#allisonreader

[fictionadventurer]

Oh... I just had a thought. I know I sent you an ask about fictional book recs of sorts when you had first posted it, but if I can, I'd like to make an amendment to it. (As rambling as I was that time too.)

What if; The Scorn Prince, was a time travel story instead.

Oh, are you talking about The Scorn King? Because let me tell you, that is one of the wildest sequels I've ever read, and if you want to know where I stand on the fandom controversy, it's that I love it to bits.

The more I think about it, the more I love that Meryl North had the audacity to follow up The Scorn Prince this way. Because it starts as such a normal-sounding sequel--a few years after the bittersweet ending of The Scorn Prince, the Yates siblings have at last found a magical artifact that will let them travel to Jerrigan's kingdom of Ardwick. And we naturally assume this will lead to another cozy-yet-silly fish-out-of-water tale, this time with the Yates siblings learning to navigate Jerrigan's world.

Except, the artifact that lets them cross worlds also messes with time, and the very act of their arriving changes history--the ripples across time created phenomena of glowing lights that were interpreted as omen signifying that Jerrigan was meant to rule, which meant that the coup that displaced him and drove him to our world never happened, so he was able to take the throne and has been ruling for several years without undergoing the character reformation that happened when he was in our world.

And I've seen people outraged at the fact that the sequel erases the events of the first book. But the thing is, it doesn't. The fact that the Yates kids are from a different world lets North justify some timey-wimeyness where the kids remember the old timeline while finding themselves in the new timeline, facing a King Jerrigan who's a great big jerk who doesn't remember them at all. And the tension between those two timelines, as they try to reconcile who they know Jerrigan could be with who he is now is so painful and so great.

The political intrigue alone! Ruth stubbornly holding onto the idea that Jerrigan can be reformed despite no signs that it'll happen in a place and a time where he's secure in his power, while her brothers are tempted into helping a revolution to overthrow him. On the one hand, you want to side with Ruth in liking this guy we grew to love in the last book, but on the other hand, the boys kind of have a point that maybe the revolution is the only way to spark his character arc, but on the other hand, if the Yates kids betray him, they're not going to be in a position to help him undergo the character arc the way they did in the last book.

And they're stuck in a scheming royal court with its intrigues, which they have no experience navigating, and Ruth is kind of wrestling with the tiny bits of romance with Jerrigan that came from the last book, and Jerrigan himself is having to face the fact that these weird people from another world are disappointed in him and for some reason he cares and starts to undergo a character arc that might be too little too late.

It's just so complex and not at all what I'd have expected as a follow-up to The Scorn Prince, and I know that makes some people mad, but I adore it. If people want to ignore the sequel and write their terrible fluffy fanfic versions, that's fine, but I am going to treasure this story instead.

[lover-of-the-starkindler]

👗 please!

[for-the-writing-artist]

💾 Have you read any of the challenge stories that have really stuck with you? (Any stories you still think about/go back and read)

📝 If you’ve previously participated, which team (or teams) have you ended up on?

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

Have you read any of the challenge stories that have really stuck with you? (Any stories you still think about/go back and read)

Tell Your Dad You Love Him, by @queenlucythevaliant

The salt metaphor resonated just a tad too close to real life. Like, right in the feels. 10/10 would definitely recommend a reread.

If you’ve previously participated, which team (or teams) have you ended up on?

I have not participated before! But I'm very excited about it (:

Which team are you hoping for?

Oh I can't decide! Team Tolkien and his time travelling wizards (<- longest idea by far) vs Team Lewis and his sweet epistolary letter from a planet exploring botanist? It's damn near impossible!

Which team do you least want to end up on?

Team Chesterton for sure. Though I have un-ironically placed my shortest and simplest idea on his team, the trouble would be three-fold. Little time writing it and plenty of time to agonize over it. ;D

[isfjmel-phleg]

They're so festive! Thank you so much!

[confetti-cat]

📓Which of this year’s theme/s are you most drawn to?

📝 If you’ve previously participated, which team (or teams) have you ended up on?

💾 Have you read any of the challenge stories that have really stuck with you? (Any stories you still think about/go back and read)

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

(or any questions that you haven't otherwise been asked and want to answer.)

📓Which of this year’s theme/s are you most drawn to?

I really enjoy stories about the different aspects of Loving In Hard Times - comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, and forgive all injuries are ones I'd love to use.

📝 If you’ve previously participated, which team (or teams) have you ended up on?

Team Lewis in 2021, Chesterton in 2022, and Lewis again in 2023! I had to go look at my notes because somehow I forgot there were two years I didn't finish my stories. Oof. Hoping to complete one again this time!

💾 Have you read any of the challenge stories that have really stuck with you? (Any stories you still think about/go back and read)

I haven't read as many of the challenge stories as I'd hoped to, but I plan to change that as I can! One I absolutely love is The Remnant by @taleweaver-ramblings. The imagery is beautiful, and reading (and rereading!) how the two mysteries simultaneously unravel and tie together was a wonderful experience.

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

I have bravely decided to not think about it too much until I get sorted, as I tend to start getting attached to ideas for teams I don't end up on if I'm not careful. That said, it would be fun to complete the trifecta by being on Team Tolkien, but I love Chesterton's genres this year too! (If I get Lewis again, I might try writing a short, fun piece with the characters from The Silver Stars. Trying to hype myself up on all fronts here. 😂)

[griseldabanks]

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

🖨️Which genre/s excites you the most?

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

I'm hoping for Team Lewis, because I've got a few thoughts already for a portal fantasy I'd like to explore. Team Tolkien would also be great, because Secondary World fantasy is my bread and butter.

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

Team Chesterton - partly because I know him least out of the three authors (I've only read a few Father Brown stories and The Man Who Was Thursday, which I barely remember because I feverishly read it over a spring break during a semester of college where I had to read an unconscionable number of books in a crazy-short time), partly because I don't feel like I have a great grasp on what counts as intrusive fantasy or earth travel.

🖨️Which genre/s excites you the most?

As mentioned above, I'm excited to explore a portal fantasy! I'm trying not to plan too many specifics until I know what team I'm on, but this could be a great excuse to work out some of my fledgling Narnia-esque imaginings. I've also got a few Secondary World fantasy novels already on the back burners, so it would be fairly simple to just write a short story in one of those worlds. I've also got some vague ideas for a sci-fi story, but if I get Team Lewis, I'd totally doing a portal fantasy.

Inklings Challenge Ask Game

[lydiahosek]

💾 Have you read any of the challenge stories that have really stuck with you? (Any stories you still think about/go back and read)

📓Which of this year’s theme/s are you most drawn to?

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

🖨️Which genre/s excites you the most?

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

💾 - Oh yes! The first to come to mind are

"Floor It" by allieinarden

"Fable" by fictionadventurer

"Lily & Leandros" by mademoiseli

"Tidings of Comfort and Joy" by imissthembutitwasntadisaster

📓 - "Counsel the doubtful", "Pray for the living and the dead". Depending on which team I end up on, "Forgive all injuries" could work with an unused idea from a year or two ago.

💻 - There are no bad options, but I've been on Team Lewis the last two years.

🖨️ - That shiny new earth travel genre sounds promising. I think a bunch of the themes could be used in interesting ways with time travel, too.

🖋️ - I've never been on Team Tolkien...

[popcornfairy28]

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

📃Which genre/s do you feel least confident about?

📜Which genre/s do you feel most confident about?

Thanks for the ask!

🖋️Which team are you hoping for?

I'm hoping I'll get Team Tolkien this year, since I've already got an idea that would fit Time Travel the best. I could probably find a way to make it work with the other teams though, and hopefully it will not be my only idea lol.

💻Which team do you least want to end up on?

Since I was on Team Chesterton last year, I don't really want to end up on that team again this year. I'm also just a bit more familiar with Tolkien and Lewis' works anyway. It would be cool to try out the new Earth Travel genre though, since I was one of the few that tried the Adventure genre.

📃Which genre/s do you feel least confident about?

Probably Intrusive Fantasy, followed by Space Travel.

📜Which genre/s do you feel most confident about?

I'd have to say Secondary World Fantasy.

[plainshobbit]

Trick or Treat🎃

Two children are born the same night in the same hour -- the heirs of two rival kingdoms. A girl is born to the leaders of a kingdom whose symbol is a dragon. A boy is born to their rival kingdom whose symbol is a phoenix.

That night the weaver finishes a magnificent tapestry of a phoenix and dragon intertwined rising into the night sky, trailing flame over crossed swords. Below the Pheonix crown lies crushed and shattered amid smoke and ash.

It is clear to the Pheonix king that this means that if his child should meet the child of his rival, they would unite and overthrow him. But he is a cunning and cruel man. He takes measures that he believes will prevent the prophecy from seeing its fulfillment. 

The years pass and the two children grow to be skilled warriors and fierce protectors of their kingdoms.

[siena-sevenwits]

Happy Shrove Tuesday!

You get "Gari-gari" performed by Trio Mandili! I love how much fun they always seem to be having in their videos and that they go for an unfinished, singing while walking style. This song just has such a fun beat, too. I love joyful singing in minor keys!

[allisonreader]

Well that's certainly an interesting way to misspelling my own name.

[fictionadventurer]

Just because I am so curious what you would come up with this title….

The Scorn Prince- historical fantasy

When I picked The Scorn Prince by Meryl North off of the library shelf on a whim, I had no clue that I was getting all my favorite fantasy tropes in one middle-grade (borderline YA) book. We've got a cozy sibling tale. We've got fantasy political intrigue. And we get a portal fantasy where the person from another world crosses to our world.

The Scorn Prince is one Jerrigan, crown prince of the fantasy realm of Ardwick, so-named because of his intense pride and sharp tongue that lead him to disdain basically everyone as his inferiors. As you can imagine, this doesn't make him many friends, and he winds up being overthrown in a revolution and driven into the wilderness, where he stumbles upon a portal that leads him to a coastal village in 1940s Maine. There, he's discovered by Ruth Yates and her brothers Walter and Edwin, who, naturally, think he's crazy, but decide to help him find food and shelter and navigate their world. There's all sorts of silly fish-out-of-water shenanigans, but also a surprisingly touching character arc, as Jerrigan learns humility and the kids learn to overcome some of their own character flaws that they see mirrored in Jerrigan. It's such a touching little tale of friendship (even a hint of romance), which makes the ending that much more bittersweet. I loved that Jerrigan had matured into someone who was worthy of and could reclaim his throne, but I'll admit that I teared up when he had to leave the Yates family behind. It's such a simple (almost too simple) story, but it hit so many things I love that I was kind of obsessed.

[lover-of-the-starkindler]

Previously on...

text by @allisonreader | art 1 and art 2 by @lady-merian

It's been so long you probably thought this project was failed and buried...

But no! The spine was glued. A case was made. And I finished! It's beautiful! There are gilt edges on the text block!

I could have made the case a smidge smaller as it turns out, but eh. Live and learn. I haven't decided if I should add a title on the front--it would be on the red, like the spine, but those iridescent feathers on the blue are just so. cool. (I couldn't find any paper like I was envisioning, so I had to paint my own design.)

[inklings-challenge]

Inklings Challenge 2024: Team Chesterton

It is time to officially announce the members of Team Chesterton for the 2024 Inklings Challenge

Members of Team Chesterton are challenged to write a science fiction or fantasy story within the Christian worldview that fits into one of these two genres:

Intrusive Fantasy: Stories where the fantastical elements intrude into the real world

Earth Travel: Science fiction or fantasy stories that feature any kind of land, sea, air, or underground travel on a past, present, future or alternate Earth

These genres are open to interpretation, and creativity is encouraged. You can use either or both of the prompts within your story, or if you’re feeling ambitious, you can write multiple stories.

Members of Team Chesterton are also asked to use at least one of the following seven Christian themes to inspire some part of their story.

Admonish the sinner

Instruct the ignorant

Counsel the doubtful

Comfort the sorrowful

Bear wrongs patiently

Forgive all injuries

Pray for the living and the dead

Writers are challenged to complete and post their story to a tumblr blog by October 21, 2024, though they are encouraged to post earlier if they finish their story before that date. There is no maximum or minimum word limit. Writers who have not completed their stories before the deadline are encouraged to post whatever they have written by October 21st and post the remainder at a later date. Writers are also welcome to post the entire story after the deadline.

Posting the Stories

All stories will be reblogged and archived on the main Inklings Challenge blog. To assist with organization, writers should tag their posts as follows:

Mention the main Challenge blog @inklings-challenge somewhere within the body of the post (which will hopefully alert the Challenge blog).

Tag the story #inklingschallenge, to ensure it shows up in the Challenge tag, and make it more likely that the Challenge blog will find it.

Tag the team that the author is writing for: #team lewis, #team tolkien, or #team chesterton. 

Tag the genre the story falls under: #genre: portal fantasy, #genre: space travel, #genre: secondary world, #genre: time travel, #genre: intrusive fantasy, #genre: earth travel

Tag any themes that were used within the story: #theme: admonish, #theme: instruct, #theme: counsel, #theme: comfort, #theme: patience, #theme: forgive, #theme: pray

Tag the completion status of the story: #story: complete or #story: unfinished

Team Members

The writers assigned to Team Chesterton are:

@afairmaiden

@agirlbelovedbygod

@allieinarden

@allisonreader

@apieters

@artist-issues

@butterflies-and-bumble-bees

@called-kept

@casa-anachar

@clarythericebot

@courage-is-when-we-face-our-fear

@dearlittlefandom-stalker

@dragonladyzarz

@drharleyquinn-medicinewoman

@ellakas

@esters-notepad

evanard

@flightsoffancyonpaperwings

@frangipani-wanderlust

@humanradiojmp

@iminlovewithpercyjackson

@katiethedane12

@kazeharuhime

@knight--error

@lover-of-the-starkindler

@maltheniel

@mels-library

@novelmonger

@novice-at-everything

@queenlucythevaliant

@ravenpuffheadcanons

@sashakielman

@secretariatess

@stealingmyplaceinthesun

@swinging-stars-from-satellites

@thalioneledhwen

@thebirdandhersong

@thefinaljediknight

@thelayofsolmonath

@ughnofreeusernames

@weird7habburger

@why-bless-your-heart

@wildlyironicbee

@zelda-was-here

Writing resources, including the Challenge overview, FAQ, writing prompts, and discussions of the genres are available at the Inklings Challenge Directory. Any writers with further questions can contact the Inklings Challenge blog for guidance.

Welcome to the Inklings Challenge, everyone! Now go forth and create!

[isfjmel-phleg]

Tamett Short Story 2

Again, I am so sorry that I did not check the documents before adding them to the list. This is a completed story that somehow didn't make it into the completed folder. You can read it in its entirety here.

[nurfhurdur]

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

🍓 ⇢ how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

I have to go back as far as middle school probably, where I would write my own 'stories' in notebooks with ideas from different fandoms before I even knew what fanfiction was. Then I did find fanfiction.net AGES ago. Those were some interesting and definitely cringeworthy times.

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

I'm not sure I want anyone to know that's happened lol

But it does remind me of a really old post I tagged @24hrsoda in about how people would probably die if we ever teamed up to do anything 🤣

🥤 ⇢ recommend an author or fanfic you love

I am so out of the loop on fanfics. I'm in multiple fandoms at the moment but really couldn't tell you a specific fic off the top of my head.

@allisonreader is a good writer.

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

@allisonreader has been there pretty much since the beginning.

@velitmentis has awesome asks and makes me really think about my characters on a deeper level

@peachymcqueen 's and my mutual love of the face claim for Jesse Hudson 😂

There are other mutuals I haven't talked to in a long time but I am applauding them in their different fandoms from affar.