Anne Elisabeth Stengl's Blog, page 3
October 9, 2015
Doings at Drakenheath
Hello there, dear Imps! I know I've been quiet for a while, but we've been very busy out here at Drakenheath. Which means I hope that this Doings post will be full of interesting little tidbits for all of you!
Can you believe it's already been a year since Rohan and I moved to Drakenheath? We have sure loved living here in our pretty country estate . . . and the kitties have all loved it too, particularly the big staircase and the "chasm bridge," as we like to call the open walkway above our living room. I love my pretty little study (which is actually about twice as big as my old study, so not so little!) with its view of the gazebo down the street. Milly and I just took a walk all the way up and down the neighborhood, enjoying the green and the pretty gardens, which are still quite lush, here at the edge of autumn.
Now my poor dog is panting under my chair (her shaggy black coat is a bit much even for this early autumn weather), and I am settling in to update you on the Doings.
First of all, let me introduce you to this exciting new marketing endeavor from Rooglewood Press!
That's right! We decided to offer one of our fairy tale novellas as a standalone ebook. What's more, it will be PERMANENTLY FREE. That's right . . . you will ALWAYS be able to grab this novella on your e-reader for absolutely nothing.
This is, of course, a marketing strategy on our part. We are hoping that those who are hesitant to purchase Five Enchanted Roses or Five Glass Slippers will sample this story to see if it's for them. And if so, we do hope those readers will go on and buy all of the other stories available.
So if YOU are one of those readers, uncertain whether or not you will like our fairy tale retellings, go ahead and give The Wulver's Rose a try. You can grab it on Kindle , Nook , Kobo , or Smashwords . I have no doubt you will enjoy this very sweet, very classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in the Highlands of Scotland.
Oh, and do you mind if a brag for just a moment? *whispers* That cover design is mine. *end whispers* And I really had a BLAST doing it! I'm most proud of the background, which I built out of an assortment of images my brother and sister-in-law took while on vacation in Scotland. So yes, that background IS actually made up of the Scottish Highlands. That particular view does not exist . . . it was created out of several photos to bring the most dynamic impact. But the MOOD should be very Scottish nonetheless.
Okay, on to writing news now . . .
_____________________________
Let's see, last time I was still working on Book 2 in The Ridiculously Huge Project. That rough draft is now done . . . though it is VERY rough. So rough, it doesn't even REALLY have an ending, just kind of an assortment of scene ideas. However, I learned a ton about the world and the overall series while drafting it, and I already have a good idea what I'll need to do to transform this rough draft into something polished. But that won't be for a few months, because my fifteen drafting days are over, and it's time to move onto Book 3.
I have just completed the first week of Book 3, and I'm right on track with 20,000 words of manuscript. If you remember from my post on that topic , the goal is to write 60,000 word rough drafts in 15 days. A bit intense, but very doable.
I am trying an experiment with this particular manuscript, something I've not tried before. I was feeling distant from the characters, who are only VERY slowly unfolding to me as interesting people. They're coming, but it takes time to learn a whole new character. So, out of pure curiosity, I decided to have a go at writing Book 3 entirely in first-person. And it's been surprisingly fun!
Now I have written a certain amount of first-person narrative before. Fans of my series will recall that a chunk of Starflower was told in first-person as my heroine relates her story to the Dragonwitch. And then again in Dragonwitch we have the titular villainess telling her backstory in first-person chunks at the beginning of each chapter. But I have never written an entire novel in first-person, preferring omniscient third-person.
But this series is not the same as Goldstone Wood. While Goldstone Wood is all about trying to create a strong sense of classicism, this new series is much grittier. Much more real-world in its style and magical system. And I'm really liking the first-person tense and how it's adding to that overall sense.
The whole of Book 3 is told from the point-of-view of one of the series heroes. Which is interesting, since the series itself is actually very heroine-centric. And she is at the center of this story, but she is not the right character to use as a view-point, so I'm going to learn about her through this fellow's eyes. So far it's been great. This as been far and away the easiest draft to start, and I am so pleased with the material I'm writing, I even have hopes that a lot of this might actually make it into the final draft! (Not something I felt about either Book 1 or Book 2).
Anyway, I promised more of a tidbit about the series each month. So other than the first-person narrative, what else can I tell you without giving away spoilers? Hmmmm . . .
Well, I've spent quite a lot of time researching trolls and troll lore. I have never used trolls (that I remember) in Goldstone Wood, and it's been interesting getting a sense of how they fit into classic mythology. And how I can use that mythology for my own ends. For instance, trolls traditionally cannot stand the sound of church bells and may be driven away by their ringing. A fascinating little tidbit . . . and my question is, how can I work that into my world effectively?
So I've been developing my own variations on classic troll lore, creating some interesting new mythology appropriate for my world. And then these troll characters started scratching on the edge of my imagination . . . and we will see where they take me!
Now you know: there are trolls in The Ridiculously Huge Project.
Moving on . . .
_________________________
I am excited to share the Big Doing that has been swallowing a lot of our focus these last few weeks. Rohan and I are about to set off on epic, unforgettable (and somewhat unexpected) five-week sojourn into India and Sri Lanka!
I say "somewhat unexpected" because, while we've known it was coming for about a month now, if you had asked me two months ago if we would be traveling outside of the country any time soon, I would have told you an emphatic, "No!" After all, even if the opportunity came up, what in the world would we do with all of our beasts?
But the opportunity DID come up. Rohan's work is sending him to help train a team in Pune, India. We'll be there for three weeks, working during the week and traveling on the weekends. (Yes, we are planning to see the Taj Mahal!) Then, because it's just a short jaunt away, we'll be flying down to Sri Lanka for another two weeks for a fantastically magical vacation in Rohan's home country.
I promise to take bazillions of pictures to share.
Now I'll be trying to write one of the books in The Ridiculously Huge Project while we're in India, but I don't think I'll be doing any writing while we're touring about Sri Lanka. Which means I might get a little bit behind . . . But oh well! I kind of think it will be worth it.
My youngest brother Peter is traveling down to stay at Drakenheath while we're away and babysit all our fur-babies. He's been thinking about moving down to this area for a little while now, so he's going to take this as an opportunity to get his feet wet, do some job hunting, and find an apartment. Should work out beautifully . . .
And when Rohan and I get back from our adventure, I'll HAVE A BROTHER LIVING NEARBY! I haven't lived near any of my family since I was eighteen. So I am VERY excited about that!
_______________________
Oh, I remember, I mentioned last time that I was planning to take a week and draft a children's book idea. Well, that notion has been put on hold for the time being. I came up to that planned week and realized that I was on such a roll with The Ridiculously Huge Project, I kind of hated to stop and write something else, possibly jarring out of my world and characters. I still plan to write that story . . . I've got a great little outline and cast of appealing characters, after all. But it may not be for a while yet. I'll keep you posted . . .
_____________________
I am thinking about trying dictation as a means of rough drafting. I've been doing a lot of research and reading on the subject, and it seems like it might be worth experimenting with. From what I understand, there's a bit of a learning curve . . . after all, I'm a writer. I'm much more comfortable expression myself with WRITING, not with SPEAKING.
However, I've read articles by authors claiming to manage draft 4,000 words an hour using dictation
software.
4,000 words . . . AN HOUR.
That's an entire work day for me!
So yeah. Might be worth it.
I mean, if I could significantly cut down the time it takes to write a rough draft, I could spend all of that spare time working on POLISHING that draft. What a time saver that would be! Getting that rough draft down on the page is always the hardest part for me. It's not for every author . . . some folks love rough drafting and hate polishing. But I definitely prefer the polishing stage of a manuscript, any day of the week. I am happy to try anything to efficiently speed up the rough drafting process.
Today I purchased the book you see pictured here and plan to start looking it over, maybe trying some dictation exercises. We'll see if anything comes of it. I'll keep you posted on that as well!
____________________________
Five Magic Spindles is coming along beautifully these days. I still feel pretty separated from it all as I'm not reading stories yet, but the Show and Tell last month certainly got me excited! We have already received stories from a couple of new places this year . . . Germany and Ireland, to be exact. We've had submissions from Canada, Australia, England, and Rwanda before, but Germany and Ireland are new ones to add to that ever-growing list.
And we're getting more guys submitting this year too, which is exciting! Half of the stories that have come in have been written by guys. I don't know if that will last much longer as the deadline gets nearer (according to the Show and Tell stats, we still have LOTS more girls submitting than boys), but we'll see!
I'm still getting little hints and glimpses of stories along the way, besides those that were featured in the Show and Tell. Little comments on blogs, Tweets, etc. Yes, I do a bit of Magic Spindles stalking to see what buzz is happening out there. And oh my! There are so many fabulous stories being developed for this contest. Really looking forward to reading the judges' top picks!
_________________
The kitties are all doing well, thanks for asking. I meant to take new pictures, but didn't get around to it. Sorry! Here's an old picture of Little Miss instead. (She's hugging my leg, if you couldn't tell.)
Little Miss Muffet is definitely feeling better these days. She actually came downstairs to hang out with me in the living room for several hours yesterday evening! Usually she sticks to my study and study closet as her safe place (she's pretty nervous of Milly and the kitty horde around here). Our social-time mostly consists of her sitting on the desk next to my computer while I work, occasionally reaching over to "cheek" the edge of the screen or kiss my fingers. But last night she came downstairs and spent time on the couch. Then she moved to the bookshelf, third shelf up. Probably to feel safer from Makoose (who was making crazy-eyes at her). Or maybe she's just very literary.
She really is the sweetest, most gentle little girl. She likes to "chat" to people, telling them all of her opinions on everything in a dainty, squeaky little voice. Super cute! After a month of indoor-kitty living, her coat (which started out pretty coarse and very dirty) is getting really soft and glossy. It's amazing what a difference a good diet makes. Her skinny little belly has rounded out nicely as well, and she's just as pretty as she can be.
But seriously, people. I have SIX cats of my own. I cannot keep her, much as I would like to!!!So if any of you know a family around this area that needs the gentlest, sweetest, calmest, chattiest little kitty cat to bring some extra love into their household . . . let me know!!!
We're enjoying her in the meanwhile, though.
___________________________
Random Doing . . . I have had THIS song absolutely stuck in my head for the last two weeks or so. And this version is particularly gorgeous, so I'm going to share it (listen for strains of Debussey and Rimsky-Korsakov in the piano arrangement! Stunning.)
It's probably got something to do with this gorgeous end-of-summer-early-autumn weather we're having (now that the hurricane is gone).
______________________________
And that's all for this month, dear Imps! Hope you found something here to make you smile. And I REALLY hope you'll grab your free copy of The Wulver's Rose because . . . well, it's free! So why not?
How has your October been treating you? Any interesting Doings you'd like to share? How are your Magic Spindles stories coming along? Is the new semester going well? Do tell!
Can you believe it's already been a year since Rohan and I moved to Drakenheath? We have sure loved living here in our pretty country estate . . . and the kitties have all loved it too, particularly the big staircase and the "chasm bridge," as we like to call the open walkway above our living room. I love my pretty little study (which is actually about twice as big as my old study, so not so little!) with its view of the gazebo down the street. Milly and I just took a walk all the way up and down the neighborhood, enjoying the green and the pretty gardens, which are still quite lush, here at the edge of autumn.
Now my poor dog is panting under my chair (her shaggy black coat is a bit much even for this early autumn weather), and I am settling in to update you on the Doings.
First of all, let me introduce you to this exciting new marketing endeavor from Rooglewood Press!
That's right! We decided to offer one of our fairy tale novellas as a standalone ebook. What's more, it will be PERMANENTLY FREE. That's right . . . you will ALWAYS be able to grab this novella on your e-reader for absolutely nothing.
This is, of course, a marketing strategy on our part. We are hoping that those who are hesitant to purchase Five Enchanted Roses or Five Glass Slippers will sample this story to see if it's for them. And if so, we do hope those readers will go on and buy all of the other stories available.
So if YOU are one of those readers, uncertain whether or not you will like our fairy tale retellings, go ahead and give The Wulver's Rose a try. You can grab it on Kindle , Nook , Kobo , or Smashwords . I have no doubt you will enjoy this very sweet, very classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in the Highlands of Scotland.
Oh, and do you mind if a brag for just a moment? *whispers* That cover design is mine. *end whispers* And I really had a BLAST doing it! I'm most proud of the background, which I built out of an assortment of images my brother and sister-in-law took while on vacation in Scotland. So yes, that background IS actually made up of the Scottish Highlands. That particular view does not exist . . . it was created out of several photos to bring the most dynamic impact. But the MOOD should be very Scottish nonetheless.
Okay, on to writing news now . . .
_____________________________
Let's see, last time I was still working on Book 2 in The Ridiculously Huge Project. That rough draft is now done . . . though it is VERY rough. So rough, it doesn't even REALLY have an ending, just kind of an assortment of scene ideas. However, I learned a ton about the world and the overall series while drafting it, and I already have a good idea what I'll need to do to transform this rough draft into something polished. But that won't be for a few months, because my fifteen drafting days are over, and it's time to move onto Book 3.
I have just completed the first week of Book 3, and I'm right on track with 20,000 words of manuscript. If you remember from my post on that topic , the goal is to write 60,000 word rough drafts in 15 days. A bit intense, but very doable.
I am trying an experiment with this particular manuscript, something I've not tried before. I was feeling distant from the characters, who are only VERY slowly unfolding to me as interesting people. They're coming, but it takes time to learn a whole new character. So, out of pure curiosity, I decided to have a go at writing Book 3 entirely in first-person. And it's been surprisingly fun!
Now I have written a certain amount of first-person narrative before. Fans of my series will recall that a chunk of Starflower was told in first-person as my heroine relates her story to the Dragonwitch. And then again in Dragonwitch we have the titular villainess telling her backstory in first-person chunks at the beginning of each chapter. But I have never written an entire novel in first-person, preferring omniscient third-person.
But this series is not the same as Goldstone Wood. While Goldstone Wood is all about trying to create a strong sense of classicism, this new series is much grittier. Much more real-world in its style and magical system. And I'm really liking the first-person tense and how it's adding to that overall sense.
The whole of Book 3 is told from the point-of-view of one of the series heroes. Which is interesting, since the series itself is actually very heroine-centric. And she is at the center of this story, but she is not the right character to use as a view-point, so I'm going to learn about her through this fellow's eyes. So far it's been great. This as been far and away the easiest draft to start, and I am so pleased with the material I'm writing, I even have hopes that a lot of this might actually make it into the final draft! (Not something I felt about either Book 1 or Book 2).
Anyway, I promised more of a tidbit about the series each month. So other than the first-person narrative, what else can I tell you without giving away spoilers? Hmmmm . . .
Well, I've spent quite a lot of time researching trolls and troll lore. I have never used trolls (that I remember) in Goldstone Wood, and it's been interesting getting a sense of how they fit into classic mythology. And how I can use that mythology for my own ends. For instance, trolls traditionally cannot stand the sound of church bells and may be driven away by their ringing. A fascinating little tidbit . . . and my question is, how can I work that into my world effectively?So I've been developing my own variations on classic troll lore, creating some interesting new mythology appropriate for my world. And then these troll characters started scratching on the edge of my imagination . . . and we will see where they take me!
Now you know: there are trolls in The Ridiculously Huge Project.
Moving on . . .
_________________________
I am excited to share the Big Doing that has been swallowing a lot of our focus these last few weeks. Rohan and I are about to set off on epic, unforgettable (and somewhat unexpected) five-week sojourn into India and Sri Lanka!
I say "somewhat unexpected" because, while we've known it was coming for about a month now, if you had asked me two months ago if we would be traveling outside of the country any time soon, I would have told you an emphatic, "No!" After all, even if the opportunity came up, what in the world would we do with all of our beasts?
But the opportunity DID come up. Rohan's work is sending him to help train a team in Pune, India. We'll be there for three weeks, working during the week and traveling on the weekends. (Yes, we are planning to see the Taj Mahal!) Then, because it's just a short jaunt away, we'll be flying down to Sri Lanka for another two weeks for a fantastically magical vacation in Rohan's home country.
I promise to take bazillions of pictures to share.
Now I'll be trying to write one of the books in The Ridiculously Huge Project while we're in India, but I don't think I'll be doing any writing while we're touring about Sri Lanka. Which means I might get a little bit behind . . . But oh well! I kind of think it will be worth it.
My youngest brother Peter is traveling down to stay at Drakenheath while we're away and babysit all our fur-babies. He's been thinking about moving down to this area for a little while now, so he's going to take this as an opportunity to get his feet wet, do some job hunting, and find an apartment. Should work out beautifully . . .
And when Rohan and I get back from our adventure, I'll HAVE A BROTHER LIVING NEARBY! I haven't lived near any of my family since I was eighteen. So I am VERY excited about that!
_______________________
Oh, I remember, I mentioned last time that I was planning to take a week and draft a children's book idea. Well, that notion has been put on hold for the time being. I came up to that planned week and realized that I was on such a roll with The Ridiculously Huge Project, I kind of hated to stop and write something else, possibly jarring out of my world and characters. I still plan to write that story . . . I've got a great little outline and cast of appealing characters, after all. But it may not be for a while yet. I'll keep you posted . . .
_____________________
I am thinking about trying dictation as a means of rough drafting. I've been doing a lot of research and reading on the subject, and it seems like it might be worth experimenting with. From what I understand, there's a bit of a learning curve . . . after all, I'm a writer. I'm much more comfortable expression myself with WRITING, not with SPEAKING.However, I've read articles by authors claiming to manage draft 4,000 words an hour using dictation
software.
4,000 words . . . AN HOUR.
That's an entire work day for me!
So yeah. Might be worth it.
I mean, if I could significantly cut down the time it takes to write a rough draft, I could spend all of that spare time working on POLISHING that draft. What a time saver that would be! Getting that rough draft down on the page is always the hardest part for me. It's not for every author . . . some folks love rough drafting and hate polishing. But I definitely prefer the polishing stage of a manuscript, any day of the week. I am happy to try anything to efficiently speed up the rough drafting process.
Today I purchased the book you see pictured here and plan to start looking it over, maybe trying some dictation exercises. We'll see if anything comes of it. I'll keep you posted on that as well!
____________________________
Five Magic Spindles is coming along beautifully these days. I still feel pretty separated from it all as I'm not reading stories yet, but the Show and Tell last month certainly got me excited! We have already received stories from a couple of new places this year . . . Germany and Ireland, to be exact. We've had submissions from Canada, Australia, England, and Rwanda before, but Germany and Ireland are new ones to add to that ever-growing list.
And we're getting more guys submitting this year too, which is exciting! Half of the stories that have come in have been written by guys. I don't know if that will last much longer as the deadline gets nearer (according to the Show and Tell stats, we still have LOTS more girls submitting than boys), but we'll see!
I'm still getting little hints and glimpses of stories along the way, besides those that were featured in the Show and Tell. Little comments on blogs, Tweets, etc. Yes, I do a bit of Magic Spindles stalking to see what buzz is happening out there. And oh my! There are so many fabulous stories being developed for this contest. Really looking forward to reading the judges' top picks!
_________________
The kitties are all doing well, thanks for asking. I meant to take new pictures, but didn't get around to it. Sorry! Here's an old picture of Little Miss instead. (She's hugging my leg, if you couldn't tell.)Little Miss Muffet is definitely feeling better these days. She actually came downstairs to hang out with me in the living room for several hours yesterday evening! Usually she sticks to my study and study closet as her safe place (she's pretty nervous of Milly and the kitty horde around here). Our social-time mostly consists of her sitting on the desk next to my computer while I work, occasionally reaching over to "cheek" the edge of the screen or kiss my fingers. But last night she came downstairs and spent time on the couch. Then she moved to the bookshelf, third shelf up. Probably to feel safer from Makoose (who was making crazy-eyes at her). Or maybe she's just very literary.
She really is the sweetest, most gentle little girl. She likes to "chat" to people, telling them all of her opinions on everything in a dainty, squeaky little voice. Super cute! After a month of indoor-kitty living, her coat (which started out pretty coarse and very dirty) is getting really soft and glossy. It's amazing what a difference a good diet makes. Her skinny little belly has rounded out nicely as well, and she's just as pretty as she can be.
But seriously, people. I have SIX cats of my own. I cannot keep her, much as I would like to!!!So if any of you know a family around this area that needs the gentlest, sweetest, calmest, chattiest little kitty cat to bring some extra love into their household . . . let me know!!!
We're enjoying her in the meanwhile, though.
___________________________
Random Doing . . . I have had THIS song absolutely stuck in my head for the last two weeks or so. And this version is particularly gorgeous, so I'm going to share it (listen for strains of Debussey and Rimsky-Korsakov in the piano arrangement! Stunning.)
It's probably got something to do with this gorgeous end-of-summer-early-autumn weather we're having (now that the hurricane is gone).
______________________________
And that's all for this month, dear Imps! Hope you found something here to make you smile. And I REALLY hope you'll grab your free copy of The Wulver's Rose because . . . well, it's free! So why not?
How has your October been treating you? Any interesting Doings you'd like to share? How are your Magic Spindles stories coming along? Is the new semester going well? Do tell!
September 23, 2015
The Ridiculously Huge Project
All right, I have promised to give you a post detailing SOME of what's going on with this Ridiculously Huge Project of mine. So this is that post! I hope you'll enjoy it.
During this period of (not by preference) leaving Goldstone Wood alone for the time being, I really needed something absolutely fantastic and gripping into which I might throw my creative efforts. I had already been brainstorming an interesting concept with Rohan, and when the time came to make that difficult decision to set Poison Crown aside, I had this idea already in the background. Pulling it forward and dusting it off, I gave it another thorough look and decided I liked what I saw.
First thing's first: Why is it called The Ridiculously Huge Project?
Because it is twelve books long.
Well, that's not so very different from what I've been doing already with Goldstone Wood (which is planned at fifteen books, innumerable novellas, and at least two potential spin-off series). So why is THIS project Ridiculously Huge?
Because I'm trying to write all twelve books in one year.
_________________________
Let me clarify: I am trying to write twelve rough drafts in one year. These drafts are all supposed to between 50,000 and 60,000 words long, so not as big as a polished book. (The polished books should each be between 80,000 and 100,000 words long.) Still, there are twelve of them, so it's a bit intimidating.
The idea, however, is to have all twelve rough drafts complete before I go back and begin polishing the earlier books. That way, as I'm doing polished drafts, I know exactly what needs to go in each book so that story lines and character arcs all naturally lead from one book to the next. The hope is to spend no more than a month or so polishing each manuscript, so that in the long run--let's say two and a half years from now--I might have twelve decently polished manuscripts.
Is this doable? I don't know. This whole thing is a great big (and somewhat ridiculous) experiment. However, I think it might actually just be possible to do it. And you know what? I'll never know until I try . . .
_________________________
How am I going to go about making something like this doable? Well, I have certain rules that I am following as I conduct this experiment:
Rule 1: Create solid outlines for each story. Actually, I've already done that. All twelve stories are outlined in significant detail so that story lines and character arcs all point in the right direction. I didn't begin writing Book 1 before I knew what was going to happen at the end of Book 12.
Rule 2: I'm giving myself approximately 15 writing days to finish each draft. That's three work weeks (I don't write on the weekends). If at the end of day 12 I'm nowhere near the climax and resolution, I will summarize the in-between material and write the climax and resolution. That way--though very, VERY rough--I still have a complete rough draft of each story at the end of 15 work days.
Rule 3: I'm not allowing myself to reread material as I go along. I'm allowed to reference the outlines and notes as much as I need, but no going back and fiddling with earlier portions of the manuscript or earlier books either. This would slow me down and defeat the whole purpose of this experiment, which is to have 12 rough drafts at the end of a year. This rule is a bit hard to follow . . . and I have broken it a TINY bit here and there, rereading small portions. But I don't allow for revisions as I go.
The idea is that, allowing for blah-days when the words just won't come, sick days, unforeseen interruptions, etc. I can still get at least one full draft done each month. Again, is this truly possible? I don't know. But so far, I'm on track to finish a draft of book 2 by the end of this month, so I'm feeling pretty good about it.
_________________________
Here are some things that I have discovered while writing the first book and a half of The Ridiculously Huge Project.
Discovery 1: I cannot consistently write 5,000 words a day. I CAN consistently write 4,000 words a day. But just 1,000 more, and I'm too tired at day's end to function. Can't do anything. Can't smile at my husband. Can't take the dog for a run. Can't make dinner. Can't really do anything except sit around going, "Mehhhh."
Now the occasional 5,000 word day is not a problem. My record is 9,000 in a single day, which I was able to do when the inspiration was REALLY keen. On similarly inspired days, 5,000 words is completely doable.
I'm talking about a regular work day. Sitting down and working normal hours on ordinary, everyday sort of inspiration. When the Muse is absent and I am simply doing my job. Which is, to be honest, what most days are.
So yeah . . . I've learned I cannot expect extraordinary word count on an ordinary work day. If I have those bursts of more than 4,000 words, then great. Otherwise, I am planning the whole project around the understanding that 4,000 words is my average.
Discovery 2: I find it very hard not to go back and reread what I've done the previous day. HOWEVER, when trying to write twelve rough drafts in a single year, it's important to NOT go back and look at what I've done the previous day. Period. I have a solid outline which I am allowed to check and even tweak as I go along to keep me relatively in line. Otherwise, when I sit down to work, there's no recapping allowed. I simply have to make NEW WORDS HAPPEN.
The result is a pretty hodge podge by the end of the draft. I decided partway through Book 1 that I needed one character to go from being a pious elderly priest to being a lecherous peasant farmer instead. So in the first chapter in which this character is introduced, he is an pious elderly priest. Several chapters later, the same character is now a lecherous peasant farmer. It doesn't make for very smooth reading, but I AM NOT ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND ALTER MY DRAFT. I have to keep going.
Because, really, you know what? Why should I bother polishing and refining a rough draft? I might change my mind again later on, and that lecherous peasant farmer might suddenly need to be a pious elderly priest again. Or a milkmaid. Or an acrobat . . . I don't know! It's a rough draft.
And it will ALL get polished out in the SECOND draft. Along with all the other inconsistencies, big and small. But if I stop now and try to make everything perfect . . . well, by the time I'm drafting book 6, I might come across a new premise that necessitates going back and doing another rewrite on book 1. I'd rather save myself the trouble.
Is this how I've written before? No, indeed. I tend to be a polish-as-I-go sort. But this is inefficient writing, usually obliging me to polish the same scene several times over when, if I had simply pushed on and discovered everything I needed to BEFORE going back to rewrite, I would have saved myself time and effort.
Ultimately, the goal is to have twelve beautifully POLISHED manuscripts in as few drafts (and as little time) as possible. Thus the great experiment that is The Ridiculously Huge Project.
Discovery 3: It's HARD to write in a whole new world! No Faerie Paths. No Wood Between. No Lumé and Hymlumé, no Southlands or Parumvir, no Eanrin, no Sphere Songs . . . I'm in unfamiliar territory, and it's very strange indeed.
I hadn't realized until starting this project how much I depended on knowing my world so thoroughly. I haven't had to invent an entire new world and new magic system before, not to mention a new history, new societies, etc. I keep waffling back and forth between setting these books in an alternate history version of our world or creating a new fantasy world of my own. Still haven't decided. I'm rough drafting both ways to see what I like and what suits the stories best. Leaning toward alternate history right now, but we'll see what happens.
So, yeah. There's tremendous amounts of invention that I've not had to deal with while writing Goldstone Wood books. So much from-the-ground-up creation. It's weird. It's also kind of cool. While I've lost the safety of a familiar world, I've also lost any restrictions. Particularly while doing these crazy rough drafts! The sky is the limit, and I can seriously do whatever I want.
Not having specific boundaries is a struggle all its own, however. I'm finding that the more I solidify the world and refine the details, the more fun I'm having with the actual drafting. It's all a great stretch for the imagination.
And I keep experiencing weird sensations of "disloyalty." Like I'm cheating on Goldstone Wood with another series. And sometimes, I'm actually resentful at this project . . . which is unfair, because it can't help not being Goldstone Wood, and it really does have its own fine qualities to offer up.
_________________________
And there you have it, dear readers. The Ridiculously Huge Project in a nutshell.
Leaving out all revelation of plot and characters, of course.
But they're coming. I'm still learning them myself right now, so I definitely don't feel ready to introduce them to all of you. Maybe in a few months. Maybe next year.
Each month, however, I will be including little tidbits about research and writing details in the ongoing Doings at Drakenheath posts, so you can keep an eye on those if you are curious.
This should also give you a pretty good idea why I'm not posting on this blog as much and have officially taken at least a month off of Facebook (Rohan changed my password, so I can't get on even if I want to!). I'm fairly well swallowed in this project all day, every day, and rather expect to be swallowed for months to come. I am enjoying this period of intense creativity.
Well, enjoying might be the wrong word. It's hard work. Very hard work indeed, and I'm pretty tired a lot of the time while doing it. And the beginning stages of a huge endeavor are always the hardest. Right now, even the halfway point is beyond the far horizon, and that can be a bit discouraging if I allow myself to think about it.
So, one book at a time. One day at a time. But with big goals and big dreams always in mind. And we'll see what this turns into . . .
September 21, 2015
Doings at Drakenheath
Lumé love me, we're more than halfway through September already! Not sure how I feel about that . . . This year just keeps getting away from me. Not that it hasn't been a productive year, but I never quite feel that I make it through all the various tasks I have planned.
Anyway, the time has come for the newest Doings at Drakenheath post, and I hope all of you will enjoy seeing what we've been up to and what is currently on the horizon.
First of all . . . The Ridiculously Huge Project.
I introduced this project last month and have been working on it steadily ever since. I finished the rough draft of Book 1 in just 12 writing days, which pleased me, since my goal was 14.
However, the draft is VERY rough indeed, and I am already brewing such significant changes come the second draft that I rather doubt much of the original material will remain. Oh, well. At least there is a draft in existence.
I have moved on to Book 2 now and am making good progress on it. This draft is a little bit stronger than the draft of Book 1, though it is still much of it very rough. I had boasted some rather grandiose hopes of finishing this rough draft in the same amount of time it took me to do Book 1, but I'm already seeing that as highly unlikely. Because this draft is more polished than the last, it is by necessity bigger and more detailed, so it will take a bit more time.
Anyway, I plan to write up an actual post about The Ridiculously Huge Project sometime in the next week or so, so I'll save details about the project for that post. Though I did promise you monthly glimpses as the development, and I haven't forgotten!
Lights of the AlhambraThis month's glimpse is another research glimpse. I have been spending quite a lot of time researching the Alhambra in southern Spain as inspiration for a particular setting in Book 2. My own palace/city/fortification--called the Vanaruz--is not actually in southern Spain, but the influences are similar. I am even including a park of imported elm trees such as you see surrounding the Alhambra in this picture on the right. This elm park is said to be full of nightingales, so I am swiping that idea as well, particularly since its a detail that fits so neatly into the theme of this book.
Yesterday I spent time researching the Alhambra's four outer gates, their names, when they were built, for what purposes they were used. Details like this, when rearranged to suit one's own story, add a lot of authentic flavor to a world. Much of my concentration has been going to the actual world building at this stage, and while I do some research before beginning a project, I end up doing most of my research along the way as I encounter details that need expanding.
So that's enough about The Ridiculously Huge Project for now. Stay tuned for a more extensive post concerning this project, due to appear soonish on this blog . . .
Did you enjoy the September Show and Tell? I know I did. It was so exciting to see all those different variations on "Sleeping Beauty" currently in development. All of them looked intriguing, and there were several that particularly stood out to me as stories I can hardly wait to read (though I won't say which ones . . . assume it was yours, dear competitor!).
We are now beyond the halfway mark for this contest. Still PLENTY of time to finish up those stories. But its not too long now before the clock will start ticking . . .
Personally, I'm really looking forward to the END of the contest, since I don't get to read the submissions when the first come in (they go out to my team of readers first, and they pick their top five favorites to send to me). So I won't actually get to start reading Magic Spindles stories until January . . . though I may beg a peek or two early, if opportunity arises.
So, in un-bookish-related news . . . we have a new rescue kitty!
Meet Little Miss Muffet.
This pretty little girl was dumped in our neighborhood, I'm not sure how long ago. While my husband and I were out for a stroll a few weekends back, she came out of the woods and started meowing and flirting, trying to get our attention. She was very scared of Milly (my big black doggy), so I sent Rohan on ahead with her so that I could try to make friends with the poor kitty.
Little Miss was VERY ready to be rescued. She let me pick her right up and carry her all the way home. She had to live for the first two weeks on our screened-in back porch, as she was covered in fleas and had to get her vaccinations. But I have a great animal rescue group in the Raleigh area to work with, and they got me right into their program.
Evil Looks Down from AboveNow Little Miss is de-wormed, de-fleaed, up to date on all of her shots, and happily living in our home while we search for a perfect forever family for her. She's still not a fan of Milly, and my other kitties, despite being very used to having other cats in the house, are not particularly welcoming to a newcomer. Believe it or not, Minerva Louise (aka, The Evil One) is my most gentle cat when dealing with a newbie, so I let her and Little Miss hang out together in my office for a supervised period most mornings. I can't say they truly interact with one another. But sometimes that's a good thing where kitties are concerned . . .
Say a prayer that we'll find a good home for Little Miss, if you think of it. We love her and are happy to take care of her, but she will be MUCH happier in a home of her own where she can be the only princess.
Rohan and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary just a few days ago! Most of you probably saw that, as it was the previous post, but I'll share a picture of us on the actual day too. My sweet handsome guy took me to Raleigh's oldest (and fanciest) steakhouse, Sullivan's, to celebrate, so we had to dress up. Not really a hardship for us, since we both like fancy dressing and fancy dining! I thought you might particularly like seeing the necklace I wore, which was a gift from my brother and his wife. It's got a distinctly Goldstone Wood-esque vibe, I'm thinking!
We have a lot of fun together, and our anniversary was no exception. We had hoped to do a little trip to celebrate the milestone of five years, but . . . well, we might have a much BIGGER trip coming up in another month or so, which means we need to save our vacation days! I won't say too much now (I'll save it for the next Doings post), but it looks like Rohan and I might be jumping "over the pond" very soon. Waaaaaay over the pond . . . (And we're getting seriously excited about it!)
Oh, and I got a new haircut, which you can also see making its debut in these pictures. Just some layers and bangs, which is a fun change for me. It was getting reeeeeeeally long, and while I love long hair in theory, it tends to start looking heavy around my face. This cut gives my hair a little more bounce, and I feel prettier than I have in a long while. Ah! The restorative power of a good haircut . . .
Progress is still being made on both the Draven's Light audiobook and the Five Enchanted Roses audiobook. I hope to see both of them launched before the end of the year, though I'm not ABSOLUTELY certain this will be possible. It all depends on whether or not I get a chance to sit down and listen through both of them the several times necessary before hitting the "approve" button. Well over 20 hours worth of listening, not always easy to find time for. But one way or the other, both of these products are in the works and sounding awesome, so we'll be sharing them eventually.
And, believe it or not, I am actually in the very beginning stages of planning another little story. Not sure if anything will come of it, but I've been brainstorming both with Rohan and with my mother, (award-winning and bestelling novelist Jill Stengl, who knows a thing or two about brainstorming!), and they are both very keen for me to pursue it. I won't say too much about it just now, save that it's a children's book, so MUCH shorter than anything else I've ever done. And it's not a fantasy. I'll see if it goes anywhere before I reveal too much more about it, but it's definitely a Doing that is taking up some of my mental processes.
My plan is to finish drafting Book 2 in The Ridiculously Huge Project, and then take a week off from that to see if I can't rough up a quick draft of this children's book idea. I've got an outline that I like a ton, and while it will probably take me more than a week to write, I hope to get most of it done very quickly indeed. So we'll see. If that week goes well, I MIGHT be introducing this little story to all of you sooner rather than later. If it doesn't go well, I might scrap the whole thing, so we will see . . .
But, one way or the other, I'm only going to take a week to play with it, because I CANNOT SLOW DOWN on The Ridiculously Huge Project. Not and make my goals. (But more on that later.)
Wow, things look much calmer in this Doings post than they have in many of my other posts! Not quite so many irons in the fire at once, which is nice. Gives me time to really focus, at least for this period, on my writing itself. Sometimes, with ALL of the things I'm juggling, I begin to feel as though the Writer in me gets a little buried. So I really have to take advantage of clearer space when I get it!
So what has your September been like, dear Imps? Are you working away on your Five Magic Spindles stories? I'm sure many of you are back in school full throttle now, both as students and as teachers. Any specific plans for things you hope to accomplish in the next month? Do tell! I am all ears . . .
Anyway, the time has come for the newest Doings at Drakenheath post, and I hope all of you will enjoy seeing what we've been up to and what is currently on the horizon.
First of all . . . The Ridiculously Huge Project.
I introduced this project last month and have been working on it steadily ever since. I finished the rough draft of Book 1 in just 12 writing days, which pleased me, since my goal was 14.
However, the draft is VERY rough indeed, and I am already brewing such significant changes come the second draft that I rather doubt much of the original material will remain. Oh, well. At least there is a draft in existence.
I have moved on to Book 2 now and am making good progress on it. This draft is a little bit stronger than the draft of Book 1, though it is still much of it very rough. I had boasted some rather grandiose hopes of finishing this rough draft in the same amount of time it took me to do Book 1, but I'm already seeing that as highly unlikely. Because this draft is more polished than the last, it is by necessity bigger and more detailed, so it will take a bit more time.
Anyway, I plan to write up an actual post about The Ridiculously Huge Project sometime in the next week or so, so I'll save details about the project for that post. Though I did promise you monthly glimpses as the development, and I haven't forgotten!
Lights of the AlhambraThis month's glimpse is another research glimpse. I have been spending quite a lot of time researching the Alhambra in southern Spain as inspiration for a particular setting in Book 2. My own palace/city/fortification--called the Vanaruz--is not actually in southern Spain, but the influences are similar. I am even including a park of imported elm trees such as you see surrounding the Alhambra in this picture on the right. This elm park is said to be full of nightingales, so I am swiping that idea as well, particularly since its a detail that fits so neatly into the theme of this book.Yesterday I spent time researching the Alhambra's four outer gates, their names, when they were built, for what purposes they were used. Details like this, when rearranged to suit one's own story, add a lot of authentic flavor to a world. Much of my concentration has been going to the actual world building at this stage, and while I do some research before beginning a project, I end up doing most of my research along the way as I encounter details that need expanding.
So that's enough about The Ridiculously Huge Project for now. Stay tuned for a more extensive post concerning this project, due to appear soonish on this blog . . .
Did you enjoy the September Show and Tell? I know I did. It was so exciting to see all those different variations on "Sleeping Beauty" currently in development. All of them looked intriguing, and there were several that particularly stood out to me as stories I can hardly wait to read (though I won't say which ones . . . assume it was yours, dear competitor!).
We are now beyond the halfway mark for this contest. Still PLENTY of time to finish up those stories. But its not too long now before the clock will start ticking . . .
Personally, I'm really looking forward to the END of the contest, since I don't get to read the submissions when the first come in (they go out to my team of readers first, and they pick their top five favorites to send to me). So I won't actually get to start reading Magic Spindles stories until January . . . though I may beg a peek or two early, if opportunity arises.
So, in un-bookish-related news . . . we have a new rescue kitty!
Meet Little Miss Muffet.
This pretty little girl was dumped in our neighborhood, I'm not sure how long ago. While my husband and I were out for a stroll a few weekends back, she came out of the woods and started meowing and flirting, trying to get our attention. She was very scared of Milly (my big black doggy), so I sent Rohan on ahead with her so that I could try to make friends with the poor kitty.Little Miss was VERY ready to be rescued. She let me pick her right up and carry her all the way home. She had to live for the first two weeks on our screened-in back porch, as she was covered in fleas and had to get her vaccinations. But I have a great animal rescue group in the Raleigh area to work with, and they got me right into their program.
Evil Looks Down from AboveNow Little Miss is de-wormed, de-fleaed, up to date on all of her shots, and happily living in our home while we search for a perfect forever family for her. She's still not a fan of Milly, and my other kitties, despite being very used to having other cats in the house, are not particularly welcoming to a newcomer. Believe it or not, Minerva Louise (aka, The Evil One) is my most gentle cat when dealing with a newbie, so I let her and Little Miss hang out together in my office for a supervised period most mornings. I can't say they truly interact with one another. But sometimes that's a good thing where kitties are concerned . . .Say a prayer that we'll find a good home for Little Miss, if you think of it. We love her and are happy to take care of her, but she will be MUCH happier in a home of her own where she can be the only princess.
Rohan and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary just a few days ago! Most of you probably saw that, as it was the previous post, but I'll share a picture of us on the actual day too. My sweet handsome guy took me to Raleigh's oldest (and fanciest) steakhouse, Sullivan's, to celebrate, so we had to dress up. Not really a hardship for us, since we both like fancy dressing and fancy dining! I thought you might particularly like seeing the necklace I wore, which was a gift from my brother and his wife. It's got a distinctly Goldstone Wood-esque vibe, I'm thinking!We have a lot of fun together, and our anniversary was no exception. We had hoped to do a little trip to celebrate the milestone of five years, but . . . well, we might have a much BIGGER trip coming up in another month or so, which means we need to save our vacation days! I won't say too much now (I'll save it for the next Doings post), but it looks like Rohan and I might be jumping "over the pond" very soon. Waaaaaay over the pond . . . (And we're getting seriously excited about it!)
Oh, and I got a new haircut, which you can also see making its debut in these pictures. Just some layers and bangs, which is a fun change for me. It was getting reeeeeeeally long, and while I love long hair in theory, it tends to start looking heavy around my face. This cut gives my hair a little more bounce, and I feel prettier than I have in a long while. Ah! The restorative power of a good haircut . . .
Progress is still being made on both the Draven's Light audiobook and the Five Enchanted Roses audiobook. I hope to see both of them launched before the end of the year, though I'm not ABSOLUTELY certain this will be possible. It all depends on whether or not I get a chance to sit down and listen through both of them the several times necessary before hitting the "approve" button. Well over 20 hours worth of listening, not always easy to find time for. But one way or the other, both of these products are in the works and sounding awesome, so we'll be sharing them eventually.And, believe it or not, I am actually in the very beginning stages of planning another little story. Not sure if anything will come of it, but I've been brainstorming both with Rohan and with my mother, (award-winning and bestelling novelist Jill Stengl, who knows a thing or two about brainstorming!), and they are both very keen for me to pursue it. I won't say too much about it just now, save that it's a children's book, so MUCH shorter than anything else I've ever done. And it's not a fantasy. I'll see if it goes anywhere before I reveal too much more about it, but it's definitely a Doing that is taking up some of my mental processes.
My plan is to finish drafting Book 2 in The Ridiculously Huge Project, and then take a week off from that to see if I can't rough up a quick draft of this children's book idea. I've got an outline that I like a ton, and while it will probably take me more than a week to write, I hope to get most of it done very quickly indeed. So we'll see. If that week goes well, I MIGHT be introducing this little story to all of you sooner rather than later. If it doesn't go well, I might scrap the whole thing, so we will see . . .
But, one way or the other, I'm only going to take a week to play with it, because I CANNOT SLOW DOWN on The Ridiculously Huge Project. Not and make my goals. (But more on that later.)
Wow, things look much calmer in this Doings post than they have in many of my other posts! Not quite so many irons in the fire at once, which is nice. Gives me time to really focus, at least for this period, on my writing itself. Sometimes, with ALL of the things I'm juggling, I begin to feel as though the Writer in me gets a little buried. So I really have to take advantage of clearer space when I get it!
So what has your September been like, dear Imps? Are you working away on your Five Magic Spindles stories? I'm sure many of you are back in school full throttle now, both as students and as teachers. Any specific plans for things you hope to accomplish in the next month? Do tell! I am all ears . . .
September 18, 2015
Anniversary
I know I posted a LOOOOOONG post about our wedding last year, so there's really no need to reiterate it now. (
You can see that post here if you like.
It was fun to put together, and I hope you'll enjoy it.)
However, Rohan and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary today. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I thought I should post at least one picture of us in our wedding clothes!
Such a perfectly beautiful day! And five perfectly beautiful years with this perfectly beautiful man. The longer I am his wife, the more I appreciate his sweetness, his humor, his work ethic, his patience . . . not to mention his handsomeness.
(Yeah, I know, I'm a bit shallow. But he's awfully pretty!)
God could not have blessed me with a more wonderful partner with whom to navigate the waters of this life.
Okay, one more picture, just 'cause I love this one:
Five years is just the beginning of what I hope will be a long and adventurous love story.
However, Rohan and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary today. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I thought I should post at least one picture of us in our wedding clothes!
Such a perfectly beautiful day! And five perfectly beautiful years with this perfectly beautiful man. The longer I am his wife, the more I appreciate his sweetness, his humor, his work ethic, his patience . . . not to mention his handsomeness.
(Yeah, I know, I'm a bit shallow. But he's awfully pretty!)
God could not have blessed me with a more wonderful partner with whom to navigate the waters of this life.
Okay, one more picture, just 'cause I love this one:
Five years is just the beginning of what I hope will be a long and adventurous love story.
September 13, 2015
The Winners! - Fan Fiction Contest 2015
Dear Imps, it was quite the epic contest this year, with some of the longest, most intricate and intriguing tales ever, not to mention a much greater emphasis on poetry than we have yet seen. So much love for both Goldstone Wood and storytelling itself . . . it's quite a wonderful sight to behold!
The time has come to announce the winners. This year, rather than first, second, and third places, we have three FIRST place winners in three separate categories. The first of those categories is . . .
POETRY
And the winning poet of 2015 is: Sarah Grace with, "All My Love."
This beautiful poem--depicting the heart and heartbreak of Queen Anahid of Arpiar, mother of Rose Red, wife of Vahe, and tragic heroine after her own sad fashion--is well deserving of this prize. The lyrical verses left readers with the sense of a classic style mingled with very present emotion. A lovely depiction of a mother's love.
Well done, Sarah Grace! The Bard of Rudiobus himself would be proud to write verses such as these.
And now moving on to our second category, which is . . .
PROSE:Short Stories and Novellas
The winning author of prose for 2015 is: Melanie J. Morgan with, "Seabreeze."
The voting was very close in this category, but Melanie's novella, "Seabreeze," won by a nose, ultimately impressing readers with its epic scope, its heartbreaking climax, its romantic enchantment . . . not to mention Melanie's stunning illustrations, which so perfectly depicted the scenes and characters she described with her words. A labor of love which left an unmistakable mark upon the eager Imps.
Congratulations, Melanie!
And now for the final category, which is . . .
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE YEAR
This new category is a tough one, and I took my job seriously. I read first for pure enjoyment--How caught up was I in the tale being told? I read second for proficiency--How polished was each writer, how confident in her way with words and narrative construction? I read thirdly with an eye for series understanding--How well did the author demonstrate comprehension of Goldstone Wood's world and characters, and how did she blend her knowledge into an appealing tale? While there was much talent and passion demonstrated in this year's contest among all of the competing authors, I felt there was one author who really stood out in the crowd, combining great storytelling, skill, and understanding of my world.
So it is my great pleasure to announce the winner of My Personal Favorite of the Year Award: Meredith Burton with, "Black Powder."
I was so impressed by Meredith's exploration of themes from my most recent novel, Golden Daughter, providing interesting narrative background to various characters and story elements. And I absolutely loved how she expanded my use of the story of Joseph to explore the story of Dinah as well, connecting that part of the Biblical narrative to the world of Goldstone Wood. The results were impressive and engrossing.
Congratulations, Meredith!
Journal Cover
All three of our winners have earned their gorgeous prizes--hardbound "Goldstone Wood Imp" journals with the titles of their winning stories/poems and their names engraved upon the back. So, Sarah Grace, Melanie, and Meredith, feel free to email me (aestengl@gmail.com) to let me know your mailing addresses!
I cannot thank you enough, contenders, for your wonderful submissions and all of your creative efforts. You have no idea how close the voting was in each of these categories. And I feel safe to tell you that EVERY ONE of the authors who submitted had several votes on her or his work.
But in the end, I feel these three winners truly deserved their places on the top, and I hope all of you will join me in offering them heartfelt congratulations!
The time has come to announce the winners. This year, rather than first, second, and third places, we have three FIRST place winners in three separate categories. The first of those categories is . . .
POETRY
And the winning poet of 2015 is: Sarah Grace with, "All My Love."
This beautiful poem--depicting the heart and heartbreak of Queen Anahid of Arpiar, mother of Rose Red, wife of Vahe, and tragic heroine after her own sad fashion--is well deserving of this prize. The lyrical verses left readers with the sense of a classic style mingled with very present emotion. A lovely depiction of a mother's love.
Well done, Sarah Grace! The Bard of Rudiobus himself would be proud to write verses such as these.
And now moving on to our second category, which is . . .
PROSE:Short Stories and Novellas
The winning author of prose for 2015 is: Melanie J. Morgan with, "Seabreeze."
The voting was very close in this category, but Melanie's novella, "Seabreeze," won by a nose, ultimately impressing readers with its epic scope, its heartbreaking climax, its romantic enchantment . . . not to mention Melanie's stunning illustrations, which so perfectly depicted the scenes and characters she described with her words. A labor of love which left an unmistakable mark upon the eager Imps.
Congratulations, Melanie!
And now for the final category, which is . . .
MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE YEAR
This new category is a tough one, and I took my job seriously. I read first for pure enjoyment--How caught up was I in the tale being told? I read second for proficiency--How polished was each writer, how confident in her way with words and narrative construction? I read thirdly with an eye for series understanding--How well did the author demonstrate comprehension of Goldstone Wood's world and characters, and how did she blend her knowledge into an appealing tale? While there was much talent and passion demonstrated in this year's contest among all of the competing authors, I felt there was one author who really stood out in the crowd, combining great storytelling, skill, and understanding of my world.
So it is my great pleasure to announce the winner of My Personal Favorite of the Year Award: Meredith Burton with, "Black Powder."
I was so impressed by Meredith's exploration of themes from my most recent novel, Golden Daughter, providing interesting narrative background to various characters and story elements. And I absolutely loved how she expanded my use of the story of Joseph to explore the story of Dinah as well, connecting that part of the Biblical narrative to the world of Goldstone Wood. The results were impressive and engrossing.
Congratulations, Meredith!
Journal CoverAll three of our winners have earned their gorgeous prizes--hardbound "Goldstone Wood Imp" journals with the titles of their winning stories/poems and their names engraved upon the back. So, Sarah Grace, Melanie, and Meredith, feel free to email me (aestengl@gmail.com) to let me know your mailing addresses!
I cannot thank you enough, contenders, for your wonderful submissions and all of your creative efforts. You have no idea how close the voting was in each of these categories. And I feel safe to tell you that EVERY ONE of the authors who submitted had several votes on her or his work.
But in the end, I feel these three winners truly deserved their places on the top, and I hope all of you will join me in offering them heartfelt congratulations!
September 1, 2015
ALL MY LOVE - Sarah Grace
With all the love I have to giveI'll walk this path once moreThe Fallen One at my heels,Severe punishment at my door.
For though the enchantments fall awayHis song is in your earOnly for you, my daughterWill I face my greatest fear
With all the love I have to giveI leave you in a mortal's careMy dear Rose, you are freeAlthough not so fair
With all the love I have to giveI'll give it all awaySafety from your father's planIs all that I can pray
With all the love I have to give,I trust Him to protect youAnd someday, when it's all overAnd the night of Moonblood is through,
Won't you return to me?
VOTING: If you would like to vote on this or any of the other fan fiction submissions, send me a list of your top three favorite POEMS and your top three favorite STORIES. (aestengl@gmail.com) Voting is for fans of the Goldstone Wood series only.
A SILLY DITTY - Merenwen
Gleamdren, Gleamdren
Give me your answer true.
I’m half crazy—nay, I’m in love with you.
This can only lead to marriage,Because (besides myself) only foolsDo vie for yourBeautiful, delicate hand.
Eanrin, Eanrin,Give me your answer true.I’m half crazy, keeping you at bay.Of course, I love this game.How long can you keep it up?I wish to see, for only meAnd you can play it so well.
[After a curious turn of events:]Imraldera, Imraldera,Give me your answer true.I’m half crazy, falling in love with you.I wish this would lead to marriage,But I’m afraid of a barrageOf rejections,Since I last stole a few kisses from you.
Eanrin, Eanrin,Give me your answer, will you!I am going mad, waiting in silence for you.I thought it might lead to marriage,But then the mortal came And stole your heart,But still I wait for youEanrin, Eanrin,Give her your answer, please.I’m half crazy, waiting for you to singTrulyOf your heart-felt devotionTo Queen Bebo’s cousin.But since I came, Lady GleamdrenéHas yet to speak to you.
VOTING: If you would like to vote on this or any of the other fan fiction submissions, send me a list of your top three favorite POEMS and your top three favorite STORIES. (aestengl@gmail.com) Voting is for fans of the Goldstone Wood series only.
GUTA'S SOLILOQUY - Meredith Burton
Pain. A word spoken so easily, a puff of breath, a single exhalation. Pain. A word so sharp-edged and yet so dull.Pain’s taloned fingers gouge, mutilate and shred.The soft caress of Pain’s kiss crushes and defiles.A simple word, yet a word so wild.
You think I do not understand Pain? How wrong you are! I am a beast, ‘tis true, but I had a brother once. Perhaps you do not remember his name. If you want to know of him, his story can be found. You need only look. Yet you will not find the whole story. You will find only fragments. Listen to me, and I will tell you all.
My brother and I were born in pain and blood. We killed the one who bore us. Twins we were, identical in ugliness, identical in being unwanted.Who was our father, you ask? You would call him a beast, and you would be correct. Our father found our mother in the Wood one day, a mortal maiden lost and alone. He grew weary of her after a time, as the Faerie beasts can be fickle. However, he did not leave her alone completely. He wanted to see his children. He was not pleased with what he saw. I have felt his blows on many occasions, although my brother suffered most.Despite our father’s treatment of us, my brother admired him, for he shared Father’s aspirations to rule a demesne. I believe he was seeking something more, perhaps our father’s praise. How foolish! From observing my brother’s actions, I’ve learned that stealing a kingdom is folly. My brother gained ascendency over a mortal village. This action resulted in his undoing. I’ve learned that it is best to be alone and seek what sustenance you can.Centuries have passed, and my father is no more. He was not a Faerie King, so he did not have three lives. And yes, if you are wondering, my father died by my hand. I feel no remorse.
I first feasted upon Pain the day I encountered a young girl. She was lost in the Wood Between. She was running in panic, heedless of the Paths. Tears flowed like rivers down her cheeks, and she repeatedly pleaded for help. As she cried, I heard singing. Someone called to the girl, seeking to lead her to safety. I had to act quickly. As the girl floundered past the pit in which I lurked, I reached out and clasped her ankle. Why did I do this? Because she represented all that I did not have. You call me a monster, but cannot a monster suffer loneliness?I could not keep the mortal girl. The interfering Songster wrenched her from my grasp. I will not dwell on that fact. I will instead think of the feast itself.Whenever I feast, I taste another feeling beneath the pain, one that I cannot name. That feeling tastes so very sweet. Sometimes, mortals journeying through the Wood consume a golden substance that they call honey. Although I have never tasted honey, I wonder if the sweet taste of which I’ve partaken is similar. I told my brother of that feeling, telling him he must taste it for himself. We often met and discussed our conquests. How I miss our talks. You do not know how bereft you are of something until it is gone.
You ask why I beat my victims? It is because Pain heightens the taste of the sweetness. There are certain people who struggle so mightily against me that the other feeling rushes from them in waves. But, as with all types of feasting, once the meal is consumed, the feelings vanish. I continue to seek that feeling, hoping that one day it will remain. It never does.I still hear that interfering singer. He is entangled in every story. Despite all I do, he cannot be silenced. Why?
Pain is my companion.He is a demanding but constant master.I will feast until Lumé and Hymlumé cease to rise,Until the mountains crumble into the sea.For in serving Pain, I serve myself.
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EANRIN'S GAMBLE - Cornelia Greenidge
Prince Gervais was in a rare mood.
The princess seemed quite interested in him. Of course, there was no reason why she shouldn’t be. He was a prince among princes after all and, when compared to that stuffy Aethelbald, he couldn’t but be admired. Still, it paid not to take chances with these things. That was why he was so pleased with himself for that little serenade in the garden. He beamed. A young woman, starved for flattering attention, could not fail to be won over by one of the syrup songs that comprised almost all of Bard Eanrin’s early verse.
“If only she’d be mine!” He sang a few lines to himself as he walked. Once he married a noble woman of fortune, his freedom was assured. King Fidel was, as his name implied, a faithful man. He would be sure to look after his daughter’s – and her husband’s – welfare. She wasn’t an unattractive girl, either, this Princess Una. So caught up was he in these happy thoughts that he didn’t notice one of Aethelbald’s knights, a tawny-haired blind man, crossing his path until he’d almost run into him. He brushed past the knight and was continuing on his way, when the man unexpectedly turned and fell into step beside him. The knight grinned down at him.
“That was quite the song selection.”
Gervais stiffened. Something about this man made him distinctly uneasy. “You were listening?”“I’m blind, not deaf. It was hard to miss that serenade. What made you choose it?”“Surely you must know the piece.” If this knight was hoping for information to bring back to his awkward master, Gervais had every intention of making it difficult for him. “It is one of Bard Eanrin’s best loved poems. It speaks only of sincerity and true depth of emotion.”The man made a strange sound. It was like a cough - or a short, choking laugh. Gervais was having too fine a day to be mocked by the servant of his poor rival.“You believe you can do better, my friend?”“I believe I have.” “How about a wager, then?” He would have money enough to spare when the princess was his bride, and – while he didn’t fancy a duel with the strange knight – this man needed to be taught a stern lesson for his insolence. “A wager?” It was impossible in this form, but Eanrin’s ears pricked. He had observed Gervais and his men whiling time away in idle gambling, though none seemed too keen on playing with the prince, and he had heard Gervais was known for his persistent promises of later payment. “What sort of wager?” “A game of hazards. If you win, I will grant you a small fortune. If I, than you must compose a song in my honor – if your verse is as good as you claim.”The knight was familiar with hazards, a dice game of the near world. Still, he shook his head. “I’ve played greater games for lower stakes than this, but a fortune may be won or lost too easily. No, let’s be more traditional.”“How do you mean?”“I win, and you stop pursuing the princess.” Gervais frowned slightly at this suggestion. She was his fortune! Still, this man had challenged him twice now, and no one could do that and walk away freely.“Very well. And if I win, -” Gervais began, but the knight held up a hand, stopping him. “I, of course, am but a servant and cannot speak for my master’s pursuit of the girl. Your wager will have to lie with me.”Inspiration hit Gervais. He smiled broadly. “If I win, you, my friend, will serve as my personal bard – or perhaps jester. It’s been so long since I had one.” “Jester?!?” The knight stiffened, affronted, but stopped to ponder the suggestion. Any man capricious enough to risk losing his lady in hopes of humiliating his opponent, Eanrin knew, could not love her. Gervais had hidden depths of cruelty as well as greed. This made it even more unfortunate that Una appeared quite besotted with him. She would learn in time, but perhaps not soon enough. Unless… Eanrin nodded, thoughtfully. “I suppose I could serve as bard. I already have some small work in that line, but if you’ll permit me the odd holiday, I’m sure something can be arranged.”Gervais laughed, “The odd holiday? Really, my friend, you are more fit to be a jester. You are too amusing already! But now you must prove your skill before we begin our game.”One of Fidel’s guards, a suitable judge, was obtained. The game was explained to him, and Gervais again urged Eanrin for a demonstration of his skill before they played. The poet began his song.“Oh Gleamdrene, your lovely face –” He was cut short by Gervais. “This must be a song of your own composition, my friend. I don’t wish to be rude, but that was one of Bard Eanrin’s.” Eanrin frowned. “How could you tell?”“I am familiar with all of his compositions dedicated to the beauty of Gleamdrene Gormlaith.” “Really?” The poet looked surprised. “I’m not sure even I recall every composition.” “They are the ideal of romance to which I aspire.”Eanrin almost choked. Amusement and concern battled for dominance on his features. Amusement won out.“Well, a man’s taste says a great deal about him. What about a poem dedicated to a different lady?”“That would be sufficient proof that it is not Eanrin’s verse. The immortal bard never wrote of anyone but Gleamdrene. Please, carry on with this piece.”Eanrin chuckled. “Very well, but don’t let word of this one travel. If it returns to the woman in question, and she learns what I made it public for, I could find myself in some very unpleasant water.” And he began. This place in the near world didn’t have the acoustics of the halls of red and green, but Eanrin’s voice carried a far gentler quality than usual, and his tone was sweet.
She walked in strength and dignity,Walked in a world apart.She lived in grace and dignity,Although she did not yet live free,Until one day, when forced to flee,She caught my foolish heart.
She walks now on the good, true way,Caught in the wood between,I walked with her along that way,And know that I may truly sayThat all the things you see today,Are none to what I’ve seen.
As he finished, the guard nodded. That poem would serve to let him progress. Gervais also nodded, but more grudgingly. “I shall always prefer the classics, but you have a nice voice and are very entertaining. So long as you have a good store of Eanrin’s Gleamdrene pieces memorized, you would entertain my court very well.”“Yes, those particular songs always seemed to be rather high in demand in Rudiobus as well.”Eanrin picked up the die and had them in hand when he stopped. Perhaps it was only right to warn this foolish prince. After all, he was a faerie, and there was a reason the people of the far world didn’t usually gamble with cards or dice. They had an awkward knack of always winning. He continued casually,“In the event you win this mortal game of chance, you, as a true lover of the art, would be very gracious to allow me to return to serenade them every few decades.”Gervais had been laughing to himself at the thought of this blind man hoping to best him, but this brought him up short – confused. Eanrin continued, merrily unaffected. “My king, Iubdan, has always quite enjoyed those pieces, and I confess there are very few entertainments in the worlds equal to my lady Gleamdrene turning up her nose at my latest performance. Spoken, of course,” here he grinned a cat’s grin and rolled the dice, watching Gervais begin to shift uncomfortably, “from my sincerity and true depth of emotion.”---Barely fifteen minutes later, Gervais walked off, head hanging, mustering his men to leave Parumvir. It was uncanny! There had been no cheating, no apparent spells or chants over the die, the man couldn’t even see them! The knight had evidently begun enjoying himself, however, and he called after the prince.“We must discuss the topic of royalties before you leave, of course.”Gervais wheeled back around. “Royalties?”“I generally consider my art a free expression of my devotion to be shared with the worlds. However, I understand that you have been putting much of it to your own profit with the fair maids of the near world.”Gervais opened his mouth to protest, but Eanrin held up a hand. “Not to worry. I’m not one to judge a man unfairly. Simply provide me with a small payment – the going rate for a bard of my reputation – every time you wish to serenade a young lady. Starting, of course, with that piece you so recently used in the garden.”“You can’t do that! If you really are Bard Eanrin, men have been wooing women with your poetry for centuries!”“Yes indeed, but very few turn it into a form of monetary gain.” He turned and began striding away, calling over his shoulder,“Just see that you provide the first payment or two before leaving. There’s a good fellow.”And he was gone. --- Once away, Eanrin finished chuckling to himself and fell – however briefly - into a thoughtful mood. There was something about that fellow, something familiar…that song for Imraldera - for, of course, he’d been speaking about her - brought back memories he hadn’t considered in some time. Memories of a young mortal maiden, of a trip through the wood between, of the lair of ChuMana the serpent and the arrogant prince who had – Eanrin stopped.“Dragon’s teeth!”
VOTING: If you would like to vote on this or any of the other fan fiction submissions, send me a list of your top three favorite POEMS and your top three favorite STORIES. (aestengl@gmail.com) Voting is for fans of the Goldstone Wood series only.
FALLEN KINGDOM - Sarah Taleweaver
Once I had a kingdom;Fair it was, and full of life.Winged folk, immortal, bright,Flew free among its many towers.Yet among the joy I had not my love,And without him all this was not enough.
Once I had a kingdom;A reign of terror it was, and like no other.No seat or throne had I but,People ran like rabbits before me;They cursed my name and shivered at their boldness.But I flew too high and was thrown down,My wings stripped, my power caged,For their fear could not replace lost love,And my kingdom still was not enough.
Once I had a kingdom;Broken and bleeding it was, and full of death.Its people burned to blackened bones,Its towers shattered and fallen,Its empty streets twisted and hungry.Yet to fill my emptiness, quench my bitter wrath,Even this destruction was not enough.
Once I had a kingdom;A land of Flame it was, and full of fear.A land brought to its knees before my tower,Its people whispered my name in reverence;They bowed before me as their goddess.But it lasted no more than did the others;The revenging waters came to flood the land;They washed away the Flame,Broke apart the kingdom that could not be enough.
Once I had a kingdom;Fair it was, and full of joy.Yet bitterness burned it to ash within me,For nothing could satisfy my ache.Everywhere I turned I found emptiness;Everything I took became nothing.Yet ever I refused what would have satisfied,For Love of One would have been enough.
VOTING: If you would like to vote on this or any of the other fan fiction submissions, send me a list of your top three favorite POEMS and your top three favorite STORIES. (aestengl@gmail.com) Voting is for fans of the Goldstone Wood series only.
