Friday, March 9, 2018

It's My blog's Anniversary! (+ Short story.)



Hi everyone,
Today is Adventure Awaits's anniversary. To celebrate I am sharing a short story I wrote. I very rarely write stories involving myself, but since it's my blog's anniversary I thought I should share the story of the Golden Pen. In the story you will find fairy tales, portals, and...you will find out the rest when you read it!:) :


Click clack was the sound of my fingers as they tapped against the keyboard…and the words appeared on the screen of the computer beginning with the words: Once Upon a time… 

I thought it would be a good day to write a fairy tale. I had always loved reading Cinderella, Snow White and most of all Rapunzel. I had always wanted hair as long as hers. I was in the middle of writing my story when a scream came out of nowhere, and there was a loud crashing sound as a short figure came falling down the chimney. Tons of dust went everywhere. It was so hard to see what had happened…when the dust cleared, there stood a short little man who was rather dirty from falling through the chimney. His clothes looked regal, but were covered in dust, and he had blonde hair that looked almost like gold. I coughed from the dust, then managed to say,“H-hi.” I wasn’t quite sure what to say, for it isn’t every day that a short man falls through your chimney.
“I could have sworn the miller's daughter was supposed to be here!” he grumbled, standing up from the ground and walking over to me.
“You, aren't by any chance the miller's daughter?” I shook my head. 

“That’s frustrating. I have been traveling all day and night looking for her, and I doubt the king is happy. How will I ever explain this to Mother Goose?” he groaned. 

“You mean you are…Rumplestiltskin!” I said.
“Why ye— wait! How did you know my name? No one knows my name!” he said. 

“Uh…I read about you in a book,” I said, though it sounded weird.
“Ah okay…that makes sense, I guess.” he said, no longer angry at me. “Maybe that was how they found out my name last time.” 

There was a silence…finally I spoke, “I never introduced myself. I am Quinley,” I said. “May I ask what you are doing in my house?” 

“Well, I meant to take the Fairy Godmother’s bus (she started a business bringing people everywhere, especially to the Ball) when somehow I fell off and landed in your chimney. I am sorry for the inconvenience.” he said blushing. Then he added, “I must get back to Fairy Tale Land, though. And I have no idea how. The only way could be to jump through a book, I suppose, but it is rather dangerous.” 

I looked at him, “Well…I have several books upstairs, and I could—“ 

“Excellent, Quinny! Show me the books!” Before I could respond and correct him that my name was “Quinley,” he was upstairs in my bedroom staring at the book shelves. 

“So where are your fairy tales?” he said, looking through the book shelves. He had already created a pile of books on the ground. 

“Umm…somewhere around here,” I said, searching through the pile and moving The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Lord of The Rings where they wouldn’t get stepped on. Finally I found a copy of Classic Fairytales
“Wonderful!” said Rumplestiltskin, opening the book, and turning to the story Rumplestiltskin and muttering some magic words. Suddenly there was a flash of light and everything went black. When I awoke I found myself in a hay pile. I stood up…there was a voice “Ow! Your stepping on my hand” I turned around. There was the miller’s daughter, her eyes red from crying… 

“Uh…something must have gone wrong” I mumbled…looking around. “Because I am not supposed to be here.” 

“Well, you could rescue me from the King. He will kill me, if I don’t spin this straw into gold. I mean, who would ever believe such a thing, that I could spin straw into gold?” she said.
“Uh….” I didn't know what to say at first. Finally, I answered, “Your father, I suppose?”  

“My father?” she said, her face turning red. “How could you say that, my father would never say such a thing!” 

“Are you sure?” I asked. 

“Positive!” she said. 

Suddenly the door opened and in walked the king… “Miller’s daughter you were supposed to spin straw into gold for me!” he said, looking around the room. 

I groaned how could the story end like this? It is impossible, and sad. “Uh!’ I said, thinking fast. “She needs five more minutes to do so..” 

“What is she doing here?” said the king. 

“I..I climbed in through the window…silly me…and I was helping her spin straw into gold. She promised she would give me her first born child when you marry her.” It came out all at once. I couldn’t even stop myself. 

The king stared at me… “And your name is?” 

I blushed…”I can’t say! And you don’t know…” 

The king’s mouth fell open. He looked surprised and he couldn’t even speak. Suddenly, Rumplestiltskin climbed in through the window and gasped…“Uh, Quin what are you doing here!?” 

I turned to him, still blushing…”I-got-stuck-in-your-story-by-mistake-is-there-a-way-to-get-out?” I said all at once.
Rumplestiltskin slapped his face in frustration…”I should have told you to stand back while I did the magic!!” he groaned. He turned to the others and said, “I’m very sorry your highness and miller’s daughter please just stay calm and don’t panic…” 

He reached into his pocket and handed me a golden pen. “Use this to get back. Just write with it, and amazing things will happen.”

Then he handed me a piece of paper and I began writing about home, about magic, about adventures... Suddenly, there was a flash of light and I was back at my desk, sitting at my computer. What had happened? I turned and saw the golden pen, it was still there. Since then I have written many stories with the golden pen. I don't know if the ink was pure gold, but it was magic. Whenever I wrote with it and read my stories aloud, the characters I created would come to life. It would feel like the story was real, but when I was done the characters would vanish.  

I never forgot about my adventure in Fairy Tale Land, and sometimes I even have dreams about it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you enjoy the story? And what is your favorite fairy tale? 

Love,
Quinley

Also I wanted to say thank you to everyone for following my blog, it means so much to me. 
And I love reading your comments, they always make me smile. I hope you will have a good rest of your day. 

Saturday, February 24, 2018

The Tag that Must Not Be Named



Hi everyone,
I was tagged by Briana at No End of Books, thank you so much for tagging me.

Anyway here is the tag:

What book has been on your shelf the longest?


(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-J-R-Tolkien/dp/054792822X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518308819&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hobbit ) 

Probably The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, I have loved it for a really long time...I have always and will always love Bilbo Baggins, and his sword Sting. 


What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next?

I am currently reading... 

(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Study-Scarlet-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/1977901573/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518547275&sr=1-1&keywords=a+study+in+scarlet&dpID=51CfHBPqhVL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) 
I have been reading Sherlock Holmes lately, so I thought I would read his first ever case!:) 




My last read was... 
(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Will-Mystery-William-Shakespeare/dp/1416986618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518545824&sr=8-2&keywords=wicked+will) 
Wicked Will is a historical fiction murder mystery. It was really good, and had a lot of references to Shakespeare's plays (And there was also a young Benjamin Franklin murder mystery, which was good too.) 

A book I am planning to read next....
(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Expectations-Penguin-Classics-Charles-Dickens-ebook/dp/B002XHNMIU/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518547541&sr=1-11&keywords=great+expectations+by+charles+dickens ) 
I really liked this cover of Great Expectations. I am definitely excited to start reading this book (because I read an abridged version that did not have much detail.)

What book did everyone like, but you hated?
Even though I love Percy Jackson now, I did not like it (at all)  before I decided to read it. At first I thought that everyone was getting the wrong idea about Greek Mythology. But when I decided to read the book I loved it. 


What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

It's not books necessarily, it's often a series for me. I try to read the series but then I get distracted by other books, and instead read them. It's mostly with book series that have really long books (such as the Heroes of Olympus, etc.) 

What book are you saving for retirement?

Umm...I don't think I could save a book for retirement (I would probably read it before I was retired.) 
but...I am saving a book for next Camp NaNoWrimo:
(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Murder-Most-Unladylike-Mystery/dp/0141369728/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518546932&sr=8-3&keywords=murder+most+unladylike) 
Even though it is technically a holiday murder mystery, and I had put the series down for awhile to read some other books, also I want to read a murder mystery while I am writing the story (not at same time of course.) And I think this would be good to read.

Last page: read it first, or wait ’til the end?

Wait till the end, I like to be able to experience the action at the same pace as the characters do. 

Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

Well... I do think it could be needed (especially in historical fiction books.) 


Which book character would you switch places with?

Do you mean switch bodies with? or switch places? Anyway I will answer for both... 
Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables 
Prince Caspian (or Lucy) from  The Chronicles of Narnia 
Sherlock Holmes (or Irene Adler) from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Annabeth Chase (or Rachel Dare.) from Percy Jackson 
Arwen (or Eowyn)  from Lord of The Rings. 
Benjamin Franklin from The Secret of The Sealed Room
William Shakespeare from Wicked Will
Hobbes (or maybe even Calvin) from Calvin & Hobbes 
This isn't all the characters that I would switch places (or bodies) with...but it as many as I could fit into a post. 


Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (Place, time, person?)
(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Trilogy-Fellowship-Matched/dp/B00CO2MXM0/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519505984&sr=1-7&keywords=lord+of+the+rings+trilogy+book+set&dpID=41y4MYTQj6L&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) 

It reminds me of an event that happened to me last summer. 

Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way
I have often gotten books from people, but I can't really name one at the moment. 


Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

I don't believe have done that before. However, I have given people copies of a certain book, that I had read and I think they would enjoy reading. 

Which book has been with you most places?

                                               Calvin & Hobbes 


(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Calvin-Hobbes-Treasury/dp/0836218051/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518548336&sr=8-2&keywords=calvin+and+hobbes ) 
Even though I have read the comics a million times they still make me laugh. 


Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad later?

High school? Just school in general there was an awful book that I don't know why they read to us, 
(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Black-Lagoon-Mike-Thaler/dp/0545065224/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518548537&sr=1-1&keywords=the+teacher+from+the+black+lagoon+books) 
I will never like this book.


Used or brand new?

Both!:) But I love giving used books a second chance.

Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

I have no idea who Dan Brown is!:) 

Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book?


(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Inkheart-Widescreen-Iain-Softley/dp/B00267OB9Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518548867&sr=1-1&keywords=inkheart+movie&dpID=51AfsFS67RL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) 
Personally I like the movie Inkheart compared to the book (The movie has a happier ending than the book) 
and even though it left out some details that the book had I like it. 

Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks included?
Umm...I have actually never gotten hungry while reading (because I am eating while reading sometimes.) Though if the character is eating something like cake or popcorn I might get a little hungry.


Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

My family, they always have good book advice. 

Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g., outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?




(Image from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Irvings-Stories-Illustrated-Library/dp/0448420740/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518549093&sr=1-7&keywords=the+legend+of+sleepy+hollow+by+washington+irving ) 
Besides Percy Jackson, There was another book that I ended up loving. It was The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. I did not like scary stories or ghost stories at the time, but when I read it I loved it. 

I tag: 

Jane Maree at Her Author site and Maiden of the Misty Mountains 

Emma at Drawn to Writing 

Anna at A world Through Her Heart 

Gray Marie at Writing is Life 

And anyone who wants to do it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What are some of your favorite books? Who is one of the characters you would switch places or bodies with? 

Love,
Quinley

P.S. For the other people who have tagged me, I am still working on the tags I just haven't gotten around to posting them...yet!:)

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine's Day Drawings


Hi everyone,
 I hope you are having a Happy Valentine's Day!:) 

Here are the drawings: 




I really like how this one turned out! 
I like the details in it, especially the heart. 


I like how her dress turned out. 


This is a drawing of Eros (aka Cupid), 
the god of love, and son of Aphrodite. 
A drawing of a heart, I really like the details. 


This is a my version of the Birth of Venus. 
I think it turned out well, and I like the way her hair looks. 

------------------------------------------------ 
Which drawing is your favorite? And I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day, 

Love,
Quinley 

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Getting into Your Character's Backstory







Hi everyone,
 Sometimes getting into a character's backstory can be tricky. Sometimes you know the character's backstory well and other times you have no idea what their backstory is like...


Review the facts you know about the character
This can be quite helpful, especially if you made a character bio (with information like name, age etc.). Do they have any relatives? If so, are their relatives still alive or are they deceased? Are they the last living relative or person in the family?  Do they have any siblings? And, if they do, do they know about them or are they really close to their sibling?

After you review the facts here are some things that may be helpful to write down...

What is your character doing? 

Before they got to where they are (in the current story) what location were they in? 

How old were they? (The age may remain the same depending on how far apart the backstory is from the current story.) 

Did they have any bad habits that they got rid of before the current story? (Such as biting their nails, etc.) 

Did they have a past job? 

I recommend (if you feel comfortable doing this) being in a quiet room, and asking your characters the questions out loud. Basically you will be talking back and forth to yourself (pretending to be your character).

Seeing the backstory 
Knowing what the back story is, is good, but seeing it is even better.
What I mean by seeing the backstory, is being able to experience or see the character's back story.

That is why either drawing a scene from your character's backstory:
This is a drawing of Celtiere 


or making a character collage (which I have done before both in The Character Karaoke Tag, and Getting Characters onto Paper (part 2) ) is helpful to get a clear idea of the scene.
 This time when creating a character collage you are
  using images to create a vidid idea of a scene (instead of portraying a character's personality):
(original images from,
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapestry#/media/File:The_Hunt_of_the_Unicorn_Tapestry_1.jpg,
wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael#/media/File:Raphael_colonna_01.jpg,
Wiki Commons , https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Crowns#/media/File:St._Johann_Johannes_B%C3%BCste_Krone.jpg,
wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle#/media/File:Bodiam-castle-10My8-1197.jpg,
wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland#/media/File:Glendalough.jpg,
wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_(mythology)#/media/File:Phoenix-Fabelwesen.jpg )
          This collage shows some details from Celtiere's childhood, such as his pet phoenix, Fire, and his home, the castle, and the countryside of Ireland (where his story takes place).



Getting to know the other people from the past 
This means getting to know the people who your character could have known from their past.
They must have met someone (unless of course they were locked away somewhere, far from buildings, and civilization).
It could be a  friend from the past who betrayed them, or it could even be their arch nemesis, or even a trustworthy friend who stayed with them (it doesn't always have to be betrayal) and is now a character in the current story.

Here is a form for your character (if you are having trouble thinking about what they are like).

Name: 

Age: 

Interaction with the main character: 

Powers (if any): 

Friend of foe?: 

Rank in society:  

Personality Traits: 

Physical traits: 


After you fill out the form (assuming you want to), I would recommend doing the same things you did with your main characters, such as talking to them or even walking like them. Even if they are minor character you should know what they are like because if you didn't you wouldn't know how they would react in a certain situation in your story.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you enjoyed reading the post and I hope this was helpful to you.

Do you have any other tips or ideas that help you get into your character's backstory? 

Also do you like my ideas and tips? 

Love,
Quinley


Monday, January 22, 2018

Introducing Some Characters: Dryads



Hello everyone, Today I thought I would introduce you to some of my dryad (AKA nymph)
characters:


                                          Amber 
Amber has the ability to speak to animals, 
which was passed down through the generations of her family. 
Most of her friends are animals, and others are nymphs, 
but she spends most of her time talking to animals as opposed to dancing with 
the other nymphs. 



Elm 


Elm has a beautiful voice (as most dryads do), but her voice was different. 
When she sings the trees will dance to it and the animals,
humans or dryads who could be listening suddenly find themselves dancing. 
Though her voice also has other powers that she is yet to find out. 


Almond

Almond was given the ability to make plants grow 
just by thinking about it, though she has to learn 
how to control it, and at times her power has gone out of control.
---------------------------------------------- 
Which character is your favorite? Also what is your favorite mythical creature? 

May adventures come your way, 
Quinley 

Monday, January 15, 2018

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day! (+ drawings)


Hi everyone, Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!:)
Even though I just did a drawing post I thought I would do some drawings in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. 
Here are the drawings: 




                              A drawing of the characters from one of my favorite movies, Hidden Figures.
                         I love how it turned out.


                                           A drawing of Rosa Parks, I had to look at a picture of the real Rosa Parks                                          to draw it and I like how it turned out.
             


A drawing of Melody. Normally I would have posted this on my doll blog,
but I thought I should post it here. I like the way she turned out, especially her hair. 


                                 And finally...in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. I drew a picture of him.
                               I really like the way he turned out.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which drawing is your favorite? And I hope you have a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!:) 
Love, 
Quinley


Saturday, January 6, 2018

January Drawings (First post in 2018!)

Hello everyone!:) This is my first post in 2018.
Today, I thought it would be good to start off the new year with a drawing post:





                                  This is a drawing of Celtiere's mother.
                                     I really like her pose, and her red hair against her green outfit.

                                         Oddly I have combined Disney princesses with Lord of The Rings                                                          characters a few times (and I don't really know why).
                                        This one is Cinderella as Lady Galadriel, holding the
                                       "One shoe to rule them all."
                                 
Mr. Robertson and Shadow (the black cat).
I really like Mr. Robertson's expression in this picture. 

This character (who is the main character, though I don't have a name for her yet)
 is from my fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
It is set in the Viking times and instead of a beast it is a dragon. 


                                             I don't know what exactly this villain's powers are yet,
                                           but I like her headdress.

   
This drawing is of Rapunzel from my fairy tale retelling
set in Ireland. I really like her freckles.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which drawing is your favorite? 

Love,
Quinley