AND FIVE MINUTES LATER IM BACC

cuz who edits a post once it's live 


*runs in panting*

OH HEY Y'ALL

WAIT

I FORGOT TO TELL YOU



*drumrollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*


IMMA BE DOING CAMP NANO THIS YEAR

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

*SQUEAK*


*is very excited and kinda freaked because wUT but ok* LKAJRLKFJLKJALKSDJASLKDJASLK

I AM GOING TO DIE BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IM DOING BUT IT'S GONNA BE FUN BECAUSE WRITINGGGG YAY



ack WISH ME LUCK 'CUZ IMMA NEED IT XD


Lacy out

*poof*

Tales From Mirkwood #2

hey Elflings...

guess wut :D

IT IS

TALES FROM MIRKWOOD #2

~~~

Tales From Mirkwood #2

    I pounded on the bars of the steel door, furious and raging. 

    "Scum!" I shouted. "Vermin! Let me out!"

    No one came however, so I kicked the door and sat against the wall.

    I was in an orc dungeon. I wasn't exactly sure how I had gotten there, but I was pretty sure that it had something to do with being kicked off a cliff.

    But anyways, here I was. My weapons had all been taken from me, and all I had left was the dagger hidden in the sole of my boot. I was considering taking it out when I saw an orc walking toward the door. It leered at me through the bars, increasing my anger.

    I leaped up and delivered a furious side-kick to its ugly face, knocking it down. The keys to the cell fell from its belt, unnoticed. The orc screeched and growled, and I retreated to the far side of the cell as it got up.

    

    "There's more where that came from," I hissed threateningly. "I wouldn't come in here if I were you."

    The orc snarled once more and left--without the keys. I grinned as I reached through the bars and retrieved the heavy bronze keys. Some guard.

    But I could still make no move of escape. There were orcs all around, and I had no idea where I was. I only had the small dagger with which to defend myself, so I hid the keys in my inner pocket and waited.

    ~

    Little did I know that help was on the way. I had been expected to meet with my fellow guards for King Thranduil's monthly review. They had missed me, and were instantly worried. I never missed anything. But for some reason I had decided to run to the waterfall on the south side of the palace to get a drink, and had been ambushed by a band of orcs. I slaughtered many of them before I was backed up to the cliff. Just as I raised my sword for another stroke, one of the orcs kicked the back of my knee, and I fell, backwards, over the edge of the cliff. I hacked off its leg before loosing my footing. It was the last thing I did before the world exploded into a thousand dazzling colors and then went black.

    

    ~

    I was pacing my cell. My cell. I should've brought pictures to hang on the walls, for it certainly looked as if I was going to be there for a while.

    Three strides wide, nine strides long. Three wide, nine long. Three, nine, three nine--

    

    I stopped abruptly. Pacing wouldn't help me any, as it would take a long time to wear a hole in the stone floor. Help would surely come long before that.

    ...would it?

~

    "Here! ...and again, here."

    Legolas and five picked scouts were tracking me. They had come to the waterfall, and were reading the telltale signs in the trampled grass. The prince was on one knee, tracing footprints with a finger.

    "And here," he said. "Her foot is smaller and lighter than those of the vermin." He stood and walked a few more steps, to the edge of the waterfall. His face went grim, and he clenched his fists.

~

    I was cold and weary. I wanted out of this cell. Having the keys made no difference. There were always five or more orcs around, and they were heavily armed with their ugly, blocky weapons.

    Weapons. My hands felt oddly empty without my bow and sword. True, when I had them they weren't always in my hands, but just knowing that I didn't have them at all was bothering me.

    I sat in the corner, hugging my knees to my chest for warmth. When would help come? Would it come at all? Ever?

    

    "Legolas will come for me," I whispered fiercely, gripping my knees even harder. "He won't let me die here. He is my friend. He will come!"

    

    But it was hard, with a damp, cold breeze blowing into the cell, to make myself believe that.

~

     Meanwhile, Legolas and his scouts had found and slaughtered all but one of a group of thirteen orcs. The last was being interrogated, with the blade of an Elvish dagger just centimeters from its throat.

     "What have you done with her?" Legolas asked harshly.

     "Done with her? What her?" the orc snarled, with an ugly sneer.
   
     "Playing dumb will avail you nothing," the Elf prince replied cooly. "You know to whom I am referring. The Elf maiden with long brown hair."

     "Oh--that one. We ate her for supper a few days back."

     The Elf standing behind the orc, holding the dagger, raised startled eyes to the prince. He, however, made no sign, only raised an eyebrow and waited. Under his cold stare, the orc shifted uncomfortably, and finally added,

     "She isn't dead. But she will be soon!"

     Again Legolas made no sign, but his mind reeled. She's not dead, she's still alive! He gestured with his hand, and the orc's vision suddenly went black as its life was ended with a quick twist of its captor's wrist.
 
     "Vile worm," Legolas muttered, and they moved on.

~

     I stared up at the stone ceiling. I was so tired, but it was dangerous to let myself rest. My life was in danger as it was; I couldn't risk letting my heart run away over fields and under trees. It was too risky.

     Eriathwen! called a voice in my head.

     Legolas?

     I sat up slowly. Something was messing with my head. Surely--

     Eriathwen?

     Legolas!!

     He was here! He had come for me!

     I stood, fighting a black dizziness. I began to hear the sounds of a confrontation. Shouts and yells echoed through the cavern, and the clash and shing of metal on metal made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I ran to the barred door, gripping it hard, and listening eagerly. Ahhhh, yes. My people were here, I knew it. No other race had weapons that sang with such fierce joy when evil was vanquished.

     Then I heard a familiar voice yelling my name above the other sounds of conflict.

     "Eriathwen!"

     "Legolas!" I shouted back. "Legolas!"

     The sounds of the battle drew nearer. From my position I could see nothing, but adrenaline was rushing through me nonetheless. I jerked the keys out of my pocket and stuck my left hand through the bars, desperately trying to free myself.

     "Legolas!" I cried out again. "I want to fight too!"

     Suddenly something swung into my line of vision and came crashing down on my hand. The key snapped off in the lock, and fire seared through my palm, racing down my fingers and up my arm. I recoiled, instinctively cradling my hand to my chest. I felt blood dripping through my fingers, and looked down to find a long, jagged gash in my palm. The back of my hand was turning blue, and the thought registered (although barely) that I had broken bones. I looked up to find a particularly large orc leering at me, holding a huge club in one hand, and in the other... the keys.

     I saw red, and struck out with my right hand. The orc jumped back--right into the path of the arrow that came zipping down the hall at that very moment. The orc fell in a heap on the floor.

     "Legolas!" I shouted, pain lacing my voice. "Here I am! Let me out!"

     He came running, and I saw with delight that he had my bow, quiver, and sword. He handed these to me through the bars and began to fight with the lock.

     "Eriathwen Saerwen, are you alright?! Everyone has been worried sick!" he exclaimed.

     "I'm alright," I gasped, though my voice shook and my entire arm was on fire.

     He busted the lock, and I was free. I rushed out after him, buckling on my sword-belt and throwing my quiver over my shoulder. We rounded a corner and beheld quite a sight.

     Five Elves in the unmistakable uniform of the Scouts were fighting back-to-back, defending themselves against a swarming horde of orcs. They were greatly outnumbered.

     Legolas spoke as if he knew what I was thinking.

     "How unfair"--he smirked--"for the orcs." Then he grinned at me, and that grin sent the battle fire raging through me. It was ON.

     We plunged into the fray, fighting for all we were worth and then some. Orcs went down with every stroke, and their numbers were fast decreasing.

     But it was when I retreated a bit and began to use my bow that I knew something was wrong with my hand. Since I was right-handed, I had to hold my bow with my left hand and draw with my right. I was completely unprepared for the fresh wave of pain that sliced through my palm like a white-hot knife. The smooth wood of the bow might have been poisoned thorns for all the pain it caused, touching the open gash. And I could barely curl my fingers around the bow for the agony that sent my nerves into shock as they ground against the broken bones of my hand. I almost bit a hole in my lip to stop the scream forming in my throat.

     I whipped out three arrows and let them fly. A small whimper got past my clenched teeth, but I tried to ignore the pain and kept on. However, when I released the sixth arrow I could hold it in no longer. A scream ripped like a lightning bolt out of my throat, and I felt tears running down my face. But I couldn't stop, my people needed me. I must've been quite a laughable sight, simultaneously sniping orcs and crying uncontrollably. At the time though, I wasn't thinking of that.

     Then suddenly it was over. And not a moment too soon. I shot my last arrow, dropped my bow, staggered back, and almost fell against the wall behind me as I gripped my wrist, trying to cut off the pain. Suddenly someone was in front of me, and I gasped in agony as they took my arm.

     "Eriathwen, what have you done?" Legolas breathed, seeing my hand. I was literally hanging from his grip on my wrist, as my legs were failing me and my whole body was going into shock. Never before had I experienced such intense agony.

     "Come out of here so I can take care of that," he told me, putting my arm around his shoulder so he could help me stand. When we got into the open air he tended to my hand, washing it with clear spring water and making me a splint with some bandages and a smooth stick. The other five stayed well away from us--whether to keep from distracting Legolas or to protect their own ears from me, I don't know.

     "I don't know if it'll hold," he murmured anxiously, as he cradled my arm carefully. "But it'll have to do until we get back to the palace and I can get you to the Healers."

~

     When we finally got back to the palace, Legolas and I went straight to the Healers.

     "I hope I did ok on it," he said, more to himself than anyone else. Then he turned to me and gave a little grin. "I'm better at fighting than fixing."

     About half an hour later the two of us emerged from the Healers, me with my arm neatly wrapped and bandaged all the way up to the elbow, and Legolas with a very satisfied look on his face. The Healers had, of course, redone his medical job, but they had found the break perfectly set, and they'd only had to re-wrap it with fresh bandages. My palm also had been treated, with a soothing ointment put on the gash.

     "Are you better now?" Legolas asked me, as we walked back down the halls to the guardrooms.

     I nodded, silent and red eyed. All my... exertions... had quite worn me out.

     "Eriathwen," he said gently, stopping and turning me to face him. "I am extremely proud of you. I knew even before I got to you that you'd been hurt. I could tell from the way you were screaming my name. And to have a broken hand and still fight, not caring about your own pain, but instead about the success of your fellow Elves... that is the mark of a true soldier." He put a hand on my shoulder and raised my face to look at him. "I can't say just how proud I am."

     I went scarlet and looked at my feet. Praise wasn't something that was thrown to everyone as bread is thrown to pigeons. I managed to choke out my thanks. But I still had a concern.

     "How am I supposed to fight like this?" I said tiredly, holding up my arm. "If I can't fight, then I can't get that promotion."

     I was completely unprepared for what happened next. The hand that rested oh my shoulder slid around to the back of my neck and he pulled me into a consoling hug. For a moment I was too surprised to react, then I put my head on his shoulder and shut my eyes. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I was too exhausted.

     I don't remember what happened after that. My legs gave out on me, and I had the odd sensation of floating. Next thing I knew, I was buried in a soft blanket, and someone kissed my head. Just before I fell fully asleep, I thought, I've been wrong. Promotions are not the most important thing in the world. There is something--someone--of a far, far greater value...

     And I slipped beneath the waves of the merciful blackness of sleep.




AND THERE IT IS. UGH. GAH. I CAN'T. I LOVE HER. ERIATHWEN IS SO NAIVE. WE HAVE TO WORK ON HER. WE SHALL WORK ON HER. Whaddaya say, Eflings?

Yeah, we gonna work on her! :D

What do you think Elfings? Is this good, bad, or just plain horrid? :P

Tales from Mirkwood #1

.....drumrollllll.....

TA DA! IT IS THE FIRST OF THE MIRKWOOD TALES! WHOOP WHOOP!
I hope you like it!!

~~~

    An arrow.

    Not the pleasantest thing to see before you die.

     But a job is a job, and an enemy bred for evil is an enemy bred for evil, and therefore must be destroyed.
    That's what happened to the orc on the ground in front of me.
    I sighed, and slung my bow over my shoulder. I walked away calmly. It was over. The last marauding orc was slain, and Mirkwood was once again free of the vermin.
    "Eriathwen!"
    I turned to see someone waiting for me farther up the path. I hastened my stride to meet him, and bowed with a hand on my heart to show submission and respect as I reached him.
    "My lord Legolas," I greeted him.
    "Eriathwen. You fight very bravely. I might give you a promotion soon," he replied, smiling.
    I bowed again to hide my excitement. A promotion! From a simple guard to a captain of scouts--it had always been my secret wish.
    "Thank you, my lord," I said. "I will try very hard to serve as best I may."
    He bestowed a smile on me. This only served to heighten my excitement. Why, if he was pleased with me I might even receive official mention!
    "Come, Eriathwen," he said. "We must return to the palace."
    I gave a nod of assent and followed.
    Later that night I was creeping around the halls. King Thranduil was hosting a banquet for some of his lords, and with all my heart I wished I was one of them. The sight of the food loaded on the long tables made my stomach growl, even though I had already eaten.
    Suddenly I caught some of their conversation.
    "...and she jumped down right in the middle of the orcs, fighting like a panther. They never saw it coming."
    It was Prince Legolas speaking. He kept telling his story, and the lords were eagerly drinking it in, when suddenly I realized that they were talking about me!
    I went scarlet to the roots of my hair, then just as quickly became pale. This was my official mention! I listened attentively and watched the king from my hiding place behind a large pillar. He was listening carefully too--I could tell, even though he was staring at his wine as he swirled it around in his glass.
    "Such a fighter deserves a better position," I heard him say when Legolas had finished. My heart leaped high with hope. Could his next sentence contain my promotion?
    "Call her in here," Thranduil said suddenly, and a servant at his elbow bowed and walked away.
    I realized that the servant would come looking for me in the guardrooms (which is where I should've been), so I slipped out of the hall. As soon as I could, however, I started running, so as to get there ahead of the servant.
    I just barely made it. He met me right by the entrance to the guardrooms. Met me! It was more like I crashed into him as I rounded the corner.
    "The king wishes to speak with you," he said, cool as ever in spite of our near-collision.
    I followed him back, panting, with my hopes rising higher every second. Just one word from the king and I could be a Scout! I was so excited.
    The servant left me at the door, and I walked in, fighting down my tumultuous emotions. I don't know how I got down the room, but somehow I did, for I found myself standing at the opposite end of the table from the king, bowing with the Guards' Salute.
    "Eriathwen," Thranduil said, with his most gracious tone. "I have heard positive reports of you from my son. I am very pleased with you."
    I was speechless and tense from excitement, but I bowed again and managed to say something along the lines of "serving my king is my honor and privilege".
    "Such diligent and unrelenting patriotism deserves a fitting reward. If you continue your admirable deeds, you might just receive a promotion to Scout Captain in a year's time."
    A year! I was crushed instantly. I know I must've gone white, for the king looked at me with a questioning air.
   "Thank you, my lord," I heard myself say. "I am honored." Then I bowed once more, turned, and walked out. I strode numbly past the barracks, went outside to the small pond near the palace, sat down--and burst into tears.
    ....a YEAR!
    It was all hopeless. I had been striving toward my goal for three years already. My hope, my dream, had been held tantalizingly in front of me, so excruciatingly close--and then withdrawn out of my reach. I was heartbroken.
    I had been sitting for some time when I sensed someone behind me. I stood, wiping my tears, and turned to face Legolas.
    I was ashamed, and hung my head down before him. It is considered beneath the dignity of the Elves to cry over petty trifles. But he didn't look condescendingly at me.
    "I understand how much that promotion meant to you," he said. "I am sorry."
    I bit my lip. If he continued on like this I was sure to start sobbing again.
    "But you should not despair," he continued on. "This setback will only make you stronger. Think: I know you deserve that promotion now--there is no doubt about that. But in a year from now, you will have even more deeds to show for yourself. So do not despair!"
    He lifted my chin and gave me an encouraging smile.
    "Come, mellon," he said.
    Mellon. Friend. The Prince of the Woodland Realm had called me friend! I was instantly hopeful again.
    "Thank you, my lord Legolas," I said, and a small smile crept over my face.
    As I followed him back to the palace, I thought to myself, Maybe he's right. There is hope after all.
    And tomorrow was another day.

~~~

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS
THE FIRST OF THE TALES FROM MIRKWOOD
YIPE
I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!

Tell me your thoughts ma peeps!!! I want to hear all of your real, true, honest thoughts on this new project of mine. Does it need improvement, or is it completely perfect already (HA)? Your opinions help!

An Idea with a Capital I ;)

Hi Elflings! It's me again, the unfaithful poster here on the Life Of An Elf :D sowwy...

ANYWAY I had an Idea and I was wondering what you peeps would think of it!

So I have started writing a series of short stories called Tales From Mirkwood (#cheesy), the main character of which is an Elf named Eriathwen, WHICH IS ACTUAL ELVISH FOR MY REAL NAME. YIPE.

..and my point was: I'm wondering if you readers would like for me to post them on here! I already have one story written, and I started the second one this morning. I can't wait to see what you think!

Tell me your thoughts! And if you would like to add a prompt for a Mirkwood Tale in your comment, feel free! I would love to hear your ideas! (plus I need prompts xD)

What I have learned about my Swanwing Characters so far!

Heyyyyy Elflings!

So you may have seen the title and gone, "Whoa, we only just got notified of this book like, a few posts ago, and she's already trying to inform us on every little ting..." :P And I don't blame you! (Oh, by the way, Swanwing is what I decided to call my "Wild Swans" retelling, and auto-correct does not like it xD) But I am so excited to be writing this book that I can't hold it in until I've gotten more written! As of yet it's only an intro and two chapters. Of course, as I write more, I will of certainly "find out more" about my characters, so keep an eye out for possible updates. ;-) So! Pardon the lack of material, but here goes!

What I've learned about:

Iskander (the king)
 Iskander has turned out to be the ladies' man... in his younger days before he was married. Ahhh, don't you just love writing flashbacks?? xD He is also super intolerant of unnecessary speeches :P

Imayn (the queen)
Imayn is SUCH a dear heart! She might have been a bit of a people-pleaser in her younger days (again, based on a flashback), and was so eager to have proper etiquette. She is such a cute mother, especially since she is so girlish, although mature. I LOVE HER!!

The Princes Regent
Nothing much as of yet. I mean, we're only two chapters in, so there isn't really all that much. Although Johann is the ladies' man already, at the young age of one xD Lol, all the court ladies LOVE him xD

Elise
Um... she's still a baby? xD Let's see... she's a really cute baby. :D


Ok, now I am wondering if this post had a point at all xD So how about a snippet or two? Sure, why not? :D

(Imayn is pregnant in this snippet, talking to four-year-old Gervase about babies)

"...Do you know, Gervase, that just now, I'm keeping a baby in the safe place for us?"

"Really!" he exclaimed. "Do you keep the baby in the treasury with Father's money? 'Cause that's a very safe place."

Imayn giggled.

"No, son, not in the treasury. The baby stays...in here." She took her son's little hand and put it on her stomach, which was just starting to show signs of the growing life within.

Gervase's eyes widened and his mouth gaped.

"There's a baby in there?" he gasped.

"Isn't that exciting?"

"Can I hold it? Please, can I hold the baby? Can you take it out, 'cause I really, really want to hold it!"

Imayn laughed.

"Not yet, Gervase! The baby still has to get big enough for us to hold."

"Is it gonna be a boy-baby or a girl-baby?"

"I don't know, but I hope it's a girl."

"Me too!" Gervase always wanted what his mother wanted. "I gotta go tell the others!"

He jumped down and ran out, and Imayn could hear him yelling "MOTHER'S GONNA HAVE A GIRL-BABY" at the top of his lungs all the way down the hall.

(This is part of the flashback I mentioned up there)

Later that evening, at the ball, Imayn was talking with a group of her friends. She was just about to say something when all of them gasped and started squealing behind their hands.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my!" gasped one of them.

"Is that--" began one.

"I think it it!" breathed a third.

"It's Prince Iskander!" swooned all five of them.

"Prince Iskander?" Imayn gasped.

"Yes!! And he's LOOKING AT YOU!" squealed Avariah, the youngest of the six.

(Fangirls, lol)

I know this post was short, but what do you think about it? Do you want to see more of this? What is something you would really like to see in this book? Let's talk: tell me your thoughts!

HAPPY NEW YEAR MA LEETLE ELFLINGS + Writing Fantasy Fiction: Dos, Dont's, and Absolute No-Nos (Part Two, the Dos)

Hey Elflings! 
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! (a month late, sorry, eh heh...)
And to prove it's going to be a great year, I have a PRESENT for y'all!


Are you ready for it?




Part Two of Writing Fantasy Fiction: Dos, Don'ts, and Absolute No-nos--the Dos!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Readers: It's about time, Lacy...)


Aren't you EXCITED?!?!?! Of course you are! Let's get started!

BTW, sorry this took so long. Life, you know. :D


One and two go together somewhat:

1) Give your characters personalities.

2) Flesh them out nicely.

Have you ever read a book and felt that the character was, in some way, unfinished? The author probably didn't give enough thought to making the character's personality. So make sure you know how your person acts :D Give them quirks, feelings, looks, likes/dislikes, and all the things that make them "real"! 


3) Find yourself a person who will give you their honest opinion of your WIP if you ask for it. 
This is very important, bold, underlined, highlighted, italicized, twenty-eight-point Times New Roman. If you have someone who is reading your book as you write it, you want them to be honest with you when they give you their thoughts on it. 

What if you have a minor plot hole (and of course the audience starts screaming that plot holes are NEVER minor)? What if you don't notice it? That does happen, you know. If you have a beta reader who notices the plot hole, but doesn't tell you about it, you can have (and will most likely have) MAJOR complications later on. 

Another example: let's say you created *character*, who you think is great, but to others is like, um, borrrrr-ing. If your beta reader doesn't give you an honest opinion about *character*, your later readers will probably only read your book when there's nothing else in the house to read for whatever reason. OR, to throw in a worst-case scenario, your book won't even make it past the PUBLISHERS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!  
And why? Because your beta reader didn't happen to tell you that *character* could use some work.
So find yourself a beta reader who can help you to see and change the things that need to be seen and changed. Unless, of course, you're trying to write a boring book. :P

4) PLOT DAT BOOK.
Refer to Part One, number one, for the reasons why this is important. :D


5) Have an element of fantasy.
Ok, so it is sorta obvious, but when you're writing a fantasy novel you need an element of fantasy. Otherwise it won't be fantasy. :P If you have a world where the unicorns talk and there are blue-skinned woodsmen, then don't leave out the talking unicorns and the blue-skinned woodsmen.

6) Have something that your readers can relate to.
I read a book recently. It wasn't really a fantasy book, in fact I think it was dystopian. But I didn't really relate to anything in it, probably because it was all about boys, and I am not a boy. xD By the way, the book was Lord of the Flies, if you wanna check it out and have nightmares. Anyway, whether it's a feeling, or experience, or whatever, you want something in your book that will make readers say, "Yeah, I know what THAT feels like!" or "Oh, I remember doing something like that!"

7) World-build.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have never world-built before. But a friend of mine has, and she told me that world-building can help you keep track of your story's geography. And world-building isn't just sticking mountains and lakes all over your imaginary world. It's also shaping the customs and traditions of your people. For example, there are questions as to how they greet each other. Here are some examples from this website:

When meeting someone, how are they greeted — wave, handshake, bow, some other gesture? How did the greeting gesture originate (example: shaking hands to prove one’s weapon hand was empty)? Is there a special I-am-not-armed gesture for wizards?

Is there a difference between the greeting offered to an equal and that offered to a superior or inferior? Is there a difference between the greeting offered a man or a woman? Human/non-human?

Is there a way of changing a greeting gesture to make it insulting?

How are two people who have never met normally introduced to each other? What is the order of precedence when there are several people of differing sex or social status present, all of whom need to be introduced to each other?

Are there classes of people/beings who are never introduced to other classes of people/beings? Are “true names” significant, and if so, under what circumstances would someone be given another person/being’s true name?

Are there customs involving the way in which someone is named when being introduced (for example: giving all of a person’s names and titles at the first meeting, but never repeating them afterward, so that he’s always referred to as “George” even though he’s introduced as the Duke George Edward Canterbury Gorden de la Suis-Foule, Marquis of Horsham, Whitewater and Framingham, Earl of St. Peter’s Close, and Vicount of Abernathy)?

(^^ I almost died xD)

Is there any difference in the way you greet someone you already know, compared to greeting a stranger (or does everybody just always hug or shake hands or whatever)? How does someone acknowledge seeing an acquaintance at a distance (passing on the other side of the street) — by a nod, tipping the hat, wave, smile, or not at all?

So you see, world-building can be complicated, but OHMIGOSH DOESN'T IT LOOK FUN?!?!?!? I wanna do this now! And ohmigosh, I can just imagine having a completed "Guide to *insert name of country in which book is set*" to read. That would be so cool! You could "visit" the world just by opening it!!!!

I am definitely going to do this!!

8) Give a hint as to how the cliffhanger is resolved.

If your book ends on a cliffhanger, the last thing you want to happen to your readers is this:

Am I right or am I right? Give them something to hold them over until the sequel. ;-)

9) Write an epilogue.

If your book does not end on a cliffhanger and is a standalone book, give some after-party in an epilogue. In the book Wait For Me, Watch For Me, Eula Bee, which is a great book, a lot of stuff happens and only at the VERY END does the girl remember her brother. LITERALLY. THE LAST SENTENCE. Here it is:

"Then he felt a touch at his side and a cool, small hand slip gently into his.

"'Lewtie?' came the one soft word."

AND THAT'S THE END!!! AND THERE'S NO EPILOGUE!!!!!!!!! AND AS FAR AS I KNOW IT'S A STANDALONE BOOK!!!!!!!!!! WHAT. NO. That drives me crazy!!!!!!! I wanna know what happened after that!!!

10) And finally, have fun.
Have fun writing your novel! Don't let it be something that gives you the same feeling as schoolwork you've gotten behind on. Oh, and catch up on the schoolwork. ;-)

Well! I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and once again, I am sooo sorry that this took so long! I accidentally took a hiatus in January, but I hope to be more consistent from here on out. :D

What do you think about Part Two? Do you agree/disagree with anything I've said here? Did I leave anything out? Tell me what your opinion is! I love hearing whatever my readers have to say. :D

My New WIP!!!

Hello my Elflings!

So I had this AMAZING STORY IDEA the other night!
Have you ever heard of The Wild Swans? It is an awesome story!
Here is the overview from Wikipedia:

In a faraway kingdom, there lives a widowed king with his twelve children: eleven princes and one princess. One day, he decides to remarry. He marries a wicked queen who was a witch. Out of spite, the queen turns her eleven stepsons into swans (they are allowed to become human by night) and forces them to fly away. The queen then tries to bewitch their 15-year-old sister, Elisa, but Elisa's goodness is too strong for this, so the queen has Elisa banished. The brothers carry Elisa to safety in a foreign land where she is out of the reach of her stepmother.

There, Elisa is guided by the queen of the fairies to gather stinging nettles in graveyards to knit into shirts that will eventually help her brothers regain their human shapes. Elisa endures painfully blistered hands from nettle stings, and she must also take a vow of silence for the duration of her task, for speaking one word will kill her brothers. The king of another faraway land happens to come across the mute Elisa and falls in love with her. He grants her a room in his castle where she continues her knitting. Eventually he proposes to crown her as his queen and wife, and she accepts.

However, the Archbishop is chagrined because he thinks Elisa is herself a witch, but the king will not believe him. One night Elisa runs out of nettles and is forced to collect more in a nearby church graveyard where the Archbishop is watching. Ghoulish spirits that devour the bodies of the dead are also in the churchyard, and the archbishop believes that Elisa is in league with them. He reports the incident to the king as proof of witchcraft. The statues of the saints shake their heads in protest, but the Archbishop misinterprets this sign as confirmation of Elisa's guilt. The Archbishop orders to put Elisa on trial for witchcraft. She can speak no word in her defense and is sentenced to death by burning at the stake.

The brothers discover Elisa's plight and try to speak to the king but fail, thwarted by the rising sun. Even as the tumbril bears Elisa away to execution, she continues knitting, determined to keep it up to the last moment of her life. This enrages the people, who are on the brink of snatching and destroying the shirts when the swans descend and rescue Elisa. The people interpret this as a sign from Heaven that Elisa is innocent, but the executioner still makes ready for the burning. When Elisa throws the shirts over the swans, her brothers return to their human forms. (Unfortunately, the youngest brother has a swan's wing instead of an arm, as Elisa did not have time to finish one sleeve of his shirt.) Elisa is now free to speak and tell the truth, but she faints from exhaustion, so her brothers explain. As they do so, the firewood around Elisa's stake miraculously takes root and bursts into flowers. The king plucks the topmost flower and presents it to Elisa, and they are married. And the youngest prince's wing becomes normal again.

Now isn't that an awesome story? So I decided to make an adaptation of it! I am so excited for this one. The version I have, though, names the princess Elise instead of Elisa, so I am going to use that. I also named all the characters, as they don't really have names in the story. And you see that it says the youngest prince's wing becomes normal again? I think that, in my story, I am going to leave him with one arm and one wing! I mean, would that not be cool? To have a swan wing? A swan wing that has the striking power of a baseball bat? Oh yeah! Sucker's keeping his wing alright! 

I suppose you want to know what I renamed them... of course xD

Here is a list of all characters I named:

King Iskander (Elise's father and ruler of Ivoria) 

Queen Imayn ( Iskander's first wife and co-ruler of Ivoria)

Queen Elewys (Iskander's second wife and evil stepmother)

Prince Regent Gauvain

Prince Regent Raullin

Prince Regent Giraldus

Prince Regent Renier

Prince Regent Bayard

Prince Regent Guerin

Prince Regent Tedric

Prince Regent Rogier

Prince Regent Gervase

Prince Regent Mainard

Prince Regent Johann (the one who keeps his wing)

Princess Elise

I also made pictures of them using the DollDivine website!
(I had to make two separate pictures for the Princes Regent 'cause there are so many of them xD)

l-r: King Iskander, Queen Imayn, Princess Elise, and the evil Queen Elewys:

l-r: Princes Regent Gauvain, Raullin, Giraldus, Renier, and Bayard 

l-r: Princes Regent Guerin, Tedric, Rogier, Gervase, Mainard, and Johann

(DOESN'T GERVASE JUST LOOK LIKE A GERVASE?!?!?!?)

l-r: the evil Archbishop Ouidart, Ricolda (the old lady Elise meets in the woods), Morgana the Fairy, and King Alexedris of Skaris (who marries Elise)

...and the reason that there are so many Princes Regent is that only one of them can succeed their father (duh), so the rest act as Regents. And Elise isn't a regent because there's only one of her, and her fate is pretty much decided as the final tie of an alliance xD  but then things happen *mysterious music* The prince's full titles would go something like "Prince Regent Johann Avar of Ivoria, Swanwing" Avar is the royal family's last name, and the italicized word is a title that they earn when they turn twenty, taken from the most important thing that they did or that happened to them in the years before.

This book will have thirty chapters, unless I forget to add something and have to lengthen it xD

I can't wait to share the ins and outs of this book as I write it!

What do you think of this story idea? Do you want me to share it chapter-by-chapter as I write it? Have you had any great story ideas lately?

Writing Fantasy Fiction: Dos, Don'ts, and Absolute No-Nos (Part One, the Don'ts)

Hey my Elflings! Here is the promised super long post!
So I was having a discussion with a friend lately, and we were talking about our fantasy fiction WIPs. And I started thinking about how I can make my writing better. Nothing said about the friend's writing, because she wows me with her amazing ideas. :D

So I thought I would do a post about Dos, Don'ts, and Absolute No-Nos when it comes to writing fantasy fiction. I might do this with modern fiction, historical fiction, and the like in later posts.

So, let's get to our Don'ts.


1) Don't do the stupid thing I did and start writing a book without a plot.
This is a major one. MAKE SURE you know where you are going to take your story, because if you don't, you are going to end up with something that has no story, no point, and no appeal. Plotting also saves you a lot of trouble in the end, because if you write it all down in the beginning, you won't have to stop in the middle and go "Oh shoot, what happens next?" And even if you just have it in your head instead of writing it down, that's ok too! You will save yourself from a lot of hassle, and besides, if you can get it straight to yourself you won't have any problem.

2) Don't drag your plot.
Another major one here. I would say that this one most likely happens when you don't have a good plot (or you don't have one at all). Dragging the plot will lose your reader's interest and get you "meh" book reviews. No one likes reading a "slow" section of a book.

3) Don't have too many subplots.
Subplots are great. They give glimpses into the lives of secondary characters, supply information about the setting of your book, and allow readers to "see into the minds" of the super villain. But if you have to many of them you will most likely 1) lose track of how many you had in the first place, 2) neglect some and focus too much on others, and 3) feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air, and if you're like me, that would be a complete disaster from the very beginning, 'cause I can't juggle.

4) Don't forget the adventure.
If you have a WIP going at the moment and you reeeeally hate it, you probably don't have a problem. And that's a problem. I mean, come on! There are Rings needing to be taken to Mordor to save the world, and your characters are just visiting each other and gossiping in their happy little lives, PEOPLE!!! Get some DANGER going here! Seriously! A story without a problem is a boring story. This leads to number five:

5) Don't forget the antagonist.
Q: How do you have a problem if there isn't someone causing a problem?
A: You sorta don't.
Antagonists are the backbone to adventure. The Fellowship has no need to take the Ring to Mordor if Sauron doesn't exist (because no Sauron = no Ring). Bilbo wouldn't have gone on a quest if there hadn't been a kingdom to reclaim and a dragon to vanquish (because no Smaug = no problem). Do you need more examples? Let me just say this. No antagonist = no problem = boring story. Real life, you guys. People don't like boring books. Fantasy fiction writers really score by catering to the reader's inner adventurer, their love for something unreal, and their love of a good story.

6) Don't let your fantasy creatures get out of context.
This can be hard. I have very little experience in this area, but let me just give you what I have so far.
My amazing friend and I were discussing my two antagonists for my main WIP at the moment, called The Sign Of Royalty. I still only have a vague idea of what they are going to turn out to be (and I have only myself to thank for not plotting). So I was telling her over chat that I had *finally* figured out what to do with the antagonists (because they have to die, there is no other option. Sorry, antagonists.). They were going to turn out to be giant snakes. Here is the conversation:

Me: HAH

*FRIEND*

I HAVE IT

THEY ARE GOING TO BE GIANT SNAKES

HAHAHAHAHAHA

I GOT IT

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

............you probably want to know what I'm talking about

MY TRAITORESS AND HER SON

MUAHAHAHA

YAS

THEY ARE ACTUALLY GIANT SNAKES

THEY JUST LOOK LIKE ELVES

THIS IS AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME

 (...see what I mean? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time xD)

Friend:  ............................

what?

Me: lol, i saw that coming

ok

so

you know how I said something along the lines of the two bad guys from The Sign Of Royalty were gonna eventually turn out to be not Elves? Well, they are going to be giant snakes, actually. I just have to figure out how they function like elves. :P #confusing

Friend:um

ooookay.......tbh that sounds a liiiittle weird......

Me: I can just hear you thinking "this person is insane" 

I know

that's the point

:P

*cough*
.......................
.......................
 if I said "The Silver Chair" will that make it a little clearer? 

Friend:I know but it isn't weird in a like cool way just weird. just saying that it would sooort weird me out if they were giant snakes xD

Of course, I at once saw her point, thought about it, and went, "yeah, no, that's kinda weird.
Moral of the story, don't get too out of context with them fantasy creatures. :D

...I can just imagine her reading the first message and being like

...yeah xD

7) Don't get too detailed.
This is important. It's the sign of a good writer to be descriptive, but if you use too many adjectives in one place, your readers will start looking sideways. Consider.
This is good:
     The pretty girls tripped happily down the sun-lit lane, chattering eagerly of the upcoming party.
This...is not:
     The jauntily outfitted, happy-go-lucky, rambunctious females tripped ecstatically, wildly, and buoyantly down the sunny, bright, cheery lane, gabbling excitedly about the party that was to be held soon.

Did you feel a big, goofy grin coming over your face as you read the second example? That's the point, and that's exactly what we writers want to avoid.


8) Don't make your story too dark.
Have you ever gotten a headache from reading a dark book? Have you ever been scared by a book--and not just an adrenaline rush, but actually scared? Ten to one, the book that you read was really dark. Don't write something that will make moms cover their children's eyes as they pass it on the shelf. You want people to like your book, don't you? Don't write one that will only be read by the wackos with black lipstick, blue hair, and dog collars.
(no offense to anyone who has blue hair.)


9) Don't get too detailed about spells, if you have any.
Ok, ok, so it's fantasy. There is a 90% chance of some character having magical properties, and that's ok. Just be careful not to start writing spells, because, before you know it, you could accidentally get yourself involved in something not ok. The enemy slips in wherever he can.


10) Don't not have fun!
...basically, have fun! Who wants to write something that tortures their mind? Be honest. Even though your WIP might be frustrating at times, there are also those other times where ideas are gushing out of your ears, you found a bunch of Pinterest pictures that look just like the MC, and your Spotify playlist is doing a great job of setting the mood for the scene you're working on!!! Don't you just love that?

11) Don't give up.
Whatever you do, never ever give up. If your WIP is getting nowhere, don't throw it away. What looks pathetic to you could turn out to be a best-seller someday. If you have writer's block, put it down for a while and work on something else, or look for pictures, make an aesthetic, whatever! When you are ready to give it another shot, go back over your outline, see what you might want to change. This is a life lesson I learned from drawing. I would draw a picture, and when I was finally happy with it, I would put it down, walk away from it, and come back hours later. And when I came back, I could see what I needed to change. This can also be helpful with writing. Step back for a bit. See the big picture.
Let me tell you a story. A few months ago, a friend of mine told me that she was giving up on a story she was writing. Needless to say, I was devastated. I had read this story, and I loved it so much. Plus I was writing the companion story. I tried everything to get her not to destroy it (because I think that was her original plan). Finally she said that she was not going to destroy it. I re-JOICED! She then added that she was going to throw it into the lowest dungeon below the Mongrels' mountain...and I quickly stopped laughing. I was a little disappointed, but I was glad that she wasn't going to snuff it out forever. Fast forward a bit, and she totally surprised me with the news that she had re-written the plot, tweaked some of the characters, and was going to rewrite the book! You can imagine my ecstatic reaction! I mean, we had been co-writing these two cute little books since we were like, what, eleven? Yeah! So I was really glad for her. AND SHE ASKED ME FOR A NAME SUGGESTION WHICH WAS JUST COOL. Moral of the story, do whatever it takes to fix your WIP if you don't like it. Writers are, most of the time, the harshest critics of their own work, and sometimes they can't see the potential in their stories. Don't give up!



I hope you enjoyed this post about the Don'ts of writing fantasy fiction! I know that I probably missed something when I wrote it, but hey, if you know what it is, put it in the comments. :D

Did you find anything useful in this post? Do you plan to try any of my suggestions? Do you disagree with anything I wrote? If you do, I want to hear your opinion! After all, that's what the comments are for ;) Be watching for part two, the Dos!