The 777 Writing Challenge

Hey friends! So, I’m kind of scrambling to get stuff done for Realm Makers, so I haven’t been focusing too much on blogging.

BUT. I do have a little tag thingy for you. (Thanks for the tag, C.B. 😉 ) I’m technically not even putting any effort into this post, because, well, all I’m doing is copying and pasting into the text box, but ANYWAY. Here we go.

Rules //

1. Open your WIP to the seventh page
2. Scroll past the seventh line
3. Copy the next seven paragraphs and paste them on your blog for THE WORLD to read
4. Tag seven people

~~

Imprint //

“Because of your rash decision of condemning me to life as a prisoner in my own home, I sentence you to prison in the world of Rorrim.”

Drilidric licked his lips, feeling dizzy. His head felt drained of any sense and his eyes continued to water. The pain in his arm throbbed uncomfortably.

“Should you choose to renounce this act of yours, I will let you go, under the condition that you never come into my presence again. What do you choose?”

Drilidric blinked up at Zedidiah. It took a moment to find his voice, but once he did, it was hoarse and cynical. “I will not renounce my command. Not today, not ever.”

Zedidiah’s mouth turned down in a furious scowl. “So be it,” he hissed through gritted teeth. Raising his staff, he furiously smashed the mirrors to bits. Glass shards flew through the air, scattering across the floor.

And Drilidric watched with a weak smile. The destruction was almost beautiful, all of the shards glittering with their reflections.

Zedidiah stopped amid the wreckage, standing before Drilidric. “I am disappointed in you,” he said.

~~

I have absolutely no idea who has done this challenge and who hasn’t, so I am going to leave it open to whoever would like to do it. Drop me a comment below and tell me what you think of this snippet!

 

 

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The Language of Worlds // May~June Edition

Hello guys! If you haven’t heard about it yet, I suppose I’ll have to be the bearer of bad news. Beautiful People, the monthly link-up hosted by Cait and Sky has unfortunately come to end. *cue sadness*

But! Fear not! Liv K. Fisher has come up with a new bi-monthly link-up to cure our blues! It’s called The Language of Worlds and I am SO EXCITED to just jump right into these questions! Let’s go!

Introduce your character and his/her story!

I’m going to be focusing on a new character/story that has recently been taking up most of my brainpower:

Dietrich Glimar (Trich)

Trich was born without any abilities, so he has trained himself in martial arts and has an arsenal of weapons he’s mastered, including a very special deck of cards he uses as throwing stars. People call him The Magician, because he also has a few magic tricks up his sleeve (and he finds it ironic because he can’t use real magic).

What does he/she look for in a friend? Consciously or subconsciously?

I would definitely say loyalty. He feels like he’s been betrayed by all his past friends, so he’s really afraid to try to connect with anyone now. If there was someone who he could easily trust and feel comfortable around, that would be so good for him.

If he/she could study any foreign language, what would it be?

Ooh, he would probably enjoy ancient Greek. Much of his world (Nore) is inspired by Greek mythology, especially the capital, Ora, where he went to school.

Which person from the Bible would he/she be besties with? Why?

I would say either Timothy (from the NT) or Elijah (from the OT). I feel like he could easily relate to Timothy, since both of them struggle with doubts and anxiety. But he would also get along with Elijah because they both have sarcastic senses of humor. 😀

If he/she were to visit you for a week, what would you do together?

I…don’t know. I feel like we could just talk together for hours. XD Maybe we would just head into town and wander around and chill and stop at coffee shops. I think I would mostly be trying to not freak out because it’s MY CHARACTER STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO ME TALKING TO ME LIKE WOW. XD

What is his/her ideal future?

I think he would like to find a companion, raise a family. He would like to be accepted into the Emperor’s Guard again (yeah, he got kicked out), and maybe start talking to his old friends again. But he feels like his future is very bleak and that there couldn’t be a good outcome, even if he tried to make it happen. (He also suffers from depression, so…)

Just like Charlie Brown.

 

If he/she were to spend a weekend alone, what sort of pastimes would he/she pursue?

Trich is alone most of the time anyway, and he usually spends it visiting different towns and seeing if he could find work there. He sometimes stays with his parents, but he doesn’t like visiting them and they don’t like seeing him. He’ll practice his weapons and learn new moves and tricks often too.

If you could send your character a care package, what would be in it?

Ooh, that’s a good question! I would include:

A few packets of hot chocolate (the kind that comes with little marshmallows already mixed in)

A nice deck of cards (Get it? Cards? Magician? I’m so hilarious.)

Some fuzzy socks

A box of granola (no raisins 😛 )

Some Twix bars

And a music box that plays Fur Elise 🙂

Is there a song that describes your characters journey?

I don’t know if there’s a certain song that describes his journey, but there is a song I like to think works well as his ‘theme song’. 😀 When I first heard, I was like ‘Oh yeah, that is totally Trich. If he was real, he would love this song.’

What is your character’s place in the story (hero, antihero, villain, sidekick, etc.)?

I think Trich’s place in this story would be somewhere between hero and antihero. People see him as an antihero, even though his actions are for a just cause. It takes a while before people see him for who he really is.

That was so much fun! Thanks again to Liv for creating this new link-up! What do you think about Trich? He’s been in the back of my head for years, but only just recently have I fleshed him out a bit. Let me know down below!

The First Tag // +FACE REVEAL!!!

Hello peoples! Well, just so you all know, I’m getting properly terrified about going to Realm Makers. HOW CAN IT BE SO SOON ALREADY?! AAAGGGHHH. O_O

Ahem. Anyway, today, I have a tag for you guys! I saw that Kate had invented this tag and then when Kenzie tagged me, I knew I had to give it a whirl.

Here I go, revealing all of my deepest, darkest secrets to you guys. Be prepared.

Who was the first character you ever wrote?

Hmm. That’s a tough one! My first stories always included me as the main character, as lame as that is. XD

So my first original character would have to be a villain named, wait for it…

Villan.

Yep. That’s his name. I’m so creative guys, didn’t you know? And was he ever a villain, that Villan. He had the evil laugh down to a science, he was always trying to kidnap the main character (a.k.a. ME), had lots of evil weapons, and was always trying to take over the world. Classic.

What was the first story you ever finished?

That depends on what you mean by ‘story’. Like, a novel, or just a story? I have quite a few horrifying short stories from my youth. I will spare you guys and refrain from sharing them in their entirety, but I will share a snippet with you. This was for a school writing assignment my mom gave me:

“Class,” Mr. Williams declared, knocking Piper out of her thoughts, “We will be having someone to sub as principal while Mr. Porter is on vacation.”

No one said a word.

“His name is Mr. Jamison, and I hope you will be on your best behavior for him,” he concluded, “and don’t forget your reading assignment needs to be finished Friday!”

Piper ran to her locker and fiddled with the lock, scowling. She was still getting used to her new life at Hamelin High. I hate being the new girl…No one will talk to me…

First of all, a substitute principal? Is that a thing? Also, the not so subtle Pied Piper references are just so intriguing. And it’s honestly just a boring writing style. 😛

What was the first piece of writing advice you ever heard? Or what was the first bit of advice you used and it actually worked?

I don’t remember anything specific, but my first encounter with advice was when I read Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine. It really inspired me and helped me as a budding writer. I think it also helped me become a touch more refined and serious about my writing.

Who was your first villain?

See the answer to the first question. XD My first villain that I was actually proud of (or, I should say, am still proud of to this day, because one is always proud of their work in the present), would have to be an anti-hero named Hypnesia. He could hypnotize people (no duh), and he was very crazy, which I thought added such a layer of depth to him.

Since then, he’s become a very prominent character in my stories. You might recognize the name Drilidric. He was heavily inspired by Hypnesia. In fact, he even goes by that name in Dangerous Minds, funnily enough.

What was the first storyworld you ever built?

That would be Paramythi. It’s the first place I drew a map of, and I remember just having so much fun thinking of the names for places and drawing the rivers and forests. It’s actually still a place in my Imprint trilogy. It’s the county where the capital of the country is. 🙂

What did your first attempt at worldbuilding or mapmaking look like?

Well, let me just show you a picture!

You can’t see it very well, but you can totally tell all the effort I put into it, right? 😉

 

When was your first crush-on-your-own-character? I know it happened, don’t lie to me.

Well… That’s a bit of a revealing question, wouldn’t you say?

Alright, alright, my first character crush was with Jake from Dangerous Minds. He was the first guy character with depth that I had ever crafted. And, well, he was my age, and… it was bound to happen. I still kinda crush on him, even now. 🙂

What was the first character death you ever had to write and how did you handle it?

Um. Would you guys believe me if I said I haven’t killed off a character yet? I mean, I haven’t written their death, like on paper or keyboard? I mean, there have been plenty dramatic, heart-wrenching deaths in my head, but I haven’t had to deal with the stress and anguish of writing them down yet.

Yet.

When did you first decide that your book needed a full-blown series?

It kind of just decided itself, honestly. I liked the idea of writing a trilogy, and so I just decided my story would be a trilogy. (Okay, I confess; in all honesty, I wanted to make my readers suffer by having to wait for the next book to come out. No joke. I am that evil.)

I guess thanks, Jafar? XD

 

When was the first time you stepped out of your comfort zone to write a new genre?

I haven’t gotten there quite yet! I have a sci-fi idea that I want to get around to writing, and Dangerous Minds is kind of out of my comfort zone, with it being kind of contemporary (but, superheroes, and powers, and evil villains. How contemporary is that really?)

So mostly all of my writing has been in my safe zone: fantasy. I feel like if I tried to branch out, it would just end up as a horrible mess. So for now, I’m sticking with the stuff I know.

What was it like using a prompt for the first time?

I’ve only used prompts a very few times. I like the idea of using word and picture prompts, but they never seem to work for me. I can never just stick to the prompt! I always veer off from the theme of it, (which I get is the point, it’s supposed to be inspiring, but it’s very frustrating to me. XD)

Here is one of my attempts at prompt writing. The prompt was ‘write a paragraph with every first letter of each sentence beginning with the words from ‘sentence”.

Since you’ve gone, things have changed. Everyone is an enemy. No one smiles anymore. The streets are in ruins and people shout and run about in madness. Even the dogs have turned, scratching and biting their owners. Never has this town felt darker, more sinister. Come back, please. Even if you’re unwanted.

Opening line: share your first, your favorite, and your most recent.

Oh boy, let’s see…

First // The wizard sat wearily, leaning heavily over his staff, sweating running profusely down his forehead. His hands trembled as they gripped the staff tight, his knuckles white. His eyes were shut in deep focus.

~ from the first draft of Imprint

Favorite // The place reeked of rotting cheese. The meatballs were scattered across the cheap, red carpet. And all that was left behind of the crook was a slimy note that read —

Meet me at the Bistro tomorrow night and we will settle this.

– You know who I am

~ from a silly short story about a garlic ninja (it just makes me smile every time I read it. 😀 )

Recent // “‘Too late’.” An amused puff of air escaped Drilidric’s nostrils. “Too late indeed! You’re an idiot to think that, Zedidiah Alendayl!”

His voice rose. He shook his head. Here he was, talking to himself again.

~ from Rewrite

What was your first ending like?

Ended on a horribly spotty and confusing cliffhanger. It was basically doom is upon us , but we don’t really know why doom is upon us… and then I smacked a big ‘The End’ label on it. So dumb. -_-

What was the first ship you ever wrote and, be honest, did you make them a ship name?

My first couple was Markus and Paige from Imprint, but I never really shipped them, because, they’re like fifteen, and it just seemed weird to me. My first official ship was Celthic and Maggie, also from Imprint. He’s really dark and sarcastic, and she’s like a ball of energy and light, and they’re so darn cute and squishable together. <333

They could totally be Lady and the Tramp! 😀

 

I sadly haven’t given them a ship name. Nothing really rolls off the tongue… Celgie? Celmag? Magcel? Melthic? See what I mean? XD

What year was your first NaNo?

I believe it was 2015 and I attempted to write Rewrite. It ended very poorly and left me feeling very discouraged. So I put it on the back burner for a long, long time, instead working on improving Imprint. Just recently, I’ve started looking at it again, and I’m starting to love it all over again. ^_^

Which novel is memorable for being the first one you ever gave up on?

Ooh, hmm… I haven’t given up on any novels I’ve started (though I’ve felt like giving up many times). Short stories, however, are a different story (pun intended). I could give you a list of their titles, and then maybe you could see why I gave up on them:

Who Boy What Fairytale?

Leap, Hide, Flip, Fly

Merflies

Creepy Hotel: Surfer Queen

Awkward World: Trying to Get Home

Learning From Miss Magic Tricks

The Mermaid Trio Saves the Day

and also, this, which was legit my title for a story,

Quadruplets: I Didn’t Mean To Do It!, Fashion Designer Secret, Weird Houses, Queen That Wanted Me Poisoned, All With Secret Super Powers

These were…not my proudest writing days.

When did you first share your work with someone else and how did they react?

When I had just finished my very first outline for Imprint, I gave it to my mom, for her to read. I’m sure it was absolutely rubbish, but she was very supportive of it, and for that I’m extremely thankful that she didn’t crush a little girls’ dream of becoming a writer someday. Thanks Mom. 😉

Alright, let’s tag a few peoples! If you’ve already been tagged, well, you’re welcome anyway. I tag… Savannah @ Inspiring Writes | Deborah @ The Road of a Writer | Jenelle Schmidt | and Lisa Pickle.

Well, that’s the tag guys! What are some writing firsts for you guys? Let me know…

Wait. I promised you fellows something, didn’t I? Can’t believe I would forget such a thing. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m sure you’ve been eagerly waiting…

TO SEE MY FACE.

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Just kidding, this is my face. Much to your disappointment I’m sure, I am not a puppy that can type and read.

Get acquainted with it, for some of you will be seeing it this July at Realm Makers! I would hate for the awkwardness of not recognizing a good blogging buddy. Plus, it’s about time, wouldn’cha? If I’m going to be a professional writer, I should have a professional picture, right? 😉

I…guess you could comment about my face. But that’s kind of awkward, so how about we talk about Realm Makers instead? Are you going? Have you been before? TALK TO ME I’M NERVOUS. Also, do you have any fun vacations planned for this summer?

Life Update // Things Have Been Crazy…

Hey guys! So, you may have noticed that I recently changed my blogging schedule to a post every two weeks. I thought I would explain a bit in this post, and also just talk to you about what’s been going on with me.

Life

I recently mentioned in one of my posts that I’ve been wearing braces for about a year and a half now. Well, just yesterday, I was finally able to have them taken off. And I am soooo happy. XD They were such a pain for me and I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about them anymore. Plus, you know, being able to eat caramels and popcorn is exciting too. 😀

Working at the library has been going well. Our summer reading program is starting up soon, so my hours will be going up for the next few months. I’m told it can get crazy busy, so it should be an interesting summer. XD

I’m graduating at the end of June! So…That’s pretty crazy. On the one hand, I’m excited to be done with school so I can focus on other things more, but on the other hand, I’M KINDA TERRIFIED OF WHAT TO DO NEXT.

THE INSIDE OF MY HEAD.

I don’t think I’m going to be attending any colleges (but maybe somewhere along the lines?). I’ve been apprenticing under my music teacher, who’s showing me how to give lessons, so at the beginning of the next school year, I’m considering giving piano lessons. It’s not for sure yet, but it seems like the next logical step. 🙂

I’m also going up to be a junior counselor at a camp my cousin lives at. I’ve never counseled at any type of camp before, so I’m super nervous about it…I’m just praying I get a cabin of nice girls and that it’s a good experience. *apprehension*

Writing

Nothing much happening in this area at the moment. I’ve been doing a LOT of plotting, i.e. playing scenes out in my head over and over again. XD

I’M ALSO GOING TO REALMMAKERS. IT’S OFFICIAL. AAAGGGHHH.

I can’t wait to meet all you guys who are going!!! I’m actually kind of nervous about it, honestly, but I still can’t wait! ^_^

Watching

I…I watched Infinity War…

-_-

That was a month ago.

And I’m still a wreck.

What is wrong with me.

I also managed to watch:

The first Star Wars prequel (Yay me. Better late than never I guess.)

The Devil Wears Prada (Ugh, Miranda is a total jerkface)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (This was so funny!! A few iffy parts, but otherwise so hilarious. XD)

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG. (AGH YOU CAN’T END IT ON AN EPISODE LIKE THAAAAAAT. O_O)

Reading

Ehehehe I’m so behind on my Goodreads challenge it’s not even funny. XD The most recent reads I can think of are Wires and Nerves: Gone Rogue by Marissa Meyer (SQUEE THE ADORABLE COUPLE THAT IS IKO AND KINNEY. *heart eyes*) and Cold Summer by Gwen Cole (This one was pretty cute, but it didn’t quite pack the punch I was hoping for.)

Right now, I’m reading Renegades by Marissa Meyer and it’s SO GOOD so far! 😀 All of the secret-keeping that’s going on in it is kind of killing me, but in a good way. ^_^

Blogging

Well, I changed my schedule, as you know. I also revamped my theme so now it has paper airplanes and typewriters and I love it so much. *is happily pleased with aesthetic*

I’m also plumb out of ideas for posts. I’m thinking about starting a bi-weekly series about worldbuilding or possibly character types, but this idea is merely an inkling. Which one would you guys prefer? Worldbuilding or characters?

I’m also working on redesigning my ‘Books’ page to be more easily accessible (all those menus are sorta confusing…) There will be pretty collages, novel stats, little blurbs, all that good stuff. Be on the lookout!

I don’t what this is from but I love it. XD

Well, that’s all I have for you guys this time. I hope you’ve been having a splendid May, and I wish you a lovely June! ^_^

Quick Update // Schedule Change

Hey friends! Just a really quick post today. I know I didn’t post last week, things have just been a bit crazy, and they’re only going to get crazier.

So I’m announcing my new schedule change. Instead of once a week, I’m going to post once every two weeks. It takes a lot of stress off my back and I’ll be able to give you guys better content instead of just quick, thrown-together posts.

I hope you guys understand this change. I’ve still been reading your blogs, too, even though I haven’t commented very much!

Also, who wants to stay glued to a computer screen when outside is so beautiful? 😉 How are you guys enjoying spring? Let me know down below!

The Get To Know Me Tag // Writer’s Edition

Hello friends! What do you think of the new design? Pretty snazzy? No? Let me know what you think in the comments!

So, I was floundering about for a post idea, when I saw this super fun post by Mary. I found that the original post had been thought up by Savannah and it just looked like SO MUCH AWESOME, so I decided to steal it.

And now I’m presenting it to you today. ^_^

The Rules //

• Link back to the person who created the tag (done!)

• Thank the person who tagged you (um…ehehe, well, thank you Mary, for bringing this tag to my attention? Even though I technically wasn’t tagged? Well, actually, I was tagged, because she tagged anyone wearing socks, so. Yeah. XD)

• share the tag graphic (see above!)

• tag eleven bloggers (oof…I’ll try!)

Vital Stats and Appearance

(pen)Name // Madeline J. Rose 😉

Nicknames // Most everyone IRL calls Maddie. I’ve also been called Madison, Madge, Mathie, Margaret, Mad-Dog, Miss Maddie, and a horde of other names that my brother calls me, which I will not list here for the sake of time. XD

Birthday // July 28th, 2000

Hair Color and Length // Light-ish brown and a little bit past my shoulders

Eye Color // Brown

Braces/piercings/tattoos // No piercings or tattoos, but I do have braces. I get them off at the end of May though! 😀

Righty or Lefty // Righty

Ethnicity // A mish-mash of Norwegian, Irish, English, and probably a few others thrown in there. All European. 🙂

Firsts //

First Novel Written // That would be Imprint, when I was about 14. I cringe just thinking about it…XD That first draft…*shudders* XD

First Novel Completed // That would also be Imprint! So far, it’s the only completed novel of mine…But I’m hoping to remedy that!

Award for Writing // Gosh…I don’t know if I’ve ever won an award for writing… I’ve entered quite a few contests, but I never got an award.

First publication // I won a MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators)short story contest, and it was published in the monthly newsletter. Does that count?

Conference // Last year, I went to a local writer’s conference in the cities, and it was a really great experience! I wrote a post about theme, using the info I learned from Wayne Thomas Batson’s class.

Query/Pitch // Not yet… 😉 I did have Shannon Hale read a few pages of my prologue from Imprint, which was SO FREAKY AND OH MY GOSH. I’ve since edited the prologue, and looking back is a wee bit embarrassing. I can’t believe I let her read that… XD

Favorites //

Novel (that you wrote) // That’s like asking to choose your favorite way potatoes are cooked. It’s DARN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. O_O I love them all for different reasons! Though, I am really fond of Give or Take Your Time. The main character (Dril) will always have a special place in my heart.

Genre // FANTASY. All kinds of it! From urban fantasy and magical realism to epic, high fantasy, I love it all. <333

Author // Oh dear. Do I have to pick? Can I list like my top three? Okay, thanks.

Marissa Meyer

Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Heather Dixon

There’s about a dozen more, but these are definitely high on the list.

Writing Music // Wow…I…I listen to so much different music, I could never, ever choose my favorites. Just, listen to my Spotify story playlists, then you’ll know.

Time to Write // I would say in the afternoon. I feel most relaxed and inspired then.

Writing Snack/Drink // I don’t really eat or drink while I write, it’s too much of a distraction, but once in a while, I’ll take a cup of hot chocolate or some cold raspberry tea with me.

Movie // Seriously Savannah, THESE QUESTIONS. Well, I am a huge MCU fan, so…any and all of the Marvel movies. 🙂

Writing Memory // Ooh, this is an interesting questions! I think mine would have to be when I was still really young, like 9, and I had this beat-up notebook with my list of ideas all written up nicely. And I would take that notebook and a pencil out to my backyard and sit on our play set swing and just swing and think about stories for hours. Good times. ❤

Childhood Book // Princess Academy was my absolute favorite book when I was younger. Still is, actually. When I learned she had written more books, well, I was ecstatic, to say the least.

Currently //

Reading // Right now, I’m reading Cold Summer by Gwen Cole. It’s about a boy with PTSD and a sad girl and it’s so adorable basically. ^_^

Writing // This post! 😀 But for a real answer, I can’t say that I’ve been working at something specific. I’ve been looking through old writing, deciding if I should start rewriting it, or do something new.

Listening to // Right this very second, I’m listening to Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra from Indiana Jones. 😀

Watching // I just recently watched The Phantom Menace for the first time! I know, sad right? I actually really enjoyed it! Jar Jar Binks is slightly (*ahem*VERY VERY*ahem*) annoying, but other than that, I really liked it! Qui-Gon Jin though. </3

Learning // That no matter what the weather outside is, you can still be joyful. (For a little context, last Saturday, we had a blizzard rip through our area. It was cold and snowy and icy and just all-around unpleasant. IT’S SPRING FOLKS. NOT WINTER. Very depressing. -_-

Future //

Want to Be Published // Abso-positively! I don’t know how far away and lofty that goal is, but it’s still my goal! 🙂

Indie or Traditional // I would prefer traditional (seeing my book in the bookstore has always been my dream!), but I wouldn’t be against indie publishing.

Wildest goal // Become a best-selling author, be able to make a living off of writing alone, and have an awesome fanbase!! (Seriously though, I would LOVE a fanbase. I cansee it now, ‘the Madeline fandom’… Hey, I can dream, right? XD)

That’s the tag!

And now, to tag some peoples //

Elise @ E.E. Rawls | Gail @ A Gail Made a Blog | Jenelle @ Jenelle Schmidt | Laurel @ We’ll Be Fine | Lisa @ Lisa Pickle | Liv @ Liv K. Fisher | Kenzie @ Smudged Thoughts | Lissa @ An Attempt to Be Classic | To Be A Shennachie | Abbey @ Regarding Reading and Writing | any one else who thinks this looks fun! 😉

Thank you Savannah for this super awesome tag! If you decide to do this tag, leave me a link below, I would love to see it! 😉

No Post This Week // But Exciting Changes!

Hello friends! So, unfortunately, I don’t have a post for you guys this week. 😦

But I do have some a little splattering of news for you! Very soon, you will start to see some changes I’m doing to my blog design. The owls and fun, bright colors have served me well these past years, and I will miss them, but I’m ready to move on.

I will also be updating my ‘books’ page along with a few other little things.

I hope you guys will like what you see!

Pitiful Prose // The Dragon Mystery

Hi guys! Okay, so I was literally so confused as to what to do for this week’s post. Do I do an Easter-themed post? April Fools-themed? Pitiful Prose? You can see my problem. So, I finally decided on an unusually long Pitiful Prose. Let’s get cringing! 😀

I am a servant to the Queen of the west. And I am in the back-yard trying to round up the dragons with the other servants, but one of the servants, Mutton*, is just trying to hurt them.

*Yep, that’s legit his name. Why? I don’t know.

I try to explain to him, but suddenly, the dragons all start to fly to the south. Several* of the men try to catch them, but they Keep flying. The tell us they are going after them, so now us girls are left to ponder what the dragons are running away for.

*Okay, this has nothing to do with the story, but I just thought I’d share: For the longest time, I thought the word ‘several’ meant seven. Like ‘once’ means one, and ‘twice’ means two. Yeah. Please tell me I’m not alone. XD

I go to the Kitchen to help Mason, who is usually working there.* “Haven’t you heard? The dragons have all gone missing.”*

*Why is there a male scullery maid/person?

*How could word have gotten around that fast? That was LITERALLY LIKE FIVE MINUTES AGO.

I wanted to say that they had just flown to the south, perhaps for the winter. But I am not of rank to correct another of the servants.* I am looked upon as strange and not normal, so I don’t get quite any respect.

*Well, that’s just sad. How lowly can you get? Apparently this lowly.

So I just said, “Wow, what intrigue.”

“I know quite mysterious, hm?”

As I wiped the table down, I got an Idea.* “Mason, doesn’t Glinda*, the good witch, live to the east of us?”

*That’s idea with a capital I, Idea™

*This may or may not have been when I was obsessed with The Wizard of Oz.

“Why, yes, but why?”

“Well, suppose she knows something about dragons that could help?” I wouldn’t have been worried about them, but I recently heard that gold is buried somewhere in the south, and I fear someone is trying to use our dragons.*

*So the dragons can like sniff out the gold or something? Huh…that’s kinda cool, actually. *applauds younger self*

“Thats not a bad Idea™ for once in your life. I’ll call the Queen and the princess.”

In our kingdom, there is only a Queen who rules. And of course her 12 daughters.* The King died many years ago.

*Wait, so is this a Twelve Dancing Princesses kind of retelling or what? Or is it a Wizard of Oz retelling? MAKE UP YOUR MIND STORY.

I crept to the throne room to see if Mason would give me any credit for my Idea™. He didn’t.* “Your Highness, I propose an Idea™ to help the dragons.”

*The jerk.

“And what is that?”

“We shall ask Glinda, the good witch to help us.”

“That is an excellant Idea.”

Just then, Grace, the youngest princess, popped into the room. She had obviously been eavesdropping. “Oh! Mother may I go? Pretty please?”

“of course dear, whatever you want, but you must remember, you are but 12*. And visiting the east Kingdom is quite dangerous for your age. You must have one of the servants with you.”

*For real? This is a good Idea™? You’re going to have a 12 year old negotiate with a witch? Super duper.

Mason made a heroic pose.*

*Just when I thought I couldn’t like Mason any less.

Before I was spotted for eavesdropping, I pretended I was cleaning the walls.* Grace scanned the room and then, she pointed at me.

*’Cause apparently they did that? Cleaning walls? Really?

Mason laughed and the Queen looked shocked, “You want…her?”*

*You know, honestly, I would much rather have this hitherto fore unnamed girl guide Grace rather than Mason. He seems like the oblivious type.

Grace nodded.

“But dear, why don’t you pick one of those strong men to help you?”

Grace shook her head, “No, I want her.”

The Queen looked loathe*, but she agreed finally. “You may take the horses.”

*How does one look ‘loathe’? Isn’t that a verb?

And so we were off.

I really wanted to know why she had wanted me so bad.* I dared to ask. “Your Highness,”

*I really want to know why the queen is letting her 12 year old be a dignitary to a foreign kingdom ruled by a witch. But we don’t always get we want, okay?

“Just Grace.”* She said and smiled.

*Ooh, how cute!!! *thick sarcasm*

“OK, Grace… why did you want me so badly?” I clenched my jaw shut tight, waiting for the answer.

“Oh, I’ve seen you in the yard, practicing your sword fighting*, and…” she paused a moment, “…I just wanted to get to know you.”*

*Wait WAHT? This little servant girl can wield a sword but is too timid to speak up against having a 12 year old sojourn to a dangerous foreign kingdom?

*And we couldn’t have done that back at the palace where it’s safe?

My mouth went dry.* “That’s, very, nice, of you…” I felt a wall that was once around me collapsing.* I felt used and dried up.* What she knew? What if she wanted to use me?

*Definitely not how I would have reacted, but sure, whatever.

*What are trying to hide, like? What??

*FOR REAL? How does Grace wanting to be your friend make you feel used? Are you kidding me right now?

We rode in silence the rest of the way. When at the edge of the Kingdom of The east, I realized how beautiful a kingdom could really be. When there, I parted from Grace and went to explore.*

*Aaaaaand you’re just going to walk away from the 12 year old. Smart move.

I soon found some little baby animals and cuddled with them.* Then the baby lamb started biting and chewing at my sleeves. I tried to run away, but he kept following me. He sort of guided me through the busy streets and lead me straight to Glinda herself.*

*Because that’s a good way to spend your time.

*Just FYI, I really dislike the ‘animal-friend-guides-you-to-just-the-right-person/place-you-needed-be. Ick.

“I see you’ve meet Scout.”* she said scratching the lambs head.

*This woman can’t even speak properly and she’s running a kingdom?

“Your Highness,” I curtsied low. “Have you talked to Her Highness, Princess Grace?”*

*”Because I’ve been wandering around sniffing roses and completely ignoring the reason we came here in the first place.”

“Yes, I did, and I understand Grace is to young to know anything about such things.”*

*But I mean really, did anyone think Grace had a scrap of knowledge about the missing dragons? Was the queen expecting her daughter to come back with answers? Because if she was…then I have nothing to say.

My cheeks flared a bright red.* “Please forgive her Your Highness, she merely wanted some fun.”

*I’m going to pretend that’s second hand embarrassment.

She just smiled. “Perhaps you could carry the message?”*

*And you think the queen is going to listen to you? Based on your position, nobody is going to believe or listen to you.

“Of course Your Highness.”

“Well, I know a man who rules the Northern Kingdom. He has a few tricks up his sleeve may have taken your dragons for his benefit. His name is Oz.”*

*Again with the Wizard of Oz obsession.

I’d heard of him before, always trying to rule all of Nore.*

*Aayy, look at that! I don’t know if I’ve every mentioned this on the blog, but this is where I got the name for my fantasy world in Imprint. Fun fact for you.

“If your Queen of the west could reason with him, you may get your dragons back.”

“Allow me to interpose*, but the dragons flew south, and Oz lives in the North.”

*I think it would sound better if you said “Permit me to interpolate.” No?

“You are very right. But he has ways of imposing and using.* Do you think you can bring this message to the Queen of the West?”

*What does that even mean? ‘Imposing and using’? Hypnosis? Mind control?

“Most certainly, Your Highness.”

“Child, what is your name?”*

*FINALLY.

No one had ever asked me that before. “My name is Zophie.”*

*That is…not what I picturing you as. More of a Memily. Or maybe Jarah. Or maybe even Yzabella. What do you guys think?

“What a lovely name.” and she smiled at me. Oh, how I wished I could stay forever!* But I had to give a message. I said good-bye, found Grace*, and went home.

*Wow. That…escalated quickly.

*Yeah, how long did that take you, stupid? -_-

When we got there, I found the Queen in her library.

And there we have an example of when we realized this story was not even remotely good enough to continue, so we ended it quite abruptly. And wowza, that was a really long post. If you made it to the end…I applaud you. And give you a giant chocolate bunny. XD I hope you guys have a wonderful Easter, and, oh I don’t know, maybe pull a prank or two? 😉

Writerly Spring Cleaning Challenge

Hello guys! Recently, Deborah came up with this genius writing challenge which I was so generously tagged for! It’s not too long, so let’s get right into it!

Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you (done!)
2. Share the picture (done!)
3. Answer the questions (naturally…) or even pick and choose which ones you answer (see below! 🙂 )
3.5. Tag 3 other writers and inform them that you tagged them (via comment/message/email or hey, even carrier-pigeon or smoke signal; I’m not picky) (will do!)

1. Dust-bunnies and Plot-bunnies: Reorganize Your Writing Goals (Or Make New Ones)

Alright, let us see. As you may remember from my 2017 recap, I didn’t really give myself very specific goals. I told myself that I wasn’t going to pressure myself so much, since I feel like this year is really going to be a busy time. But here are my goals (roughly):

• Outlining my novels A TON.
• Possibly do either JuNo or NaNo, but probably not both
• Not being afraid to take hiatuses and rework blogging schedule

As for how I’m doing on those goals, I’d say I’ve got a pretty good start. I’ve started planning posts ahead of time again, and I believe I’ve taken at least one minor hiatus since the beginning of the year.

I’m considering NaNo to be more of an option, rather than JuNo, since my June is going to be CRAZY. If I do NaNo, I will definitely try to make time for it and really work hard at it.

And outlining…well, I’ve been looking over some old unfinished outlines, and I’m having a hard time choosing where to start. But once I figure which ones to continue with, I’m going to try to hammer out three this year.

2. Which Stage Are You At? Expound!

a. Remodeling layouts (planning the story)
b. Painting the walls in colorful hues (writing)
c. Polishing the windows and scrubbing the floors and putting flowers in vases (editing)
d. Blueprints (not to the cleaning or remodeling yet… just drawing up plans for the very beginning inklings of a story)
e. Some combination of those things (cleaning out a closet)

Choice E. is currently what I’m at. With one of my novels, I’m looking at some major editing, but with most others, I’m still in the blueprints stage. I’d like to say some of them are moving past the blueprints and I’m looking into remodeling them, but I’m not quite there yet. 😛

3. Treasure From the Back of the Closet (Share one to three snippets you love!)

Aww, I love this! *scours manuscripts for something suitable* Here you go, these are all from Imprint, (the only decently edited manuscript I have. XD)

“Write residence, Markus speaking,” he said around a mouthful of spaghetti.

“What are you eating?” It was Paige.

“It’s this thing called food.”

He grinned, practically hearing Paige’s eyes rolling.

~~~

“What are you doing here?” Paige hissed through clenched teeth. “You’ve taken to stalking people now?” Secretly, she was a bit relieved to have Markus here with her. She was still shaking from what had happened outside the window.

“Stalking is such a strong word…”

“How’d you get in?” She got up and rushed toward him.

“I scooted up the side of the tower like a caterpillar.”

Paige frowned. “Markus. Really.”

“Paige, I’m literally standing by a secret trap door.”

~~~

Zedidiah swept over to a mirror in the corner. It was held in a beautiful frame, fashioned from wood, and carved with images of creatures Paige had never seen before. He gingerly pressed his hand onto the glass and she could see a faint red glow under his palm. A figure appeared in the glass.

It was Drilidric. “What now?” he huffed, crossing his arms.

“Since this will be the last time you see any of your friends, I thought to include you in the sharing of my plan.”

“Oh,” Drilidric said, staring through the mirror. “How nice of you to think me. I wouldn’t want to miss this for Nore. Let me just go get some popcorn—”

“Stop talking,” Zedidiah snapped, annoyed.

3.5. Bonus: Do Some Actual Spring Cleaning of Your Writer Self! (and share a picture!)

Here’s a picture of my work space! On my computer screen is one of the outlines I’m reading through and tweaking a bit.

Yes, that is a baby Groot. And yes, he is adorable. 😀

 

I tag… Faith @ The Writer’s Song | Laurel @ We’ll Be Fine | and Lisa @ Lisa Pickle

That was such a fun challenge! Thank you Deborah, for coming up with this! Are any of you guys spring cleaning? Writing or otherwise? Let me know down below!

Pirates DEBUNKED // Common Misconceptions about Pirates, Ships, and Swashbucklery

Hello guys! So, today’s post is going to be a little different. I’ve been working on a project of mine that you might remember from previous posts called Sciamachy. It’s a fantasy novel with magic, vast icy wasteland, and pirates.

And, being the procrastinator that I am, instead of actually writing the thing, I’m doing research about pirates. Because why not, you know?

So, here are a few interesting factoids I thought you might like to know. Also, enjoy the gratuitous Pirates of the Caribbean gifs. ^_^

Pirates rarely buried their treasure

Pirates knew that their lifespans probably weren’t the…longest, so they usually tried to spend all their money as soon as possible. And sometimes, the loot wasn’t gold or silver, it was clothes, food, or animal hides. Wouldn’t really want to bury that, huh?

Although, there are exceptions, Captain Kidd, being the most common example.

They had rules and regulations

In order to be a part of the crew, there were usually very strict rules you had to agree to before you were let on. Things like how loot would be divvied up, how to treat your fellow mates, and things that were forbidden onboard the ship.

They didn’t walk the plank

The idea of ‘walking the plank’ was first mentioned in Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe. In reality, pirates almost never made their prisoners walk the plank.

If they were going to kill their prisoners, they weren’t going to waste any time getting it done…

There were women pirates

Though rare, there have been female pirates. Just take Anne Bonny and Mary Read for example.

Piracy was better than the alternative

Most pirates became pirates just for the sake of going on exhilarating adventures and because they actually enjoyed being outlaws, right?

A huge majority of pirates were actually honest sailors who quit their jobs because the conditions were just too awful. Next to no pay, risking your life everyday out at sea, shackled to the ships walls below…  And many men were sailors only because they were kidnapped by the British Navy and were forced to work for them.

So if you were living in these conditions and a band of ‘rebellious pirates’ came to overthrow your ship, wouldn’t you want to join them?

Pirates didn’t say ‘Arrgh!’ very often

All the ‘arrgh matey!’ and ‘avast ye landlubbers!’ is thanks to Hollywood. Pirates most likely spoke in a manner similar to British sailors (since that’s what most of them were).

Guess that kind of ruins Talk Like a Pirate day…

Being a pirate was often pretty boring

Being a pirate wasn’t all sword-swinging and plundering. Most of the time, it was really, really boring. Staying out at sea for days on end, searching for ships to pillage, it got old pretty fast.

So to amuse themselves, pirates drank, gambled (though sometimes that was forbidden), sang, danced, and put on plays.

Did you learn anything new? I should probably be writing right now, but… Research is important too, right? 😛 Do you think this would make a good series? Let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this down below!