Katelyn Buxton's Blog, page 6

Archery for Writers Part 1/4: How to Shoot

Me doing the 3-D animal target shoot for the 4-H State Archery Tournament in 2015 with my compound bow Something many of you may not know about me is that I’m an archer (one, that I might add, was flinging arrows years before Katniss). There has been at least one bow in the house for as long as I can remember, but my family didn’t do archery much. At age eleven I joined in a 4-H archery club with one of my friends and began to learn more about the sport, but at that point I didn’t really like it and took a year off. When I came back, I did 4-H archery every year until I graduated high school, and over that time I learned quite a bit.

That’s why I was puzzled to find how many misconceptions there are about archery when I entered the writing world as a published author. One blog post I’ve seen circulating Pinterest that says it’s a writer’s complete guide to archery isn’t completely accurate.

I’m not infallible. I don’t know everything there is to know about archery. But I thought I would offer what I do know (and what I’ve researched beyond that for this purpose) in a four-part series that deals with the three most common bow types: the longbow, the recurve bow, the compound bow, and how to shoot them all.
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Today’s post gives you the rundown on proper bow-shooting techniques and safety. (After all, what good is a bow if you don’t know how to shoot it)? Even if your arrow-flinging character doesn’t really know how to shoot, you should, so you can say with confidence, “That was how not to do it.” Safety: Since this is for writing, I'll say that unless your character is trying to kill someone, is hunting, or is in a battle, they should never allow anyone down range (between the point they're shooting from and the target) while they're shooting, and always keep arrow tips pointed down.

The Stance: Your body (or your character’s) should be aligned perpendicular to whatever it is you’re shooting at, be it a foe or just a bagful of straw. When I started I thought that you shot while facing the target. That just doesn’t work in practice. So if you or your character is right-eye dominant, set your left hip towards the target, and if you or your character is left-eye dominant, set your right hip towards the target. You’ll also have to have a right or left-eye dominant bow, because they're different. (If you don’t know which eye is dominant, there are instructions for figuring that out here. Hint: it has nothing to do with whether you’re right or left-handed).

Once you’ve aligned yourself perpendicular to the target, make sure your feet are far enough apart to provide a good base, but not too far, because there really is too much of a good thing. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your feet are as wide apart as your shoulders. Make sure you’re standing straight.

Preparing to Shoot: I’m going to write this as a right-eye dominant archer, because that’s what I am. If you're left-eye dominant, do the opposite. Hold your bow in your left hand, draw an arrow, and nock the arrow to your bowstring. (The “nock” is the forked part on the end of an arrow, and it snaps onto the bowstring at the nocking point, level with the arrow rest which is just above the grip on the bow).

Shooting: Don’t grab hold of the bow’s grip tightly—this can cause it to torque when you release the shot. (Which means spin left or right, decreasing the accuracy of the arrow). Rest the fleshy part of your palm along the part of the grip closest to you, and leave your thumb and the rest of your fingers loose.

When drawing back, I learned to place my index finger above the nock, and middle finger and ring finger below it. Drawing is a single smooth motion—keep the arm holding the bow bent very slightly to avoid snapping yourself (*cough*, your character) with the string when you release. Trust me, it hurts. At this point the wrist on your drawing arm should not be doing anything other than being a link in the chain extending from the elbow. All the muscles used for drawing are in the shoulder, with a few in the back and side.

With a longbow or compound bow, all that’s left is to very quickly look down the arrow, aim and release, but with a compound bow you reach a “resting point” at full draw in which all the difficulty of drawing the string lets off and it becomes easy to hold for an extended period of time. I can’t really tell you how to aim on a bare bow (meaning a bow with no sights/extra stuff tacked on), because it all changes with the bow, the weight of your draw (“pounds”), and the distance. You just have to get a feel for it, and draw to the same point every time—like the corner of your mouth or just in front of your ear. If you don’t, your accuracy will suffer.
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“Wow,” you say, “that was complicated.” Well, it is, and it isn’t. All of that took a lot of time to explain, but in reality it only takes a few seconds, and when you do it enough it becomes second nature. And since this is written for authors I know you probably aren’t going to go out, get a bow and do all this (why else would you be resorting to the Internet?), but I wanted to explain it as if I were teaching you how to do it. That way you know all there is to know.

I've also included a little glossary of archery terms and definitions that you can refer to throughout this four-part series whenever I unthinkingly rattle off a mysterious word. I'll try to explain things as I go, but if I forget you can hopefully find an explanation there.

I hope this helped you, and don't forget to check back next time for a post all about the longbow!

Archery Terms and Definitions

Archery – the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow

Arm guard (or bracer) – a device used to cover the arm holding the bow and protect it from being snapped

Arrow – a slender, straight, generally pointed missile made to be shot from a bow and equipped with fletchings at the end of the shaft near the nock, for controlling flight

Arrow rest – a device used to support the arrow above the handle until it is released

Bare bow – any bow that doesn’t have sights or other optional devices attached

Bowstring – the string of an archer's bow

Broadhead – a modern razor-sharp arrow tip made of metal used in hunting. What is more traditionally called an arrowhead.

Cams – round to oval metal discs which are held in place to the limbs of a compound bow via a pin and are where the string and cable(s) terminate. They are attached at the end of the limbs and transfer the power of the limbs to the string and arrow during the shot.

Compound bow – a modern bow that uses pulleys (cams) and cables to help with the drawing and releasing of the bowstring

D-loop – a D-loop surrounds the arrow at the string and is a point of connection for an archery release; it is made of a short piece of cord fastened to the bow string by two knots.

Draw – to pull the bowstring back

Dry fire - to shoot the bow without nocking an arrow first. Is bad for both the bow and the archer (because it greatly increases the chances of being snapped).

Field tip – an arrow tip that is not sharp and is used for target practice

Finger guard (or tab) – a small leather or synthetic patch that protects an archer’s fingers from the bowstring.

Fletchings – the feathers on an arrow, which stabilize it during flight. Modern fletchings are often made of synthetic material, not feathers.

Grip – the handle of the bow

Limbs – the part of the bow that extends above and below the riser

Longbow – a wooden bow held vertically and used especially by medieval English archers. Traditionally made of one piece of yew wood. Does not curve at the tips. Modern longbows may be made of many flat pieces of wood laminated together.

Nock – a.) the part of an arrow having a notch for the bowstring b.) the notch itself

Nocking point – the point at which the arrow is nocked to the bowstring

Peep sight – the circular device inserted between the strands of the bowstring which gives the archer’s eye its first point of alignment. It is used by looking through it and aligning it with the other sight.

Pounds (draw weight) – the amount of force, measured in pounds, needed to bring the bow to full draw

Quiver – a device used to hold arrows, which can be fastened to the bow, hip, or back, or stood on the ground depending on the type.

Recurve bow – a recurve bow is a bow with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung

Release – a device held by or attached to the archer’s shooting hand which aids the archer in drawing back and releasing the bowstring. Most contain and operate off a trigger. Not to be confused with a finger guard.

Resting point – (on a compound bow) the point at which the difficulty of drawing the string lets off and the bow can be held at full draw for an extended period of time

Riser – the central part of the bow, where the grip is located.

Shaft – the long part of the arrow

Sight – an archery sight attaches to the riser and contains pins, cross hairs or a laser dot which the archer can adjust to make a more accurate shot

Silencers – devices purchased and installed on a bow/bowstring to absorb vibration and therefore quiet a shot. These attach to either the bowstring, cables, limbs, or the riser.

Snap – the painful connection of a released bowstring against the skin

Stabilizers – devices attached to the front or sides of the bow to absorb vibration and give the bow a different center of gravity so as to stabilize the bow and increase accuracy
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Torque – when the bow twists after releasing the arrow

Excerpt from Freedom from the Darkness

Here's a special excerpt from my new eBook, Freedom from the Darkness. This is sixth book in the Warriors of Aralan series, and is available for download off Amazon. Enjoy!
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   Screams and shouts of dying men and women echoed all around outside of the cottage, and Allister smelled the sharp acrid tang of smoke.  He dashed to the window and looked outside, but someone pulled him back and hands guided him towards the trap door leading to the cellars.  He looked up—the fact that he had to look up was a shock—and realized it was his mother.  Her well-worn face was ashen.  “Allister, quickly please.  I don’t know what’s going on, but your father has taken your brothers and sisters to go see.”
   “But mother!” his seven-year-old voice echoed through his mind, bewildering him further, “I want to help!”
   “No, Allister,” his mother’s voice shook, “I want you to hide.”
   A gleam of light caught Allister’s eye and he looked up to see tongues of orange flame beginning to devour the thatched roof.  His mother saw it too, and hurried him towards the trap door with even more urgency.  She held it open as he climbed inside and stood on the ladder.  “Stay in there until it’s quiet,” she instructed, glancing back over her shoulder with a gasp.  She let the trap door fall, but Allister cracked it open enough to see.
   A man clothed all in black kicked the door open and readied his spear.  He grinned wickedly at his mother’s distress as she tried to find something to arm herself with.  “Time’s up,” he sneered, and threw his weapon with deadly accuracy.
   To Allister’s horror the bloodied tip of the spear stopped inches from his face, protruding from his mother’s back as she lay slain in front of his hiding place.  Everything began to spin as lights from the fire merged to blend with darkness of night until his whole world was a sickening, dizzying blur and he toppled from the ladder to the floor of the cellar where he lay stunned, the first of many hot tears beginning to streak his face.  “Mother,” he whispered brokenly, shocked again by his young voice and just how much it hurt.  “Mother.”  As his throbbing being sank slowly into a bottomless black void, his eyes opened.
   Allister lay on his back heaving for air, both hands full of dirt and face glazed with sweat.  Moonlight glared in his eyes, and he flinched as a piece of wood popped in the campfire.  The nightmare… it had been so real!  The pain he had suffered on that night was so vivid, his heart still ached even as the colors and sounds faded.
   He lay still for a while, trying to catch his breath and make sense of it all, but finally he sat up and saw that Aldyth was on watch.  Fearing to go back to sleep lest the nightmare haunt him again, he relieved Aldyth and sat watching the peaceful, night-dark forest.
   “What was that all about?” he wondered silently, feeling a refreshing breeze cool his heated brow.  He realized now how lucky he had been to not have suffered from nightmares before.  “Lucky, no,” he corrected himself, “blessed.”
   But why would they trouble him now?  Then he realized how silly he was being.  One nightmare.  That was it.  “Allister,” he chided himself in a whisper, “You’re being a child.  It was just a dream—one dream—it’s not real!”
   But it hadn’t felt fake as he dreamed it.  All the events were just as they had happened on that long-ago day.  He shivered.  The nightmare might not have been real, but the night of destruction had been.

Writing Your First Book

Today is January first, and that means that many of us are bravely declaring our New Year's resolutions. Exercise more. Eat healthier. Write a book—write a book? That may not have been on your list, but I'll assume the persona of Mary Poppins for a moment and agree that writing your first book is a most excellent New Year's resolution indeed. I'm glad you thought of it.

And why shouldn't it be a New Year's resolution? So many of us have thought that one day—one day—we'll put pen to paper and do the thing. Open a document and type, "Chapter 1." Create worlds. Breathe life.

The only problem is figuring out how to get to Chapter 1, and that depends on your style of writing. Over the years I've gone from the poster-child for pantser kind to a more meticulous plotter, but either way works. I would even venture to say that flying by the seat of your pants is a very good way to write your first book, but if you're a person that likes everything orderly, that might just drive you crazy. There are pros and cons to both methods.

Pantsers: (writer lingo for a person that.. well... doesn't plot much) write whatever comes to them in the moment. Whatever happens next happens next because it was the inspiration they had. It's a very free and exciting way to write, but you also run a huge risk of hitting writer's block (AKA having no idea what to write next).

Plotters: They do exactly what their name suggests. They plot. They know what happens next from the moment they begin writing, and though they are still susceptible to writer's block, the chances are lower. The cons come when you plan too much, and since you already know everything, you may (like me) lose the desire to write the story.

Of course not everyone falls entirely in one camp or the other, but it's a starting place. And after Chapter 1? Write your idea. If you don't have one yet, I'll let you in on a little secret: they're everywhere! Books, movies and music are some of my favorite sources of inspiration, as are aptly-named writing prompts. But story ideas go so much deeper than that. The rustle of a breeze in the treetops. The cry of a newborn baby. A photograph of a smile from the '20s. Life. Death. That little chill that runs down your spine every so often. Unfulfilled hopes. Dreams come true. The way the steam escapes a mug of coffee on a cold morning. Sunrises, sunsets. The years slowly drifting by, and the changes time brings.

Once you've started, you may realize that writing a book is a lot harder than it looks. That's because it is. It isn't easy—it never has been. The important thing is to keep going even when the going gets tough. To find ways to build bridges over the Chasms of Despair, Doubt, and Plot Hole. If ever you find yourself getting stuck, drown yourself in the things that inspire you.

Writers write, so as long as you get that first draft down, you've won. You're a writer. I'll say it again—writing a book isn't easy. But what New Year's resolution is?

Hebrew Names – Female

My last blog post provided you with a list of male Hebrew names, and in it I mentioned that I was going to make a list of female names to match. Well, here it is! I tried to make sure these were all authentically Hebrew names, but since I'm just a person that (like you) looks stuff up on the Internet, there may be some small variantions between what you find here, and what you find with a Google search.

But it's a place to start, right? If Hebrew isn't really what you're going for, I've also made lists of male and female English names for your charries. Enjoy!

A
Aaliyah – high exalted; to ascend
Abby – my father’s delight
Abia – God is my father
Abigail – my father’s delight
Abilene – grass
Abira – strong
Abrianna – mother of many nations
Acima – He will establish
Ada – happy; ornamental
Adamina – daughter of the earth
Aderes – one who protects
Adie – ornament
Adina – lean and subtle
Adine – delicate
Adva – little wave; ripple
Ahava – water; name of a river
Aliza – joyous; happy
Amaris – given by God
Amira – treetop
Anah – answer
Aneta – gracious; merciful
Anika – gracious; merciful
Anna – gracious; merciful
Ans – gracious; merciful
Arielle – lioness of God
Asenath – devoted to Anath (a pagan goddess)
Asenka – graceful
Atarah – crown
Avia – my Father is Yahweh
Aviva – springtime
Aya – vulture
Ayala – deer; gazelle
Azalia – spared by Jehovah
B
Bara – to choose
Basya – daughter of God
Bathsheba – daughter of the vow
Belen – Bethlehem
Bethany – house
Bethel – house of God
Beulah – she who is married
Bilhah – bashful
Brielle – God’s bravest woman
C
Carmella – garden of God; vineyard; orchard
Channah – gracious
Chaya – alive
Chelle – who is like God? D
​Daniela – my judge is the Lord
Danuta – God judges me
Dara – mercy; star
Daya – bird
Deborah – a bee; to speak kindly
Delilah – delicate; weak
Devora – a bee
Dinah – vindicated; judgement; avenged
Dor – generation
E
Edna – rejuvenation; pleasure; delight
Eeva – living and breathing
Eevi – living and breathing
Eleora – the Lord is my light
Eliana – my Lord responded
Elisheba – God is my oath
Elizabeth – God’s oath
Els – promise of God
Etha – resilient; solid
Eve – living and breathing
G
Gabriela – God’s bravest woman
Gal – mound; wave
Galilea – born in Galilea
Gana – garden
Gilah – joy
H
Hada – myrtle tree
Hana – gracious
Haniya – encampment; resting place
Hannah – gracious
Hava – alive; living
Helah – rust-colored
Hepzibah – she is my desire
I
Ideh – praise
Ira – alert
Irit – Asphodel (a type of flower)
J
Jacoba – supplanter
Jada – wise
Jael – wild as a mountain goat
Jaen – ostrich
Janna – flourishing
Jaron – to shout and sing
Jerusha – possession
Jezebel – impure; unheralded
Judith – woman of Judea
K
Kadisha – holy
Kalanit – flower
Kazia – cinnamon-like plant
Keturah – fragrance
Ketzia – surface; cinnamon-like plant
Keziah – Cassia tree
L
Leah – delicate woman; weary
Ledah – birth
Lemuela – dedicated to God
Liat – you are mine
Lior – my light
Lizbeth – promise of God
M
Magda – high tower
Magdalene – woman from Magdala
Mahala – woman; tenderness
Mahlah – feeble person; weak; sick
Malina – tower; dark; raspberry
Mariel – rebellious woman
Marika – bitter; rebellious woman
Mary – bitter
Matea – God’s gift
Mathea – gift of God
Maytal – dewdrops
Michaela – who is like God?
Michal – brook
Miriam – rebellious
Moriah – seen by Yahweh
N
Naamah – agreeable; lovely
Nan – grace
Naomi – pleasantness
Natania – gift of God
Nataniella – gift of God
Nediva – noble; kindhearted; giving
Netta – a plant; shrub
Nira – plow
Nurit – buttercup
O
Odelia – little wealthy one
Ofra – young fawn; young mountain
Ona – gracious; merciful
Orli – light is mine
Orpah – one who turned her back
P
Penina – jewel; coral; pearl
R
Rachel – ewe sheep
Ravit – you quenched your thirst
Rebecca – one who snares; faithful one
Rena – peace; joyous song
Ritzpa – floor; pavement
Rivka – one who snares; traps
Ruth – mate; companion
S
Sabra – thorny cactus; to rest
Samara – mountain; overlook
Samuela – God is her Father
Sarah - princess
Sarai – quarrelsome; my princess
Sarit – princess
Selah – praise; to pause and reflect
Seraphine – burning fire
Shachar – dawn
Shalom – peace
Shana – beautiful
Shari – from the plain of Sharon; from fertile fields and forests
Sharon – princess; plain
Sheba – from Sheba
Shelah – request
Shera – relative
Shir – song
Shoshana – lily; rose
Sydelle – princess
T
Tahlia – dew from heaven
Tal – dew from heaven
Tamar – date-palm tree
Tema – righteous; a palm tree
Thyrza – favorable; sweet-natured
Tikva – hope
Tirzah – she is my joy
Tovah – good
Tovia – God is good
U
Udia – ember/fire; God
Uma – nation
Uza – power; strength
V
Varda – rose
Y
Yachna – He establishes
Yadira – friend
Yaffa – beautiful
Yakira – dear; beloved; precious
Yarden – flowing down
Yaron – to shout and sing
Yemima – dove
Yonit – dove
Z
Zahar – daybreak
Zahavah – golden
Zara – dawn; princess
Zemirah – a joyful song
Zia – to tremble
Zillah – shade; shadow
Zilpah – weak; frail
Zimra – a song of praise
Zisel – sweet
Ziv – radiant
Ziva - shining
Zuriel – God is my rock

Most names taken from or Baby Names.

Hebrew Names – Male

Baby names. It seems all the Internet ever thinks people want to name is babies (which is fine), but we writers know there's a whole population of people out there that are naming babies of an entirely different sort, the kind that spring into the world fully grown from our own vibrant imaginations. That's what this list is for. Names for characters, on a site without ads for rattles and teething toys and cribs in the margins.

Those who have been following my blog for any time at all probably remember the posts that provided lists for
A
Aaron – high mountain
Abel – breath; child
Abijah – the Lord is my father
Abner – father of light
Abraham – father of a multitude
Adam – created by God
Adin – delicate
Adlai –my witness; refuge of
Amah – having the answer
Ami – reliable and trustworthy
Amos – to bear; carry
Ariel – lion of God
Aryeh – lion
Asa – healer
Asher – fortunate; lucky
Aviv – spring
Aya – vulture
Azarel – with the assistance of God
B
Bartholomew – furrow; hill
Benaiah – God has established
Boaz – swiftness
C
Cain – craftsman
Cale – to be faithful
Carmi – my vineyard
Chaika – life
Chayim – life
Cohen – priest D
Daley – just
Dan – judge
Daniel – God is my judge
David – beloved one
Dekel – date-palm tree
Doran – gift
Dori – generations of time
Dov – bear
E
Eban – stone
Ebenezer – rock of Help
Eelis – Yahweh is my God
Efraim – very fruitful
Ehud – allied
Eiran – awake and vigilant
Eitan – cope with; endure
Elazar – my God has helped
Eleazar – my helper is God
Eli – elevation; ascendant
Eliakim – blessed of God
Elihu – He is my God
Elijah – Jehovah is my God
Elisha – my God is salvation
Elkan – he belongs to God
Enoch – dedicated; faithful
Enos – human being
Ephraim – very fruitful
Ethan – enduring or long lasting
Evan – God is merciful
Ezekiel – strength of God
Ezra – helper; salvation
G
Gabriel – God is my strength
Gamaliel – God is my reward
Gersham – exiled
Gidan – one who cuts trees
Gideon – mighty warrior
Gil – joy
Gilead – mound of testimony
H
Habakkuk – embrace
Hadar – glory; splendor
Haggai – festive
Haim – life
Hanan – compassionate
Hayyim – life
Hebel – herdsman
Hed – echo
Hirah – splendor
Hosea – salvation
Hoshea – God delivers
I
Ichabod – glory has departed
Idan – era
Ilan – tree
Ira – watchful; stallion
Isaac – laughter
Isaiah – salvation is of the Lord
Ithai – God is with me
Ithamar – palm island
Itzak – he will laugh
J
Jacob – supplanter
James – supplanter
Japheth – he expands
Jared – one who rules
Jari – helmeted soldier
Jaron – to cry out in song
Jason – God is my savior
Jed – God’s friend
Jedidiah – beloved of the Lord
Jeremiah – God will uplift
Jesse – wealthy
Jethro – distinction or eminence
Joab – praise God
Joakim – the Lord will judge
Joel – Jehovah is God
Johanan – God is gracious
John – God is merciful
Jonah – a dove
Jonathan – God gives
Jordan – to descend; to flow
Joseph – God will increase
Joshua – Jehovah saves
Jude – praised
K
Kaniel – stalk of a reed plant
Kefir – lion cub
Kohath – faint; weak
Korach – bald
L
Laban – white
Lamech – servant of God
Lazarus – God’s help
Lehi – jawbone
Lemuel – belonging to God
Leshem – precious stone
Lev – heart
Levi – associated; attached
Liron – my song
Lot – veil
M
Mahlah – feeble person
Malachi – messenger of God
Manasseh – cause for forgetfulness
Mattaniah – gift of God
Matthew – gift of the Lord
Meir – giving light; shining
Menahem – comforter
Menashe – causing to forget
Merari – bitter
Meshech – to draw
Methuselah – messenger
Meyer – giving light
Micah – who is like God?
Michael – who is like God?
Mordecai – warrior
Moses – child taken from the water
N
Nadav – noble; generous
Nahum – comfort
Naphtali – my struggle
Nathan – gift
Nathaniel – gift of God
Nehemiah – Yahweh comforts
Nir – plowed field
Noah – peaceful; restful; comfort
O
Obadiah – servant of God
Ofer – young mountain
Omar – first son or disciple
Oren – pale one; pine
Ori – my light
P
Phineas – of dark complexion
Q
Qayin – lance; spear
Qenan – possession
R
Raanan – fresh; luxuriant
Raphael – healed by God
Rishon – first
Rueben – behold a son
S
Samuel – His name is God
Saul – borrowed
Seth – appointed by the Lord
Shalom – peace
Shamir – stone; prison; bush; lees; thorn
Shir – song
Simon – he who hears
Sivan – the ninth month
Solomon – man of peace
T
Tal – morning dew
Tamur – stately like a palm tree
Teman – right hand; south
Thaddeus – praise be to God
Tivon – lover of nature
Tobias – God is good
Tobin – Yahweh is great
U
Uri – light
Uriah – God is light
Uzi – my strength
Uziah – God is my strength
Y
Yaakov – supplanter
Yachin – he establishes
Yadon – he will judge
Yair – he shines
Yalon – murmuring; tarrying
Yan – God’s grace
Yarin – to understand
Yatniel – God’s gift
Yoel – Yahweh is God
Yosef – God will increase
Z
Zacchaeus – pure
Zachariah – remembered by the Lord
Zachary – God remembers
Zane – God’s grace
Zared – ambush
Zebediah – gift of the Lord
Zebulon – home
Zedekiah – justice of the Lord
Zephan – treasured by God
Zephaniah – God has hidden
Zimri – my praise
Ziv – shining
Zohar – brilliant 
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Names taken from or Baby Names.

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Well today I was nominated by the honorable Luke Hartman for the Sunshine Blogger Award tag, and though this isn't something I would normally do, I think something Tookish woke up inside of me and thought, "Why not?" The questions are fun, and his blog is awesome, so you should definitely go check it out! :)

The rules:
• Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

The questions Luke asked me:

1.) If you could only read one fictional book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
​Ack, these forever questions always get me. I'd probably pick something deep, something long and wordy, something that would be showing me new things for a long time... because the rest of my life might be a long time. :P So I'll go with one of the LOTR books. There's a lot of reading there.

2.) What type of computer do you use for blogging?
​Most of the time I use my iPad, but for longer posts I use my Toshiba laptop.

3.) What was the last album you listened to straight through?
The Hurt and the Healer by MercyMe.

4.) What is your favorite holiday sweet?
​Homemade Almond Roca. So good.

5.) Are you known for making a signature dish or food? If so, what is it?
​I really like to bake cookies, and since I make them almost every week for church, that's probably what I'm most known for.

6.) Would you consider your handwriting to be sloppy or neat (or somewhere in between)?
Generally I think my handwriting is pretty legible, but it depends on what I'm writing, and whether or not someone else will see it. xD

7.) What is the awesomest-looking book you own, and why?
That's hard! Probably the cover for The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's hardback, and has the movie characters on it, which stand out because everything on the cover is matte except them.

8.) Name your three biggest fandoms.
Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Redwall (we are small but mighty).

9.) Favorite childhood movie?
Finding Nemo is one of the best things that ever happened to the world.

10.) Pizza or tacos?
Probably pizza, although I seem to eat a lot of tacos too.

11.) Name three books that everyone on earth should read.
The Giver by Lois Lowry, Redwall by Brian Jacques, and Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. The bloggers/blogs I nominate:
• Olivia Cornwell
• Kristen Rivers
• Nichole
​• Aimee Meester
• Harley Rae
• Nate Philbrick
• And because I'm terrible at this...
• Please consider
• yourself tagged
• if this looks
• like fun!

And the questions:
1.) What's your favorite movie?

2.) A song that made an impact on you.

3.) Math or creative writing?

4.) Do you have any pets? If so, what are they? If not, what kind of pet would you choose?

​5.) The last book you read.

6.) What's your favorite TV show?

7.) If you could forget a book and read it over again for the first time, which one would you choose?

8.) Do you prefer cold weather or warm weather?

​9.) What's your favorite color?

10.) What's your favorite artist/band?

​11.) What's your favorite genre in books?

​Have fun!

How to Cure Writer's Block

Ah, yes. Writer's block. The arch-nemesis of a writer's creativity. At some point or other, each of us will come down with that unfortunate ailment. But what are we to do about it when it happens to us?

First of all, I'd like to define what I mean by "writer's block." It isn't losing the desire to write. That's common, but it passes if you just keep at it. What I mean by writer's block is the phenomenon of having no idea what to write next. (Cue the music accompanying Darla's entrance into Finding Nemo). I'm sorry to say that even the most meticulous plotters will have to face this dreaded beast at some point, and the chances go up exponentially if you're a pantser.

So what are we to do? First of all, if you're a Christian, pray. I have to admit that I forget this first step too often, but I'm working on that. Ask God for help writing the story only He can write. Then, drown yourself in whatever usually inspires you. Watch a movie, get on Pinterest (for writing prompts and character quotes, not salad-in-a-mason jar recipes). Listen to music, read a book. The key is to fill yourself so full of ideas that something useful will come to the surface.

Also, talk to someone about it. Someone you trust. For example, my sister is my biggest plotting buddy. Even if the someone you talk to doesn't actually offer any helpful ideas, just talking about it really helps get the wheels turning. Maybe the genius idea you had at 3 am doesn't sound as good when you say it out loud. There, you've saved yourself a headache. Or maybe the silly idea you had during lunch isn't actually so silly after all. Or saying the silly idea out loud spawns a better one.

As you can see, there are lots of ways around writer's block. You don't have to submit to its depressing power. Next time you find yourself staring at the blinking cursor and wondering how you managed to overlook that bridgeless Chasm of Despair, don't worry. You know how to build a bridge.

Excerpt from A Light in the Shadows

Here's a special excerpt from my soon-coming eBook, A Light in the Shadows. This will be the fifth book in the Warriors of Aralan series, and once published will be available for download off Amazon. I hope you enjoy!
------------------------------
Several agonizing hours passed, largely in silence. Allister worked to loosen the ropes around his wrists, but each time he thought he was making progress one of the slavers noticed and tied them tighter.
Despite this, Allister kept trying until they came in sight of an imposing wooden stronghold. The building material alone made it unusual. The four walls consisted of logs made to stand on end and sharpened at the tops to keep others out and the slaves in. When they drew near, the lead slaver hailed the men in the guard houses on either side of the enormous gate, and they were granted entrance.
As they passed through the gates, Allister heard them close with a shuddering bang, and fear swept over him anew. They were trapped! All around the interior of the stronghold men and women slaves hurried on their errands, filthy and tired. On both sides of the compound were two long, low buildings built much like the stone cottages in the rest of Aralan, except that Allister knew they weren’t cottages. The sounds of blacksmithing came from inside of one, and the many windows in both shimmered with heat.
He didn’t have long to figure out what the buildings were for before he, Rhoslyn and Bradyn were hurried towards a yawning black hole in the ground. It must be the entrance to the tunnels the men had talked about.
Suddenly Rhoslyn appeared to faint.
Allister couldn’t believe it. Rhoslyn had never been one for fainting, so why would she start now? Suddenly he caught the slow grin spreading on Bradyn’s face, and he understood. Rhoslyn hoped to trick them into thinking she had died long enough to be disposed of outside the stronghold, where she could escape and get help.
The next instant his hopes were dashed when one of the slave traders gave Rhoslyn a savage kick, causing her to gasp in pain and open her eyes. “C’mon, get up,” the slaver growled, “We haven’t got all day. It’s not the first time someone’s tried that trick.”
Feeling like the situation was more hopeless than ever, the three were made to march into the entrance of the tunnels. ​ Fear deeper than any Rhoslyn had ever known nearly paralyzed her feet when she stepped into the cool darkness of the tunnels, and she flinched when a hard-looking man materialized out of the gloom.
“More slaves to work in the tunnels,” the lead slaver announced.
“Good, good,” the man murmured approvingly, circling the three. Finally he stopped in front of them, stroking his short beard in thought. “The girl can help the other women load the wheelbarrows with Pretiosum ore down Tunnel Three, and the red-head can take carts to the surface. As for this one…”
Rhoslyn watched Allister stand tall and gaze back at the man, steely-eyed. Suddenly Rhoslyn’s fear drained away to be replaced by a startling rush of outrage. How dare these men call them slaves. How dare they pin a human being’s value to a number of coins. How dare they treat them like livestock, with no hearts, no feelings, no hopes and dreams!
Before Rhoslyn quite knew what she was doing, she had thrown herself at the man and begun kicking and biting. He fell back under the onslaught with a shout of surprised pain, but seconds later three of the four original slavers seized her and threw her against the opposite wall where she huddled, feeling empty and cold.
The man wiped blood off his lip where she had made it bleed, trembling with wrath. He grabbed a coiled whip off a small table against the side of the tunnel, and began unwinding it with startling rapidity. “I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget!” he hissed, eyes flashing with rage.
Rhoslyn sucked in a sharp breath, an image of Allister’s back after he had been whipped darting through her mind. The stripes had been an awful red, and still painful over a week after he had gotten them. Anger gone, she could only feel distress.
“Hold her over here,” the slave master’s order snapped like the crack of the whip he was about to wield.
“No!”
Allister stepped in front of Rhoslyn, and though she could see his hands trembling, his stance and the set of his shoulders suffered no argument.
The slavers stopped in surprise, waiting to see what the command of their better would be. The man slowly lowered his whip, eyebrows raised. “No?” he echoed, adding a menacing note to the simple word.
Allister lifted his chin a little higher, and though Rhoslyn couldn’t see his face, she knew he was looking the man in the eye. “I won’t let you,” he answered levelly, though at the end his voice caught.
“Really? Now that’s interesting, I thought you were a slave.” The man’s surprise had disappeared, and a controlled desire to harm another permeated his attitude.
Allister made no reply, only stood his ground and maintained a lifted chin.
The man’s next command sounded harsh, like iron being pounded into a sword. “Hold him still. These noble hearts will be taught a better lesson if he’s whipped for her transgression.”
Rhoslyn was stunned when they seized Allister and turned him around to face her. Their eyes locked, and despite the relevant darkness Rhoslyn saw a single tear slide down his cheek.
Rhoslyn wanted to cry out how sorry she was, but something in his eyes kept her mouth shut. He had known what the consequence of his rebellion was going to be the moment he set foot in front of her. She had no right to say anything—he was paying her debt. But that still didn’t keep a whimper from finding its way out of her throat.

Write Down 20 Things Your Readers May Never Know About Your Character

"If you're struggling with writing a character, write 20 things that the reader will never know about your character. These will naturally bleed into your writing and provide a richness even though you don't share the detail." ~ Barbara Poelle

​This little tidbit of knowledge is actually really important. I know from my own experience that the more things you know about a character (their personality, their past), the more life-like they are.

Samuel from my post about Character Quirks, or Allister from the Warriors of Aralan series are both good examples of this. Samuel hates being called Sam. Allister has a special aversion to being called "boy," because that's often how his abusive father referred to him. Samuel has a bearded dragon for a pet, when other kids his age were getting kittens and puppies. Allister is a master snowball-packer, having lived in the far reaches of the northern quarter for his first seventeen years.

See what I'm getting at here? Details. Little details are what brings the character to life. Allister may not have much occasion to hear the word "boy" directed at him, but he hates it. Samuel's pet bearded dragon may not figure much in the story, but he has one, and it makes him different—the same with Allister's snowball prowess.

So, now it's your turn. Write down twenty things your readers may never know about one of your characters! I'll wait. They can be anything from talents to backstory info to their sense of fashion. Be creative! What makes them them?

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
10.)
11.)
12.)
13.)
14.)
15.)
16.)
17.)
18.)
19.)
20.)

It's difficult, isn't it? Now that I've put you through all that, I'll let you in on a little secret: twenty isn't a magic number. It isn't a cure-all for writer's woes. You could've written down ten things or thirty things, only ten might not give you enough behind-the-scenes info, and thirty—well—why put yourself through that? :P

The point is to have something to go by. I used to think that I could make details like this up as I go along, but it's better to have some in place first, even if I don't actually use them. For example, Allister dislikes being called "boy." Maybe boy doesn't come up, but someone calls him son (in a negative way) instead. That might also be a trigger for unpleasant memories.

And don't just let these twenty new details sit on the proverbial shelf and collect dust. Use them! Use variants of them! If this is a new character, you might find later that some of the things you wrote down really aren't "them" at all, but others are. That's okay. It got the wheels turning.

The moral of the story is: If a character is stubbornly refusing to be life-like, finding out a little more about them might help!

English Names – Female

In my previous post I compiled a list of English names for male characters, but since I know that you probably write about a few ladies too, here’s another list just for them. ;) (Although just like in the other list, a few are unisex, like Kelsey). I chose English names because they're one of the most versatile ethnicities for naming, so they can be used in many genres of writing. If you're creating a character I hope you'll give this list a skim, and who knows—you might find the one!

A
Addison – Adam’s child
Afreda – elf counselor
Ailith – noble battle
Ainsley – from the field of hermits
Alfreda – wise counselor
Alma – caring; fostering
Alvar – army of elves
Amanda – one who deserves love
Amice – friend
Andrea – daring
Angela – God’s messenger
Anice – grace; favor
Annis – chaste
Arietta – little song
Ashley – meadow of ash trees
Ashlyn – meadow of ash trees
Ashton – ash tree settlement
Aspen – the aspen tree
Audie – of noble strength
Audrey – of noble strength
Avery – elf ruler
B
Batilda – bright battle
Beatrice – voyager
Berenice – victory bearer
Beverly – beaver field
Bliss – blissful; joyful
​Blythe – joyful
Braeden –broad hill
Braelyn – ?
Breena – fairy land
Brighton – bright town
Brucie – forest sprite
C
Cade – juniper
Cadence – beat, rhythm
Callie – free woman
Camellia – flowering plant
Camilla – priest’s attendant
Cassandra – shine upon mankind
Cecilia – blinded
Cedrica – battle chieftan
Celeste – sublime
Channel – channel
Channing – ?
Chauncey – chancellor; secretary
Chelsea – born on a pier
Cherish – guard, treasure
Clara – bright and clear
Clarissa – bright and clear
Claudia – feeble woman
Corliss – cheerful; goodhearted
Cydney – woman from a large island
D
Dabria – angel of death
Dae – day
Dale – living in a valley
Dana – from Denmark
Danette – from Denmark
Danita – from Denmark
Daralis – beloved
Daria – owner of goodness
Darlene – dear, darling
Dee – ?
Ditte – fighting to be rich
Donella – dark-haired elfin girl
Duette – two of a kind
Dulcina – rose
E
Eadu – wealth
Eadwynn – rich friend
Earlene – noble woman
Ebba – boar
Ebony – like dark smooth wood
Eda – abbreviation of letter E
Edeva – expensive present
Edie – fighting to be rich
Edit – fighting to be rich
Edmunda – prosperous protector
Edwina – rich friend
Edyta – fighting to be rich
Egberta – bright sword
Elfreda – elf counselor; elf
Elga – elfin spear
Ella – beautiful fairy-woman
Ellette – little elf
Elmina – noble
Elvina – friend of elves
Emilia – competitor; rival
Enola – ?
Erline – the elfin
Ethel – graceful and noble woman
Ethelinda – noble snake
Ethelyn – graceful and noble woman
Eugenia – woman well-born
Evelyn – hazelnut
Everly – from a wild boar meadow
F
Faerydae – gift from the fairies
Farah – beautiful; pleasant
Fay – fairy or elf
Faylinn – fairy kingdom
Fira – fiery; ardent
Fleta – fleet; fast
G
Garnet – dark and red gem
Gayle – cheerful; jovial
Gelsey – jasmine
Gidget – giddy
Gina – queen
Goditha – holy war
Golda – golden girl
Gunilda – battle
Gunnhild – battle maid
H
Hadley – field of heather
Haley – meadow of hay
Harley – meadow of the hare
Harper – harp player
Hawkins – hawker of goods
Hazel – hazelnut tree
Heather – flowering plant
Héloise – sun
Hilaria – joyful
Hildred – battle counsel
Hollis – near the holly bushes
Hulda – lovable
I
Idla – battle
Ina – ?
Ingrith – Ing’s beauty
Isabella – promise of God
Ivory – creamy-white woman
Ivy – ivy tree
J
Jacey – ?
Jaden – ?
Jayla – Jay bird
Jaylee – Jay bird
Jaylyn – Jay bird
Jetta – jet black mineral
Jolenta – violet
K
Kandi – pure; sincere
Keaton – where hawks fly
Kelby – child’s town
Kelsey – from the island of ships
Kenley – royal meadow
Kimber – royal fortress
Kinsey – royal victory
Kip – pointed hill
L
Laila – guardian angel
Laken – from the lake
Lane – from a narrow lane
Lark – skylark
Lee – clearing; meadow
Letha – oblivion; forgetfulness
Liliana – gracious lily
Lilli – flower
Linden – linden tree hill
Lindsey – Lincoln island
Linn – like a twinflower
Long – dragon
Lorelle – elfin Laura
Lorica – protective shell
Luella – famous elf
Lufu – love
Lulie – sleepy
M
Madison – good child of Maud
Magge – pearl
Marden – meadow with a pool
Marissa – of the sea
Marley – from the lake meadow
Marlow – drained lake
Maurelle – dark and elfin
Maven – is knowledgeable
Mercia – border people
Mertie – from a sea town
Mildred – gentle strength
Myla – merciful
N
Naida – water nymph
Nerida – flower; sea nymph
Nissa – friendly elf
Nita – gracious
Nora – honor
Nyx – water sprite
O
Odile – elfin spear
Olivia – olive
Orla – elfin queen
P
Paige – young servant
Paisley – from a glade
Payton – settlement of pagans
Perl – gemstone
Piper – playing the pipe
Polly – rebellious woman
Posy – small bunch of flowers
Presley – field of a priest
Priscilla – old-time; ancient
Q
Questa – a quest
R
Radella – elfin counselor
Reilly – from a meadow of rye
Rhoswen – white rose
Rhyannon – pure maiden; nymph
Rosalie – rose
Roseanne – gracious rose
Rosetta – little rose
Rosina – little rose
Rossa – beautiful flower
Rylan – from the lands of rye
S
Sable – sable; sleek
Sapphire – the sapphire gemstone
Satchel – maker of sacks
Scarlett – red cloth vendor
Sebille – a fairy
Serena – incredibly calm
Shaylee – fairy princess of the field
Shelby – ledge estate
Shelley – meadow on a river bank
Shirley – sunny meadow
Sigourney – victorious conqueror
Sinnie – sun gift
Siusan – lily
Star – star
Susane – lily
Swete – sweet
Synnove – present of the sun
T
Tana – fairy queen
Tania – fairy queen
Tanika – ?
Taya – cloth cutter
Taylor – tailor
Tenanye – cheerful fairy queen
Thelma – ?
Theode – nation; people
Timothea – honoring God
Tina – like a river
Twila – dusk; daybreak
Tyler – tile maker
U
Unity – unity
Utta – wealthy
V
Vanessa – ?
Velma – resolute protector
Veronica – victory bearer
Viola – violet flower
W
Wendy – ?
Wesley – western meadow
Whitley – from a white clearing
Wilda – feral; wild
Willow – willow tree
Winifred – who makes friends with peace
Winnie – who makes friends with peace
Wynne – fair
Z
Zanna – lily
Zenith – highest point; peak
Zola – ?


Names taken from or Baby Names.