Snazzy Snippets

I saw this thingy and decided I wanted to do it, for two reasons: (1) it looks fun, and (2) this blog needs some new content at this point even if it is just a linkup. So. You people get to read my lovely first draft writing today.

Click on picture to go to linkup.

Your First 500 Words

This comes from Taken, since this is probably the piece of writing I've revised most in my short writing career and is probably a little bit better than other portions I could share.

“So who are we meeting again?”

Tyv’s eye twitched as he restrained what would have been the fifth eye-roll of the short conversation. The sun was hot and dry, and he was too deep into the cobbled network of streets to feel the sea breeze. The sun was setting, but it was still high enough to scorch Tyv’s eyes over the plastered buildings. He had to squint to see, and sweat was sticking to his skin under his threadbare shirt. He wanted to eat, and he needed a drink, but he’d get neither until he made it back to the abandoned inn. He wouldn’t be able to go there until he had gotten through the day’s work, which wouldn’t be over for another couple hours. All this meant he did not have patience to deal with Nitri.

Nitri didn’t notice and tossed his knife into the air, effortlessly catching it on its way down. He glanced at Tyv, waiting for an answer.

Tyv withheld a growl. “The two brothers you threatened a couple months ago.”

“Sh. I made a deal, Tyv.”

“There is a difference between those two words, you know.”

Nitri grinned, his impossibly white teeth providing stark contrast with his dark honey skin and curls of hair black as pitch. 

“Not where I’m concerned!”

Tyv couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes that time.

Nitri just grinned a little wider, satisfied that he’d provoked a reaction. Then he looked away and gave his knife another toss. 

“I think I remember them. Scrawny?”

“We’re all scrawny.”

“Speak for yourself, scarecrow,” Nitri said, using his free arm to flex his arm muscles under his black captain’s coat.

Tyv resolutely stared straight ahead and sped up the pace, feet brushing over the bumps of the cobblestones and hands hovering over the pair of knives he had sheathed at his own belt. His eyes darted around, watching for danger - they were in their home turf, after all. The twisting alleyways and dead-end streets coated in layers of dirt were littered with broken crates and barrels, piles of rotting cloth, splintered buckets, frayed scraps of rope - anything that was so broken that not even the homeless could find a way to use it. The lowering sun created dark shadows in the side streets, places for people to hide. Tyv’s skin crawled as he felt invisible eyes watching.

“Aw, come on Tyv!” Nitri said, slapping Tyv on the shoulder and making Tyv jump. “Lighten up. We’re collecting tribute!” He gave Tyv a moment to respond, which Tyv did not take advantage of. Nitri continued. “It might be some food! We’ll have a good meal tonight.”

Tyv had to admit that that would be nice, but he wasn’t optimistic.

“We don’t know what it is.”

Nitri sighed. “It had better be good. I don’t leave them alone for nothing.”

“This isn’t exactly leaving them alone.”

Nitri waved away the correction. “I’m not attacking them, am I? Taking everything they get by force? They should be happy to give me things.”

A Snippet You're Really Proud Of

This comes from later on in chapter 1 of Taken, and yes, I just love Tyv and Nitri banter. They're the best and that is why I love this scene.

“Come on,” Nitri said, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling down the alley. “Let’s head to the docks. After that we’ll be done for the day and we’ll head over to the market. Ambyr is down there, isn’t she? You can snatch her a knitting needle or something.”

Tyv jogged a few steps to catch up, then slowed to a walk next to his friend. “Ambyr wouldn’t have much use for just one knitting needle.” 

Nitri slung his arm over Tyv’s shoulders, and used the other arm to gesture as he spoke. “Whatever. Steal five if you need to. I’m sure that you’ll cheer up if she gives you one of her oh-so-pretty smiles.” Nitri grinned and leaned his head on Tyv’s shoulder, then looked up and Tyv and batted his eyelashes.

“That was a really bad imitation of her,” Tyv said, fighting a grin and shoving Nitri away instead.

“Oh yes? Well how about this then?” Nitri stopped walking and placed his left fist on his hip, then pointed at Tyv with his right hand. “Tyv!” Nitri’s voice was comically high-pitched. “Why do you insist on stealing? It’s wrong! Why have you let that dashing Nitri lead you astray?” 

Nitri struck a dancer-like pose, with the toes of his right foot pointed and barely touching the ground and his weight entirely on his other foot. He pressed the back of his right hand against his forehead while his other hand stayed on his hip, and he turned his head away from Tyv dramatically.

Tyv struggled not to smile, or worse, laugh. He wasn’t going to give Nitri the satisfaction. Instead, he leveled a glare at his friend. 

“That was even worse.”

Nitri’s pose dissolved and he pouted. “I thought it was pretty accurate.”

Tyv started walking again. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Ambyr call you dashing.”

It was Nitri's turn to jog in order to catch up.“Well she thinks it. Everyone does.”

Tyv snorted. “I certainly don’t. And I doubt that Ambyr would find any thief dashing, despite how supposedly handsome you are.”

Those two are my favorite duo ever.

Beautiful People #11, a.k.a. I Adore Ace

I am writing this post five days ahead of time, since I've found a small break in my crazy Camp NaNoWriMo schedule. It is day 5 of this mad race, and my word count is currently in the 18,000s. At the very beginning I decided to double my target word goal, so now instead of aiming for 50,000 words (which I estimated would only cover about one third of this draft), I am aiming for 100,000 (which should cover two thirds of this draft). Suddenly, this book is the largest I've attempted with an estimated end word count of 150,000. I'll tell you though, word wars are my salvation.

ANYWAY. You're not here to hear my Camp NaNo updates. This is the Beautiful People linkup! (If you don't know what Beautiful People is, it is run by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Futher Up and Further In - check it out here). However, Camp NaNo did influence my choice of character today. In maybe day 3 of writing, Ace gave me this quote which just makes me want to hug him and not let him go:

(Click to enlarge)

So, yes, I have a new favorite character and I totally choose my Beautiful People characters based on favoritism. I know I've been focusing on Ace a lot lately with this linkup but I now adore him so you shall just have to go with it.

1. What's their favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate Moose Tracks (which happens to be my favorite as well). If he saw a chocolate blueberry kind of flavor, he'd go for that instead, but I don't think I've ever seen such a thing and neither has he. 

2. You character is getting ready for a night out. Where are they going? What are they wearing? Who will they be with?

Ace would be going out to dinner with Victoire, and he'd be wearing a plain white t-shirt with his brown leather jacket and aviators. They'd probably be at Ace's favorite burger place, but Victoire may have convinced him to go somewhere more formal. 

3. Look at your character's feet. Describe what you see there. Do they wear dress shoes, gym shoes, or none at all? Are they in socks that are ratty and full of holes? What do they consider comfortable and what do they consider agony?

If he's at school, he's wearing gym socks and sneakers. If he's at the Mage League, he's wearing combat boots. At home, he's just wearing his socks, which is what he finds the most comfortable. He hates flip-flops because of that weird thing between your toes. For summer sandals, he probably prefers something like this:

4. Do they have any birthmark or scars? Where are they and how did they get them?

All my characters in Shadows and Light have a birthmark - it's how their destiny is discovered. As far as everyone knows, Ace's is a shield with four quarters of color on it - skin so pale it's nearly white in opposite corners and then very reddish skin in the other two corners. It is located on his chest, directly over his heart.
He has the faint scars of a couple bug bites that got infected on his legs. xD

5. What kind of music do they listen to? Does it change depending on their mood or is it always consistent? (Feel free to share samples!)

When he's feeling sad or depressed he prefers sad music - oftentimes, he'll be playing the music on his keyboard. His go-to piece for times like that is "Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement)" by Beethoven.

Otherwise, he listens to some pop rock - things like Fall Out Boy, "Angel With a Shotgun," Kelly Clarkson, "War" by Poets of the Fall, etc. 

"War" is practically his theme song (at least in my world). I mean, come on, it talks about destiny, and battles, and love. THIS IS ACE. *feels because Ace and Victoire*

Quote not mine.

6. Do they have any musical talent? Play an instrument? How’s their singing voice?

He's pretty good at playing the piano, though no one knows that besides him since he's currently keeping it as his big secret. I actually have no idea whether he can sing or not. I know he never does it, but that isn't necessarily a tell. He never plays piano when people can hear or see him, after all. He probably does have a good voice but never uses it for fear of it wrecking his perfect hero reputation (it would, in his twisted view of the world). 

7. What kind of book would you catch them reading?

Superhero comics. That's about it. Scandalous, I know.

8. How would they spend their summers (or their holidays)?

Hanging out at the diner with friends, hiking in the woods with friends (maybe family every now and then), hanging out at his cousins' houses, and working at the Mage League. 

9. It’s Saturday at noon. What is your character doing? Give details. Ex. If they’re eating breakfast, what’s on the menu? Are they hiking, shopping, lazing around?

He's out to lunch with about eight other people. They've either spread out over two tables at the diner or they've pushed two tables together. Darcy might be sitting on Ace's lap if we're talking at the beginning of the book before Victoire and Ace started dating. Afterwards they'll probably go to one of their homes to hang out and play games. Ace wants ot drink two milkshakes but doesn't because he's scared that isn't a healthy thing heroes would do if they're concerned about staying heroes.
Stop reading superhero comics, buddy, they're messing up your psyche.

10. Is there anything your character wants to be free of?

Expectations created by his destiny. But at the same time, he clings to them to give him identity and purpose. This is why he's my new favorite. He's so obliviously self-destructive.

Have you done Beautiful People this month? Link to it in the comments! Also, do you have any characters that trap themselves in a bad way of thinking or living? If you're doing Camp NaNoWriMo, how's it going? Have your characters thrown any good quotes at you? Share them below!

Beautiful People #10: Parental Edition

It is Beautiful People time again! This linkup is hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Go check them out.
This month I'm answering questions for both Ace and Mara. It doesn't seem right to leave one of the twins out . . . aaaaaand all the main characters in Taken are orphans. Whoops. Not cliche at all, there.

I'll mix it up a little and have Mara and Ace answer directly. Any comments I have will be in italics.

1. Do they know their biological parents? Why/why not?

     Mara: Um, yeah, we know our parents.

Ace: We were sort of born to them and all that.

2. Have they inherited any physical resemblances from their parents?

Ace: Mara looks like dad.

     Mara: No I don't! My hair is silver and my eyes are some weird honey brown, like Mom's.

Ace: You have his eye shape and his mouth. Very frowny all the time.

     Mara: Well you have his big nose.

Ace: It isn't big, it's chiseled. Mom also says I have his jawline and eyes, but apparently my hairline is like hers. . . whatever that means.

     Mara: You've got his black hair, too.

Ace: Wrong again. It is dark brown.

     Mara: Whatever. Looks black.

Children, please.

3. What's their parental figure(s) dress style? Add pictures if you like!

     Mara: Mom likes wearing those really flow-y blouses and jeans, but if she doesn't feel like making an effort to look nice she'll wear sweatshirts and yoga pants. Dad is always wearing collared shirts with a tie and jacket and pressed pants.
Ace: He never seems to wear anything but what he wears to work, even on weekends.
     Mara: At least Mom knows how to relax.

4. Do they share any personality traits with their parental figures? And which do they take after most?

Ace: I know I'm like Mom because I like to have a lot of people around. Mara is more like Dad with that - she prefers to be alone.
     Mara: It isn't my choice, you jerk!
Ace: *shrugs*
     Mara: Well Ace is like Dad in that he can be really insensitive.
Ace: And you're like Mom because you get distracted a lot and are procrastination queen.
     Mara: Yeah, and I still get better grades than you! So ha! Dad's genes there!
Ace: There's another trait of Mom's: you're so defensive. And hey, my grades aren't bad either.
Alright, alright, quiet. Since they're busy bickering, Mara is more like her mother, while Ace . . . I'm not really sure where he came from. He isn't much like his bubbly somewhat absent-minded mother, but he certainly doesn't share many similarities with his stone-silent father. I'd guess he's more like his mother as well, if only on account of how friendly he is to people he takes an interest in.

5. Do they get on with their parental figure(s) or do they clash?

Ace: Well I get along just fine with both Mom and Dad. We all do our thing and I chat with Mom over breakfast and don't give Dad any reason to lecture me. But Mara . . .
     Mara: Be quiet Ace!
Ace;  . . . Mara is always arguing with Mom and Dad.
     Mara: Only because they think I'm going to end up killing someone if I set foot in the backyard!
Ace: I think you're just looking for a reason to argue with them.
     Mara: Just shut up, Julian.
Obviously, they clash with each other quite a lot too.

6. If they had to describe their parental figures in one word, what would it be? 
     Mara: Dad - cold. Mom - flighty.
Ace: That's not very positive. I'd say Dad is "quiet" and Mom is "bubbly."
     Mara: *snorts* understatements, both.

7. How has their parental figure(s) helped them most in their life?
Ace: Dad points out if you're being stupid, which isn't really nice, but at least it stops me from making big mistakes. Mom is great to go to for advice . . . *ehem* . . . especially for the topic of girls.
     Mara: *sigh* Mom did help me when I cried because of bullies. She just let me cry into her shoulder and didn't try to give me any false reassurance. She was just there for me. But Dad . . . I don't think he really has helped me much. In fact, since he's the one who recorded my Destiny when I was born, he is sort of the biggest hindrance on my life.
Ace: He didn't have much choice. He couldn't change your Destiny.
     Mara: He could have changed the records. You'd think he'd do something like that for his own daughter, but no.

8. What was their biggest fight with their parental figure(s)?
Ace: Dad and I haven't really argued at all. Mom and I --
*blocks Mara's ears*
-- once got into an argument over Mara.
*unblocks Mara's ears*
     Mara: I've argued with both of them lots of times. The most recent one sort of stands out though. I got home late and walked into the house to find both Mom and Dad - and Ace *glare* - waiting for me in the kitchen. I'd only been hanging out with Gabriel but they started getting on my case for being out so late because "you never know what could happen." They thought I had killed someone! Like, they don't trust me with anything!
They actually didn't, but that's Mara for you - she reads way too much into things.

9. Tracing back the family tree, what nationalities are in their ancestry?
I'll take this, since I doubt either of them ever bothered to wonder. A few generations ago, the Harrods (Flint's family, or the father) immigrated from England, and the primary ethnic group in his bloodline is Celt, which is rare compared to all the Germans and French in England. Emma's family (mother) is Swedish. 

10. What's their favorite memory with their parental figure(s)?
     Mara: A few years ago I remember Ace and Dad went camping and me and Mom stayed at home and watched romance movies until three in the morning. We ate so much ice cream and popcorn that I swear I'm still digesting it! Not that things are still like that.
Ace: When we went deep-sea fishing a couple years ago. Mom had a really big fish on the end of her line and nearly got yanked over the railing. Dad had to grab her around her waist and pulled her back, then helped her haul the fish in. Then Mara's sandwich got stolen by a seagull. That was funny.
     Mara: No it wasn't. *glares*

That's the end of the questions! Mara didn't seem to be in a very good mood. I guess I chose the Mara  further into her character arc than from the end of Shadows and Light instead of the beginning. Ace wasn't quite as arrogant as his beginning self either. It seems you got them both at the end of their character arcs.

Have you done Beautiful People this month? Leave me a link in the comments! Also, don't forget that a week ago I made Tempe available for questions! If you want to know something, now is the time to ask! Head over here and leave a comment to ask whatever you want.

Beautiful People #9

And it is Beautiful People time again! If you don't know what it is, head over to the linkup post - it's a link-up hosted by Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In.
I'm going to be answering the questions with Ace in mind. I need to write his point of view, so I'd better figure out as much as possible about him. And Mara has always been my favorite so I need to pay Ace some attention.

1. Do they get nightmares? If so, why or what of?
He gets the occasional nightmare that his and Mara's Destinies are switched - that she's really Destined to be a hero and he is Destined to be a murderer.

2, What is their biggest guilty pleasure/shame?
He feels like he's supposed to be tough and manly and all that, so he feels guilty that he indulges in playing his secret keyboard at night because he thinks it doesn't fit in with who he's supposed to be.

Quote not mine.

3. Are they easily persuaded or do they need more proof?
He doesn't really think too much about things. If he feels like something just sounds right, he'll accept it.

4. Do they suffer from any phobias? Does it affect their life in a big way? 
No phobias, but deep down he's scared that he's not who both he and everyone else thinks he should be because of his Destiny. Because of this he tries extra hard to fit in with the image he has created for himself.

It's like he's living to a tune not fully his own.

5. What do they consider their "Achilles heal?"
He thinks that his biggest weakness is the fact that his sister happens to be Mara, a Destined murderer. He doesn't think that he himself has any weaknesses.

Quote not mine.

6. How do they handle a crisis?
His mind blanks for a moment until his brain processes the crisis. Then he'll leap in and use magic to try and right the situation. He may or may not call for the authorities, depending on the exact crisis and how he involves himself in it.

7. Do they have a temper?
Yes, a bit. It doesn't come out very often, but when someone pushes the right button, his temper flares straight up and shows itself physically. He'll summon magic, throw a punch, clench his fists, etc.

When Ace uses magic, it turns blue.

8. What are their core values/and or religious beliefs?
He firmly believes in the justice system, in the infallibility of the law, in his own duty to assist the country in capturing law-breakers, in the inherent evil of said lawbreakers, and the goodness of everyone who is on the "good" side - the Mage League.
I don't really bring any sort of religion into this work-in-progress (even if I think I'd like to spin my magic system into some sort of allegory) so Ace doesn't have any beliefs I'd label religious. The only thing that comes close is his faith that the Destinies decreed by magic through birthmarks are unavoidable and sort of "the way it should be."

Quote not mine, but it reflects some of Ace's beliefs about destiny and fate.

9. What things do they value most in life? 
Justice, friends, reputation, family, music. He's especially concerned the majority of the time with his own reputation, his girlfriend, and justice needing to be dealt out to Mara.

10. What is one major event that helped shape who they are?
When he was born and his birthmark was interpreted to determine his Destiny was a pivotal point in his life. Without the Destiny he has, he would be a completely different young man.
Something he actually remembers though? Once, he had let slip to his father that he didn't think Mara would be able to escape her Destiny, like she wanted to. He said it sort of snidely, you know? In a "why is she being such an idiot" kind of tone. Erm, let's just say his father (Flint) didn't like discord in the ranks, even if it was hidden. He tried to impress upon Ace that Mara could very well end up being right. Maybe she could be a good person, and why should Ace disbelieve it? Ace, being a bull-headed child, continued to disagree. Flint eventually said that maybe Destinies don't have any validity at all; that maybe they are all just self-fulfilling prophecies. That Destinies only get fulfilled because people think it is their duty to fulfill them. For all Ace knew, he may end up not fulfilling his Destiny and becoming a hero. That comment really shook Ace up and is probably the root of his insecurities about his self-image having to fit in with his Destiny.

Quote not mine. What Flint believes and what Ace needs to learn.

Have you ever done Beautiful People? If you did it this May yet, leave me a link below! And do any of your characters have a lesson they really need to learn? What is it? Does anyone around them already know the truth?

Beautiful People #8: Sibling Edition

Beautiful People is here again! I tried out this linkup last month and it was fun, and I needed something to post about, so it is back again! The linkup is hosted by Cait @ PaperFury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In. Click on either of those links to check the linkup out.

Last Beautiful People I did, I focused on my pair of twins, Ace and Mara. For the sake of not boring you guys, I won't go over them again (even though I love them to bits and would go on about them forever). Instead, I'm switching to my Camp NaNoWriMo revision WIP, Taken, and its dynamic thieving duo, Tyv and Nitri. They're not actually siblings but they act like brothers, so it's good enough.

"Tyv" by Annika Smith

"Nitri" by Annika Smith

1. What is the first memory they have of each other?
Nitri's is minutes earlier than Tyv's. He spotted Tyv being attacked by two adult thieves, and stepped in to save Tyv's life. That's where Tyv's recollection starts. Then Nitri (being Nitri), turned the fact that he was able to fight off two men away single-handedly to threaten Tyv into paying him a tribute. At the time, Tyv was twelve and Nitri was fifteen.

2. Describe their relationship in 3 words.
Got your back.

3. What kinds of things do they like to do together?
Hang out in the abandoned inn, Tyv whittling while Nitri plays his flute. They also enjoy a unhealthy amount of banter.

Tyv and Nitri bantering from chapter 1 of Taken by Annika Smith

4. What was their biggest fight?
Since they actually started acting like siblings? When Tyv first brought Ambyr back to the abandoned inn. Neither Tyv or Nitri really knew anything about her, apart from that she was an orphan living with her abusive uncle. Nitri wasn't too happy that Tyv had given away where they stayed to a strange girl. Then it was made worse when Tyv revealed he'd promised to protect her. Nitri didn't want to "waste" the resources on who he thought would be a useless addition to their team. Tyv managed to keep Nitri from killing both Ambyr and Tyv himself, and with time as Ambyr proved herself useful Nitri let it go.

5. How far would they go to save each other?
They would both die for each other, if the other's life was immediately threatened. Both are pretty pragmatic, though, so they wouldn't risk their own lives in say, a rescue attempt that turned into a fight, unless the other's life was at immediate risk. That being said, Nitri doesn't seem to care too much about threat of death, so he may be more prone to a hot-headed charge than Tyv would be.

6. What are their pet peeves about each other?
Nitri thinks Tyv is way too serious and cautious. Surprisingly, though, the main issue he has with Tyv is that Tyv is taller than he is, despite being two or three years younger. He's always been the leader of their duo, but he's slightly on the shorter side. He doesn't like the picture that presents.
Tyv, on the other hand, is mainly annoyed by how cavalier Nitri is. He wishes Nitri would be cautious every now and then instead of throwing himself into danger (and therefore dragging Tyv into danger with him).

7. What are their favorite things about each other?
Tyv appreciates Nitri's ability to joke around, in addition to his skill as a ruthless fighter. He is a little awed by how easily Nitri interacts with people of all kinds (usually to fool them). Nitri, for his part, values Tyv as a reliable fighter and for his natural ability to intimidate others with his nigh-perpetual scowl and height. He also loves the challenge of trying to get Tyv to crack a smile.

8. What traits do they share? Mannerisms, clothing, quirks, looks, etc?
They fight in a very similar fashion, since it was Nitri who taught Tyv, and both use a pair of knives as weapons. They both roll their eyes a lot, though Nitri is much more expressive. Tyv picked up on Nitri's smirk. They both have black hair, but Tyv's is more like a raven's wing black and Nitri's is more like pitch. Since they're not even from the same nation they don't share too much in appearance apart from that.

9. Who has the strongest personality?
They both have very strong personalities, but I'm going to say Nitri just because his is so much more noticeable. Tyv is extremely reserved and stoic and serious, but Nitri is all over the place. Dramatics, rage, vanity, wit - it is all out in the open.

10. How does their relationship change throughout your story? 
Most of the change happens on Nitri's part. Once they get to Kampen, and Nitri realizes what Tyv's background is, Nitri gets paranoid that Tyv is going to leave him, so distrusts him and thinks negatively of him (even though Tyv never gave any indication of abandoning Nitri). They do resolve it in time, but Nitri remains slightly suspicious that Tyv will decide that "the grass is greener on the other side." Nitri develops a dislike for a new major person in Tyv's life, thinking that he is going to be replaced by said new person. The dislike is returned and it traps Tyv in the role of a frustrated mediator.

As I said, I've been working more with these two because of Camp NaNoWriMo. They've been making me laugh.

Do you have any siblings in your story? Any characters who act like siblings? Did you do the Beautiful People linkup this month? Leave a comment! 

Beautiful People #7 Linkup

I've never done one of these before, but Cait @ Paperfury and Sky @ Further Up and Further In host a linkup called Beautiful People which is a monthly list of questions designed to let you get to know your character and book better. I thought I'd give it a shot since other bloggers seem to be having fun doing it.

I've chosen to use Mara and Ace Harrod for this since I need to work on Ace's character, and, well, Mara is his twin so it would be unfair to leave her out. :)
They'll be answering the majority of the questions themselves. If I have a comment to add it will be in italics.

The Questions!

1. What is their secret desire?
Mara: Sometimes I wish I could just forget all about Destinies and what people will think of me and just yell. Yell at everyone who bullies me and stares at me and calls me a murderer even though I've done nothing. Of course, that is a no-can-do because heaven forbid I show any sign of losing control of myself.
Ace: I wish that I didn't have to be perfect all the time. Good grades, act respectful, be popular, do well in sports, be the model guy. It can get tiring, you know? But everyone expects all that from me - hey, I expect that from me at this point.

2. What is the best and brightest moment they experience during the story?
Mara: *smiles sheepishly* When me and Gabriel hung out after school at the park, and had dinner at the diner, then hung out more until it was dark. It was an escape from everything. (The fact that this was at the very beginning of the book doesn't mean anything. At all.)
Ace: When Victoire told me that she loved me. *goofy grin*

3. What are the emotional places your characters are afraid to go?
Mara: I don't want to get angry. Oh gosh, I so don't want to. Because I'm just so scared I'll lose it, and nothing will ever be the same, and everything will be ruined and I'll prove myself wrong. (Oh dear . . . what have I done to you.)
Ace: . . . I don't want to admit that in some weird way I love Mara (sister love, okay?! Anything else would just be wrong). Because we're opposites in our Destinies and I need to be a hero and heroes don't love their evil sister villains. But sometimes . . . yeah, I do love her somehow. Don't tell anyone. Especially her. (Aw, I knew you weren't so bad after all.)

4. Is there a place/city/room where they will never go? Why?
Mara; *blows air slowly* I don't think I'd ever have the nerve to set foot in the Mage League Outpost in town. *shivers* They'd probably lock me up just for setting my toe over the threshold.
Ace: Nah. I'm not scared of anywhere! Why should I be?

5. If they were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? Why?
Mara: I know I would never get rid of the photo album Gabriel gave me. And I'd probably take my art supplies with me, because that helps me calm down sometimes. But I don't think I'd care if I left the majority of my fashion-y clothes behind. Never cared much for looking popular anyway. (A girl after my own heart. T-shirts and sweatpants all the way.)
Ace: I'd take my keyboard, iPod, sheet music, and headphones, because, ya' know, music. And my leather jacket, because it's cool. And the watch Dad gave me, because that's meaningful, and my folio of drawings from when I'm bored because some of them are actually good, and the picture frames with me and Victoire, and me and the family, and I'd also bring the super-man blanket I've had since I was twelve . . . I think I'd just need a moving truck, because I want to keep it all. No, wait, I would throw out that awful cardigan Grandma knit for me last birthday. That thing is hideous.

6. What do they want (consciously and tangibly)?
Mara: I want people to stop judging. And I want to make a good life for myself - lots of money from a good job, be looked up to. *snort* Like everyone is going to let me actually do that well.
Ace: I want to fulfill my Destiny and save someone's life! I want to be a hero, and I want to marry Victoire one day and have a family.
(Didn't realize that their dreams were so similar . . .)

7. On the other hand: What do they need (on the emotional, subconscious level)?
Aaaaand I'll take this one, thank you, since they're self-ignorant and have no real idea. Mara really needs acceptance, but even more than that she needs to take the acceptance she already has. She's blind to it and focuses on who doesn't care for her instead of those who do.
Ace needs assuring that he'd still be unique and special without his Destiny. His entire self-esteem is based on it, which is shaky ground. He's not as confident as he seems.

8. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?
Mara: My Destiny, obviously. Gosh, all my problems would be solved.
Ace: I'd make myself not care about everyone else's opinions so much. (Told ya'.)

9. What is the most humiliating event of their life?
Mara: The morning after my mother explained to me what my Destiny was and what it meant, and I still had to show up at school even though all their parents had already told them about me months or years ago. I finally realized why they all hated me. I broke down crying after just two periods.
Ace: Errr . . . when I fell flat on my face in gym class a couple years ago and everyone laughed at me. Then I started blushing and they laughed harder. Then fifteen minutes later I jarred my foot against the ground trying kick the ball and started hopping on one foot. And fell over again. Cue more laughter. It was awful.
(Ah, the differences in their life outlooks . . .)

10. What things do they turn to when they need a bit of hope?
Mara: Sometimes I draw while trying to drown out the world with music. That never really works though so I usually just go to Gabriel and hope a couple hours talking to him will cheer me up. Or I grab the picture album he gave me and hug my yellow fleecy blanket.
Ace: My keyboard. Lock my door, put my headphones in, and play my favorite songs. I get lost in playing, and when I'm done I always feel better.

Have you done any of the Beautiful People linkups? Leave me a link in the comments. 

Favorite Screen Character Blog Hop

Good day! Surprise, there's an extra post this week!
Aimee Meester at To the Barricade! basically extended an open invitation for anyone and everyone to do this thing (thanks for that, because I think it will be interesting to actually figure this out). You should check out her blog because it is no joke the funniest blog I've ever read.
Basically, I have to list my top ten favorite characters from the screen. This means book characters will be left out, but they're in a separate level of amazing anyway. I also would never be able to choose just ten of those.
These are listed from roughly least favorite to favorite (out of my favorites, if that makes any sense). A lot of swapping of places on the list went on though, and I'm sure they'll continue to switch around.

Hey look, I have gifs now!

10. Maleficent from Maleficent. 

First of all, she's a prime example of a villain that we're capable of empathizing with. We totally understand why Maleficent hates the king so much (wouldn't you be just slightly angry if your boyfriend cut off your limbs and ran away with them?).  Maleficent has a heart, even after going bad though. And her sass. Just yes.

9. Magneto from the X-Men movies.

Imagine the concentration needed to manipulate two objects at once. It has to be complex; so cool.

Basically I like him because he's powerful but he isn't dumb. He can lay a plan; he knows what to interfere with and when in order to achieve his goals (totally messed up goals, but right now that is beside the point). Add in his tragic history and awesomely powerful mutation and yup, I like him. And who wouldn't like a villain as well-dressed as he is?

8. Khan from Star Trek: Into Darkness.

He really was.

Aside from the fact that he's played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Khan is amazing because one, he's a legit genius; two, he's sassy; and three, he's loyal. Yeah, he wasn't loyal to everyone - he totally back stabbed Kirk - but the amount of devotion he showed to his crew was so touching ("Is there anything you would not do for your family?"). Plus his plan-laying masterminding was so epic I can't even describe how much I love it.

7. Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader from the Star Wars universe. 

Nevermind the fact that this is the fourth villain in a row. Anakin is sassy in The Clone Wars and Episode III just about killed me. I always spend the entire time screaming at Anakin from my couch, dumbly hoping that the outcome will somehow change. When he is evil he's sort of awesomely powerful and intimidating. but he's redeemed in the end. George Lucas did such a good job crafting Anakin's tragedy that it broke my heart.

Yes, except I'm pretty sure even I am a better actress than she was in that scene.

Plus, his name is an anagram of mine (I've had two people actually call me Anakin for a total of three times) which is awesome! I'm practically named after this guy!

6. Ender Wiggin from Ender's Game.

Cool, calm and controlled genius.

Just like most, I assume, I really love Ender from the book more than I love him from the movie. However, Asa Butterfield still did a good job of showing off Ender's character - the genius and the heart. I relate to him a lot, even if I'm not a child general.

5. Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time. 

The Rumple = "Meeah heh heh! Magic always comes with a price, dearie!"

Isn't that guy's name a headache to spell! I don't like him as much as I used to but I still admire just how intricate (and generally successful!) his plans are. He is the epitome of evil genius. Seriously:

I applaud his schemes. If only I had scheming abilities on Rumpelstiltskin's level.

4. Sherlock Homes from BBC's Sherlock.

"High-functioning sociopath. With your number."

Who doesn't love him? Yes, he's an insensitive jerk a lot of the time but he's got a heart (actually, despite his line he isn't really a sociopath, which is actually the same as a psychopath, so sorry to bust the myth). Plus the way he can tell someone's entire history is . . . well, I so want that skill. I can have dreams.

3. Frank William Abagnale, Jr. from Catch Me If You Can.

This guy was so smooth. I'm impressed. He passed himself off as a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer all before his nineteenth birthday and had gained so much money from his scams and forgeries and cons that I can't even remember the number. His ingenuity, intelligence, and ability to talk his way out of anything (I suspect ENTP) earned my admiration. He even escaped the FBI by pretending to be from some other governmental investigation organization, without any sort of badge. And he was a real guy. Yeah. Epicness. (As a side note, he ended up working with the FBI so I don't count him in as another villain on this list).

2. Neal Caffrey from White Collar.

"Boop!"

Another conman. What can I say, smooth-talkers impress me with their talking skills. Plus Neal is such a child most of the time. It's adorable. And the loyalty Neal shows Peter even though Peter is the one who caught him is so lovable. Gosh, I just love everything about this character and I haven't even finished season 1! Oh, and . . .

His hats.

1. Merlin from BBC's Merlin.

Poor guy.

He's actually contesting with Neal right now, but I know Merlin better so he got #1. Merlin is sort of the oddball on this list of villains, geniuses, and con-men because there isn't really a bad bone in his body. He doesn't lay intricate plans, he's a terrible liar, he's an unrecognized hero. And he's adorkable.  I could spend hours just quoting all the funny dialogues between him and Arthur. Plus the sass levels . . . no one can compete. He sasses the king, for goodness's sake! (And Arthur likes him enough to keep him around anyway).

That's my list. I wish I had room for more gifs . . . now that I've used them, I like them. I also wish I could just write a entire post filled with Merlin quotes, but you can all just take a visit over to Pinterest for that. 

So, what can you learn from your favorite characters? What traits do they all (or most of them) share? Think of this as a writing exercise and make a list of the traits which make good characters. By spotting it in the characters you watch and read you can be more conscious of putting it into your own.

I'm going to go with Aimee's example and not tag anyone in specific. Open invitation, everyone. I had fun doing this and you probably will have fun too. Warning, it may be difficult to figure out which characters make the list and which don't. 

 If you do this, leave a link in the comments. I'd love to take a look at other people's preferences in characters.

Building Blocks of Character: Antagonists Link-up

I thought this was too good to pass up, even though I know I have done a LOT of character stuff lately along with a LOT of link-ups and award-type things. I'm probably going to try posting twice a week now so that there's a little more variety going on. Can't make that a promise though. Along that line of thought, what kinds of things do you want to see on this blog? Anything else on Myers-Briggs, or maybe short stories or flash fiction inspired from Pinterest? Please tell me in the comments!
Now on with the actual post. This is a linkup centered around antagonists, started by Rachel Day of Stained Glass Windows and Adrianna Gabrielle of The Librarian Files. I've decided to use the questions for Taken's antagonist, Keir Durjaya.

Rules:

1. Take linkup theme pic and post on your blog.
2. Show us one (or maybe two) pictures of your antagonist.
3. Answer the questions.
4. When you're done, link back to either one of our blogs.

The Questions:

1. Is the antagonist a person or a concept?

A man and the concept of war.

2. Now give us your villain's description. What do they look like? What do they wear? Scars, tattoos, birthmarks, etc.

Keir is over six feet tall with a thin, lanky build. He's exceedingly pale but has pure black hair - a perfect example of the coloring of his race. He has black eyes, is only ever seen wearing his general's uniform, and has two scars. One on his shoulder from a more recent wound, and another long one down his lower leg from a accident when he was fresh into the army.

3. Does your antagonist have a special trademark item? (ex. President Snow's white rose). 

Well not really. I guess his High General's badge could count since it would be recognized pretty widely around Kampen, but it's not his personally.

4. What is a theme song you have for your antagonist? Does it tell their story? Or is it just some epic song?

He doesn't have a theme song. There is a song I like to think of in relation to the story's climax, which obviously Keir plays a huge role in. It's called "Heroes May Cry" by Stefano Mocini. Come to think of it, that song is pretty villainous. . . :D Though Keir wasn't out to kill the protagonist specifically. They just had conflicting agendas.

5. Is there a tragedy that has stuck with your antagonist through their life? What is it?

Yes, as a matter of fact. Keir's wife, Alona, died some seventeen years before the beginning of Taken. Her death prompted Keir to decide that emotions were vulnerabilities to be eradicated, so he now tries not to feel anything and certainly not show anyone else anything he could be feeling. He's become quite good at it. 

6. What is it that is deceptive about your antagonist? What tricks people into believing that they are good?

The only thing deceptive about Keir is how he hides his emotions. It's practically a superhuman ability at this point, because even though he feels just as much as anyone else he literally does not show a thing. 

Also, just like anyone who is real Keir is not entirely bad nor entirely good. Hey, he's not even mostly bad! He actually has several extremely heroic traits, like loyalty, patriotism, honesty, bravery, etc. So he doesn't need to trick anyone into thinking he's good, because he mostly is. 

7. What is the main motivation for your antagonist's actions? Are their morals just mixed up? For the protection of someone? Revenge? etc.

The aforementioned patriotism, with a dash of revenge. The patriotism motivates him to score a victory for his country and punish the invaders for daring to launch such an unjust invasion in the first place. That's the revenge bit. As an explanation, this conflicts with Tyv (the protagonist) because Tyv wants to end the war without further bloodshed - and certainly not the death of his entire nation's army! (Such as it is . . .ehem. Details.)

8. Does your antagonist see himself as a hero or do they know that they are a villain/antagonist? Do they want to be "the bad guy"?

Keir is definitely a hero in his own mind, and a hero to his entire country along with it. I think the expression, "history is written by the winners" applies here. It depends which perspective you look at the conflict from. From Tyv's side, Keir is a villain. From Keir and the Kampene's side, Keir is the hero and Tyv is a meddling interference with some silly ideas in his head. 

9. Has your antagonist got a criminal record? Or had s/he broken any laws?

Actually I can see how he may have done some sort of prank back in military school which could probably count as criminality. Trying to trick a fellow student by forging an instructor's handwriting, perhaps. Some sort of deceptive prank.

10. Now last but not least (because we love to embarrass our characters), what is your character's deepest secret that (if found out) would embarrass them greatly?  

Keir has been through battles aplenty and participated in all that implies, but his chief fear is humiliation. Probably because his pride hasn't had much damage through his life - he's always been able to do anything and he's gained a very powerful position. Plus, he sings when he's a alone. He has a nice baritone and likes theater music. 

The Art of Characters: Protagonist

I've seen this going around a few of the blogs I follow and thought I'd give it a shot. The rules are:

1. Find three pieces of art that describe your character. They can be your own drawings or cosplays or sculptures, someone else's art (with their permission and/or crediting, of course), celebrity pictures, or a combination of the three. 
2. Answer the questions below about your character's description and link back to this blog so if anyone else wants to do it, they know where to go.
3. Put all this in a blog post or a deviantART journal.
4. When you post it, link up at Stori Tori's Blog (the link above) and you're done!

So there are three protagonists I could choose from to do this. Which one has had the least attention?

Tyv from Taken. Granted, he probably prefers a lack of public attention but too bad.  ^.^

"Tyv from Taken" by A. Smith

Pin found at http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/7d/1d/5d/7d1d5df7d2cc45e0adb1f61f2bd5b701.jpg

Pin found at http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/5c/3a/ce/5c3aceff2142026f41dcace98fa51b0a.jpg

Questions:

1. What does your character's eye, skin, and hair color tell about him/her?

Tyv has black eyes, black hair, but pale, untanned skin. I chose the black for his hair and eyes because he really does live a dark life on the streets, and if he isn't careful the darkness could take him over until there's nothing good left (thankfully that doesn't happen). His skin, I guess, could represent how he isn't all dark. It never darkens, after all.
2. What does your character's hair style tell about him/her?

That bathing isn't a priority and he doesn't care too much about personal grooming. His hair is long and hacked shorter using his knives, and it's always filled with dirt and sweat (gross). This is all just evidence that he lives in a bankrupt nation on the streets, trying to survive day in and day out.
3. What does your character's default outfit tell about him/her?

That he can't afford new clothes (they're threadbare and faded) but knows the basics of sewing (as evidenced by the patches). He also only has one outfit, chosen for practicality rather than appearance. It's simple and doesn't get in the way during a fight.
4. Does he/she have an object(s) he/she carries around a lot?

Through most of Taken Tyv carries around a pendant he stole for Ambyr. When thinking about getting home he'll take it out and rub it between his fingers. He's also always armed (unless he can't help it) with two fighting knives, sheathed at his sides.
5. Does he/she have any particular scars or birthmarks?

Scars, yes. Birthmarks, no. I believe Tyv has a few larger scars on his arms, one long one on his chest, another small one above his left eyebrow (barely noticeable, so much so that I didn't know it was there until now) and a couple on his knees.
6. Does he/she have any piercings or tattoos?

He lives in a medieval world starved of money. Nopety nope nope nooooooooo.
7. How does he/she carry him/herself? Shoulders back? Eye contact? Eyes down? Slumped shoulders?

He's pretty tall but he walks around with slumped shoulders and bunched up muscles, usually with his arms crossed and his head pulled further down towards his shoulders. He doesn't want to be noticed. He doesn't let his eyes drop to the ground though, because he's always watching for danger.

8. What is his/her default expression? Smiling? Frowning? Solemn?

That's easy. Tyv is a frowny-face. Mr. Grump incarnate. A few other adjectives to describe his few usual expressions would be anxious, cautious, annoyed. His favorite (but not default) expression is scowling.
9. Does he/she wear makeup or facepaint?

Haha, no. He'd look ridiculous.
10. Does his/her physical appearance change at any time? For example: If they have a power do their eyes glow or hair turn blue?

Nope. Tyv is a fully (mostly) normal, unchanging teen boy.

So that's that. I found out a couple things by doing this, so if you want to give it a shot I linked to it at the top. Please let me know if you do it; I'd love to read it!
ALSO, don't forget that next Tuesday I'll be posting the interview of Ace Harrod. Please head over to last week's post and ask a question (any question!). The more of them the better.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Hi! I'm back . . .after yet another unplanned hiatus. Sorry.
So Savannah over at A Scattering of Light nominated me for this - the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Thanks Savannah!

The rules are:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions they've set you.
4. Make up ten questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Nominate ten people.

And these are Savannah's questions for me:

1. How did you start writing?
School. I'm home schooled and my mum was having us do a trial lesson from the curriculum One Year Adventure Novel. We were supposed to write a short story in one minute, and I managed to write maybe a paragraph of a fanfiction from my favorite book series at the time during the time limit. I liked that so much that I expanded it into a one-page story . . .and then it grew again. Thank goodness the writing hit on a weekend, or I wouldn't have gotten any school done! I remember writing for eight hours a day, two days straight, by hand. I still have the notebooks.

2. Favorite song?
That's hard. It changes depending on what I need, but my latest is "Limitless" by Colton Dixon. Listen to it. Now. It's so inspiring. Look, I even attached the lyric video to the post! Isn't that convenient?

3. Have you ever gotten lost?
Not in my memory.

4. If you could live in a fictional world for a year, which one?
They're all so dangerous! I suppose it would be one of Brandon Sanderson's worlds - either from Mistborn, or from The Way of Kings.

5. Which fictional character inspires you most?
I'm not sure. Right now the only one I can think of is Vin, from Brandon Sanderson's series Mistborn. She's not physically strong or attractive and doesn't seem to have much going for her, but she becomes a hero. She deals with strong emotional and mental problems, which she manages to overcome. Those victories were more inspiring than Vin's physical ones (though there were many of those too). xD

6. Favorite book of 2014?
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. PSYCHOLOGY. PLOT TWISTS.

7. Flight or invisibility?
Invisibility. Hands down. Even if I wasn't scared of falling (and therefore, heights), I'd still prefer to fly under the radar rather than into it.

8. Tea or coffee?
Tea, generally. Especially iced tea.

9. Starlight or sunshine? 
Sunshine.

10. Why did you start blogging originally? 
I wanted to have a place to talk about writing and get my thoughts down "on page." I also like talking to people and hearing other opinions.

And now my nominees:

To the Barricade!

Digressions of a Demented Scribe

Back to the Drawing Board

Lily's Notes in the Margins

Opal Swirls

I am afraid I cannot think of any more right now. Next, I must rack my brains trying to think of ten questions.

1. Best writing music?

2. Favorite book/series?

3. Do you have a writing schedule of any kind, whether it is for blogging or for novel writing?

4. Have you ever written collaboratively?

5. Which fictional character do you know that you could (or even do) hold up as a role model?

6. Have you ever watched BBC's Merlin? And if you have, what is your favorite moment/episode in the series?

7. Do you have any slightly embarrassing cooking stories? (I know I don't appear all too bright when I attempt to cook.)

8. Which book made you laugh the most?

9. How did you start writing?

10. What is your Myers-Briggs personality type? (If you don't know but are interested in knowing, you can take the quiz at 16personalities.com. There's even more info about the different types at oddlydevelopedtypes.com.)

That's it! I promise I'll try to think of something to write a post about for next week.
Thanks again to Savannah!

Beautiful Books Linkup #3: Let's Talk Editing

This is the third post for the Beautiful Books Linkup series by Paper Fury. You can find the explanation of it all here. This is the last post of three - the first was on planning a novel, the second about writing a novel, and the third about editing.
So! Onwards to the questions!

1. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best) how well do you think this book turned out?
Eh. Certainly not ten. Maybe a five? I don't think I really need to change anything already written - I just need to add a LOT of stuff. Like a whole other point of view and several more scenes from the first point of view, which is all going to require just as much planning as I've already done. *sigh*

2. Have you ever rewritten or edited one of your books before? If so, what do you do to prepare yourself? If not, what's your plan?
I've never finished rewrites or edits before, but I've started both for last year's NaNoWriMo project (progress was stalled because of this year's NaNoWriMo). I didn't really do anything to prepare myself other than let myself take a break so that I'm not still emotionally invested in the project once I start hacking it to pieces. That's the plan I'm sticking to - right now I'm on a writing break.

3. What's your final wordcount? Do you plan to lengthen or trim your book?
53,453 words. I was aiming for 54,000, but the book finished before I reached that. What I wrote is really fast paced - there is nothing extraneous at all and I probably didn't take enough time to write the descriptions I should have. So I don't think I need to trim anything; however, I definitely need to add stuff. A few more scenes to enhance the tone of the book and to develop characters, and an entire new point of view in addition to the one I already have. It's going to be like writing a whole other book, then splicing it with the one I've just written. Ugh.

4. What are you most proud of? Plot, characters, or pacing?
As I said, I feel like my pacing is rushed, so that isn't what I'm proud of. Plot I like, but I don't think it's absolutely genius. I like my characters but there are things about them that could be better. What I really like about Shadows & Light is the world. It's basically real world + magic + Destiny, but that mix makes it so much different, and I love it. It's both incredibly relatable and completely foreign.

5. What is your favorite bit of prose or line from this novel?
I was reading through the beginning and found this line. Ace wouldn’t dare try cooking for himself. They’d end up calling the fire department.

6. What aspect of your book needs the most work?
Pacing, namely adding some slower pacing. Also, I have a dog which mysteriously disappeared and then reappeared in the second half of the book. He needs to come back. And as I said, I need to add an entire point of view. Descriptions, also, are going to need quite a lot of refinement, namely because they're barely there to begin with. 

7. What aspect of your book is your favorite?
The networks of relationships between all the characters, and between characters and their Destinies. 

8. How are your characters? Well-rounded, or do they still need to be fleshed out? 
They're pretty good, I think. Ace is going to need some more work since I'm going to have to write from his perspective - and I suppose I'll have to work on his gang of friends some more. But yeah, I think the characters I've got are pretty good.

9. If you had to do it over again, what would you change about your whole process?
Nothing. My process worked fine. :D

10. Did anything happen in your book that completely surprised you? Have any scenes or characters turned out differently than you planned?
Well a dog named Lancelot mysteriously vanished, which was unplanned. And I had a surprise scene come up which was adorable *fangirls over the cuteness of Gabriel and Mara, even though they're not dating*. 

11. What was the theme and message? Do you think it came across? If not, is there anything you could do to bring it out?
The message was supposed to be that we all have to be responsible for out actions. And no, I don't think it came across as well as I would have liked. :\ This is why I'm adding the other point of view. Mara's is too limited. It doesn't show enough so that the reader can clearly see just how bad she's gone. I'm adding Ace's point of view to contrast Mara's descent into evil with Ace's maturing into a hero.

12. Do you like writing with a deadline (like NaNoWriMo) or do you prefer to write as it comes?
Deadline. Definitely. Without one, I don't get anything done because I don't have anything to aim for.

13. Comparative title time! What published books, movies, or tv shows are like your book? (Ex: Inkheart meets X-men, etc.)
*wince* I don't really know. It's a little bit like the book V is for Villain, with a little Harry Potter substituted for the superpowers and government. That's the best I can think of on the spot.

14. How do you celebrate a finished novel?
I haven't really celebrated. I've allowed myself to stop writing for a while until such a time as I want to start editing (that could take a while). 

15. When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?
Bittersweet, I think, is how I want them to feel. Maybe just a bit excited for a sequel, too. ;)