Monthly Summary: December 2019/Yearly Wanderings

2019 has been a pretty good year. I feel like the first half of it was epic then the latter half still had good moments but the majority got kinda weird. Things happened that made me cry in absolute joy and then others that made me sob in grief and worry. So I’m very split when it comes to my overall opinion of the last year of this decade.

I'm on Hiatus 12/20-1/14!

I’m going to be on my annual hiatus until January 14th to enjoy Christmas and New Years with family and maybe slip in some writing. I will be still active on Instagram though. See you soon!

Merry Christmas!

The 20 Question Book Tag!

I haven’t done a tag in a while so I’m excited to do this one that Emily @ The Ones That Really Matter tagged me in!

Writing Lessons from TV Shows: Gravity Falls

This past month I've finally gotten into Gravity Falls. I've known about this show for years. I've seen fanart and cosplays, but the animation was a big put off for me. I thought this was just another stupid kid's show with cheap animation, retcon character arcs or zero character arcs, and a shallow incoherent plot if there was one at all laced with fart jokes. So when my good friend Cassia suggested I watch this I was honestly thinking, "Really? This show?"

I was very surprised.

To be honest, I still dislike the animation (I'm spoiled on anime.). I'm a big fan of the redraws I've found online, but the characters and writing are very impressive. The plot grows and so do the characters. Stakes escalate and real bonds are created. The show does not use the typical kid's show tropes like stagnant characters, inconsistent animation, and retconned plot points. So I'm happy to announce I'm a fan and here's why. 

SPOILER WARNING: The biggest ones are in points three, four, and five.

If this is your first exposure to Gravity Falls, I'm sorry but this gif was too perfect.

A Book Review of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

When Sparrowhawk casts a spell that saves his village from destruction at the hands of the invading Kargs, Ogion, the Mage of Re Albi, encourages the boy to apprentice himself in the art of wizardry. So, at the age of 13, the boy receives his true name - Ged - and gives himself over to the gentle tutelage of the Master Ogion. But impatient with the slowness of his studies and infatuated with glory, Ged embarks for the Island of Roke, where the highest arts of wizardry are taught. There, Ged's natural talents enable him to surpass his classmates in little time. But when his vanity prompts him to summon Elfarran, the fair lady of the Deed of Enlad, he unleashes a shapeless mass of darkness - the shadow.

Series: The Earthsea Cycle (Book 1)
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Parnassus Press (1968)
Page Count: 205

I've seen people recommending Ursula K Le Guin for years. Unfortunately, I didn't know about her until her passing in 2018. I saw all of the blog posts across the community about how much Le Guin meant to so many people. But because of all of these heartfelt words I've wanted to read some of her work. I also saw Studio Ghibli's Tales of Earthsea. The world seemed so fun, I really wanted to dive into it.

Canada 2019 Report

I know this is long delayed but here is my report of my Canada trip from November 6-18! I spent roughly two weeks with one of my closest friends in Alberta. I’ve had a lot going on in the latter half of this year so it was really great to get some time away from it all so I could just relax and be myself.

Monthly Wanderings: November 2019

Hey, guys! I know it's been a while. I had to reassess a lot of my priorities in November and mental health stuff cropped up so I needed more time to get myself together, but now things are a lot more manageable and I feel much more refreshed after my trip to Canada!

Extended Hiatus!

Hey, guys! I need a little bit more time to focus on writing this month so I’m extending my hiatus until December 3rd. See you guys then!

I'm on Hiatus Till the 19th!

I’m taking a brief hiatus until the 19th because I’m currently in Canada! I’ll be back on the blog with a full report. I will be updating about NaNo and my Canada adventure on my Instagram. Talk to you guys soon!

Anime Weekend Atlanta 2019 Report

AWA was a bit of a roller coaster ride this go around! But all ended up well! I decided to only go one day this year since there were only three voice actors I wanted to see but one of those with the voice actor of Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender and I just had to meet him!

A Book Review of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

"Ten . . ."
Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious "U. N. Owen."

"Nine . . ."
At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead.

"Eight . . ."
Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . as one by one . . . they begin to die.

"Seven . . ."
Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

Genre: Adult Mystery
Publisher: Collins Crime Club; November 6, 1939 (Reprint: William Morrow; Reissue edition (March 29, 2011)
Page Count: 300 Pages

I've wanted to read an Agatha Christie novel since I saw that one Doctor Who episode about her then that desire grew even more after I watched the film Murder on the Orient Express. At last, I've gotten to read one of her novels and her bestselling novel in fact. I figure if this woman has written the third best selling books of all time then I should learn from her. Plus this was a perfect read for fall.

Monthly Wanderings: October 2019

Fall has finally arrived in the South and the weather has been just so beautiful! I’ve been taking lots of walks in this gorgeous weather when I’m not prepping for NaNo!

Keeping Morality in Fiction: What’s the Line Between Realistic and Gratuitous Fiction?

Humanity has committed every sin imaginable in our existence. No race, gender, location, or era is exempt. But are we as writers, artists, and creators obligated to show the dregs of humanity in order to be realistic? Fantasy, crime, and other spec-fic genre writers feel pressure to do this, but historical fiction writers feel it, even more, when they decide to stray away from more ordinary life stories. Can we write realistic stories without showing graphic detail? When does content cross from realistic to gratuitous?

Warning: I will be discussing mature content concerning violence, drugs, and rape in a little more detail than I do normally. No graphic imagery is shown (I mean that would defeat my point), but I will be touching on these subjects heavily. Reader discretion advised.

Also spoilers for All the Light We Cannot See, The Scent of Her Soul, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale, and Carnival Row.

A Book Review of the Scent of Her Soul by B. Allen Davis

Buy from Amazon!

Mike Pritchard’s daughter, Emily, is kidnapped by a sex trafficker, who delivers a concussive blow to Mike’s head during the abduction. The brain trauma endows him with the ability to detect the scent of a girl’s soul, the olfactory equivalent to seeing a person’s aura.

His obsession with finding Emily, as well as his burden of guilt, lead to estrangement from his wife. Now a loner and a private investigator, Mike plunges into the cesspool of organized crime in Washington state’s urban centers where he rescues trafficked girls, delivers vigilante justice, and hunts for clues to Emily’s whereabouts.

When a clue to the abductor’s location unearths in Spokane, Mike faces a heart-wrenching dilemma—to either risk the lives of other trafficked girls or else never learn what happened to his long-lost daughter.

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Crime
Publisher: Scrub Jay Journeys (May 5, 2018)
Page Count: 314 pages

Though this isn't Bryan Davis's first foray into adult fiction this is definitely the most mature subject he's decided to write about. Because of the adult nature of the content, he even decided to choose a pseudonym for the cover so his younger YA readers wouldn't pick up the book thinking it's a clean piece of fiction. It's definitely a gritty story about the realities of the sex trafficking industry, but I'm happy he had the bravery to put out this story. Though he shopped it around to multiple publishers with no takes, he decided to self-publish.

Strayborn by E.E. Rawls Blog Tour!

My bloggy buddy E.E. Rawls is releasing her debut novel! Isn't the cover absolutely amazing? I do have to say it's one of my favorites I've seen in a while! I'm helping get the word out and tell you about a bunch of goodies relating to the book!

A Book Review of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction
Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (April 4, 2017)
Page Count: 544 pages

I had a friend push me to read this one and I'm so glad I did! I haven't read historical fiction in a while and this is such a beautifully written book!

#WIPJoy September 2019 Recap!

This is my second year participating in #WIPJoy and this time I did it on Instagram which was fun and challenging trying to figure out themed pics since I'm still trying to get the hang of this Instagram thing. XD Thank you, Bethany Jennings and Kara Swanson for hosting this challenge! I look forward to next time!

On This Age of Nostalgia

One of the biggest gripes about Hollywood today is that there doesn't seem to be much new being released. Everything is a sequel or a retelling or a remake of something already made before. In the literary world, retellings of classics and fairy tales are very popular. (I mean I'm writing one so there's that.) Have we run out of ideas? Are all of these redos clogging up the theaters and bookshelves and stopping new fresh ideas from coming out? Is it cheap to profit off of nostalgia?

A Book Review of The Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber

In a world where skycams follow your every move and the details of your life are uploaded each hour, Sofi knows that her eyes are the only caring ones watching her brother, Shilo. As an online gamer, she works behind the scenes to protect Shilo as he competes in a mix of real and virtual blood sport. But when a bomb destroys the gaming arena, she is helpless to rescue him--and certain that his disappearance was no accident. Despite all the evidence of Shilo's death, Sofi 's nightmares tell her he is still alive. Could the dreams be truer than what everyone else claims?

For Miguel--a charming young playboy from Earth--the games are of a different sort. As Ambassador to the Delonese, his career has been built on trading secrets. In the aftermath of the bombing, he fears he has lost Sofi forever, even as he wonders if she is really who she seems. Now he's a target for blackmail. The game is simple: help the blackmailers or lose more than anyone can fathom--or than Earth can afford.

Series: Sofi Snow (Book 1)
Genre: YA Science-Fiction 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 6, 2017)
Page Count: 352 pages

I've heard great things about this book for years and I finally snagged a copy! The first time I tried to buy it at Realm Makers, it was sold out! So I knew it had to be good!

Writing Lessons from Anime: Fruits Basket 2019

I loved the first version of this anime that come out in the early 2000s but I’m surprised to say that I love Fruits Basket 2019 even more. It’s more loyal to the manga and it’s going to last far longer! This anime is one of my top favorites. It’s so heartwarming and it’s made me cry multiple times. 

For those of you who haven’t seen it Fruits Basket centers around a high school student named Tohru Honda who recently lost her mom to a car accident. When she doesn’t want to inconvenience her distant family members by staying with them she decides to live on her own in a tent until she encounters Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo Sohma who offer to let her stay with them.  She uncovers their mysterious secret: they are cursed with the animals of the zodiac which they transform into whenever they’re hugged by someone of the opposite sex. 

Warning: Minor spoilers. Bigger ones in point 5.

The Language of Worlds September-October 2019 Edition!

I'm participating in Liv's bi-monthly link-up again and this month Aska is joining us to answer some questions! She's one of my side characters from Silver Hood. More about her in her bio. If you'd like to join in on the fun hop on over to Liv's website! 

Monthly Wanderings: September 2019

September was a pretty insane month between going out of town twice and tackling a new writing job on top of everything else! But I made some amazing memories.

Disney/Fall Florida Trip 2019 Report!

This was such a wonderful trip! I'm writing this before my flight home, so I'm still riding the hype! Project Magic Kingdom Hearts plus a spontaneous trip to Animal Kingdom and then video games! Squee!

Interview with Dina and Colleen (Red Hood)!

Me: 

Hello! And thank you for the questions! Sorry about the lateness. Had to switch things around a bit this week. *turns in Tonight Show desk to Moira who's sitting on a couch* Good afternoon, Collen and Dina.

Colleen:
Hello! *grins brightly*

Dina:
Good afternoon. *smiles*

Me:
Ready for the questions?

Collen:
Yes! I've been waiting for this!

Dina: 
Thanks for having me again!

Writing Pets 101

Pets can be some of the most fun—and most annoying characters in stories. Some of the best characters are animals like Toothless, Appa, or Zwei. They’re adorable and they do help the plot move forward. I’m going to be discussing pets as they would in a standard fiction novel, not as protagonists like in Lady and the Tramp or Homeward Bound nor slice of life with the book entirely centered them like Marley and Me or That Quail Robert. That’s for another post. 

Let’s get started! 

Fictional Would You Rather Tag

Melody @ Down the Rabbit Hole nominated me for this tag and I'm so happy because this tag is just so awesome! 

A Book Review of the Gunslinger by Stephen King

Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake.

Series: The Dark Tower (Book 1)
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher:  Grant; Jun 10, 1982
Page Count: 288 pages

I've wanted to read Stephen King for a long long time, but I'm not a huge fan of horror and that's his primary genre, so I hadn't found a book of his I really wanted to read. When I edited The Dark Tower movie review on GUG a while back, I got really interested in this story, so I decided to give it a shot.

Writing Lessons from Video Games: Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy

I've had friends urge me to play this game for a few years now, but I was hesitant about enjoying a game about lawyers. I mean I hate going to court. Why would I want to play a whole game about it? But when the game released in HD on the Switch this year I decided to succumb to the pressure and play it. And I really enjoyed it. The characters are very fun and the mysteries were unpredictable. It was refreshing to be really stumped!

Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy follows the career of rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright as he unravels mysteries from past and present. He fights for truth and justice against a corrupt judicial system as he defends clients from all walks of life. By his side is Maya Fey, a spirit medium, who has a checkered family history. Together they are Wright and Co. Law Offices!

Warning: Spoilers - The biggest spoiler is in point one which is an element revealed in Episode 2 of the first game.

Questions for Dina and Colleen Muir (Red Hood)!

It's time for this month's call for questions and I'm doing another dual interview! I may have to do more of these since you guys like them so much. This month I'm doing the sisters Dina and Colleen Muir. I did an interview with Dina but that was literally years ago and she needs some spotlight. Here's a bit about them!

Dina Muir is a sixteen-year-old Red Hood in training and Mor Galbraith's best friend. She grew up with her mother, father, and sister in the Western Red Hood manor in the country of Silfurlund. Though unlike Mor she does not desire to be a Red Hood, a werewolf huntress, like her mother, but a tailor like her father. However, according to Red Hood tradition, since she has inherited the power of the Silver Sisters, she has no choice but to be a Red Hood for life.

Besides desired career choice, Dina is the opposite of Mor in personality. While Mor is fiery, a bit brash and a tomboy, Dina is tender, kind, and loves anything girly. Mor is top of her class and Dina is very close to the bottom. One of Dina's other loves is her hound Grimmur whom she's had since he was a puppy as is custom for each Red Hood.

Though Dina is skilled with a crossbow, her true talent is with a needle and thread. She loves to sew dresses, handkerchiefs, shirts, anything she can. Whenever she is stressed from strenuous Red Hood training or the scorn from her mother about her hobby, she always works on her newest project. She is fortunate to have her father and Mor to support her dream, but Red Hood laws remain as they always have and Dina condemned to a life as a warrior and to never fulfill her dream to sew dresses for the Queen.

Colleen Muir is Dina’s eleven-year-old sister. Unlike Dina, she’s embraced her set course in life as a Red Hood and can’t stand being too young to see any action. She admires Mor a lot but has trouble relating to her older sister and is her mother’s favorite. When she’s not in class, she likes to practice shooting her rifle at the target range, going hunting with her mother, and playing with her small group of friends and their puppies. What she doesn’t like that occurs after class is usually fights between Dina and her mother. Colleen just wishes her sister would give up her impossible dream so there wouldn’t be anymore yelling every night. 

Leave your questions in the comments or in the form if you'd wish to remain anonymous or if you're having trouble with the comments. They will answer them on the 17th! Thank you! 

Monthly Wandererings: August 2019

August took a lot of unexpected turns and honestly, August is usually my least favorite month of the year because I'm sick and tired of the heat by now, but it had some good highlights.

A Book Review of The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

Buy from Amazon!

Guile is the Prism. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.

When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

Series: The Lightbringer (Book 1)
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit; Reprint edition (July 23, 2013)
Page Count: 688 pages

I meant to have this review finished before Realm Makers but this was a super long book so better late than ever. Brent Weeks was the Keynote Speaker last month at RM in St. Louis. He had some really great things to say and has a fascinating writing journey. I really wanted to love his book more and I feel like I would have if it wasn’t for the mature content level.

Keeping Morality in Fiction: Are We Tired of Good Characters and the Good Winning?

Over the summer a “What if?” film called Brightburn released with the premise of Superman being a villain and as expected it ends in tragedy. I have a weird curiosity when it comes to most horror films. I won’t watch them but I’ll look up the synopsis to know what happened. While perusing on IMDb I came across some reviews about the film and many of the people who liked it did because they were tired of superheroes and Superman being good. Here's one for example:

"Great movie with a great story. If you're tired like I am of watching superhero movies already knowing the good guy is always going to win, you'll love this."

That got me thinking about if people are really getting tired of good characters, of the good guys always winning?

Language of Worlds July-August 2019 Edition!

I'm really excited about this link-up because I get to squee about the sequel for Red Hood, the book that got me an agent! A lot of stuff is spoiled just in the back cover copy for book two so I'll try to keep this spoiler-free as possible. But basically, Mor has to recover from the events of the previous book and make the treacherous journey home to save her friend from going mad. If you'd like to participate in the link-up, hop on over to Liv's blog!

How Writing Chapter Summaries Can Help With Editing

I first heard about these when I was writing my first book proposal. I had no clue how to do that, so I looked at all of these different publisher requirements and just included them all in my proposal. Apparently, chapter summaries are used for just non-fiction books for proposals, but I've found that writing them can be so handy for fiction writers. We have to juggle so many elements of story it can be overwhelming and writing these has saved me a lot of headache. I tried this method with my last draft and I love it. I'm definitely using it from now on. 

I've written mini versions of these as I write as I've mentioned in another post, but these I've written while editing. The way I outlined my last book was I read every chapter then wrote chapter summaries for each one then I went over them to help create an outline. I want to use these again for the next stage of editing to help me remember elements of my story. I wish I did this with my previous book. Thank God for ctrl+F. 

Interview with Gunn (Silver Hood)!

Me:

Hello! And thank you for the questions! *turns in Tonight Show desk to Moira who's sitting on a couch* Good afternoon, Doctor Gunn.

Gunn:

Good afternoon. *has ankle crossed on his knee*

Me:

Ready to get started?

Gunn:

Yes. This sounded fun from Chalmers' description.

Writing Lessons from Anime: Attack on Titan

This is just becoming Attack on Titan month and I have no shame since I just freaking love this show, guys. I haven't done an AoT Writing Lessons post earlier because I thought I did one, but I didn't so now I am. I've been with this fandom for six years and next fall the final season will release. It's been a long commitment, but so worth it.

Attack on Titan is set in a world where Titans, man-eating giants, have brought humanity to near extinction and what remains of it live behind gigantic walls, but Eren, Mikasa, and Armin dream of a world outside of the walls. When Titans break through one of the walls, Eren and Mikasa's mother is eaten and their father disappears, leaving Eren with a key to a basement that holds the secrets of the Titans. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin join the military to fight the Titans to take back their world for humanity.

Warning Spoilers: Steer clear of point two and four if you're not caught up.

Questions for Gunn (Silver Hood)!

Interview time and this is with Chalmer's older brother Gunn! He's been a stubborn little twit and not wanting to tell me anything about his past, so he needs an interview. Their mom is Snow White so that's pretty cool. 

Gunn is a twenty-something Silver Hood and the eldest of his seven brothers. His father Rem is the leader of the Silver Hoods and his mother is the cultural leader of his people. Gunn is a doctor, apprenticing underneath another doctor to learn his skills. He is closest with his younger brother Chalmers and they work together to invent medical advancements to help patients. Because leaders are elected Gunn isn't obligated to take his Father's position when it's time, but it's a rumor that he'd likely to be elected. Gunn would rather focus on his medical profession. He enjoys helping others heal and that's what he'd like to spend the rest of his life doing.

Leave your questions in the comments or in the form if you'd wish to remain anonymous or if you're having trouble with the comments. He will answer them next Tuesday! Thank you! 

Attack on Titan and Mystery: How to Keep Your Readers Turning Pages (Or Clicking on the Next Episode)

Mystery is not just for mystery stories. Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime out there running and it's not primarily because it's packed with action, it's because of the questions it makes you ask: Where did the titans come from? Who is Colossal Titan and Female Titan? When is this story taking place? In the future? Is it in our world? What are the intelligent Titans' goals? How will our heroes ever stop these things?

You want to click to the next episode not just to see if characters live or die but to find out all of these mysteries! Season three has finally revealed a number of these answers prefacing the show's final season and this show handled mystery in such an amazing way and it's something you can apply to your stories too to make sure they flip to the next chapter as fast as you can click the next episode on Crunchyroll.

WARNING: Spoilers up to the end of Season 3 of Attack on Titan, but I will redact the big spoilers with a black highlight which you can highlight with your mouse to read.