storms and wind and all that; maybe they summon animals or humans with magical powers to fight. Or maybe it can just summon the actual storms. Or...
Sheesh. Brainstorming this has gotten me majorly excited. It just might be the motivator I need to finish my trilogy once and for all.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Well, I've Finally Decided...
...to get a move-on and start working on some sort of writing. Besides poetry. Because I write that way too much and ignore the fact that I have a bunch of novels that need my attention.
I actually have enough time on my hands to do so. But the Worst Enemy of the Writer has been lurking...
The Internet.
Yeahhh. I'm a tad obsessed with the Internet. Not just as a time-waster, mind you. I have a few friends that I talk to who can get depressed from time to time, and I like to try and make them feel better. That's what takes up most of my free time, really.
Well, that being said, I'm going to try and concentrate on my writing. My mom has actually banned me from working on it after 6:30PM, because that's family time. Which I understand. But 6:30PM-8:00PM is pretty much the only time I have absolutely nothing else to do--no chores, no Internet access, no errands to go run, no school...
But family time is important, so I must find time during the day to write. However, even if I do avoid the Internet, I still get asked to do chores every few minutes (because my brother has a problem with HEARING people and never does his), and then we do have places to go. And of course there's another common Enemy of mine:
HIGH SCHOOL.
Yeah, I put that one in all caps and bolded it and all that because of one reason--I really am disliking high school. I'm in 10th grade, and some of it is actually pretty easy for me. History and Geography; English; and Bible. Mostly because I read the Bible a lot and already know most of the answers to my problems, and I'm kind of obsessed with history and other countries. And English is kind of obvious. When I was able to start reading longer books, at around age 8 or so, I was reading high school grammar books that I found in the novel-writing section of my library. *headdesk* I was an odd kid.
But the Biology and Geometry... after finishing that, I'm brain-dead. I just can't grasp the concepts of it, and I'm kind of afraid I'll fail miserably.
Anyway, I kinda got off-track there.
My new priorities are to set aside some time to work on editing The Night Phoenix, and plotting out my fantasy trilogy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm the kind of person who prefers jumping right into a book and letting it show me where to go. Unfortunately, with longer books, or more often than not, trilogies or series, you have to plan them out. Otherwise, things come up that you forgot or want to add in. And when that happens, it usually changes the whole course of events in the novel so far, which means you have to rewrite most of it, if not the whole dang thing.
So I'm planning my fantasy trilogy out, slowly but surely (okay, not so surely. So sue me). I like the characters, I like my fantasy world (Solarii is its name, though the novel takes place in Elani, one country), and I like the basic plot I've come up with for them. They just need fleshing out.
So, that's about it!
I actually have enough time on my hands to do so. But the Worst Enemy of the Writer has been lurking...
The Internet.
Yeahhh. I'm a tad obsessed with the Internet. Not just as a time-waster, mind you. I have a few friends that I talk to who can get depressed from time to time, and I like to try and make them feel better. That's what takes up most of my free time, really.
Well, that being said, I'm going to try and concentrate on my writing. My mom has actually banned me from working on it after 6:30PM, because that's family time. Which I understand. But 6:30PM-8:00PM is pretty much the only time I have absolutely nothing else to do--no chores, no Internet access, no errands to go run, no school...
But family time is important, so I must find time during the day to write. However, even if I do avoid the Internet, I still get asked to do chores every few minutes (because my brother has a problem with HEARING people and never does his), and then we do have places to go. And of course there's another common Enemy of mine:
HIGH SCHOOL.
Yeah, I put that one in all caps and bolded it and all that because of one reason--I really am disliking high school. I'm in 10th grade, and some of it is actually pretty easy for me. History and Geography; English; and Bible. Mostly because I read the Bible a lot and already know most of the answers to my problems, and I'm kind of obsessed with history and other countries. And English is kind of obvious. When I was able to start reading longer books, at around age 8 or so, I was reading high school grammar books that I found in the novel-writing section of my library. *headdesk* I was an odd kid.
But the Biology and Geometry... after finishing that, I'm brain-dead. I just can't grasp the concepts of it, and I'm kind of afraid I'll fail miserably.
Anyway, I kinda got off-track there.
My new priorities are to set aside some time to work on editing The Night Phoenix, and plotting out my fantasy trilogy.
Don't get me wrong, I'm the kind of person who prefers jumping right into a book and letting it show me where to go. Unfortunately, with longer books, or more often than not, trilogies or series, you have to plan them out. Otherwise, things come up that you forgot or want to add in. And when that happens, it usually changes the whole course of events in the novel so far, which means you have to rewrite most of it, if not the whole dang thing.
So I'm planning my fantasy trilogy out, slowly but surely (okay, not so surely. So sue me). I like the characters, I like my fantasy world (Solarii is its name, though the novel takes place in Elani, one country), and I like the basic plot I've come up with for them. They just need fleshing out.
So, that's about it!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
I Really Dislike Plot Bunnies
Why, in all the world, do I have to get stalked by about 20 of them?
That might be the reason I don't get any of my projects done. I have about 16 novel ideas that keep vying for attention, two script ideas, and various song ideas. And I can't concentrate on any one thing (specifically, the editing of my "Night Phoenix" novel) because of them.
I should invest in, like, a few jars of ink to lure the plot bunnies out of my head or something.
That might be the reason I don't get any of my projects done. I have about 16 novel ideas that keep vying for attention, two script ideas, and various song ideas. And I can't concentrate on any one thing (specifically, the editing of my "Night Phoenix" novel) because of them.
I should invest in, like, a few jars of ink to lure the plot bunnies out of my head or something.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Sometimes I Need A Good Whack Upside The Head
Because I have got to be the worst procrastinator in the United States, if not the world, if not the galaxy, if not the entire universe.
As some of you probably know, I've been working on several projects, the one that is most important (or should be, but actually hasn't been on my mind that much) being the editing of my novel, The Night Phoenix. It's roughly about 85,000 words so far, and I think it has potential. Of course, I've only edited about three chapters in as many months.
I faiiiiiil.
Anyway. I also should have finished the screenplay for a short film I'm doing this summer. Well, July is almost over, and I've only written half of the screenplay. And we haven't filmed anything, because things keep coming up and delaying us. So our little Lokirim Productions film is severely behind schedule. Oops.
What else have I been doing with my time, you ask?
I have been wasting my time writing fanfiction, because I've been serously deprived of my favorite TV show. There aren't any episodes up to watch online, except for five, and I've watched those over and over and over again. So I write fanfiction to satiate myself.
Lame, I know. I waste precious time (what little time I'm not doing school or chores) writing fanfiction, or reading fanfiction, or watching movies that I've already watched at least ten times.
Oh well. I'll just have to ask my brother to knock me over the head with his sword or something and get back on track.
As some of you probably know, I've been working on several projects, the one that is most important (or should be, but actually hasn't been on my mind that much) being the editing of my novel, The Night Phoenix. It's roughly about 85,000 words so far, and I think it has potential. Of course, I've only edited about three chapters in as many months.
I faiiiiiil.
Anyway. I also should have finished the screenplay for a short film I'm doing this summer. Well, July is almost over, and I've only written half of the screenplay. And we haven't filmed anything, because things keep coming up and delaying us. So our little Lokirim Productions film is severely behind schedule. Oops.
What else have I been doing with my time, you ask?
I have been wasting my time writing fanfiction, because I've been serously deprived of my favorite TV show. There aren't any episodes up to watch online, except for five, and I've watched those over and over and over again. So I write fanfiction to satiate myself.
Lame, I know. I waste precious time (what little time I'm not doing school or chores) writing fanfiction, or reading fanfiction, or watching movies that I've already watched at least ten times.
Oh well. I'll just have to ask my brother to knock me over the head with his sword or something and get back on track.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Blogging Awards
Apparently, I just got tagged for an award by a very good friend of mine. How interesting. The rules are as follow:
1. You have to thank the person who nominated you on their blog to receive your honour.
2. You have to tell 7 things about yourself and human canoe counts!
1. You have to thank the person who nominated you on their blog to receive your honour.
3. You have to nominate 15 blogs and then tell them of their nomination!
Thank you so very much Cossy for the nomination! It's always nice to know people still stalk my blogs. ;)
1. I'm a fourteen-soon-to-be-fifteen-year-old girl. Who has grayish-green eyes.
2. I'm obsessed with the TV show "Once Upon A Time".
3. I have a pretty accurate Scottish accent and English accent.
4. Most of my friends are online friends and thus live across the U.S. or even the world.
5. I'm working on, like...eleven different projects? Including novels, short stories, songs, and poems.
6. I like to make films with my friends.
7. I like to hug people. XD
Now, here are me nominations:
1. Tsuro
2. Varon
3. Mary Hills
4. Caleb Painter
5. Jake
6. The Director
7. Olive
8. MichaeL Lostritto
9. Nick Hight
10. Gillian Adams
11. Nathan R. Petrie
12. J.T.Z. Baner
13. ThePsychoLlamas
14. Isaac Permann
15. Pathfinder
Whew, that took a while, especially with my glitchy internet. I'll be notifying all of the nominees tomorrow; it's kind of late here, and I need to sign off the computer. Namaarie, mellon-nin!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
An Excerpt From One Of My Novels
Yep, this is an excerpt from one of my novels. I figured I'd actually give you some prose of mine to read instead of a bunch of poems, ramblings, and book reviews.
So, this is the first chapter of Evrain, a comedy/drama I was working on a few months ago.
It basically came from me wanting to have an obsessive, insane character that acted like a little kid, a sarcastic grave-robber dude, and an absentminded archer in a novel. I highly doubt I'll ever finish this (hence the reason it isn't mentioned on my Novels page), because it's just for the fun of it.
Plus, I don't think this is really something that would sell very well; it's not the kind of book people want to read, I don't think. I mean, I'd like to see a book like this in my library, but that's just my weird sense of humor.
So. Without further ado, I bring to you the first chapter of Evrain...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Evrain! EVRAIN!"
Evrain jolted out of his daydream and looked over at the Captain of the Guard. "Uh…yes, sir?"
"You’re supposed to let the arrow loose now, and see if you can hit the target," growled the Captain.
Evrain then remembered that he was in the middle of a tournament, and that it was his turn to shoot.
"Oh." Evrain blushed at the sound of the laughter from the crowds watching. He let loose the arrow he was still holding nocked to the bowstring.
It shot forward and buried itself dead-center of the target. Evrain grinned. "I did it!"
"Now let’s see if you can do it twice more," said the Captain in acid tones.
"Oh, yeah." Evrain nocked another arrow, aimed, and let it go. It struck the target a few inches below his first arrow, but still within the bull’s-eye.
As Evrain got another arrow ready, he began to think about the trophy at the end of the arching tournament. He would win; at least, he would have to get second place…
He fired the arrow, and it missed the target entirely. It had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, and he had been too far into his daydream to aim properly.
Evrain heard the Captain curse behind him, then say, "All right, Evrain, you can leave the field now."
Evrain hesitated, and then trudged off in the direction of the river, which was rather close to the playing field.
As he walked, Evrain scolded himself. "Evrain, you fool. You had the competition in the bag, but then you had to go off and start daydreaming. What happens if you do that in a battle? This land is cursed, what with all of the monsters roaming around. So, when you’re in the middle of a fight, you’ll just start daydreaming, and then within seconds you’ll be pulverized, or devoured, or mutilated, or—"
He was cut off by the sound of rushing water. He had reached the river.
Evrain sighed and plunked himself down on a boulder beside the water. He picked up a few pebbles and started to throw them into the water.
Suddenly, a loud rustling from Evrain’s right side made him spin around.
A cluster of bushes were thrashing around, as though someone—or something—was hiding among them.
Evrain sprang to his feet, about to call out. But then the mysterious thing emerged.
It was a man. He appeared to be in his middle forties, with long, ratty brown hair and wild eyes. He carried a fishing rod.
"Help! Help, help, help!" the man said rapidly, his words running together.
"What is it?" asked Evrain.
"The mean Longshanks stole my fish!" the man said, skittering back and forth in obvious agitation.
"Longshanks?" Evrain repeated, wrinkling his brow. "Who or what is Longshanks?"
"HE STOLE MY FISH!" the man screamed.
Evrain winced. "All right, all right. I’ll see what I can do. Show me where this Longshanks is."
The man turned and scurried away with an odd, loping gait.
Evrain sighed and hurried after the odd man. Perhaps if the man got his fish back, he would stop screaming…
At length, the man led Evrain through a small grove of trees and then to the bank of the river. There, Evrain could see a tent, a campfire, and various cooking and fishing utensils.
And he could also see another man standing by the fire.
"Him, him, him," the strange man said, pointing at the fire.
Evrain winced again. The stranger by the campfire was six or more feet of solid muscle, and he looked dangerous.
The man by the fire looked up with narrowed eyes. "And who might you be?" he called, making no move to leave.
"I’m Evrain Blackarrow," Evrain replied. "Because my hair is black and my destiny was always to be an archer." At least, that was what his parents had always told him.
The man by the fire nodded slowly. "What are you doing here?"
"Er…this fellow here says you stole his—" Evrain started.
"Fish!"
"Yes, his fish," Evrain agreed, glancing at the scruffy-looking fisherman who had led him here.
"He’s got more than his share," grumbled the fish-thief.
"I know, Mr…" Evrain stopped, realizing he had no idea what the man’s name was.
"You can call me Cafall," the thief replied, his face expressionless underneath reddish-brown hair.
"Mr. Cafall," Evrain continued. "But it was his fish."
"Just Cafall, no ‘Mr.’ involved," Cafall said. "Also, he has plenty of fish, he doesn’t need these. Besides, I’m bigger than he is." As though that ended the discussion, Cafall crouched down and started eating one of the half-cooked salmon he had stolen.
"Give me my fish!" screeched the fisherman with a voice that was much more high-pitched than it should have been for an adult man.
Evrain turned. "Look, could you please stop yelling? Then perhaps we could come to a conclusion."
The fisherman wandered off to the banks of the river—giving Cafall a wide berth—to sulk.
Cafall laughed derisively. "What a sorry excuse for a man." He turned his eyes on Evrain. "And you, lad. What made you follow that crazy fisherman?"
Evrain shrugged, tentatively walking forward and kneeling down across from Cafall.
Cafall watched Evrain carefully, all the while eating ‘his’ fish.
Cafall’s bright and piercing gaze unnerved Evrain, and he said, "Would you please stop staring at me?"
"Sorry," Cafall said, not sounding sorry at all.
Before Evrain could answer, there was a shout, and something slammed into the back of Cafall’s head. He pitched forward, nearly landing in the fire, and then spun around and leapt to his feet.
The fisherman had picked up the oar to a boat and hit Cafall with it.
Cafall, who was much bigger than the fisherman was, lunged forward, a knife in hand, and tackled the other man to the ground.
Without thinking, Evrain nocked an arrow to his bow and aimed at the two. "Stop fighting, or you’ll get an arrow through your head!"
To his shock, Cafall slowly glanced over, the dagger still pressed to the fisherman’s throat. Then, he abruptly re-sheathed it and stood up.
"You’ve got heart, lad," he said. "But that idiot tried to kill me."
"You stole my fish…" whined the fisherman, who was still on the ground.
Evrain sighed, unable to believe how absurd the situation was. "All right, let’s talk this over like gentlemen. Cafall, go back to the fire, and don’t touch any fish. You—what’s your name?"
"Fred." The fisherman slowly got to his feet.
"Fred?" repeated Cafall, laughing.
"Be quiet," Evrain said to Cafall. To Fred, he added, "Okay…Fred. Go sit on the other side of the fire, and don’t go anywhere near Cafall."
Fred the fisherman obeyed.
Evrain went and sat down near the fire as well. "All right, gentlemen. I—"
"I’m no gentleman," Cafall said, smirking and leaning back against a boulder.
Evrain studied Cafall’s long, windblown hair, his unkempt beard, and the scars on his face. "Yes, I can see that."
Cafall laughed again.
Evrain sighed. "Be that as it may, I’m going to continue calling you that. Anyway. Fred, I have a question to ask you."
"What?" Fred asked sullenly.
"Why can’t Cafall have a few fish to take with him?"
"They’re mine!" yelped Fred.
"Yes, I know, but…" Evrain gestured towards the baskets full of trout and salmon on the banks of the river. "You have plenty."
"They’re mine! All mine!"
"Can’t you share?" Evrain felt like he was talking to a young child.
"They’re miiiine!"
Cafall was having a major laughing fit. Evrain wearily ran a hand through his hair.
"I know they’re yours," he told Fred. "But Cafall only wants a few. Can’t he have that many?"
"They’re—" Fred started.
"If you say ‘mine’ again, I really will drive an arrow through your skull," Evrain warned, losing his temper.
"They’re not his," Fred answered instead.
"All right, all right, we get your point," Cafall said, finally able to stop laughing. "Look, friend, I’ll take a dozen fish and be on my way. You won’t ever have to see me again, although the stars know I’d rather stay here and harass you. It’s much more amusing than my current occupation."
Fred got up and trudged away to sulk.
"I’ve never seen a grown man act that way," Evrain remarked, watching the fisherman leave.
Cafall gave him a strange look. "You’ve never heard of this man before?"
"Fred? No, I haven’t."
"Everyone within a hundred miles of here knows about ‘Fred’," Cafall said. "He travels up and down the river on his fishing boat. Everybody knows that he’s quite mad."
"Really?" Evrain said curiously, casting another glance at Fred, who was muttering to himself and gutting a fish down at the river’s edge.
"Really," Cafall answered. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things I need to do." He stood up, and picked up his pack.
A shovel fell out of it.
"Why do you have a shovel in your pack?" inquired Evrain.
Cafall chuckled. "You’ve never heard of me either, eh? Well, good, I’d rather keep it that way. I suppose I’ll tell you; I’ll be long gone by the time you get back to your city."
Evrain waited expectantly.
"I’m a grave-robber, lad. A common thief and con-man. Nothing like the fancy archers and warriors in the city where you live." Cafall smirked. "Good day." He turned to leave.
But then there was a shrill cry from Fred. "Monster cows!"
Cafall, who was already halfway out of camp, snickered.
Evrain rolled his eyes, and turned to leave as well.
And then the Minotaurs swarmed out of the grove of trees, their eyes flaming and swords held high.
So, this is the first chapter of Evrain, a comedy/drama I was working on a few months ago.
It basically came from me wanting to have an obsessive, insane character that acted like a little kid, a sarcastic grave-robber dude, and an absentminded archer in a novel. I highly doubt I'll ever finish this (hence the reason it isn't mentioned on my Novels page), because it's just for the fun of it.
Plus, I don't think this is really something that would sell very well; it's not the kind of book people want to read, I don't think. I mean, I'd like to see a book like this in my library, but that's just my weird sense of humor.
So. Without further ado, I bring to you the first chapter of Evrain...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Evrain! EVRAIN!"
Evrain jolted out of his daydream and looked over at the Captain of the Guard. "Uh…yes, sir?"
"You’re supposed to let the arrow loose now, and see if you can hit the target," growled the Captain.
Evrain then remembered that he was in the middle of a tournament, and that it was his turn to shoot.
"Oh." Evrain blushed at the sound of the laughter from the crowds watching. He let loose the arrow he was still holding nocked to the bowstring.
It shot forward and buried itself dead-center of the target. Evrain grinned. "I did it!"
"Now let’s see if you can do it twice more," said the Captain in acid tones.
"Oh, yeah." Evrain nocked another arrow, aimed, and let it go. It struck the target a few inches below his first arrow, but still within the bull’s-eye.
As Evrain got another arrow ready, he began to think about the trophy at the end of the arching tournament. He would win; at least, he would have to get second place…
He fired the arrow, and it missed the target entirely. It had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, and he had been too far into his daydream to aim properly.
Evrain heard the Captain curse behind him, then say, "All right, Evrain, you can leave the field now."
Evrain hesitated, and then trudged off in the direction of the river, which was rather close to the playing field.
As he walked, Evrain scolded himself. "Evrain, you fool. You had the competition in the bag, but then you had to go off and start daydreaming. What happens if you do that in a battle? This land is cursed, what with all of the monsters roaming around. So, when you’re in the middle of a fight, you’ll just start daydreaming, and then within seconds you’ll be pulverized, or devoured, or mutilated, or—"
He was cut off by the sound of rushing water. He had reached the river.
Evrain sighed and plunked himself down on a boulder beside the water. He picked up a few pebbles and started to throw them into the water.
Suddenly, a loud rustling from Evrain’s right side made him spin around.
A cluster of bushes were thrashing around, as though someone—or something—was hiding among them.
Evrain sprang to his feet, about to call out. But then the mysterious thing emerged.
It was a man. He appeared to be in his middle forties, with long, ratty brown hair and wild eyes. He carried a fishing rod.
"Help! Help, help, help!" the man said rapidly, his words running together.
"What is it?" asked Evrain.
"The mean Longshanks stole my fish!" the man said, skittering back and forth in obvious agitation.
"Longshanks?" Evrain repeated, wrinkling his brow. "Who or what is Longshanks?"
"HE STOLE MY FISH!" the man screamed.
Evrain winced. "All right, all right. I’ll see what I can do. Show me where this Longshanks is."
The man turned and scurried away with an odd, loping gait.
Evrain sighed and hurried after the odd man. Perhaps if the man got his fish back, he would stop screaming…
At length, the man led Evrain through a small grove of trees and then to the bank of the river. There, Evrain could see a tent, a campfire, and various cooking and fishing utensils.
And he could also see another man standing by the fire.
"Him, him, him," the strange man said, pointing at the fire.
Evrain winced again. The stranger by the campfire was six or more feet of solid muscle, and he looked dangerous.
The man by the fire looked up with narrowed eyes. "And who might you be?" he called, making no move to leave.
"I’m Evrain Blackarrow," Evrain replied. "Because my hair is black and my destiny was always to be an archer." At least, that was what his parents had always told him.
The man by the fire nodded slowly. "What are you doing here?"
"Er…this fellow here says you stole his—" Evrain started.
"Fish!"
"Yes, his fish," Evrain agreed, glancing at the scruffy-looking fisherman who had led him here.
"He’s got more than his share," grumbled the fish-thief.
"I know, Mr…" Evrain stopped, realizing he had no idea what the man’s name was.
"You can call me Cafall," the thief replied, his face expressionless underneath reddish-brown hair.
"Mr. Cafall," Evrain continued. "But it was his fish."
"Just Cafall, no ‘Mr.’ involved," Cafall said. "Also, he has plenty of fish, he doesn’t need these. Besides, I’m bigger than he is." As though that ended the discussion, Cafall crouched down and started eating one of the half-cooked salmon he had stolen.
"Give me my fish!" screeched the fisherman with a voice that was much more high-pitched than it should have been for an adult man.
Evrain turned. "Look, could you please stop yelling? Then perhaps we could come to a conclusion."
The fisherman wandered off to the banks of the river—giving Cafall a wide berth—to sulk.
Cafall laughed derisively. "What a sorry excuse for a man." He turned his eyes on Evrain. "And you, lad. What made you follow that crazy fisherman?"
Evrain shrugged, tentatively walking forward and kneeling down across from Cafall.
Cafall watched Evrain carefully, all the while eating ‘his’ fish.
Cafall’s bright and piercing gaze unnerved Evrain, and he said, "Would you please stop staring at me?"
"Sorry," Cafall said, not sounding sorry at all.
Before Evrain could answer, there was a shout, and something slammed into the back of Cafall’s head. He pitched forward, nearly landing in the fire, and then spun around and leapt to his feet.
The fisherman had picked up the oar to a boat and hit Cafall with it.
Cafall, who was much bigger than the fisherman was, lunged forward, a knife in hand, and tackled the other man to the ground.
Without thinking, Evrain nocked an arrow to his bow and aimed at the two. "Stop fighting, or you’ll get an arrow through your head!"
To his shock, Cafall slowly glanced over, the dagger still pressed to the fisherman’s throat. Then, he abruptly re-sheathed it and stood up.
"You’ve got heart, lad," he said. "But that idiot tried to kill me."
"You stole my fish…" whined the fisherman, who was still on the ground.
Evrain sighed, unable to believe how absurd the situation was. "All right, let’s talk this over like gentlemen. Cafall, go back to the fire, and don’t touch any fish. You—what’s your name?"
"Fred." The fisherman slowly got to his feet.
"Fred?" repeated Cafall, laughing.
"Be quiet," Evrain said to Cafall. To Fred, he added, "Okay…Fred. Go sit on the other side of the fire, and don’t go anywhere near Cafall."
Fred the fisherman obeyed.
Evrain went and sat down near the fire as well. "All right, gentlemen. I—"
"I’m no gentleman," Cafall said, smirking and leaning back against a boulder.
Evrain studied Cafall’s long, windblown hair, his unkempt beard, and the scars on his face. "Yes, I can see that."
Cafall laughed again.
Evrain sighed. "Be that as it may, I’m going to continue calling you that. Anyway. Fred, I have a question to ask you."
"What?" Fred asked sullenly.
"Why can’t Cafall have a few fish to take with him?"
"They’re mine!" yelped Fred.
"Yes, I know, but…" Evrain gestured towards the baskets full of trout and salmon on the banks of the river. "You have plenty."
"They’re mine! All mine!"
"Can’t you share?" Evrain felt like he was talking to a young child.
"They’re miiiine!"
Cafall was having a major laughing fit. Evrain wearily ran a hand through his hair.
"I know they’re yours," he told Fred. "But Cafall only wants a few. Can’t he have that many?"
"They’re—" Fred started.
"If you say ‘mine’ again, I really will drive an arrow through your skull," Evrain warned, losing his temper.
"They’re not his," Fred answered instead.
"All right, all right, we get your point," Cafall said, finally able to stop laughing. "Look, friend, I’ll take a dozen fish and be on my way. You won’t ever have to see me again, although the stars know I’d rather stay here and harass you. It’s much more amusing than my current occupation."
Fred got up and trudged away to sulk.
"I’ve never seen a grown man act that way," Evrain remarked, watching the fisherman leave.
Cafall gave him a strange look. "You’ve never heard of this man before?"
"Fred? No, I haven’t."
"Everyone within a hundred miles of here knows about ‘Fred’," Cafall said. "He travels up and down the river on his fishing boat. Everybody knows that he’s quite mad."
"Really?" Evrain said curiously, casting another glance at Fred, who was muttering to himself and gutting a fish down at the river’s edge.
"Really," Cafall answered. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things I need to do." He stood up, and picked up his pack.
A shovel fell out of it.
"Why do you have a shovel in your pack?" inquired Evrain.
Cafall chuckled. "You’ve never heard of me either, eh? Well, good, I’d rather keep it that way. I suppose I’ll tell you; I’ll be long gone by the time you get back to your city."
Evrain waited expectantly.
"I’m a grave-robber, lad. A common thief and con-man. Nothing like the fancy archers and warriors in the city where you live." Cafall smirked. "Good day." He turned to leave.
But then there was a shrill cry from Fred. "Monster cows!"
Cafall, who was already halfway out of camp, snickered.
Evrain rolled his eyes, and turned to leave as well.
And then the Minotaurs swarmed out of the grove of trees, their eyes flaming and swords held high.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Book Review for Wayne Thomas Batson's "The Final Storm"
Dark storm clouds, swirling and brooding, raced overhead. Lightning flashed, shedding eerie flickering light on a sea of armed knights in black armor. This army stretched all the way to the horizon.
A very intriguing and intimidating statement, yeah? That's the statement on the back cover of "The Final Storm", which is the stunning conclusion to the "Door Within" trilogy.
Here's the blurb that's on the back cover:
Will Alleble withstand the final storm?
Paragor, the betrayer of King Eliam, unites with the Wyrm Lord and the Seven Sleepers to launch a full-scale assault on the Kingdom of Alleble. While Alleble and its allies prepare to face the coming onslaught, they cling to an ancient legend about three witnesses who have the power to bring victory. But is the legend true? And if it is, where are they? Time is running out as darkness spreads over the realm, and Paragor unleashes the final storm.
I can tell you now, I was completely shocked at who the three witnesses turned out to be. I had never expected it. And no, I won't tell you who it is, if that's what you're wondering.
Here are some random things about the book:
333 pages
Third-person POV
Published by Thomas Nelson
Has a character list in the beginning
Has a map on the inside cover (both back and front)
Link To The Final Storm On Amazon
I'd have to say that I don't really have a favorite character, because they're all fun characters to read about. Mallik, Kaliam, Robby, Aidan, Antoinette, Trenna...the list goes on and on (and on and on and on...).
Another thing that drew me in was the cover. I don't particularly have a favorite color, but the color green has always caught my attention more easily than other colors. And the cover of "The Final Storm" is this really deep emerald green, and has this stone-like pattern to it. And the lightning, sky, dragon, and knights on the front cover all have a greenish tinge to them. So if I saw this book on the shelf (and hadn't checked it out beforehand because of a suggestion by a friend), I would have picked it out from all the others immediately, just because of the green.
Okay, that was rambly. What's that you say? "Rambly" isn't a word? Well, tough, I'm going to make it one.
Anyway! This book was amazing, and you should definitely read it. AFTER you read the first two books, "The Door Within" and "Rise of the Wyrm Lord". If you need something to push you along in that direction, here's a book trailer me and my brother made for "The Door Within". He does all the acting; I was the director, cameraperson, and I made/supplied all the props, i.e the scrolls and the sword. XD
I'm still learning to use Windows Movie Maker, so forgive me if it's so horribly messed up you can't read it or anything. : P
A very intriguing and intimidating statement, yeah? That's the statement on the back cover of "The Final Storm", which is the stunning conclusion to the "Door Within" trilogy.
Here's the blurb that's on the back cover:
Will Alleble withstand the final storm?
Paragor, the betrayer of King Eliam, unites with the Wyrm Lord and the Seven Sleepers to launch a full-scale assault on the Kingdom of Alleble. While Alleble and its allies prepare to face the coming onslaught, they cling to an ancient legend about three witnesses who have the power to bring victory. But is the legend true? And if it is, where are they? Time is running out as darkness spreads over the realm, and Paragor unleashes the final storm.
I can tell you now, I was completely shocked at who the three witnesses turned out to be. I had never expected it. And no, I won't tell you who it is, if that's what you're wondering.
Here are some random things about the book:
333 pages
Third-person POV
Published by Thomas Nelson
Has a character list in the beginning
Has a map on the inside cover (both back and front)
Link To The Final Storm On Amazon
I'd have to say that I don't really have a favorite character, because they're all fun characters to read about. Mallik, Kaliam, Robby, Aidan, Antoinette, Trenna...the list goes on and on (and on and on and on...).
Another thing that drew me in was the cover. I don't particularly have a favorite color, but the color green has always caught my attention more easily than other colors. And the cover of "The Final Storm" is this really deep emerald green, and has this stone-like pattern to it. And the lightning, sky, dragon, and knights on the front cover all have a greenish tinge to them. So if I saw this book on the shelf (and hadn't checked it out beforehand because of a suggestion by a friend), I would have picked it out from all the others immediately, just because of the green.
Okay, that was rambly. What's that you say? "Rambly" isn't a word? Well, tough, I'm going to make it one.
Anyway! This book was amazing, and you should definitely read it. AFTER you read the first two books, "The Door Within" and "Rise of the Wyrm Lord". If you need something to push you along in that direction, here's a book trailer me and my brother made for "The Door Within". He does all the acting; I was the director, cameraperson, and I made/supplied all the props, i.e the scrolls and the sword. XD
I'm still learning to use Windows Movie Maker, so forgive me if it's so horribly messed up you can't read it or anything. : P
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Lately, I've been writing a ton of...
...poetry. Yep. I've written almost twenty different poems very recently. And I wrote a ton more before that.
I'm seriously considering compiling all of my poetry (and maybe my songs, which I've written about ten of...they take considerably more work than poems) into a book. Whether or not I'll actually self-publish it is a whole other thing entirely. Mostly because my poems and songs say a lot about me, my emotions, and my thoughts, and that's kind of a big thing for me.
So...anyway. If I do compile it all into a book, I might secretly let people read the book...without telling my mom...because if she read it she'd be all, "WHAT YOU THOUGHT THAT ABOUT THAT OTHER THING AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME HOW YOU FELT?" And I'd be all, "Uhh...at the time, you would have gotten angry and it's not really something I wanted you to know and so yeah."
Hmm...to compile or not to compile, that is the question.
I'm seriously considering compiling all of my poetry (and maybe my songs, which I've written about ten of...they take considerably more work than poems) into a book. Whether or not I'll actually self-publish it is a whole other thing entirely. Mostly because my poems and songs say a lot about me, my emotions, and my thoughts, and that's kind of a big thing for me.
So...anyway. If I do compile it all into a book, I might secretly let people read the book...without telling my mom...because if she read it she'd be all, "WHAT YOU THOUGHT THAT ABOUT THAT OTHER THING AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME HOW YOU FELT?" And I'd be all, "Uhh...at the time, you would have gotten angry and it's not really something I wanted you to know and so yeah."
Hmm...to compile or not to compile, that is the question.
"Twisted"
This is just a random poem I wrote a little while ago. It has absolutely no relation to me; it's just something I wrote out of my head while thinking about my fantasy trilogy. Maybe it will be an integral part of the fantasy novels, I don't know. Feedback is appreciated. ; )
~ ~ ~
Twisted
"It's not going to happen," they say.
"Everything's fine; you'll be okay."
Maybe they're right, but I can't believe them.
These thoughts are so real; they can't see them.
I can. I can see all these things.
They're dragging me down.
Images of blood and sweat and tears,
Shadows flitting at the edges of reality.
Frozen in place, frozen with fear,
I'm alone, there's no one there.
Just me.
Just me and the dreams, me and the lonely.
Isn't it strange how,
a twisted mind can turn a twisted world,
into something even more terrible,
instead of something beautiful?
Something beautiful,
just like that twisted mind yearns for?
~ ~ ~
Twisted
"It's not going to happen," they say.
"Everything's fine; you'll be okay."
Maybe they're right, but I can't believe them.
These thoughts are so real; they can't see them.
I can. I can see all these things.
They're dragging me down.
Images of blood and sweat and tears,
Shadows flitting at the edges of reality.
Frozen in place, frozen with fear,
I'm alone, there's no one there.
Just me.
Just me and the dreams, me and the lonely.
Isn't it strange how,
a twisted mind can turn a twisted world,
into something even more terrible,
instead of something beautiful?
Something beautiful,
just like that twisted mind yearns for?
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Book Review: The Door Within, By Wayne Thomas Batson
"What lies beyond the door within?"
An intriguing statement, don't you think so? It's the statement on the back cover of the first book in Wayne Thomas Batson's Door Within trilogy.
Swordfighting, knights, strange creatures, warriors, kings...all exciting stuff in any book, but Wayne Thomas Batson puts new twists on it all. Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Three ancient scrolls beckon Aidan Thomas to enter another world: a realm of knights, warriors, kings, unusual creatures, and mysterious Glimpses who can travel between worlds.
Soon Aidan is training to become the Twelfth Knight of an elite unit who will join Alleble in its long fight against the evil Paragory. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the one true king?Brilliantly written blurb, if you ask me. Which I note you didn't, but I don't care. XD
Here are some random facts about the book:
311 pages
Third-person POV
Published by Thomas Nelson
Has a character list in the beginning
Link To The Door Within On Amazon
I will repeat that this is, in fact, a book from a trilogy, which means it might leave a little to be desired at the ending. Luckily, the other two books are out, so you don't have to wait for your questions to be answered! : )
I actually don't have any favorite characters, because they're all so interesting and well-created! Mallik, Nock, and Bolt are extremely amusing, though. ;)
If you haven't read this book, I definitely suggest you do. Immediately. Because I know where you live, yeah? ^.^
An intriguing statement, don't you think so? It's the statement on the back cover of the first book in Wayne Thomas Batson's Door Within trilogy.
Swordfighting, knights, strange creatures, warriors, kings...all exciting stuff in any book, but Wayne Thomas Batson puts new twists on it all. Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Three ancient scrolls beckon Aidan Thomas to enter another world: a realm of knights, warriors, kings, unusual creatures, and mysterious Glimpses who can travel between worlds.
Soon Aidan is training to become the Twelfth Knight of an elite unit who will join Alleble in its long fight against the evil Paragory. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the one true king?Brilliantly written blurb, if you ask me. Which I note you didn't, but I don't care. XD
Here are some random facts about the book:
311 pages
Third-person POV
Published by Thomas Nelson
Has a character list in the beginning
Link To The Door Within On Amazon
I will repeat that this is, in fact, a book from a trilogy, which means it might leave a little to be desired at the ending. Luckily, the other two books are out, so you don't have to wait for your questions to be answered! : )
I actually don't have any favorite characters, because they're all so interesting and well-created! Mallik, Nock, and Bolt are extremely amusing, though. ;)
If you haven't read this book, I definitely suggest you do. Immediately. Because I know where you live, yeah? ^.^
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Book Review: Sword in the Stars (Book One in the Dark Sea Annals), by Wayne Thomas Batson
I first heard about this book from Varon (check out his blog HERE). I decided to check it out at the library and see what it was about.
I was into the book about...five pages, and was instantly hooked. I spent all that day and the next reading it. I spent so long reading it, I finished it in about three days; and that's saying a lot, considering how long it is!
Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Haunted by memories of a violent past, Alastair Coldhollow wagers his life on the hope that a sword will appear in the stars and the foretold Halfainin, the Pathwalker, would come. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Anglinore and the murderous Gorrack Nation, threatening war on a cataclysmic scale. The fate of all could rest on an abandoned child and the decisions of those who desperately seek to identify him.That blurb mentions the phrases 'violent past', 'war on a cataclysmic scale', and 'the fate of all could rest on an abandoned child'. That was enough to make me think, Right, I better go check this book out.
Here are some facts about the book in general.
426 pages
Third-person POV (though it switches from person to person every so often)
Published by Living Ink Books
Has a list of the principal races featured, and the characters of those races
Link To The Sword In The Stars On Amazon
I'm not going to list pros and cons because the whole book was good (what can I say? I'm very un-picky about what I read), save for a few minor grammatical errors and plot holes.
As for my favorite character, it's Alastair Coldhollow, hands-down. Which is odd, because I'm not usually a big fan of the main characters. I normally like the supporting characters.
Oh, and Captain Dagspaddle. He amuses me to no end, for some reason. ^.^
Right, so. If you didn't read through this whole post, always remember: I know where you live.
...this review wasn't even that long, so I'm not putting a brief statement about what it said. Read it!
I was into the book about...five pages, and was instantly hooked. I spent all that day and the next reading it. I spent so long reading it, I finished it in about three days; and that's saying a lot, considering how long it is!
Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Haunted by memories of a violent past, Alastair Coldhollow wagers his life on the hope that a sword will appear in the stars and the foretold Halfainin, the Pathwalker, would come. Meanwhile, tensions simmer between Anglinore and the murderous Gorrack Nation, threatening war on a cataclysmic scale. The fate of all could rest on an abandoned child and the decisions of those who desperately seek to identify him.That blurb mentions the phrases 'violent past', 'war on a cataclysmic scale', and 'the fate of all could rest on an abandoned child'. That was enough to make me think, Right, I better go check this book out.
Here are some facts about the book in general.
426 pages
Third-person POV (though it switches from person to person every so often)
Published by Living Ink Books
Has a list of the principal races featured, and the characters of those races
Link To The Sword In The Stars On Amazon
I'm not going to list pros and cons because the whole book was good (what can I say? I'm very un-picky about what I read), save for a few minor grammatical errors and plot holes.
As for my favorite character, it's Alastair Coldhollow, hands-down. Which is odd, because I'm not usually a big fan of the main characters. I normally like the supporting characters.
Oh, and Captain Dagspaddle. He amuses me to no end, for some reason. ^.^
Right, so. If you didn't read through this whole post, always remember: I know where you live.
...this review wasn't even that long, so I'm not putting a brief statement about what it said. Read it!
Update On Camp NaNo
Umm...
I quit.
Yeaaaah. It was just too hard. I mean, I love the idea I came up with for the novel, but I'm way too busy with school and life to concentrate on it. So I decided to put it aside and not do Camp NaNo. Yeah, I fail.
So instead I'm going to focus on writing poetry (which is easier for me), and editing my novel The Night Phoenix. Because my plan is still to send a query letter about it into a few publishers. And that's obviously not going to happen unless I get myself in gear and edit the bloody thing.
I'll still be doing that fantasy novel I told you about. Eventually. When I have the time. I think I'd rather finish the first book in my original fantasy trilogy anyway.
I quit.
Yeaaaah. It was just too hard. I mean, I love the idea I came up with for the novel, but I'm way too busy with school and life to concentrate on it. So I decided to put it aside and not do Camp NaNo. Yeah, I fail.
So instead I'm going to focus on writing poetry (which is easier for me), and editing my novel The Night Phoenix. Because my plan is still to send a query letter about it into a few publishers. And that's obviously not going to happen unless I get myself in gear and edit the bloody thing.
I'll still be doing that fantasy novel I told you about. Eventually. When I have the time. I think I'd rather finish the first book in my original fantasy trilogy anyway.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Prophecy Of The Four
That is, the working title of my Camp NaNo novel. It's not a good title at all, and I'm going to change it...soon...tomorrow...someday...within the next decade... >.>
Here's a prophecy I wrote for it (it's kinda the main thing I get the plot ideas from, so if you read this, you'll know as much about the plot as I do, XD):
~~~~~~~
I see a warrior of the Wind, swift and clever.
I see a knight of the Sun, loyal and strong.I see a vagrant of the Forest, troubled and fierce.
I see a youth of the Night, proud and wronged.
I see a traitor standing at the gate, avoiding all eyes,
I see a sacrifice, remembered forever in memory and song.
The Forgotten will awake from the Dark Fortress.
And the Fey shall rise and Seven Worlds be lost.
Unless the Seven Bearers wake
And the Wanderer be freed from the frost.
When the Wanderer and the Four meet,
They will bring hope to one another's hearts.
I see one of the Four in a ring of fire,
Half-dead and resigned to their fate.
I see a meeting at the edge of Dreams,
Of the desperate and the frightened, filled with hate.
I see a funeral pyre on the shores of Silbern,
And grieving comrades standing side-by-side.
~~~~~~~
What do ya'll think?
Here's a prophecy I wrote for it (it's kinda the main thing I get the plot ideas from, so if you read this, you'll know as much about the plot as I do, XD):
~~~~~~~
I see a warrior of the Wind, swift and clever.
I see a knight of the Sun, loyal and strong.I see a vagrant of the Forest, troubled and fierce.
I see a youth of the Night, proud and wronged.
I see a traitor standing at the gate, avoiding all eyes,
I see a sacrifice, remembered forever in memory and song.
The Forgotten will awake from the Dark Fortress.
And the Fey shall rise and Seven Worlds be lost.
Unless the Seven Bearers wake
And the Wanderer be freed from the frost.
When the Wanderer and the Four meet,
They will bring hope to one another's hearts.
I see one of the Four in a ring of fire,
Half-dead and resigned to their fate.
I see a meeting at the edge of Dreams,
Of the desperate and the frightened, filled with hate.
I see a funeral pyre on the shores of Silbern,
And grieving comrades standing side-by-side.
~~~~~~~
What do ya'll think?
Friday, June 1, 2012
*cue dramatic music*
It's here.
What's here, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
...wait for it, wait for it...
CAMP NANOWRIMO!
Yeah, I know, what's so cool about that? To most of you, probably nothing. I just felt like being all dramatic about it.
Anyway! I've decided what to write, and, shockingly enough--I decided to write something completely different than the ones I mentioned before! ((Here's where you all gasp simultaneously.))
Yep, I sure have. I was extremely close to writing Celtic Secrets. I was thinking, "Well, if I get it finished, me and a few buddies can turn it into a short film!"
Then I briefly thought, "Hey, even better idea! I can write The Wanderwild War (you haven't heard of that novel yet), and that one would be even easier to turn into a short film, because I wouldn't have to play a guy!" ((Yeah, I usually play guys in short films, roleplays, and whatever because...I don't actually know. Most of my book characters are guys. Dunno why, that's just the way 'tis. But in The Wanderwild War, one of the MCs is a girl about my age. ^.^))
Okay, back on-topic.
My novel is one I decided to write after reading Runemarks. I thought it would be fun to write a novel that involved prophecies, teenage heroes (believe it or not, most of my main characters in novels have been adults up to this point. Viggo Steele, for example, is 33), magic, and epic journeys. Only I'm going to try and write it so it's not the stereotypical, "Poor farmboy/girl/whatever is thrown into this huge epic war because they're the only hope, the only person who can save the land/planet/whatever from the evil empire/kingdom/whatever!"
So yeah. I've already got some of the characters planned out. And some of the plot. I SHOULD have the whole thing planned out, but I never quite got around to that. So I just have the four main characters: Mori, Calder, Neirian, and Chandra. And I have another main character whom I haven't named yet. And I've got probably the first ten chapters of the book planned out.
I should probably stop procrastinating and go work on that. So, fare thee well!
What's here, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
...wait for it, wait for it...
CAMP NANOWRIMO!
Yeah, I know, what's so cool about that? To most of you, probably nothing. I just felt like being all dramatic about it.
Anyway! I've decided what to write, and, shockingly enough--I decided to write something completely different than the ones I mentioned before! ((Here's where you all gasp simultaneously.))
Yep, I sure have. I was extremely close to writing Celtic Secrets. I was thinking, "Well, if I get it finished, me and a few buddies can turn it into a short film!"
Then I briefly thought, "Hey, even better idea! I can write The Wanderwild War (you haven't heard of that novel yet), and that one would be even easier to turn into a short film, because I wouldn't have to play a guy!" ((Yeah, I usually play guys in short films, roleplays, and whatever because...I don't actually know. Most of my book characters are guys. Dunno why, that's just the way 'tis. But in The Wanderwild War, one of the MCs is a girl about my age. ^.^))
Okay, back on-topic.
My novel is one I decided to write after reading Runemarks. I thought it would be fun to write a novel that involved prophecies, teenage heroes (believe it or not, most of my main characters in novels have been adults up to this point. Viggo Steele, for example, is 33), magic, and epic journeys. Only I'm going to try and write it so it's not the stereotypical, "Poor farmboy/girl/whatever is thrown into this huge epic war because they're the only hope, the only person who can save the land/planet/whatever from the evil empire/kingdom/whatever!"
So yeah. I've already got some of the characters planned out. And some of the plot. I SHOULD have the whole thing planned out, but I never quite got around to that. So I just have the four main characters: Mori, Calder, Neirian, and Chandra. And I have another main character whom I haven't named yet. And I've got probably the first ten chapters of the book planned out.
I should probably stop procrastinating and go work on that. So, fare thee well!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Seek The Stars...
Let's face it, contests are a ton of fun. And for readers and writers, contests such as The Starseekers Contest are even better.Wayne Thomas Batson is having a contest of epic proportions to celebrate the release of The Errant King: Book Two of the Dark Sea Annals.
Unlike a lot of other contests, earning points for the Starseekers is a lot of fun to do, and fairly easy. In doing so, you also get the chance to win amazing prizes, such as (but certainly not limited to) a brand-new Amazon Kindle; a character in WTB's next book named after you; free e-book downloads; or you might even get a REAL star named after you or your constellation (more on constellations in a second here)!
So, like I said, the prizes are amazing.
It ends June 26th, 2012, but you can still join in the fun. For more information and the rules, visit http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/2011/11/seek-stars-contest-is-here.html .
Or you can check out the Forum to see the new Quest, and see how it's played: http://starseekers.freeforums.org/index.php
There are a few teams called 'constellations' on the forums. Those are the teams that 'battle' each other (in a friendly way, of course) in a race to get the most Cyrium points (more information about that on that link I posted above).
I'm in the PHOENIX CONSTELLATION if you're interested in joining the same team as me. We could use some more players.
Like I said before, the contest is a lot of fun, and if you have some spare time for it, I think it would be enjoyable for almost anybody.
Here's a list of Wayne Thomas Batson's books:
The Door Within
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord
The Final Storm
Isle of Swords
Isle of Fire
Curse of the Spider King
Venom and Song
Sword in the Stars
The Errant King
I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't seen them yet!
So...yes! If you do decide to join in, let me know in the comments. : )
Unlike a lot of other contests, earning points for the Starseekers is a lot of fun to do, and fairly easy. In doing so, you also get the chance to win amazing prizes, such as (but certainly not limited to) a brand-new Amazon Kindle; a character in WTB's next book named after you; free e-book downloads; or you might even get a REAL star named after you or your constellation (more on constellations in a second here)!
So, like I said, the prizes are amazing.
It ends June 26th, 2012, but you can still join in the fun. For more information and the rules, visit http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/2011/11/seek-stars-contest-is-here.html .
Or you can check out the Forum to see the new Quest, and see how it's played: http://starseekers.freeforums.org/index.php
There are a few teams called 'constellations' on the forums. Those are the teams that 'battle' each other (in a friendly way, of course) in a race to get the most Cyrium points (more information about that on that link I posted above).
I'm in the PHOENIX CONSTELLATION if you're interested in joining the same team as me. We could use some more players.
Like I said before, the contest is a lot of fun, and if you have some spare time for it, I think it would be enjoyable for almost anybody.
Here's a list of Wayne Thomas Batson's books:
The Door Within
The Rise of the Wyrm Lord
The Final Storm
Isle of Swords
Isle of Fire
Curse of the Spider King
Venom and Song
Sword in the Stars
The Errant King
I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't seen them yet!
So...yes! If you do decide to join in, let me know in the comments. : )
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Book Review: Runemarks, by Joanne Harris
I couldn't agree more with this statement. Runemarks is, without a doubt, the most enjoyable book I've read in a while. Jam-packed with exicitement, life lessons, inner battles, and more than enough surprises, Runemarks has a subtle theme of what true family really is, and where one's loyalties ought to lie in the mortal world.
Despite the fact that this novel focuses more on Norse mythology than any religions followed nowadays, I still think that there are lessons worth learning hidden within the words.
Here's the statement on the back cover.
In Maddy Smith's world, Order rules. Chaos, old gods, Faeries, goblins, magic, glamours--all of these were supposedly vanquished centuries ago. But Maddy knows that a small bit of magic has survived. The "ruinmark" she was born with on her palm proves it--and makes the other villagers fearful that she is a witch.
But the mysterious traveler One-Eye sees Maddy's mark not as a defect but as a destiny. And Maddy will need every scrap that One-Eye can teach her about runes, cantrips, and glamours--every ounce of magic she can command--if she is to survive that destiny.That statement does an amazing job of keeping the reader guessing. It doesn't give any of the main plot away, yet it is still relevant to the storyline.
Here are some facts about the book in general.
527 pages
Third-person POV (though it switches from person to person in every chapter)
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
The author is from England (seriously, almost every book I read by a British author is amazing. The Stoneheart Trilogy by Charlie Fletcher, anyone?)
Has a list of characters and a guide to the 'Runes of the Elder Script'
Link to Runemark's Amazon Page
Right, so. Pros and cons. There were some of both, though I must admit more pros--like, nearly the whole book was a pro. There were a few minor cons.
~ ~ ~
Pros:
- None of the characters are who they seem; throughout the novel, I was constantly being surprised by all of the characters, even the minor ones.
- The POV (point of view) switches from character to character, which I enjoy in any book.
- There's something for everyone in the book. For action-adventure readers, there's plenty of excitement and battles. For fantasy readers, the book contains goblins, gods, and magic. For science-fiction readers, there are a few rifts between different worlds.
- Almost everything else is a pro. Great vocabulary, vivid images painted with words, and no inconsistencies or mistakes that I could see.
Cons:
- The ending left a lot to be desired. It was kind of...mixed emotions for me. A few characters (they may have been good, they may have been bad, but I didn't see any reason for one or two of the deaths) died, for what seemed to be no reason. It was also slightly confusing, and left me wondering what would happen to the main character afterwards. All in all, I didn't really like the ending.
- There was some mild swearing throughout the book. Nothing too strong, but it was an issue for me at times. Eventually I just skipped over them; believe me, it was well worth it.
- There was some violence. Nothing too graphic, although one or two things made me squirm a little. Seriously though, nothing too bad.
- Throughout the book, I had to double-check a few things due to my confusion. This might or might not be an issue for the rest of you.
~ ~ ~
Despite that, I greatly enjoyed the novel. Want proof?
Well, let's see. The last book I stayed up late reading at night was...either the Codebearers series by the Miller Brothers, the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, or The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Coville. ((See? It's been so long since I stayed up late reading anything, I can't even remember which book it was.))
And I stayed up late last night reading Runemarks. I would have stayed up until midnight if I could, but my mom made me go to bed. Curses. Oh, well, that meant I got to finish it this morning. And I had dreams about the book last night, so that's a plus.
All of the characters were written well, with third-demensional personalities and backgrounds. It's almost too hard to choose my top three favorites, but if I had to, it would probably be these three.
One-Eye - A Wanderer, Outlander, and Journeyman (as he is called by people who do not know him) who takes Maddy Smith under his wing for very important reasons (nope, not telling; read the book). ~
Lucky - One who is not what he seems. Throughout the book, Maddy struggles to figure out whether Lucky is trustworthy--or untrustworthy. She has good reason to wonder.
~
Sugar-And-Sack - Sugar, as he is commonly known, is a goblin. He appears throughout the book, and is probably one of the funniest characters. Maddy catches him in the cellar, about to escape through his burrow. After that, they keep running into each other.
If you're someone who knows me well--extremely well (bookwise, anyway)--you probably predicted that those characters would be my favorites. Even if you haven't read the book, those sorts of characters are the kinds I like. Ones who are rugged and bold, ones who are often untrustworthy and fight with inner demons, and the 'class clowns' of the novels.
Hmm...if it is made into a movie, I'm definitely going to try out for...well, the only character I'd fit the description of is Maddy, so probably her. Or I could be the
screenwriter and I'd get to be on set with the actors and other people anyway! And it would be epic if Viggo Mortensen played One-Eye, and Sean Bean played Lucky. And then after that, maybe I could find some way to get my fantasy trilogy made into a movie, and Viggo Mortensen could play Keallan, and Sean Bean would play Ingvar...! Major awesomeness overload. *dies*
...yeah, yeah, I know, my daydreams get away with me sometimes. Your point being?
Anyway. If you're someone who didn't bother reading through this whole post (I know who you are, and I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! *evil laugh*), I'll sum it all up.
Runemarks is an intriguing, rollicking tale with believable characters and an engaging plot. The ending leaves something to be desired, but do not let that deter you.
If you haven't read it yet, go to your nearest bookstore/library/online store and get a copy. I'm serious.
Overall, I give Runemarks 4.5 stars. If I had been more satisfied with the ending, it would definitely have been 5 stars.
Here's the trailer.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Camp NaNoWriMo Is Almost Here!
Camp NaNo is coming up soon, and I have no idea what
I'm going to do for it.
My Screnzy quest rather failed. I was going to write a novel instead of a script; but then I stopped writing halfway through the month, waited a week, started writing my novel Celtic Secrets, and then I stopped writing for Screnzy altogether. I started editing The Night Phoenix instead.
So, hmm...what to do for Camp NaNo? I really want to do it, so I can finish two novels this year--one for Camp NaNo, one for NaNoWriMo, and perhaps one I work on all throughout the year.
Here are the novels I've come up with to choose for Camp NaNo. I'd appreciate it a lot if you'd tell me which one I should do!
~ * ~
1) Celtic Secrets---Three Irish lads - Gareth Kelly, his brother Jesstin, and Gale Harkin - spend their free time exploring County Donegal, searching for crumbling ruins or exciting landscapes. One night, however, they go out against their parents' wishes and go explore an ancient castle they've found. Everything goes horribly wrong when they stumble through a portal and find themselves in the wonderful yet dangerous world of Faerie. The three lads begin their quest to return home to Ireland and close up the portal before creatures can escape onto Earth. But not everyone is who they seem in the magical world of Faerie...
2) Dreamscape---Riley and Derek have been best friends since childhood, all through their teenage years. Now, as adults, they don't speak with each other as often. Riley's in college; Derek is struggling to make a life for himself. They get together to catch up on old times one day, and are unexpectedly transported into an alternate reality/future; where the magical creatures and warriors of the past have taken control of Earth, and returned it to its former, mystical glory. This alternate reality is called Dreamscape, and it is a land in turmoil--there is no law, no order. Because of this, Riley and Derek are forced to do many quests for various creatures before they can get home. The question is, however...will they survive long enough to see 'home' ever again?
3) Ireland: The Banshee's Cry---Scott O'Brien, crewmate of the Ocean Raider, has always been fiercely protective of Claude DuPont, the fourteen-year-old cabin boy. So when Claude is kidnapped, Scott is furious and terrified all at once--even moreso when he finds out that the man to kidnap Claude is none other than Scott's arch-nemesis, Viper. So Scott and the rest of the Ocean Raider's crew head to Ireland (the country where Viper and Scott both grew up) to rescue Claude and defeat Viper once and for all.
4) Fiery Stars and Lone Hearts---A collection of poetry and songs I've written.
5) The Storychanger---Elijah Turner's home life is okay. He has a loving father who works at home (Elijah's mother ran off on adventures when he was a toddler), and although their apartment is quite messy at times, Elijah doesn't mind. He's a daydreamer, and, like his father, writes stories of his own. But at school, he's plagued by bullies, harsh teachers, and other common dangers on the streets of London. Every night he goes home, hides in his bedroom, and cries himself to sleep. One night, he unconsciously summons three characters from his stories--Harken, Sleet, and Niko. By summoning them, he opens a rift in between the Real World and the Dream World, allowing nightmarish creatures to stalk London. Now it's up to Elijah and his newfound friends to close the rift and save London.
~ * ~
My Screnzy quest rather failed. I was going to write a novel instead of a script; but then I stopped writing halfway through the month, waited a week, started writing my novel Celtic Secrets, and then I stopped writing for Screnzy altogether. I started editing The Night Phoenix instead.
So, hmm...what to do for Camp NaNo? I really want to do it, so I can finish two novels this year--one for Camp NaNo, one for NaNoWriMo, and perhaps one I work on all throughout the year.
Here are the novels I've come up with to choose for Camp NaNo. I'd appreciate it a lot if you'd tell me which one I should do!
~ * ~
1) Celtic Secrets---Three Irish lads - Gareth Kelly, his brother Jesstin, and Gale Harkin - spend their free time exploring County Donegal, searching for crumbling ruins or exciting landscapes. One night, however, they go out against their parents' wishes and go explore an ancient castle they've found. Everything goes horribly wrong when they stumble through a portal and find themselves in the wonderful yet dangerous world of Faerie. The three lads begin their quest to return home to Ireland and close up the portal before creatures can escape onto Earth. But not everyone is who they seem in the magical world of Faerie...
2) Dreamscape---Riley and Derek have been best friends since childhood, all through their teenage years. Now, as adults, they don't speak with each other as often. Riley's in college; Derek is struggling to make a life for himself. They get together to catch up on old times one day, and are unexpectedly transported into an alternate reality/future; where the magical creatures and warriors of the past have taken control of Earth, and returned it to its former, mystical glory. This alternate reality is called Dreamscape, and it is a land in turmoil--there is no law, no order. Because of this, Riley and Derek are forced to do many quests for various creatures before they can get home. The question is, however...will they survive long enough to see 'home' ever again?
3) Ireland: The Banshee's Cry---Scott O'Brien, crewmate of the Ocean Raider, has always been fiercely protective of Claude DuPont, the fourteen-year-old cabin boy. So when Claude is kidnapped, Scott is furious and terrified all at once--even moreso when he finds out that the man to kidnap Claude is none other than Scott's arch-nemesis, Viper. So Scott and the rest of the Ocean Raider's crew head to Ireland (the country where Viper and Scott both grew up) to rescue Claude and defeat Viper once and for all.
4) Fiery Stars and Lone Hearts---A collection of poetry and songs I've written.
5) The Storychanger---Elijah Turner's home life is okay. He has a loving father who works at home (Elijah's mother ran off on adventures when he was a toddler), and although their apartment is quite messy at times, Elijah doesn't mind. He's a daydreamer, and, like his father, writes stories of his own. But at school, he's plagued by bullies, harsh teachers, and other common dangers on the streets of London. Every night he goes home, hides in his bedroom, and cries himself to sleep. One night, he unconsciously summons three characters from his stories--Harken, Sleet, and Niko. By summoning them, he opens a rift in between the Real World and the Dream World, allowing nightmarish creatures to stalk London. Now it's up to Elijah and his newfound friends to close the rift and save London.
~ * ~
I have reasons for wanting to write each of those.
I'd like to write Celtic Secrets because I like the basic plot, and I love Ireland, which I've been reading about lately. Also, Celtic Secrets is one of the few stories of mine that has teenage characters, which would make it easier for me and my friends to film a short film about it (something I'd love to do).
I'd like to write Dreamscape because I love the plot idea, I admit it. Also, it's a standalone fantasy novel that I think could reach up to a good 300 pages or more, if I write with the best of my ability. Besides, I like the idea of our future actually being more like the past.
I'd like to write Ireland: The Banshee's Cry for several reasons. One reason is that it's one of the books in my pirate series, which I self-publish on Amazon through CreateSpace (I've only got one pirate novel on Amazon, currently. For more information, check out my "Novels" page.) Another reason is that I'm trying to earn up enough money to go to Ohio this October, and if I get it on Amazon before then, I might earn a little bit of money, at least.
I'd like to write Fiery Stars and Lone Hearts because...no reason, really. It's another book I'd put up on Amazon through CreateSpace, so I could get some money for it as well as display my poetry and song writing abilities (which, I admit, are meager; but I'm working at it).
I'd like to write Storychanger because I love the characters, I love the plot idea, and it's another one of my stories that has a teenage main character. I'm also fascinated by London, so yeah.
And there you have it! So which should I write for Camp NaNo? Please leave feedback!
I'd like to write Celtic Secrets because I like the basic plot, and I love Ireland, which I've been reading about lately. Also, Celtic Secrets is one of the few stories of mine that has teenage characters, which would make it easier for me and my friends to film a short film about it (something I'd love to do).
I'd like to write Dreamscape because I love the plot idea, I admit it. Also, it's a standalone fantasy novel that I think could reach up to a good 300 pages or more, if I write with the best of my ability. Besides, I like the idea of our future actually being more like the past.
I'd like to write Ireland: The Banshee's Cry for several reasons. One reason is that it's one of the books in my pirate series, which I self-publish on Amazon through CreateSpace (I've only got one pirate novel on Amazon, currently. For more information, check out my "Novels" page.) Another reason is that I'm trying to earn up enough money to go to Ohio this October, and if I get it on Amazon before then, I might earn a little bit of money, at least.
I'd like to write Fiery Stars and Lone Hearts because...no reason, really. It's another book I'd put up on Amazon through CreateSpace, so I could get some money for it as well as display my poetry and song writing abilities (which, I admit, are meager; but I'm working at it).
I'd like to write Storychanger because I love the characters, I love the plot idea, and it's another one of my stories that has a teenage main character. I'm also fascinated by London, so yeah.
And there you have it! So which should I write for Camp NaNo? Please leave feedback!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Kamikaze!
No, Kamikaze isn't the title of a novel I'm
planning on writing (although that would be an epic title). It's the
name of a song by Owl City (also known as Adam Young).
Before you start telling me it's not writing related, hear me out.
When I first got Owl City's All Things Bright and Beautiful CD, I was borderline obsessed. I listened to it every chance I got. In bed, during school, in the car, at the store...
One of my favorite songs on that CD was Kamikaze. After listening to it about forty times, I began to get the inklings of a novel idea lurking there.
Encouraged by this, I told my mom to leave me in the car while she and my brother went into the grocery store.
While they were gone, I listened intently to Kamikaze, and, lo and behold, the novel idea hit me (not the whole plot, but you get the idea)! If you hear something that sounds like a character in the song (such as 'captain on a snowy horse', my personal favorite), or an event (such as 'maybe I'll ride to save my life'), I'm probably going to put it in the story somewhere.
That was the beginning of Dreamscape, a novel I haven't written one word of, but one that I've been brainstorming and thinking about since Winter of 2011.
The basic plot I've gotten done is as follows (not a synopsis; I'm no good at writing those yet).
Riley Pierson and Derek Gates are best friends, yet they're as different as can be--Riley is in training to become a medical surgeon, while Derek dropped out of high school and goes from job to job.
Both of them get together one day, and that is when everything changes.
Somehow (I haven't worked this aspect out yet), Riley and Derek are transported into an alternate reality of sorts. A future where all of the mythical creatures and medieval warriors who used to be in charge have taken control of Earth once again, and are transforming it more to their liking. This alternate future is called Dreamscape.
((Author's Note: Yes, that means that in the future, there will not be flying cars. There will be Gryffins and Dragons. There will not be laser guns. There will be swords and bow-and-arrows. Why? Because the past is making a comeback in the future, so to speak.))
Riley and Derek now have to find a way to get back home. As they search for someone who can send them back home, they are called upon to do quests for witches, wizards, army captains, and other beings--and they do them, mostly so they can avoid being killed or drawn and quartered or whatever.
That's the main plot. I still don't have the fine points planned out, after all these months...then again, I've been pretty darn busy, and I want to finish the first book in my fantasy trilogy before I start something else.
So...yes! I included a YouTube video of Kamikaze up there; let me know what you think! Also, do you have any ideas for my plot? If so, please let me know!
Before you start telling me it's not writing related, hear me out.
When I first got Owl City's All Things Bright and Beautiful CD, I was borderline obsessed. I listened to it every chance I got. In bed, during school, in the car, at the store...
One of my favorite songs on that CD was Kamikaze. After listening to it about forty times, I began to get the inklings of a novel idea lurking there.
Encouraged by this, I told my mom to leave me in the car while she and my brother went into the grocery store.
While they were gone, I listened intently to Kamikaze, and, lo and behold, the novel idea hit me (not the whole plot, but you get the idea)! If you hear something that sounds like a character in the song (such as 'captain on a snowy horse', my personal favorite), or an event (such as 'maybe I'll ride to save my life'), I'm probably going to put it in the story somewhere.
That was the beginning of Dreamscape, a novel I haven't written one word of, but one that I've been brainstorming and thinking about since Winter of 2011.
The basic plot I've gotten done is as follows (not a synopsis; I'm no good at writing those yet).
Riley Pierson and Derek Gates are best friends, yet they're as different as can be--Riley is in training to become a medical surgeon, while Derek dropped out of high school and goes from job to job.
Both of them get together one day, and that is when everything changes.
Somehow (I haven't worked this aspect out yet), Riley and Derek are transported into an alternate reality of sorts. A future where all of the mythical creatures and medieval warriors who used to be in charge have taken control of Earth once again, and are transforming it more to their liking. This alternate future is called Dreamscape.
((Author's Note: Yes, that means that in the future, there will not be flying cars. There will be Gryffins and Dragons. There will not be laser guns. There will be swords and bow-and-arrows. Why? Because the past is making a comeback in the future, so to speak.))
Riley and Derek now have to find a way to get back home. As they search for someone who can send them back home, they are called upon to do quests for witches, wizards, army captains, and other beings--and they do them, mostly so they can avoid being killed or drawn and quartered or whatever.
That's the main plot. I still don't have the fine points planned out, after all these months...then again, I've been pretty darn busy, and I want to finish the first book in my fantasy trilogy before I start something else.
So...yes! I included a YouTube video of Kamikaze up there; let me know what you think! Also, do you have any ideas for my plot? If so, please let me know!
Friday, April 27, 2012
I Discovered Something!
I was editing the first chapter of The Night
Phoenix today. As I did so, I was trying to think of a plausible excuse for
the two shapeshifters. I mean, it's not like everyone will be completely
ignorant or oblivious to the fact that a wolf or a fox shapeshifts into a mouse
all of a sudden--even if they're not paying close attention.
As always, the answer was right in front of me, and had been for quite some time.
I started a roleplay with a friend of mine, Mary Hills (you can find her blog here: Writing Progress ). Rowan, who is one of my shapeshifters from The Night Phoenix, is one of my characters in the roleplay.
Well, in that roleplay, I had Rowan shift into the form of a human. My brain, I think, was telling me, "It's just a roleplay, you don't have to play by the rules of your novel."
This afternoon though, I realized--why in the world is one of the rules of my novel a rule that says the shapeshifters can only shift into the form of animals? I mean, why?
I don't quite know. Perhaps I made that rule up at 4:00 in the morning, which was when I first started writing The Night Phoenix (I got up early, since it was the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I wanted a head start on this race I was involved in).
Anyway, I'm extremely excited about this. The shapeshifters' ability to become a human could take the novel into so many different directions! So, I'm going to decide on what their human forms look like (I already have Rowan's human form mostly created, I think; not Aelfcynn's), and then decide which places in the novel they'll be human.
If anyone has any ideas what Aelfcynn's human form should look like, please let me know! ((Oh, and as a sidenote; she usually shapeshifts into the shape of a pure white wolf with green eyes.))
Thanks, guys! You rock! : )
As always, the answer was right in front of me, and had been for quite some time.
I started a roleplay with a friend of mine, Mary Hills (you can find her blog here: Writing Progress ). Rowan, who is one of my shapeshifters from The Night Phoenix, is one of my characters in the roleplay.
Well, in that roleplay, I had Rowan shift into the form of a human. My brain, I think, was telling me, "It's just a roleplay, you don't have to play by the rules of your novel."
This afternoon though, I realized--why in the world is one of the rules of my novel a rule that says the shapeshifters can only shift into the form of animals? I mean, why?
I don't quite know. Perhaps I made that rule up at 4:00 in the morning, which was when I first started writing The Night Phoenix (I got up early, since it was the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I wanted a head start on this race I was involved in).
Anyway, I'm extremely excited about this. The shapeshifters' ability to become a human could take the novel into so many different directions! So, I'm going to decide on what their human forms look like (I already have Rowan's human form mostly created, I think; not Aelfcynn's), and then decide which places in the novel they'll be human.
If anyone has any ideas what Aelfcynn's human form should look like, please let me know! ((Oh, and as a sidenote; she usually shapeshifts into the shape of a pure white wolf with green eyes.))
Thanks, guys! You rock! : )
I'm Thinking of Teaching a Creative Writing Class...
Indeed. Earlier today, I was searching the Internet
for a curriculum to use.
The one I found that looked most interesting and promising for my tastes was the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum, which my mom had actually found last year.
See, I don't want to teach some random English class; I want to teach a creative writing class to a handful of kids I know are going to be interested and consistent with the assignments I give them--not kids who will skip every other assignment with some crazy excuse, like that they had gone on a vacation. I mean, for heaven's sake, if you wanted to sign up for this class, why bother going on a vacation smack in the middle of it? Sheesh.
Also, I'd rather teach novel writing instead of short story writing, or report writing, or whatever.
So, besides the OYAN curriculum, I haven't been able to find anything else I like. There's the Excellence in Writing curriculums. However, as I suspected, they focus on mostly short stories and reports--and they tend to focus more on outlining than the actual character development and plot development. The upside though is that the EIW curriculum is cheaper.
See, the OYAN curriculum costs about $200.00 for the whole set (DVDs, workbook, teacher's guide...). Most of the EIW workbooks and teacher guides come at around $30.00 for each.
Of course, OYAN looks like it will be more informational, as well as more enjoyable.
So...I don't know. I could create my own curriculum; I know enough from reading 'How-To-Write' books from the library. All I need to do is look at the OYAN curriculum, see which kinds of chapters they have (Character Development; Editing; whatever) and write up an assignment and chapter about it using the knowledge I have. It might be pretty hard, though, and I have a lot of writing on my plate already.
Do any of you have any ideas?
The one I found that looked most interesting and promising for my tastes was the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum, which my mom had actually found last year.
See, I don't want to teach some random English class; I want to teach a creative writing class to a handful of kids I know are going to be interested and consistent with the assignments I give them--not kids who will skip every other assignment with some crazy excuse, like that they had gone on a vacation. I mean, for heaven's sake, if you wanted to sign up for this class, why bother going on a vacation smack in the middle of it? Sheesh.
Also, I'd rather teach novel writing instead of short story writing, or report writing, or whatever.
So, besides the OYAN curriculum, I haven't been able to find anything else I like. There's the Excellence in Writing curriculums. However, as I suspected, they focus on mostly short stories and reports--and they tend to focus more on outlining than the actual character development and plot development. The upside though is that the EIW curriculum is cheaper.
See, the OYAN curriculum costs about $200.00 for the whole set (DVDs, workbook, teacher's guide...). Most of the EIW workbooks and teacher guides come at around $30.00 for each.
Of course, OYAN looks like it will be more informational, as well as more enjoyable.
So...I don't know. I could create my own curriculum; I know enough from reading 'How-To-Write' books from the library. All I need to do is look at the OYAN curriculum, see which kinds of chapters they have (Character Development; Editing; whatever) and write up an assignment and chapter about it using the knowledge I have. It might be pretty hard, though, and I have a lot of writing on my plate already.
Do any of you have any ideas?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Night Phoenix
The Night Phoenix is,
as some of you may know, a novel I finished for National Novel Writing Month,
2011.
Truth be told, I was supposed to have been finished editing it by now. The fact is, I haven't gotten very far at all. My life got insanely hectic right after National Novel Writing Month ended. Then, once I got some free time, I was feeling so depressed, I didn't feel like doing any writing at all--except for poetry.
However, as of Tuesday, I decided to continue on with my editing. My inital plan had always been to at least get the manuscript of The Night Phoenix sent to a publisher by summer of 2012; and that's still my plan. I'm simply going to have to force myself to stop procrastinating.
I've made some major changes so far, and there will most likely be more to come. One of my supporting characters had originally been called Ian Asher; I've changed it to Ethan Asher now. That's probably the biggest change I've made--so far, anyway.
Besides that, I seriously have to get back on track and do some more researching on Area 51 and the FBI; they play integral parts in the novel, and I'm afraid I slacked off on describing those two things accurately.
Anyway, after I'm finished with the inital editing processes, I'm going to send a query letter to one of two publishers: Malachite Quills or Black Rose .
If--the tiny amount of optimist in me wants to say 'when', but I'll refrain--my novel is accepted, I'm definitely going to be busy promoting it and creating a book trailer for it. Nothing too fancy; probably just artwork and maybe a few clips of scenery. I don't have very many resources to actually film a trailer with costumes and everything as of yet. Perhaps one day...
Truth be told, I was supposed to have been finished editing it by now. The fact is, I haven't gotten very far at all. My life got insanely hectic right after National Novel Writing Month ended. Then, once I got some free time, I was feeling so depressed, I didn't feel like doing any writing at all--except for poetry.
However, as of Tuesday, I decided to continue on with my editing. My inital plan had always been to at least get the manuscript of The Night Phoenix sent to a publisher by summer of 2012; and that's still my plan. I'm simply going to have to force myself to stop procrastinating.
I've made some major changes so far, and there will most likely be more to come. One of my supporting characters had originally been called Ian Asher; I've changed it to Ethan Asher now. That's probably the biggest change I've made--so far, anyway.
Besides that, I seriously have to get back on track and do some more researching on Area 51 and the FBI; they play integral parts in the novel, and I'm afraid I slacked off on describing those two things accurately.
Anyway, after I'm finished with the inital editing processes, I'm going to send a query letter to one of two publishers: Malachite Quills or Black Rose .
If--the tiny amount of optimist in me wants to say 'when', but I'll refrain--my novel is accepted, I'm definitely going to be busy promoting it and creating a book trailer for it. Nothing too fancy; probably just artwork and maybe a few clips of scenery. I don't have very many resources to actually film a trailer with costumes and everything as of yet. Perhaps one day...
Whispers of Wind and Song
This is a new blog of mine, which will be
completely writing related. Information about my novels, the processes of
publication, writing tips, writing clubs and organizations I've joined--stuff
like that.
It's called "Whispers of Wind And Song", because of several reasons. The word 'whispers' implies the story ideas that appear in my head, seemingly out of nowhere. 'Wind and song' refers to two or three different things.
'Wind' basically refers to stories--fantasy and magical stories mostly, but others as well. Because I've noticed that the wind tends to be a bringer of news and prophecies in several different fantasy novels.
'Song' refers to the poems and songs I write, as well as the music which plays an integral part in my inspiration process.
So, the literal (very literal) translation of the title "Whispers of Wind and Song" is "Story Ideas of Magic and Music".
It's called "Whispers of Wind And Song", because of several reasons. The word 'whispers' implies the story ideas that appear in my head, seemingly out of nowhere. 'Wind and song' refers to two or three different things.
'Wind' basically refers to stories--fantasy and magical stories mostly, but others as well. Because I've noticed that the wind tends to be a bringer of news and prophecies in several different fantasy novels.
'Song' refers to the poems and songs I write, as well as the music which plays an integral part in my inspiration process.
So, the literal (very literal) translation of the title "Whispers of Wind and Song" is "Story Ideas of Magic and Music".
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