Attack of the Bog o' Swords

*evil grin* Or Blog Awards.

Because we all know I need an excuse to put anything up here these days...

Anyways, Charley R over in her Leaning Tower of Terror Plot decided to break her normal rule (hah!) about doing blog awards and then decided that in the spirit of breaking rules she would not pass it onto anyone in particular, but instead open it up to the entirety of her readership.

And me, after a mercifully almost homework free Saturday, decided to take her up on it. *evil chuckle to match previous evil grin*

Ze questionz are as followz:

(1) Has a piece of music ever given you a headache? If so, what was it? If not, what was the closest thing?

Every time a car drives past with its speakers up so loud the chassis is actually rattling. It's usually a rap song consisting of ten words, four of which are unfit to be spoken. *rant over*

2) Do you like pens, pencils, or word processor better?

An interesting question, seeing as I'm not sure myself. Most of my writing is done on my laptop, so quantitatively, a word processor. However, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for pencils, as the callouses on my ring and middle fingers on my right hand can attest to. At the same time, as a architectural student, most of my notes are actually in sharpie permanent marker... so it's a hopeless mess.

(3) Out of the last five books you’ve read, what character was your favorite?

 Oh, goodness. What were the last five books I read? *five-minute mental computing break. Mutterings about syllabi and textbooks and powerpoints* Well, over Christmas break I read On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, which was an awesomely fun read (and the first fiction I had read in over a year). And in that book I met Peet the Sock Man, who covers his arms with socks to keep the blades that grow there from being seen. That's the kind of man he is.

(4) Out of the last five movies you’ve seen, what character was your favorite?

Javert, from Les Miserables. Hands down. If I could sing (which I can't [in public]), I would love to act him in a play. The man who would stop at nothing to bring justice to the guilty, and became so fixated on his task that when mercy was granted him could not bear it. The perfect hero, who ended up on the wrong side as the villain instead.

Stars 

In your multitudes 

Scarce to be counted 

Filling the darkness 

With order and light 

You are the sentinels 

Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night 

Keeping watch in the night 

(5) What’s your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy. And its many variations, such as steampunk. When the world is yours to shape, and the rules yours to make, there is no greater freedom. Still, the best story I've written is more dystopian than anything, with perhaps some sic-fi. Hardly fantasy. So I don't know.

(6) Is that your favorite genre to read?

Yup. Ultimately, I like a good book, whatever genre it is. But discovering new lands, creatures, customs, races... that is my favorite thing to experience in a book

(7) When was the last time you wished your library bought more good books, more often?

Last time I went to the library, which was about a month ago. Now, it was my college library, and I was looking for Les Miserables... so it's ever so slightly understandable. I haven't been to any of the libraries in town since I moved out here for college.

Interestingly enough, I wished that the local Goodwill had a better and bigger selection of belts, suspenders and hat racks the other day... You'd think the capital of the state would have a bigger Goodwill than my hometown did...

(8) Do you write with music or not?

Almost always. But silence has its merits, as I discovered last year during NaNoWriMo. You can check that post for an exhaustive list of what music I normally listen to while writing.

More recently my writing has been limited to sleepless nights of scriptwriting, listening to the haunting music my friend composed for Shadowland. (Check it out here!)

(9) Do you outline? If so, what method do you use?

Ha. Ha ha. Maybe....

See, its a sorta-kinda thing. I have a method.

Which I thought I had written a post about some time ago... and so went looking for it so I could link it here and save me some typing...

All I got was an awesome trip down memory lane :D.

Anyways, I got bored of making bullet points out of plot lines a long time ago, and have since developed my own way of keeping track of where the story will go without locking myself into a set path.

I was so sure I had already blogged about this!... Guess I'll have to now! Look for a post soon! Suffice for now to say that yes, I do outline, but in a very particular way.

(10) About what book or movie are you the geekiest, especially in public?

Definitely The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Seeing as that's the one most people talk about, giving me plenty of opportunities to geek out. Other contenders might be Doctor Who (which isn't a book or movie, technically), and Sherlock Holmes (All of them: books, BBC and recent films)

That's all folks! Till next time (which there will hopefully be),

Farjag

Beautiful People- March 2.0

Because, apparently, BP is done on the 20th of each month, not the 1st... I get to do two in March! And as it also happens to be the one year anniversary of BP, Miss Georgie and Miss Sky did a special set of questions concerning two characters and their relationship with each other.

So, for this 2.0/20th of March edition of Beautiful People, I give you Redpaw and Crestlen. Wait... this concerns relationship... and Redpaw and Crestlen are not exactly... well... ahem.

So... this will concern their relationship as enemies; and then brothers. And, I think I'll let them speak for themselves this time.

1. Do you believe in anything that most people think is impossible?

Redpaw: I would see the reconciliation of the Featherwen and Fanglen factions and a united Quartorlen once again. Impossible though it seems, I believe it can be done

Crestlen: The existence of little white gnomes who steal your sugar for... I'm not serious. *grin* No... I tend to only believe what I can see, and the uniting of Quartorlen is hardly possible at this time. Nor would I be certain that I would wish Quartorlen united given the chance.

2. Are you strong, or the "damsel/knight in distress" sort?

Redpaw: What sort of question is that?

Crestlen: Who would want to refer to themselves as a "person in distress?" I mean, you're a bounty hunter, and I'm an assassin. I'm fairly certain we do not fall into the latter category.

3. Do you have a special place? (e.g. a corner in your bedroom, under a tree...)

Redpaw: When I was younger, a beastborn living in the Twisted Pines, there was a certain spire of rock I would often climb to look out over the land. Whenever I pass nearby I visit to remind myself of where I came from, and the sacrifice of those who broke the Containment and freed slave and beastborn.

Crestlen: I do not have one particular place, but I often seek solitude up among the clouds, soaring on the updraft, just thinking. Tis strangely peaceful up there, far above the busy world below.

4. What occupation do you have, or plan on having?

Redpaw: You have but to look at our title to learn our occupation. I am Redpaw, Wolf-hunter. I get hired by leaders in the Fanglen faction to capture dangerous men in the Featherwen faction. Men such as Crestlen here, no? *grins*

Crestlen: *chuckling* Aye. And I am Crestlen, Hawk-assassin. Self-explanatory, really. I go kill dangerous men from the other faction. I.e. this bloke here *elbows Redpaw* Didn't we discuss this already?

5. Describe your current place of residence.

Redpaw: A small hovel on the edge of town, rather tumbledown, since I am gone so much these days. I do have a small garden plot I attend to whenever I get the chance

Crestlen: I currently reside in the palace of Haelswoop, Owl-prince, the Flamehope Featherwen leader.   Nice conditions, those.

Redpaw: All that cushy make you soft yet?

6. Explain your last crisis. How were you changed when you came out of it?

Redpaw: Hmm. Our lives are a series of crises, one after another. Being a warrior tends to do that to one's life.

Crestlen: But the latest is my current situation, being trapped in Brightgorge with my worst enemy.

Redpaw: Aye... that's pretty hight up there on my list *grin*

7. If you could drive any kind of car you wanted, what would it be?

Redpaw: What's a car?

Crestlen: Is that something from your world?

8. How do you deal with change?

Redpaw: Well... if I don't like it... I try to solve things with my fists. Though that doesn't always work

Crestlen: I tend to just bend with the flow, so change doesn't effect me like it does some people *wink*

9. If you had to amputate one body part, which one would you choose?

Redpaw: What exactly are our options here? I mean; leg, arm and head? Or fingers, ears, toes? We have spares of those... *grin* But, in all seriousness, I would probably go with my hand. The four freeborn lost their hands to the Darkstone, and I could do no better honor to their memory than to do the same. Assuming, of course, I could choose which part of my body I wanted to cut off... which I'm not sure I would want to do anyways.

Crestlen: I'd have to choose my leg, because I can still fly without a leg. But I think I'd die if I lost a wing.

Me: *snicker* Oh, I'm pretty sure you won't die.

10. What is favorite at the local coffee shop? 

Redpaw: Oh, cider all the way. I don't drink anything else there

Crestlen: I'm not as picky as Mr. Twisty Tongue here, I tend to vacillate between plain black coffee and a nice latte.

Redpaw: Bleh. Why do you think they call it a latte? Because it costs a latte money, and takes a latte time to make!

And the extra 5 about their 'relationship':

1. How did you meet?

Redpaw: In a cave, in the wilderness of Flamehope

Crestlen: With our blades reaching for each other's throats

2. How do you two deal with conflict?

Redpaw: By trying to kill each other, naturally! Our relationship is based on conflict, really

Crestlen: Aye, though I would be the one to leap first. Redpaw's pretty good about keeping the conversation at a civilized level.

3. Do they have a special song, phrase, item, or place? 

Redpaw: Uh... Crestlen? I think this is supposed to be asked to a romantic couple

Crestlen: Think you we should leave before this gets any worse? 

Redpaw: Aye. And in answer to the question... no.

4. What kind of things do you like to do together?

Redpaw: We're gone! Not here anymore!

Crestlen: Can't hear you! La la la la!

5. Describe your relationship as a whole in 3 words or less.

Redpaw: We. Are. Not. Here. Oh, wait, that's four words. Uh... We! Are! Gone!

Crestlen: Well, this one we can answer, actually.

Redpaw: No! You give him this and he'll come back for more!

Crestlen: Aw, come on! Three little words!

Redpaw: Fine. But don't blame me if he shows up with a camera and film crew tomorrow for CBS News!

Crestlen: Be realistic. Oh, fine, leave. *door slam* Anyways; let's just say "Enemies turned brothers."

Wait, is that a tape recorder? 

Snippets of a Story- March

Because we all know I need an excuse to post...

It's Snippets of a Story! Thanks again to Katie, at Whisperings of the Pen, for the marvelous idea of giving us all an excuse to tease our readers!

But enough of my blithering. You want ze snippets. These are from Feather and Fang, which I was writing last night, and coincidentally, thinking about posting a snippet(s) from!

* * *

Daegless snarled as he watched flames leap ever higher from the burning barn. His sweep of terror and fire had now reached from the Shardberg Cliffs to Havenport on the eastern Thunderfell coast. Homestead after homestead, village after village had felt his black fist. A swathe of darkness had followed in his wake, a trail of burnt homes and wasted farms. The name of the tiger-scourge had reached the furthest corners of the north provinces, and fear followed close behind it.

* * *

The freeborn’s eyes flitted open slowly. He felt pain all over. Especially in his head. He groaned, and heard movement nearby. He looked up into a dappled light, frowning.

“Where am I?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

“Under the Loneoak,” spoke a clear voice to his left.

The speaker moved into his field of vision, a young woman holding a wooden bowl. She looked quizzically down at him. “How are you doing?”

The freeborn frowned. Something was wrong. How did he get here? His mind seemed empty for some reason. He was… who was he?

A low growl sounded in his throat as he found he could not even remember his own name. He tried harder, gritting his teeth, but there was nothing. His gaze focused on the girl kneeling over him.

“Who am I?” he asked, suddenly suspicious of this strange female.

The girl raised an eyebrow. “I beg pardon?”

The freeborn sat up with a snarl as his arm shot out to grasp her by the throat. The bowl clattered to the ground, spilling its contents on the grass.

“I said… who am I?”

The girl choked on his grip, pulling at his hands. “What… kind of… a question… is that?”

“My name!” growled the freeborn, squeezing a little harder.

“Dae… Daegless!” the girl gasped.

The freeborn let her drop, breathing heavily. Pain shot through his body and he slumped back. A tear formed in one eye. The name meant nothing. He could remember nothing. The girl had scrambled back, holding her throat and grimacing.

“Daegless… what’s going on?”

The freeborn… Daegless… turned on his side, curling up into a tight ball. It was awful. There were no memories in his mind, nothing. He had no recollection of anything! And the pain, it sparked and flared all along his body, but especially in his head. Pain had come to fill the gap left by whatever memories he had had.

Beautiful People- March

The time has come once again...
To unlock the mysteries of one man...
To reveal that which no one knew before...
To...


Ok, not really.


But it's Beautiful People time! As always, thanks to Miss Sky and Miss Penn for the questions!


But who, exactly, is the man of the hour? Well, seeing as I'm editing Freeborn and Freegiven, and he's my namesake, and he's one of my most favorite characters, it's Farjag! (No, not me. :) )


Quick bit of background; Farjag Tiger-claw is a freeborn who lives in hiding deep within the Tanglethorn, plying his trade as a blacksmith. 


1. If your character could be played by any actor, who would it be?
Wow, I'd never thought about that. *Goes into deep thought* ......... 


An hour later: Well, I based a lot of Farjag off my own personality and appearance, so I have a hard time imagining him as someone else. It's rather funny, because I could totally have given an actor for any other character, but I can't quite find someone for Farjag... because then I'd be finding someone to play me!

2. Does your character have a specific theme song?
Definitely. "Stand My Ground" by Within Temptation sums up his journey as a character in ways mere words could never do. 

3. What’s their worst childhood memory?
Well, I know next to nothing about his childhood. However, a few years before Freeborn begins he, his best friend  Dorben, and Dorben's sister, Nitiren, tried to infiltrate the shieldsfell outpost in Deepdale. But something went wrong and Dorben was killed. Nitiren blamed Farjag, and now hates him, while Farjag lives with the burden of something he didn't do.

4. If your character had a superpower, what would it be?
Oh, come on, isn't turning into a tiger at will enough? :) 

5. If your character crashed on an island with a bunch of other people, how would your character help the group survive?
Well, being an outlaw means surviving on your own skills as a hunter, cook, sewer, blacksmith, carpenter... in other words, Farjag can do a bit of everything. Which would make him a valuable asset on any desert isle.

6. Are they married? If not, do they someday wish to be?
Farjag is unmarried at the beginning of Freeborn, but sometime during the book he meets someone he already knew. Someone who he will propose to at the very end of the book. Someone I mentioned three questions above. :)

7. What is a cause they would die for?
Quartorlen's freedom. See, all four freeborn set out on their quest fully expecting to never return.

Then will five arise, hope and honor-driven

Four freeborn, and one freegiven 

Together they will seek out that which is hidden

 Together find that which was written

 The ancient power, savior to the lands 

Bane to the dark, and to the wielding hands 

The Darkstone, cold and hard 

Talisman against all that is evil and marred.

8. Would they rather die fighting valiantly, or quietly at home?
See, Farjag's answer to this changes from the beginning of the book to the end. At first, he'd like nothing better than to live out his days hiding in the woods, away from the grip of the shieldsfell, away from the agony of his people. At least, that's what he tells himself. But when he is literally forced onto this quest, he begins to realize that he's been hiding from more than shieldsfell soldiers. He's been hiding from himself. And so, by the end of the book, Farjag is ready to die fighting valiantly. 

9. If someone walked up to them and told them they were the child of the prophecy, would they believe them?
He'd give them the raised eyebrow, then tell them to go find his backup. :P

10. Do they prefer the country or the city?
Cities mean shieldsfell patrols, jails, stone walls, locked gates, reward posters for him... I should think the choice is obvious. 


Well, that's BP for this month! Hope you enjoy reading about Farjag as much as I have writing about him!

Blogger Interview!

The Director over at Castles, Quills and Cameras is hosting blogger interviews, and I got picked as the first one! Go check the post out on her blog, or read the interview here after the jump!

Snippets Of A Story

As if Beautiful People wasn't enough, here's another monthly mission... quest... thing... to do!

Basically, I post a snippet, (or two, or three, or...) and give no explanation. How awesome and evil is that?! All credit goes to Miss Katie S., at Snippets of A Story. Drop by her blog to read all the other snippets fellow bloggers be postin'!

Anyways.... the snippets.

From Railway:

Greetings, Rattlehead. Mind if we drop in?

A few miles away, Hatch’s garbled voice sounded out of an old black radio. Its antenna rose at a crooked angle into the air, and both speakers buzzed as they spat out the sound. Footsteps passing by stopped, and a shadow bent over the dented pile of knobs and switches.
“Did you hear that, brother?” came a voice from a little ways away.
“Aye, I heard it,” came the reply from the man crouched over the radio. “Came from channel 93.1.”
“No one around here ever used that frequency.”
“No, this one’s not from around here. Small group I’d say, he said ‘we’. Portable radio, if they’re paying us a visit. Fellow’s got spunk, to just announce himself out like that.”

From Feather and Fang:

Daegless's thumb twitched a little, plucking a string on the violin that sat, unused, in his lap. He sighed.

A soft footstep behind made him turn. "Oh, Korra, it's you."

The cougar-rogue smiled, her teeth flashing in the darkness. "Tis too beautiful a night to spend worrying, Tiger-brave."

Daegless smiled wryly. "I cannot help myself. There are too many thoughts flitting through my mind right now."

Korra nodded. "I understand." She motioned to the ledge below Daegless. "Mind if I sit below you? The stars are shining beautifully tonight, and I cannot see them from below the trees in the camp."

Daegless nodded. "Go ahead. Just don't expect me to talk."

Korra shook her head as she seated herself. "No, talking will not help you, I do not think."

Well, that's what I'm working on right now!

Beautiful People- January

Apparently, it's that time again! First, a nod the creators at Further Up and Further In, and Before My Penn has Gleaned, you guys are awesome! And to the Director at Castles, Quills, and Cameras, since that's where I first heard about it!



So, this month's character of choice is: Redpaw, Wolf-hunter, from Feather and Fang


1. If your character’s house burned down, and they were left with nothing but the clothes on their back, what would they do? Where would they go?

Seeing as Redpaw spent his childhood as a wolf-cub, Contained during the Shieldsfell rule, he has had a lot of experience in living with nothing and no home. And since he has no family or real friends, he'd probably just head off into the woods without a backward glance. He lives in a tiny shack on the outskirts of Burndell, keeping mostly to himself, so no one would miss him.

2. Are they happy with where they are in life, or would they like to move on?

He doesn't know anything more than the life he has right now; being a solitary bounty hunter suits him pretty well right now. There is a longing for something more hidden deep down, but he doesn't know what for.

3. Are they well-paid?

Oh, quite well. Bounties make a nice bit of profit. Most of it gets buried away though, since he doesn't really know what to do with it.

4. Can they read?

Yes, though he would not be called a learned man. He would much rather read the signs of the forest than an old manuscript. He has a good memory, though, and has committed many of the tales and ballads of Quartorlen to heart, almost without trying

5. What languages do they speak?

Anglic, or "English." There are only three languages spoken on Primorlen, the ancient and slippery Dyrmtongue; spoken by those that come from Dyrmlen; the rough and plain Anglic by the folk of Quartorlen and Theorlen, and the lilting and musical Hidden speech used by those that dwell in the Burnmist of Theorlen.

6. What is their biggest mistake?

So far? Probably dismissing the feuding between clans as a necessary evil.

7. What did they play with most as a child?

Bones! I mean, being a wolf-cub... :P

8. What are their thoughts on politics?

Redpaw has grown weary of the incessant bickering and warring between the clans, and often wishes for a peace. But he tells himself that such thoughts are not warrior-like, and must be forgotten.

9. What is their expected life time?
As a bounty hunter? Until his target proves too strong. He should like to reach eighty, though.

10. If they were falsely accused of murder, what would they do? How would they react?

All chaos would break loose. Redpaw is not easily provoked, but when he is, there is not much in the world of Primorlen that could dam up his anger. Accustomed to being able to fight to the top of any situation, being attacked with subtlety would render him confused and helpless, so he would lash out in the only way he knew.


Thanks for the questions! Now I want to go write Feather and Fang!