This post is going to be exactly what the title claims (for once!). In response to two great posts by Cait at Notebook Sisters and Emily at The Loony Teen Writer, I'm cataloging some possible future story ideas for the record, and hopefully piquing the interest of my wonderful blog readers!
(Let's try and ignore the fact that this post is being published MONTHS later than the ones it's supposed to be responding to. I'm great at follow-up, aren't I? *sigh*)
I have too many story ideas. I have so many bouncing around in my head at once - it's nothing short of maddening.
These will be divided into novel ideas and short story ideas
Wow, I haven't done a Fiction Friday in a long while! And look - what a milestone. It's my tenth Fiction Friday here at Fairy Skeletons, and to celebrate, I'll be highlighting two extra-special short stories from Tor.com.
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| Gorgeous illustration for the story, done by Pascal Campion. |
Ignore the stirrings of war. Let the carriage to a royal ball wait. There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her...
"Bridge of Snow" by Marie Rutkoski - It's basically a given that I would love this one. After all, it's a tie-in to Rutkoski's fantasy YA book The Winner's Curse, which I'm sure I've talked about on this blog a number of times. I've gushed about the setting and characters to anyone who will listen, and this short glimpse into Arin's (the male protagonist's) past is a delightful bite of a country long gone.
Oh, and a short sampling for your enjoyment, which will undoubtedly lead to you reading the rest of the story if you haven't clicked the link already:
But how to tell her son the rest? The way the god silently followed the goatherd, so close that his shoulders grew frost? He drew for the snow god, whose frozen diamond tears fell at the sight of his images and rang against the rock. Every morning, he looked for her. He began to love the chattering of his teeth. When she appeared, the air sheered and sharpened. It became hard to breathe. Still, he longed for that painful purity.
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| Unfairly pretty illustration for the story, done by Karla Ortiz. |
Claire’s lover has no tongue. A slave liberated from a heathen temple, Aya cannot tell the story of her stolen voice, or of her and Claire’s unfolding love. She cannot speak her pain, her joy, or her sorrow. And if she sees that which eludes the blind goddess of justice, she cannot bear witness."In the Sight of Akresa" by Ray Wood - This piece is so tragic and lush. I loved the danger sweeping beneath every sentence, the rich fantasy worldbuilding done in such a short space of time, and the passion of the characters all around. I say without exaggerating that I want to read a book of this. From the bottom of my heart, I need a book of this.
And a little, slippery, burning quote for you:
I think you caught the waver in my voice. Your eyes plunged into me, direct as daggers, and I had to let mine drop. My fingers lingered on the leather of your glove as I handed the bird over. I had seen enough, in that look—I had seen, in the way your eyes hesitated on my hair and then my lips, that you shared something of my desire.Hopefully you all find as much to love in these pieces as I did. Happy Friday reading to you!
Oh man.
This song has worked its way into my bones and I don't even know why or how or when. I just love it so much.
So I've listened to three different versions of "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys.
It seems a little over the top, I know. But it's a great song, perfect for dark musings at ungodly hours of the night, simmering and dusky and cool. All three versions are equally fantastic and have their own appeal, so I've embedded them all below.
The Original: LISTEN ON SPOTIFY / or you can Google it if Spotify isn't working for you
The original evokes the most unique mood, I think, and that's what drew me to this song in the first place. There's a rough, bloodshot, half-crazy aesthetic to the entire thing that carries a dangerous appeal. (In fact, it reminds me so much of Ronan and Adam from Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series that I want to burst. Right down to the lyrics and the background and everything.)
The Vitamin String Quartet Cover:
The Paola Bennet Cover:
I've talked about Paola Bennet before - in the very first Music Monday post I ever did, in fact. But I couldn't resist featuring her again for this cover because it's gorgeous. It makes me ache in corners of my heart I never knew existed.
So I know this is a bit of a short post, but hopefully the music rec makes up for it! I'll leave you with a snippet of my favorite part of the song:
This song has worked its way into my bones and I don't even know why or how or when. I just love it so much.
So I've listened to three different versions of "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys.
It seems a little over the top, I know. But it's a great song, perfect for dark musings at ungodly hours of the night, simmering and dusky and cool. All three versions are equally fantastic and have their own appeal, so I've embedded them all below.
The Original: LISTEN ON SPOTIFY / or you can Google it if Spotify isn't working for you
The original evokes the most unique mood, I think, and that's what drew me to this song in the first place. There's a rough, bloodshot, half-crazy aesthetic to the entire thing that carries a dangerous appeal. (In fact, it reminds me so much of Ronan and Adam from Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series that I want to burst. Right down to the lyrics and the background and everything.)
The Vitamin String Quartet Cover:
This is a tiny bit slower than the original (a really tiny bit!), but I love string quartets with the fire of a thousand suns, and the way VSQ has interpreted the song here makes it just as amazing even without the lyrics.
The Paola Bennet Cover:
I've talked about Paola Bennet before - in the very first Music Monday post I ever did, in fact. But I couldn't resist featuring her again for this cover because it's gorgeous. It makes me ache in corners of my heart I never knew existed.
So I know this is a bit of a short post, but hopefully the music rec makes up for it! I'll leave you with a snippet of my favorite part of the song:
So have you got the guts?
Been wondering if your heart's still open
And if so I wanna know what time it shuts
Simmer down and pucker up
I'm sorry to interrupt
It's just I'm constantly on the cusp
Of trying to kiss you
Enjoy, and do comment with your thoughts!
