I’m Still Not Sure How To Explain To Non-writers That Sometimes Characters Can Just Do Things Without

It’d been years since he’d last seen him, but there was no mistaking that crooked nose or the mole above his left eyebrow. Nothing was left of the sunny little boy he’d caught sneaking crumbs from his birthday cake, but years of missing his older brother couldn’t have possibly been easy for him.

- Excerpt from one of my WIPs

"If you're uncomfortable, I can do it for/with you."

This is probably the most understanding, comforting, and meaningful thing you can say to someone with anxiety (or anyone in general) when they need help. Whether it’s simply talking to someone for/with them or helping them give a speech or performance.

Don’t underestimate the value of your words.

Review: The Songbird’s Refrain by Jillian Maria

Summary: When a mysterious show arrives in town, seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Brighton is both intrigued and unsettled. But none of the acts capture her attention quite like the blue-eyed woman. Locked in a birdcage and covered in feathers, the anguish in her voice sounds just a little too real to be an act—because it isn’t. The show’s owner, a sadistic witch known only as the Mistress, is holding her captive.

And she’s chosen Elizabeth as her next victim.

After watching the blue-eyed woman die, Elizabeth is placed under the same curse. She clings to what little hope she can find in the words of a fortune teller and in her own strange dreams. The more she learns, the more she suspects that the Mistress isn’t as invulnerable as she appears. But time is against her, and every feather that sprouts brings her closer to meeting the blue-eyed woman’s fate. Can Elizabeth unlock the secret to flying free, or will the Mistress’s curse kill her and cage its next victim?

Before I begin, I’d like to mention that I received a free digital copy of this story from @byjillianmaria in exchange for an honest review. Before being selected for this, however, I was completely certain I would purchase the book anyway, making this a fantastic opportunity to take in the story. 

All in all, this story was a great read and I really enjoyed it. It’s not very often that I get to read a story with such an organically and naturally written character that’s a member of the LGBT+ community and, as a member of that community myself, Elizabeth was a great main character to read. The relationships between the characters, too, were incredibly interesting to learn about throughout the story and, I’ll admit, were my favorite aspect of this novel.

About two-thirds of the way through the story, the plot began to feel somewhat jumbled to me. Newly introduced details, despite having ties back to the beginning of the novel, felt forced to me, and it made it difficult to read a handful of the later chapters. I’m unsure as to whether this confusion was intentional, as Elizabeth may have been overwhelmed by the information, or if it was due to rushing the plot progression (or my own misunderstandings). Either way, this did clear up in the last couple of chapters, allowing me to fully enjoy the ending.

I enjoyed this book, and I think this would be an enjoyable book for anyone that enjoys fantasy stories with elements of horror and mystery such as this one! 

Up To This Pointe by Jennifer Longo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is absolutely a beautiful book. I enjoyed how it went back and forth between Harper’s time Antarctica and the events that led up to her going there. The characters are all awesome and I truly felt bad while reliving the hardships Harper went through. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys YA books, fun relationships between characters, and a nice amount of conflict.

Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah by Erin Jade Lange ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book was absolutely amazing. The four main characters have the reputations that are listed in the title; you'd never really expect to find a situation where all four of them would get together and get along but this book sets that up nicely- even if it is thanks to some very serious crimes. The relationships and back stories of the characters are so real feeling that when I finished reading it yesterday I was actually sad that I had to let those characters go. A story that can get the reader emotionally attached like that is something that I recommend to anyone and everyone.

The Lightning Thief By Rick Riordan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a pretty darn awesome book. It was my first time reading and I’m just about to start the second so I definitely approve of it. My one and only thing to point out here is that there are some errors and stuff like that throughout the book that were so minor that most people might not notice them but I did. All in all it was an awesome book and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I totally recommend it!!

Fall Books

happy sts! how do you pick character names? is there any particular reason to why you picked certain names for you OCs?

Oh, I love this question! Thank you so much for asking!

As much as I’d love to say that all of my character names are carefully chosen for them, it actually depends entirely on my mood and if I’m currently really into a particular book/show/podcast/etc. The characters I’ve been working with most lately are Oliver, Juno, Shiloh, and Maggie. Oliver and Maggie essentially just got their names from random generators (and I just made sure the generated name seemed right for their personalities).

Juno, however, I actually named after Juno Steel from The Penumbra Podcast. I adore his character in the podcast and, while my Juno isn’t really that similar to him, I wanted to have that sort of personal connection. When I chose Shiloh’s name, I, again, pulled from a character I (at least used to) like. She’s actually named after Shiloh (an adorable beagle) from the children’s book Saving Shiloh, which I read a ton as a kid.

I know I have tons of other characters I didn’t mention here, but that’s generally how my name choosing works. It’s either almost entirely random or connected to something else I love. (And, in the case of a super old WIP, it’s just a self-insert.)

Thank you again, @feathered-inkling, for asking me this! I’d love to get more questions sent about my writing (especially as I slowly share more of it)! And if you have anything you want to add to this, I’d love to see how other writers go about naming their characters.

Elemental Tag Game

Thank you so much for tagging me, @feathered-inkling!

Rules: bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations, then tag nine people.

AIR

i have small hands / i love the night sky / i watch small animals and birds when i pass them by / i drink herbal tea / i wake to see dawn / the smell of dust is comforting / i’m valued for being wise / i prefer books to music / i meditate / i find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

FIRE

i don’t have straight hair / i like to wear ripped jeans and overalls / i play an organized sport / i love dogs / i am not afraid of adventure / i love to talk to strangers / i always try new foods / i enjoy road trips / summer is my favorite season / my radio is always playing

WATER

i wear bracelets on my wrists / i love the bustle of the city / i have more than one set of piercings / i read poetry / i love the sound of a thunderstorm / i want to travel the world / i sleep past midday most days / i love dimly lit diners and fluorescent signs / i rewatch kids’ shows out of nostalgia / i see emotions in colors not words

EARTH

i wear glasses or contacts / i enjoy doing the laundry / i am a vegetarian or vegan / i have an excellent sense of time / my humor is very cheerful / i am a valued advisor to my friends / i believe in true love / i love the chill of mountain air / i’m always listening to music / i am highly trusted by the people in my life

AETHER

i go without makeup in my daily life / i make my own artwork / i keep on track of my tasks and time / i always know true north / i see beauty in everything / i can always smell flowers / i smile at everyone i pass by / i always fear history repeating itself / i have recovered from a mental disorder / i can love unconditionally

I won’t specifically tag anyone but if seeing this makes anyone want to do it as well, feel free to say that I tagged you!

Partially frozen lake.