Brownies

Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's Brownie Thimbletack from their series The Spiderwick Chronicles 

Brownies are one of the most recognized fairies. They come in all shapes and sizes as helpers to families in rural communities.

In Northern England and Scotland, various spellings include Brooney, Browney, Brouney, House Brownie, Little Man, or Browny (also sometimes called Hobs). In Southern England one goes by the name Robin Goodfellow (as accounted by Carol Rose's book, which I mention down below). In Demark the Nis is said to have similar characteristics, as do the Russian Domovoi, the North African Yumboe, and the Chinese Choa Phum Phi.    

Described at an average of twenty inches high, it is unusual to actually 'see' him. On the off chance that they are seen, they can be tiny shriveled old men, furry, naked, turn into roosters at dawn, wear raged brown clothes (sometimes made of course wool) or suits of green or blue, have coal black eyes, wear caps made of felt, or have a tail such as the Lowland Brownie Wag at the Wa' (a grumpy old teetotaler with crooked legs and a long tale, who complains of a constant toothache and considers the pothook over the fire as his favorite spot to hang). Sometimes they have no nose (a common description of Lowland Brownies) only the nostril openings. In Scotland, their hands can be webbed, or have fused fingers apart from the thumb, or have no fingers or toes at all. 

Names attributed to specific Brownies are Aiken Drum, Mieg Moulach / Maggy Moloch, Wag at the Wa', Robin Goodfellow, and Puddlefoot.

In Cornwall, he is the bee keeper, as bees were considered bringers of good luck in old times. 

In Scotland, it was said every home had a Brownie; he would help with the brewing of beers and malts. His reward for a good brew would be a few drops of the best of batch poured into a holed stone known as the Brownie Stone (sounds like the name for a novel *wink, wink*). 

In Wales, his cousin is of the Bwciod (you read that right) or the Bwca or Bwbach (confusing, isn't it?). These little bogeys lean toward the Boggart in nature. They have long noses and dress in Welsh farmers clothes, are just as small as the Brownie, and will help around the farm if in good humor. They despise teetotalers. If his master happens to put him off, his goodness can't be regained and will spiral into a rampage - IE: banging on walls, throwing things, ripping clothes, pinching people, throwing people, telling everyone's inner most secrets out loud, screeching, and beating his former masters. (Look at my Boggarts page for another list of all the nasty things they can do) Retaining some sort of exorcist to sack his grumpy butt will usually do the trick.  

In certain areas, it is believed the Brownie cannot venture into daylight and will die if exposed. Other beliefs say that he simply doesn't like sunlight. Roosters can be considered their familiars, or the shape they change to when daylight comes, allowing them to work in sunlight.       

They love any work to be given when attached to a family. Farm work such as tilling the fields, grinding grain, reaping, cleaning the house and barn, churning butter, etc... They were watchful of other workers and would tell on the lazy and inefficient. They take a dish of the best cream and a new baked cake or loaf of bread (in some other instances it says that they like honey smeared on it too) for payment at the end of the day.

Similar to Dobby of the Harry Potter series, to give them sympathetic gifts such as clothes would drive them away (but instead of tearful thanks, they take offense and leave chaos in their wake. I guess they don't like being pitied?).  

Katharine Briggs' An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and other Supernatural Creatures recounts that the Brownie will usually become attached to a member of the family (this could be used as a Best Friend trope in a novel set in the rural highlands). Also in this version, to give a Brownie a treat specifically would drive it away. Instead, the farmer's wife would leave scraps of food in places it could reach as an offering but never as an explicitly said gift. In her book, it notes that often outside of his master's house he was a feared creature for he could be just as mischievous as he was kind. There were hardly any accounts of a female among the troupe, except for in Scotland where they were sometimes seen in small groups with one girl among them. Katharine notes the tale of Meg Moulach (or Maggy Moloch), or Hairy Meg, who was a girl and a fierce Brownie who would not tolerate abuse of her Brownie family and refused to do the house work without the aid of the other maids or house servants. Brownie Clod was said to be her mate (cross eyed cad with one too many bats in his Belfry).

Often they would hang about streams or ponds. If offended by way of negligence or sympathetic gifting, they would turn into Boggarts and haunt the household until appeased. 

Despite being benign creatures, they are adverse to Christian symbols. In one tale, it speaks of the local minister trying to surprise a Brownie with a baptism, to which the Brownie screamed and never returned. 

In some instances they like collecting things, sitting by the fire, sleeping in the shed, cellar, or attic, and are afraid of cats.

The Dobie is very similar to the Brownie, and wishes very much to be helpful. Note I said wishes, because, most everything he tries to clean or fix usually ends up worse than before he touched it. He is said to have a sweet nature, but not very bright.

These sprightly fellows can fill many different roles for the Paranormal Novel. Be it the Helper, Side Kick, Confidant for its favorite human, or Antagonist (as the Boggart version, or perhaps a wild Brownie not yet fixed to a family).

One of the most recent contemporary examples of this fairy is Thimbletack from the Spiderwick Chronicles. (in fact, you can read more about their definition of the creature here: Spiderwick Wikia)

You can find him in Book One, The Field Guide of Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's series The Spiderwick Chronicles. 

I drew from Katharine Briggs' An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and other Supernatural Creatures, Carol Rose's Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, Nancy Arrowsmith and George Moorse's A Field Guide to the Little People, and Edain Mccoy's A Witch's Guide to Faery Folk. 

Boggarts

Boggart drawing from the Spiderwick Chronicles

Evil, nasty creatures, these beings in classic folklore are rarely seen. In the few times that they are, they are usually described as fat, squat little devils.

They wreck havoc in a poltergeist-like manner. In folktales, one instance detailed the haunting of a family. It hid in the cupboard and stole food from the children, tied their bed sheets together, shoved them in tight spaces, and knotted their hair all without showing itself. The children would often tease it by shoving a shoehorn into a hole in the door of its cupboard, to which it would thrust it back. This angered it more and it preceded to escalate its antics. When the family couldn't tolerate it anymore, they tried to leave. A neighbor surprised by their packing, asked why. Before the father of the family could reply, a deep voice replied for him. It was the Boggart making it clear that if the family moved, he would follow. The family gave up and decided to stay.  

Common misdeeds by this creature include opening and closing doors, burning the cooking, pinching babies, trying to smother children, scaring cats, consuming smooth wood (I assume this means anything sanded by humans, IE: tables, chairs, house beams etc... ), rapping on doors and walls, spoiling food, taking food, taking other items such as combs or keys, ruining housework, and many other demonic actions. 

In some tales, Boggarts have been seen as shapeshifters. 

In one folktale, called the Boggart of the Brook, it takes the shape of a woman hooded in a cloak (add some tense music strings and you've got the seemingly harmless beginning of a horror flick). She would stand by the road in the apparent effort to hitchhike. A person naive to the dramatic music and misty surroundings would take pity and open his carriage for her. Once on  board, (duh-duh-duuuh!) she would whip off her hood and reveal her skeletal face, clawing at the driver who would then increase his speed in terror. The ride would usually end in the poor soul's death or injury. (Which is exactly why you don't go travelling on deserted roads and be friendly to creepy people wearing cloaks - unless you're the hero of a Stephen King novel.)

A story which defies the previous, details a Boggart horse who is hardworking, good, and loyal. He even has his own fireplace in the barn. He is the Boggart of Hackensall Hall. 

In many instances, Brownies who have been wronged will turn into Boggarts (such as in the Spiderwick Chronicles). Which begs the question, why in the world would someone ever bother a Brownie? To create a novel antagonist!

He is a malleable character for authors. His broad spectrum of attributes make him available to whatever you want him (or her) to be. Such as, a friend turned evil, a bothersome spirit, or, someone who's not so bad at all. 

I recommend thumbing through the first book of The Spiderwick Chronicles to see Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's take on this classic bogey in the night.


The information gathered I found in Katharine Briggs' book An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and other Supernatural Creatures, and Carol Rose's Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins.  

Show Vs. Tell

Both have their merits, but which is better?

Often, writers will press Show. Show—Show—Show. But what about Tell? Telling can be just as constructive in getting your point across, maybe more so.

Showing offers the reader a visceral experience, living in the character’s shoes; while Telling allows for metaphors and ideas that may be difficult to express physically. Sometimes, we want to be flowery with our language, and sometimes, we want explosive action and cutting dialog. We want to see that wide-eyed fear in our hero’s gaze or hear his inner thoughts. See the irony, the sacrifice; his analogies on what his story amounts to.

A good story, in my opinion, has balanced both Show and Tell. But, I have also liked stories that are almost all Show or all Tell. There isn’t an unbreakable rule that states you can’t ever Tell. The people that believe in this faulty Show Don't Tell rule may curse your career as a novelist and belittle your efforts (and unleash a hoard of Boggarts to roast your plot bunnies and hogtie your Muse in barbed wire upon breaking this fictional rule).

What matters is how you feel as the author of your story. Show and Tell both contribute to your style as a writer. Do as you see fit. Never let someone shake their finger and admonish your efforts, chide you for stepping outside the norm. Writing is all about discovery, experimentation, and expressing yourself as an artist.

Gothic Romance author Mary Stuart is one great example of balance between Show and Tell. Her allegories are beautiful while her action crackles. I recommend her book The Moonspinners for high action, suspense, and a study in Show and Tell.     

Read up on each approach then pick and choose the aspects that you like. You have a unique voice. Let that voice be heard.

So tell me, how do you feel about it?

Thank you for reading!

Help on Writing

In between school, chores, defending my homework from my cat, and other things, I have been immersing myself in this book and taking a sabbatical to try and better my writing technique. It is amazing, Story Engineering by Larry Brooks gives you way more info on structure, theme, and character than other writing blogs, books, and various other things that I have read.
He uses something called the Six Core Competencies. It's a list of things you combine to make good stories.
First is concept, then character, then theme, then structure, then scene execution, and finally writing voice.

He describes concept as a tool to help you involve that initial idea into a rough outline. He says to take your idea and morph it into a "What if?" question that could lead to more what ifs and eventually the beginnings of a fantastic story.

He also talks about the "three dimensions" of a character. The first layer is what we see on the outside: habits, appearance, quirks, and attitudes. The second layer explains why that character does what it does - in other words backstory, which is also connected to the third layer. The third layer is the true essence of a character. For instance, you have a person who is a bit messed up. Made a lot of bad decisions in life (I E drugs, alcohol, etc...) and that character is faced with two choices, one of which is the better choice and the other a very bad choice. Now, despite all of the things this character has done, he or she could take the better choice showing his or her true character.

This is a wonderful book that covers practically everything you need to know about how to write a piece of fiction. ^_^

Until next time~

Bloody Mary

One of the most famous ghosts of them all: Bloody Mary. 

The tale varies from place to place - even the person who was thought to be the original Mary varies greatly. I began digging into this myth because of my own story and found that if you're writing a paranormal, you could morph this ghost into whatever you need it to be. It can be a good or bad depending on which stories you hear.

Of course we all know the one where you call out and she's supposed to rip your face off or do something equally terrible - but, did you know that Bloody Mary could be referring to the Virgin Mary? In this case, she does not harm you and may offer protection of some sort. Then, there was a legend where you'd stand in front of a mirror holding an apple after brushing your hair 100 times and Bloody Mary would reward you with a peak at your future husband.

Then there are other versions where an animal appears instead of Mary - such as the Donkey Lady or Mary Wolf.

There's many many legends about who she was. "The loony woman next door", a young woman named Mary Worth whose child was killed or murdered and the people thought she was the one who did it (in which case you're supposed to say "I believe Mary Worth" or "I don't believe in Mary Worth" or "I hate Mary Worth" or "Bloody Mary I killed your baby" or "Bloody Mary I have your baby".) the bloody English queen Mary herself, Mary queen of Scots, Mary Magdalene, an ax murderer, a child killer and many more.

Sure, most of stories end badly after you've called to her but in some cases, she can give you toys or candy, sometimes you just get to see what she looks like, you can ask her questions, harmless scratches appear on your skin, or the bathtub water turns red.

If you're writing a story, it can go either way - good or bad - depending on how you want it. I found most of this information at this site: The Face in the Mirror, Looking at Bloody Mary, Mary Worth and Other Variants of a Modern Legend
And also at wikipedia though, the site above gives the most information I could find.

Hope I could help!
Until next time~!

Shmoo

I came across this funny creature when paging through my book, Giants, Monsters & Dragons by Carol Rose. It states that this lovable creature is the sweetest thing around. He's always smiling and happy, and is self-sacrificing. He can produce milk, eggs, and butter when needed and if looked at by a starving man would die of happiness to be eaten.
He taste like chicken if you boil him, steak if grilled, his hide was the finest leather, he multiplied quicker than a rabbit, and his eyes could be made for perfect buttons.

I read here: http://www.deniskitchen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=bios.shmoo that he was so good that the people stopped working and became dependent upon them. So the American government took them all to try and get the people to work again but one managed to slip away and start his own colony in Dogpatch's Valley.

If you're in need of a creature sidekick in your story, he would probably be a good one. Until next time~

Water Leaper

The Water Leaper does exactly as it's name states - it hops on top of the water like a crazy beach ball.

Its image varies but, what is consistent it that it is round and winged with a tail that has a stinger and looks like a large toad-ish bat, except no legs. It uses its wings to skip across the water's smooth surface and with its sharp teeth cuts fishermen's lines and eats their bait. Sometimes, when it's fed up with fish bait and livestock and decidedly feeling adventurous, it lures the fishermen themselves to the edges of their boat and gobble them instead.

You don't have to worry about this little devil popping up and eating you while leaning over the rail of your cruise ship to ogle at the sunset. That is...if that cruise is stopping by Wales. Then you should be worried. So, if your cruise ship just happens to be chugging by Wales on the Irish Sea, stay in your cabins folks.

Until next time~

Spot Light! Help for Character Development

Recently, I stole a few books on psychology from my mother and have been whispering to them at night in hopes of learning the secret to the universe. No such luck - but! What I did divine from this particular beauty could be of help to writers who are having trouble with body language gestures or a signature something their main character frequently has a habit of doing.

I've only breached the first chapter but, I've already learned quite a bit. Elizabeth Kuhnke talks a lot about things people may do subconsciously; such as micro expressions. Those of you who have seen the show Lie To Me know what I'm talking about. To those of you who don't: Micro expressions are bits of emotion that flash across our face for a split second. Now, you may be able to hide your feelings by way of specific gestures and serious mental discipline but, no one is capable of hiding micro expressions. You can use that to your advantage as a writer.

For instance: You could have a heroine that is very observant and is a natural Emotion Detector and then have the princely cool guy whose suave and is one of those 007 types who never lets his real feelings show.

Then she goes on to talk about gestures that are signature to us as a person. How we all have something that defines us. Some are stronger than others. She makes an example of the tennis player who used to yank on the back of shorts just before a match. It was something he did a lot of and people began to mock him in the locker room.

It'll help with identifying what gesture goes with what emotion and how we react to certain things. It has whole chapters for our hands, legs, arms, and lips.

I hope this will help ^_^

Uilebheist

The Uilebheist is a Nordic/Scottish sea monster that has multiple heads and is sometimes called a Draygan. They came to the remote Orkney and Shetland Islands by way of Norse invaders. Instead of tearing apart ships and gobbling sailors, this beast is more akin to the title of protector. He guards the rocky coasts and the islands' inlets.

Because the Uilebheist's second name, Draygan, is so similar to the English word Dragon, they may have at one time been thought of as watery cousins to the fire breathing ones that storm castles and take the princesses locked up in towers.

It says vaguely in very old Norse text that there was some sort of being that watched the coasts. They were probably what sparked the idea for the Uilebheist.

Until next time!

Liebster Award

I got nominated for the Liebster Award by the awesome Amanda at BornBookish! Thank you Amanda! 

My first ever award.... (sniffle, sniffle) Thank you! I'm so happy!

The rules of this award are:
1: thank the person who gave you this award and link back to their blog
2: Reveal your top 5 blog picks for this award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
3: Copy and paste the award onto your blog
4: Have faith your bloggers will spread the word
5: And most of all, have lots of fun!
The key is to nominate bloggers with 200 or less followers.......That's gonna be tough. I just sort of started blogging a little while ago and I don't really know a lot of bloggers...the ones I do know are way over the 200 mark....So, the list may be short one.

I choose you!
SearchingLife  For your creativity and humor

A Writerly Pensheep For your wonderfully animated personality

Anarchy on the Allotment For your witty remarks

Angeline Trevena For your insight and sheer awesomeness

The Bookshelf Muse For your always helpful tips that help us lost authors find our way

Thank you so much! This will be a much admired award. I will polish it and love it forever.  

Wednesday Mysteries.... Stolen Birthday Cake Conclusion.

The Conclusion: 

Unexpectedly, I couldn't find ANY evidence linking my parents, myself, the cats, or the sneaky neighbor kid to my missing cake.

All that's left is the empty cake plate....

T_T my caaaake..... Oh well, I'll just have to bake another. ^_^

What really happened? Why is there no evidence? Who's the culprit? And how could anyone eat an entire cake in one night without going into a diabetic coma? These questions have yet to be answered.... Perhaps, we have a fairy in the house.... a very greedy, chocolate loving, sneaky, chubby fairy.

Wednesday Mysteries....Stolen Birthday Cake!

My birthday was on Monday... I'd made a cake with my dad that looked suspiciously similar to the photo above - except I'd doodled a smiling cow on top. Now, you wouldn't think and ENTIRE cake could go missing by Wednesday morning....but it DID. O_O

I'm as shocked as you are and maybe a tad hurt... I should have known better than to bake a chocolate cake in a house full of choco-nuts!(me included)

It started out like this: On Tuesday night, I ambled down the stairs to the kitchen. There, I sliced myself up a piece of the decadent chocolate cake. At the time, it wasn't even half gone. The next morning......

T_T MY CAKE!!!! (**Sniffle, sniffle. Sob, sob.**) That's just not right. How can an almost whole cake be reduced to THIS?! Surely the cats didn't eat it? Well...they might've (they'll eat just about anything you give them) but it would be awful hard for them to open the refrigerator door and pulled the protective plastic lid off. It had to be human. Since there are no children in the house, I'll have to point the finger at the two Big Kids - my cake eating parents.

I suppose they'll look like this when I find them.

 But, I think the more likely culprit of the two would have to be my mother. Then again, I can't underestimate my father either. Or...maybe I did it in my sleep.... First things first, I need to find the evidence. It could have been none of us and the cats really did eat it or it could have been that nasty kid across the street. Who knows? I guess I'll have to step into the shoes of my own detective characters to solve this baffling mystery....

Next week I'll tell of the conclusion!

Spot Light! Music Bands

Howdy! Here's yet another installment of Spot Light! Today, I'd like to share with you some song that I found.

I was recently re-watching the awesome TV series Haven when I heard a song called We All Fall Down by Sweet Talk Radio. It appeared at the end of season one's episode Ball and Chain. It's a mysterious song with a baroque air and yet laid back. If you'd like to listen to it, here's the link -Sweet Talk Radio's We All Fall Down 

And while I was listen to that, I came across another song by accident. It has some very uplifting lyrics. It's Karmina's Walk You Home.  

 It's acoustic and soothing. The lyrics suggest it's being sung by a friend who's worried about someone close. That they don't need to bear the burden alone and that, "I'll walk you home." It's a very beautiful and sweet song. Here's the link if you'd like to listen -Karmina's Walk You Home 

Until net time~

Gremlins

Do not be fooled by this adorable face! This Hollywood dramatization couldn't be more wrong..... Because, gremlins are evil little creatures that look like this!!!!!

This is also the face of the creepy thing hiding under your bed. 

Gremlins, according to my fairy dictionary, didn't start causing mayhem until WWII when airplanes came to be in use. They would attach themselves to plane wings and hitch-hike. That is, if they didn't sharpen their claws with them or ice them first. They'd also appear out of nowhere in the pilot's windshield as a cruel joke. These happenings only occurred over Europe. It says that many pilots experienced the torture of these little devils. The Allies nor the Axis wanted to believe these claims...but they kept happening. Eventually, they felt they had to log them in the flight records.

The gremlin of the 1943 Bugs Bunny cartoon

Most pilots who complained of Gremlin attacks had, had their wire pulled out of the engines, holes poked in their wings, gas leaks, spontaneous combustion, wing ice even though they were no where near freezing temperatures, and of course, they'd pop in front of the windshield.

They are little body builders, for, they can tear through metal without a sweat. They don't need food, air, or water for longs periods. They also range from the sizes of a child to an adult and are very hairy and have a grin like the Cheshire Cat, supposedly. I can't say for myself since I've never seen one - and hope to never see one.

I hope this helps you in some way if you've got writer's block. All of this information came from my beloved book - A Witches Guide to Faery Folk by Edain McCoy. Until next time!

Wednesday Mysteries... LadyBug Invasion

After the Computer Malfunction, nothing really strange has happened (not that you could count that particular incident strange since it was my fault to begin with)... Unless you count the strange appearance of ladybugs.

This is exactly what the computer room looks like....

Now, my desk where I do my homework and serf the web, is up on the second story of the house. I spend most of my time here writing and studying and this room also has a window air conditioner which means the over abundance of bugs is normal. Well, have I ever told you about my bug phobia? Yes, every little thing bigger than a spider (which have also been appearing a lot lately - though that's not strange) or ant makes me nervous and gives me the impulse to run. Even butterflies and caterpillars. Not that I don't like butterflies and caterpillars, I find them very cute and pretty - but, just as long as there's a ten foot pole between us. That goes for everything that buzzes, chirps, crawls, or flies. Cockroaches though, I'm especially freaked out by.

 Anyway, you get the idea right? Well, recently I have seen more ladybugs in my entire life than I ever have in the span of a month. My mom told me ladybugs were a sign of good luck but, that doesn't mean anything if you're freaked out squealing and crawling helplessly on the floor trying to dodge their incoming assaults. To me, that's BAD luck.

"There she is! Dive-bombers at the ready!" says the Red Ladybug  Baron

HaiiiiiiYA! There's no escape!

But, my question is, why the heck are there so many? Every time I muster up the courage capture one and take it outside, another one appears! Immediately! So far, I have yet to figure out this Wednesday Mystery...

Until next time!

Spot Light!

Howdy! Here's yet another installment of Spot Light!
I'd read this post a while ago and it struck me as inspiring: How to Get Your Blog Post on Google's First Page

The author tells of her success story with her blog with the help of Kristen Lamb. To writers out there that feel like they want to crumple their blog into a ball and toss it over their shoulder - don't! Stick with it! And most of all, try reading a daily post or two from Kristen Lamb's blog (here's her blog post Deadly Sin of writing #6-Drifting in the Doldrums) She is witty and gives advice both in the blogging and story field. She makes a valid point and has helped people achieve their goal to be self-published authors.

Until next time~ ^_~

Wednesday Mysteries....Computer Malfunction

This one is not exactly a mystery... Mostly because it was my fault to begin with.

See, last night, after dinner and homework, I sat in front of my computer writing. I'd written the first chapter in first person and was painstakingly trying to change to third while adding bits and pieces here and there. Well, after a while, I heard a loud crash behind me. I got up, thinking the cat did something, and hurried to toward the site of destruction. Apparently, she'd managed to cram her fat fuzzy body into a space that was much smaller than her. It was a shelf that had a few CDs on it, and in the process of climbing up there, she'd pushed all of them out creating the crash I'd heard.

She was stuck. I could tell because of the loud growls and meows echoing out of the shelf when I'd tried to pull her out. I went an got the parental kitty un-sticker and while pulling her out, a few more CDs fell and knocked out the power cord for my computer.

After I'd painstakingly cleaned up her mess, I flicked my puter back on. Guess what happened. (nods solemnly with tears prickling in eyes) I hadn't had time to save part of my progress and Auto Save chose that exact moment to stop working. I lost ALL my fixed and added data.

Me agonizing over my computer. 

 Now, the funny thing is, I thought I'd saved it before running in like a knight in shining armor to save Princess Puss stuck in Too Small Tower. I also don't understand why Auto Save didn't kick in. I guess that thing they say about breaking mirrors is true...

 T_T Oh why, dear mirror, did you have to break?! Why couldn't you pick something else besides my story to pick on?

Until next time~ ^_^

(I do not own the picture by the way.)  

The Water Mannikin

Water Mannikin is a guardian fairy that inhabits the figurehead of a ship. This creature is of German origin and reportedly invisible. Another name is the Klaboutermannikin. Sailors believed that for the fairy to want to choose to inhabit their figurehead, the figurehead would have to be very lifelike. Only the oldest and most precious woods would be used to carve the figurehead. Supposedly, the Water Mannikins guarded the ship from ill health, rocks, troubling weather, and fearsome winds. If the ship went down, the fairy would guide the sailors to the Other Side. The Dutch thought that if you went down without the Water Minnikin it meant you would be forced to stay in a watery eternity.

I found this quite interesting when I'd read it from the dictionary at the back of A Witches Guide to Faery Folk by Edain Mccoy. It has many interesting things listed back there. If you're a fairy enthusiast like me, I encourage you to get it. The dictionary at the back is very helpful if you're writing a story involving the fae.

Until next time~ ^_^

Wednesday Mysteries... Kidnapped Homework

Welcome to another installment of Wednesday Mysteries where I tell my creepy middle-of-the-week experiences around a digital campfire!

As you know, to escape the jelly-afying effects school (I blame math) has on my brain I like to let my imagination run wild. 

Today, I came home and, as usual, went straight into the dining room to start on my homework. Quickly unzipping my backpack, I flipped it upside down and let its contents thrown up in a messy pile all over the surface. Organizing them into piles (i.e. hardest to easiest) I went in hard on the my most illusive subject - duh, duh, duuuuuuuh.... (drum roll please?) math. After tackling it and coming out of the fight beaten, bruised, and lightheaded I stood up to take a break.  I went into the kitchen for a Gatorade. 

Pookah

Pookah, my fat and fluffy dinosaur of a cat, sauntered in and promptly sat on my left foot and began licking my right. This stalled me for about a five minutes, because every step I took I was assaulted by a pink tongue. 

When I'd gone back into the dining room, my organized stacks were tossed and dumped all over the floor. Grumbling, I then sat my glass of Gatorade on the table and bent to pick my papers up. Upon closer inspection, I noticed my math homework was missing. Going through each pile several times, a rising panic began doing a jig in my stomach. 

"Oh no...no, no, no...." I whispered  desperately. 

I looked under the table, in the kitchen (thinking maybe I'd brought it with me when I'd taken a break), and re-checked my backpack. Slumping in the dining room table's chair, my was face ashen and sickly. Sucking it up, I worked on my other pieces. My only thought the rest of the evening was, "What am I going to tell the teacher? My cat ate my homework?" 

Jujubi The Culprit

This mysterious unexplained phenomena went unexplained until next Wednesday when it turned up in the bathroom behind the door in the corner all crinkled with little holes all over the sides. It was if someone had sat there with a pencil and stabbed the sheets repeatedly. I noticed one sheet was missing. Looking around the bathroom and the hall, I heard the unmistakable sounds of paper crunching. Following the sound, I came upon my other cat Jujubi with a piece of paper in her mouth. Yes, you guessed it, my other sheet of homework. 

Do you have animals that steal your stuff to? Have you had something go missing one day then reappear the next day - or even a week later? Tell me! I'd love to hear from you!

(I do not own the campfire picture by the way. But, the cat pictures are entirely my own ^_^)

Spot Light! TV Shows For Writers?

Hello! Here's yet another installment of Spot Light!

Today, I'd like to draw your attention to a post that I thought was both funny and had a point to it. This person brings to mind reality TV shows for writers: Here's what they have to say

They made a very valid point that there are no TV shows out there for writers. Why I wonder? They have TV shows for just about everything else, why not writing? It would be cool if they'd come out with something that  instead of following celebrities but followed the big names in the author world - like, Jim Butcher or J. K. Rowling. It almost seems a little unfair that we don't have a say in reality TV or any type of TV show for that matter.

What do you, the writer, think? Also, what are your suggestions as to what TV shows you'd like to see about the writing community? I'd love to hear your opinions!