TTT: Gif-ful Writerly (and Readerly) Resolutions For 2016

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Well, I haven't participated in The Broke and the Bookish TTT in awhile, and I'm feeling a bit foggy in the idea department, sooooo, you get my Top 10 New Year's Resolutions! Most of them are writing or book related, but I am prone to fits of incurable randomness.

If you'd like to participate, click here.


It's the 5th already, so I suppose I'm resigned to the fact that 2015 is over. Not that I was particularly attached to it, or anything, it just felt too darn fast. Still, there is a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Especially my book. But in the meantime, I do have some goals, resolutions, and things I'd like to accomplish. And what better way to keep myself accountable than to post them where other people can see?

Writerly/Readerly Resolutions for 2016

 

1. Promote My Debut Novel (Knight of the Blue Surcoat)!

I have been blabbing pretty endlessly about this, but it isn't going to stop. As soon as I get that date, I will be even louder. Prepare yourselves.

Are you?

2. Finish Drafting The Last Coffee Shop and Complete at least One Rewrite

I'm really, really close on this one. I've actually done some rewrites up to the halfway point as a stalling method. I don't know what it is about endings with me - if I know exactly how I'm going to end something, I seem to have a more difficult time reaching the end! How does that make any sense?

Does anyone ever look more dumbfounded than Dean?

 

3. Complete at least One Rewrite/Polish/Edit of One of My Other Novels

This might be the most out there resolution on this list. I am a notoriously slow editor.

Maybe if I walk away no one will remember I said this.

4. Review All My Arcs, Even If It's Just a Paragraph on Goodreads

I have an ARC problem. There's something about an unreleased book that makes me go all melty inside. And then I feel incredibly cool for having an exclusive. Even if no one reads my paragraphs that I pledge to write, I still plan on writing one for every single ARC. *rides off into sunset*

Fabulous Ferb

5. Be More Diligent About Teaching Myself Japanese (And maybe Korean)

Lifelong goal peoples. I forked over what little spending money I have in my budget for some books and cds and workbooks. I'm better at applying myself to something if I have made an investment. And it's also (kind-of) research - because I've had a novel idea stewing that is set in an alternate East Asian landscape. Secondly, traveling to Japan is on my top ten life goals. I'd like to at least understand a little of this complex, elegant, and beautiful language.

Kanji? Are you laughing at me?

 

6. Make an Actual Writing Schedule- And Follow It

Well, my previous attempts have been glorious failures.

I don't think I've actually tried hard enough.

 

7. Win NaNo

More glorious failures. I have hit the 50K word mark once. But that was before I started working all week! But I will not be thwarted by NaNo forever. Maybe this is my year . . .

NaNo, it's me or you.

 
 

8. Learn An Awesome Dance - Because Research

There is a lot of dancing background material in TLCS. I've watched tons of videos and listened to hundreds of dance-y songs to get the feel for things. And all it left me with is the desire to do at least one dance well. My enemies are my coordination and dreadful memory for moves.

I don't think I could learn this one in 50 years of practicing

 9. Read At Least 75 Books That I Have Never Read Before

Goodreads, I'm counting on you. Here's my profile link if you want to join in (and be reading friends). I easily exceeded my goal of 50 this year (nevermind that half of my book count was manga!). Ideally, I'll read one book I own, one for review, and one to expand my horizons. That seems like a good rule of thumb.

Me at every event I've ever been dragged to.

 

10. Put Up One Or More Blog Posts A Week

I definitely saw helpful results from my blogging this year. I got (a little) more confident about sharing my work. I made friends. I consciously tried to work at my writing, even on a casual level. And everyone's input has not only been helpful, it's actually set me back at my personal (or novel) writing with increased drive. In some cases, it's made me want to write my books even more than I already did, or given me a breakthrough. Writing teachers always told me that a little writing every day, of any kind, would help. *hangs head in shame* I'm glad I finally listened to their advice.

I think I can do this dance, at least.

 

 So what are your resolutions or goals for 2016 (writing or otherwise)? Do you feel prepared for the upcoming year?

 

I might be able to learn this one. But I would only wear these clothes if you paid me.

 

ArtPrize Adventures 2015, Meijer Gardens, and the Creative Blogger Award

In which I ramble about art and cameras and gardens . . .

Bonus points if you know why I used this particular gif ;P

So, I'm going to borrow a page from E. Rawl's book and combine a tag with another post. Very fitting, since she is the one who tagged me for this and ArtPrize is all about creativity! I'll list my five random facts throughout the post. And at the very end of the post, instead of tagging people, I'm going to list eleven of my favorite blogs - just in case some of you haven't heard of them.

First, a little bit about ArtPrize. For almost three weeks in the fall, you can see over 1500 works of art located in 3 square miles of Grand Rapids, MI. It's due to the independent competition called ArtPrize, which anyone can enter. That's right - any artist of any level or country, ages 18 and older, can enter to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. They do a much better job explaining it here, so click that link if you'd like to know more!

Intersections laser cut wood, Copyright Anila Quayyum Agha

From performance based art such as music, to modern sculpture and traditional ceramics, ArtPrize seems to garner just about every sort of art you could imagine.

For example, here's the piece that won last year (it is even more incredible in person!):

Intersections by Anila Quayyum Agha

Click the links above for more info, as well as the artist's thoughts/inspirations for her work.

By the way, this "box" is 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet . . . and intricately carved the whole way round. It's hard to explain just how incredible it is to stand in a giant empty room with it. The center light, as you see, projects the shadows and amplifies the patterns so you can appreciate just how amazing the carvings are.

This year's entries were no less diverse, from a quilted scene of Michigan forests to a peacock made out of scavenged silverware (not kidding). My phone kept dying on me, so I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted (my normal camera is busted, unfortunately). Still, you can see a bit of most entries on their website.

"Triple Play" by Anni Crouter - Acrylic on Canvas

Random Fact #1 about Rebekah: I wanted to be Princess Jasmine when I was 5, just so I could have a pet tiger. (Don't ask how that made sense-I was 5)

Michigan Petoskey Stone by Randall Libby

The petoskey stone MI was incredible! At about 9 x 9 feet, it was also pretty big. The artist did all of the counties in Michigan, which was also very cool. I believe it is now the biggest piece of petoskey stone art existing.

Random Fact #2: My favorite color is burnt autumn orange. Followed closely by hunter green.

"Seasons" by Robin Protz

Ohhhh, this tree! I NEED IT. My camera just didn't capture how gorgeous it is though. It's all four seasons on a tree, made out of everything from spools to Christmas ornaments, all suspended from a frame to form the tree. I felt like I was in fairyland. (I was seriously enraptured by this thing. We practically had to drag me away)

Random Fact #3: My favorite book about "The Fair Folk," (or unconfirmed fairies!) is The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. It's awesome historical fiction and you should read it.

"Vintage Dream" by Reagan Kazyak

This is a wearable dress made out of vintage storybook pages. I know people are divided on using book pages this way, but JUST LOOK AT THIS. I've always been interested in clothing construction and costume design, so this blew my mind. There are more close ups if you click the link.

Random Fact #4: Costume Design was one of the things I seriously considered doing with my life. I actually made all of the costumes for a friend's indie film!

"As Above" by Judith Braun

"As Above" 480 sq. ft Charcoal fingerprints on the wall at Grand Rapids Art Museum, for ArtPrize Seven, 2015

Those are all fingerprints. It makes me dizzy just considering this! If you went up closer, you could see the perfectly placed charcoal smudges. It took finger painting to a whole new level. Some people are so creative that I can hardly comprehend it.

Random Fact #5: The last charcoal artwork I did was a headshot of Elsa (Frozen, probably obvious) for my younger sister

So, my phone kept dying, and I didn't get many more pictures :(  However, since the ArtPrize site has A TON of photos, you should check it out. I'll finish off the ArtPrize segment with a picture of this intriguing statue that seemed to be looking at me . . .

"White Forest Project" by Oriano Galloni

Maybe someday I will have a working camera when I need it . . .

Bonsai!!

The Zen Garden.

Anyhow, after ArtPrize, we went to Meijer Gardens for the first time. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait to go back there and write. The highlight was the Japanese garden, which made me feel more at peace just after stepping into it!










Too beautiful. There was even a fellow watercolor painting on one of the paths. He had an easel and zero signs of modern tech on him. I really wished that I'd brought my notebooks. Or at least my sketchpad!!

If you click the Meijer Gardens link above, you can see a little bit more of some of the other things they do. We didn't have a lot of time, so we skipped plenty of stuff. There were conservatories as well, and several gardens we didn't make it into. The Children's Garden was especially cool - with tree huts that reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson, and the log cabin at left. And there were suspension bridges!!


So cool! And the pictures of the gardens were all taken by my younger brother, by the way. Didn't he do a nice job?

So I could bore you all day with garden pictures, but I promised to list off 11 of my favorite blogs (and follow E. Rawls too! because she would have made this list if she hadn't been the tagger!). They aren't all book blogs, but you should check them all out!

1. Alex Hurst - She's a fantasy author who lives in Kyoto. I'm super jealous. But her blog is awesome.
2. Sara Letourneau - a great blogger, fantasy author, and all around lovely person. Follow her.
3. Victoria Grace @ Stori Tori's Blog - She loves anime and she writes. And she's really nice
4. Christine @ Musings of an Elf - Another lovely writer who wants to be an elf. We need a club!
5. Aimee @ To the Barricade -  Snarky writer. And her blog name is a reference to LES MIS people
6. Alyssa @ The Devil Orders Takeout - funny and a ton of fun (and another author)
7. Skye @ Further Up and Further In - She runs the Beautiful People meme with Cait, and she writes
8. Elizabeth @ Inkspelled Faery - a published author with a fun writing blog (sensing a theme?)
9. Tracey Dyck - A Canadian author with a beautiful writing blog. She's full of good stuff :)
10. Kami @ Kami's Library Thoughts - She reviews everything from graphic novels to movies
11. Deborah @ The Road of a Writer - A writer/blogger who loves LOTR and Westmark!!

Whew! That was a long post. If you made it to the end, have a cookie.

Mini Book Reviews: Moribito 1 and 2 by Nahoko Uehashi

I have never seen the anime Seirei no Moribito (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit), but I randomly picked up the first novel several years ago. I loved how unique it was, but I only got around to the second one this week. I actually liked the second one, Guardian of the Darkness, even better. If you are interested in Japanese folklore, manga and/or anime, or strong heroines, then read on.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (Moribito #1) by Nahoko Uehashi

Spectacular, isn't it? 

Covers and blurbs are from Goodreads.com:

Balsa was a wanderer and warrior for hire. Then she rescued a boy flung into a raging river -- and at that moment, her destiny changed. Now Balsa must protect the boy -- the Prince Chagum -- on his quest to deliver the great egg of the water spirit to its source in the sea. As they travel across the land of Yogo and discover the truth about the spirit, they find themselves hunted by two deadly enemies: the egg-eating monster Rarunga . . . and the prince's own father. 

I don't remember when my love of Japanese culture and history developed (I just know I was really little, and that it was probably brought on by a book of Japanese folktales). I read every book on samurai and ninja that my childhood librarians could find, and then I went on to books about Japan itself and its fascinating history. Next came the (inevitable) calligraphy, kanji, and manga.

So with all that as a preface, I was poised to love Moribito. But there's a lot more to like about this novel than the setting.

Let's start with Balsa. She's thirty years old, a wandering warrior and spear-for-hire. Not only is she a (believably) proficient fighter, she's also a humble, kind woman with a lot of heart. Her backstory may be tragic, but she hasn't let it hold her down. Just read this description:

“Balsa seemed invincible, endowed with powers no other warrior could match, but in her profile he could glimpse the shadow of a young girl, hurt and buffeted by a cruel and hopeless fate. If he had never experienced what it was like to be at the mercy of fate himself, he would not have noticed, but now he could see it with unbearable, heartrending clarity.” 
― Nahoko Uehashi, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

In Guardian of the Spirit, Balsa's travels find her in the island kingdom of Yogo. She saves the crown prince from a "freak"accident, which gets Balsa involved in something much bigger than she realized. Prince Chagum has a secret: he carries the great egg of the Water Spirit, which he must deliver to the northern sea. This has made him the target of an egg-eating monster and his own father. Chagum's mother rightly suspects the king, and she hires Balsa to protect the young prince. On the way, Balsa and Chagum develop a delightful relationship, a cross between mentor-student and siblings. Naturally, there is a lot of action, as a lone warrior woman attracts both interest and suspicion, and Balsa truly enjoys a fight.

The writing is lovely, but narrative heavy. The pacing and storytelling also differ from a typical Western novel. Its not a challenging read, but there are thought-provoking explorations of everything from gender roles to philosophical and religious differences in cultures. Also, this is one of the better translated novels I've read (applause for translator Cathy Hirano), and there are superb illustrations by Yuko Shimizu.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. In short, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre, with a unique heroine and an action-packed story that will appeal to guys, girls, teens, and adults.

Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness (Moribito #2) by Nahoko Uehashi

"Conflict seems to follow those who learn to fight. If I could, I would spare you a life of bloodshed. But I have no choice."
― Nahoko Uehashi, Moribito: Guardian of the Darkness

Blurb and cover from Goodreads.com:

Balsa returns to her native Kanbal to clear the name of Jiguro, her dear mentor, who saved her life when she was six years old. But what should be a visit of truth and reconciliation becomes a fight for her life when she learns that Jiguro had been a member of King Rogsam's personal bodyguard. After Jiguro fled Kanbal with her, Rogsam sent the other bodyguards after them one by one--Jiguro's best friends, whom he had to kill to protect Balsa. Now, with the help of two Kanbalese children, Balsa must unwind the conspiracy surrounding Jiguro and the mystery of the Guardians of the Dark. 

If anything, Uehashi's strengths as a worldbuilder are even stronger with the second Moribito installment. The layers to her fantasy landscape keep peeling back for even more fascinating elements to be revealed. Oh, and there is a lot more food description in this one. It made me hungry.
Guardian of the Darkness takes up where Guardian of the Spirit left off, as Balsa
heads home to clear her beloved mentor's name. On the way, she saves another child (a pair of children, actually) from a fearsome cave spirit. This good deed ends up causing Balsa heaps of trouble, as she realizes that the events of her childhood were farm more nuanced and sinister that she imagined. Despite her best efforts, Balsa finds herself dragged into plots and intrigue, and a fight for her life and that of her nation.

Again, there is a lot of narrative, and the story has a rapid clip. However, the real reason to read this is Balsa herself. Her history is explored a little more, as well as her feelings and motivations. She is an incredible heroine that you can both empathize with and root for. And she is so very cool.

As a side note, the treatment of Jiguro (Balsa's mentor), his family, and the collateral damage his leaving caused, were all very well done.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. Another strong entry with great action, an awesome lead, and an exciting fantasy landscape.

And here's my biggest complaint:  the eight other books in the series have never been translated into English! Just another reason I should learn Japanese, I guess . . .*
But don't let that disappointing fact stop you from reading these two novels! They work just find as stand alone works.

Here's a challenge for you: off the top of your head, can you name any Japanese MG or YA novel that has been translated for English speakers? If you can, tell me in the comments so I can go find it. Have you read Moribito, or seen the anime?

Footnotes:

*I wish I was one of those people that languages clicked with. Alas, that is not the case. My language abilities are embarrassing at best . . . really bad for a writer, you know?

I'm Still Kicking . . .

Okay, so I knew starting a blog was a bad idea :)

   What happened RIGHT after I started: I got a job, and worked about 50 hours right off. Then, I had a custom glove order (Awesome!) that needed attention. And then I got a great book idea and went deep into the abyss of inspiration. This was also good, but intense. So today I am revisiting everything I have neglected in September. It's a long list.
    So hello, I'm back.

    Shealynn, from Shealynn's Fairy Shop and Blog, kindly featured our work in a wonderful blog post here, where you can enter to win a set of Elven Handflowers, and a $10 gift certificate to VirvatuliDesigns.

   Anyhow, another thing I've been behind on is the 30 Day Drawing Challenge I started back in July. I got stuck on Day 6: Favorite Book Character, which is an almost impossible task. After much deliberation, I narrowed my list down to 23 pivotal characters that I loved. Then I decided to draw ALL of them, but as chibi, instead of as full blown out pieces. I selected two of them, one male, one female, to illustrate in Manga/Fusion style, which is, of course, a mixture of Japanese Manga and American/Western art styles. For these two, I selected Sabriel, from Garth Nix's Sabriel, which is one of my favorite books as well.

 It's the story of a young school girl who lives next door to an old kingdom filled with magic, among other things. Her father is the Abhorsen, an anti-necromancer, who puts the dead back instead of calling them up. Sabriel receives a message from her father, who is caught in Death (conceived as a giant river, with different gates and levels, sort of like Dante's hell meets the Greek underworld). He sends her his sword and his bells, the tools of the Abhorsen's trade.
   Though she's terrified, and worried, Sabriel goes into the Old Kingdom, and encounters one horror after the next on her way to her father. It's a great story, and the characters are awesome. I drew Sabriel just as she is confronting one of the dead.

  You can see the picture full size here

    The second picture is of Tom Imura, from Jonathan Maberry's coming-of-age/zombie apocalypse novel, Rot & Ruin.

Now, I never would have picked this book up if not for a review I read in a literary mag. Just look at the cover, and it's about zombies (boring) and coming-of-age (worse than zombies), two things I--as a reader--have never liked in my fiction. But this review said it was more heart, less gross, and that the central story was really about two brothers' relationship in a hostile world, and that the older brother was a modern Samurai. I was intrigued, so I gave it a shot. Now it is another one of my favorite books.

    So Tom Imura. He's not the main character, rather, he's the main character's older half-brother. He's a complex guy with a story that unravels throughout the novel, showing us (and his brother Benny), that Tom is not just a calm, peaceful man who kills zombies. He's a hero, self-sacrificial, and he's got quite a past. His parents were Japanese American, which makes his Samurai thing more believable, and is a standout for YA post-apocalyptic fiction.

   I depicted Tom as he is in a memorable part of the novel-dressed in pajamas, a rain slicker, and barefoot, with his katana-on a rainy night as he heads to rescue his brother Benny, and other townspeople, from invading zombies. The aftermath isn't humorous, but the idea was, and I am in serious doubt as to Tom wearing plaid pajamas, but who can choose their look after the apocalypse, really?

       Soooo, who were the rest of the 23 characters? Here's a list with links to the books they came from-and silly categories to excuse the fact that I couldn't narrow them down. Stay posted for their chibi portraits as I color and upload them.

1. Favorite Wizard: Gandalf, from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. Favorite Couple: Eowyn and Faramir from the above
3. Favorite Elves: Luthien and Nir, the former from the Silmarillion and the latter from In the Coils of the Snake, by Clare Dunkle
4. Favorite Drama Queen: Howl from Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones
5. Childhood Favorite: Aerin from The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley
6. Current Favorite: Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities
7. Favorite Revolutionaries: Enjolras from Les Miserables and Cinna from The Hunger Games
8. Favorite Jane Austen Character: Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice
9. Favorite Dark and Tortured Character: Edmund Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo
10. Favorite Antihero: Mordred from The Book of Mordred, by Vivian Vande Velde
11. Favorite Character I Identify With: Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle
12. Favorite Assumed Vampire: Silas from The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
13. Favorite Thief: Gen (Eugenides) from The Queen's Thief series, by Megan Whalen Turner
14. Favorite Monster Hunter: Europe, Duchess of Naimes, from The Monster Blood Tattoo Series, by D. M. Cornish.
15. Favorite "Dreamboat": Corlath, from The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley
16. Favorite "Odd Couple": Artemis and Butler, from the Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer.
17. Favorite Governess: Jane Eyre, from Jane Eyre

So there we have it, a list of a few of my favorite characters. All of the books they belong to are HIGHLY recommended reading, ;), so check them out.

      Anyhow, that's all for tonight,

                     Ciao,

                         Rebekah