The Marvel Cinematic Universe Tag

Time to blow the dust off Adventure Awaits again! I didn't mean to be absent for a whole month, but I'm happy to report I've emerged from college alive and well.

Well. That status might change once I see Avengers: Endgame this weekend.

In preparation for possibly the greatest superhero film of the decade, the brilliant Christine Smith has invented an MCU tag, which I am blatantly stealing. (Spoilers for MCU films up to and including Captain Marvel will abound! You've been warned.)

Credit goes to Christine Smith

Here we go . . .

Thor // Pinterest

1. How were you introduced into the MCU fandom?

I'm pretty sure I have my brother, Josiah @ The Steadfast Pen, to thank for watching Captain America: The First Avenger and then telling me I'd love it too.

You should've heard me when the plane went down at the end. "That's how it ends?" I shrieked. Josiah didn't say a word and let me sit in agony until Cap wakes up in the present. Needless to say, I became a Marvel fan.

2. What’s your favorite Marvel film?

THIS IS NOT A FAIR QUESTION, CHRISTINE.

All of the Captain America movies, obviously, with Winter Soldier barely edging out the other two. Spider-Man: Homecoming is another huge favorite, because finally--FINALLY--we got a Peter Parker that was young enough, dorky enough, and earnest enough without being overly melodramatic. (Sorry, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.) I also love all the Avengers films. And Thor: Ragnarok. And Doctor Strange. And--okay, I'll stop.

3. Top favorite Marvel character?

Preeeetty sure you've figured it out by now.

Captain America // Pinterest

Steve Rogers epitomizes true heroism. But Peter Parker is now tied as my favorite character ever since Homecoming.

"The spider is dead." // Pinterest

Very, very close runners-up (because I can never pick one favorite) include Bucky Barnes, Loki, Tony Stark, Peggy Carter, Shuri . . . the list goes on.

4. If you were transported into the MCU and had to trade places with one of the superheroes, who would you choose?

Um . . . none of them?! I wouldn't last five minutes.

I think I'll borrow Christine's answer and say Ant-Man, because he seems to have the calmest life of the bunch.

Scott Lang // Pinterest

But I'd take Thor's place on Asgard prior to Ragnarok, because it's pretty cool. Oooh, or Hawkeye whenever he gets a chance to chill on his farm with his kids.

Hawkeye // Pinterest

5. What are some of your favorite quotes from the films?

How many am I allowed to pick?

"You get hurt, hurt 'em back. You get killed, walk it off." -Captain America (Age of Ultron)

"Oh, we're using our made up names." -Spider-Man (Infinity War)

"Get this man a shield." -Black Panther (Infinity War)

"He's a friend from work!" -Thor (Ragnarok)

Hulk & Thor // Pinterest

"Elevator's not worthy." -Captain America (Age of Ultron)

"Even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No, you move.'" -Sharon Carter (Civil War)

"I promise you brother, the sun will shine on us again." -Loki (Infinity War)

"Language!" -Captain America (Age of Ultron)

"Doth Mother know you weareth her drapes?" -Iron Man (The Avengers)

"I've mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still that I become invisible to the eye. Watch." -Drax (Infinity War)

"I recognize that the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-a** decision, I've elected to ignore it." -Nick Fury (The Avengers)

"Don't do anything stupid until I get back."

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

-Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers (The First Avenger)

"Do you know how to fly this thing?"

"We'll see."

"That's a yes or no question."

"Yes."

-Nick Fury and Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)

"Well done, you just decapitated your grandfather!" -Loki (The Dark World)

"I'm Mary Poppins, y'all!" -Yondu (Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II)

Okay, I'll stop here. There's way too many more!

6. Which crew would you want to be part of the most: Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Revengers?

The Avengers, hands down!

7. Favorite and least favorite ship?

Steve and Peggy are one of my favs. And . . . hmm. I feel like the MCU excels in bromances and friendship in general, but I can't think of very many romance pairings that I really, really love. Wait--if we're counting the Amazing Spider-Man films, then I adore Peter and Gwen together.

Least favorite ship? I'm not sure on that one either. I guess Bruce and Natasha.

8. Favorite and least favorite villain?

Favorite: LOKIIII. But I do get tired of the fangirls who excuse his crimes just because he's "misunderstood." He is that, but he also made some horrendous decisions. If he wasn't so charismatic, I doubt he'd be nearly as popular as he is. The reason I love Loki's character is because he's complicated--he has the potential for good and evil, and we see him waver between the two.

Loki // Pinterest

Least favorite: Abomination from The Incredible Hulk. First of all, that's probably my least favorite Marvel movie, and second, Abomination is just plain ugly to look at.

9. Unpopular MCU opinion?

Ultron is a fantastic villain. I'm not sure why people give him--and the whole movie--a hard time. He was perfectly chilling, the way he learned and planned and spoke as an AI.

"Everyone creates the thing they dread. Men of peace create engines of war. Invaders create Avengers. People create... smaller people? Er... children! I lost the word there. Children. Designed to supplant them. To help them... end."

Plus we have the bonus of Ultron being Tony Stark's fear-fuelled creation. Yay for internal conflict becoming external conflict!

10. What’s your favorite Stan Lee cameo scene?

CHRISTINE, STOP MAKING ME PICK. I laughed every time Stan Lee showed up on screen. It's going to be so different not to see him anymore.

But okay, if I have to choose, it's the "Tony Stank" comment in Civil War, but I also love the "Did it work?" line when he tries towing Mjolnir in the first Thor movie.

Thanks for letting me steal the tag, Christine! It's the perfect way to reminisce on all the Marvel adventures we've been given thus far . . . right before I go have my heart shredded for three hours in the theater.

Who's ready to see Avengers: Endgame? Have you seen it already? (Let's keep the comments spoiler-free for that movie if you have!) And tell me YOUR favorite Marvel character and Marvel quote!

The Voices of YA Tag

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

 

The Rules:

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



[graphic from Caitlin Lambert]

1. What draws you to YA?

 

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


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

FAAAAAAAWWWWKKKEESSSSSS.

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Excuse me? How am I supposed to answer that?

 

Pardon me while I go stare at my Goodreads shelves.

 

. . .

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

First, from Winter by Marissa Meyer:

 

"Did you see any rice in there? Maybe we could fill Cinder's head with it."

 

Everyone stared at him.

 

"You know, to . . . absorb the moisture, or something. Isn't that a thing?"

 

"We're not putting rice in my head."

 

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

Sapphira held the brick with the red diode close to the photometer. "You can't do this alone, Ashley."

 

She released her hair, leaving a bloody smear. "I couldn't reach Larry. I already tried."

 

"I don't mean Larry." Sapphira's eyes once again blazed. "I think you know exactly what I mean."

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Ooooh, that's a good question. My one caveat with this list is that these movies have to be made really well or not at all. Ha.

 

• The Lunar Chronicles // Marissa Meyer




• If they get the casting right and use top-notch special effects, this could be epic!




• Solitary Tales // Travis Thrasher




• These would be so. stinking. creepy. Especially with a good composer for the soundtrack!




• Rangers Apprentice // John Flanagan




• Again, good casting, please! But how fun would it be to see these adventures on the big screen? I think a TV show would work a lot better than a movie series in this case.




• Illusionarium // Heather Dixon




• Because I just want a steampunk movie.




• The Montmorency books // Eleanor Updale




• Set in Victorian London, with the main character living the dual life of a gentleman and a criminal, this could be a fun set of movies. It's been forever since I read them, but now I want to reread . . .




• My own books!




• Come on, every writer dreams of this, right?

 

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

 

I hereby tag:

 

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


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

Fantasy Tag Fest

Much as I enjoy being tagged, doing tags, and tagging other bloggers, I don't get around to it that often! Maybe it's because I sheepishly feel like I'm not offering real content when I do one?* So it's with an even more sheepish grin today that I dust off not one, but two fantasy-themed tags that have been sitting in my drafts for a while. The always lovely Deborah O'Carroll passed on the Life Lessons Learned from Fantasy tag a WHOLE YEAR AGO. (#oops) And the recently-featured-here-because-she-just-released-a-new-book Jenelle Schmidt tagged me just last month for the What If...? Fantasy Tag. Thanks, you two!


*How do you guys feel about that, anyway?


Both tags actually originated with Jenelle, who invented February is Fantasy Month! . . . Yes, we are ignoring the fact that it is now March. In true fantasy style, I am being a wizard who is never late but arrives precisely when she intends to. So there.


Let's jump right in, shall we?

Life Lessons Learned from Fantasy

Rules

1. Link back to Jenelle's blog. (Done.)
2. Use the image above. (Also done.)
3. Tell us 5-10 lessons you've learned from reading a fantasy book (or watching a fantasy movie)--lessons can come from multiple sources as well, of course. (Coming right up!)
4. Tag 2-4 other bloggers. (Shall do at the end of the post.)

Life Lesson #1: I can make a difference.

A hobbit from the Shire had no special strength, but Frodo carried the One Ring to Mordor. A little girl was the youngest in her family, but Lucy discovered Narnia and saw Aslan when no one else did. A mute young woman was enslaved by a culture of oppression, but Imraldera's influence stretched over many lands and many ages.

Over and over, fantasy shows me the weak, the small, the powerless, and the ordinary rise up to become heroes. Yes, their heroics are often on a kingdom-wide scale, larger than life for all to see. But they inspire me to make my own life count.

"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage." -Gandalf

Life Lesson #2: Life is full of wonder.

The moment my imagination set foot on infant Narnian soil and heard Aslan singing the world to life, I was enraptured as I had never been before. And every well-drawn fantasy world since then has kept alive my spark of childlike wonder. Mountains, oceans, valleys, forests. Portals, ley lines, magic hiding around every corner. Vast landscapes flung farther than I can see, all ripe for exploration. I sometimes wonder if these flashes of longing and delight are little tastes of the wonders we'll see in heaven.

Life Lesson #3: The darkness does not last.

Fantasy offers a vivid canvas on which to paint the brightest of colors and the blackest of shadows. The suffering our beloved heroes endure is staggering. Sapphira Adi, confined to the lonely underground for centuries (Eye of the Oracle, Bryan Davis) . . . Nym, her powers stripped right from her bones (Siren's Fury, Mary Weber) . . . the entire Rampion crew, separated and struggling to make headway against the Lunar Queen (Winter, Marrisa Meyer) . . . Frodo and Sam, beaten down to their last breaths on the slopes of Mount Doom (The Return of the King, JRR Tolkien) . . . Cal Raven, his people homeless and his own faith shaken from its holdings (The Ale Boy's Feast, Jeffrey Overstreet) . . . I could go on and on.

But in all my favorite fantasy stories, no matter how deep the darkness becomes and no matter how long it lasts, light breaks through. Sapphira Adi finds hope in Elohim. Nym discovers a power that no one can take from her. The Rampion crew finds love and victory. Frodo and Sam find the strength to carry on and put an end to a great evil. Cal Raven makes a home and reclaims his faith.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Life Lesson #4: God is recklessly in love with me.

Allegorical fantasy is still one of my favorites, and there are so many books under that category that have refreshed my view of God. In Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Heartless, I see Aethelbald redeem me. In Ted Dekker's Circle series, I drown in Elohim's waters and emerge reborn. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I witness Aslan's sacrifice firsthand. In Wayne Thomas Batson's The Door Within, King Eliam's glory blinds me.

All of these stories and more open my eyes to more facets of God's character. And always I am drawn in by His wild, untamed, unreserved love. He's not a tame lion, you know.

Life Lesson #5: In the end, we win.

Fantasy is the genre in which a happily ever after is the norm. There may be bloodshed, scars, and sorrows, but in the end, good prevails. The enemy armies may be innumerable, but in the end, they fall. Fantasy rekindles my hope. We are on the winning side. The enemy is already defeated. And one day, we're going home.

***

The What If . . . ? Fantasy Tag

Rules

1. Thank the blogger who tagged you. (Thanks again!)
2. Include the graphic somewhere in your post. (See above.)
3. Answer the questions. (In a sec!)
4. Tag a few bloggers--and let them know they've been tagged. (Coming at the end.)
5. Have fun! (That would be impossible to avoid.)

1. Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The cast of the most recent fantasy book you've read comes to your assistance . . . Who are they? Will they be helpful?

Whew, I'm in luck! The book I'm currently reading, Bryan Davis's Circles of Seven, is urban fantasy with a twist, so at least most of the characters are familiar with modern inventions. Billy and Walter should have no trouble fixing my car, especially with Karen around, since she's a car expert. Not to mention Ashley's super smart. Bonnie can fly ahead to see where we are (and where the nearest mechanic is), while Shiloh keeps me company and Professor Hamilton regales me with Arthurian legend.


But if Clefspeare or Hartanna are around, I say we ditch the car and go for a dragon flight!

2. You go to bed one evening and wake up in the lair of the villain of the last fairytale you read. Where are you and how do you plan to get out?

I'm not sure what fairytale I've read most recently, but the latest fairytale retelling is probably The Tomb of the Sea Witch by Kyle Robert Schultz.


In which case I'm underwater and will probably drown in the next thirty seconds.


My plan is to accept my fate. I'll spend the rest of my days as a ghost wandering the halls of the Warrengate Academy of Advanced Magic. Perhaps I can haunt Malcolm the dragon every now and then . . . it'd be fun to scare him without fear of getting fried.

3. You are transported into a fantasy realm and given a mythical creature as a companion and best friend . . . Which mythical creature do you get?

The answer is quite obvious. NEXT QUESTION.


Oh, wait. You really don't know? A dragon, of course! Because although the blog's sidebar does say I might have one living in my basement, that dragon might be a figment of my imagination. Who knows? Either way, I need a real dragon bestie in my life.

4. In a strange series of coincidences, you end up needing to take the place of your favorite fantasy hero or heroine. Who are you?

"A strange series of coincidences"--does that kind of sound like a spinoff to A Series of Unfortunate Events?


But oh boy, this is a tough one. I'm going to fall back on a long-time favorite: Sir Eanrin from Tales of Goldstone Wood! While the term "hero" may be debatable at some points in his life, the sometimes-man, sometimes-cat is really a noble character deep down beneath his preening, poetry, and pride. (My my, the alliteration is flowing already.)




All credit goes to artist Jenelle Hovde!
(This fanart is on display at Dame Imraldera's Library.)

5. To go along with question #4, now that you are that character, is there anything you would do differently than that character, now that you are running the show?

Um, YES. TELL IMRALDERA I* LOVE AND ADORE HER. And that is all I will say on the subject.

*he? you? Am I talking about Eanrin, to Eanrin, or about myself as Eanrin?

6. If you were yourself in a fantasy novel, what role do you think you would play in the story?

I'd be the sidekick on the quest, the one who packs too many books, gives the heroes regular pep talks to keep their spirits up, and surprises everyone with a fiery verbal barrage against injustice.


But if I lived long enough, I would likely take up a profession as the village crazy person. You know, the mysterious kind who lives in a house crammed full of scrolls, knick knacks, dust, and half an apothecary--the eccentric old woman whose nonsense occasionally hides a scrap of wisdom.

7. One morning, as you are going about your daily business, you pick up an everyday item and a voice booms in your head with prophetic words about your future. What object is it, and what is the prophecy?

It is my phone, a companion that's a little too constant. And the prophecy that echoes in my head is:

Three for Goodreads stats falling behind

Seven for games with endless levels

Nine for Instagram photos divine

One for emails like Hydra devils

In the land of pixels where distractions lie.

One phone to rule them all, one phone to find them,

One phone to bring them all and in the appstore bind them.

In the land of pixels where distractions lie.

(I butchered the meter, but that's what you get for writing parody poetry after staying up too late watching a movie.) (Anyway, all that to say I'm trying to work on my phone habits!)

8. You are transported into a magical realm and turned into a mythical beast . . . What beast/fantasy creature do you want to be?

A DRAGON. Oh, right, I already used that one for #3.

How about a shape shifter? Then I can take the form of anything I want, dragon included! I mean, talk about convenient. I could swim with the mermaids, fly with the phoenixes / griffins / Pegasi* / dragons / etc., and infiltrate any castle in the kingdom. But if shape shifter wasn't an option, I would settle for being a talking fox, like the one in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie.

*what's the plural for Pegasus, anyway?

9. If you could read your way into any fantasy realm, but the catch is you can never leave, would you? Which realm would you choose?

Oh dear, don't do this to me. This sort of question makes me start needling around for loopholes and exceptions. Like, if I could take my family with me, I would pick . . . or, if I could still communicate with people on earth, I'd choose . . .


If such gracious allowances were truly forbidden, then no. I wouldn't read my way into a fantasy realm, because as massively tempting as it would be, I couldn't leave my fam jam behind! Buuuut if we can stretch the rules a little, I would pick Narnia hands down. It has the perfect blend of wonder, beauty, and just the right amount of danger to make for great adventures. (I would get stabbed very quickly in a place like Middle Earth, okay.)

Hmm . . . the longer I think about it, though, the more I like the thought of living in one of the realms of my own making. Iror would be lovely, or Demetria . . .


Okay, okay, I'll stop! My answer is Narnia, but only if I can take people with me.

10. As you are going about your normal day, you discover that you have a magical power. What is it?

A super brain that learns ridiculously fast and retains it all would make college a breeze! But that sounds a little bit more like superhero/sci-fi stuff than fantasy, so . . . I think it would be cool to see an "aura" around people. Kind of a way to read their emotions, which is less intrusive than reading minds but would probably be quite helpful. Is there a name for that sort of thing? If no one's written a book about it yet, maybe I'll have to.

***

Whew, that got longer than I expected! I should've known that fantasy + books = much to talk about. And now it's time to tag some people to pass on the fun. I'm going to do something different and tag some of my newest followers. Feel free to take it or leave it, guys! (Either one or both of them.) If you do take them, leave me a link so I can check it out!

I tag:

Erica @ A Story of a Storyteller

Danielle @ Snapper

Loie Dunn

Thomas Neufeld @ Journey with Emmanuel

Julian Daventry @ Saver of Memories

Brianna Stacyn @ No End of Books

Anyone else who started following Adventure Awaits within the last three months!
(I wanted to tag more of you, but couldn't find links to your blogs on your profiles.)

Well, that about wraps it up! What are some things you've learned from fantasy? Whose lair would you be escaping? Would you read yourself irreversibly into a fantasy realm???

The Comp Title Challenge

Brains are busy places, you know. Many things go humming through them, here and there, to and fro, and so it stands to reason that occasionally brains suffer traffic jams. And sometimes brains with too many thoughts to think don't have room to squeeze in one more, and so, occasionally, at times, now and then, it is necessary to choose a simple topic to blog about.

 

Which is my roundabout way of saying that my pal Madeline J. Rose @ Short and Snappy invented another tag this week! And because my brain is busy sorting out some traffic jams, this tag is just the thing to make sure Adventure Awaits doesn't sit cold and forgotten today.

 

introducing the comp title challenge

 

What is a comp title, you ask? It's short for comparison title--you know, when authors, reviewers, and moviemakers throw other names around to try to describe their own creations. Here are some of Madeline's tips for comp titles (paraphrased):

 

• Think about the genre of your story. Where and when does it take place?
• You don't have to use the biggest names out there--in fact, it might be better if you don't.
• Don't worry about describing your story perfectly. If you find something that you think describes it well, then great, but don't stress it. It's just a general idea.

 

And the challenge's guidelines:

• Pick a few (or all!) of your WIPS!
• Give them some comp titles!
• Tag a few peoples if you wish!
• Have fun!

(All following pictures via Pinterest.)

NOVELS

The Brightest Thread // Tales of Goldstone Wood meets Diana Wynne Jones meets the Auralia Thread


Tales of Goldstone Wood series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl: rich fantasy world and lyrical writing style. The latest book, Golden Daughter, works particularly well as a comp title because of the dream world stuff. Diana Wynne Jones: the bits of humor (I've only read Howl's Moving Castle, but still). The Auralia Thread series by Jeffrey Overstreet: the allegory and some of the political subplots.

The Prophet's Quest // Raising Dragons meets Narnia meets The Door Within


So this was my first novel ever, and thinking up comp titles was incredibly easy since my work was heavily influenced by a few certain books. Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis: his human/dragon offspring characters are a lot like my characters turning into dragons. Narnia: hello, new fantasy world! The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson: my Captain Dauntless (in charge of the dragon army) sounds an awful lot like Captain Valithor, a general who likes to SHOUT INSULTS IN ALL CAPS.

The Prophet's Key // Narnia meets Mission Impossible meets Storm Siren meets the Dragonkeeper Chronicles


Yes, I am aware that sounds like a strange combination. Narnia: again, there is a world besides our own. Mission Impossible: only because there are chase scenes in various parts of our world, not because of any spy missions or gadgetry. Storm Siren by Mary Weber: elementals. And the Dragonkeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul: because Wizard Fenworth was a big inspiration for my crazy wind Shifter named Wimwhile.

NOVELLAS

Mirrors Never Lie // How to Train Your Dragon meets A Time to Die


HTTYD (the movie): Viking/Norse elements. A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes: solely for the intensity of the main character's inner journey. I suppose I could throw Snow White in there with the other titles, but being a Snow White retelling, that should be obvious.

Blood Rose // Illusionarium meets . . . something medical?


Illusionarium by Heather Dixon: No steampunkiness here, but the plague in that book reminds me ever so slightly of the medical aspect of my story. I really can't think of any comp titles that fit this Beauty and the Beast retelling. It's modern day, takes place solely between two characters in a mansion in the woods, and has a light touch of sci-fi/fantasy/something. If songs work as comp titles, I would readily say Salvation by Skillet!

The Glass Girl // Gail Carson Levine meets Dragon Slippers


For this Cinderella retelling, I'm not entirely happy with these comp titles either. Gail Carson Levine: simple, sweet fairy tales. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George: something about the medieval city setting reminds me of my story.

UNWRITTEN

Welcome to Absurdity // Eyes Wide Open meets The Dark Unwinding meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children


You guys have no idea how excited I am to start this novel one day! The idea has been stewing in my head for years. Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker: unsuspecting allegory and a mental asylum. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron: the aesthetic. I don't know how else to say it--it's just the feel of the setting, despite being the wrong time era. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: unusual characters and creepiness. (Man, I really want to start writing this someday soon . . .)

Untitled // Indiana Jones meets Ranger's Apprentice


Indiana Jones: artefacts and tombs and traps. Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan: good ol' high fantasy and weapons and rollicking adventures. I just really feel like a fantasy Indy would be a ton of fun to write about.

Well, that was fun! And good practice for future querying as well. I think we can conclude that I have a hard time sticking to the traditional two comp titles per story! What about you, if you write? How would you compare your work-in-progress story? Do any of these tales pique your interest? And if you like, consider yourself tagged!

Strangest Browser Searches Tag

Way back in the days of cave paintings and sabre-toothed tigers (ahem, last July) Madeline J. Rose tagged me with a thingamajig of her own creation, the Strangest Browser Searches tag! It's so fun when blogger friends make up their own tags, isn't it? And this particular tag is pretty entertaining too.

The rules:

• Get access to your browser history, and look through it
• Pick at least 5 of the strangest searches you've had to look up as a writer
• List them below with a short explanation as to why exactly you had to look them up
• Tag 2-5 other bloggers

I apologize in advance--due to my slow writing lately, most of my Google searches were boring things like "how to calculate equal payments" (for math class) and "what is a contra account" (for accounting class) and "who retains rights in traditional publishing" (for a paper I wrote in business communication class). I dug through THREE MONTHS of history for these, guys, and most of them aren't even that spectacular.


If you don't have anything better to do with the next three minutes of your life, read on!


Note: they're almost all related to my Snow White retelling, so perhaps you'll glean some interesting tidbits of previously undisclosed knowledge. Or just random trivia, but pffft, what's the difference?

snow white original version

I looked this up because it's been a long time since I read the real thing, and I always go back to the source material before writing a retelling.

list of cold words

Snow. Frost. Shiver. Ice. Blizzard. Wow, what a great list. I must've been in a writing slump if I needed synonyms for cold.

norse mythical creatures

I found me a fearsome lindwyrm, thanks to this search!

how big is a hamlet

I don't remember the answer, but Skadi's home (in my inconsistent first draft of Snow White) goes back and forth between a hamlet and a village, so . . . methinks the research wasn't very effective.

how to skin a rabbit

I found some kind of hunting website and actually scrolled through bloody pictures of every step in the rabbit-skinning process. Be very proud of me.

scandinavian sailing medieval times / medieval animal skin canoes

Skadi paddles around a fjord while thinking gloomy thoughts, so I wanted to be able to visualize her vessel.

mbti and guilt

Because Skadi wrestles with more than her fair share of guilt, and I wanted to see how her personality type deals with it. (What is her personality type again? I forgot.)

how long should a chapter be in a ya novel

Short answer: nobody knows! Suggestion: 2500-5000 words.

how serious is a wound to the side

Because what would a fantasy novella be without a stabbing?!

do big five publishers accept christian manuscripts

I don't think I dug deep enough to find the answer, but I think I was contemplating the great big world of publishing that day, and simply looked this up out of curiosity.

tips for fast signature

You should see the margins of some of my notebooks, or the scrap paper I used for math equations back in high school--I'm not ashamed to admit that I've practiced my signature for future book signings. Still not happy with it, and still wondering if I should change the style of it so that it's different from what I use to sign important documents. o_O But on another note, HOW do authors manage to sign hundreds of books in an hour?

lies characters believe

I remembered reading a couple of blog posts on the subject, but didn't know where they were, so I searched them down again to help develop Skadi's inner conflict.

meaning of Skadi / Wilhelmina name origin

Meaningful names are important to me! I love hiding symbolism in my stories--it's just another secret that only I know. That is, until I blog about it or until sharp-eyed readers pick up on it. But half of the fun of these secrets is divulging them, so I don't mind. Anyway, Skadi is my Snow White character, and her name belongs to a Norse goddess of winter and archery! Wilhelmina is a German name meaning willing to protect; it fits pretty well with a secondary character who's come up in two of my stories, yet has never been "on screen."

aurora winter bird lyrics

I'm pretty sure it was Katie Grace who introduced me to AURORA, a young Norwegian singer with an ethereal voice and songs that inspire my writer brain. This particular song, Winter Bird, reminds me of my Snow White story!

sinew bowstrings

Skadi is an archer (and no, I shan't apologize for using that cliché), so I took some time to research more primitive forms of bows and arrows. I also needed to know what kind of bowstring she'd likely have access to . . . and what kind of bowstring might snap under extreme heat. *insert malicious smile*

why don't i like my protagonist

You've heard me grouse about that issue more than once here, so I won't go over it again! Since reading over my novella, I think much of my problem was imagined/the result of less-than-ideal writing circumstances, so hopefully whatever small issues are left can be corrected when I edit.

other odd things I've researched in times gone by:

This was YEARS ago, but one time I spent an afternoon performing mathematical equations for my dragon novel, The Prophet's Quest. Two characters are given special seeds they're instructed to plant in a long, continuous line across one corner of the country, and it occurred to me about five million drafts later that I'd never actually figured out how many seeds they would need. So I:

• guesstimated the size of said fantasy country by comparing it to real life Britain or something like that
• decided how long dragon's tails are (because the dragons are told to plant the seeds one dragon tail-length apart)
• calculated how many dragon tails it would take to stretch across the section of land I'd drawn out . . .
• . . . which equals how many seeds are needed
• then I figured that the seeds were about the size of kidney beans
• so I went to the kitchen and counted out how many kidney beans fill one measuring cup
• converted cups to gallons
• estimated how many gallons of seeds each dragon could carry
• realized they needed A LOT OF HELP to transport all these seeds
• and so I invented a species of birds called seolfor that could each carry a gallon's worth of seeds, and threw a whole flock of them into the story to solve the problem
• WHEW.

And of course I've researched other, more typical writerly things like:

• gunshot wounds
• types of guns
• types of swords
• infection
• injuries
• facial burn scars
• healing herbs
• how far a human can walk in a day
• how far a horse can run in a day
• how long a person can survive without food/water
• how far a league is (because there's no better way to jerk a reader out of your epic high fantasy story than to have the king say, "I shall travel thirteen miles to thy secret abode of magical trees," so leagues it is)
• old cars from the 90's most likely to have engine trouble
• blood types
• what happens when you get a blood transfusion of the wrong type (bad stuff, okay)
• how long it takes to fly to _____
• how far a Beaver plane can fly on one tank of fuel
• how many people can a dragon carry if they're about four or five times the size of a horse
• how would a psychologist diagnose a kid who says he was a hero and fought battles on another bacon-flipping WORLD (answer: he's schizophrenic or has delusions of grandeur)
• ETC.

In short, the life of a writer involves many questions. Sometimes Google has the answers, sometimes not. I used to think that writing fantasy was a good way to avoid research, but HA, I've never been more wrong! At least I get to research pretty cool stuff this way.


(Sorry, I've run out of time to tag anyone today, since I have to run off to work, but if you like this tag, by all means snatch it!)

What's the weirdest thing YOU have ever researched, in the name of writing or not?

The Bibliophile Sweater Tag

GUYS. I haven't done a tag in an eon or three, and while I'm pretty sure I've got a few stockpiled somewhere, the lovely Mary Horton @ Sunshine and Scribblings just created a tag of her own . . . and tagged me with it! It's all about books and sweaters, which are two of my favorite things. So I had to jump in on it now, while it's still sweater weather!*

*Yes, Canada is preparing for another six months of sweater weather. Don't laugh.

Rules:

• Give the person who tagged you a never-ending supply of cookies (or just thank them - either works) [Mary, your lifetime supply of gingersnaps is in the mail!]
• Answer all the questions and use the blog graphic for this tag somewhere in your post
• Pass along the tag to at least five other people [Read on till the end, my curious questers.]
• Wear a sweater (okay, this is optional...but why wouldn't you want to??) [I would love to wear a sweater, but today was unseasonably warm--it's a t-shirt for me!]

Before we get going, two teensy tiny announcements:

1. I'm on Instagram! I'm painfully new at it, but I've been participating in #drachtober over there, which is super fun, and I'd love for you to pop by and say hello. Also my social media icons are now conveniently on the blog's sidebar for your clicking convenience.
2. I've got an email address! Okay, yes, I've always had an email address (I don't live under that big of a rock), but now I have one I'm sharing publicly. So if you have thoughts about the existence of ladybugs or questions about how to tame the fiery rage of the nearest bookdragon, you can shoot me an email at traceydyckauthor[at]gmail.com.

All right, now let's hop right to it, shall we?

lovely graphic by the lovely Mary Horton

Fuzzy sweater (a book that is the epitome of comfort)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis // Yes, this counts, because my copy is the whole series in one volume! I reread it for the first time in forever about a year and a half ago, and I can't tell you how many times I've missed Narnia since then. The familiar adventures, the delightful prose, the deep-yet-simple themes, all the nostalgia . . . I seriously need more time so I can reread more often.

Striped sweater (book which you devoured every line of)

Reaper Reborn by Bryan Davis // I HAVE TO PICK JUST ONE? I feel like I'm betraying so many other riveting reads. Why do you do this to me? But okay. Fine. I'll play along and go with what I'm currently reading. It is intense. Bad stuff is happening, people, and I'm not sure how Phoenix and his mates are going to fix everything in the last 50% of the book. I am definitely devouring every line!

Ugly Christmas sweater (book with a weird cover)

The Dark City by Catherine Fisher // I had to search through my Goodreads list for a while to find this. (Apparently I read a lot of attractive books.) That face/mask thingy is just . . . creepy. And I honestly remember next to nothing about this book. Either it was rather bland, or so terrible I blocked it out of my memory.

Cashmere sweater (most expensive book you've bought)

The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan // I don't actually know which is the most expensive book I've bought. #bookdragonfail But this is one of those monstrously priced hardcovers--well, fine, it was $20. So not awful. But not cheap either. BUT PRICE ASIDE, I'm picking this one because I don't talk about the Ranger's Apprentice series enough around here, considering how much I love it! I know some people complain that this 12th book ruined the series ending, but I actually enjoyed seeing Will all grown up and training a new Ranger. Bittersweet.

Hoodie (favorite classic book)

sadly, I don't own it. but I would love
this version!

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie // Since I already picked Chronicles of Narnia for the Fuzzy Sweater, I'll pick one of the next best classics: Peter Pan. I was supremely late to that party, seeing as I read it for the first time last year. But I'm hooked! (Ha. Terrible pun intended.) It's so whimsical and arbitrary in a childlike way, and I adore it.

Cardigan (book that you bought on impulse)

Siren's Song by Mary Weber // I promise you I was shopping for someone else at the bookstore. Yet somehow I walked out with a book for myself? How did that happen? I'm not sure if this was a true impulse buy, because I've been meaning to buy it ever since finishing Storm Siren earlier this year. But obviously I bought this book so fast, I didn't realize this is BOOK 3. AND I DON'T YET OWN BOOK 2. OOPS.

Turtleneck sweater (book from your childhood)

The Black and White Rainbow by John Trent // I'm going waaaay back to my early childhood here. This was one of my absolute favorite picture books, a story about MooseBerry Mouse and his friends trying to restore color to their black and white world. (I specifically remember my parents giving Monty the Mole a funny voice when he talked with his mouth full.) And the illustrations--my word, they are gorgeous.

Homemade knitted sweater (book that is Indie-published)

Prodigy Prince by Natasha Sapienza // My reading diet is a little sparse in this category, unfortunately! But I've got one very intriguing indie book waiting for me right now. It's high fantasy and involves a banished villain, six gifted youths, and a second-in-line prince. Sounds like my cup of tea!

V-neck sweater (book that did not meet your expectations)

The Realms Thereunder by Ross Lawhead // I thought I would love this one--goodness, I wanted to love it--but unfortunately, the great cover and the fact that Ross Lawhead is Stephen R. Lawhead's son didn't translate to a five star book for me. The concept was pretty cool, though, and I will eventually read the sequel. It's just not . . . on the top of my TBR pile right now.

Argyle sweater (book with a unique format)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke // It contains copious footnotes. Does that count? It's also a faint-inducing one thousand pages or so--that definitely counts, right?! But despite its density, I loved it to pieces. Like I mentioned, I don't do enough rereading, but this is absolutely going to be something I return to one day. I keep eyeing it on my shelf, promising, "One day . . . one day."

Polka dot sweater (a book with well-rounded characters)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater // Again, there are so many books I could highlight here! But this was one of the first to come to mind. Despite my quibbles with the Raven Cycle, the deft characterization is my favorite part. Every gesture, every description, is artfully nuanced and painfully real. I'm kind of in love with Steifvater's prose, especially as it relates to characters.

Well, that was super cozy and fun, and now I want to go read allll the things! Thanks again, Mary! You are a tag genius. And now I get to pass that genius along to five other bloggers.

My brother Josiah @ The Steadfast Pen

My sister Chloe @ Faeries and Folklore

My sister "Lostfairy" @ Animal Jam Jumble

(because all my siblings are bibliophiles and bloggers too!)

Meaghan Rutherford @ Coddiwomple

Emily @ Stranger Worlds (formerly known as Ink, Inc.)

+ anyone who's wearing a sweater and wants to grab this tag!