R.M. Archer's Blog, page 34

4-Part WIP Special – Part 4: Ultimate Goals

We have reached the last week of the 4-Part WIP Special. D: This week is diving into long-term, ultimate goals, so let’s go out with a bang.

 

What is one of the BIGGEST dreams or goals you have for your life?

Overall, to travel all over the world. I want to see as much as it as I possibly can, learn about things firsthand, gain more experiences to use in my writing, spread the love of Christ, all that jazz.

As far as only writing is concerned… I think I’d like to publish at least a hundred books before I die.

Name the wildest goal you’ve got! (Don’t worry: we won’t judge.)

Those two up there.

What goal scares you the most? Why?

Currently? My goal to go to RealmMakers next year. I’m SUPER EXCITED about the idea, but also I’m afraid I’ll end up staying in my little bubble, hiding in my comfort zone all week like I do most places and won’t get to fully enjoy it. Last year I would have interpreted that as being afraid of meeting people, but that’s really not what it is. It’s my fear that I’m afraid of, I guess. XD

What steps do you need to do to reach some of your goals?

*long sigh* Oh boy. I have so many goals with so many steps. XD I guess I’ll stick with RealmMakers for now. I want to have a completed novel when I get there, so I can pitch it and not waste the opportunity. Traditional publishing isn’t my ultimate goal, but I definitely want to try it at least once and see how it works and get familiar with the process and get a book or series traditionally published. In order to do this, I have to finish The Masked Captain (this is the one I’ve deciding to pitch) and go through at least one round of editing. I also want to get paperbacks from a couple of authors I’m looking forward to meeting, and probably get a second suitcase just to haul all the books I want to get signed. XD I want to cosplay (again, mostly for the experience and saying I’ve done it), so I’ll need to decide a character to go as and acquire the pieces for my costume. And I’ll need to raise the money to actually get there and attend the conference. So… lots of steps. XD

Have your ultimate goals changed?  Have you decided not to do something, or to do things differently?

In what time-frame are we talking? Eight years ago I still wanted to be a private detective or a spy when I grew up, despite how much I enjoyed writing and how terrible my skills of observation were (and still sometimes are). Two years ago, I had no dreams of traveling the world, or of going into youth/music ministry. Now I do. But, in general, my writing goals have stayed the same since I was ten-ish: I want to be a proficient author, and I want that to be my primary career.

Do you plan to finish your current story ideas and then do other things in the future, or do you see yourself always having some story in the works?

I will always be working on a story, until the day I die, if not by choice then because I can’t stop the story ideas flooding my brain on a daily basis. But it’ll probably be by choice.

If you could get only one book/trilogy/series published, what would it be?

So I want to say my whole Hylands series, because they’re super close to my heart and I’m excited to rebuild them and share them. But, really, I’d publish The Dark War Trilogy. I’ve spent too much time on it and it has too big a meaning for me to not publish it, and really it means more to me to share that one than it does for me to share the Hylands series. I’d be okay with just having those finished, I think.

Realistically, where do you see yourself in the future?

This is an extremely vague question. Next year? In five years? In fifty years?

Let’s just go with five. I’ll be twenty-two-ish. Let’s say I’ve published three novels (and several more short stories, probably), I’ve been out of the country once, I’ve tried YouTube and if I liked it I have an ongoing channel, I’ve finished (or mostly finished) my rebuild of Aleruus for all those old “novels” I wrote, I’ve been to RealmMakers at least once, and I’m a camp counselor.

Reality aside, where would you like to be in the future?

Again, five years. I’ve published four novels (one traditionally), been out of the country once, tried YouTube, finished my rebuild of Aleruus and re-written at least the first Hylands book, been to RealmMakers every year since 2020, and I’m married and work with my husband in youth/music ministry in the church. Oh, and at least the first drafts of The Dark War Trilogy are finished.

Do you see yourself as a Writer, or just someone who writes?

Definitely as a writer, though personally I’d use the term author because I intend to publish regularly. To me “someone who writes” is someone who writes just to write, which is awesome. A “writer” is someone who publishes once or twice but doesn’t really consider it their career. An “author” is someone who’s dedicated to their craft and wishes to make a career out of it. So I consider myself an author, or a writer on her way to becoming an author.

4-Part WIP Special – Part 3: Yearly Goals

This week’s WIP Special theme is yearly writing goals… of which I have a lot.

Name your yearly (writing) goals!

At the beginning of the year, this was my list:

Write 2k per day
Write a short story per month
Publish Slander & Steel
Publish The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles
Complete a short novel
Finish The Shadow Raven
Outline Unstoppable
Finish Short Story Collection Vol. 2
Finish Memories & Photographs
Win all three NaNoWriMo events
Publish Caithan

I updated that at the beginning of this month (the beginning of this quarter) and it now looks like this:

Write 2k per day
Write The Masked Captain
Finish The Shadow Raven
Publish Slander & Steel
Publish The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles
Win all three NaNoWriMo events
Write a short story each month
Publish Caithan

So… it’s still a lot. But I got more specific about my “short novel” and trimmed off a couple of goals that I wasn’t as excited about.

Which goal are you most looking forward to starting/completing? Why?

Currently, publishing The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. It’s the first thing I’m really excited about publishing that I’ve gotten into the actual process of publishing, and I want to share it with people so they can enjoy it.

Is there any goal that you aren’t that enthusiastic about completing? Why?

Writing a short story each month. I don’t know why that didn’t get cut when I updated my goals. I’m still kind of tired of short stories, so I’m still not super excited to write more of them.

Did you maybe set too many goals for this year?

Almost certainly.

How do you keep on track/accountable with your goals?

I have my goals divvied up into months (e.g. write The Masked Captain in April, edit it in August, etc.), and I have a goals checklist each month in my bullet journal. Then each quarter I’m going to go in and update my year-long goals to be more realistic (hopefully) and cut out those that I’m not motivated about for this year.

Have you told your family about any of your goals? What do they think about your goals?

I told my sister and my mom. I don’t remember what my mom’s reaction was, but my sister thinks I’m crazy and overambitious. Which is probably correct.

Are you planning to do NaNoWriMo in November?  If so, do you know what you will be writing?

I know I’m planning to do it. I don’t know at the moment what I’ll be writing. The two most likely contenders are The Shadow Raven and a couple of Kersir novellas, but we’ll find out when we get there. :)

Are you nervous about any of your goals?  Are some out of your comfort zone?

I wouldn’t say nervous, exactly. I’m not sure about getting some of them done, but none of them are especially outside of my comfort zone.

How are you doing on your goals so far?

I’m not writing close to 2k most days
I’m in the midst of writing The Masked Captain
I’m not sure I’ve written anything on The Shadow Raven this year, and if I did it was in January or February and that’s it
My dad has said he’s going to pay for one of the editors for Slander & Steel so that when I launch another Kickstarter I’ll be one step closer in the process, but I’m not sure when that’s going to be (I’d love to start making money somehow and be able to pay for the editor myself, but so far there’s been no luck in that department)
I’m in the middle of a blog tour for The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, but my mom and I need to do the formatting and we haven’t gotten a time to sit down and do that yet (it will be done before the launch, I promise)
So far I am not on track to win April’s Camp NaNo, so my goal of winning all three could be dead by the end of the month.
Like I said, I’m not sure why the short story a month is still on the list. I haven’t even been working toward this one.
Caithan has a short version completed (has since December) and a longer version half-finished that I plan to finish next month.

Other participants:
Jules
Nicole
Faith
Sarah
Catherine
Ceci

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles Blog Tour!

Today marks the beginning of the blog tour for The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles! I’m super excited to share with you the book reviews, character interviews, and author interviews that are in store! I’ll be sharing the posts on social media the day they’re posted, but if you don’t have social media or just don’t want to follow me, you can come back here and check out the post for each day.

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

Release date: May 1, 2019

Goodreads page

About the Author:

R.M. Archer has been an avid reader since she was a toddler and has always been a lover of story. Her first exploration of the other side of the page was a mystery at age seven, and though her preferred genre has changed, her interest in writing has not. She’s a homeschooled teenager living with her family in northern Virginia.

Blog Tour Schedule:
April 17th

R.M. Archer – Blog tour introduction

Kate Flournoy – Author interview

Rae Marie – Book review

April 18th

Acacia Barnes – Character interview (Kinley Charlton)

April 20th

Alabama – Author interview

April 22nd

Allie Lee – Book review

April 23rd

NC Stokes – Character interview (Solem Anders)

April 24th

Annie Twitchell – Book review

April 25th

Bethi – Book review

April 28th

Dawn Dagger – Character interview (Anson Anders)

April 29th

Chelsea R.H. – Author interview

April 30th

Dawn Dagger – Book review

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles Cover Reveal

Guys, I’m doing another cover reveal, but this time it’s for my own book! :D I’m so excited to share this with you, but let’s start off with the blurb.

 

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

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The book is releasing May 1st (that’s only fifteen days away!), but you can add it to your Goodreads TBR now!

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Wait for itttttttttt…

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TADA! Whaddya think? I’m super excited to see what it looks like in paperback form when my proof copies arrive. If this looks and sounds like a book you’d be interested in, jump over to Goodreads and add it to your TBR, and keep an eye out for a pre-order announcement!

The Heroes of Legend Character Tag

This is the second character tag I’m only half-stealing from Jenna Terese, and I’m sticking to the limitations that I can only choose characters from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles (aside from, like, one question, the fairytales I used don’t line up with these questions. I.e. I’m breaking rules) or The Masked Captain.

Rules:

Very graciously thank the blogger who tagged you. (THANK YOU, MERIE!  And also Abigail, who also tagged me before I could post this

4-Part WIP Special – Part 2: Current Project Goals

Y’all, I’ve been so scattered over the past week. I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything. :P But I’m back now, and hopefully next week will go a lot more smoothly. (If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a Mirror-Hunter Chronicles cover reveal on Tuesday and start my blog tour for the book on Wednesday!)

But for now, here’s part two of the 4-Part WIP Special for this month. :)

What projects are you working on in addition to Camp NaNo during April?

As you might have guessed, The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I finished editing them on Wednesday, I think, so now I get to move on to the cover design and formatting over this weekend and the blog tour starts Tuesday/Wednesday. :)

Give us some more info on these other projects – maybe a synopsis or aesthetic.

Happily!

All the fairytales you’ve heard are wrong. They’ve all been twisted to be acceptable for general consumption, but I’m here to set the record straight.

I’m Solem Anders, Mirror-Hunter, and this is what really happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events meets Disney in this short story series as Solem Anders pursues a volatile magic mirror across Farilin, seeking to destroy it and end its trail of tragedy. But when princess Eira steps in his path and enlists his help to overthrow her mother, he is lured into her Pack by the promise of information. Is this the shortest path to the mirror, or just a treacherous diversion?

With the mirror barely out of reach, Solem’s time is ticking away, and he’ll lose far more than a princess when the clock strikes.

And you can find the Pinterest board here.

Which project is grabbing at your attention the most? Why?

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I’m prepping for a launch, of course! And this is my first purposeful launch, so it’s extra exciting… and kind of nervewracking. XD

Do you have any plans for how you’re going to finish these projects on the side?

Once the cover and formatting are done and I’ve gotten the blog tour rolling and everything, my main responsibilities are getting the final things set up (Goodreads page, Amazon page, etc.), posting on social media (both promotional graphics and stuff and links to the other posts in the blog tour), and commenting on other blog tour posts. Which, I think (I could be wrong), will be less time-consuming than, y’know, editing, and I’ll be able to take care of it more in-between my writing of The Masked Captain.

If you had to set all projects aside and only work on one, which would it be?

The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles.

What’s the next step for each of these projects?

Well, I basically already answered this, but… cover design, formatting, and designing promotional graphics.

Share a snippet from these projects?

“After breakfast, and a short conference in which Kinley explained to Ambrin what was going on and he scrawled out something completely illegible on a napkin, we headed further into Varemar. When we approached the capital—which was far more similar to what I was used to than Grell had been, which seemed wrong—Kinley presented the napkin scribble to the guardsmen and they allowed us to enter. I supposed from the response that it must have been Council authorization, though how the guards recognized that was beyond me.”

What’s your favorite thing about each of these other projects?

I love Solem’s voice in The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. He’s pretty… I guess snarky might be the right word? He was just a lot of fun to write, and I hope he’s also fun to read. :)

Do you have any non-writing goals to try to meet while doing Camp NaNo?

Nope, not really. Aside from keeping up with this blog (which… is still writing) and my Goodreads reading challenge. Ideally getting out of the book hangover that The Beast of Talesend has left me in…

Do these non-writing goals come before or after Camp according to importance?

My blog comes first (I’m on a schedule here. People are reading my stuff. I can’t just drop it. Plus it’s enjoyable and semi-quick and provides a break from fiction on the occasions that I need one.), followed by The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, followed by The Masked Captain (Camp), followed by reading.

Be sure to check out the other link-up participants!

Jules
Nicole
Faith
Sarah
Catherine
Ceci

4-Part WIP Special – Part 1: Camp NaNo Goals

The 4-Part WIP Special has begun! For those of you who don’t know, it’s a collaborative, almost tag-like series that goes through the month of April (Camp NaNoWriMo) where the participants discuss their writing. This month’s theme is writing goals. Let’s jump in!

What WIP(s) are you working on this Camp NaNo?

I’m working on The Masked Captain. It’s a fantasy novel that I started years ago and never got around to finishing, so now I’m starting from the beginning and hoping to get it written and edited in time to pitch it at RealmMakers next year (assuming those plans work out).

What goal did you set for it, and why did you set that goal?

My aim is to write 65k, approximately 5k per chapter. It’ll be kind of short for a novel (especially a fantasy novel), but it’ll at the very least be a start. :)

Can you give us a short synopsis of the WIP?

Princess Rynn is tired of her father’s inaction. The kingdom’s military has fallen into disrepair after years of peace, but now wolf-men ravage the countryside at Scythia’s border, and the king is deaf to Rynn’s protests that he revitalize the army.

With no one else willing to rock the boat, Rynn leaves the castle under cover of darkness and dons a new identity–Aelgan Revine, military captain–and takes charge of the local military company. But will she be able to keep her true identity hidden under a mask, safe from both her men and her father, long enough to eradicate the lupine threat?

How long have you been working on this WIP?

I think I started it in February 2017 (from what records I can find), but I didn’t work on it very long before some other story caught my attention (probably Slander & Steel). This time around, I’ve been working on it since sometime in January 2019 when I started on my Scythian World Anvil articles.

Where did the idea come from?

One line of dialogue: “Clandestine meeting? I think you mean clandestine reading.” Which I think was probably based on my own habit of reading in the middle of the night when I wasn’t supposed to…

Do you think you’ll be able to meet your goal? Why or why not?

I think so. When I sit down and write, I can write a lot. I’m blessed with a lot of free time, and once I get started on something I can usually focus pretty well. It’s the getting started that might be a challenge, along with my focusing on publishing and promoting The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. But I don’t think those will have too large of a negative impact on my ability to write The Masked Captain.

Did you make any goals for March (Camp prep)? Were you able to fulfill those?

My main Camp prep goal was to outline The Masked Captain, which I did, and I had a lot of fun with it. (Apparently my outlining style is very snarky.) The main character arc came later in March and I didn’t actually weave it into my official outline, but I’ve mentally noted where I can work it into the story.

Are there any aesthetics/music you’d like to share? Any goals regarded to these artistic endeavors?

Not really… My Pinterest board is pretty boring (except for the sequel section, which contains spoilers), and my playlist isn’t expanded enough to share.

Share a snippet from your WIP

Here, have the opening scene:

Rynn’s eyes flashed open and she threw off the covers as quietly as possible. Grabbing her dagger sheath and book from the bedside table on her way, she tiptoed to the door and leaned close enough to hear Kallum’s steady breathing on the other side. Not steady enough to indicate sleep, of course. Kallum took his job far too seriously for that.

Cold radiated through her feet and she stepped back onto the rug as she strapped her dagger on over her nightgown. She crossed the room to the window, left open before she went to bed. She swung herself over the sill, letting out a low hiss as she banged her knee on the stone. The vine that grew oh-so-conveniently all the way from the ground to her solar window provided an excellent ladder—as it had many nights previous. Upon reaching the ground, Rynn took a deep breath of crisp night air and smiled, twirling once between lying down several feed from the keep window and cracking open her book to read by moonlight. She sniffed the pages and momentarily enjoyed the aroma before settling in completely, trying to ignore the howls from the northern forest but unable to fully banish her annoyance

Halfway through the night, she fell asleep to the sound of cicadas.

What’s a Bible verse that sums up the theme in your WIP? Or else helps you focus as you tackle what projects you’ve made for your goal?

One that helps me keep my focus where it should be is 2 Timothy 2:15-17a.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer.

It’s kind of nervewracking, but also helpful to remember that our words should have purpose and shouldn’t just be “idle babblings.”

Be sure to check out the posts of the other participants!

Jules
Nicole
Faith
Catherine
Sarah
Ceci

The Star Wars Character Tag

Two weeks ago, Jenna Terese did two character tags and left them partially open. I thought they looked cool, so I’ll be doing one this week and one next week, and I’m technically not stealing them. ;) And to make things challenging, I’ll only be using characters from The Masked Captain and The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles, since those are my two projects this month.

The Rules:

1. THERE ARE NO RULES.

2. Refer To Number 1.

3. There is one absolute rule: You MUST use your own characters (OCs) for this tag. (Brownie points if you add pictures of your characters.)

4. The Sorta Rule: Scream a huge thank you to whoever tagged you for this whilst treating them to a pizza dinner at your favorite pizza chain. (THANK YOU, JENNA. *sends over pizza*)

5. The Kinda Rule: Include This Link In The Post So That The Penny Can Read Everyone’s Answers To This Smol Strange Tag: https://asouthernbellewithstoriestotell.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/the-star-wars-character-tag-i-made-my-own-tag-halp/

6. The Rule That’s Not Really A Rule But It Would Be Great: Include the graphic and tag at least three Jedi or Sith Lords.

All of the images below are pulled from Pinterest and belong to whoever they belong to.
The Questions:

1. Who is your Obi-Wan Kenobi? (sassy, great mentor, but can be a bit strict)

Meet Kinley Charlton, from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. I’m not sure she’s a great mentor, but she’s got sassy and strict down pat.

2. Who’s your Leia Organa? (feisty, incredible comebacks, and does their own thing)

Rynn Aryon. No question. (Well okay, a little bit of a question, because Ilene from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles tried to sneak in there. But Rynn wins.) She’s quite snarky, and I definitely think sneaking out of the castle, donning a disguise, and repairing the military without your father’s permission counts as “doing your own thing.”

3. Who’s your Finn? (overeager, adorable, a cinnamon roll)

Sophie Jade from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles fits this to a T. (Please note the character actually has very blue eyes.)

4. Who’s your Padme? (kind, loving, but also kick-butt)

Issabelle Eckard, without a doubt. She’s a mom of seven, which means she has to be kick-butt just to keep up, and she’d do anything to protect her family. (Also, she makes really good pie.)

5. Who’s your Count Dooku? (deliciously evil, extra, and sick burns)

Eira Evanly, from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. She could easily earn “Drama Queen of the Year”.

6. Who’s your BB-8? (too cute, everyone loves them, can do no wrong)

Holland Eckard. He’s Issabelle’s five-year-old son, and he’s adorableeeeee. (Looking at my brother who’s the same age… Holland might be too perfect.)

7. Who’s your Yoda? (underestimated, extra, and wise)

Hayden Eckard isn’t extra (he’s kind of the opposite, actually), but he’s definitely underestimated and wiser than he looks. He’s one of those people who rarely talks, but when he does he gets everyone’s attention.

8. Who’s your Anakin Skywalker? (bratty, rebellious, whiny)

Rynn again. She gets better as the book goes on (unlike Anakin), but at the beginning of the book she’s definitely bratty. Not really whiny, but definitely bratty and rebellious.

9. Who’s your C3-PO? (always worrying, gives depressing information, constantly wailing)

Solem Anders from The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. He’s quite the complainer, and considering he consistently comments on things going wrong… Yeah. He’s a good fit here.

10. Who’s your Luke Skywalker? (hero, has been through a lot, has their share of flaws)

Ilene Jade. Sarcastic, kick-butt, antisocial Ilene. You wouldn’t think she’s a hero at first (or maybe even further into the series…), definitely more of an antihero, but she’s got a better heart than she lets on.

Nominees:

Allie at Of Rainy Days and Stardust Veins

Leila at Wildflowers and Cosmic Tea

Evelyn at The Rain-Drenched Writer

Introducing… Fairy Tale Central!

Once Upon a Time two girls had a dream. A dream of a fairy tale site–an internet library, if you will–for all the fairy tale lovers of the land to gather and converse. To learn, to read, to bask in the goodness that is fairy tales.

As this dream blossomed, the two girls recruited a third. Because, after all, all good fairy tales come in themes of three.

With the third member in place, the girls got to work. The dream began to take shape, until it was no longer just a dream. But something real.

Introducing…

This newly-launched site–run by Arielle Bailey, Faith White, and Christine Smith–is your source for all things fairy tales.

Every month a single fairy tale will be featured, and posts will include:

Reviews for retellings/shows/movies/etc.
Essay, origin, and discussion posts on the featured fairy tale
Interviews with fairy tale retelling authors
Galleries featuring fairy tale artists and artisans
And a whole lot more!

The FTC’s goal is to unlock the magic that is fairy tales and build a community of fellow fairy tale enthusiasts. Arielle, Faith, and Christine are thrilled to share this new fairy-tale-centric space and connect with all you epic fairy tale fans!

You can CLICK HERE to find the site and join the Fairy Ring! (Don’t worry, you won’t be enchanted or cursed.) And, if you want to connect even more, you can find the FTC on:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest

(If you’re inclined to share about the FTC in those places too, you may or may not be blessed by a fairy godmother. *wink*)

Do tell a friend, or a dragon, or the fairy living in the hollow tree behind your house. All humans and mythological creatures alike are welcome!

Character Interview: Halder Eckard

Halder is another character from The Masked Captain, another friend of Rynn’s, and I love him so much. XD He’s sweet, honorable, fun, loves both storytelling and music, and is just all-around an awesome character. (I promise I didn’t set out to create nearly my dream guy, it just happened.) I hope you enjoy reading about him as much as I enjoy writing him!

Halder: *enters and holds out his right hand to the interviewer with a smile* Hello.

Interviewer: *shakes his hand* Hello. How are you today?

Halder: *takes a seat* Doing well. How are you?

Interviewer: Just fine. *smiles* Are you ready to get started?

Halder: *nods*

Interviewer: Excellent. First off, what’s your name?

Halder: Halder Lorne Eckard.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Halder: Seventeen.

Interviewer: Do you have any siblings?

Halder: *nods* Three older and three younger.

Interviewer: What are your relationships with them like?

Halder: *laughs* You don’t want me to go in depth or this will take all day. But I get along well with all of them. We’re all really close. *grins*

Interviewer: Do you have a job?

Halder: I do! I’m a minstrel in Peren–my hometown. I’m hoping, once I become an adult, to travel around Scythia more–and maybe even into Thienid–and share my skills there as well. *grins*

Interviewer: When will that be?

Halder: In about a year and a half.

Interviewer: I can tell you’re passionate about your job. What do you love most about being a minstrel?

Halder: Oh the smiles, definitely. *grins* I love making people happy, spreading joy, seeing the smiles on people’s faces… Both story and music have such an ability to influence people’s emotions, and I get to use them both. Occasionally I enjoy evoking other emotions, but joy is definitely my favorite.

Interviewer: What instrument do you use?

Halder: I play the lute, and I sing. I’ve had my current lute since I was nine, and it’s really special to me. *smiles*

Interviewer: Why is that?

Halder: My father got it for me for my ninth birthday, and my brother Horace has carved a design into it for each birthday since. It’s quite a beauty at this point.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite carving?

Halder: *takes a deep breath to think about it* The one from the year I turned fifteen–a falcon–has a special place in my heart because that was the same year I started entertaining for people other than my family and close friends. But I think the elm tree–from when I was ten–is my real favorite.

Interviewer: Why an elm tree?

Halder: *chuckles* I’m friends with the Aryons, Rynn and Rhylan, and we have an old hunting box we adopted as a playhouse when we were much younger. We still hang out there now and then, and it’s up in an elm tree.

Interviewer: Very fond memories, then, I take it. *smiles* Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Halder: I definitely gain my energy from people. When others are happy, I’m happy. When they’re not, I’m aware of it and do my best to cheer them up. Usually that involves telling a story about my brother Hunter and some crazy mess he’s gotten himself into. *laughs*

Interviewer: Do all of your brothers’ names start with H?

Halder: *nods* And my two sisters. It’s customary in noble houses for all the children’s names to start with the same letter as their father’s name. It gets pretty confusing in a family like ours with so many kids–not to mention my nieces and nephew–but I guess it works. *chuckles*

Interviewer: Wow. That sounds like a great exercise in creativity for the parents.

Halder: *laughs* Yeah. And a great memory exercise for the parents and the siblings both.

Interviewer: *laughs* What’s your favorite food?

Halder: Mom’s apple pie. Without a doubt.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite color?

Halder: Green. Any shade. It’s such a fresh, growing color. *smiles*

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite book or story?

Halder: The Lay of Veramar. It talks about the conflict that led to the Ellis and Beckham houses exchanging their lands with each other. Now instead of there being Beckhams of Beckham and Ellises of Veramar, there are Beckhams of Veramar and Ellises of Beckham. *chuckles at the interviewer’s confused look* Exactly. *sobers* But the story is a serious one, and I enjoy the music and poetry of the lay.

Interviewer: Well, I admire your knowledge of Scythia. *chuckles* I’d never remember all that.

Halder: *shrugs* Comes with the territory of being a minstrel, I guess. *grins*

Interviewer: What is your favorite animal?

Halder: Our dog, Finn.

Interviewer: A chocolate golden retriever, right?

Halder: *nods* How did you know?

Interviewer: *smiles* Rynn mentioned him when she was interviewed.

Halder: *grins* Cool.

Interviewer: Aside from the things you’ve already made clear–storytelling, music, history–what are some interests or hobbies of yours?

Halder: Gardening, reading, and running would be the other main things. And playing knights and dragons with Rynn and Rhylan. You never get too old to use your imagination. *grins*

Interviewer: Which of these is most important to you: kindness, intelligence, or bravery?

Halder: Kindness.

Interviewer: And honesty or selflessness?

Halder: Selflessness.

Interviewer: What’s something you can’t leave home without?

Halder: My lute. *smiles*

Interviewer: Well, that’s the last question. Thank you so much for your time. I enjoyed talking with you.

Halder: *nods and rises* You’re welcome, and thank you. I had a good time, as well. *shakes the interviewer’s hand and bows slightly before leaving*