Subplots and Storylines - July 2017

(I almost wrote 2018, you guys. Scary.)


Hello! Whew, it feels like a massive party has been happening around here, what with the fantastically epic SilmAwards going on! I hope you've been having as much with it as I have. (If you missed it, click HERE to check out who won the Wisest Counselor Silmaril.) The awards take a break over this weekend, but then on Monday, the next post will go live!


If you're looking for a schedule of the awards presentations, Deborah has a handy one right here.


In the meantime, S&S is coming to you a week early. "What!" you say. "July isn't over yet!" I know, but in a matter of days I depart for Realm Makers (which will require a recap post, trust me). And after that's over, I'll be away on family holidays and shan't return to the internet until sometime during the first full week of August. Hence the early post.

July thus far has been a little less crazy than previous months. We celebrated Canada's 150th and my dad's birthday. One afternoon, I went out for a spontaneous coffee date with two friends I hadn't caught up with in a long time, and it was good to step away from writing for a couple of hours. I spent a fun day shopping in the city with my mom and sisters. The week after that, I took my brother to the city too, and we enjoyed shopping, watching Spider-Man Homecoming, having milkshakes, and listening to a super long, super amazing playlist he put together for my novel The Brightest Thread. (I love my family, guys.)


Another highlight was strawberry picking. Come on, who doesn't love getting down on their hands and knees between the rows and hunting down the brightest, reddest berries? But the best part is eating them afterward. Strawberries everywhere--with cream and sugar, with ice cream, with yogurt, with cake, with waffles and whipped cream, with French toast. EVERYTHING. Strawberries have a way of making it feel like summer (so does pea shelling, which we've also been doing).


(*looks at above paragraphs* Apparently I can talk about food for just as long as I can talk about life happenings. Ha.)


Oh! Before we move on, I have to share one of the biggest things that happened this month. You know how I applied for college this fall? Well, recently I was told that I was put on the waiting list--I would have to wait a full year to get in. Needless to say, I was disappointed. But all the delays in my life thus far have ended up being really good things, and God has used them to take me down better paths than I had set out for myself. So I was resigned to spend a year working at my job, trying to get my writing out there, and seeing what unexpected opportunities God might bring my way.


But a week after getting that email, I got another one saying I've been accepted after all! A few students dropped out, making room for me this fall! Classes start at the end of August (which is ridiculously close, you guys). It's a two year course in business administration. I never would have thought of taking something like this, but I've come to realize that a) this can help me start a financially stable career, and b) this will also help me in the writing/publishing field, because authors are essentially small business owners! Anyway, this is a big answer to prayer! And life is going to be changing yet again in just over a month.

On the Screen

Yep, you guessed it again: more Once Upon a Time. Still slowly going through seasons 2, 3, and 5. After a decidedly blegh episode in season 5 (called Ruby Slippers, for those who may be wondering), the season is looking up again. Or rather, looking very bleak for the characters, but much more exciting for me. Can't wait to see the last few episodes!

I mentioned it above, but I must say it again: I saw Spider-Man Homecoming in theaters and LOVE LOVE LOVED IT! There was a tad more language than I expected, but other than that, this was the perfect Spidey flick. I love Tom Holland's performance, because we finally have a Peter Parker who looks and acts exactly like a high school teenager. Don't get me wrong, Andrew Garfield was fantastic (and Tobey McGuire . . . eh, he gets points for being cheesy and nostalgic), but Tom Holland brings out the things that make Spider-Man Spider-Man.


The movie was funny, endearing, down-to-earth, and still had its intense moments. I was literally on the edge of my seat near the end. That plot twist. Wow. And it was so great having Tony Stark around for a bit. I love seeing him play mentor. The villain had a more grounded/realistic backstory than some, the high school dynamics were the best, and Ned was a hilarious best friend/"guy in the chair."


I wish I had a more cohesive mini review to share, but my thoughts are all over the place. It's one of those movies I have to see again!

On the Page

Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz

Probably the best Alex Rider book yet! It still feels like a kid playing James Bond, but this book had a more complex plot. I think Alex is growing up. He discovered more about his father, was faced with some pretty difficult choices, and had to get out of even worse scrapes than before. My favorite scene was near the beginning when he's stuck in a flooding prison cell in Venice! Kind of reminded me of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation a little bit.

Four stars.

Solitary by Travis Thrasher (audio book)

I read started reading the Solitary Tales back in 2013. I remember loving it back then. The writing style isn't particularly beautiful or complex, but that's why it's so easy to fly through. Listening to the audio book over the last couple months (what can I say? my drive to work is too short), I couldn't speed through the story, but it was cool to "reread it" now that I know how the whole story ends.

I'd forgotten how dark and hopeless it gets, but I don't mind because I know that Chris, the main character, is embarking on a journey to find light. Even if he doesn't know it by the final page of book one. Meanwhile, the web of secrets strung over the little town of Solitary is intriguing and terrifying. It's still suspenseful the second time around, because I don't remember all the ins and outs.

Anyway, back to the audio format: four stars for this one. The book itself gets five stars, but I enjoyed the narrator of the last audio book I listened to (Crazy Dangerous) more.

Reapers by Bryan Davis

I'm in the middle of it right now, and expect to finish before I leave. I'll have more thoughts to share in next month's S&S post, but for now I'll say that the pace is picking up, and I'm quite enjoying myself! Phoenix is a very different protagonist than most of Bryan Davis's. He's still principled, but not to the extent of someone like Billy Bannister or Adrian Masters or Nathan Shepherd. (Although I'm still figuring Phoenix out, so don't take that as my final say on the matter.) I look forward to seeing where the second half of the book goes!

On the Writing Desk

As you know, the Silmarillion Awards have been going on this month, which sort of counts as writing--at least part of it.


Other than that, I clocked my writing time again this month: about 30 hours spent writing and/or editing The Brightest Thread. As I edited, I wrote in a few new scenes and added touches of description, contributing another 6,665 words to the manuscript. Now it stands at precisely 68,727 words. Not quite as close to my 70k goal as I wanted, but at this point that's all I have in me to add. After days of slow progress, including taking my laptop along on the drive to and from church a few Sundays, just to get more writing time in, it's a relief to be done!


I think The Brightest Thread is the strongest novel I've written to date, despite the fact that it's also the shortest. I'm excited to pitch it next week and see what kind of feedback it gets! Even an unfavorable reaction is a learning experience, so it's impossible to lose out.


In other writing-related doings, I finished up session 12 of The Creative Way (the writing course by Ted Dekker I'm slowly going through). I also designed business cards and wrote up a one sheet for the conference!

Farewell for now, my friends!

Although I'll be using the internet whilst at the conference, after that I'll be unplugging for a week. You won't see me around here for a little while. However, I hope to schedule a few posts to go up during my absence, so it won't be completely quiet on Adventure Awaits.


One of the scheduled posts will be for the end of the SilmAwards on July 29th. All of you are welcome to join in as well with your own posts (blog or otherwise) to celebrate all things Tolkien and fantasy! There are no rules. Feel free to write a tribute to Tolkien, pen an ode to Samwise Gamgee, start a discussion about favorite elements of fantasy, share a collection of quotes, include a gif or two (or three hundred) from Lord of the Rings, make a list of favorite fantasy novels, or whatever you like! (Remember to use #SilmAwards2017 on social media!) I'll catch up on it all when I return.


Take care, my friends! I look forward to sharing my adventures with you! And if any of you are coming to Realm Makers--I'll see you there.

How has your July been? I hope you're having a fantastic summer. Bet you're craving strawberries now, thanks to me.  If you've seen Spider-Man Homecoming, what did you think of it?