3 Literary Villains I Really Love To Hate

I love a wily villain who slinks onto the page with a sneer. Masterful plot to take down the hero? Check! Anticipating and successfully parrying every attempt of said hero to fight back? Count me in! A fantastically devious name/mind/costume? Yes please!

We're exploring villains this month on the blog, and I get to kick us off.

There’s nothing better than a well-written antagonist to act as the perfect foil for the protagonist. What fun it is when a book has one (or two, or three!) scoundrel to make the story line interesting. And it’s all the more exciting when the baddie finally gets their inevitable comeuppance.

Literature is full of dastardly characters you’d never want to meet in a dark alley, and I'm rounding up my faves.

Ready?

Cos they’re coming at you swinging. 

In no particular order, here are the villains I really love to hate!

Big Bully on the Prairie: Nellie Oleson

Ooooh, Nellie! Laura Ingalls Wilder combined three people from real life to make one outstanding antagonist. This bad girl was everything Little House’s Laura wasn’t: blonde, wealthy, spoiled, and lazy. Nellie kept her dresses immaculate, her complexion fashionably pale, and her hands soft. 

I distinctly remember, at the age of ten or eleven, punching my book because I was so, so angry with her for speaking rudely to Ma. Even now, more than thirty years later, I still get hot under the collar when I remember how Nellie tried to steal Laura’s beau, Almanzo. 

I was extraordinarily pleased when Laura first got her revenge on Nellie by tricking her into muddy water where the leeches got her, and I may have audibly cheered when she outmaneuvered Nellie at last and won Almanzo’s heart completely. 

The Regency Cad: Mr. Wickham

Yes, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are two of my most bestest lovey-dovey characters from literature (I wrote about them here!) 

Therefore, it only follows that Mr. Wickham is also a villain worthy of my scorn. 

He’s tall, handsome, an officer in the militia, and, for a while there, he’s interested in Lizzie. What’s not to make a proper English gentlewoman’s heart go pitter-patter? And his sob story of the wrongs wrought upon him by the snobbish Mr. Darcy! Who knew he was going to turn out to be such a scoundrel?

I love how Jane Austen layered this character. She kept me guessing what mischief Mr. Wickham was going to get in next!

And *SPOILER ALERT* the fact that he's the one who whisks Lydia off to live in a life of sin vindicates Mr. Darcy's opinion of him AND provides a perfect opportunity for Mr. Darcy to sweep in and remedy the situation inasmuch as he's able to.

The Fairy-tale Fiend: Queen Levanna

She's got power. She's got brains. She's got glamor. 

The Lunar Chronicles elegant enemy, Queen Levanna, has got it all.

Marissa Meyer developed a chilling version of Snow White's stepmother who is even more terrifying than the original. But Meyer doesn't stop there. Levanna gets to tell her own story in Fairest and I have to admit, I was a little sorry for her. It didn't stop me from wanting to see her stopped however!

I read breathlessly through this series and wondered how in all creation Cinder and crew were going to fight this crazy queen. I wasn't disappointed. The ending was sooo good! 

Well, there you go. Those are my top 3 baddies. Until next time...

What did you think about my list? Don't forget to check back here for the rest of our series this month about villains!

Expect Great Things

by Jebraun Clifford

2017 is here!
Another year. 
A fresh beginning. 
A clean start. 

To adapt a quote from Anne Shirley: isn't it nice to think we have 365 new days with no mistakes in them yet?


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In many ways, 2016 was a good year for me. While I don't usually make resolutions, I've developed the habit of choosing one word to reflect my hopes and longings for the year. I don't see the full implications of the word until the year closes and--looking back--I'm usually amazed at the results. 

Last year's word was 'thrive' and it proved to be an apt description. Amazing things happened--many unexpected--and I witnessed firsthand the blessings of God in a way I've never experienced before. 

But I've also been challenged in the last few months, losing sight of many victories as an old enemy named Fear tried to dominate my thoughts. I became overwhelmed with mistakes (real and imagined) I've made and couldn't see a way forward. It was awful! I got so consumed with the things I'd done wrong, with my mistakes, with things I wished I'd done differently, that I lost motivation in many areas of my life. However, I finally feel like I'm starting to climb out of the paralyzing pit of despair that had gripped me.


via GIPHY
I'd rather not dwell on what got me there in the first place but want to focus on what got me out.

The short version is I remembered the goodness of God. He's been soooo faithful to me through my whole life, but I somehow forgot that He will be in my future too. And not simply in my future as a passive bystander, but actively making it bigger and better and brighter.

One of my favourite verses from Psalm 27:13 reminds me of this exact truth.

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

This tells me that God doesn't confine Himself to making things good somewhere out in the nebulous future we sometimes call 'heaven.' Nope. God is in the here and the now and is causing all things to work together for good and if it isn't good yet, well...it isn't over.

As I reflected on this bold declaration earlier this week, I had to tell myself (again!) that the future is not something to dread, but rather something to embrace.  

And so I've found my word for 2017:

Expect.

This doesn't mean I'm projecting unrealistic expectations on myself or on others. No, I'm finished with that sort of thing. Instead it means I have a hopeful optimism for what will happen. I'm not going to live in fear of the future, I don't want my joy to be stolen away by the unknown. I'm going to expect the goodness of the Lord to go before me into the new year and beyond.

Happy New Year from all of us at Quills and Inkblotts. It's going to be a great one!

What about you? Do you make New Year's resolutions? Write down goals? Choose one word? Let us know in the comments below! We love hearing from you.

How to Keep on Writing!

I've been enjoying a creative flow recently. It's been wonderful to sit down at my computer and have scenes and conversations come out of my fingertips effortlessly. It's been a long, dry season of over a year for me where I found it hard to be inspired. Everything I wrote felt flat and forced. I had bursts of happy, busy moments but nothing as sustained as the latest jag I've experienced. It did get me thinking though: how did I get over my writer's block? Is there anything I could've done to snap out of it quicker? What takeaway points do I have from this experience? Is there anything I could do to promote longevity as a writer?


Here's the number one discovery I stumbled upon about the writing process and my own struggle with writer's block: 

Writers need refreshment

And we need it from positive sources! Unfortunately, there's a persistent stereotype out there of the suffering artist who can only create in the midst of angst. I don't believe that is true. Instead, writers (like all artists) need to be restored into wholeness. We need inspiration from positive sources. We need to be constantly filled with good stuff, so that we can pour out good stuff. Being filled with suffering and angst--and wallowing in it--is not going to bring about art that will encourage others. And that's what I want to do. I want whatever I write to be enjoyable, uplifting, encouraging. Sure, I want to make people think, I want to write about deep themes, but most of all, I want people to walk away from whatever I've written and believe themselves to be better for reading it.

How do we get refreshed?

First of all, get outside! 


Go for a walk, go to the beach or forest. Look at the stars, roll in autumn leaves or revel in spring flowers (depending what hemisphere you're in!) There's something about getting out in the middle of creation that soothes our soul and takes us higher. I've rarely come away from some time outside and not felt richer from the experience

Another strategy I discovered was to immerse myself in great literature. 


Not just the classics, mind you, but some of the popular and well-written novels of today that are in my genre. I even read some that were completely opposite from what I write! I rolled sentences around in my head, admired a perfect description, laughed over witty conversations (was possibly green with author-envy of some particular jewels!), and came out of the many books I read as a more confident writer. To be a great writer, we've got to be great readers! So head to your local library, stock up your Kindle, buy out a bookstore. Well, maybe not that last one ;-) I also watched a few TV shows and movies that really helped me see story structure, and how to leave an audience begging for more. I may or may not have binge-watched certain shows because I could not stop wanting to know what happened next! Now, that's great writing!

Finally, we can turn to our writing community. 


I've found such support and encouragement from fellow writers, especially the women I blog with (here's a big shout-out to Robin, Deanna, and Lucy--you gals ROCK!) Critique groups are great to keep you motivated as well. And I seriously can't wait to go to my first writers' conference in August. Something about being around the people who 'get you' makes us feel good, doesn't it? We realise we're not alone, there are other crazies who stay up way past midnight because they've got to get this piece of dialogue just right or have to rewrite this scene because there's too much 'tell' and not enough 'show.' If you're not part of a group or guild, I'd encourage you to get involved. Even one person who writes and can be there to support you will make a huge difference!

So that's me. I've put down 25,000 words in 2 1/2 weeks which is a personal best, and I credit much of this to the advice I've put down. It's been a hard slog to get to this point, but I'm thankful for the lessons I've learned. 

Be blessed,







What about you? What do you do when you hit the writing wall? And what are your hints for longevity?

Genesis Semi-Finalist - Jebraun Clifford

She's done it again, folks! Our very talented Jebraun Clifford made the ACFW Semi-finalist list for the Genesis Contest 2016, in the YA category. We couldn't be more excited and proud of her!
We can't wait to see what she does next with her writing journey!

Click here for a link to the list of Semi-finalists.

ACFW : http://www.acfw.com/genesis/genesis_semi_finalists_2016

What I Learn from the Stories I Read

by Jebraun

After Robin’s post about the power of story, which you can read here, we decided to each write about the stories that impacted us. Here’s the first of four posts detailing how stories have influenced our lives.

Like many writers, I love to read.

Even as a child there was nothing I enjoyed more than curling up with a good book and a snack to tune out the real world for an hour or two.

And yet, the stories I read way back then taught me so much about how to cope with the real world today.

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Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

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Even though G.K. Chesterton is talking specifically about fairy tales in this quote, the truth is that all the stories I remember most from my childhood encourage me to slay dragons that I face.

Stories like A Wrinkle in Time, The Silver Chair, and The Island of the Blue Dolphins push me to see adversity as something not to give in to but trials to overcome. They also show me that the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and love are my tools to defeat the dragons in my life.

The Silver Chair, written by C.S. Lewis, stands out to me as one of my favourite ‘quest’ stories. Who doesn’t like an adventurous journey? Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum, the main characters, have to rescue a prince, and they make blunder after blunder as they try to follow the signs they were given. Through all their mistakes, they hang on to their faith that Aslan, their guide and the Christ-like representative in the whole Narnia series, will still be able to get them where they’re supposed to be.

I’ve seen this in my own life often. I take a wrong direction and perhaps am tempted to despair that I’ve lost the path completely. God has come in again and again to show me I can trust His plan; He will get me to my destination. The Silver Chair helps strengthen my faith in Romans 8:28 that reminds me God will use all things together for good.

Another cherished story of mine is The Island of the Blue Dolphin. Scott O’Dell writes with a hauntingly spare prose about a young Native American girl, Karana, accidentally left behind by her tribe. In order to survive, Karana must preserve and store food, learn to hunt and make tools, and battle loneliness. She ends up spending almost twenty years on her own but never gives up the expectation of her tribe coming back to get her one day. Her hope of rescue is inspiring.

Having hope is crucial! Proverbs 13:12 tells us hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Karana’s story of her perseverance continues to encourage me to plan and prepare, not only for my future, but also for my present.

Finally, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle stands out to me as another example of a ‘quest’ story with a heavenly message. Meg Murray, Charles Wallace Murray, and Calvin O’Keefe must travel through time and space to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace’s father from an evil entity. Their intellect and reason aren't enough to save him. In the end, only the power of love can deliver Mr. Murray from the mindless hate-filled ‘It.’

This story shows me that love truly does conquer all. When I want to see evil vanquished, this story exemplifies God’s truth of overcoming evil with good. I’m reminded that God’s love saves, God’s love protects, and God’s love brings us safely home again.

I turn to stories like these to be inspired to 'fight the good fight' and see the dragons in my own life struck down.

Be blessed, 

How have your favourite stories impacted you? Share in the comments below!

3 Quick Tips to Make Your Story Amazing

What writer couldn't use some quick tips to make a story pop with amazing details? I know I could!

Have you ever read a story that just felt kinda meh? Perhaps the dialogue was good, and the characters were interesting. The plot might have even been fresh and original. But something was missing. Something was flat. You weren’t drawn in to the setting. You weren’t really immersed in the story.

Transporting an audience to another world takes some skill. It’s not enough to plonk words haphazardly on the page.

Nope.

A writer has to beguile their readers.

Tease them.

Tempt them along with sensory details that fill their minds with the sights, sounds, smells, and feels of the setting.

There’s nothing better than reading a well-crafted description that makes you forget you're simply reading a book. Instead it seems like you’ve got a seat, front and center in all the action.

Some of my favorite authors are the ones who string words like colorful beads on a necklace, one after the other, until I feel like I’m right there in every part of the scene.

Here are my top 3 tips to help you create a story people will LOVE to read:

Tip #1. A fantastic setting makes a story shine! 

Take the beginning of chapter two from Elizabeth Marie Pope’s YA novel, The Perilous Gard:

The rain threaded and beaded every branch and leaf and twig, dripping mournfully at the jarring thud of the horses’ hoofs. It clung to the shoulders of Kate’s heavy cloak and glistened in the long gray folds of her riding skirt. The instant she raised her head, it began to gather on her lashes like tears.

Can’t you imagine yourself riding through the forest in the rain? Doesn’t your very skin feel cold and wet? You also get a sense of tone from this passage. Kate doesn’t seem very happy, does she? And not just because she’s stuck on a horse with water dripping all around her. No. The repetition in the first sentence of branch and leaf and twig as well as the comparison of the rain to tears on Kate’s face all add to the despondency of the moment.

Before you start to shiver, consider Madeleine L’Engle’s description from Many Waters, a companion to A Wrinkle in Time. L’Engle’s heroes, Sandy and Dennys find themselves whisked away from their freezing New England farmhouse only to be dumped in a desert.

They were standing on sand, burning white sand. Above them, the sun was in a sky so hot that it was no longer blue but had a bronze cast. There was nothing but sand and sky from horizon to horizon…The brazen sunlight beat down on them. After the cold of snow and ice, the sudden heat was shocking. Small particles of mica in the sand caught the light and blazed up at them.

Wow. A completely different scene. Now, instead of the rain beating down on me, I’ve got sunlight saturating every pore!

And did you notice how in both of these descriptions, the authors use what the reader can see as well as what the reader can feel?  That's the perfect intro for my next tip:

Tip #2. Make your descriptions do double-duty!

The best writers will make sure their word choices pack a punch in more than one way.

Take, for example, a single sentence from Mary Weber’s Storm Siren:

The yellow flags above me snap sharp and loud in the breeze as if to emphasize my owner’s words that yes, she’s quite aware such a high count is utterly ridiculous.

Weber could’ve used the verb wave or billow to describe the movement of the flags, but snap gives a perfect visual and auditory clue that puts the reader right in the middle of the slave auction with Nym.

Tip #3. Don't overlook the rest of the 5 senses!

It’s not enough to add sight, sound, and feels to your story.

What about taste? That's an important detail that immerses the reader more fully into the scene.

Look at this passage written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and tell me your mouth isn’t watering:

Ten pancakes cooked on the smoking griddle, and as fast as they were done Mother added another cake to each stack and buttered it lavishly and covered it with maple syrup. Butter and sugar melted together and soaked the fluffy pancakes and dripped all down their crisp edges.

Every time I read Farmer Boy, I get hungry. Every. Single. Time.

And finally, there’s smell. Some studies claim that smell serves as a powerful aid to memory, so don’t forget to saturate your reader’s sense of smell with unforgettable details.

I always enjoy Rosemary Sutcliff’s narrative because she includes this important sense like here in The Shining Company:

I mind the scent and colour of raw new wood and green thatch and great tubs of washing water that smelled of herbs. And, fingering its way in from somewhere outside, the fat reek of beef stew.

These scents greet the hero, Prosper, at the end of a long journey, and the familiar smells add to his feeling of homecoming. Perfect!

Each one of these authors are masters at adding sight, sound, feels, tastes AND smells to their story. And these are the details that make a manuscript shine.

So the next time you edit your story, double-check that your setting immerses your reader, your word choices do double-duty, and each of the senses are used to your advantage. Your descriptions will be sure to keep your readers engaged and turning the pages for more.

And have fun!

Any quick tips you'd include in this list to make a ho-hum story fantastic?

The Ultimate Story

by Jebraun Clifford

I remember when I first learned to read words and sentences strung together to make a story. At the tender age of five, I sat with “Little Bear” by Maurice Sendak on my lap. At the beginning, only the first page made any sense. Then, as I grew in confidence and ability, page after page came alive.

The story transported me to another world.

I traveled with Little Bear to the moon, tasted the birthday cake his mother baked for him, felt the soft crunch of snow beneath his feet.

Throughout my childhood, this scenario was repeated again and again as I moved to more challenging books with fewer illustrations and longer chapters. Jenny and the Cat Club, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables. 

Stories entertained me for hours, fueled my imagination, and satisfied my soul.

I lived for the days when my teacher would pass out the Scholastic book club order sheets. My parents put limits on how much I could spend (otherwise I’d buy every book!) and I’d spend hours poring over each description, agonizing over this title or that.

One of my purchases was a condensed version of “Little Women,” and I read it so many times that the pages drifted out of the spine. Imagine my delight when my grandmother gave me a beautiful hardback copy, and I found undiscovered chapters with more details of the March girls’ antics. Of course, I broke down in tears when I read that Jo didn’t marry Laurie, and even the appearance of kindly Professor Bhaer wasn’t enough to quench my disappointment.

So many of the stories I read made deep, lasting impacts on me, and I can truthfully say that some changed the way I think.

For this is the magic of stories.

Stories engage us. 

Challenge us. 

Entreat us.

Madeleine L’Engle says “stories make us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving.”

My favourite story is one I find myself returning to again and again. In each season of my life, it’s meant something a little different.

Every time I read it, I’m struck anew by its richness and depth.

The story tells of an individual who left his home to seek a bride. 

To rescue her from destruction and death. 

To find all things lost. 

To heal all things wounded. 

To bind all things broken.

To establish an ever-expanding kingdom.

This quest would cost the God-man his life, a price he was more than willing to pay.

Would you be interested in such a story? Would it surprise you to discover that you are the bride? And that you have a part to play in creating this kingdom? 

For we’re all involved in this great cosmic story. An epic struggle against good and evil with a cowardly antagonist and a glorious Hero. Of princesses, warriors, and kings. This story has spanned the ages and will continue on into eternity.

And this time, there will be no let-down at the end of the story. No disappointment. No tears.

This is the ultimate Story, and one I love to read again and again. Do you know it?

Be blessed,