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@braelynn

Funny how clusters of letters that form meaning are so captivating.

My sentiments exactly. 🙂

How long is your series so far? Do you have a theme?

I’ve only written the first book, but I’m planning to have it be a five book series. The first one came in at a little over 190k words, and the rest will be at least slightly longer than that each, so it’ll take me a while. xD

I’ve discussed the topic of theme with my older sister (also a writer) several times, and personally, I rarely give a central theme to a book, and I build a story on plot and character without even thinking about a central theme. However, what I consider the themes of my books are the character arcs (and possibly the villain’s flaw), and putting together all the characters in my series, there is a strong central theme. In this case, it is dealing with the pain, death, and evil that is rampant in the world.

How do you handle theme in your stories? Do you start with theme and build from there? Or do you start with plot?

The other half… well, let’s just say a whole mixture of epochs from across the centuries.

I love it. 🙂 Do you study all those parts of history before you write in them?

Yes! I would totally agree there. It is so intriguing! I haven’t studied it as much as I would like to, but hope to more in the future! Do you have a favorite historical fiction author?

Disappointingly, there are usually one of two problems with medieval historical fiction: one, they have inappropriate content (aka, everyone in their mother has a described affair), and two, they take historical fiction down a route I don’t prefer. Though I do love history, I prefer the central plot and characters to be fictional, and the setting to be historical. Most historical fiction I find is either about a historical person, or a historical event (like a war). The historical fiction I’m writing is centered on fictional characters and plot, but it had many historical features and events feature in it (and in several cases, those events are very much connected to the plot).

Anyway, that answer was gratuitous in the extreme, but I felt the need to clarify, so there you go. xD The single best medieval historical fiction novel I’ve read is Behold the Dawn by K. M. Weiland. I would highly recommend it. For non-medieval historical fiction, I would recommend Alexander Dumas–Count of Monte Cristo, and every 1800s mystery author (Conan Doyle, Wilkie Collins).

(Stolen from Google *gasp*, but I thought it did a better job then I  ) Spikeball is an original sport that combines the teamwork of volleyball, the hand-eye coordination of four square, and the physicality of a cardio workout. The two-on-two game is played with a small rubber ball and an elastic net stretched tight over a plastic rim.

That sounds interesting. *proceeds to go look up a video of Spikeball being played

Ah, singing; one of my absolute favorites. That is so neat that you have a group to sing with! Do you sing in four part harmony?

We try to. My family alone isn’t skilled enough to do it ourselves, but with some of our friends who are great alto’s and tenors, it sounds quite nice.

Fascinating! I don’t believe I have ever heard someone play an Ocarina before. What does it sound like?

Hmm…a haunted recorder is the best description I can give. xD

Well, WIP’s that I actually hope to finish sometime currently count 3.

One fantasy and two historical fictions? Or what are they?

@rose-colored-fancy

I know right!??? Not even the size, (crinolines were occasionally really big, though it was more exception than the rule.

Still. Crinolines that big are…too big for my liking xD

This is funnier when you realize there’s documentation of them being used as personal space reinforcers by just kind of shoving your skirts against people IIRC XD) but that this was supposed to be in the 1810s? Crinolines didn’t come into fashion until the 1850s, almost forty years later! It’s the difference between Pride and Prejudice and Little Women, which is not negligible.

For the record, I didn’t know the exact dates–though if I was writing fiction about it, hopefully I would have researched it first.

And later on, the heroine was mentioned wearing a bustle, which was in fashion after the 1870s. And of course not to forget that tightlacing a corset is mentioned in that context. (Which was done in the 1900s, occasionally. It wasn’t anywhere near the fashionable silhouette in that period.) And of course, we got the deprecating mention of how limiting and uncomfortable stays are.

Could you give me a quick explanation on the difference between a stay and a corset?

And a woman is mentioned wearing rouge, which was quite scandalous until the 1920s. So… we have 110 years discrepancy at its worst point.

No hold up just a minute. 🙃 What exactly does ‘until the 1920s’ mean?

If you are referring to Victorian and American culture in the 1700s and 1800s, then I’ll take your word for it. But if you go back to the middle ages–in the Eastern Roman/Byzantine empire in particular–women did wear forms of rouge. Just had to mention that. 🙂

 Thank you for coming to my TED talk again XD

It was most enjoyable. 🙂