Previous episode: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-imaginary-boyfriend-episode-five.html
My stomach and cheeks ache and my throat is scratchy from the salty popcorn, but I can't stop laughing. Rykel's scratchy laugh joins mine and I bask in the wonderful feeling of just being together.
"Did you-" I suck in a breath. "Did you see the look on her face - in the airport scene? She was just like - Oh man, that was awful! She is such a terrible actress." My words dissolve into giggles, and I ignore the other patrons in the theater lobby glaring in our direction. I can't help it if they came to a terrible horror movie to actually be scared. I'm here to have fun!
"That part when the alien came out was way worse! We're in the twenty-first century. There's this thing called CGI. Those people clearly don't know how to use it."
Rykel slips his warm, strong hand into mine and, still laughing, we exit the theater into the dark parking lot.
The pavement, wet from the rain while we were inside, glistens under the glow of the street lights. That damp, earthy after-rain smell fills the cool night air. I untie the jacket around my waist and slide it on over my Hunger Games t-shirt, flipping my hair out over my collar before slipping my hand back into Rykel's.
I let out a deep breath and smile. Music from a country radio station is playing through speakers mounted on the walls of the movie theater. One of my favorite songs comes on and I step in time to the beat.
Rykel laughs and I look up at him. "What? I love this song. Don't tell me you don't like Taylor Swift. Come on!"
He shakes his head; I roll my eyes. After a minute, though, he pauses. I turn to him. He looks older, more mature somehow under the strange lighting that casts shadows over his half-hair, red ripped-sleeved t-shirt, and thick, tattooed arms. "What's the matter?"
"Want to dance?"
"Here? Now?"
He nods.
I smile nervously and look down. This is definitely out of character, and there are still several people in the parking lot around us. But I'm not about to pass up the chance. I look back up at him. "Yes!"
He pulls me closer to him and takes my free hand in his. Strong, scarred fingers wrap between mine. I rest my head in the groove of his shoulder and close my eyes, breathing in his smell. Heat between our so-close bodies, the thick smell of earth and rain, soft strains from a song I love, the spicy smell of the boy I've fallen for, a peaceful calm in my laughter-aching belly all tumble through my senses into my heart.
When the song ends, I sigh and reluctantly pull away. "We should be going."
He nods and drops one of my hands, squeezing the other and sliding his free hand into his pocket. "I got you something."
I watch his face, but he doesn't make eye contact. "What is it?"
He pulls his hand out of his pocket, with his fingers wrapped around something small. "It's nothing much. I saw it at that store in the mall when we first came in, and I thought you'd like it. I mean, it seems like your kind of thing. Just - here." He holds out his hand and opens it to reveal a delicate silver necklace.
I take it and slide my fingers in the chain, letting it fall so I can hold up the charm. "Oh, it's a motorcycle!" I giggle and look up at Rykel.
He smiles, but his eyes still seem a little uncertain. "So you like it?"
"Of course I do! It's perfect." I let go of his hand and undo the clasp, then turn my back to him. "Here, can you hold my hair up?"
"Okay." His hands brush against my neck as he gathers the hair together and holds it up out of the way.
I slip the necklace on, and the clasp catches on the second try. Rykel releases my hair and I turn back to him, holding the necklace up to look down at it. "I love it, Rykel. It's perfect," I repeat.
I look up to see him practically beaming at me. I slide my hand back in his, still smiling. "Let's go."
We walk back to the motorcycle. I wipe the water off the seat with my hand and Rykel reaches over and starts the engine, but he doesn't climb on. He grins at me.
"One more song?"
I laugh. "What song would that be?"
He leans over the motorcycle and turns on the radio. An electric guitar starts to play. I raise my eyebrows.
"Come on, we did your song. This is my kind of music."
I laugh again and shake my head. "Okay, you win. But I'm warning you, this won't be pretty. Dancing is not exactly a strength of mine." And I definitely don't know how to dance to this kind of song.
He grabs my hands and we start to do something that I guess resembles dancing. I feel like a cross between a freshly-beheaded chicken and a little kid who's had one too many Mountain Dews. Still, I'm laughing and bouncing around and having fun even if I do look like an idiot. Rykel is definitely doing better than me, although I'm not sure if his kind of dancing would fit in anywhere except an 80's movie. Whatever. We make an awesome pair, looking like fools in the parking lot.
The song, which I honestly thought sounded like the same set of chords played over and over again, ends soon. I collapse onto the motorcycle seat and try to calm down my laughter. Rykel watches me, grinning.
"It was awful, wasn't it? I told you." I reach for the helmet hanging on the handlebars and pull my hair out of my face to strap it on.
Rykel crosses his arms and leans against the car parked beside us. "You're fun, you know that?"
I focus on putting my helmet on and not looking at him. No matter how much I hang out with guys, I can never quite figure out how to take a compliment from them. I know for a fact that I'm blushing right now. "Well... thanks? I mean you're not exactly a bore either."
He chuckles and pushes off the car, stepping up beside me. He reaches out and grasps the handlebars, but before he climbs on he leans in beside me and whispers in my ear. "I mean it. You're a special girl, Emily." He climbs onto the motorcycle seat and I wrap my arms around his chest. As the engine revs and we take off out of the parking lot, I can feel practically my entire body blushing.
Is this love?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Book Review: The Governess of Highland Hall
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie TuranskyWill Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help?
Amazon Page
GoodReads Page
Author Website
Amazon Summary:
Book Trailer:Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?
My Thoughts:
When I started this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've read a lot of historical romance before, but it's been a while. I noticed a few things: first of all, this book reminds me of several other classics actually written during the time this is set in. That may seem like a bad thing - oh, the book is just like this one or that one - but actually, it turns out to be a great thing. This book hearkens back and alludes to many stories I love without taking on that story and becoming a copycat. Throughout the book, I saw pieces that reminded me of Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and North and South - all favorites of mine.
At the beginning of the book, I also noticed something that concerned me. There's several POV shifts. We see Julia, William, William's sister, the housekeeper, the head gardener, and one of the maids at different points. I was afraid this would become unsettling or confusing or clutter the book - at the beginning, that's what it starts to do. But as the story progresses, the POV shifts are sparse enough not to feel jumpy and are used for maximum effect to move the story along and grab at the reader's heart.
Honestly, after finishing this book, I have only one thing I didn't like: I wished there was more of it! There were a couple of points where the story skimmed over an afternoon or a week and I wished I could read through and live that time with the characters. Basically, I wanted to stay in the book longer!
The characters were so realistic and amazing. The plot was perfect, and while it was a bit predictable - is any romance not? - there were still enough surprises to keep the story fresh and alive. The time period really came to life in front of me; this author certainly did her research. The Governess of Highland Hall is a keeper! Five stars.
I received this book for free through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sixteen Update
Hello, my lovely readers! Some of you have been asking various questions about Sixteen, my Christian coming-of-age novella that will be coming out as an ebook. Others may have noticed the lack of information concerning the book, or the book's "On Hiatus" status right now, on my Books page. Today I'm here to answer questions and alleviate concerns.
Why is Sixteen on hiatus? Sixteen is on hiatus simply because it's in the editing stage and I'm focused on a different project right now, a contest entry that's in first draft status. "On Hiatus" definitely doesn't mean I won't get back to that project, and it doesn't necessarily mean that my break from that project will be long. It just means I'm not working on it at this moment.
Who is publishing it? I am! More specifically, I'm self-publishing, going completely indie - although not completely solo. I paid for a professional cover (which I am in love with!) and freelance editor (who happened to be a good friend of mine). When it comes to marketing, selling, and the likes, though, it's all on me. That's one reason - besides the novella length of the book - that I decided to do ebook-only.
When will it be out? The original plan was to release Sixteen in late 2013. However, after doing some extensive research and planning, I realized that wouldn't work, for more than one reason. The main reason is that I want Amazon Kindle to be one of the main places I publish, and you have to be 18 to publish in the Kindle Store. I didn't want to publish under my parents' account; therefore, I'm just going to have to wait until early 2014. If all goes according to my new timeline, the book will release on January 18, 2014 - National Sanctity of Life Day, or Pro-Life Day.
Where will Sixteen be available? It will definitely be for sale on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. I don't know yet if it will be available on other platforms.
Will it ever be available in print? Right now I can't say for certain, but I'm not promising anything. In other words, don't hold your breath; it will probably never leave the ebook world. Sorry to disappoint you.
When can we see the cover? Sometime between now and the release date. No promises or dates from me yet, except that I promise you won't be disappointed! ;)
What is Sixteen about? I want to know more! My one-sentence pitch is "In this Christian coming-of-age novella, a teenage rebel without a cause - but with parent problems - finds herself pregnant by her adult boyfriend." The full description will be on the blog soon, don't worry!
Have a question that wasn't answered? Fire away in the comments or check out my Contact page!
Who is publishing it? I am! More specifically, I'm self-publishing, going completely indie - although not completely solo. I paid for a professional cover (which I am in love with!) and freelance editor (who happened to be a good friend of mine). When it comes to marketing, selling, and the likes, though, it's all on me. That's one reason - besides the novella length of the book - that I decided to do ebook-only.
When will it be out? The original plan was to release Sixteen in late 2013. However, after doing some extensive research and planning, I realized that wouldn't work, for more than one reason. The main reason is that I want Amazon Kindle to be one of the main places I publish, and you have to be 18 to publish in the Kindle Store. I didn't want to publish under my parents' account; therefore, I'm just going to have to wait until early 2014. If all goes according to my new timeline, the book will release on January 18, 2014 - National Sanctity of Life Day, or Pro-Life Day.
Where will Sixteen be available? It will definitely be for sale on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. I don't know yet if it will be available on other platforms.
Will it ever be available in print? Right now I can't say for certain, but I'm not promising anything. In other words, don't hold your breath; it will probably never leave the ebook world. Sorry to disappoint you.
When can we see the cover? Sometime between now and the release date. No promises or dates from me yet, except that I promise you won't be disappointed! ;)
What is Sixteen about? I want to know more! My one-sentence pitch is "In this Christian coming-of-age novella, a teenage rebel without a cause - but with parent problems - finds herself pregnant by her adult boyfriend." The full description will be on the blog soon, don't worry!
Have a question that wasn't answered? Fire away in the comments or check out my Contact page!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
My Imaginary Boyfriend, Episode Five: Comfort Zones
Previous episode: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-imaginary-boyfriend-episode-four.html
I'm leaving my final class for the day when my phone vibrates. Mikaela texts me about once a week at least, so I figure it's probably her. We haven't talked much since we got back from our Gatlinburg road trip. However, I'm surprised to see Rykel's name pop up on the screen. He hasn't contacted me since our first date four nights ago; I texted him the next morning just to say hi but I wasn't sure if I should try again since he never responded.
Meet me at five. Coffee shop. Wear something nice, sweetheart. - Rykel
I bite my lip as a smile tugs at my cheeks. I check the time - 4:15. I have forty-five minutes to get ready. Maybe my roommate will let me borrow that top she wore last night. It's the perfect color for me and we're the same size.
* * *
I'm sitting at a table in front of the coffee shop at five after, wearing my roommate's green ruffled blouse and my new tapered denim capris with my trusty brown flip-flips. This time, I come prepared; I spend the twenty minutes I'm waiting reading on my Kindle. When I hear the engines of Rykel's motorcycle pull up, I slide the ereader into my purse and stand up.
Rykel pulls off his helmet and flips his head to toss his scraggly blond hair out of his screaming blue eyes. He saunters up to me, tugging on one piercing-riddled ear. Today he's wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves torn off and jeans. "Ready, doll?"
I smile and take the helmet he offers me, sliding it on. "What's the plan today?"
He climbs back on to the seat and gives me a hand up, but he doesn't start the engines yet. "I'm thinking we'll get a bite to eat and then it's up to you. Anyplace you've been wanting to go lately?"
I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head against his neck, breathing in his scent. There's no movies out that I've been interested in this month. The roller skating place is only open on the weekends during the school year. I can't really think of anything else... except... "How do you feel about shopping?"
He laughs and turns to look at me from the side. "What do you have in mind?"
I grin. "Well, there's this new store that just opened in the mall. It's kind of my favorite and there's never been one in this area before. Their grand opening was last week."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop by." He revs up the engines and whips out of the parking lot onto the road. I lean back a little and enjoy the thrill of the wind speeding past me.
A few minutes later, Rykel pulls into the parking lot of a tiny restaurant with an odd name. I've never been here before. I slide off the seat behind him and hand him the helmet, looking through the windows. "Where are we?"
He sets the helmet on the handlebars and slides his hand into mine. "It's a vegetarian joint. I know the owner. Thought you might like to try it."
I shrug and walk through the door he holds open for me with his free hand. "I'll try anything once."
Rykel knows exactly what he wants - this huge meal that reminds me of a veggie burger - but I take a while to figure out my order. Days like these I wish I weren't so picky. There's way too many foods I wish I liked, but I can't stand. Finally I settle on a tofu meal of some sort. It looks like scrambled eggs, and I've always wanted to try tofu. Why not?
I choose a table and grab straws and napkins. Rykel carries over our tray once the food's ready. I take my plate and set it down in front of me. I sit and look at it for a minute, just playing with my fork.
Rykel laughs. "Come on, babe. Just try it!"
I smile and shrug. "Okay, here goes." I dig my fork into the pile on my plate and, with a glass of water at the ready, take a bite.
Rykel watches me, his signature grin in place. "So?"
I swallow and smile. "Actually, it just tastes like... eggs."
He laughs. "Not bad, huh?"
I giggle. We finish our meal relatively quickly, both focused on the food rather than conversation. After dumping our trash, we step outside. Rykel climbs onto his motorcycle.
"The big mall over by the old theater, right?"
I nod and slide onto seat behind him, clicking my helmet in place. "Yep. I just want to take a look around. Hopefully it won't take too long."
"Alright. I can't promise I'll be interested, but we can go." He revs up the engine, I slide my arms around him, and we're off.
The store, Charming Charlie, is one of a chain of accessory stores - mostly jewelry, but they carry purses, scarves, shoes, and some clothing, too. I know Rykel probably won't like it, but I'm sure we can find another store in the mall to stop in for him if he wants. I hope he's not as anti-shopping as guys tend to be. I just really love Charming Charlie, and I haven't been there since I visited the one where my family lives back in Easter.
We find a parking spot and enter the mall hand-in-hand. I spot the shiny black letters almost immediately and point them out. "There!" I try very hard not to squeal. I might be dragging Rykel behind me at this point, to be honest. We enter the store and I stop to gaze around, take it all in. The sparkling, shiny wares in the various color-sorted sections whisper to me. Buy me! Buy me! "Oh, I love this place!"
I turn and look at Rykel.
"Is there anything here without ruffles?"
I laugh. The phrase 'fish out of water' comes to mind. "I know. You hate it. I'll only be a minute. Then we can go to another store or somewhere else. Whatever you want, I promise. Okay?"
He nods. "Okay, whatever." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shuffles his feet over so he's out of the sight of any shoppers out in the main hallway and leans against a mirror on the wall between two necklace displays. "Just don't be long."
"I won't!" I take off to my favorite section, the blue. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings.... oh, I love them all! This is cute. That's sooo pretty. I love that. Hm. I guess I could see someone else wearing that one, but it's not for me. Oh-what is that? I am so buying this! Ew. Why would anyone buy that?
I'm sure I've already stretched Rykel's patience twice by the time I finally settle on what I want to buy and head to the register. I remember our ride here on the motorcycle and ask the lady to staple the bag closed. A few minutes later, two paper-wrapped bracelets lie in the bottom of my paper shopping bag, and I find Rykel slouching on a bench outside the store.
"Sorry." I offer a sheepish look of penitence and hold up my bag. "I know that took a while. I'm done now. What do you want to do?"
He stands up and shrugs. "That place looks like that My Little Pony show on steroids. "
I laugh. "I won't make you come again. What's next?"
"Why don't we just go for a drive?"
"Okay."
He smiles and takes my hand. We take our time leaving the mall. Rykel stops just outside the building. He pulls a small box, about the size of a deck of cards, out of his pocket. "Mind if I take a smoke before we set off?"
I stare at the box of cigarettes. "Smoke?"
He nods. "Yeah, I smoke. Sorry, did I never mention that?"
I swallow, not sure how to react. "Um. Guess not."
"We're not allowed to at Polytech, and I don't get out often. The rules and all that. I haven't had a smoke in a solid month, at least. So... do you mind waiting?"
Yes. Yes, I do. Well, I don't mind waiting, but I definitely mind the smoking. Still, he was patient with me at Charming Charlie... I guess I kind of owe him. I sigh. "Sure, that's fine. I'll just wait over by the motorcycle."
He nods and lights up a cigarette as I walk over to the motorcycle and sit down on it. I watch him, wondering what else I don't know about this guy. The list of what I do know is shockingly short when I think about it.
Emily, you are in sooo over your head.
I'm leaving my final class for the day when my phone vibrates. Mikaela texts me about once a week at least, so I figure it's probably her. We haven't talked much since we got back from our Gatlinburg road trip. However, I'm surprised to see Rykel's name pop up on the screen. He hasn't contacted me since our first date four nights ago; I texted him the next morning just to say hi but I wasn't sure if I should try again since he never responded.
Meet me at five. Coffee shop. Wear something nice, sweetheart. - Rykel
I bite my lip as a smile tugs at my cheeks. I check the time - 4:15. I have forty-five minutes to get ready. Maybe my roommate will let me borrow that top she wore last night. It's the perfect color for me and we're the same size.
* * *
I'm sitting at a table in front of the coffee shop at five after, wearing my roommate's green ruffled blouse and my new tapered denim capris with my trusty brown flip-flips. This time, I come prepared; I spend the twenty minutes I'm waiting reading on my Kindle. When I hear the engines of Rykel's motorcycle pull up, I slide the ereader into my purse and stand up.
Rykel pulls off his helmet and flips his head to toss his scraggly blond hair out of his screaming blue eyes. He saunters up to me, tugging on one piercing-riddled ear. Today he's wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves torn off and jeans. "Ready, doll?"
I smile and take the helmet he offers me, sliding it on. "What's the plan today?"
He climbs back on to the seat and gives me a hand up, but he doesn't start the engines yet. "I'm thinking we'll get a bite to eat and then it's up to you. Anyplace you've been wanting to go lately?"
I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head against his neck, breathing in his scent. There's no movies out that I've been interested in this month. The roller skating place is only open on the weekends during the school year. I can't really think of anything else... except... "How do you feel about shopping?"
He laughs and turns to look at me from the side. "What do you have in mind?"
I grin. "Well, there's this new store that just opened in the mall. It's kind of my favorite and there's never been one in this area before. Their grand opening was last week."
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to stop by." He revs up the engines and whips out of the parking lot onto the road. I lean back a little and enjoy the thrill of the wind speeding past me.
A few minutes later, Rykel pulls into the parking lot of a tiny restaurant with an odd name. I've never been here before. I slide off the seat behind him and hand him the helmet, looking through the windows. "Where are we?"
He sets the helmet on the handlebars and slides his hand into mine. "It's a vegetarian joint. I know the owner. Thought you might like to try it."
I shrug and walk through the door he holds open for me with his free hand. "I'll try anything once."
Rykel knows exactly what he wants - this huge meal that reminds me of a veggie burger - but I take a while to figure out my order. Days like these I wish I weren't so picky. There's way too many foods I wish I liked, but I can't stand. Finally I settle on a tofu meal of some sort. It looks like scrambled eggs, and I've always wanted to try tofu. Why not?
I choose a table and grab straws and napkins. Rykel carries over our tray once the food's ready. I take my plate and set it down in front of me. I sit and look at it for a minute, just playing with my fork.
Rykel laughs. "Come on, babe. Just try it!"
I smile and shrug. "Okay, here goes." I dig my fork into the pile on my plate and, with a glass of water at the ready, take a bite.
Rykel watches me, his signature grin in place. "So?"
I swallow and smile. "Actually, it just tastes like... eggs."
He laughs. "Not bad, huh?"
I giggle. We finish our meal relatively quickly, both focused on the food rather than conversation. After dumping our trash, we step outside. Rykel climbs onto his motorcycle.
"The big mall over by the old theater, right?"
I nod and slide onto seat behind him, clicking my helmet in place. "Yep. I just want to take a look around. Hopefully it won't take too long."
"Alright. I can't promise I'll be interested, but we can go." He revs up the engine, I slide my arms around him, and we're off.
The store, Charming Charlie, is one of a chain of accessory stores - mostly jewelry, but they carry purses, scarves, shoes, and some clothing, too. I know Rykel probably won't like it, but I'm sure we can find another store in the mall to stop in for him if he wants. I hope he's not as anti-shopping as guys tend to be. I just really love Charming Charlie, and I haven't been there since I visited the one where my family lives back in Easter.
We find a parking spot and enter the mall hand-in-hand. I spot the shiny black letters almost immediately and point them out. "There!" I try very hard not to squeal. I might be dragging Rykel behind me at this point, to be honest. We enter the store and I stop to gaze around, take it all in. The sparkling, shiny wares in the various color-sorted sections whisper to me. Buy me! Buy me! "Oh, I love this place!"
I turn and look at Rykel.
"Is there anything here without ruffles?"
I laugh. The phrase 'fish out of water' comes to mind. "I know. You hate it. I'll only be a minute. Then we can go to another store or somewhere else. Whatever you want, I promise. Okay?"
He nods. "Okay, whatever." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he shuffles his feet over so he's out of the sight of any shoppers out in the main hallway and leans against a mirror on the wall between two necklace displays. "Just don't be long."
"I won't!" I take off to my favorite section, the blue. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings.... oh, I love them all! This is cute. That's sooo pretty. I love that. Hm. I guess I could see someone else wearing that one, but it's not for me. Oh-what is that? I am so buying this! Ew. Why would anyone buy that?
I'm sure I've already stretched Rykel's patience twice by the time I finally settle on what I want to buy and head to the register. I remember our ride here on the motorcycle and ask the lady to staple the bag closed. A few minutes later, two paper-wrapped bracelets lie in the bottom of my paper shopping bag, and I find Rykel slouching on a bench outside the store.
"Sorry." I offer a sheepish look of penitence and hold up my bag. "I know that took a while. I'm done now. What do you want to do?"
He stands up and shrugs. "That place looks like that My Little Pony show on steroids. "
I laugh. "I won't make you come again. What's next?"
"Why don't we just go for a drive?"
"Okay."
He smiles and takes my hand. We take our time leaving the mall. Rykel stops just outside the building. He pulls a small box, about the size of a deck of cards, out of his pocket. "Mind if I take a smoke before we set off?"
I stare at the box of cigarettes. "Smoke?"
He nods. "Yeah, I smoke. Sorry, did I never mention that?"
I swallow, not sure how to react. "Um. Guess not."
"We're not allowed to at Polytech, and I don't get out often. The rules and all that. I haven't had a smoke in a solid month, at least. So... do you mind waiting?"
He nods and lights up a cigarette as I walk over to the motorcycle and sit down on it. I watch him, wondering what else I don't know about this guy. The list of what I do know is shockingly short when I think about it.
Emily, you are in sooo over your head.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Rules of Drawing for Complete Noobs (A.k.a. Beginners)
I am a writer. Stick around here any amount of time, and you'll probably notice that.
I am not a draw-er. (What's the proper word for someone who draws, anyway?) There are many writers out there who can draw beautifully, and use this skill to put their stories on paper visually. I have never been one of those people. I have always envied those people.
This year, despite my better judgement, I've decided to attempt to become one of those people. I chose a drawing book (Line Upon Line: An Incremental Approach to Drawing) for my senior year art class. If all goes well, I'll at least know drawing terms and how to tell pencils apart at Hobby Lobby, even if my lack of talent is still torturing my poor new sketchpad.
To get started, I decided something: I would draw a picture before I ever looked at my art book, and mark it as my first drawing of the year. That way, I could compare it to the drawings I make during/after this class, and hopefully see improvement. Since my main reason for wanting to draw is to draw characters, it seemed natural for this first "compare drawing" to be of characters. Of course I would choose Rykel and myself as the test subjects...
I guess you could say Rykel looks okay... better than I expected, anyway. (That shows you just what I mean when I refer to my lack of talent.) I'm not sure whom I resemble more: Flat Stanley or the Wicked Witch of the West. I think I'm leaning more towards Witch, with that nose and those ears and you-call-those-things-freckles?! *shudder* (I'm a spotted elf, for all I can tell.) Not to mention I really have no idea what happened to that shirt. Those were supposed to be ruffles, I promise, not blades or fins or who knows what else. Clearly I know nothing about human biology, either.
I could go on all day about that horrifying thing I call a drawing, but I have other things to share with you. See, I decided to ask my writer/draw-er friends at Go Teen Writers what advice they might impart on a brand-new attempting draw-er. I present to you the results:
I am not a draw-er. (What's the proper word for someone who draws, anyway?) There are many writers out there who can draw beautifully, and use this skill to put their stories on paper visually. I have never been one of those people. I have always envied those people.
This year, despite my better judgement, I've decided to attempt to become one of those people. I chose a drawing book (Line Upon Line: An Incremental Approach to Drawing) for my senior year art class. If all goes well, I'll at least know drawing terms and how to tell pencils apart at Hobby Lobby, even if my lack of talent is still torturing my poor new sketchpad.
To get started, I decided something: I would draw a picture before I ever looked at my art book, and mark it as my first drawing of the year. That way, I could compare it to the drawings I make during/after this class, and hopefully see improvement. Since my main reason for wanting to draw is to draw characters, it seemed natural for this first "compare drawing" to be of characters. Of course I would choose Rykel and myself as the test subjects...
I guess you could say Rykel looks okay... better than I expected, anyway. (That shows you just what I mean when I refer to my lack of talent.) I'm not sure whom I resemble more: Flat Stanley or the Wicked Witch of the West. I think I'm leaning more towards Witch, with that nose and those ears and you-call-those-things-freckles?! *shudder* (I'm a spotted elf, for all I can tell.) Not to mention I really have no idea what happened to that shirt. Those were supposed to be ruffles, I promise, not blades or fins or who knows what else. Clearly I know nothing about human biology, either.
I could go on all day about that horrifying thing I call a drawing, but I have other things to share with you. See, I decided to ask my writer/draw-er friends at Go Teen Writers what advice they might impart on a brand-new attempting draw-er. I present to you the results:
Rules of Drawing for Complete Noobs
(aka beginners)
1. Practice makes perfect. At least, closer to perfect than before.
2. Don't compare your work to others'.
3. Practice.
4. Tracing is a great exercise and helpful for beginners.
5. Practice.
6. Anyone can draw, and draw well, if they practice enough. Anyone.
7. Practice.
8. Don't give up.
9. Practice.
10. Don't set your standards too high. Learning a new skill takes time.
11. Practice.
12. Don't press too hard with the pencil - light strokes.
13. Practice.
14. Copying is good for learning to get shapes, perspectives, and shading right - especially copying black and white images.
14. Practice 24/7, on every available surface, until your arm aches and your eyes are watering.
14. Copying is good for learning to get shapes, perspectives, and shading right - especially copying black and white images.
14. Practice 24/7, on every available surface, until your arm aches and your eyes are watering.
15. Don't rely on copying and tracing, though. They're great tools, but the goal is to learn to draw so you can draw what you see and what you imagine - not just what others have already put to paper.
16. Practice some more.
16. Practice some more.
17. Basically, just draw and you will learn how to draw. Keep practicing.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
The Mystery of Literary Allure
As a pre-internet reader, I liked books or I didn't like them. Simple as that. Sometimes I could point to an emotion a book created in me, or a confusing chapter or funny character - some specific reason for my opinion. But even then, things usually boiled down to I either liked it or didn't like it, and that's all I told people when I talked about that book.
Then I became a writer, and my writing classes told me to read like a writer. I was to look at plot and characters and writing devices and style and all sorts of things I'd never noticed before. I began to look at books in a new light and then use that in my own writing.
After that, the next step for me was to become a book blogger. Many writers never take this step, and that's okay. For me, though, once my eyes were opened to the mechanics of a book, reviewing became natural for me. Oh, it still took work. I reread my first few book reviews on this blog a while back and cringed before quickly closing the tabs. I've definitely gotten better at both reviews and writing in general since then. (I've also become an insanely fast typist - friends and family alike are a bit shocked. It's a convenience at times but makes for a lot of typos.)
Blogging about books makes me not only notice, but consider and compare those literary devices and writing lessons I discovered as a new writer and, later, high school English student. I learned about alliteration and assonance, red herrings and foreshadowing, mood and theme, depth and allusion. I noticed those things in books. I thought about them and talked about them and wrote about them and used them myself. Through this whole process, I came to learn a lot more about the mechanics behind writing and uncovered much of the mystery behind books, especially what makes a good book, a bad book, and the elusive great book.
No matter how much I - or anyone else - studies, though, we will never completely figure out what makes a book popular. What, exactly, grabs a reader's attention or takes over her heart is not something that can be pinpointed. In part, that's due the different experiences that each reader brings to a story - it has been wisely said that no two people ever read the same book. The reader's perspective, life events, culture, family, relationships, and so many other things mold the stories they read into unique shapes. Even the same book read by the same person at two different points in life won't be the same story; that I know from experience.
Readers' experiences aside, there's still something nobody can put their finger on in the literary world. I have one book I've read more times than any other book. It's not my favorite. The writing, the characters, the plot - none of it is the best I've read. It's just a simple, sweet story. And yet something keeps pulling me back to it.
Stories of love, adventure, mystery, or anything else can be studied and analyzed and compared and contrasted and run through school classes and mathematic formulas and millions of readers and still have that mystery piece that either attracts a reader or doesn't.
That, my friends, is the mystery of literary allure.
Then I became a writer, and my writing classes told me to read like a writer. I was to look at plot and characters and writing devices and style and all sorts of things I'd never noticed before. I began to look at books in a new light and then use that in my own writing.
After that, the next step for me was to become a book blogger. Many writers never take this step, and that's okay. For me, though, once my eyes were opened to the mechanics of a book, reviewing became natural for me. Oh, it still took work. I reread my first few book reviews on this blog a while back and cringed before quickly closing the tabs. I've definitely gotten better at both reviews and writing in general since then. (I've also become an insanely fast typist - friends and family alike are a bit shocked. It's a convenience at times but makes for a lot of typos.)
Blogging about books makes me not only notice, but consider and compare those literary devices and writing lessons I discovered as a new writer and, later, high school English student. I learned about alliteration and assonance, red herrings and foreshadowing, mood and theme, depth and allusion. I noticed those things in books. I thought about them and talked about them and wrote about them and used them myself. Through this whole process, I came to learn a lot more about the mechanics behind writing and uncovered much of the mystery behind books, especially what makes a good book, a bad book, and the elusive great book.
No matter how much I - or anyone else - studies, though, we will never completely figure out what makes a book popular. What, exactly, grabs a reader's attention or takes over her heart is not something that can be pinpointed. In part, that's due the different experiences that each reader brings to a story - it has been wisely said that no two people ever read the same book. The reader's perspective, life events, culture, family, relationships, and so many other things mold the stories they read into unique shapes. Even the same book read by the same person at two different points in life won't be the same story; that I know from experience.
Readers' experiences aside, there's still something nobody can put their finger on in the literary world. I have one book I've read more times than any other book. It's not my favorite. The writing, the characters, the plot - none of it is the best I've read. It's just a simple, sweet story. And yet something keeps pulling me back to it.
Stories of love, adventure, mystery, or anything else can be studied and analyzed and compared and contrasted and run through school classes and mathematic formulas and millions of readers and still have that mystery piece that either attracts a reader or doesn't.
That, my friends, is the mystery of literary allure.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
My Imaginary Boyfriend, Episode Four: Guest Episode by SJ Aisling!
Today we have the actual author of Conductives and creator of Rykel, my friend SJ Aisling, here with a very special installment of My Imaginary Boyfriend! Words cannot describe how awesome it is to have the original author of a work love your fanfiction this much.
Previous episode: http://emilyrachellewrites.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-imaginary-boyfriend-episode-three.html
Hey everyone! I'm Stacia Joy, and I'm here today by the request of Emily to guest post about her fanfic of my WIP scifi/paranormal trilogy, Conductive. She wrote the fanfic for the writing/art contest I'm hosting at my blog (there are still some entry slots left!), and I've had a lot of fun reading her take on my character Rykel. So much fun, in fact, I found myself HAVING to write a scene in response to what'd she'd written! And, naturally, I was delighted when she asked me to share this scene with you all!
* * *
Hey everyone! I'm Stacia Joy, and I'm here today by the request of Emily to guest post about her fanfic of my WIP scifi/paranormal trilogy, Conductive. She wrote the fanfic for the writing/art contest I'm hosting at my blog (there are still some entry slots left!), and I've had a lot of fun reading her take on my character Rykel. So much fun, in fact, I found myself HAVING to write a scene in response to what'd she'd written! And, naturally, I was delighted when she asked me to share this scene with you all!
* * *
"Um, Rykel, who was that girl you brought to the gala last night?" Nissa whispered under the cover of the usual buzz of lunchtime conversation, leaning over the table in the pale blue and white Polytech cafeteria.
"Oh, the cute little ginger? Her name's Emily." Rykel looked up from turning his mashed potatoes into a replica of the abominable snowman.
"Emily who?"
Rykel shrugged and smashed his potato snowman. "No idea."
"Where did you meet her? I'd never seen her before."
"No biggie. Last night was the second time I'd seen her."
Nissa put down her fork and frowned at him, green eyes narrowed. "You need to stop dragging all these unsuspecting girls to publicized events! This Emily does know you have a new girlfriend practically every month, right?"
Rykel shook his head and prodded his potatoes again. "This stuff is awful. The cooking here is an insult to food. This is like trying to eat styrofoam put in a blender."
"Rykel!"
"What?"
"You're not just going to disappear on this girl, too, are you? It's really mean to get all these girls' hopes up, and then just leave."
"I don't leave." Rykel stopped torturing his potatoes and sat up suddenly.
"You do."
"I don't. I just… stop coming around."
"If you're not coming, you've left."
Rykel tossed his fork down and folded his arms over his chest, glaring at his plate. His strong jaw began to work, the muscles sliding and growing taught.
Ooooh boy. Nissa let out a long sigh. Grumpy Rykel time. I've really pushed his buttons now. "How about you actually give this girl a try, for once? She seemed really nice, the little bit I saw of her. You didn't even introduce her to anybody."
"She was really freaked out, okay?" Rykel muttered.
"Nice. So she's not a Conductive." Nissa rolled her eyes, then looked back at Rykel again sharply. "Wait. You… didn't tell her about the gala, did you."
Rykel shrugged, still seemingly trying to incinerate his plate with his eyes.
"No wonder she looked like a deer in the headlights every time one of the cameras flashed." Nissa slumped against her chair and pulled at her pet curl. "Please tell me you at least did something classy with her when you two disappeared last night."
"I took her to that Asian joint. Dragon Palace, or something. She likes chicken."
"DON'T try to use the fact that she easts meat as an excuse to dump her."
"I didn't say I was gonna dump her!" Rykel snapped, louder than he probably meant, and several people at the nearby tables turned to look at him and Nissa. He glared at them all as if they'd suggested taking a can of spray paint to his Indian motorcycle, then jerked his head to his left to stare out the wide windows sweeping the entire length of the curved cafeteria hall at the courtyard beyond.
Nissa ignored the spectators and paid some deserving attention to her chicken Caesar salad with bacon. Once the pitch of voices around them returned to their normal high as everyone went back to the conversations at their respective rectangular tables, she whispered, "Well, were you planning on seeing her again?"
Rykel didn't answer right away.
"Dunno." He shrugged.
"Well, you better get your act together, Rykel." Nissa jabbed at him with her fork, her numerous bangles jingling together. "A lot of these girls you've had around have been really nice people, and you're going to regret not getting to know one of them well, someday. So either stick with this Emily for a decent amount of time, or get it over with and tell her it was just a one time thing - your scapegoat for not having a date for last night."
"Cut it out!" Rykel's voice crackled, and his eyes flickered brighter blue as he shot a glance at her. "Don't tell me what to do!"
"I'm not. Calm down, Rykel." Nissa sighed, blowing a strand of her curly copper hair out of her face. "You're going to melt your chair again if you don't. I'm just saying that maybe your idea of dating isn't the best idea."
"Said the girl who's never dated. Even though I've offered several times."
"Rykel, we're friends. And that's why I'm talking to you about this. It's also why I don't take your offers, but that's an entirely different conversation. Please, just think about what I said, at least. And maybe introduce Emily to me and the others."
Turning to face her again, Rykel leaned his elbows on the tabletop and pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He took several deep breaths, his eyes closed.
"I think she'd be too scared to meet you guys," he muttered.
"Why would she - Oh no. You didn't tell her about us, did you?"
"Not about you and Alec and everybody else. I kinda almost fried her when I shook her hand the first time, though, so I sorta HAD to give an explanation." Rykel glanced up at Nissa, his slow, cocky grin began to spread across his face behind his scarred hands.
"Rykel, you are NOT supposed to just go around telling people you're a Conductive!" Nissa slumped back in her chair, her oversized 'Team Conductive' hoodie scrunching up her back. "Gosh, Danton is going to have a coronary."
"Only if he finds out." Rykel straightened and cocked back his head, flicking his blond hair out of his right eye.
"Emily isn't going to go around telling everyone, do you think?"
"Nah. I don't think so. I made her promise not to."
"How did you manage that?"
"By telling her I'd see her again. She was psyched."
"Are you actually going to see her again?"
"I think so. I put my number in her phone."
"You… in HER phone? What?" Nissa sat up and put her hands on her hips.
"She dropped it. So I picked it up. But I hit a lot of buttons on the way to giving it back to her."
"My gosh, Rykel. You're such a jerk. I don't know how any of these girls fall for you."
"Cause I'm also awesome." Rykel put his hands behind his head, and Nissa relaxed, knowing the action was a sign that all danger of Rykel's losing control through anger was past.
"In a really jerky way." She rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Want a ride after lunch? I've gotten the Indian all cleaned up."
"YES!" Nissa bounced in her chair, curls flouncing in all directions, and Rykel grinned even more broadly, chuckling.
"Nice, Nissy. Real nice. Should I put my number in your phone, too?"
"Oh, the cute little ginger? Her name's Emily." Rykel looked up from turning his mashed potatoes into a replica of the abominable snowman.
"Emily who?"
Rykel shrugged and smashed his potato snowman. "No idea."
"Where did you meet her? I'd never seen her before."
"No biggie. Last night was the second time I'd seen her."
Nissa put down her fork and frowned at him, green eyes narrowed. "You need to stop dragging all these unsuspecting girls to publicized events! This Emily does know you have a new girlfriend practically every month, right?"
Rykel shook his head and prodded his potatoes again. "This stuff is awful. The cooking here is an insult to food. This is like trying to eat styrofoam put in a blender."
"Rykel!"
"What?"
"You're not just going to disappear on this girl, too, are you? It's really mean to get all these girls' hopes up, and then just leave."
"I don't leave." Rykel stopped torturing his potatoes and sat up suddenly.
"You do."
"I don't. I just… stop coming around."
"If you're not coming, you've left."
Rykel tossed his fork down and folded his arms over his chest, glaring at his plate. His strong jaw began to work, the muscles sliding and growing taught.
Ooooh boy. Nissa let out a long sigh. Grumpy Rykel time. I've really pushed his buttons now. "How about you actually give this girl a try, for once? She seemed really nice, the little bit I saw of her. You didn't even introduce her to anybody."
"She was really freaked out, okay?" Rykel muttered.
"Nice. So she's not a Conductive." Nissa rolled her eyes, then looked back at Rykel again sharply. "Wait. You… didn't tell her about the gala, did you."
Rykel shrugged, still seemingly trying to incinerate his plate with his eyes.
"No wonder she looked like a deer in the headlights every time one of the cameras flashed." Nissa slumped against her chair and pulled at her pet curl. "Please tell me you at least did something classy with her when you two disappeared last night."
"I took her to that Asian joint. Dragon Palace, or something. She likes chicken."
"DON'T try to use the fact that she easts meat as an excuse to dump her."
"I didn't say I was gonna dump her!" Rykel snapped, louder than he probably meant, and several people at the nearby tables turned to look at him and Nissa. He glared at them all as if they'd suggested taking a can of spray paint to his Indian motorcycle, then jerked his head to his left to stare out the wide windows sweeping the entire length of the curved cafeteria hall at the courtyard beyond.
Nissa ignored the spectators and paid some deserving attention to her chicken Caesar salad with bacon. Once the pitch of voices around them returned to their normal high as everyone went back to the conversations at their respective rectangular tables, she whispered, "Well, were you planning on seeing her again?"
Rykel didn't answer right away.
"Dunno." He shrugged.
"Well, you better get your act together, Rykel." Nissa jabbed at him with her fork, her numerous bangles jingling together. "A lot of these girls you've had around have been really nice people, and you're going to regret not getting to know one of them well, someday. So either stick with this Emily for a decent amount of time, or get it over with and tell her it was just a one time thing - your scapegoat for not having a date for last night."
"Cut it out!" Rykel's voice crackled, and his eyes flickered brighter blue as he shot a glance at her. "Don't tell me what to do!"
"I'm not. Calm down, Rykel." Nissa sighed, blowing a strand of her curly copper hair out of her face. "You're going to melt your chair again if you don't. I'm just saying that maybe your idea of dating isn't the best idea."
"Said the girl who's never dated. Even though I've offered several times."
"Rykel, we're friends. And that's why I'm talking to you about this. It's also why I don't take your offers, but that's an entirely different conversation. Please, just think about what I said, at least. And maybe introduce Emily to me and the others."
Turning to face her again, Rykel leaned his elbows on the tabletop and pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He took several deep breaths, his eyes closed.
"I think she'd be too scared to meet you guys," he muttered.
"Why would she - Oh no. You didn't tell her about us, did you?"
"Not about you and Alec and everybody else. I kinda almost fried her when I shook her hand the first time, though, so I sorta HAD to give an explanation." Rykel glanced up at Nissa, his slow, cocky grin began to spread across his face behind his scarred hands.
"Rykel, you are NOT supposed to just go around telling people you're a Conductive!" Nissa slumped back in her chair, her oversized 'Team Conductive' hoodie scrunching up her back. "Gosh, Danton is going to have a coronary."
"Only if he finds out." Rykel straightened and cocked back his head, flicking his blond hair out of his right eye.
"Emily isn't going to go around telling everyone, do you think?"
"Nah. I don't think so. I made her promise not to."
"How did you manage that?"
"By telling her I'd see her again. She was psyched."
"Are you actually going to see her again?"
"I think so. I put my number in her phone."
"You… in HER phone? What?" Nissa sat up and put her hands on her hips.
"She dropped it. So I picked it up. But I hit a lot of buttons on the way to giving it back to her."
"My gosh, Rykel. You're such a jerk. I don't know how any of these girls fall for you."
"Cause I'm also awesome." Rykel put his hands behind his head, and Nissa relaxed, knowing the action was a sign that all danger of Rykel's losing control through anger was past.
"In a really jerky way." She rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Want a ride after lunch? I've gotten the Indian all cleaned up."
"YES!" Nissa bounced in her chair, curls flouncing in all directions, and Rykel grinned even more broadly, chuckling.
"Nice, Nissy. Real nice. Should I put my number in your phone, too?"
* * *
Stacia Joy is a mainly-self-taught writer and illustrator, and her debut fantasy novel, Becoming the Chateran (Book One of the Chateran Series), is due to be released soon. When not writing or immersed in art, Stacia Joy enjoys numerous pastimes that include Irish dancing, playing the folk harp and piano and composing music, singing, dressing up, and petting kittens. She is nearly fluent in sarcasm, has suffered from sesquipedalianism for years, and often tosses helpless people who barely know her into her books as inspiration.
To learn more about Conductive, her other writing, and her art/illustrations, just drop by Stacia Joy's blog, Facebook page, or Tumblr.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)