Wrandom Writing Tip #5: The Had-Hadders

Tip #5:

It may just be my psychotic views, but nothing annoys me more than DOUBLE WORDS. Nothing. At all. That, to me, is the most aggravating, distracting, horrible thing I can do while writing.

Example: "His face was red. He wiped the tears off his face."

DID YOU CATCH THAT?!?! DID YOU?!?! I can't STAND it. Just writing it made me feel dirty. I mean, that is just so distracting. When you are reading something, and you come across something like that, BAM. Everything stops. And you go, "whaaaaaa?"

So. This brings about the evil Had-Hadder.

The Had-Hadder is a "sometimes necessary" grammatical combination of 'had' and 'had'.

Example: "Harry had had to dissect a frog in fourth grade."

...Okay, not my best example, but you get the meaning. I know it's "sometimes necessary", but every time I read "had had" in a book (it was in Eragon several times), it totally throws me off. I have to stop and read it three times to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

My advice: If you ever (or if you now) realize that you are a Had-Hadder, then I suggest you find a new way to word the Had-Hadder sentence. You may argue that it is "grammatically correct", but for the sake of your book, I'd cut them out. It's just not worth ruining your reader's attention on the story to stop and wonder if that "had had" was a typo or what. You following me?

Okay. Whoo. Glad I got that off my chest.


A :D (happy) Anastasia Cross bids you good day, readers!

Random (and brief) Sentinels Update

Random (and brief) update on The Sentinels:

Linnea is currently crying.

Eadën is about to be threatened by a girl.

I'm on Chapter 5 out of probably 100.

I have reached 10,000 words. I am going to pass 11,000 today if it kills me.

I haven't gotten to any of the Sentinels yet.

But patience is a virtue I am willing to adopt.

Scam Alert

I am posting this as a warning to all internet users.

If you search 'the cycle of time the journey anastasia cross', a blog named Tricia Esposito will pop up offering free downloads of the e-book version of my novel.

DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK!!!

The blog will offer a link asking if you would like to download the book. DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT.

I have not published an e-book version of my novel yet. This is probably a scam of some sort, but either way it's a dishonest way to buy a book.


If you're curious, here's a link to the page: http://triciacti.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-32.html

Beware of things like this! It's most likely a robot trying to scam internet users into downloading a virus or something equally awful. If you read it through, you'll notice the description is complete gibberish.

Just wanted to warn everyone out there!


Thanks for listening,

Anastasia Cross

Writer's Attention Deficit Disorder

Writer's Attention Deficit Disorder
(noun)

A disease found primarily in authors/writers, characterized by inability to focus on one project at a time and/or constantly shifting between several projects at random intervals. Side effects include random thoughts, writer's block, and intense finger cramping.



I have a bad case of Writer's ADD.

Really, really bad.

As in, incurable.

Let me count how many books I am actively writing...

Six. And that's an approximate because I might have missed something.

I really don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I manage to keep up with all of these books pretty well, it just takes a really long time to finish these novels. It's maddening, really, because I know I could finish a book pretty fast if I could focus on one at a time, but I can't. I get random inspirations for lots of books. Would that make me prolific? I'm not sure. So I came up with Writer's ADD instead.

I think it's an accurate representation of my life.

Here's a list of the titles of the books I have stuffed in my "Books" folder. Just for fun!

The Journey
The Sentinels
Embers (a prequel to The Cycle of Time)
The Secret of Blackrock Cave
The Cave of Thieves
Rex's Island
The Bermuda Triangle
Shadows Rising
The Deadlands
The Uprising
Free Spirit
Encephalon (whoo, dat's a mouthful)
The Round Table
Survive
Never Listen to your Best Friend's Little Brother
Blue Skyys
Hybrids
The Irias-Windr

Keep in mind I'm really only working on The Sentinels, The Secret of Blackrock Cave, The Deadlands, The Uprising, The Irias-Windr, and Blue Skyys.

This is mainly just for reassurance, for those lost little writers. Like me. You're not alone. Just so you know. I think a lot of writers think, "Oh, I must be the only one who does this," or, "Am I the only writer in the world who hates blue pens?"

I mean, REALLY?! Blue pens?! What's the point of making ink if it's gonna be blue? I mean, for REAL!!

So I love to let writers know they're not the only ones who do weird stuff. We writers are weird people. It takes a messed up person to sit at a computer screen for hours on end dreaming up ways to bring pain to a fictional person's life, after all.

It's like Batman. "Any guy who dresses up like a bat clearly has issues." (Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins) So we're, like, the Batman of all awesome people. Or something.

But isn't that why we do what we do?

Thanks again for listening to my pointless rambles!

~Anastasia

P.S. Also, if you would like to know about any of these books, I will write a synopsis and post it if you write a comment requesting it. Anyone may comment.

P.S.S. I can't promise any of these books will ever meet the face of a publisher. Of any sort.

Wrandom Writing Tip #4: What to do When You Don't Know

Tip #4:

Have you ever just hit a part in your book and stopped dead in your tracks?

You're like, Oh my goodness...what am I doing? Where am I going with this? What happens next?! AHG!

And then you run screaming to the nearest corner to hide your face in your hands and sob quietly?

Yeah, me too. And trust me, it passes.

Here's the thing about writing a book. Whether it's an epic 800-page novel or a heart-warming short story, eventually you will hit that one part you were trying to avoid. I like to call this part THE BLACK HOLE. It's usually in the middle, but sometimes it can be the beginning. Or the end.

There's nothing like that one moment when you hit that BLACK HOLE and your fingers freeze over the keyboard (or your pencil stops scratching on the page). You suddenly realize that the last four pages were completely dialogue, and that your characters are talking about baloney sandwiches when they should be out doing something else. What that something is, you may never ever know. But it's out there somewhere.

So, you freak out. You've been writing this for years and years and you've been doing so well, and now suddenly you think of all of the work before this point and cringe. How on earth did you manage to write such a sloppy bunch of random ideas? How bad can one ____.doc be?

This is something many writers face. I find myself in this situation while writing The Cycle of Time: The Sentinels (which, again, is what I was doing before I posted this). My characters are about to embark on an epic journey, but the time between the beginning of this journey and now is a BLACK HOLE. Dirco is being a sissy. Alli is an empty shell once again (from the empty shell she was born, and the empty shell will return to). I'm totally lost. I just want to skip to Eadën and get to his awesome complexes. But I can't do that! I'm a perfectionist and I have to do everything PERFECT and IN ORDER or else I will have an OCD ATTACK and THRASH AROUND and eventually I will end up DYING because my PAPERS are CUTTING ME OPEN and I will BLEED TO DEATH from all of the PAPER CUTS I receive from THRASHING from my OCD ATTACK. Now I'm perfectly aware some of you don't get like this. This is just me talking to myself.

So as before I digress into madness, I want to discuss what to do when you don't know.

How on earth do you get away from a BLACK HOLE? I've asked myself this many times. One of these times is right now. Another was about fifty-seven different times during The Journey, The Secret of Blackrock Cave, and...actually, The Deadlands never really did that.... But I digress again.

Here's how I cured mine.

1. Take time away from your novel and completely brainwash yourself from everything that has to do with it. You can do this by gorging yourself on Oreos, or listening to music until your ears fall out, or just taking a shower and shrugging it off. Anyways, a week or so usually works, but take more time if you're obsessive (like I am).

2. Go back after you've forgotten about it and read some of what you've already written. For me, this helps me look at if with fresh eyes and really enjoy what I've accomplished without worrying about my atrocious use of to-be verbs and my rebellious characters. It also gets me excited about writing it again!

If this doesn't work, extend treatment to the following:

3. Sit down and think. Bring a pad of paper and a pencil with you, because you might have a brilliant idea that flies the coop once you think it. Try to focus on the BLACK HOLE point and brainstorm random conflict. Even if it has nothing to do with the story. (i.e. sandstorm, earthquake, armies attacking, car crash, lost job, etc.) You may find a way to link the seemingly random conflict in a totally awesome way (just for inspiration, my whole book The Journey was made from random conflict and ended up linking so beautifully!).

4. Write whether you like it or not. You may not want to, but the more you write, the more you'll want to. Even if you end up deleting everything you write, at least you wrote something. Besides, you may come up with something as you write.

I hope this helps you as much as it helps me.

Keep calm and write on!

~Anastasia

Wrandom Writing Tip #3: Real Live Characters

Tip #3:

Writing can be so...enlivening.

I have created a million-jillion characters in my head, without particular stories of their own (Marie and Phillipe LaCroix, Matt Hartman, Ryaan, Rgaatornn, Mikhail Avandayev, and Luc Martine, to name a few). I don't know why, but I find awesome joy in creating characters, even if I come up with them and never apply a story to them. I think it's partly because I like to have a few extra characters around in case I miraculously come up with a storyline. Then, I can plug in someone I'm already familiar with into the new book.

If you're struggling with thinking up characters that come to life on the page, you might be over-thinking things a bit. Creating believable characters isn't as hard as you would think. There are a few secrets I've learned over the years for coming up with the coolest characters ever:

1. Give your character a secret. I've neglected this tactic for years and have just recently come to appreciate how a well-kept secret adds depth to a character. You can make it something silly, sad, serious, or embarrassing, as long as it's believable. How do you know if something is believable or not? Try putting yourself in your characters shoes. Would you go into hysterics if someone found out you slept with a teddy bear? Or have a temper tantrum if someone accidentally bumped you while walking?

2. Give the character a name you love. This might not be a problem for some people, but for me, it's a huge deal. I pick out names for my characters as if they were my own flesh-and-blood children. I spend days pouring over baby name books, searching for that one name that pops out at me. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I'll see the name first and model the character after the name. But usually this isn't the case. Give your character a name you won't get tired of writing over and over. I believe names contribute to a character; a character named Bob probably won't be nearly as interesting as one called Cole or Dwayne (is it just me, or does Dwayne scream ace-pilot-turned-rogue?).

3. Give the character interesting features. I love to describe people. There, I admit it. Sometimes I do it too much (if you've read The Journey, you probably noticed how much I love to point out how blue Eadën's eyes are). But I believe I write this way because I see this way. When I meet someone I usually find one distinguishing feature that I remember the person by (i.e. Eadën's blue eyes, Dirco's pale hair, Vette's bouncy curls and wings...). So, why not try to make someone who's interesting to look at? While I have an awful habit of making every character I create beautiful, I do suggest you don't make everyone as handsome or as pretty as possible. Some people can simply be described as 'interesting': others, ugly, or even horrid (save those for the villain! ;D). Others are simply simple; some teens can have acne, adults should have some gray hair, and little kids don't have to be cute every single time (but then again, they can be!). Give your character something to remember him by.

4. Give your character an awesome, unexpected personality. Have you ever read Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank? If not, I suggest reading it. There are many diverse, wonderful characters in the story, especially the main character, Randy. In the beginning, Randy is described as a scoundrel; he is seen as a reckless youth with no self-control. But once the story shifts to Randy's point of view, you are quickly confused. The exact opposite seems to be true of Randy's personality; he is quite calm and cool-headed, even under nuclear fire, and incredibly responsible. He ends up leading the ruined town as a mayor-like figure. This is a wonderful example of an unexpectedly-characterized character—every character should be as diverse and unexpected as real-life people.

I often—really, I do this every time!—begin writing a book by creating character sketches—short blurbs about the different characters in the story. After all, the characters are what will be pushing the story along and giving you inspiration to finish the book. Shouldn't you make them worth remembering?

PIANOTHON 2013

I had lots of fun at Joel Pace's PIANOTHON 2013 in Jacksonville's Circle of Love Ministries!

I held a book signing and sold copies of The Cycle of Time: The Journey, as well as listened to wonderful piano and vocal pieces. There even was a chicken-dance number! :D

Thanks to Joel Pace for his wonderful ministry! I owe you a big one, Mr. Joel, for all of the support you've given me over the years. You are truly a blessing!

If you missed the PIANOTHON book signing, you can still get my book from Amazon.com. Thanks so much for everything!

~Anastasia ;)

Blue Skyys

I've had a new idea recently for a novel. I've played around with writing it, and letting it stew in my
head some, and here's a long and detailed synopsis I have created.


        Jay is the Assistant General of Ground Troops for the Rialian Galaxy army, and the only young man in his family who isn't actively fighting in the war between Rialis and Syestar. Ty and Scott, his younger cousins, are both active duty soldiers, with Ty as a pilot and Scott as a ground trooper. Jay's job is weighing hard on him nonetheless; the stress of carrying the lives of thousands of young men on his shoulders every day is taking a toll on him and causing his already-crippling headaches to worsen. Just on the verge of attacking one of Syestar's nuclear bases, Jay receives devastating news; Scott has been mortally injured in a mine explosion.
        The news rocks his world. Ty, Scott's brother, is near hysteria when he is deployed to fight an oncoming advance on their safety base, and yet another blow hits Jay hard.
        Ty is killed on the front lines.
        Now in the depths of despair for both of his cousins, Jay is nearly incapable of working. Still, Rialis is short on men, and he is called to fight. During a confrontation between Syestar's General Peirson, everything suddenly goes black.
        Jay awakes to find himself sold to a Syestar slave train. Battered, emotionally drained, and ready to die, Jay struggles to survive on the desert planet along with new friends: Vivian, Zaner, and Yoli, all Syestar slaves—like himself.
        Desperate to get home and avoid being pronounced dead, Jay escapes from the slave train, but it will take all the strength he has to fight through Syestar soldiers, new terrain, and enemy eyes to get home, all while grieving the death of his best friend and cousin, Ty.

~Anastasia

P.S. Sorry if this is a little "incomplete"...It's a rough idea that I'm still working with. I'll let you in on the official synopsis when I can!

Wrandom Writing Tip #2: Never Use 'Was'

Tip #2

Something I've learned over much toil and pain:

NEVER USE 'WAS.'

It's a painful thing to learn, really. Honestly! You think it would be easy to cut out 'was,' but it isn't. It is very, very hard to break writing habits.

So, if you're new to writing, STOP USING 'WAS' NOW. It will save you a world of pain.

You see, 'to-be' verbs (such as was, is, had, been, be, being, are, etc.) are called 'passive voice verbs.' They relate action in the passive-voice, which basically means it's a boring way to write action and there is a much, much better way.

Compare two examples:

"I was going to the store."
"I went to the store."

While neither of these are stellar sentences, they are good examples of deleting passive-voice verbs. Do you see how one relays action as if someone was telling you what happened, while the other describes the action as if it was happening right then?

Cutting out to-be verbs and inserting more precise, descriptive verbs are a good way to start editing a manuscript (once you get the storyline nailed down, that is).

Here is a list of to-be verbs to use as reference:

be
am
is
are
was
were
been
has
have
had
do
did
does
can
could
shall
should
will
would
may
might
must

And any combination of the above (i.e. has been).

Sometimes you may find that you have to use them, and that's okay. But I've found usually when a 'was' is paired with a '-ing' word (was standing) it can be replaced easily by the past tense of the verb (was standing—stood). Get what I'm saying?

By the way, don't you dare go through and try to catch all my to-be verbs. That would be very unkind. ;)

Good luck!

~Anastasia

Excerpt of The Deadlands

I now reveal to you...dun dun duuunnn.....The Orion excerpt! This scene is one of my all-time favorites! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Another writer and I are co-authoring this trilogy. I am very excited about getting it published, but the rough draft was just that—rough. So editing will take longer than it did with my other works. Still, we are diligently working on it, so don't lose hope! We will try not to. :)

~Anastasia

P.S. Just so you know: Jayd and Roy are two of the coolest, most amusing characters of all time. Just so you know. Their relationship is awesome.

Excerpt for ‘The Orion: The Deadlands’

“Lying, deceitful, betraying, freak, no-good slobs of society!”

“Rotten, fish-faced, ignorant, stupid, flimsy-limbed, gutter-worthy, horse-mouthed, buffoons!”

“ALRIGHT!” A soldier yelled, grabbing his ears. “Both of you shut your mouths before I permanently seal them!”

Roy struggled in the ropes the military had put him in. Behind him was Jayd, who was tied with him, back to back.

Roy had woken almost an hour after being knocked out to find himself tied with his worst enemy. Their hands were tied together at their backs.

Just touching her made him feel on edge. Not delightfully so, like the feeling he got when fighting. More stressed out, mentally-tortured on edge.

Roy blew upwards, distancing himself as much as he could from Jayd, which wasn’t very much, seeing that they were bound together. He just hoped Will had gotten away. Those men had run after him...

Jayd squirmed behind him. “Remind me why you’re doing this again?” she demanded of the head soldier.

The head soldier, who had been sickly pale ever since seeing Jayd, wrung the barrel of his gun with his hands nervously. “Th-the government... I mean, the dictator said to bring you back to him in chains. H-he said you were to be punished for being defeated by a Lowlander, and for letting failures live, and...” He trailed off, glancing around.

Roy felt Jayd take a deep breath. “That is the stupidest, most imbecilic thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I am the Orion’s best agent, and they’re going to tie me uncomfortably close to this Lowlander because I let him live a couple of times? He didn’t deserve it, I admit, but honestly! He’s spunky enough to fool any of you!”

“Not our problem. We just follow orders,” one brave soldier said. “Talk to Mr. Calhoun about it when we get you there.”

Jayd snorted, slamming against Roy’s back. She had a surprising amount of strength for one who hadn’t eaten in three days. Roy could feel the heat of her annoyance seeping off of her skin and through her clothes.

It was a couple minutes later when the soldiers started falling asleep. They set up a sentry, who stood in front of Roy and Jayd with his back to them.

Jayd squirmed for the umpteenth time. 

Roy huffed and glared back at her. “Maybe if you stopped wriggling around so much it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable,” he whispered fiercely.

Roy literally felt her eyes pierce his skull. “Maybe if you hadn’t run off in the first place we wouldn’t even be in this mess,” she shot back.

“Maybe if you hadn’t been so atrocious to be around I wouldn’t have run away.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t rebelled, I wouldn’t have been so atrocious.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t kidnapped me in the first place I wouldn’t have rebelled.”

“Maybe if you weren’t so strapping and handsome and hadn’t gotten in the way of the law I wouldn’t have kidnapped you.” Jayd’s voice dripped with ridicule.

“Maybe if you and the Orion hadn’t been such obnoxious idiots I wouldn’t have gotten in the way of you trying to steal an innocent boy from his mother.”

Jayd pressed against his back, turning her head so her mouth was right by his ear. “I had nothing to do with the rules of the Orion, no matter what sort of delusion you have conjured. I follow orders so I won’t be killed.” There was a bit of ironic sarcasm in the last line she spoke, as if it were a known fact.

“But you enjoy it,” Roy growled.

“I never said that.”

“Hey!” The soldier on duty jerked around, pointing his gun and whispering. “No talking, both of you!”

Roy could tell Jayd glared at the soldier because he cowered back a little before turning and retreating a few steps away.

Jayd wriggled her arms again. Roy could feel her working her fingers urgently, as if trying to reach something. Roy glanced at the sentry, who was a couple feet away, back turned to them, staring off into the woods.

“What are you doing?” Roy dared to breath to her.

Jayd’s hair brushed against his cheek as she turned her head, looking down her arm. Roy winced and rubbed his face against his shoulder. “I have a knife hidden in my sleeve,” she said, so quietly that Roy barely heard her. “But...I can’t...reach it...” Her fingers scratched against his as she worked them desperately. “See if you can’t get it.” Then, a hint of the mocking tone crept into her whisper. “Though I doubt you are intelligent enough to do that much.”

Roy grunted something nasty under his breath. He gathered up an insane amount of courage to wrench his hand up Jayd’s sleeve and fish around until he felt the cool steel of a blade. He grabbed the tip between two of his fingers and slowly worked it out, pushing it into one of Jayd’s slender hands. 

“Intelligent enough, unfortunately,” Roy growled over his shoulder.

He thought he saw the faintest flicker of a smile on her face out of the corner of his eye, but then she turned her head. Roy felt the blade slip between their wrists; the tip nicked the inside of his arm, but he didn’t say anything. He glanced fervently at the sentry, who was cleaning his gun with his shirt absently, as Jayd began to saw through their bonds.

Roy felt sudden relief as the first bond loosened, then the second. The ropes fell on the ground between them. The two pulled away from each other quickly as if they never wanted to touch each other again. Roy rubbed his wrists and silently got up, keeping his eyes on the sentry. He snuck forward two steps and grabbed the soldier from behind around the mouth to silence his cry of fear and bashed the back of his head, dropping his limp body.

Jayd was brushing the snow off of her, still holding the long, thin knife when Roy turned. “Trying to impress me?” she sneered in a whisper, one eyebrow arched over her twinkling, slanted eye. Her entire face radiated contempt and malice. Suddenly, Roy stiffened, afraid for a split moment that he had caused his own demise. He had freed the girl who would kill him instantly if she so chose; he had even given her a knife to do it with!

Excerpt of The Secret of Blackrock Cave

Here is an excerpt of The Secret of Blackrock Cave. Since these books are hard to describe (funny? comedy? adventure? huh?) I think this and a few other excerpts will help clear things up a bit. Once again, enjoy!

~Anastasia

Excerpt of ‘Rhett Hawke: The Secret of Blackrock Cave’

  “But where is the treasure?!” Captain Rex almost shouted. 
“Quiet!” Adriane hissed. “You could set off a cave-in!”
“But the treasure isn’t here!” he replied loudly.
“The cave goes deeper,” Evan said cautiously. “Maybe we should go ahead.”
Rex curled his lip dangerously. He jerked his head in an indefinable direction. “Up here, Hawke. You first.” He poked Wikk in the chest with his sword. “But leave the bodyguards. No funny business.”
Rhett smiled easily and strode forward as smoothly as he could with his injured leg. Adriane grabbed his arm, giving Rex a dark, proud look as she marched along with her stumbling comrade.
They lit more torches and gave one to Rhett to light the way. The pirates shoved and fought to run ahead, but Rex silenced them with a word.
The going was slow according to the leader, and the pirates were getting antsy to see gold. Rhett himself itched to see a glimmer of some sort. Where was this promised gold of Cíbola?
They must have wandered through a thousand tunnels and forked paths. Rhett’s leg was throbbing and he was getting kind of suspicious about the whole deal. Sir Francis Drake was a pirate, after all. He would have spent every ounce of gold he looted, wouldn’t he?
It must have been hours before Rex stomped up to Rhett and poked him in the chest with his pistol. “Where’s the treasure, Hawke?”
Rhett pretended to look emotionally hurt. “What? What do you mean? Do you honestly think I took it and didn’t tell you?”
“Stop foolin’ around,” Rex growled. “Where’s the treasure?”
“What makes you think I know where it is? I didn’t even know about your bloody treasure before you told me about it.”
Rex narrowed his gleaming eyes. “You know somethin’, Hawke. Somethin’ yer not tellin’ us.”
Rhett huffed and caught Adriane’s eye. She gave him a questioning look, but Rhett quickly shook his head. “Listen, mate,” Rhett said. “I know about as much about where the treasure is as you do about my mother’s mental state.” At Rex’s stare, Rhett added, “Nothing.”
Rex bellowed and threw his sword around. “Then I came here for nothing? Where’s me treasure?!”
Adriane grabbed his arm and pulled. “Be quiet! The cave!”
Rex elbowed Adriane in the face and she reeled back. Evan sprang up and grabbed Rex’s arms. Wikk followed by wrestling Rex’s mouth shut between his echoing shouts.
A shower of rocks landed in Rhett’s hat. He looked up. “Uh, Milty?”
Rex threw both Evan and Wikk of of him. “An’ DON’T call me MILTY!” Rex screamed. “M’name is CAPTAIN REX!”
“MILTON! SHUT UP!”
Adriane waved her arms. “YOU GUYS BE QUIET! THE CAVE IS UNSTABLE! IT COULD—”
Between the last two shouts, the cave suddenly rocked. Everyone froze, clutching something to stabilize themselves. A hunk of the cave’s ceiling came crashing down dangerously close to Rhett, and he leaped away, rolling when he hit the ground. Before anyone could react, a wall of rock had fallen between Rhett’s party and Rex’s crew.
“What trick have ye played now, Hawke?!” Rex yelled over the rocks.
“For the last time, you old twit,” Adriane sighed, “shut your trap!”
Rhett chuckled but hid the sound with a coughing fit. Clearing his throat, he said, “Captain Milton Rex, it looks to me like we have a race on our hands.”
“A race?” Rex said.
“A race to the treasure!” And Rhett, Adriane, Wikk, and Evan dashed down the nearest corridor.

Excerpt of The Cycle of Time: The Journey

In honor of the release of The Cycle of Time: The Journey, I am posting this excerpt of the book. Enjoy!

~Anastasia

Excerpt of ‘The Cycle of Time: The Journey’

Suddenly a loud sound reverberated through the air: flapping and the grunting breaths of a beast. Alli’s stomach lurched with each gruff gasp. Her hair was soaked now, sticking to her back, and the rain felt much too cold.

A splash sent the boat rocking, and then the breathing slowed. Small splashes shifted the raft, and a long, interminable silence made the blood drain from Alli’s face.

Hot, smoky breath enveloped her, and she screamed and spun around to face the fangs of a snarling dragon.

“Stay away from them!” Alli heard Eadën string an arrow with a twang.

The dragon moved away, and Alli scrambled to her feet, shaking so hard that the boat shuddered. She tripped over to Dirco and fell into his arms, heaving tearless sobs of fear. He tightened his arms around her, as if doing so would keep her safe.

The huge black dragon was turned, so that Alli could see its back. Three red striped colored its backside, and in a saddle sat a woman with glossy onyx hair.

Alli knew this was Jzän.

The dragon turned again, as if searching for something. It sighted Alli, bared its teeth, and then faced both boats. The woman, Jzän, climbed up the spines jutting from the beast’s vertebrae and onto its head. Her piercing, bloody eyes scanned them, then she laughed. Her laugh was smooth like cream, thick with a honey-sweetened undertone, yet sent jolts of terror down Alli’s backbone. Her hair stood on end.

“Ah,” Jzän giggled, “this is simply too rich. Stand up and let me see you all.” Isidar, Vette, and Oêni rose from the bottom of their boats. Jzän’s blazing eyes found Eadën, standing with his bow drawn, in an instant. Her face blanched as she stared at him. “Yes. Little brother. So you are alive.”

Eadën flushed, pulling the string to his bow tighter.

“Oh, don’t bother. You already tried that, remember? If I recall correctly...” Flame, the dragon, snorted out a blast of air, and Eadën’s ripped shirt opened to expose his scar. “You lost. Now put the bow down and let us talk like civilized elves. Or, in this case, humans.”

Eadën didn’t lower the bow. “What do you want, Jzän?”

“Only to talk. That’s all.” She smiled, and somehow she seemed not so scary. “I’ve missed you, little brother. So much.” She slid down her dragon’s snout and onto the boat. Isidar flattened himself against the mast to avoid being near her, but Vette stood her ground, her face stony but her body trembling. Without a word from Jzän’s mouth, the bow Eadën held dropped to the floor, even though he kept his fists tight. Magic again. She took his arms and spun him around a little. “Oh, you’ve grown so, Eadën. A fine man you have become, no doubt. Of course, I barely remember you when you fought me last. You know how I am about battles.”

“Yes, I know,” Eadën said between clenched teeth as he pulled his arms away. “Leave us be and no one gets hurt.”

Jzän clicked with her tongue. “Such petty threats.” She picked up his bow between her index finger and her thumb. “With this little toy? You know there is only one way to defeat me.” She waved her hand over his head, and several sparks landed upon his inky hair. “Magic.” She lifted his chin. How could Eadën look like such a little boy in her presence? “Or haven’t we been practicing, Eadën?”

Eadën jerked his head away. “Leave us be.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You know as well as I do that there’s that aggravating little dwarven prophecy you seem to be trying to fulfill.” She laughed again, but much differently this time. She pointed at Alli and Dirco. “And with those whelps?”

Eadën’s face turned bright red. “What business is it of yours?” he shouted, shoving her arm down. “Besides, I’m not trying to fulfill any superstitious prophecies. I’m fulfilling orders!”

Jzän’s face darkened as she turned to Eadën, and suddenly she didn’t seem so big-sisterly. Her gaze drifted over his scarred chest, and she put a hand out as if to touch it. “You lived through this, Eadën. But I don’t expect you to make a miraculous recovery again.” A knife slid from her sleeve.

Eadën saw it and put his hand on his sword, his eyebrows low. “You wouldn’t try again. I have the same friends who helped me last time here with me now. What do you plan on doing to them?”

She smiled sweetly. “This.” With a jerk of her arm, she plunged the knife into Eadën’s stomach.

Character Profile: The Orion

The Orion
The Orion

(Though the Orion is not necessarily a character, I believe it deserves a profile by itself)

        "“Today, I’ve decided to test you all in the most important aspects of the Orion,” Jayd announced as she led them into the long, white room. She spun to face them, her eyes and face cold. “Strength; you must be strong enough to handle even the most emotionally and physically taxing situations. Ingenuity; you must be clever enough to connive your way out of anything. Perfection; every movement, every sound, every thought must be whole, and have relevant meaning. It must not distract. It must not cause harm to the Orion. And last, but not least...” She paused, leaning forward. Her voice was low, and her eyes slitted. “Fearlessness. All fear must be purged.”" —The Orion: The Deadlands

        The Orion is the name of the world government that was established after the nuclear war of 2100. Originally it was founded to bring the people of Earth some peace and routinism, but eventually too much power was given to the leaders. The people were separated by classes; the Lowlanders, mostly Asian, lived in Western America—the Deadlands. The Middle Classers consisted of Europeans and lived in the middle parts of America. Finally, the Upper Districters, all American, inhabited the still-standing cities on the East Coast. 

        The Orion serves as a government and a massive military power. Bases have been found around the ruined world, from the frozen edges of Russia to the heat-soaked land of India. Most of these bases serve as training camps, but others have been called 'labor camps,' where prisoners are forced under harsh conditions to build the Orion's weapons.

        The Orion's current leader, James Calhoun, drastically changed the way the Orion works by setting new codes the military must live by. He also set brutal training regimens so that his army would be 'perfect' and impenetrable to the poverty-ridden people of Earth, giving him complete and total power.

Current Leaders:

President James Calhoun

High Generals Viktor and Ivan Gruhlvek

1st General Jayd

2nd General ???

3rd General ???

4th General ???

5th General Reese Kane

Orion Guidelines:

• Perfection is above all attributes. Perfection is expected of all agents in all fields of work. If any imperfection is found, agents will be banished to the Deadlands or put to death.
• Agents must be strong. Strength is needed to survive the Orion training regimen.
• Weakness is not tolerated in any agent. There is no excuse for weakness; only strength will be allowed in the Orion. Any agent found of weakness will be banished to the Deadlands or put to death.
• Fear must be purged from all agents. Fear leads to doubt; doubt leads to disruption. Disruption leads to rebellion; rebels will not be tolerated. All rebels will be put to death.

Character Profile: Dirco Storyteller

Dirco Storyteller

The Cycle of Time

        "At seventeen, he stood as tall as a full grown man, with long legs, longs arms, and long fingers. His extremely pale, yellowish hair—just a bit blonder than off-white—stuck out in all directions. The strangest eyes stared out from his olive-skinned face. The irises themselves were ice colored, and surrounded by a dark ring of black, which made them look white. He wore a long, sleeveless, leather coat with seemingly endless pockets, where he kept a supply of coal pencils and his sacred notebook." —The Cycle of Time: The Journey

Age: 17

Height: 6' 0"

Hair color: pale blonde

Eye color: pale ice blue ("white")

Skin color: olive-skinned; tanned

Body type: thin and long all over

Talents: storytelling, drawing, writing; can speak several different languages, including elvish and dwarvish

        Dirco Storyteller is a storyteller by trade—hence his self-given name—and excels at weaving whimsical tales from Janíza's history. The most famous story he has told is the one involving Fire Eye's origins, which he learned from visiting the libraries in Glaedn 'Bae, where he lived for a time.

        Dirco's strange past is elusive even to his best friend, Alli. From what he has revealed, he lived with the elves for a year, where he learned to speak elvish, before being kicked out for "mouthing off" to the queen. He also trained in sword-fighting with the dwarves, traveled from Glaedn 'Bae to Jzältondí, and obviously had many other adventures while away telling his stories.

        Dirco's prized possession is his notebook, which he logs all of his thoughts, ideas, sketches, and stories into at random intervals. Though almost goofy by nature, Dirco often experiences feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem...even if he would never admit it.

Unfortunately, really the only way to describe Dirco's personality is to read about him. Keep checking back for the first chapter of The Journey, which I hope to post soon.

Wrandom Writing Tip #1: How to Turn Off Your Inner Editor

Tip #1:

There is a little person in the mind that I think we all know quite well. Some call it their "inner editor." I have decided to now call it "the mean little leprechaun* who won't stop making me use action verbs, put a comma there, and never, EVER use 'was.'" (MLLWWSMMUAVPCTNEUW for short). You see, this little leprechaun is constantly bugging you to dot your i's, cross your t's, and telling you your book stinks because your grammar resembles that of a water buffalo's.

As I sit here, attempting to at least complete a page of prose in The Cycle of Time: The Sentinels, I find myself wondering, "Should I put a comma there? Does that sentence sound awkward? Oh, man, I used was again!" Thus hindering the writing process a great deal. Are you following me here?

It doesn't matter what you do. That MLLWWSMMUAVPCTNEUW will always be there. He is out to get your book (or essay, or paper, or random spout of words on a page). You can tell him to take a hike (I have) and he will start making excuses about having no M&M's trail mix so he can't really take a hike, now can he? When all you really want to do is sit down for an hour and WRITE without his constant bugging.

Well, I'm here to officially destroy him (in a figurative sense of not actually destroying him, but throwing him out the trash chute of your ears).

As writers, our job is to get on the page what is stuck in our heads as fast as possible before the idea grows wings and flies right out of your ear. You can't really do that if you're constantly worrying about your grammar, can you? No. You can't. Now, don't get me wrong, I like grammar a great deal. In fact, I plan on studying it a good bit when I reach college age. But I don't like grammar getting in the way of my writing.

I am a busy person. I don't have time to write all the time, between school, chores, siblings, and a host of other projects. So I kinda want that leprechaun to find a new mind-apartment to rent out, don't you?

So, here's my plan†. Ultimately, we will find a way to get this editor out. And here's how.

By thinking up a ninja warrior right now, a mental ninja will appear in your brain, where it will fight the leprechaun. Then, when you truly believe in unicorns, it will also channel into your brain, because those leprechauns are mean little dudes and your ninja might need some backup. Finally, you press the big red button on your computer that you've been warned by techies all over the world not to press (you do have a big red button on your computer, don't you?), and it will blow up that leprechaun's apartment complex. Last but not least, you go over to the trash can, shake your head really hard, and all of the leprechaun and his many dictionaries, thesauruses, grammar books, and big red pens will fall right in.

So, go ahead and test out this theory. Go on, don't be shy, you know you want to. So what if people think you're weird? We writers already spend hours staring at blank pages while we hyperventilate!

So, did you try it? I did. And I think it worked pretty well. It worked for you, didn't it? It did? Yes! We have discovered the true way to get rid of our inner editors!

Well? What are you waiting for?! Get out there and write before he comes back and you have to start all over again!


~Anastasia

P.S. The only reason this is so long and rambly is because I'm procrastinating from writing The Sentinels. I know, pretty sad, right?

*: "Why a leprechaun?" you may ask. If you've ever gotten to the end of a rainbow and tried to haggle a pot of gold from those little jerks, you'd know why.

†: This plan holds no guarantees, other than the fact that it's so ridiculous it just might work.

Good Book List

Are you running low on good books to read? Look no farther! Here are some of my favorite books of all time. Some you may have read; some I know you probably haven't!

I warn you...I do a lot of reading, so this list may get long...

• Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis
• Raising Dragons
• The Candlestone
• Circles of Seven
• Tears of a Dragon
• Oracles of Fire series by Bryan Davis
• Eye of the Oracle
• Enoch's Ghost
• Last of the Nephilim
• The Bones of Makaidos
• Children of the Bard series by Bryan Davis
• Song of the Ovulum
• From the Mouth of Elijah
• The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
• Eragon
• Eldest
• Brisingr
• Inheritance
• The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix (these are the only one's I've read)
• Found
• Caught
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court by Rob Kidd
• The Caribbean
• The Turning Tide
• The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
• Gregor the Overlander
• Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
• Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
• Gregor and the Marks of Secret
• Gregor and the Code of Claw
• The Shadow Children Series by Margret Peterson Haddix
• Among the Hidden
• Among the Impostors
• Among the Betrayed
• Among the Barons
• Among the Brave
• Among the Enemy
• Among the Free
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
• Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
• Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
• Isle of Swords and Isle of Fire by Wayne Thomas Batson

Sorry for it being so long...I read a lot! I hope this helps expand your library.

~Anastasia

The World of the Orion

Dear Readers,

I would like to share the prologue of the first book in The Orion series, The Deadlands, before I begin posting anything about the books. I think it will give some information that needs to be communicated beforehand.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

~Anastasia

P.S. To comment on my posts, you must sign in to your Google account.

The Orion prologue

        A nuclear war finally erupted in the year 2100. War had been brewing in the Asian and European countries for nearly fifty years, and finally the ties between the European Union and the Asian lands snapped. Nuclear missiles were not spared as Asia released their inventory of bombs onto Europe. The USA received bombings during the war from Asia also, which blamed its financial problems and lack of food on its neighbors.

        When the smoke cleared, Asia was in squaller; millions had died, leaving only a small population left to fend for themselves on the unlivable land. Europe was only a little better off, but the nuclear radiation was so great that after years and years, everyone had eventually immigrated to the clearer lands of the USA. The broken people began to try and rebuild their world, and a world government was established, led by James Calhoun, bringing some peace to the people for a time. But after many years, Mr. Calhoun and the government began to use some questionable techniques to keep its people in line. Before long, the people became terrified of the powerful government, who charged insanely high taxes, kept new technology for themselves, hoarded any scientific discoveries, and threatened the lives of anyone who opposed them. Mr. Calhoun, obsessed with power, went so far as to send troops of highly trained special operatives to each clan to kill anyone who rebelled to prevent anything happening to his world. They called themselves the Orion.

        The Asians, known as the Lowlanders, lived in primitive conditions. They Europeans and the Americans refused to help them rebuild their community and cast them into the Deadlands, where the nuclear bombs had hit the hardest. The land there was completely lifeless, unable to grow much of anything. Forced to steal from the other clans to stay alive, the "Lowlanders" brewed much hatred against the other higher clans.

        The Europeans, known as the Middle Classers, lived in better conditions than the Lowlanders. They were able to establish small farms and several tiny villages, but it was hardly enough to keep everyone in the Middle Class satisfied. Hunger was still a problem, as was homelessness. The people were forced to inhabit the crumbling homes left over from the holocaust.

        The Americans, known as the Upper Districters, managed to rebuild what was left of a few of their cities. Poverty proved a problem because the Orion kept much of the money made by the Upper District for themselves, but they lived in much better conditions than those of the Lowlanders and the Middle Class. Hunger was virtually invisible, and there were hardly any homeless. Many started small businesses to make a living. They used currency to buy things from each other, as opposed to the trading Middle Class and the stealing Lowlanders.

        In the year 2347, a new threat appeared in the form of a hidden rebellion. This rebellion stormed the World Government base, where they caused damage to important information files, before the Orion captured and executed everyone involved. Uneasy about the threat of people rising against them, Mr. Calhoun, as a punishment as well as caution, began to force citizens to offer one child from each family to their military. Once drafted, these children were trained until they were flawless fighters. This proved a profitable practice; it provided new recruits for their military, as well as keeping the people from overpopulating and overtaking the Government.

        The people had no power against the Orion and many had to watch their children be torn away from them. This kidnapping became a sorrowful tradition, and the people consented to this new way of life.

Cover for The Journey

Here is the symbol for The Journey's cover!

The sun-like symbol is the emblem of the Jaen, the rebellion against Fire Eye. The three red slashes are Fire Eye's symbol. Lastly, the gray figures are dwarven runes.

Hope this gives you a little insight to what's coming up!

~Anastasia

Map of Janíza

Janíza 
(juh-NEEZ-uh)

Janíza

        Janíza was founded when Ivérsid, an elf from the Eastern Lands, set out with intentions to find a new continent so the elves could expand. He landed on the plot of land that would become the capital city of Vérsidellê (now Jzältondí) and allowed his dwarven friend to name the first island. It was called Ordigon.
        Captain Jüedr, an explorer and good friend of Ivérsid's, soon discovered Jalteben and Darius. The elves spread out to populate their new land, and the few dwarves brought along settled in the mountains of Ordigon. Soon, though, humans from the West came to claim their spot on the rich land of Janíza, providing much racial difference in the country.
        Humans are now the largest race in Janíza, with dwarves second and elves third. The elves soon began arguing on whether the humans should be allowed to reside on their land and, due to different opinions, separated into several different clans. The arguments subsided, but the clans remained, which eventually led to the elven races: Water elves, Ice elves, Nature elves, etc.
        Janíza contains diverse terrains, such as deserts, mountains, arctic regions, forests, and plains. The majority of Janíza's land is classified as plains, which the humans found appealing for their farms. Darius is considered an arctic region, and Ordigon contains the most mountainous ranges.

Percents of Races:
Humans: 50%
Dwarves: 20%
Water elves: 10%
Ice elves: 8%
Wind elves: 6%
Nature elves: 3%
Fairies: 3%
Narticas (Night elves): >1%
Fire elves: 0% (extinct)

Welcome! About this blog...

Welcome to Inkspot!

This blog is for book lovers everywhere...but also for book writers! My biggest hope is that some dwindling writers will find this blog and get inspired to keep writing no matter what. The biggest problem in writers is the dreaded Writer's Block; we've all experienced it. I have. It took me eight years to write my first book. That is serious Writer's Block right there. But, I have overcome it, and I believe the cure for it is a not-so-short eleven-letter-word: INSPIRATION.

Think about it. Inspiration comes in many forms. I usually get it from other people's inspiration; i.e. movies, books, magazines, newspapers, video games, etc. I've always wanted to get inside a writer's mind and figure out what's going on in there. Like, a REAL writer's mind.

Well, I'm pleased to say that after four books and one on the road of publishing, I proudly consider myself a full-fledged, scatter-brained, absent-minded, not-so-professional writer. And I am making this blog to let other writers know that, hey, they're not alone out there.

In short, I am working this blog to be inspirational, informational, and fun all around: inspirational for writers, informational for readers (and fans I may or may not have), and fun for everyone!

I am so excited about sharing my stories with you. Within the next few weeks and beyond, I will be posting glimpses into the worlds that make up my novels, such as:

• Character Profiles
• Images (maps, sketches, etc.)
• Excerpts of scenes
• Synopses of books I am working on
• Ideas of new books and characters
• Special "behind-the-scenes" looks into novels
• My now infamous "Wrandom Writing Tips" (it's no fun unless the first two words match, right?)
• Information on all things books

There may even be a few short stories in store for those who enjoy my writing!

Feel free to comment on any post and ask questions. This is the reader's blog, and I will strive to connect to all of you.

My first novel, The Cycle of Time: The Journey, will be up for sale on the Amazon store within the next few months, so please keep checking back for the big announcement! I am so excited about sharing this with you!

Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you come back soon.

~Anastasia Cross