Blogiversary and TCWT! December Blog Chain

Today is my 3rd blogaversary! That's right, I've been blogging for three years. For some reason that feels like a long time.


It's also my 19th birthday, which means I'm now the same age as the MC of Noxumbra. I think this is rather cool.

To celebrate, I have a TCWT! blog chain post. It's been a long time since I participated in a TCWT! blog chain, and I'm glad to be doing one again. This month's prompt is:

“What works of fiction have taught you by example, and what did they teach you?”

When I suggested this prompt to John, I meant "what have books taught you about writing" but as a few of the other blog chain participants have pointed out, it's rather vague, and so there have been several FANTASTIC posts about what books have taught life lessons. Yay for different prompt interpretations! I'll be focusing on books that have taught me about writing.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

These books are amazing for many reasons. The characters are great, the plot twists are mind-blowing. The first book taught me about character arcs, and showed me how a character can change over the course of a novel. I understood the idea that characters should change during a story, but watching Vin change throughout the course of this book really cemented it in my head. 

Also, the magic system was very cool and taught me about how magic systems can work. 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

HER DESCRIPTIONS, DUDE. MAGICAL. Again, these books had great characters and plot twist, but what I took away from them was the descriptions. Stiefvater chooses just the right things to describe. Not the basics like eye color and hair color and a weirdly shaped birthmark. She picked things like the smell of gasoline and mint (she used smell a lot, actually, which worked stupendously), the canvas trees and nine pairs of scissors in Blue's room, the high ceilings and marks left by big machinery in Monmouth Manufacturing. She picked details that brought the scene to life. 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

I finished this book on Sunday night, so I'm still reeling a bit from the ending, but one thing that I noticed she did really well was the characters' internal conflict. Everyone in this book was conflicted about something or fighting inner demons, and it was done in a way that made the characters seem very human and relatable, and made the overall character arcs awesome. 

Also, there were several viewpoint characters who all interpreted the situation differently, and had different ideas about what would happen, and how that would be good and bad. That was awesome. It made each character his/her own person, and let the reader see several different opinions on what was happening.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Admittedly, I haven't finished reading the book, but I've seen the miniseries based on it a few times. What I learned from this one is that you can create a giant web of connections between characters and it makes for really cool story development. Now, it would probably be very easy to create a web that confuses the reader, but done right it's wonderful. 

I think that's all for this post. A merry Christmas to you all! 

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain: 

5^th – http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/

6^th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/

7^th – https://erinkenobi2893.wordpress.com/

8^th – http://introspectioncreative.wordpress.com/

9^th – http://semilegacy.blogspot.com/

10^th – http://kirabudge.weebly.com/

11^th – http://whileishouldbedoingprecal.weebly.com/

12^th – http://randomosityofeden.wordpress.com/

13^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

14^th – http://www.alwaysopinionatedgirl.wordpress.com/

15^th – http://www.juliathewritergirl.wordpress.com/

16^th – http://miriamjoywrites.com/

17^th – http://horsfeathersblog.wordpress.com/

18^th – http://unironicallyexcited.wordpress.com/

19^th – http://theboardingblogger.wordpress.com/

20^th – http://stayandwatchthestars.wordpress.com/

21^st – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/

22^nd – http://fantasiesofapockethuman.blogspot.com/

23^rd – http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com/

24^th – http://oliviarivers.wordpress.com/

25^th – [off-day]

26^th – http://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/

27^th – http://missalexandrinabrant.wordpress.com/

28^th – http://www.pamelanicolewrites.com

29^th – http://jasperlindell.blogspot.com.au/

30^th – http://maralaurey.wordpress.com/ and http://theedfiles.blogspot.com/

31st – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain.)

TCWT May Blog Chain: Book Wishlist

Once again the lovely folks at Teens Can Write, Too! are hosting their monthly blog chain. This month's prompt is:

What kinds of published books would you like to see more of?

Disclaimer: I may be an avid reader, but there are a lot of books I haven't read, so the listed books probably do exist, and I just haven't found them yet. If you have recommendations I'd love to hear them. And let's face it: what I really want is a TARDIS so I can read all the books already on my to-read list without worrying about finding time to do so.

1. More mysteries. Yes, several people in the chain have mentioned this, but what can I say? I agree. My parents raised me on a healthy diet of Blues Clues and murder mysteries, so I'm rather fond of that genre.
2. More clean books. One of the reasons I'm wary of romance (be it a side plot or main plot) is that every time a kissing scene comes around I'm wincing and waiting for it to turn inappropriate. Ew. I don't want to read about that stuff.
3. Fiction books about the Monuments Men from WWII. A few years ago, my parents read The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, which is about the group of art scholars and museum directors who worked to preserve the great art of Europe during war time. I remembered it after I heard it was being made into a movie, and recently started reading it myself. I would totally read a work of fiction about characters involved with the Monuments Men and the art they recovered.
4. Books by my friends. I've made a bunch of writing friends over the past few years, and would love to see their books in print. 
5. Books about people who aren't searching for romance, or who don't find romance in the course of the story. Romance has its good points, absolutely, and I'll squeal over a cute couple as much as the next person, but not everyone is looking for romance. Some of us avoid romance because we just don't have the time and don't want to deal with the drama just yet. Lots of YA books have romance in them, but not all teens want/are ready for romance. It would be interesting to read about those people. There are other kinds of relationships and plots worth exploring. 
6. The last of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place books.  My sister and I recently looked up the next one - book 5 in a 6 book series - and it doesn't come out until next year. *Wails.*

I think that's about all. What kinds of books would you like to see more of? Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the chain:

• May 5: Sammi Talk 
• May 6: Nerds Inc.
• May 7: Against The Shadows
• May 8: The Upstairs Archives
• May 9: The Little Engine That Couldn’t
• May 10: Life Of A Random
• May 11: Relatively Curious
• May 12: Hugs & Kisses of Poetry
• May 13: Musings From Neville’s Navel
• May 14: The Looney Teen Writer
• May 15: This Page Intentionally Left Blank
• May 16: Tara Therese
• May 17: Miriam Joy Writes
• May 18: Writers Write, Right?
• May 19: Writing Portfolio
• May 20: Magic And Writing
• May 21: Unikke Lyfe
• May 22: Brooke Reviews
• May 23: page eight hundred ninety
• May 24: Laughing at Live Dragons
• May 25: Avon’s Babbles
• May 26: The Weirdy Station
• May 27: The Writing Duo
• May 28: Lily’s Notes in the Margins
• May 29: Sun, Sand, Stars and Dreams
• May 30: Teens Can Write, Too!

TCWT January 2014 blog chain: Dream Co-authors

Time for another Teens Can Write, Too! blog chain. This month's theme is:

“If you could co-write a book with one author–living or not–who would it be and what would the book be about?”

This is a good one.

First of all, I'm not sure I'd want to actually co-author something, but maybe just be apprenticed to a great writer and learn from them. Of course, if I did that, I'd probably give my input on the book, so I'd sort of be co-authoring.

Anyway. 

Since this prompt includes dead authors, I choose Charles Dickens. I've only read Little Dorrit, and the first chapter or so of Bleak House, but I've seen the miniseries based on each multiple times, and the characters and plotting are amazing. Everyone is connected to someone else and influences the plot in some way. It's spectacular.

Example from Little Dorrit (CONTAINS SPOILERS): Ms. Wade, a side character you don't see too often, meets Arthur Clennam (the love interest) in Marseille, where they also meet the Meagles. Arthur starts to fall for the Meagle's daughter, Pet. Pet, however, as the story progresses, falls for Mr. Gowan. Who you later find out jilted Ms. Wade. Now, Ms. Wade also tries to lure Harriet, the Meagle's adopted daughter-but-they-treat-her-like-a-favorite-servant away from the Meagles. When, in the middle of the story, Harriet finally leaves the Meagles and goes to live with Ms. Wade, you find out Ms. Wade is involved with Riguad, a creepy-as-all-get-out murderer. He gives her a box to her for safe keeping. Eventually, out of boredom, Harriet opens it, and finds blackmail-worthy documents about Arthur, his family, and how it connects to Little Dorrit's family. Ms. Wade is also involved with Mr. Casby, who monkeys with the plot in other ways, and who's daughter was once in love with Arthur.

(END SPOILERS.) 

Oh, delicious complexity. I could learn so much from Dickens. About characters, plotting, weaving together subplots...

The downside, other than his being dead, is that while his stories are genius (at least the one's I've read/seen) his prose can be kind of... tedious to read sometimes. Given that the man was paid by the word, this is not surprising, but it might drive me crazy. However, the opening chapter of Bleak House starts with this wonderful description of fog, so I could still learn from it. I could learn to be patient with lengthy and verbose prose if it meant I could write with him.

As to what our book would be about... Well, it'd be set in Victorian England, obviously, and be nice and complex, with lots of different emotions and subplots. Maybe the MC(s) would go through a couple of changes of circumstance. Rags to riches, perhaps. Maybe it could involve pirates. And one character could be a grave digger. (Random ideas.)

My second choice would be Brandon Sanderson (and he's even alive!), the author of the Mistborn books, which are currently my favorite series. I've learned so much from his Writing Excuses podcast, I'm sure I'd learn even more working with him. (Confession: I've daydreamed about being a guest star on Writing Excuses.) Like Dickens, his plotting and characters are wonderful, as are his magic systems. The biggest downside to working with him would be the fact that he writes books the size of my thesaurus. Of course, so did Dickens, and Sanderson's prose isn't such a loquacious quagmire. So, were I to co-author with either of them, I would have to learn to be patient with very long books. There are worse things to endure.

If I were to write a book with Sanderson, it would have an awesome magic system, mind-blowing plot twists, and characters I adored. Maybe it, too, would be about pirates and grave diggers. Grave digging magic system, maybe...?

Maybe not. 

I believe that is all I have to say on this matter at this time. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts on the chain!

5th – http://thescribblingbook.wordpress.com/
6th – http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/
7th – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com/
8th – http://www.oyeahwrite.wordpress.com/
9th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/
10th – [Andrea. No link for her yet.] ... Hmm. Okay then.
11th – http://randomofalife.blogspot.com/
12th – http://www.lilyjenness.blogspot.com/
13th – http://maralaurey.wordpress.com/
14th – http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com/
15th – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/
16th – http://www.brookeharrison.com/
17th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com
18th – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll be announcing the topic for next month’s chain.)

And a lovely day/night/whatever to you all! 

TCWT: If I Could Live in a Book...

Hello, chaps.

The Teens Can Write, Too! blog chain is back! This month's prompt is:
Which fictional world would you most like to be a part of, and what role do you think you would fulfill within it?

Oh, this question. It's almost as bad as "What's your favorite book?" or "Who's your favorite character?"

I've read lots of books with cool worlds. For this post, I've narrowed my answer to this question to three.

Hogwarts from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series
Harry Potter is and shall always be one of my favorite fantasies. I wouldn't mind being an herbology professor at Hogwarts. Or maybe a shopkeeper in Hogsmead or Diagon Alley.

The Enchanted Forest from Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles
I have read these books three times (I think), and I could read them all over again. The Enchanted Forest sits under the Mountains of Morning and is full of cool creatures and witches and people and magic things. I would probably be a witch like the cat-loving Morwen.

Alloy of Law era Scadrial from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series.
Mistborn is my favorite fantasy right now. Alloy of Law is the fourth book in the series, taking place three hundred years after the original trilogy. To avoid spoilers, all I'll say is it's set in an Industrial Revolution kind of setting. If you want more details about this world and magic system, go read Liam's post from earlier in the chain. He explained Scadrial already, so I won't bother doing it too. Not sure what role I'd fill in this society, though.

Hmm. I picked three fantasies. Can't say I'm all that surprised. For a bonus, non-fantasy fourth world, I choose Gone Away Lake from the Gone Away Lake books by Elizabeth Enright, in which two kids find an old, nearly abandoned town next to a dried-up lake. I'd live in Mrs. Brace-Gideon's mansion.

Be sure to check out the rest of the chain!

4th December ~ http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/
5th December ~ http://deborahrocheleau.wordpress.com/
6th December ~ http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/
7th December ~ http://maralaurey.wordpress.com/
8th December ~ http://themagicviolinist.blogspot.co.uk/
9th December ~ http://oyeahwrite.wordpress.com/
10th December ~ http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com/
11th December ~ http://kirabudge.weebly.com/
12th December ~ http://www.brookeharrison.com/
13th December ~ http://nextpagebookreviews.blogspot.com/
14th December ~ http://susannahailenemartin.wordpress.com/
15th December ~ http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/
16th December ~ http://www.mirrormadeofwords.wordpress.com/
17th December ~ http://veewhoa.wordpress.com/
18th December ~ http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com/
19th December ~ http://wheatandwine.wordpress.com/
20th December ~ http://pleaseforgetmystory.wordpress.com/
21st December ~ http://anmksmeanderingmind.wordpress.com/
22nd December ~ http://missalexandrinabrant.wordpress.com/
23rd December ~ http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/
24th December ~ http://miriamjoywrites.com/

And a lovely day to you.

You're Researching What? TCWT Blog Chain May 2013

So, this month the prompt for the Teens Can Write, Too! blog chain came from yours truly. My prompt is thus:

“What are some of the coolest/weirdest/funniest/most disturbing things you’ve researched for a story?”

This is going to be fun.

I have looked up:

• What color violet eyes actually are (they're either pale greyish or dark, dark blue)
• Names that mean "Stupid" (there aren't any)
• "Weird antiques" so I could put some in a fictional antique shop
• The history of bottled water
• Crimes punishable by death
• Ossuaries (really, really want to put one in a story. Maybe as part of a prison)
• A bit about the Barbary Pirates, specifically the capture and sinking of the USS Philadelphia.
• Medieval herbal medical practices (From a book my family owns. That book scares me. They used highly toxic convallaria [lily of the valley] as medicine.)
• Making candles
• Growing and using various kinds of natural dyes (indigo, sumac, madder, etc)
• The branding of slaves (This was an image search. Didn't find what I was looking for.) 
• Different kinds of weird silverware
• Thatching for roofs
• Old fashioned names

I like The Given Names Frequency Project for that last one. I found it when I was trying to find a name for a character who lived in the 1800s, and it was very helpful and extremely interesting. The resource from them  I used (the link called "popular given names, US 1801 - 1999") was a collection of names with the number of times they appeared in censuses during the 1840s. I just looked at their website again, and there are other resources there I haven't investigated yet that look promising.

I've had the urge to write historical fiction (not the story referred to above) since my Anatomy and Physiology class went to the Indiana Medical History Museum, which is housed in what used to be the pathology building for the no-longer-existent Central State Hospital for the Insane. Oh yeah.  Now I really want to set a story there in the 1900s, a few years after the pathology building opened. Other than visiting the museum, I haven't done any research, but I really want to. They had books there from 1850. 1850! Books the original doctors had brought with them when the building opened. And this pair of old, real human skeletons that they had ordered in the day from a medical supply catalog (Just a little creepy...). Oh, and all the old equipment. They had an autopsy table from the 1920s. And this really cool pH color comparer thing...

Okay, I'll stop now. I need to actually come up with a story to set there. 

Another cool historical thing I stumbled upon once was a set of local coroner's records from 1896 to 1935.  I didn't go out looking for them (I accidentally found them on my library's website), but I think I did use them as a historical reference for a story idea that ended up dying. (Dying, coroner's reports, ha.) Depressing, really depressing, but fascinating. Several people got hit by trains. Swallowing acid was a popular form of suicide. Lots of babies died. Teenage boys were stupid. Oh, and there was this murder... which I don't remember all the details to at the moment, and actually there were several murders, but If you want to read more about what I found, I posted a bit about them a while back in this post. 

So, there's my post, with a bonus ramble about historical loony bins. Big thanks to John from TCWT for letting me host this month, and to all the bloggers who participated in the chain. Here's a list of all the participants (you should totally check them out):

5^th – http://theloonyteenwriter.wordpress.com/

6^th – http://deborahrocheleau.wordpress.com/

7^th – http://bloodoverithaca.wordpress.com/

8^th – http://charleyrobson.blogspot.com/

9^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

10^th – http://nonconformistwriter.blogspot.com/

11^th – http://dearsaul.wordpress.com/

12^th – http://missalexandrinabrant.wordpress.com/

13^th – http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com/

14^th – http://cinderscoria.blogspot.com/

15^th – http://emilyvaneaton.wordpress.com/

16^th – http://www.brookeharrison.com/

17^th – http://thespasticwriter.blogspot.com/

18^th – http://veewhoa.wordpress.com/

19^th – http://www.mandilynn.com/

20^th – http://theteenagewriter.wordpress.com/

21^st – http://avonsbabbles.wordpress.com/

22^nd – http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com

23^rd – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com/

24^th – http://anomalous93.blogspot.com/

25^th – http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/

26^th – http://ktlemonhead.wordpress.com/

27^th – http://dreamerheadquarters.wordpress.com/

28^th – http://paulinaczarnecki.wordpress.com/

29^th – http://www.lilyjenness.blogspot.com/

30th – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain)

And a wondrous day/night/morning/midnight/mid-afternoon/whatever to you. 

TCWT! February Blog Chain: A Post in which I Review a Self-Published Story

So, I'm participating in the Teens Can Write, Too! February blog chain. This month's topic is:
“Choose one self-published book to read, then briefly review it or talk about your experiences reading it.”

I read Sew, it's a Quest by Kendra E. Ardnek, who is another teen writer, and homeschooled too! I'm pretty sure I downloaded Sew, it's a Quest because it was on sale for free for a day on Amazon. Anyway, I'd forgotten I'd downloaded it and then I found it when I was trying to download another ebook, so I decided to read it for this, since it was self-published.  I am very pleased I did, because I loved it. 

Sew, it's a Quest is a fairytale novella targeted at preteen girls and younger children.  So it's short, and isn't written with sparkling prose, but it's cute.  The main plot centers around Prince Robert and Princess Robin, twin royals whose gifts were switched at birth, and their quest to right their gifts before their 18th birthday, which is only 4 months away.  There are, however, some subplots that do in places take over.

The story itself was pretty good, not fabulous, but typical for a fairytale.  A good portion of the side characters are versions of characters from other fairytales such as Sleeping Beauty, which made for a fun read.

The best part overall was the humor.  There's one character who was gifted with excellent math skills, but whose tongue does not know the difference between "castle" and "tassel." It was hilarious.

....I can't really think of anything else to say.  I think there were a few typos, and the characters could be flat at times, but in case I hadn't made it obvious enough, I loved it anyway. I give it four point five out of five stars. 

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain!

February 5^th – http://the-writing-junkie.blogspot.com/

February 6^th – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com/

February 7^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/

February 8^th – http://fida-islaih.blogspot.com/

February 9th – http://sarahhudsonscribbles.blogspot.ca/

February 10^th http://avonsbabbles.wordpress.com/

February 11^th http://notebooksisters.blogspot.com/

February 12^th http://mirrormadeofwords.wordpress.com/

February 13^th http://www.lilyjenness.blogspot.com/ -- You are here.

February 14^th http://www.writerbewildered.blogspot.com/

February 15^th http://realteenreader.wordpress.com/

February 16^th http://epistolarygirl.wordpress.com/

February 17^th http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com/

February 18^th http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain)

TCWT! October Blog Chain, NaNoWriMo Edition

Today, with this post, I kick off the Teens Can Write, Too! October blog chain.   This month's prompt is:

“What are you writing for NaNoWriMo? Briefly explain how this book idea come about. Then write a mock first page for the novel.”

For those of you unaware, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month.  (Also known as November)

This year for NaNo I'm writing my first fantasy. The working title is Noxumbra Manor.  Here's the blurb I wrote for the NaNo website:

"Gwendolyn Copperstone has been a peasant all her life, but when she inherits the insolvent estate Noxumbra Manor from her uncle, she gets flung into a world of deceit and mystery. Gwen's uncle had secrets, and someone will do anything to make sure Gwen doesn't find out what they were."    

The story of how I came up with this idea kinda.... I dunno, funny?   Once my mom asked me what my pseudonym would be if I were to publish under one.  After some thought, I decided on Gwendolyn Copperstone.
  
A few weeks later, I found NaNoWriMo, and I signed up using that name.  Over the course of the month, Gwen sort of....evolved.  Kinda.  She wasn't just my NaNo username.  I'd come up with an appearance for her: long, red, wavy hair and green eyes.  Don't ask why, I don't really know myself. 

Sometime after NaNo, I started thinking about Gwen, and who she was. For some reason I decided she should live in Spryll, a fantasy world I'd made up a while ago and hadn't done anything with.

When I started thinking about what I'd do for NaNo this year, I thought about Gwen.  I decided she should be Lord Gwendolyn Copperstone (she inherits a title as well as the manor).  I don't remember why.  Gwen was one of... 3?... characters I was thinking of writing a story for during NaNo.  The problem?  She had no plot.  I knew she inherited a manor that was in horrible shape, and her best friend's name was Sydrian. That was it.

Then I the brilliant idea of someone wanting to scare her out of the manor.  And once I had that, a plot began to form.  I've been thinking and planning and profiling characters and outlining since then, and I'm almost ready for NaNo, and seriously hoping Gwen turns out to be a lot better than Lizzie (the main character in my 2011 NaNo novel).

So, with the backstory finished, here's my first page:

The early spring wind kissed my face with frostbitten lips.  I pulled my cloak closer.  My horse shifted beneath me. 

“Do you hear them, girl?” I asked.  She tossed her main and nibbled at some new greenery poking out of the ground.

Then I heard the sound of hoof beats and ringing of laughter.  

“Ho, Gwendolyn!” A young man’s voice called, “Do you wait for us?” He rounded the corner and came into view, brown hair ruffled by the wind.  A young girl sat on his lap.

I smiled.  “Good morning, Sydrian and Nidia.   You seem to have left the rest of the market train behind.”

“They’re coming,” said Nidia. “Can I ride with you, Gwen?”

“Oi,” said Sydrian, “Why don’t you want to ride with me, your favorite brother?”

“Gwen smells better.”  Nidia wrinkled her nose at Sydrian.

Sydrian and I laughed.  “Yes, you can ride with me, Nidia,” I said.  Sydrian moved his horse next to mine and handed me his sister.  As Nidia settled in front of me, I heard the rumbling sound of wagon wheels.   A wagon piled with goods for the market rounded the corner, followed by a smaller wagon carrying stall pieces and children, and some adults on horseback.

“Good morning, Gwen,” said the man driving the first wagon as he came to a halt.

“Good morning, Arvel,” I said. “Sydrian, seeing as I now carry your load, would you please add my box to the rest on the stock wagon?”

“Of course,” he said.  He hoisted my box into the wagon.  Once it was secure, he jumped back on his horse and struck a dramatic pose. “To Plarn!” he said as though we were headed to battle. Nidia and I laughed.  The wagons lurched forward and headed to the market at Plarn.

Want to be writing buddies?  I'm on both the Young Writers Program and the NaNo main site.

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain!!

Want to follow our blog chain? Here are the participating parties, day by day:

October 5^th – http://www.lilyjenness.blogspot.com  – Lily’s Notes in the Margins

October 6^th – http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com – Reality Is Imaginary

October 7^th – http://onelifeglory.blogspot.ca – One Life Story

October 8^th – http://gabrielletheauthoress.wordpress.com – Of a Writerly Sort

October 9^th – http://towerofplot.blogspot.co.uk – The Leaning Tower of Plot

October 10^th – http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com – This Page Intentionally Left Blank

October 11^th – http://whatupdates.blogspot.com – What Updates?

October 12^th – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com – Miriam Joy Writes

October 13^th – http://cinderscoria.blogspot.com – Between the Lines

October 14^th – http://weirdalocity.wordpress.com – Inside the Junk Door

October 15^th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com – Musings From Neville’s Navel

October 16^th – http://kirstenwrites.wordpress.com – Kirsten Writes!

October 17^th – http://mirrormadeofwords.wordpress.com – A Mirror Made of Words

October 18^th – http://theteenagewriter.wordpress.com – The Teenage Writer

October 19^th – http://platonicpencil.wordpress.com – Platonic Pencil

October 20^th – http://markobrienwrites.blogspot.com – Mark O’Brien Writes

October 21^st – http://amandafoody.blogspot.com – It’s All In My Head

October 22^nd – http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com – The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer

October 23^rd – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com – Teens Can Write, Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain)

The Twelve Dragon Riding Princesses: A TCWT Post

Harken, readers dearest!  Today I have the pleasure of posting for the Teens Can Write, Too! August blog chain. This month's topic is:  Write a retelling of your favorite fairy tale, myth or legend.  

I have chosen to rewrite The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  Here's my story (and before you ask, "mesonoxian" means "of, or pertaining to midnight"): 

The Twelve Dragon Riding Princesses

By Lily Jenness

You may have heard the story of the twelve dancing princesses.  A tale of twelve frivolous young ladies who dance every night on a special island for no apparent reason.  That story is not true.  That is what they told their father, the king. The real story is as follows.

There was evidence in the form of worn out boots that the twelve princesses of Spryll went on mysterious mesonoxian missions.  This dismayed the king greatly, for every night he had the door to the princesses’ room secured with more locks than he could count.

Anxious to know what his daughters were up to, the king offered his kingdom and one of the princesses to any man who could discover their secret. However, if the man did not discover the secret before three days had gone by, he would be put to death.

Many princes, knights, and even a private detective tried and failed to discover the princesses’ secret.

It happened one day that a soldier recently returned from war, heard about the king’s offer, and, having nowhere to go and having nothing to do, decided to try his luck at uncovering the princesses’ secret.  He spoke of his plans to an old woman he had met on the road, and she gave him a cloak that when worn, would render the wearer invisible. Along with this material gift, she gave an intellectual one in the form of advice: “Do not eat or drink anything the princesses give you”.

The soldier presented himself before the king, and was installed in a room next to that of the princesses.  As the time for sleep approached, the eldest princess came to the soldier and offered him a glass of wine.  He thanked her, and while she was not looking, tossed the wine out the window.  He bid the princess goodnight, then he faked sleep, snoring loudly.  Three of the princesses peeked in his room, and were satisfied that he was soundly asleep.  As soon as they were gone, the soldier donned his invisibility cloak, and snuck in their room as their door was closing. To his surprise, the princesses were dresses for battle.  As he watched, the eldest opened up a secret passageway in the floor. He followed them down, and bumped into the youngest princess’s sword.  She gave a shriek that something was amiss, but her sisters disregarded it as her imagination.

The passageway ended and opened up to a forest made of trees with golden leaves.  The soldier snapped a twig off one of the trees as proof he had been there.  The youngest princess again gave a shriek, but again her sisters ignored her.  The golden trees gave way to silver trees, and then silver gave way to diamond.  The soldier snapped a branch off of each, and each time the youngest princess shrieked her uneasiness.

The diamond leafed trees opened up to a cliff overlooking the sea.  On the edge of the cliff stood twelve majestic dragons, each having been saddled for battle.  By each dragon stood an armored man, holding the reigns.  These armored men helped each of the princesses onto a dragon, and then climbed on behind them.  As the soldier watched them fly away, he began to plot how he would follow them to their mysterious destination.  He went back to the palace, and faked sleep again when he heard the princesses return.   The next night, he followed the princesses again to the cliff, and he planned to sneak a ride on one of the dragons.  Unfortunately, a gust of wind blew his invisibility cloak off, and the youngest princess saw him.  The soldier felt a blow to the back of his head, and the world went dark. 

He awoke in his room with twelve pairs of worried eyes staring at him. 

“What should we do with him?” asked one of the princesses, “He cannot live and carry our secret. But if he disappears or is found dead, Father will be suspicious.” 

Then the soldier offered to go to battle with them the next night, and he promised that he would not tell their father what he had seen.  The princesses agreed to his proposal, and the next night he flew with them to an island in the middle of the sea.  The island was lit with small fires, and in their glow, the soldier could see a writhing mass circling the island.  A sea monster.  The men with the princesses dismounted on the island to fight on the ground, and the princesses took off on their dragons to fight the monster from the air. 

At one point, the soldier lost his sword. Then he saw a possibility, and he took it.  He acted as a decoy to draw the head of the monster to the center of the island. As the monster got ready to strike, the twelve princesses converged upon it, and killed it.  The monster fell with a crash, and the body slipped into the sea.  The princesses rejoiced, for now that their opponent was dead, they no longer needed to sneak out at night. 

The next morning, the soldier was brought before the king.  The king demanded to know if the soldier knew the secret of the worn out boots.  Not wishing to die, the soldier said “yes.” And he lied.  He told the king that the princesses snuck out each night to dance in a meadow surrounded by gold, silver, and diamond leafed trees, and he gave the king the branches he had collected on the first night.  He told the king that the princesses wore their boots because they lasted longer against the sharp leaves.  The king sent for the princesses, and asked them if the soldier’s story was true.  They said yes. The king was overjoyed to know his daughters’ secret at last, and promised to hold them as many balls as they wanted, as long as there were no more midnight adventures.  The princesses agreed. The soldier was then told to pick a princess for his wife.  He chose the eldest, for she was the closest to his age, and he admired her battle prowess.

The dancing version of the story was passed on around the kingdom and down through the years, until two brothers named Grimm heard it, and published it in a book of fairy tales.   

The awesomeness doesn't stop here!  Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain:

Want to follow our blog chain? Here are the participating parties, day by day:

August 4– http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com –Musings From Neville’s Navel

August 5 – http://crazyredpen.blogspot.com/ – Crazy Red Pen

August 6 – http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com – Lily’s Notes in the Margins

August 7 -http://oliviasopinions.wordpress.com/- Olivia’s Opinions

August 8 - http://snippetsandslicesandscenes.blogspot.ca/ – Snippets, Slices, and Scenes

August 9 – http://markobrienwrites.blogspot.com – Mark O’Brien Writes

August 10 – http://onelifeglory.blogspot.ca/ – One Life Glory

August 11 – http://www.astoryofadreamer.blogspot.com/ – A Story of a Dreamer

August 12 – http://weirdalocity.wordpress.com/ – Life, Among Other Things

August 13 – http://maybeteenauthor.blogspot.com – Blog of a (Maybe) Teen Author

August 14 – http://theteenagewriter.wordpress.com/ - The Teenage Writer

August 15 -http://scribblingbeyondthemargins.wordpress.com– Scribbling Beyond the Margins

August 16 – http://otherrandomthings.wordpress.com – Dragons, Unicorns, and Other Random Things

August 17 – http://kirstenwrites.wordpress.com/ – Kirsten Writes!

August 18 – http://laughablog.wordpress.com–The Zebra Clan

August 19 – http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com– Miriam Joy Writes

August 20– http://allegradavis.wordpress.com – All I Need Is A Keyboard

August 21 – http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com–The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer

August 22 – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com- Teens Can Write, Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain.)

The World Through a Writer's Lens

Today is my turn to post for the Teens Can Write, Too! July blog chain.  This month's question is: 

"How has writing affected your perception of the world?"

Writing has changed how I look at many things, but in subtle ways.  I listen to how people talk more than I used to.  Sometimes I look at strangers and see the faces of potential characters.  Or maybe they're wearing something I think a character would wear.  Or maybe they're just being normal and I wonder what their story is.  I didn't used to do that. 

Writing has also changed how I listen to music, watch movies, and read books.  For example, when I heard Carrie Underwood's new song Blown Away, I had two reactions: Eew, and Ooh.... The song is about a girl of undisclosed age who lets her father die in a tornado.  It's never said directly, but I got the impression that the father had killed the mother years before.  Eew, creepy, twisted, blugh. However, I have a character who can relate, Viola Wood, and I got a writing buzz. Viola's circumstances are way more complicated, but she can relate to wanting her father dead.  Her reaction to that song got me to like it.  Enough to listen to it multiple times in a row.  Had I not been a writer (or at least without a character like Viola), I would have just had the Eew reaction and never listened to the song again.  I had a similar experience with Rascal Flatts's song Here Comes Goodbye, only what happened with that one was I set the emotion and some of the lines to a scene right before a battle.  That made it worth listening to. Otherwise it's just another sad breakup song.  

Writing has somewhat changed how I look at odd happenings. Like the time my mom found a random windshield wiper set on our car.  It wasn't one of ours, someone had just put it there.  When she told me about it, I thought "What if it was a magic windshield wiper?"  I'm not sure what a magic windshield wiper would do, but it has potential.  Odd things like that, and even some ordinary things, now trigger ideas.

That's all for me folks.  Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain! 

July 7–http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com–Miriam Joy Writes

July 8–http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com–Musings From Neville’s Navel

July 9–http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com–This Page Intentionally Left Blank

July 10–http://maybeteenauthor.blogspot.com–Blog of a (Maybe) Teen Author

July 11–http://scribblingbeyondthemargins.wordpress.com–Scribbling Beyond the Margins

July 12–http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com–Lily’s Notes In The Margins

July 13–http://correctingpenswelcome.wordpress.com–Comfy Sweaters, Writing and Fish

July 14–http://laughablog.wordpress.com–The Zebra Clan

July 15–http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com–Reality Is Imaginary

July 16–http://a-myriad-of-colors.blogspot.com–A Myriad of Colors

July 17–http://anmksmeanderingmind.wordpress.com–An MK’s Meandering Mind

July 18–http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com–The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer

July 19–http://allegradavis.wordpress.com–All I Need Is A Keyboard

July 20–http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com--Teens Can Write Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain)

June TCWT! Blog Chain: Covers

Today is my turn to post for the Teens Can Write, Too! Monthly blog chain. This month's prompt is: What are some book covers that grab you? Why?

My taste in covers is pretty varied.  Anything with a dragon will capture my attention. For example, the covers of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini.

From Wikipedia

Honestly, it doesn't get much cooler than dragons.

I like some covers with people on them.   I don't like ones with kissing or holding hands or other romantic yichk on them.

From Goodreads

From Goodreads

From Amazon

These are the covers for the Dark Mirror novels by M. J. Putney.  (Sorry about that weird border around Dark Destiny.  Also, Dark Destiny is number 3, but The Blogger Formatting Demons won't let me put the photos in the correct order without causing other problems). 

I like these covers.  They hint at magic and mystery. And of course the castle on Dark Destiny is awesome.

Other covers with people on them that I like are the covers for the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White.

(First from Wikipedia, 2nd and 3rd from the author's blog)

I'm not sure why I like these covers, but I do. Maybe it's the colors. Or her hair.

Another series with covers I like is The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel by Michael Scott.

From Wikipedia

I love all the symbols on these.  There are actually two more books in the series, but I didn't want to find pictures of them. 

From Goodreads

Before I sign off, I'm just going to mention something that some of the others in the chain have said. It's often the titles that grab me.  Sometimes the cover will help me decide whether or not to read the book, and sometimes the cover doesn't make a difference, like when I bought By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle. I bought it because of the title and the blurb (that and it was only 50 cents).  The cover kinda creeps me out.  I haven't read the book yet, so I can't say as to whether the cover fits the book or not.


I think that's all for me.  Be sure to check out the rest of the blog chain!


June 8– http://hazelwrites.wordpress.com –hazelwrites
June 9– http://miriamjoywrites.wordpress.com –A Farewell To Sanity
June 10– http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com –This Page Intentionally Left Blank
June 11– http://laughablog.wordpress.com –The Zebra Clan
June 12– http://weirdalocity.wordpress.com –You Didn’t Really Need To Know This…
June 13– http://otherrandomthings.wordpress.com –Dragons, Unicorns, and Other Random Things
June 14– http://correctingpenswelcome.wordpress.com –Comfy Sweaters, Writing, and Fish
June 15– http://kirstenwrites.wordpress.com –Kirsten Writes!
June 16– http://lilyjenness.blogspot.com –Lily’s Notes in the Margins
June 17– http://inklinedwriters.blogspot.com –Inklined
June 18– http://realityisimaginary.blogspot.com –Reality Is Imaginary
June 19– http://planetaryelastic.blogspot.com –Tangential Bemusings
June 20– http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com –Musings From Neville’s Navel
June 21– http://allegradavis.wordpress.com –All I Need Is A Keyboard
June 22– http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com –The Incessant Droning Of A Bored Writer
June 23– http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com –Teens Can Write Too! (We will be announcing the topic for next month’s chain)