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Wednesday Word: Josephina's Guide to Magic for Kids--The Last Chapter

11/28/2018

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Read the Whole Story beginning with Part One here!
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six

Picture
​     Josephina watched as the girls made breakfast, and Benny ran about helping them. Outside, the sun was shining above the dazzling lake, and a few strange looking but no longer threatening people were walking on the sand. Tall, green trees swayed gently in the breeze and every now and then there was the sound of a bird chirping. They hadn’t found ways to reintroduce all kinds of nature yet, but it was a promising start.
​     She opened her guidebook, and put pen to paper.
​     It’s been nearly a year inside this strange new world. At least, within our perceptions of time. We may be trapped here for the rest of our lives, but at least those lives may be long and happy again.
​     We’re no longer threatened by the shadow beings who dwell here. If we’re dead, they may have been too, and just couldn’t figure out how to light up the darkness. Bonnie said they wanted our light and color. We thought that meant they would take it by force (which, let’s be honest, they would have). But now that we’ve learned to bring all of our light and color out into the world, they can share in it without hurting us. It’s made them almost human. Who knows? Someday, there might be more than the four of us.
​     Bonnie and Raven are happily in love, and their love has amplified their magic. I’m no longer the best at it. Now, my job is mostly to record what we’ve all learned, and to keep Benny’s education on track.
​     Benny is a smart kid. He didn’t want schooling at first, because, well, why bother, wherever we are? But I promised it would be fun, and he doesn’t have to worry about bullies or getting in trouble over silly things like talking to dogs. We’re actually working on magicing up a little pug for him. And somehow, that doesn’t sound so weird anymore.
​     
As for me, though I miss my children terribly, this new family has brought me a strange new happiness. My kids were starting to reach the “I don’t need my parents” age, and here, I have a purpose again. Learning and teaching magic, raising Benny, and helping Raven learn that’s she was never as bad as her parents told her she was. From everything we’ve all learned, I think the most important lesson is this: Magic is easiest when done as a family.




​     “It worked. They’ve learned to manipulate their surroundings. Do we wake them yet?”
​     “No… It’s clear they all possess magic, but not clear enough yet how much, or what kinds. This only raises further questions. Do people from the non-magical world have gifts, or are they all, as we thought, possessing magic but ungifted? The boy in particular is an anomaly. If someone as young as he can do what he can, it seems he is gifted. But his other talents so far have proven nearly as strong, which might mean something we never thought possible. People from the non-magic world may be able to be multitalented.”
​     “That’s impossible.”
​     “Perhaps, but we’ll need more tests to be sure. Is the next group of subjects ready?”
​     “Nearly. They’re hooked up and sedated. We’re nearly finished programming their world.”
​     ​The two scientists left the lab where four people lay in hospital beds: one middle-aged woman, two twenty-year-old girls, and one ten-year-old boy.

The End

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Monday Music: Anaconda - Vintage Bluegrass Hoedown - Style Nicki Minaj Cover (Postmodern Jukebox)

11/26/2018

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Of all the sillier songs PostModern Jukebox does, this has to be my favorite. The transformation is ridiculous, and yet somehow works perfectly. Also, this video is an instant uplifter. Just look at that puppy!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Wednesday Word: Josephina's Guide to Magic For Kids (Part Six)

11/21/2018

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Part One
Two
Three
​Four
Five

Picture
     When Josephina and Benny dropped from the sky, they sank deep, deep down into the dark water. But she could breathe. Benny was holding a protective bubble around the two of them. “You did it!” she said.
     The silence was oppressive after all the noise of the strange city. It felt like it was closing in around them, just like the dark.
     “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” Benny said. “Bonnie said it was light down here and a nice fishy helped them get out. Why is it so dark?”
     “I think it’s because we’re scared for them,” Josephina said. “And for us, too. All that just for some supplies… I’ll feel much better when the four of us are home. Here, honey, I’ll help light the way. Maybe I can propel us, too. You just focus on helping us breathe, and I’ll get us to shore, okay? We can test our communication equipment when we get home, and I’m sure we’ll reach them.”
     Benny nodded, and Josephina closed her eyes to focus on helping them move through the water. Their bubble moved forward, and the darkness lifted a little, but it was still eerily dead beneath the water. She thought of many more things she could say to try and reassure the boy, but her own worry was too heavy. Where were those girls? Would their communication equipment work? Would their safe house still be safe when they arrived? She wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
     It was only a small relief to find the shore empty of shadows. Trouble was, it was empty of all life. “I want to wait here,” Benny said. “If they came first, they would have waited for us.”
     “We’ll wait until sundown, but after that we need to get indoors. We don’t know what’s out here at night, and it isn’t safe. I wouldn’t want them waiting at night for us.”
     “But we have to! It’s all my fault we got separated! They wanted to go home, and I said we should stay!”
     “No, we made that decision together. It’s my call, in the end, I’m—”
     “What? You’re not our mom!”
     “But I’m the best you three have got! I don’t know where we are or why we’re here, all I know is I care about you, and Raven and Bonnie.”
     “So we have to wait for them!”
     “I know, honey. But we have to protect ourselves, too. We’re no use to them if the shadows get us. They know where our house is, once they see the beach is empty, they’ll come home. Here,” she handed him the walkie-talkie from her bag. “You can try to reach them, if you like.”
     Benny took it, but didn’t use it. “I don’t think I should just yet. It might be too loud with the shadows nearby. I’ll know when to use it. I get feelings like that.”
     ​“You’ve got a good gut, kid,” Josephina said. “We’ll just have to trust it, and wait.”


     Raven’s eyes opened slowly. She felt dazed, and the entire left side of her body hurt. How could she be hurt in a dream? The train… One of the cars must have hit her. How hadn’t it killed her? Or woke her?
     “Raven? Oh, please, please, be okay. It’s me, it’s Bonnie. You’re safe. Please, please, wake up, I can’t do this without you…”
     “Where are we?” she muttered.
     “Back in my old safe house. Oh my god, Raven, I thought you were dead… If Josephina hadn’t taught us magic, I…”
     “You saved me?” She sat up slowly, cautiously moving her limbs. Everything felt bruised, but nothing felt broken.
     “Well, you saved me first. Jumping in front of that train like some cheesy superhero. Thank you, though. And now I guess I can add healing to my magical resume,” Bonnie said, giving her that sweet little smile Raven adored. Tears spilled from her eyes a moment later. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” she threw herself into Raven’s arms.
     “Oww, take it easy!”
     “Sorry!” Bonnie pulled back.
     “It’s okay,” Raven giggled. Feeling bold, she took Bonnie’s face in her hands and planted a kiss on her lips.
     “Oh,” Bonnie’s whole face turned bright red. She leaned in and kissed her, a proper long, sweet kiss. Raven forgot all her pain for a moment, and even forgot she was living in a nightmare. “Oh, I hope you’re real, Raven,” Bonnie said. “I wish everything else would disappear, and you and me were the only real ones in the world!”
     “What about Jo and Benny?”
     “Oh! Oh, of course, them too, I was just so worried about you I forgot—oh, I’m terrible, I’m just the worst! I hope they’re safe!”
     “I think they are. I was distracted by something jumping into the sky before I got hit… It must have been them. They’re probably back home…”
     “Funny how that’s home now…”
     “Funny how I could survive getting hit by a train,” Raven said. “If this is a dream, wouldn’t that wake me up?”
     “Raven, I’ve been wondering… Maybe this isn’t a dream.”
     “What else could it be?”
     “That’s what scares me,” Bonnie said. “What if… What if we’re dead? I mean, you couldn’t die again, but we still have our souls, we know that because those things seem to want them…”
     “Do you think this is hell?”
     “I don’t know. If it was, would we have any power at all? I think we’re somewhere in between places, like, it’s a test. If we can’t make it good, it will be bad.”
     ​“Well,” Raven said, slowly testing her body, and lifting herself to sit up. “We better get back home and make it happen.”

     Darkness fell, and there was still no sign of Raven and Bonnie. Benny held his walkie-talkie, but still didn’t use it, and didn’t put up a fight when Josephina told him it was time to go. Back in their home, they sat in anxious silence, waiting.
     “Benny? Come in, kiddo, it’s Bonnie.”
     Both of them jumped and stared at the walkie-talkie. Finally Benny shook himself and answered. “Bonnie?” His little voice sounded strange from lack of use. He cleared his throat. “Bonnie? Is that really you?”
     “Yeah, hon, it’s me.”
     “And Raven too!” said a more distant voice.
     “Are you guys okay?”
     “Yeah, we just made it to the beach! Where are you two?”
     “We’re safe! We’re at our house, hurry up and get here!”
     “Well, I don’t know about hurrying, but we’ll be there soon. Can you put Josephina on?”
     Benny handed her the walkie-talkie.
     “Girls! Are you two okay?”
     “Well, we will be. Raven got hurt pretty bad, but she’s alright now. We’re on our way. No shadows in sight, but, you know, it’s dark out… I tried to re-create your invisibility spell, but we can’t tell if that’s working either, and… Hm… If you could have some tea ready, maybe infuse it with some healing magic, ‘cause you’re probably a lot better at that than I am…”
     “Of course, dear, of course,” she hurried to get the tea ready, preparing herself to slip into her magical trance. “See you soon. Bye, Bonnie.”

     Raven had never been happier to enter their strange, remodeled shack. They were greeted with hugs from Josephina and Benny, and hot cups of tea. Josephina settled her on the couch while Bonnie explained what happened, and how they’d saved each other’s lives. Benny bounced around the house in excitement until Josephina commanded him to go to bed.
     “I should be getting some sleep too,” Bonnie said. “Come on, kiddo, let’s get you tucked in.” She and Benny both kissed Raven goodnight, and Bonnie ushered Benny to his room.
     Josephina stayed with Raven. “Here, sweetie, have another cup.”
     “Thanks,” she muttered, and sipped it slowly.
     “How are you feeling?”
     “Better now. Still a little sore, but nothing’s broken.”
     “Good. Maybe you’ll be all better by morning.”
     “Josephina… Do you think this is a dream?”
     “I’m not sure anymore. I don’t like Bonnie’s ‘we’re all dead’ theory, but it does make sense.”
     “I don’t know how I would have died.”
     “What is your story, dear? You don’t talk about yourself like the others.”
     “Well, there’s not much to tell. I guess I’m just a classic case of a troubled teen who never grew up.”
     “How old are you?”
     “Twenty. Left home at sixteen. Finished high school by myself, though. No one thought I could.”
     “That must have been hard. You’re a strong girl, to do that for yourself, good for you. Why did you leave home so young?”
     Raven shrugged. How could she tell this lovely woman, with the perfect family waiting for her, what a screw up she was? Maybe she wouldn’t want someone like that around little Benny. Bonnie was their savior, after all.
     “You can talk to me, Raven. You actually remind me quite a bit of my own daughter. I’ve got two boys, and my middle child is the only girl. She’s tough on the outside like you, but I think she’s just trying to appear that way for the rest of them. My oldest son, he’s been bullied for years, and she’s been his protector. But who looks after her? Mom and Dad can’t always be there when she’s out in the world, and she acts like she doesn’t need anyone. I hope she’s alright, now that I’m stuck here. Indulge me, Raven. I need to help you kids to feel useful. Have you had no one to care for you since you were sixteen?”
     Raven hesitated for a moment, until she remembered where she was. If none of this is real, why not tell her?
     “Well… No, I guess not. Not even before that, really. My parents weren’t exactly abusive, necessarily, just… I’d get into trouble, right, just ordinary teen stuff, and they’d blow it out of proportion. Thought I was a devil worshiper or something. I mean, just because I dressed goth and like new age crap, suddenly I’m a witch. I mean, I guess I did make pretty weird stuff happen sometimes. One night I was up late reading, and I had a few candles lit. I was focused on the book, but I noticed the light in the room changing, and when I looked up, all my candles were floating in the air. I thought it was a dream. I’m still not sure if it was real or not. Well… Now I’m not sure if anything is, or anything ever was.”
     “You’re not alone, you know. I’ve caused plenty of weird occurrences in my past life, too. Scared my husband half to death. And little Benny got in trouble at his school for things he didn’t mean to do. All of these weird things we have in common might help us figure out why we’re here.”
     “Are you all really here, though? I mean, how do I know I didn’t make you all up? I don’t really think we’re dead either, and maybe that’s just denial, but… I don’t know. I’m still afraid I’m lying in the hospital somewhere, and I’ve finally come unhinged. In a lot of ways this is hell, but at the same time… I don’t understand how suddenly I have this perfect mother figure sitting next to me wanting to listen and help me with all my problems. I don’t understand how I found Bonnie, who’s like, my dream girl, and I think she actually likes me too.”
     “Did your parents know you’re gay?”
     “Yeah. Said they wouldn’t kick me out, still ‘loved me’ or whatever, but didn’t like it at all. Did everything they could to show me it was wrong while trying to maintain the supportive parent illusion so everybody else thought they were wonderful. So, that was sort of the last straw, and I left on my own as soon as I could. But… You don’t have a problem with it, do you?”
     “Of course not, dear. Actually, my oldest son came out fairly recently. I always sort of knew, so I was glad to hear him say it.”
     “Are you serious? Do you see what I mean, why I’m afraid I’m making all of this up? I’m sorry if I’m wrong—if you’re real and have a real family waiting for you back home. And poor Benny, his parent’s must be worried sick. But you’re too perfect to be real. You three are everything missing from my life. I even have a little sister who I was barely allowed to spend time with because my parents thought I was a bad influence, and now Ben’s like another sibling to me…” she sighed. “I should have been better to her. I thought the shadows would impersonate my parents, I didn’t even think…”
     “Don’t beat yourself up about it. If and when we get back home, now you know to call her up. Seems to me like you had enough on your plate.”
     “Seems to me like I’m a coward. To see her, I’d have to see them. I don’t even know why it still bothers me. I’m an adult, I shouldn’t care what my parents think of me anymore.”
     Josephina smiled, gently shaking her head. “I don’t know why everyone believes that. Being an adult doesn’t mean a switch goes off in your brain to turn off those kinds of bad feelings. Being an adult just means you’re free to live your own life now, and you can move on from those judgements and expectations your parents put on you. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, or that you’ll never shed a tear for them again. Think of it this way—you lived with them for sixteen years, and plenty of kids live with them longer than that. Anyone else you lived with for that long—if you had a long-time girlfriend for example—you wouldn’t be expected to drop your feelings for her so easily after breaking up and moving away.
     “Never thought of it like that. Everyone just tells me to stop being a baby.”
     “Seems to me like you did. You moved out and did the best you could for yourself. Emotions are sticky sometimes. But as long as you keep moving forward, like you are, you’ll break away in time.”
     “I’m not sure what ‘moving forward’ means if I’m here. Either I made it all up, or I’m not alive at all.”
     “Would you be in such a nightmare, if you invented it all yourself?”
     She shrugged. “Well, that’s the weird part where it only started as a nightmare. I don’t know what’s what anymore, but we have learned how to shift our surroundings. We can turn this nightmare realm into paradise.”
     “And we will.”
     “Thanks for the talk, Jo. I think I’m just gonna sleep out here tonight.”
     “You’re welcome, Raven. Goodnight.”

     Josephina was getting herself ready for bed when she spotted Benny creeping toward her room. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
     “I can’t sleep,” he said.
     “Come along then,” she said, taking his hand and guiding him back to his room.
     “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he said, as Josephina tucked him in. “I’m a big boy, I don’t need you mommying me.”
     Josephina giggled. The sweet boy was holding her hand the whole time he spoke. “Well, please humor an old woman. I miss my kids too much not to mommy you.” She kissed his forehead. “Want me to sing you a lullaby?”
     “If you insist,” he said, nodding eagerly.
     “Okay. Close your eyes.”
 
Keep your eyes bright
Keep your heart light
Turn your thoughts to the good and right
Think of me on your darkest days
Remember all the things I used to say
Though the darkness reaches high
Look to me, I’ll be your sky
When you feel like you could scream
Ask me if this is just a dream
It will be but a memory
When morning’s light shines merrily
So keep your eyes bright
Keep you heart light
Trust me, it will be all right
Little one, there’s no need to cry
Look to me, it’s just a dream
I will be your sky

Josephina's Guide to Magic for Kids will Conclude Next Wednesday!

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Tuesday Tips: No conflict vs. Unnecessary Conflict—how to spice things up

11/20/2018

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So, last week we discussed some unnecessary conflict in your story. Now that you’ve cut those scenes, you might be feeling frustrated because now you’re back to not having enough conflict. How do you add extra conflict while avoiding unnecessary conflict?
 
Ask yourself what your characters really care about. Who do they want to become at the end of the book, and what will help them get there?

If you’re writing fantasy, perhaps you can add in more, smaller tests of your main characters skill. Do you have a minor villain who can make a few appearances? Does your main character need a rival?

If you don't have enough conflict because you've cut right to the chase, your character is probably tested under high stakes, and probably succeeds. Ask yourself how often you've let them fail. Add in some scenes where they make mistakes. These don't always have to be low-stakes, learning situations, or even fights with a rival where embarrassment is the only consequence. Major, costly failures for our major characters really keep the audience on their toes. They'll push your main character toward becoming who she needs to become


Remember, perfection may be fun to write about, but it’d dreadfully boring to read about. If you don't have the best opportunities in your book to let your characters fail, you can probably find ways to present them with difficult choices. How often do they say or do the right thing? How often is the right thing obvious?

How are their relationships? Does everyone get along all the time? Now, adding in some fights with loved ones can be a risky move if it's only done for "extra conflict." If you're going to add in a fight, make sure there's a good reason behind the fight, and not something that can be resolved on the next page. You can bring out deeper conflicts in character's relationships when they argue. Perhaps with each argument, a little more is revealed, and by the end of the book, resolved. Just don't throw one in unless you mean it.

Basically, the best way to "add" conflict is to check in on your "too perfect" characters. While they may not be actual "Mary Sue" types, some aspects of their storylines might be going to smoothly. It's easy to get caught up in vicarious writing: you never think of the perfect thing to say in the moment, so you let your characters say it when they're faced with a similar situation. Check in with those moments and make sure they're realistic. Humans are flawed. Let your characters own their flaws too.

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Monday Music: Straight No Chaser - Ruined Disney songs

11/19/2018

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Hm, you know what we haven't had enough of lately? Acapella music. Straight No Chaser is always delightful. This song was another favorite from when I saw them in concert last summer. 
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Wednesday Word: Josephina's Guide to Magic For Kids--Part Five

11/14/2018

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Part One
Two
Three
​Four

Picture
     Josephina didn’t want to take any chances, but as the four of them walked down the streets, it seemed like her magic was holding. She glanced in the direction of the shadows every now and then, and no one was looking back at them.
     She wondered where they would find the first item on her list: food. The idea of these things shopping at grocery stores, eating at cafés, or even making bread at an old-fashioned bakery seemed bizarre to her. But there was much more to work with here, and she was certain she could manifest something. She just wasn’t sure how well her invisibility magic would hold if she attempted other magic on top of it.
     “Follow me,” she whispered to the others. Without breaking rhythm, she guided the others away from the main streets, down to darker alleyways where no one else could see them. There, she went to the first door she could find, and focused on what she needed to find.
     “I smell something good,” Benny whispered.
     “Excellent,” Josephina whispered back. “Keep thinking about it…”
     Behind the door was a small bakery, and on the counter were loaves of fresh baked bread. The shadowy woman behind the counter had her back turned. Josephina crept forward and grabbed a loaf of bread. Raven stepped forward to do the same, followed by Bonnie.
     Benny, however, didn’t move. He was frozen, staring at the woman behind the counter. Raven gestured for him to hurry and follow them out. There was another door next to the counter, and Josephina had her handle on the knob. But the shadowy woman turned, and met Benny’s eyes. “M-Mom?” he said.
     “Benny, it’s time you come home,” said the shadow woman. She walked right through the counter in front of her, and extended her hand to Benny. “Come on. Right now.”
     “She’s not your mom!” Bonnie exclaimed, and the shadow woman’s head snapped toward the other three. Raven ran forward, grabbed Benny, and took off running toward the door, the shadow woman right on their heels.
     “Quick, quick, quick!” Josephina cried. When all three were through the door, Josephina hurried through herself and slammed it shut just as the shadow woman reached it. Outside was a small, dreary garden, but as sad as it looked, it was growing. “Grab what you can, just keep running!” Josephina commanded the others. She plucked some flowers off of branches, some berries, and some random twigs and leaves. It wasn’t the neat packet of seeds she had pictured, but enough to work with, and that was all that mattered. No other shadows were in sight, but the shadow woman was banging on the door, rattling the knob. “This way!” Josephina cried, and hurried with them all around another corner. “We need a place to hide!”
     “There!” said Bonnie, pointing to a door so small, they all had to crouch down to fit inside. “The little ones are usually safe.”
     “Usually?” Raven said. But they had no other choice. They hurried through, and Bonnie slammed the door behind them.
     The room they had entered could hardly be called a room. Just a cramped, dark, dirty cave. But they all let out a sigh of relief because it was empty, and safe.
     Benny was in Josephina’s arms before she knew it. “I’m sorry!” he cried. “I thought… She looked like…”
     “It’s okay, sweetie, we made it,” Josephina said. “Shh… It’s okay…”
     “But your spell worked, Jo,” Bonnie said. “Do it again.”
     “And then we’ll go home?” Raven asked.
     “No!” Benny said, pulling away from Josephina. “We don’t have to give up because of me! Now we know they’ll try to mess with us, we just can’t look at them!”
     “Well, we did only get two things on our list crossed off,” Josephina said. “Who thinks we should keep trying?”
     “I guess so,” Bonnie said, “I mean, we’ll have to walk down the street with all the shops anyway. I think we got the most difficult things first.”
     “Raven? What do you say?”
     ​Raven sighed. “Okay, fine. Let’s do it.”


     Raven didn’t want to admit her fear. If the shadows could imitate people from their old lives, maybe the others could resist, but she didn’t think she could. But before they left the cave, Bonnie took her hands in hers, and whispered, “Just keep your eyes on me.” All Raven could do was nod, but the gesture gave her more strength than she could express.
     The first shop they entered had electronics, and a few toy ones as well. They grabbed a pair of walkie-talkies, and a video game console for Ben, as well as a random game. There was no time to pick and choose. Enough to work with was all that mattered. Raven had no idea why these shadowy people would have stores like these, but she realized that the more she thought of them as human, the more human they began to look. But she didn’t risk more than periphery glances.
     The next was a clothing store, where they each picked up a new item to work with. Bonnie started to hurry them along, and Raven took the hint, scooting the others out the door. “Who did you see?”
     “An ex,” she said. “This place is really trying to mess with us.”
     “Good job getting away, though,” Raven whispered.
     In the next store, Josephina found cleaning supplies. Raven heard her gasp when she looked at the end of one aisle, where three, smaller shadowy figures were gathered.
     “Jo. Look at me,” Raven whispered. Josephina spun away from the distorted versions of her three children. Raven grabbed a bottle of something off the shelf, stuck it in her bag, and guided Josephina away.
     The last store was the most important, and the one Raven was most afraid to enter. It was the same bookstore she’d been chased out of right before she met Bonnie. Her parent’s voices were already here. But they couldn’t split up outside a store. If she were to wait outside, she’d be even more vulnerable to an attack by a shadow impersonating one of her parents.
     Inside the book store, they each went to a different section, keeping at least one of the group in sight. They had this routine down pretty well now. Josephina and Benny kept their eyes on each other, and Raven kept her eyes on Bonnie. Bonnie was just down the aisle, and as long as she was there, Raven knew she’d be okay. She took a book off the shelf, and tucked it in her bag.
     Someone tugged at her shirt. “Benny, what’s wrong?” she whispered. But when she turned to him, she found someone who definitely wasn’t Benny.
     “Why’d you leave me, Raven?” her little sister asked. Her gaze made her feel more than visible, like a spotlight was shining on her. “Why’d you run away, when they were so mean to both of us? You never noticed they hurt me too, did you?”
     “Raven!” Bonnie whispered.
     Raven snapped alert again. All the shadows in the book store were staring at them. Among them were her parents, Benny’s mother, Josephina’s children, and several others she didn’t recognize, but knew where more ghosts from their past lives.
     ​Bonnie’s hand in hers broke her paralysis. “Just look at me,” she whispered, and together, they ran.


     Josephina gripped Benny’s hand tightly as the two of them ran and ran. Raven and Bonnie weren’t too far ahead of them, but they had to catch up, their best chance was together… How did she let those two girls get away from them at all? But just as she wondered this, Bonnie and Raven spun around, and raced back toward them. Josephina’s heart nearly stopped. What could possibly be worse than the shadows of their loved ones chasing them with those terrible eyes?
     “Train!” the girls both shouted at once, and the loud horn sounded. A train came charging down the street, straight for them.
     “This way!” Josephina shouted, pulling Benny down another street. The girls quickly followed, but the horn sounded again. Several cars broke off the train and came after them. Josephina didn’t know where Raven and Bonnie were, all she knew was she and Benny had to stay together. The cars were breaking off in every direction, taking off down every track. She hadn’t realized before that train tracks crisscrossed in every direction on the ground. Had they always? Doesn’t matter, it’s all dream rules, she reminded herself. All that mattered was the ground was no longer safe. “If Raven can fly, Ben, I think we ought to try it. Hold on to me, and think like a bird!” She sprang into the air. To her surprise, it worked.
     Benny was squeezing her tightly. “I can’t do it myself, I can’t!” he cried.
     “It’s okay, I’ve got you! We’ve got to head for the water. Remember what Bonnie told us?”
     “But what if we can’t breathe underwater like she can?”
     “If I can’t, I’m sure you can, Benny! There’s a reason we all have to stick together. And if neither of us has it, we’ll swim for our lives. But I hear helicopters, and we’ve just got to risk it.”      
     “Where are the others?”
     ​“I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll meet us back home.” She didn’t trust her own words. Scanning the skies, she didn’t see another pair of humans. Just black helicopters coming for them. There really was no other choice but to flee.

     Down the streets they flew, turning corner after corner, but the train cars still chased. Raven followed Bonnie’s lead, remembering she used to have a safe house here somewhere. That was their only hope, and Bonnie was the only one who knew the entrance.
     “It’s a dream,” she muttered to herself. “It’s a dream, it’s a dream, it’s a dream!” Those cars couldn’t really hurt her, she thought. If she died here, surely she’d just wake up safe at home. Safe, but… Not really at home. Not without Bonnie.
     “Here!” Bonnie shouted. “This way!”
     She’d found the secret entrance to their safe house, but her back was turned to the train track. “Bonnie, look out!” Raven shouted. Without thinking, she threw herself in the way of the car heading straight for Bonnie. She heard the impact more than she felt it, heard Bonnie cry out in horror, and then everything went black. 

To Be Continued...

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Tuesday Tips: No Conflict vs. Unnecessary Conflict—How to Prevent the Unnecessary

11/13/2018

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​We’ve all heard not to make things too easy for our characters. Sometimes, in our impatience, we want to cut to the juiciest scenes, so we make things a little too easy up until that point (more on that in a later week… probably). Then, we may be told our story needs more conflict. So we throw in a few things: a fight with a loved one, a loss of an important object the story can’t continue without, a drastic change of plans, etc…
 
But do we need these extra conflicts? Ever been reading a book and found the story is dragging because the added conflict seems so unnecessary? Maybe it’s easily solvable, maybe the main character is having emotions you don’t connect with, or maybe they think they can’t go on without something/someone when it’s perfectly clear to you, the reader, that they can.
 
How do you know if you have the right amount of conflict?
 
First, identify your reading pet peeves. What kinds of conflicts frustrate you? What do you see as unnecessary? Consider how much your audience will share your perspective, and write accordingly. Also consider if there's anything these peeves from different stories have in common. Usually, the common thread is predictability.
 
I've found this to be a good rule: If the conflict has an easy solution that readers will be able to predict, cut it or change it. For example, in the “hero’s journey” story model, I find the “refusal of the call” phase to be useless and boring. Of course your hero needs a good reason to say yes, but since we already know there’s a whole lot of book ahead, we already know that they do say yes. Having extra pages where a character thinks things over, needs convincing, and argues with others about why they just can’t go is maddening to me. We already know that eventually, they will go.
 
Another example is a fight with a loved one where two pages later, they both apologize and forgive each other. Now, sometimes this is a reoccurring thing that denotes a deeper issue, and one or both parties walk away still frustrated, because they know it will happen again. This can be something that builds throughout the story until the real, core issue is finally addressed and resolved at the end. But I’m talking about a fight that was thrown in for extra conflict, but ended up being useless. If the characters are going to genuinely forgive each other on the next page, what was the point of the argument?

Don't waste your reader's time. Think about where the reader thinks the story will go next, then go somewhere else. You'll probably find something much more worthwhile and a lot more fun down a stranger road.
Mansion's Twins
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Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Monday Music: LoveNotes Quartet Bohemian Rhapsody

11/12/2018

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Here's some lovely, four-part harmony acapella to kick of this week! I absolutely adore these girls. Happy Monday!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Wednesday Word: Josephina's Guide To Magic For Kids (Part Four)

11/7/2018

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Read Part One Here, Part Two Here, and Part Three Here!

Picture
     The next few days were spent experimenting. At first it seemed like progress was being made. They hadn’t encountered a single shadow, so all the guards were working well. They had managed to enlarge the shack enough so they all had their own room, a nice clean living space, and a kitchen. But after a while the progress began to slow. It seemed the more they experimented and changed old objects, the less changeable the objects became.
     “I hate to say this,” Josephina said on the fifth day. “But I think we need new stuff.”
     “We can’t go out, though, right?” Benny said.
     “You don’t have to, kiddo,” Raven said. “I can go out with Bonnie or Jo, and you can stay here safe. But we can’t live like this anymore. We need more to work with to expand outside the house.”
     “I think we all need to stick together,” Bonnie said. “That’s what that creepy lady said in my first house. Our chances are best together. Don’t worry, though, Ben. We’ll keep you safe.”
     Josephina took the sheets from their beds and transformed them into large, sturdy bags. She handed one to each of the group, then opened her book and ripped out a blank page. “What are we picking up? I’d say we need some actual food, even if it’s just a loaf of bread. I’ll bet I could work wonders with that.”
     “Maybe we should plant our own garden!” Bonnie suggested. “If we could get seeds, or, I don’t know, a plant that’s already growing, we could turn it into whatever we want.”
     “We need books,” Raven said.
     “Yeah, and I’m bored,” Benny said. “I’d like something fun to do. I don’t know if they have any toys, or games or anything in shadow world, but it’d be cool if we found something to make into any of those things.”
     “Maybe a real communication device for the outside world?” Bonnie said. “I know we all had temporary cell phones pop up in our pockets, and I don’t know if anything else would even work. But if we got some electronics, we could at least try.”
     “Yeah,” Benny said. “I miss my mom.”
     “I know, honey,” Josephina said, giving him a quick squeeze.
     “It’s funny your writing a shopping list for shadow world,” Benny said. “My mom would do the same thing.”
     “Sometimes habits are all we have. Anything else? I know it’s a bit silly, but I’m tried of magicing up my own cleaning supplies. If we had some real ones, maybe we could make the rest of this neighborhood a bit nicer too. With magic, of course,” she added, noticing Raven’s eye roll. “I think Bonnie’s seeds should help us with that too.”
     “I need new clothes, too,” Bonnie said.
     “Guys, isn’t this getting to be a lot?” Raven asked.
     “We only need a little of each thing to stretch a long way, and if things go south, we can run, and try again another day.”


     Raven was surprised to see the boat she and Bonnie arrived in was still there, and hadn’t transformed back into a log.
     “Where’d you get a boat?” Benny asked.
     “Bonnie magiced one up for us out of a log,” Raven said.
     “Hey, if we can do stuff like that, can’t we just make ourselves invisible?” Benny asked.
     “It’s certainly worth trying,” Raven said. Though she wasn’t sure if their “magic” was strong enough to hide them from the piercing gaze of the shadow’s glowing eyes.
     “All aboard!” Bonnie said, “We’ll get invisible on the water!”
     The four of them boarded the boat, which expanded to accommodate the extra people. Once on the water, the boat moved as though it knew the way. Josephina set about to putting spells on each of them, leaving herself for last. “We need to stay visible to each other, but not to shadows, so we won’t know if it worked until we’re in town. It’s best we try to blend in, and take every possible precaution against those things.”
     “Stay quiet, emotionless, and move in rhythm with them,” Raven said.
     “Do you think we should stay together, the four of us, or go in pairs?” Bonnie asked.
     “We’ll stay together as much as we can. Only break into pairs if we need to, and never for long. Agreed?”
     “Agreed,” the other three whispered. The town was coming into view out of the fog.
     The boat moved to the shore, and waited for the passengers to depart. After all four were on land, it sank into the water and disappeared. Must be too conspicuous, Raven thought. But as long as they stayed together, Bonnie could magic up another boat to get home…
     For now, they couldn't think about how to get back. All they could do was face what was ahead of them: a town full of shadowy beings who wanted to steal their light. Their souls depended on how well they could blend in, and how quickly they could return to safety.

To Be Continued...
Read Part Five Here

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
Stories of the Early Days
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Tuesday Tips: Perfection is Boring

11/6/2018

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​Ever read a book where the main character has a problem with some aspect of their life because she’s “too pretty” or has “too much magical power”? Ever read a book where conflicts are solved within a page, and happiness and safety restored and maintained throughout the story? It's pretty dull, right? I mean, what's the point of telling a story when everything is always perfect, near-perfect, or will be perfect again after a brief moment of discomfort?
 
Now, I won’t mention the title of this book, because I literally don’t remember it. But it was a book where a guy from another dimension was sent to earth to protect a girl from demons, and they fell in love. Sounds cool, right? But the author avoided danger and conflict like we want to in real life. There were moments of danger, but they passed far too quickly, and moments of perfection were dragged out. The main girl had a birthday party coming up, and things had been so good and perfect for so many chapters leading up to it, I was sure, 100% sure, that there would be a demon attack at her party. Or at least something would go wrong. I was very disappointed when the party went by without one moment of imperfection, let alone danger.
 
I understand the idea of readers living vicariously through the main character, and how on the surface, it seems nice to let them live out a perfect love story. But if there’s no danger, there are no stakes, and the “perfect” love story doesn’t seem worth anything.
 
Also, too much perfection isn’t relatable. Even someone who believes they’re beautiful always has at least some aspect of their appearance they don’t like. And in a magical world, where people generally have one gift, it’s way more fun to read about a character who has none at all than one with multiple gifts.
 
Less perfection means more struggles. More emotion. More development and growth. If you’re shying away from letting your characters have this, ask yourself, do you shy away in real life? Maybe you never do, and you’re writing vicariously to give yourself a break. Or, maybe you often do, to the point where feeling your character’s emotions scares you.

Our job as writers isn't to put readers in a place where everything is okay, or going to be okay on the next page. Our job is to take them on a journey. Why do you love reading? If it's for those beautiful, perfect moments, as yourself why you appreciate them. It's probably because they were fought for and well-earned.

Let your characters struggle and grow. The best books out there make people feel uncomfortable. This means you, the writer, have to get more comfortable with what scares you. It might not be easy at first, but you’ll actually have a much better writing experience this way. You’ll have more fun, and probably learn a thing or two as well.
Mansion's Twins
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