The Bridge of Anskar

   I've finished the first draft of my novel! It took a lot of work and there were times when I was sure I must have been an idiot to even think of starting. But now The first bit is finished, but now here comes the editing....and the second draft...and the third draft....
   So far it has:
Pages: 121
Words: 39,967
Characters: (with spaces) 208,580 (without spaces) 169,503
Chapters: 12
Paragraphs: 1,250
Lines:3,531

Here's a link to my Pintrest board: The Bridge of Anskar.

I've written and re-written the synopsis so many times it's not funny but this is what I've ended up with:

When modern Australian girl, Anastasia Newbridge, accidentally stumbles into the land of Eirerandil in its time of greatest peril, she is plunged into the greatest adventure of her life.

With the King on his deathbed, the royals are in chaos as multiple deaths occur under suspicious circumstances. The Crown Prince, Azruen, disappears, and it is up to Ana and her friends to attempt the dangerous mission to rescue him and return him to his rightful position.

But the evil Lady Morgal is powerful beyond belief and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.​ Against such odds can Ana fulfil the ancient prophecies and prove she is worthy of her name?

I've also drawn a map of my world, Eirerandil. I'm not an artist so it took a bit of convincing myself that I could actually do it, but I did. And it wasn't really that hard.

My oldest (positively ancient) sister, Clare, has read the whole thing and critiqued it for me, and I'm currently working on fixing all the random things I wrote...

It can be funny when Clare points out some random thing that doesn't hake sense but it can also be difficult. Apparently my people sleep to much.I must admit, they do. For example, they (MC and three friends) are being chased through a forest...then they get to the beach and - this is really crazy - they sit down and eat something...then the soldiers come along and disturb their picnic...

I'm just a little ashamed of that myself...it makes my characters look like hungry idiots! (They're not)

But aside from all that, it was very nice of Clare when she finished reading it to say that it was better then she had expected. Although if you thing about that comment it could be taken as an insult but it wasn't. Besides, we insult each other all the time (for fun of course, we're Aussies!). It could be interesting to know what a complete stranger thinks of us when Clare and I are walking around in the shops dodging packets of frozen potato chips that we are swiping at each other's heads. It's quite fun...you should try it!

But back to the point (or the future) I have finished the first draft, but that aint meanin' I'm finished, so to speak. There's a lot more work ahead but I'm looking forward to it.

Now, what am I going to write my next novel about?

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

The Silhouetted Horsey Award!

Right, another post finally. I figure that about seven of my 24 (now 25) posts are "award thingys". So they can be useful sometimes when you can't think of anything to post about. Apparently this award has no rules other than answering random questions. From looking at the picture (below) I was wondering if the name of the award was 'Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award' or 'Sisterhood of the World Award Bloggers'. If you read from left to right (ignoring the tree) then it could look like that. But as Clare has written it the first way in her post, I'll go with that.

See look, it's a silhouetted horsey!

Now for the interesting questions to be interestingly (or not so muchly) answered.

1.What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?

It could be a wilted rose that had been in my hair for half the day...But I couldn't be sure.

2.Would you rather visit any fantasy realm you wish and die on a desert island, in a battle, or stuck up a tree; or would you prefer to live a long long life here on earth?

Well, I'd like to live in Middle earth, and I wouldn't mind dying in the Battle of the Ring, but to be realistic that could never happen so maybe I should just live my life in my own world. Besides, I have been to middle earth, when you read Tolkien's books it is impossible to stay in yourself, you are simply pulled out of your cosy house and plunged into an adventure. Much like Bilbo, now I come to think of it. (I'll have to stop there, otherwise I'll go on for hours, quoting thousands of things, and if I really get going I might never stop.)

3.If you had to be locked in a small room for one day with one other blogger who would that be? (the room is completely bare except for one light in the roof )

Hmm, I'd choose Sarah. Imagine what sneaky schemes we could come up with then! It's just a pity we wouldn't have anything to eat. Maybe we could escape through a window, if there is one, and if there isn't then maybe we could say the light was a skylight and climb out it, or just bash the door down.....Or we could dig for treasure...

4.What is the biggest number of words you have written in one day? 

2,000 and something or other (I think). The longest chapter I've written has 5416 words (in the first draft), but I didn't write that all in one day.

5.Do you write stories? If so what is the hardest thing about writing them?

Yes, I do write, I'm currently up to the middle of chapter 8, but I've written quite a bit in 9,10 and 12. The hardest thing about writing is writing. I mean, to actually write something you like is so hard, I rarely do it. I don't like most of my writing, but "I'm my worst criticizer" and I know you have to write bad before you can be good, so I'm practicing.

6.What is your opinion on popping candy?

I thing it makes most people go crazy, especially someone I know....but with other people it has no effect. Personally I've never touched a piece in my life, as I have heard and seen dour tales of its side affects.

7.How many blogger awards are there in the world?

At least 50. Probably thousands....

8.How many awards (to do with bogs) have you been awarded, and how many have you not done of those awarded?

Well.....I've been awarded 8.....but.....I've only done.....7......sorry Clare....I am admonished....

9.What is the coolest bruise you have ever got? and which colour bruise do you prefer?

The best bruise I've ever got was from archery. It was so cool! It was a new bruise on an old bruise, it was an oval shape with disgusting (according to those who aren't experts on bruises) brownish colour around the outside, and a more green bit in the middle.
Really dark blue and purple bruises are really good too.

10.What languages do you know, pretend to know, have attempted to know, wish you knew?

I know English, well actually I don't, I know Australian (big difference). I can write (transliterating) in both Elvish (Tolkien's elvish of course) and Gnomish (comes from the Artemis Fowl series). I am learning Spanish for school which is cool and since I'm doing the age of exploration for history, the Spanish do lots of cool things around then (apart from the Spanish armada, which is not so cool). I attempted to learn French, but....yea. I reckon it would be really fun to be able to speak and write (Tolkien) Elvish properly.

Now, since there are no rules saying I have to nominate people, I wont be breaking any when I don't. So that's all good!
Thanks for taking the time to read my random ramblings.

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

I See Fire

I know, this post has been long in coming but I'll waste no time in thinking up excuses that don't exist. This post is about a song called, I See Fire. Now this is a really cool song. It may amuse you to listen to it and I've conveniently put the lyrics here for anyone who like singing, or laughing.

Oh misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of my heating food
And should the sky be filled with, fire and smoke
Something is wrong with my lunch.

If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watching the flames climb high
Charring the lunch
Calling out father oh stand by and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn in the microwave

If my lunch should die
Then we should all die together
The microwave will burn
-It’s the last time-
Calling out father oh prepare and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn in the microwave
Desolation comes upon my soul

I see fire,
Inside the microwave
I see fire,
Burning the food
I see fire,
Hollowing bowls
I see fire,
Horribly viewed
And I hope that you remember it.

Oh if my lunch will burn
Surely I’ll do the same
Confined in microwaves
It got too close to the flame
Calling out father oh hold fast and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn in the microwave
Desolation comes upon my soul

I see fire,
Inside the microwave
I see fire,
Burning the food
I see fire,
Hollowing bowls
I see fire,
Horribly viewed 
And I hope that you remember it.

And if the lunch is burning 
I will cover my eyes
 For if the food is burnt then my oven will die
And as the ash is falling down
It covered all this hungry town
And with that shadow on my heart
I hear my lunch still screaming out

I see fire,
Inside the microwave
I see fire,
Burning the food
I see fire,
Hollowing bowls
I see fire,
Horribly viewed 

And I hope that you remember it.


So how did you like it? I hope it was worth waiting for. (Words written by Alice and Jane Farrelly. Lyrics inspiration: My lunch)

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

Food, Funerals, Parties and Pirates

   So the other day we went to someone's funeral. After which there was a lunch of some sort, which of course was food, not some alien kind of food off the planet Ebmeked where they (they being the aliens) fly around in ships (being starships) and while they're travelling in their ships they eat this kind of weird grub that goes skree skree, and it turns out these aliens are not actually aliens but they are people trailing their cloak behind them waiting for the pirates to bite it....

   So, back to the point, there was food. Luckily there was also a lot of it otherwise there might have been a shortage after I'd finished. Actually, now I come to thing of it, there was...
   As Alice said to me on the day, I was on the list of people who they where catering for. Only problem was, they didn't realise that I would eat enough for three people, or more.
   At first I had no idea where the food tables were (it didn't help that there where 80 somehow-relations and even more friends at this funeral) but then I saw my little brother had a plate of food so I asked him where the food was from. He told me and walked outside. And then, I saw them; the crowd literally parted and I saw the food tables.... So I ate some (food not tables). 
   The lunch time continued on with me dodging in and out of people in my attempts of getting to the food table.  It eventually ended when I, without thinking or looking, accidentally picked up some food someone who obviously liked funerals must have put there. If someone told me that it had a plain chilli on it, I wouldn't be surprised.

   I nearly died. 

   I started eating the fruit that was on the tables with such vigour that I'm surprised that there was any left by the time I'd recovered. After that I decided it might be safest to stop, before we had to have another funeral.

Now for the second part of the title! Parties and Pirates!

   On the morning of the party I was dressed up as a pirate. The party was supposed to be a glitz and glamour thing but...that's not really me, besides, I'd never live it down if I did dress up like that.   My brother Samuel came into my room and asked me, "Aren't you going to get your cutlery?" 
   I have a feeling he meant cutlass.

   Besides the cutlass isn't mine, it is borrowed from the master swordsmith who made it for his sister, who also lent me her pirate shirt, as I didn't have one. So I would thank you both. I had failed to find myself a pirate hat so I had to make do with a bandanna. (my belt was real leather and solid brass by the way)

Everyone seemed to thing it was funny to have a pirate so that was good. It was a progressive party thing where we went to four different houses and we had lots of food at all of them. At the place where we were eating pizza I ate...a whole one...as in whole pizza, not whole piece.

I didn't actually have any dessert because I don't really like sweet stuff that much then I decided that I would have to join those in the pool, as I'd been so disappointing so far (as in I wasn't joining in on all the random crazy dances). It's really weird swimming in the dark, but it's also fun.
I went home before the sleepover and so avoided all the other girly stuff (which I really like).
Those who know me will know just how disappointed I was...
So all in all it was quite fun.

~ Jane, Misty Maiden

The Blog Existence Award

Oh great! My blog exists! I'd never actually noticed that before...(now where's the 'delete blog' button) And apparently my sister Clare has just realized that amazing fact, or at least she's only recently decided to take recognition of it.

So I guess I'll list the rules here so you can see how many I manage to break.

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog. 

2. Give a brief story on how I started my blog, and one or two tips for other bloggers.

3. Choose 15 other bloggers to nominate for this award.

4. Comment on each of their blogs to let them know you nominated them.

So I still need to thank Clare so here goes...'thank you so much'. (Those who know me and have read Ranger's Apprentice will know exactly what I mean.)

Now I've done number one now for two...

'A brief story on how I started my blog'

I clicked a button and and decided what to call it and...well, here it is! And why did I start it? Because I was told to, and I like amusing people.

'One or two tips for other bloggers'

1.It helps if you actually have a blog to start with.

2.It also came be useful to have a computer.

Rule 3 and 4 next. Apparently I have to nominate 15 people and tell them I have. Hmm...I'm not so sure about that one, I'll just pretend it's not there.

So now that you've worked out that my blog exists, I hope you liked my post!

~ Jane, Misty Maiden