Aesthetics: A B C ��������

Five Scary Fairy Tales �� Reading and Writing Resolutions 📚🖋

Aesthetics: A B C ��

��The world before us is apostcard, and I imagine the story we are writing on it.��

�� Mary E. Pearson

An aesthetic is a form ofvisual inspiration. And when you��re writing a story, it��s also helpful if yourimagination has a focal point��something to make sure you don��t get carried awaywith too many new ideas. Putting together a collection of images about the centralthemes and characters can be a great way to make sure you stay on course. Also,it��s a lot of fun ��.

I��m past the halfway point in writingthe fourth Beyond Androva book, and that��s when I would normally create a newaesthetic. But it��s also the beginning of December��time for Christmasdecorations and holiday-themed reading choices. So for today��s blog post, Idecided to include some seasonal aesthetic content too.

There are also a couple of Christmas stories in previous blog posts featuring the Legacy of Androva characters. The first one takes place at the end of Seeking Magic, and you can find it here. The second one is an epilogue to the series, and I posted it here.

A is for Averine

I��m really enjoying thechallenge of writing Averine��s story. When I first started, I thought she hadeverything figured out in terms of who she was and what she was doing. That��sthe way I tried to write her, but it didn��t go so well. Eventually, I realised myimpressions of Averine were based almost entirely on what Kellan believed, and his perspective was incomplete. Averine��s reality turned out to be a lot morecomplicated! Which makes sense, I guess, especially after what her father did.And that��s without the additional complications created by a new villain and adangerous magical bond.

Here��s the aesthetic. Most of theimages are related to alchemy, Averine��s chosen profession, or Phidiom, the newterritory she visits during the story.

B is for Blenheim

I visited Blenheim Palace last weekend to see The Kingdom of the Snow Queen. Blenheim is a famous stately home in Oxfordshire, built over threehundred years ago as a gift from Queen Anne to the first Duke of Marlborough. These days, it��s open to the public and famous for its Christmas activities.

I was surprised that the combinationof extravagant fairy-tale decorations and a centuries-old palace worked sowell. I don��t think my photos do it justice! And the storytelling journey wasperfect, starting with a giant Christmas tree resting on top of the evil magic mirror, and endingwith the Snow Queen herself.

Of course, I had to choosea Snow Queen retelling for this year��s holiday reading. I decided on Queen of Snow, by Laura Burton and Jessie Cal.

Description

Welcome to the Chanted Forest,where Fairytales are real... but not as you know them.

After losing his grandfather,Jack feels lost, unsure of what his future holds.

Until he sees the reflection ofa beautiful young woman inside his grandfather��s mirror. A mirror he never knewexisted.

She beckons to him, and he��spulled through a portal to the Chanted Kingdom where fairytale characters arereal.

Princess Aria��s family waskilled by the Evil Queen, and after spending a year running for her life andhiding with Robin and his band of misfits, she��s so close to completing theMirror of Reason, which she plans to use as a portal to leave the ChantedKingdom forever.

All she needs is to catch ayoung man named Jack in exchange for a mirror shard. Things get complicated asAria��s feelings for Jack, as well as her ice powers, start to grow stronger.Soon, she finds that using her powers to save everyone she loves, will come ata great cost.

C is for Cat (or Christmas Cat)

The final aesthetic is just forfun. My cat is a big fan of Christmas because she thinks the tree and thedecorations make perfect cat toys. Four years ago, she actually climbed thetree and knocked it over, but fortunately she learned quickly and hasn��t repeatedthe experience!