Daley Downing's Blog, page 38

How to be a Helpful Beta-Reader

This is especially timely, since I just sent out a manuscript to beta-readers. But I also know this is a subject that’s becoming more and more discussed in the world of blogging. The more indie authors that decide to engage the beta stage as part of their writing process, the more demand there is for such people to emerge and be called on to participate.

So, just what is a beta-reader, what do they do, and how might you become one? Just be patient, I’m getting there. With some tips for authors as well.

Beta-readers are people who read a more or less finished manuscript and help the author determine if it needs more work or not. We’re not really focusing on things like obvious typos or lack of a comma or a character’s name misspelled. In this instance, we’re talking about the meat-and-bones of the story — does it make sense? the plot? the character motivations? the dialogue? are there scenes that seem disjointed, or maybe they were apparently cut short?

Basically — if this book was released tomorrow, in its current state, and you read it as a paying customer, what would you think? Would you recommend it to others? Or would you muse to yourself, “It feels like the author could’ve cut…fleshed out more…included less…written a whole 20 pages about that shapeshifting tomato alien.”

Here’s the reason it’s helpful to authors in the pre-publishing phase — Although the writer maintains the creative control to not follow betas’ suggestions, many (especially indie authors) will be grateful for the feedback, and often will change or adjust certain things in their manuscript if it appears to be a consistent issue for several people. This “little” note can mean the difference between a few sales, and big sales.

(Now, remember — we writers are not bound by a blood oath to use betas’ suggestions. So, if an author feels your particular train of thought just won’t fit into their story, please don’t molt into a kumquat of despair over in the corner.)

Anyway… If you’d like to become a beta-reader, contact indie authors you know on social media, or keep an eye out for notices of people looking for betas. Most of the self-published community I’m familiar with will contact bloggers/reviewers they already know (and trust*) to ask if they’re interested in previewing their latest project. So, probably stalking — er, befriending some authors you already follow on Goodreads or Wattpad, etc., would be a good way to go. Post some reviews of their work — and detailed reviews are the best, so that we know just what you liked about our novel/play/poetry. We may think of you first when we’re getting ready to share our mostly-finished project with others!

*Trust does become an issue when it comes to intellectual property that is not yet copyrighted. Personally, I’m a little paranoid of the idea of somebody stealing my work, so I wouldn’t put a totally-open notice on the internet and send my manuscript to random people. Also, since I ended my debut novel with a big plot twist and sort of a cliffhanger, I really want my sequel to be beta-read by folks that I can trust not to leak spoilers to the rest of the world. Just something for authors to keep in mind, too.*

So, back to what most of us are looking for: Giving detailed and thoughtful analysis of what you read. How many of us would scroll right past the 1-line “review” on Amazon that simply stated, “This is so good!!!”, and search for the review that began, “This book is full of delightful characters, clever sub-plots, and a beautiful setting I could really picture myself in,” when trying to decide if we wanted to buy that new release?

This is exactly what most authors (this includes me) are after. It’s tremendously important to get feedback like, “When Charlie decided to walk his grandmother’s dog, that felt like big personal growth to me, ” or, “Was Sarah supposed to get fired, or did she quit? I wasn’t sure by the way you set up that conversation.” These fine details really help give us, the writers (who have been dealing with our own story for so long we’re nearly cross-eyed and practically sick of it) a fresh, overall perspective.

What are we requesting from our betas? Not much — mostly the time commitment (in my case, I gave my volunteers about a month to finish reading and collect their views), the effort, and perhaps a lemon meringue pie. (Okay, not the pie. But, yeah, that would be fantastic.) Anyway, it’s quite vital — at least if you’re a beta for me — that you put forth your sincere thoughts; please don’t say it was great just because you’re so glad I (or whoever) picked you to participate. Personally, at the moment, I feel there are a lot of holes in my current document, so I won’t be offended at all if someone else picks up on them. However, this brings me to my next very important point:

Even if you don’t like something, you still need to be tactful. For example, stating, “In Scene X, I just thought the violence wasn’t necessary,” or, “I don’t think Character 4 and Character 6 becoming a couple works, for them or for the story,” is a tactful way of crushing an author’s soul to smithereens  of addressing what you see as possible problems for the book as a whole. Honestly, though, I’m sure we can all think of very nasty and not so nice ways of sharing the same sentiments, and imagine that we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that. We’re all grown-ups here, right? (This counts for teen beta-readers, too.) Let’s behave like it.

There is a difference between being a beta and an ARC. With ARCs, the novel is deemed finished, and published, and those who receive an advance copy are sharing their thoughts in a review that goes up on Goodreads or a blog, for the whole world to see, forever, amen. When you’re a beta, your literary analysis is shared only with the author (in some cases editors/agents as well), and your feedback may mean changes are made to the story before it hits the printing press.

So, see, beta-reading is a very important part of this whole process that is writing a book. I imagine as self-publishing continues to grow, so will the demand for betas! So if you’d like to give it a go, we’re happy to have you join us!

How to Survive Writing a Sequel

Tackling the endeavor of writing a full-blown novel is hard, anyway. Many people start the process and never finish. Others manage to create at least one and feel overjoyed. And some of us decide to be truly stupid  ambitious, and attempt to write a series.

That means — one day, you will have to start working on the immediate sequel to your first book.

Here is the biggest question of all — will you survive?

Just kidding! Of course you will! If you follow these handy guidelines…

Don’t try to do too much at once. When I first sat down to write out my draft for Volume 2, I was like, “I am going to get this done this week before all my inspiration fades away!” Although I didn’t say this out loud, I am convinced my children heard and conspired against me. Of course it wasn’t finished in a week. Try 3 months later.

But this is really okay. Because no work of art — literary, musical, choreography, or culinary — has ever come into being after 5 or 6 days. Don’t push yourself too hard. Having goals is good, but even better is to have reasonable goals. Example: Rather than “I will write 10,000 words today,” go with, “I’m aiming for finishing a 10-page chapter by this time tomorrow.” That way, if you only hit half that plan after 36 hours, you will not feel like an abject failure.

Take care of yourself. The last few days, I have honestly been tearing myself up emotionally over the current state of Volume 2, and it’s not cool. Part of the reason I’m so on edge is because while I was expending a great deal of energy on formatting and editing, I was not really paying attention to things like fresh water and vegetables and yoga. Okay, I don’t actually do yoga these days — but maybe I should. My carpal tunnel was acting up, and my neck and shoulders are stiff from maintaining a constant posture of, “But what if I changed this? Oh my gosh, this is crap! What was I thinking?! Huh? Does that even make sense?!”

So, fellow wordsmiths, don’t neglect the rest of life’s priorities — like nutrition, sleep, and giving your body a break. Yes, it’s so tempting to just power through on caffeine and cake — but that only truly works for about an afternoon.

Remember to focus on things that are not your WIP. Laugh hard when your kids do something ridiculous. Listen to music that is not on your writing playlist. Put in a feel-good or nostalgic movie. (As creators, we need to fuel our minds and souls with art, not just try to produce it consistently.)

Taking a break from social media may also become necessary. Not simply for the distraction factor; also because these days stumbling across intense and vitriolic debates is kind of the norm on certain platforms. When you’re hoping to develop something that brings warmth and joy to others (hey, I don’t know what kind of person you are, but that’s my aim in life), that sort of thing really throws off your whole mindset.

Make notes. Refer to them religiously. Use that information to your advantage. For the months of February, March and April, I was spelling Mr. Jepson J-e-h-p-s-e-n in my drafts. When I was looking for something else entirely in Volume 1 and came across my mistake, I think birds in Taiwan heard me scream.

Do not beat yourself up for not being able to remember absolute word-for-word exactly what the first novel includes. So you wrote it — you are also human (and yes, this is still true for bookdragons). You will forget things or make mistakes. I promise, it is not the end of the world.

No one is forcing you to be perfect. Except maybe you — in which case, you need to tell yourself to knock it off. Especially when it comes to first, second, even third drafts. Usually by the third draft, I’ve ironed out a lot of plot issues, typos (intead rather than instead), and silly things like using Shuli Wang’s real name when he’s in his kitty form, Sammy, and being addressed as such. But if someone else catches something later, there is in fact still time to fix it.

Recently, as I’m preparing for my re-issue of Volume 1, I noticed a few things I’d kind of like to change, but that aren’t 110% necessary to. One thing I think I’m actually going to use it to my advantage, in terms of creating a plot twist many readers probably won’t see coming. Mwahahahaha…

Let the rest of the world come in. Not even waiting until you’ve finished your project to do so. Fresh air is important. So is company (yes, the autistic moth says this sincerely). Sometimes take a day off to go run around the park with your family, or just to shop for that laundry hamper you’ve been putting off replacing.

(I can guarantee 47 new witty lines of dialogue will come to you while you’re out of the house.)

There are days when you simply will feel the drive to knuckle down and produce 5,000 words that day, or edit 20 pages, and emerge somewhere after 8 p.m. from your workspace, resembling a hobbit who’s just come out of Mirkwood Forest after being chased by spiders — and this is okay, too.

In short, everything in moderation, don’t hate on yourself, and don’t give up. You will make it through this. (And, then, yes, one day someone will read your sequel, and probably even like it.)

Time to Start the Monthly Recaps!

Hello there! So, haven’t I said this before, that I was going to start doing monthly update posts of what in general was going on? Didn’t I then abandon all such attempts a few months ago? Okay! We’re going for this again!

It’s a really good way to squeeze in all the details you meant to relate about certain topics, projects, or reasons for forgetting — er, I mean, accidentally neglecting other tasks or plans. And since I just found out today is July 30th, it feels like a good time…

Is it just me, or did July kind of…get cut short somewhere? Is there a nefarious force at work in the universe that is actually stealing hours or even whole weeks from our planet? Or maybe just American calendars…

What am I talking about? Oh, right — monthly wrap-up and review.

So, here’s a quick overview of what July was like for me in writing:

My head exploded. Okay, not literally. But there were days when it was close. I finished the beta-read version of my Volume 2 manuscript, which was going to be Camp NaNo for me, but I changed my mind on about July 1st, because I could tell that simply wasn’t going to work. I was feeling pressured, and planning to stick to a deadline just…well, ker-splush.

I did, however, for many intents and purposes, complete the latest draft of Volume 2. This is important, since it means I can now look forward to editing once I get the feedback from my beta readers (cries a little on behalf of the suffering they are about to endure), and preparing for my next releases!

I have officially decided on switching publishing companies. Technically this isn’t writing itself (meaning not pen to paper or keyboard to screen), but it’s still a very vital part of the whole process. Since conducting all sales and shipping myself has become a bit of a handful, I shall be making future releases through a self-publishing website (which one has yet to be 100% determined) that will handle orders and distribution for me.

So, look for a new edition of Volume 1 (with new cover and available online — same content as the first edition!) pretty soon (I’m aiming for sometime in September). If you already purchased my first printing (thankyouthankyouthankyou!), and wish to own the re-release as well, I shall make sure the new edition is offered at a low price.

And then Volume 2 should be available before the end of fall! My goal is to schedule an official date for that while summer is still with us!

Now, onto what reading was like for me in July:

I am a bundle of sadness because I polished off my TBR… And so many of the reads I’d been looking forward to were disappointing packets of meh. Not that everything I picked up was terrible — not at all, in fact! But my issues are the following:

Too much of what is currently on the market simply does not appeal to me. There are tons of new releases in the last couple of months that I just could not give two random apricots about, and it means I am rapidly running out of new things to read. (The horror.)

I prefer shorter books, so that I can go through them quicker. The down side — I go through them quicker. Yes, this seems a bit silly, since I just stated I prefer novels that only run about 220-300 pages. It is a personal, and practical, choice, and often it works. However, if I don’t have several shorter books lined up, then…yeah, eventually my TBR sort of vanishes of its own accord.

On the plus side — I read two ARCs, Chivalry’s Children and Tomb of the Sea Witch, both by indie authors, which is definitely encouraging my goals to promote more self-published works! And with my birthday coming up, I’ll have a chance to place some orders for indie titles that I’ve heard really good things about!

A look at life in general around The Invisible Moth:

White Fang is in film camp for the second summer. He is becoming a master at cinematic editing. Way cool for my future programmer to add that to his list of skills. As part of this camp, he has also gone swimming, to a nature center, been to see Wonder Woman and Spiderman: Homecoming, and generally has more of a life than I have in ages.

Muffin was accepted into the special needs preschool program we’ve been on the waiting list for. This is a big deal because having all his services (physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy) come to the house is getting a bit tedious for me; and he needs constant exposure to age-appropriate special ed — which is, of course, so much easier for a classroom run by 3 or 4 formally-trained adults to pull off, than one rather stressed and harried mom trying to also clean and work from home.

And here’s what I have planned for August:

My birthday approacheth. I am already too old for my liking, and I shall only be growing older. (Who could’ve guessed that would happen?!) I have until the 14th to make my peace (or not) with this cold, hard truth.

We are expecting visitors in the middle of the month. We don’t often have company (lots of reasons for that), and these visitors are two of my most favorite people in the world (and I completely mean that), so my family will be very blessed by this occasion.

There will be the premiere of White Fang’s finished camp film, and preschool orientation for Muffin. Pretty self-explanatory; still, big things that we’re looking forward to.

Hope July went well for all of you, moths! And here’s to August not leaping off the calendar pages into oblivion!

Why I’ve Basically Stopped Watching Television

I have tried. I have tried watching modern sitcoms, murder mysteries, medical dramas, other types of dramas, historical pieces, and “historical” pieces, epic fantasies. Even children’s programs don’t seem to have the same standards for storytelling that they used to (I mean, so it’s for kids, it still has to make at least a little bit of sense).

Anyway, the only things I truly enjoy watching anymore are Jeopardy!, The Big Bang Theory with White Fang, PBS Nature, and the occasional Masterpiece Theatre. I would much rather listen to music, read, or put in a movie.

There are lots of specific, smaller reasons why when it comes to individual programs that either I used to like or that I never did like after watching a few episodes. But here are the major ones:

The plots become tedious. There’s been a murder, the detectives find clues, exchange witty banter, almost die, and then solve the murder within two days. A patient enters the hospital with something like a stubbed toe, and discovers they have the worst kind of disease ever; after delivering the bad news to the one-episode guest star, the doctors all go sleep with each other. Whatever small problem happens in the sitcom — a child fails a math test, the neighbor’s car breaks down, the beautiful pre-law student stumbles on her neighbor kissing her sister’s boyfriend — somehow it’s all magically fixed within 22 minutes. It’s all very predictable; and for me, predictable often equals boring.

Too much sex, gory violence, and profanity is not my cup of tea. I honestly don’t care if some feel these elements make a show “more realistic” or “more exciting.” Since fiction is supposed to be an escape for most of us, I would really rather not be reminded of the more brutal and less noble aspects of humanity while trying to be “entertained.” I’m actually finding myself beginning to lose respect for actors that I repeatedly see in very violent or sexual programs (via the previews and commercials — usually a 30-second clip helps me determine very quickly if I’ll be watching more, or not).

Why does there have to be a social justice agenda to everything? Why the heck does a fictional superhero need to care who won the U.S. 2016 election? Why do we need to be bombarded with characters “coming out” in alternate lifestyles? Why is it so important to shoehorn current debates on climate change and captive marine mammals into battles between comic book heroes and villains? Hint, TV industry — they don’t, we don’t, and it isn’t.

If series go on for too long, they tend to get repetitive, and dull. I know that ratings (translation, money) tends to make the decision much more than the quality of a program as to how long the program develops new episodes. But as far as I’m concerned, I think there should be such a thing called “artistic integrity,” meaning that directors/scriptwriters/actors know — and respect — when it’s time to call it quits.

I simply don’t find many TV characters I can relate to. If our society is supposed to be building tolerance for formerly “marginalized” people, then why don’t we have well-researched and kind portrayals of characters with autism, ADHD, physical disabilities, Down’s syndrome, phobias, blindness, deafness, and so much more? Why can’t we have TV families that live in a modest duplex, or single parents working as janitors, or college students who actually have to share an apartment in a lower middle class neighborhood and don’t drive a Porsche? (Also, without any of these situations being poked fun at?)

We used to have TV shows airing that covered a lot of these things, respectfully and with good writing and acting. I’m not necessarily one for nostalgia, but I do find myself starting many sentences regarding prime time broadcasts with, “I remember when…” And I truly think I shouldn’t have to be considered “an old foagie” to be feeling this way.

I just can’t get on board with “reality” TV. For one thing, most of it isn’t real. Sorry to burst your bubble, folks. (Actually, not that sorry.)

Game shows and talent competitions make me yawn. This is probably a strong personal preference, but it’s yet another reason that I avoid or ignore the screen.

So, now that I’ve spent a fair amount of time whinging at you, what are your thoughts? Do you struggle to find something worth your precious free time when it comes to television? Are you big on Netflix and Amazon original programming — the “way of the future”? Or would you rather we go back to the days of 10 channels with quality shows on at least 7 of them most nights of the week?

Review: Beaumont and Beasley by Kyle Robert Shultz

So, here we are, with the first regular book review I’ve done in ages! We’ll start with the Beaumont and Beasley new fantasy series by indie author Kyle R. Shultz. The first novel is called The Beast of Talesend (new cover above), and the latest release (below) is The Tomb of the Sea Witch.

The premise of Beaumont and Beasley is that, in an alternate history and alternate Europe, fairytales were real, and very different (more dark and gritty) than those of us in the Disney-as-king era may be aware. The clever bit is that the author does go back to the actual Grimm, Christensen, etc. tales (which were often quite nasty indeed).

The protagonist/narrator is Nick Beasley, a private detective who is convinced magic is not real, and makes sure to uncover all the fraudulent wizards and the like of his city/time period. However, Nick gets the rug yanked out from under him when a magical spell turns him into a beast.

(None of this is spoilers; it’s all available in blurb form on various websites.)

Anyway, this sets the stage for some great adventures. Nick is quickly paired with Cordelia Beaumont (who’s a rather wild card enchantress), and along with turning our versions of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White inside out, there’s so much clean, fun humor, action, and witty banter (without an obvious lead to romance — something unexpected, and refreshing for many readers).

If you’re looking for a fantasy read that’s different, not-tropey, and appropriate for a range of ages, I strongly suggest getting a copy of The Beast of Talesend. (Paperbacks and e-books are available. And now an audio version, too! See, you have no excuse!)

Also, if you don’t read The Beast of Talesend, then you’ll soon be behind, since book 2 has just been released!

The Tomb of the Sea Witch (original planned title was Song of the Drowned, which, sorry, but I liked better) picks up fairly soon after the events of book 1, but in a very different setting. This time Nick’s half-brother Crispin joins Nick and Cordelia for the adventures.

Let me wax poetic about the characters for a moment. As an autistic reader, I really enjoy it when I find characters I can connect to. Nick and Crispin (especially Crispin) Beasley do this. In book 1, there are very few secondary characters (which actually was refreshing, since 756 supporting cast in a fantasy novel becomes rather difficult for me). In book 2, there are many, but the major ones are fleshed out, with plenty to like about some of them.

To say I was infatuated with Headmaster Malcolm Blackfire is an understatement. Usually I don’t go for “the bad boy” type, but I totally loved his sophistication, sense of authority, refusal to take any sass, and his deep-down noble character. Also, the second novel includes a pooka, centaur, satyr, dryad, unicorn, and salamander. (I need Sparky the salamander and Edmund the unicorn.)

I received an ARC of TotSW, but this does not sway my opinions. (I can be a bit merciless like that…)

Whereas Beast had a very light-hearted feel to it, Tomb seemed a bit more serious. Not necessarily in a bad way, though. I could tell that the author was working hard to further develop his characters, and when it comes to Crispin, it’s obvious that’s happening. With Nick and Cordelia, it seems slower, but it’s there (particularly Nick). (Maybe it’s because I’m not as attached to Cordelia, though? Honestly, I wasn’t completely sure Nick could trust her until about 25 pages from the end of Beast, so I guess it’s fair to say I’m not as invested in her growth? Part of me is still waiting for her to be revealed as a secret master villain.)

There are also many hints that the next books (at least two more are planned) will introduce more new characters and bigger plots. I like that idea, since the world-building has established early on there’s so much to possibly explore in this premise. My only concern (not even a concern, really, more of a note) is that, whereas Beast seemed to have all the relevant plot points covered down to a tee, Tomb had moments that felt a bit…disjointed? underdeveloped? But I read an ARC, remember, and sometimes changes are made to the manuscripts before the final sales product hits shelves/websites.

And please don’t let this minor notice deter you from this very fun, interesting, exciting, and sometimes poignant series. It hits a lot of high notes, and it’s appropriate YA fantasy, without feeling at all stodgy or too silly. Recommended for fans of fairytale re-tellings and modern-ish fantasy, of all ages.

 

Hello, Yes, It’s Me

So, I have recently discovered this little anime black kitty theme (I have no idea what series or movie he/she may be from/based on — my anime knowledge is intensely limited). Anyway, I really hope you all love seeing these pictures (as much as I do) throughout this post.

On to the real business of things — hello! Yes, I am alive! *The Invisible Moth struggles out from under her piles of notes and books and children’s laundry. Her hair will be a mess, and she will no longer remember her actual name. That’s okay, she can have her readers vote on a new one.*

So, as some of you are aware, the rest of this month turned into getting Volume 2 ready for beta-readers. At first, I wasn’t even going to do the beta stage; just read through the edits once more myself and prepare for formatting, pre-publishing-stage. Then I began to have this sinking feeling about it… Whether it’s actually ready or not, I’m truly unsure anymore.

Hence my plans changed — I am going with betas, and I will worship the ground they walk on as they reveal my author’s flaws to me  ahem, I mean, I will be very, very grateful for their feedback in this process. There has been such positive reception of Masters and Beginners, I really want to keep the momentum going for the series (my BABY, after all), and not make some lame choice that sends my readers into fits, yelling, “What are you doing?!”

Also, during this time of self-imposed restricted posting, I’ve discovered something — I’m spreading myself too thin with attempting to cover 5 or 6 topics in one blog. My brain is beginning to slightly resemble jello as it is, and this is increased (really wibbly-wobbly jello) by trying to remember things like: When was the last time I posted on education? 17 ways to organize your teenager’s closet? How to survive the week with a toddler? What to do when your family insists on watching stupid boat wrecks on YouTube when you need to get that chapter finished?

It is becoming a little too much, my friends.

Therefore I have elected to narrow down the topics I cover on this blog. Maybe one day (like after my children are grown and leave home) I’ll start a separate space for covering educational and intellectual disability issues, child-rearing, the best method for bathing your cat, and the like.

But these days, The Invisible Moth needs to be a space more dedicated to reading, writing, and related subjects I’ve been wanting to start discussing — like the creative arts of movies and music (and sometime I really should talk about dance more). I have enough going on in my life at the moment; attempting to complicate it even further probably isn’t a wise notion.

So, this new course of action makes sense.

I am aware that some of you would probably be happy if I posted my grocery list occasionally (honestly? hopefully not). Anyway, you have been so supportive, and I greatly appreciate it. *inserts some cute animal hugging you and showering you with flower petals* Really, I do.

The other thing I’m considering is — imposing more of these posting restrictions, especially around very busy times, like the start of the new school year, or the holidays. I won’t lie — I’m one of those bloggers who gets a little panicky if the stats begin to drop because I haven’t posted in 64 hours. And as much as social media grates on my nerves sometimes, I have met some truly wonderful people through Twitter and Goodreads, so I won’t be abandoning my platforms there any day soon.

But there are weeks when I just…need a break from all of that. I need to not care what the hashtag means, what the thread is, or who posted that nasty comment about a book I loved. And as much as I love reading what others post, too, I simply don’t have the energy in certain seasons to spend a lot of time on blogs that aren’t mine.

Having more days when I just don’t obsess about all this stuff will hopefully make my head a little clearer.

I am debating starting up a Wattpad account, though! A lot of indie or future authors are finding this a very good place to share their work and build a reader base. It’s free, so I wouldn’t get paid, but that’s what switching publishers is for. Increasing my “fan” base (wow, it still feels strange to use that word), for free to the future minions  er, new potential readers would most likely be valuable to them. (If they like what they see, they may be inclined to actually spend money on me. Hey, wait, they know I’m saying this…)

(Drat, now my secret plan is out…)

Anyway, I am extremely grateful to all of you for still being here, and hopefully this next stage of the journey will be great for all of us!

Warriors Update: Omen of the Stars

Warning: I am breaking all my rules about no spoilers. I just have to.

Also, this is probably going to be an extremely long post. Pull out that comfy sofa and grab some tea and biscuits, and a box (or two) of tissues.

Last night, I finished reading The Last Hope, which is the final book in the Omen of the Stars series, which is considered the last “regular” series of Warriors. (Really, it wasn’t, because there were already many plans for super-editions, and the prequel, Dawn of the Clans, which answers a lot of questions about the beginning of this society and its ways.) Anyway, the point is, in Omen of the Stars, storylines and character arcs that have been going on since either at least the Power of Three, or even the very beginning, are resolved.

I hadn’t really planned on reading through till the end of the book last night, but I hit a point where I just couldn’t stop; it was time to find out what happened. And yet, I’d really been dreading reaching the end of this series. For some reason, I found myself outright resisting reading too fast, or too much of one book at a time. I just…didn’t want this storyline to come to an end.

Just one of the many, many fantastic fan-imagined art images you can find by spending (way too much) time on Google.

This is most likely why I spent so much time looking for all the images I included in this post…

Okay, am I actually going to start reviewing now?

Throughout Omen of the Stars, it’s clear that a lot of things are coming to a head. There is an evil enemy gaining power, the Dark Forest cats. They are the cats that were just real, complete (read unprintable swear words here) in life, and when they die — quite often in bloody battle — they don’t go to a nice, peaceful afterlife (which is StarClan) — they go to (makes sense) the Dark Forest.

Dun-dun-dun!
(Dovewing and Ivypool) If only it could always be like this…

As we read through the Power of Three, we’ve been introduced to Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf, who are siblings (from the same litter, so, littermates). There’s a prophecy about a trio who will rise to become more powerful than any other cats in living memory, and it’s so that they can defeat this terrible enemy. Because there were three in this litter, it’s just assumed that all three complete the prophecy. (Remember what I said about breaking my spoiler rules? Hold onto your hats, everyone; this is just the start.) Turns out…the prophecy is not that simple and clear-cut.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather are part of the trio; the third is a cousin of theirs, Dovewing. They all have special abilities and skills, apparently from birth, and they hone them to become the greatest threat the Dark Forest has ever seen.

And they’ll need all the help they can get. There are several formidable warriors on the villains’ side, and since they died, they’ve been stewing in what they see as wrongs the Clans did to them. So, the bloodthirsty desire for revenge has been growing; and of course, there’s nothing but time for these lost souls…

Oh my gosh, look! …Where was I? Sorry, just admiring the fan art again…

So, of course, the Dark Forest tries to trick otherwise loyal Clan cats to join the wrong side of the Great Battle…

And the worst part, for me, is that StarClan, which has always watched over the living cats, and not let Clan rivalries divide them, has let the Dark Forest encroach even on that.

One of the major issues throughout the books is the fact that the warrior code — which is basically their laws and regulations — is shown to have some pretty big flaws, and it creates tension not only between the Clans, but within the Clans, too. It means that if you belong to, for example, ThunderClan, you can’t take a mate from, say, RiverClan. But do cats from different Clans still fall in love? Of course. Do some cats take huge offense to that type of thing? Oh, my, yes.

A perfect example is when Tigerstar (think WORST GUY EVER) came to power, back in The Prophecies Begin. He decided that all “half-Clan cats” (meaning mixed parentage) didn’t deserve to live. (Yes, I’m talking genocide.) So, needless to say, he had to be stopped. However, it raised the very important question — how many cats kind of agreed with him that half-Clan lineage was dangerous to the society as a whole?

Gasp… Thank you so much for sharing your creations with us, guys, seriously.

So, I completely love it that Lionblaze and Jayfeather are in fact half-Clan themselves. And Dovewing’s grandfather (Cloudtail) actually started out life as a kittypet. That’s right, he was born to a housecat and then he grew up in the forest and became a warrior. But to many, that makes his origins and his blood tainted — and then his granddaughter is one of The Three! Well, guess what — kittypets are more than good enough for StarClan!

This is the other thing Tigerstar hates: kittypets. Since Firestar, one of the best leaders ThunderClan has ever had, was born a housecat (Cloudtail is his nephew), Tigerstar has had it out for Firestar from day one. And since The Last Hope really states a lot by its title, you get the idea that not only are The Three going to be majorly needed, but, chances are, so is the cat that was once prophesied to save all the Clans.

(Yes, we mean Firestar. Of course we do. To me, this was really a no-brainer. Some of the other cats are really shocked by just how important a former kittypet is to the salvation of their families and civilization as they know it. A really good lesson about not judging a cat by his origins.)

The all-powerful trio first alluded to in the Power of Three series.

So, as we draw closer to the Great Battle… As a reader, there were a whole lot of cringe-worthy moments. For example — as the Dark Forest (literally) gets their claws into nice cats, and tries to turn them, figuring out which ones may be traitors, and may not be, became priority number one. There were some cats that, if they turned out to be traitors, it would simply have broken my heart. (And of course that of the other characters… Er, really, I know it’s just a story…)

The other big thing was needing StarClan to get it together. In StarClan, there aren’t supposed to be boundaries, enemies, grudges or resentments. There are no separate territories to fight over; no reason to remember your differences. It’s all one big hunting ground, and the cats who lived noble, honorable lives — and that’s most of them — get to enjoy each other’s company and watch over their descendants and the friends they left behind. So when StarClan split, it was devastating. The living cats needed them more than ever, and… Oh, my gosh…

Both sides poised for battle!

But here comes in a very interesting thing (that I honestly didn’t think was that big a deal): the Ancients. (Wow, was I wrong.)

The Ancients are the cats whose descendants formed the Clan system. Their history has mostly been told through Jayfeather’s experience (and some time travel moments worthy of Star Trek). But in The Last Hope, there are some major players from that group that really step up to the plate, in the present time. Just amazing.

And, yes, StarClan gets its act together. Never doubted it. (Okay, for a bit there…)

A montage of some of the big plot points from the other series.

All of the information in the last 4 series have been leading up to this point…

From The Prophecies Begin, when Firestar receives his nine lives from StarClan.

And so, we finally reach the Great Battle…

Before I get into the outcome of that: This is literally what I think of the Dark Forest leaders. (I have never sworn so much while reading juvenile fiction.)

“Mapleshade, you witch!”
“Darkstripe, you bastard!”
“Hawkfrost, you a—–e!”
“Brokenstar, you wanker!”
“TIGERSTAR!” (read unprintable words here)

Begin major spoiler alert:

Hollyleaf, a lost but not forgotten warrior, who more than deserved a chance at redemption.

Hollyleaf thought she’d naturally be the third cat in the prophecy, since she was Lionblaze and Jayfeather’s littermate. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the truth. And being half-Clan really wrecked Hollyleaf. She made some very bad decisions, and ran away from ThunderClan, and was believed to be dead. Not only is she not, but she saves the lives of others in the Great Battle.

Get the tissues out. There was so much crying last night…

Since I generally only have time to read when Muffin is in bed or eating, I usually end up reading late in the evening or very early in the morning. Sometimes, this means I have to keep my feelings about a twist quiet, so that I don’t wake other family members.

Sometimes at 6 a.m. in my house, you might hear shouted out, “YELLOWFANG RULES!!!”

Last night, the tears flowed freely, and my husband asked me why I kept talking to the book.

(Totally worth it.)

Yellowfang came back to defend her adopted Clan in grand style. The Ancients were just awesome. Warriors like Whitestorm and Longtail and Honeyfern returned from their afterlife to kick serious evil feline behind. So…much…crying…

And Spottedleaf…oh, my, Spottedleaf…

Firestar and Spottedleaf, dear friends in life, dear friends forever.

Spottedleaf and Firestar were close friends — okay, almost more than friends, but Spottedleaf was a medicine cat, and she was supposed to not take a mate or have kits, in order to serve her whole Clan and treat every single cat as family. It’s a medicine cat rule. I think it’s kind of an unfair rule. But Spottedleaf chose to abide by it completely, and she never acted on the love she felt for Firestar. There’s a lot of honor in that. Firestar respected her decision; plus, he fell in love with Sandstorm. It all worked out. And after Spottedleaf died, she kept visiting Firestar in his dreams to help, warn and guide him when he became leader. What she wanted most for him was happiness.

So, when it came time to save Sandstorm…Spottedleaf made the ultimate sacrifice.

OH. MY. GOSH.

Firestar and Sandstorm, great mates for all of Firestar’s lives.

More tissues, please.

It was time for Firestar to move on. We all saw that one coming. But it doesn’t feel tragic. It feels right. The Dark Forest was defeated; some of its leaders utterly destroyed (and, man, did they deserve it). A new day dawns for the Clans; so much has been lost, but so much resolved, forgiven, and it’s been proven that they can go on.

As I watch my own kittypet (his name is Toby) sleeping so peacefully on the recliner, I can’t help but wonder, if there really was a Clan system in the woods behind our neighborhood, would he join it, become a warrior, defend their way of life? Would those cats welcome him? Even make him a leader?

The majestic leader of Thunderclan, Firestar.

 

Runt, Inc.

[image error]

Years ago, when White Fang was little, we referred to him as “the Runt.” Obviously he grew out of physically or emotionally fitting that title, yet we still fondly remember. We joked that the name of our family business (which we do not have) should be Runt, Inc.

Now we do actually have a Runt once again. But interestingly, we don’t refer to Muffin that way. It’s like White Fang secured that term so concretely in our memories that we never even considered applying it to Muffin.

Yet in so many ways Muffin does fit the idea of “a runt.” He was tiny when he was born, and he’s still a pretty little guy. However, White Fang certainly taught us that “runts” are not to be underestimated.

[image error]

White Fang was diagnosed ASD at age 4. He couldn’t speak proper words or sentences then. He needed occupational therapy and went to a special needs preschool for a year. He only graduated from speech therapy in 6th grade.

But he’s also spent those years learning to play percussion, singing in chorus, making the honor roll, and now he’s a programmer in training.

Muffin spent the first week of his life in the NICU. He still has to go to physical and speech therapy, and has fought hard to be as mobile as he is. He survived jaundice, acid reflux, lazy eye (and its surgery).

White Fang has sensory issues with texture, smell, and taste that mean he’s not a fun person to cook for. But he’s a master at changing diapers.

He and Muffin already have a very strong brotherly bond. I already know they will be there for each other in ways I can’t even imagine yet. White Fang knows what it’s like to have a rough start in life, and that you don’t have to let that define you. Muffin only knows his big brother takes care of him and plays with him and looks out for him. But he loves White Fang, too; and to Muffin, the ASD is normal. I have a feeling he’ll have White Fang’s back in ways we can’t even imagine yet.

So, yeah, don’t underestimate the runts.

[image error]

 

The Lens

We all see the world through a lens. We often don’t want to admit it, but it’s true.

But we need to speak up. Not the neurotypical folks who profess to have our corner — those of us on the spectrum. A lot of NTs do love us and support us being who we are — no forced conforming, no cure. And that’s the part I want to address right now.

We are not “broken.” We do not need to be “cured.” We are simply a way of living, a way of being that the rest of the world hasn’t caught onto yet.

I put all these pleasant pictures in this post to remind myself that I don’t want to go on a rant today. There are other things I have to get to, and they feel more important this morning than focusing on the negative.

In a very loud and busy world, we are the quiet, the simplicity, the sense of taking a deep breath for the pure reason of feeling the sensation of our body and mind filling with fresh air.

We hold up a lens to the world, and adjust it until we find the stillness, the colors, the tranquility of rest.

We love, we laugh, we observe. We think, we explore.

We create music and art, we write and some of us dance. We know the power of words and feelings, maybe better than most.

We hope to be accepted, because we really don’t see any reason to change our perspective.

Being appreciated as we are, and even respected, would be just great.

Hopefully one day there will be no need to adjust others’ lenses.

Flash Fiction: In the Rain

The rain brings the rainbow, her grandmother had reminded her. You can’t have one without the other.

She wasn’t really comforted by that thought at the moment. This was one of those days when she wanted the rainbow without suffering through the rain first.

He opened her umbrella for her, and took them down a path that was lit with several streetlights. It was quiet; the birds were hiding, and so were most people.

“A nice cup of tea after this,” he said. “And a warm blanket.”

“And a warm cat,” she added.

He smiled at her, from under his umbrella, the rain falling around him. It didn’t make him look sad.

She remembered the day they found the cat. A little bundle of dark fur, wet and alone. He wasn’t sure about having a pet; but she couldn’t leave the poor thing. And he wanted her happy, above all else.

Since then, the cat had become treasured by both of them. They both wanted a cuddle from the kitty after coming home.

But this particular rainy evening, she let him cuddle her more. She let him sit right beside her, and draw them both under the big, comfy blanket. She let him select the television program, the hot beverage, and where the cat sat.