Tuesday Tales: Constellation Stories

Happy Tuesday!


It is the third week of the month, and that means it is time for Tuesday Tales, where I set aside time for character takeovers, short stories, and the like. This is a fun one, because it deals with a little of the world building of Teorre in my manuscript Fractured Princess. I love astronomy and constellations, and in my previous rewrite, I was able to incorporate some of that love into my story. I also wanted to somehow show the constellations, so I used Google to see if there was a constellation creator, and lo and behold, there's an entire website dedicated to MIT projects. So, I chose Constellation Creator by mandostop1, who provided a non-cartoonish and easy to use to program. Below are two constellations and their mythology stories, as Ghuli* tells Andyrsn.

The Dove's Tail

[This is also a basis for one of Teorre's origin stories.] “Well, before any of our races lived on Teorre, there were doves. They used to fly all about the mountains and trees and stopped only to sleep. One day, when a dove decided he was hungry, he swooped low to nibble from a mysterious white cherry tree. He had never seen a tree like it, and he wanted to see how the cherries tasted. They were so sour on his tongue that he fainted right where he was. When he awoke, he realized his legs had these strange, flat things at the end where his dove’s feet should have been. His talons were short and soft, and there were five on each of these new feet. In fact, he realized his legs were longer. His wings had molted, and these long, gangly limbs were in their place. His beak had become soft as well, and when he tried to call for help, his voice was deep and alien to him. “He needed to see what he looked like, and he knew a lake was near, so he ran to it, jumping and flapping his arms the entire way, hoping he could still fly. When he reached the lake and looked inside, all that was left of his dove self were the feathers on his back and his tail. He was the first person of Teorre. Teorre’s Energy became the first scholar by writing him in the stars there.”



The Fox and Falcon

“A baby fox, stranded by its mother, was wandering aimlessly in the woods, starving and crying for help. A mother falcon who had just lost her own young, came upon the fox and took him under her wing, and she raised him as her own.”


My favorite constellation is Orion. Do you have one?






*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Wednesday Words: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

Middle of the mornin' to ya!

The 2nd Wednesday of the month is the day I've set aside to share with you what I am currently reading!

I forgot to schedule this post, and it's mostly because I'm currently struggling through this book. I read Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower many years ago, and I was underwhelmed by it. Because I usually love her writing, I decided to finally pick up Parable of the Talents, a continuation of the story told by Lauren Oya Olamina (the mc from Sower) and her daughter later on. I will say, it's a very timely read, with many parallels to what is currently happening in the country. Other than that, there's a good chance I won't finish this book, but I'll keep trying.

Also, the Kindle cover is gorgeous.

There are 394 pages in the Kindle edition. Random.org has chosen page 192, so let's see what we find there.

"May?"

No answer. She couldn't talk, but she would have made a noise to let us know she was there.

I'm only 70 pages away from this, and things are calm where I am. Now I have to keep reading to see what happened!

What are you reading this week?

IWSG: I've Spent the Month Doing A Major Revision

Brought to us by Alex. J Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group

It is already another month. Happy Ash Wednesday to those who celebrate!

With the new month comes another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog meeting! Hello. :) This is a safe place for us writers to come together and vent our insecurities to others who are doing the same thing. Visit our Master Ninja, Alex Cavanaugh sensei, and the group's websites to join in with us!


Life update: I started a new blog that's more like a diary for my regular life. If you're interested in it, poke by to see me at Confessions of a Girlchild.

Writing update:
Way back in October when I got flooded with agent/editor likes during DVPit on Twitter, the amazing Jodi Meadows offered to look at my first few pages for me. We started talking, and I ended up being a sensitivity reader for her next book, Before She Ignites, and she also offered to look at my complete manuscript in the new year.

And boy, did she! For the first time, I received in depth, line-by-line feedback and an edit letter that laid out the plot points of where my manuscript was falling flat. If you have followed me, you know I've had a hard time getting CPs, and when I did, they didn't even stick long enough to finish reading the book for one reason or another. So with every revision, I've had to rely on myself, which was frustrating. I put my all into looking over the work of others, so when it's not reciprocated with the same dedication, I always feel like it's something I've done, or that my writing is just THAT bad that they can't even finish it. I also feel bad for being frustrated because at least 3 of the people whom I had handed my manuscript to had personal problems they had to deal with, and I don't want to judge their coping abilities based on my own (2016 was garbage), but I'm a "push through when you have responsibilities to other people" kind of person. So, it's been hard.

That said, I spent many hours looking at Jodi's notes, reading, revising, deleting, adding, just making Fractured Princess something that will hopefully make some agent finally send me an offer. I finally have pitches and queries worthy of "I want to see more," and now I hope the manuscript is also up to snuff. Wish me luck.

The question for the month:
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

Yes. I tried to revamp a story I wrote in my childhood, based on X-Men. I couldn't really develop a plot for it, and it was a lot of backstory, so I don't know if I'll pick it up again. It might get absorbed into another story idea I have. We'll see.


See you soon!

Final Fantasy Friday: A Month at the Carnival

It's the last Friday in February, and so that means it is time for:

This is the day I have set aside to shoot the breeze about blog memes, when available, and my Final Fantasy obsession. As you know, this year I have started playing Final Fantasy XV. This game is an experience. I'm almost sure I'm not even halfway done, and part of that is because of the ability to do side quests immediately, a first in the whole franchise, and also partly because at the end of January, a DLC (additional downloadable content) was added known as the Moogle Chocobo Carnival!


Think of it as a state fair. One of the cities in the game received a huge festival makeover, and you could do everything from fishing, to playing games, to helping little kids retrieve their balloons. Each night at about 8pm fireworks started going off for hours (probably about 20 minutes IRL), and if you racked up enough coins, you could buy a voucher to spend a night in the hotel and get a front row seat to the fireworks show. I took a lot of pictures but forgot to share them, so I can't access them right now.


Here are a few of pictures I shared on Twitter of Noctis and his dream guide Carbuncle riding the gondola through town.

You could change Noctis's clothes, so here he is being casual.



Look at the detail!



You could skip the scenic route, but sometimes, I just liked to look around.

Items you acquired through the carnival rolled over to your regular game, so I tried to get as many items as I could. I had a lot of fun, and now that the carnival is gone, I need to dive back into the real game. People are dropping spoilers on Instagram! *sigh* The price of not having the luxury of playing all day anymore.


It's a beautiful day in Delaware, so I hope the same goes for wherever you are! Get outside and have a good weekend!

It's my Blogoversary!

Happy Blogday to Me!

I know it's Monday, but I just checked my Timehop, and today marks 4 years since I started blogging!

First off, I'm surprised I'm still doing it. I struggled quite a few times, but changing my posting schedule to suit what fits my time has helped me to keep going. Thanks to everyone who has read over the years!

To commemorate my 4th Blogoversary, I thought I would highlight 4 posts from my original blog, The (old) Write Mage, where I wrote 400 posts about movies, music, books, life, awards, etc. I did the MOST on that blog. No wonder I burned out.


My very first post, in which I was sending out my first 45 pages of Fractured Princess, then Save the Queen, and synopsis to Tom Doherty & Associates:
http://thewritemage.blogspot.com/2012/04/about-to-query-tom-doherty-assoc.html


The post where I decided to change my MC Ghuli* from white to black:
http://thewritemage.blogspot.com/2012/06/color-line.html


The post where I admitted I started writing not because of books, but because of TV:
http://thewritemage.blogspot.com/2014/09/friday-freeday-writer-because-of-tv.html


The post where my short story was PUBLISHED!:
http://thewritemage.blogspot.com/2015/01/look-for-me-in-cactus-heart-press-wgifs.html


I wish I were famous enough to give something away lol. If you want not-so-expert advice on queries or your first five pages or whatever you want...I guess you can ask? lol Ooh, or anyone who leaves a comment, I'll just use Random.org like I always do. That makes more sense.





*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Saturday Sketch: Brodie's Tattoo

Happy Saturday!

So for my last Tuesday Tales, I had Brodie talk about her and Cyan's tattoos, but I also realized I never drew hers. So Thursday, I sketched it up. I posted it on Twitter, but here it is anyway! I learned I could draw an eagle. :)

Have a good weekend!

Tuesday Tales: The Sprite Child's Epic

It's been an interesting and long few days for me, so I thought I would let myself not think so much for this post.

One of the goals I had for Fractured Princess was to make other pieces of it available in some story form or another, short stories, prequels (hadn't thought of sequels, but then my darn mind betrayed me). I want to flesh out a children's book from the story: The Sprite Child's Epic. It's been a while since I opened this document, but I loved writing this one scene, so here it is for your enjoyment, hopefully. It's mainly dialogue.

----------------

Talking to the Trees

Lenne trembled as she rubbed her eyes with her fists. Surely, she was not seeing what she was seeing. Sir Willa was looking at her and speaking to her, without her imagination. She lowered her hands and looked at the holes in the tree staring back at her.

“S-s-sir Willa?” she gasped.

“’Tis what you call me, my lady,” he answered. “I must say, ’tis a simple name and a lot shorter than my real one.”

“W-what is your real one?”

“Teospriesellopatna.”

“Tee…teeos…”

“You see? I was nearly two decades old before I could say it myself. Sir Willa is much easier. My real name means Spirit of the Green Willows of Teorre. I am the father of all the green willow trees.”

“All the green ones? Are there other colors?”

“Oh, my yes, Little Lady Lenne. Come sit.”

And right before Lenne’s eyes, Sir Willa tied a bundle of his switches together and made a hammock for her. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, Lenne approached her friend who just this afternoon had not been able to do any of these things himself. The fly perched itself between Sir Willa’s eyes as he spoke.

“Now, there are two other kinds of willow trees, but they are across the northern waters, and also far south on another land. Their parents are Teospriesellocalla and Teosprieselloabbi, the Spirits of the Blue and White Willows of Teorre.”

“Blue and white trees?” Lenne raised her brow high in astonishment.

“Teorre is very interesting outside of your little home, my lady.”

“You keep saying Teorre. What is that?”

“’Tis the world on which we live. Quite simply, it means, the earth. Only those of us sensitive to this side of it know its name, and now you are here, so now you know it, too.”

“This side. What is this side? I saw myself asleep, yet I was not asleep, but standing away from my body.”

Sir Willa’s long mouth curved upward. He was frowning. “You were bitten by the faeriefly then.”

“The what?”

“The faeriefly.” One of Sir Willa’s switches bent upwards and pointed to the glowing fly still sitting between his eyes. “Her magic is a fickle thing. She bit you and accidentally split your living body from your dream body. We must find a way to get you back into your living body before your Papa notices.”

“Oh dear, he will think me dead!”

“No, no. You are still breathing, Little Lady Lenne. You are just sleeping very deeply. You must see Teosprilacca. She can help you get to where you need to go first.”

“First? I cannot just wake up?”

“’Tis not that simple, my lady. You need a magic more controlled to help you. For that, you need to go to the Crystal Bearers. They are the most powerful people on Teorre.”

“Crystal Bearers? You mean there are others on this land?”

“Not this land, but the land across the northern waters. Teosprilacca will take you.”

“Teo…Do you mean Lady Kwakwa?”

“Yes, and you may want to call her Lady Lacca when you see her. She does not like your name for her. She says ducks make that noise.”

“Oh dear…And the Beauterfleas? Do they not like their name either?”

“Butterflies are vain little things. They love that you call them beauties.”

“Oh, good.”

Wednesday Words: Final Look Into The Fifth Season

Happy Hump Day!

I have about 80 pages left in N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, and what a ride it has been! For a second, I thought to myself, "I can't wait to buy this," somehow thinking it was a library book. I definitely bought this book. Anyway, it's dark and twisty, and I love it. I can't wait to read more of her books. She's awesome!

So, now that I've nearly finished the book, let me use Random.org to share a few lines from page 354. Hey, I was just there. A very poignant and currently relevant conversation happened, so here is a little of it.


She comes into the house and leans against the wall next to the door, crossing her arms and her ankles. "We aren't human."

 "Yes. We. Are." His voice turns fierce. "I don't give a shit what the something-somethingth council of big important farts decreed, or how the geomests classify things, or any of that. That we're not human is just the lie they tell themselves so they don't have to feel bad about how they treat us--"


I am so close to the end and have yet to figure out how it ends...for the last time. I'll most likely tweet about it, and a Goodreads review is coming soon!

What have you read these past few weeks?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Brought to us by Alex J. Cavanaugh-sensei
and the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Happy February!

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created to provide a safe place for us writers in our darkest hours. That was a flair for the dramatic, but why not. ;)

I'm going through a small bout of writer worry, having my manuscript out there in the world with agents and editors. I'm still hoping for the best, but I will always feel (and know at this point) that more work needs to be done on Fractured Princess. Either way, I am claiming positive vibes on this. Wish me luck.

This month's question is an interesting one, so let's dive right into it!

How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

I'm doing a lot more analyzing than I used to. I still get great enjoyment out of a good story, but I never seem to take off my editing glasses. Back when I was teenager just writing stories, it didn't faze me, but such is the life of someone always critiquing others' work and having their own critiqued.

How about you all? See you soon!

Fast Five Friday!

All week, I was waiting to get to today's post and forgot to schedule it. I can't with myself sometimes.

It's finally time for Fast Five Friday again! Each Friday, the Cover Girls, Dani and Jax, ask us fun questions that anyone who wants to participate can answer in list form. Visit their page which will also take you to their individual pages to see what their fast fives have been. I have a month's worth of questions to look through, so let's see what we have.

Jan 6: 5 things you didn’t get done in 2016 but plan on doing in 2017?

Lose weight

Find a job I'm happy with

Snag an agent

Buy a guitar

Go out more


Jan 13: If you could only have 5 foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Thin crust pizza

Tacos

Sweet potatoes

Sushi

Eggs

I find it hilarious that one of our Jan. 6th answers was lose weight/get in shape, and then the Jan. 13th question is about food. hahaha


I hope everyone has a good weekend! I've got a lot to do, but I also plan on getting my Final Fantasy XV Chocobo Carnival on. lol

Tuesday Tales: Character Tats!

It feels like it's been ages since an actual Tuesday Tales. I've been using Gotham's Character Questionnaire for several of these, and a question about scars made me think of Cyan. So, we're catching Brodie to tell us about their tattoos!

Brodie: You know, I often forget I have one, honestly. It's a tattoo of my eagle, the messenger falcon my sisters gifted me when he was still in his egg. It goes across my shoulder blades. I suppose it's because none of my siblings have any tattoos, but I was unaware that placement matters, pain-wise. A tattoo carved into the skin above your bones is highly unpleasant.

Cyan's tattoo is Trollic tradition, a commemoration of his first battle wound. A wild elk charged Ghuli* when she was little, and he fought it off. The location of the tattoo shows where he was injured--the elk bit into his neck and gored his arm with its antlers. It is also designed in the shape of antlers because of the elk. He was the youngest hulktroll to receive a battle tattoo.
---------------

I might actually draw Brodie's tattoo. It never crossed my mind to. I think I can draw an eagle...? lol Are any of you inked up? I have my zodiac constellation on my ribs (which was torture).






*This post occurred before I changed Ghuli's name to Jonnie*

Wednesday Words: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Happy Hump Day!

I'm trying to start the year off right with my reading, so I've cracked open N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, which I bought at least six months ago now. I'm really excited to read this and have a lot of her work I still need to read. Y'all know how I feel about The Inheritance Trilogy (and just in case you don't, here you go lol 1, 2, 3 posts about the series).

The Fifth Season is the first of the Broken Earth series (I should probably change my series name now lol), and in the first 90-some pages that I've read, I'm so ready to read more. Others thought so, too--it won a Hugo! The first words you see when you open the book, an excerpt from the book itself, leaves quite an impression:

But this is way the world ends.
This is way the world ends.
This is way the world ends.
For the last time.

So, let's peek in on this book somewhere to see what else is going on. There are 498 pages, but Random.org is giving me the last pages, and I refuse to ruin this for myself, so let's go between what I've read. 1-90. Random.org gave me 7. Much better.

Lastly, he reaches up. For power.
He takes all that, the strata and the magma and the people and the power, in his imaginary hands. Everything. He holds it. He is not alone. The earth is with him.
Then he breaks it.

Reading this again, and having gotten even slightly as far as I have, I now understand what this scene entails, and I'm SO ready to pick this book back up!

What are you reading this week?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Brought to us by Alex. J Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves however they do over the holidays. I walked/jogged my first 5k this past Sunday. I hope to add a little more jogging the next time, or figure out how power walkers do it without their shin muscles cramping up!

Writing/reading/etc.-wise, I'm starting off the new year co-hosting the querypalooza Become An Agent with SC Author. I've never co-hosted anything, but I think I can do it. I'm currently pretending like I'm a query expert and am posting tips for the event. I'm also hoping to actually make my Goodreads goal this year, so wish me luck!

Now for the first IWSG Question of the Month of the year! ha

What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?

Ironically, it was all over the December newsletter, so no offense to those who said it, but I hate this "rule" more than anything: Write daily.

This can make writers feel like they're not writers or not going to make it just because they DON'T write daily. Things happen, life happens, and it's not an excuse when they do. If you can write thousands of words a day, then good for you. If you open your laptop and happen to just stare at the screen for hours and nothing comes to mind, that's okay, too. Try again the next day. Instead of telling people to write daily, just tell them to keep writing. It's way less pressure and a lot more encouraging, in my opinion.

One goal I have in 2017: Get back to reading other people's blogs! So see you tonight!