'Fairest', Coming in the spring of 2016

My story, 'Fairest' comes out in 2016, written under the name of K.S. Trenten. It will be in Prizm's 'Rainbows Come in All Colors' line. 'Fairest' is a retelling of several old fairy tales in a unique femslashy blend. It's a story of magic, broken hearts, and hearts healed in surprising places, as a young princess unravels the mystery of the witch, who cursed her as an infant. Everyone else is afraid of this witch, but the princess is strangely drawn to her, as she finds out more and more about her. Unraveling this mystery only increases her determination to save the witch from her loneliness, even as she struggles to save herself. For whether it's a bite from an apple, or a prick from a spindle, no one knows what you will change into, once the curse falls upon you.

Cauldron of Eternal Inspiration: Frustration: Crippling, or Creative?

Cauldron of Eternal Inspiration: Frustration: Crippling, or Creative?: Ever gotten frustrated, as you write? Do you look at your work, groan inwardly, as you realize you haven’t achieved what you’d hoped? Did y...

Frustration: Crippling, or Creative?

Ever gotten frustrated, as you write? Do you look at your work, groan inwardly, as you realize you haven’t achieved what you’d hoped? Did your frustration make you want to crawl into a hole? Project your frustration onto a character. It can be a pre-existing character of yours, or one you’ve created especially as a vehicle for your frustration. Create reasons for his/her frustration. Perhaps his/her reasons are the same as yours. Perhaps s/he has his/her own reasons for the frustration. Explore your character’s reasons. Let him/her project them onto something, or someone else. Let your character write about why this someone, or something is feeling the frustration. This exercise doesn’t need to be limited to writing. You can try it in drawing, or painting, too. Paint or draw a character, who embodies your frustration. Try to depict this person’s feelings in the designs, the patterns, with every stroke of your brush, or pen/pencil/pastel/graphite. What color is the frustration? What shapes does it manifest in? How do the shapes interact? I have done this exercise. I poured all of my frustration into a character. I ended up creating a villain. At least one person truly hated this villain. I was surprised by how many people liked him, though. You may be surprised what you can create, if you channel your frustration into a form of art. 

Character Escape: From Imagination to the Page

A character, who lingers in your heart and mind can have a hard time expressing himself to the outside world. Things which are so obvious to you, the creatrix, won’t reveal themselves as readily to the world. You may know he loves someone, but you have to show it. This may seem painful, obvious, and tricky to reveal. It’s rewarding beyond words, when he shows you how, in his own unique way. Translating my character from my imagination into printed word is a language I’ve struggled for years to master. It remains the most beautiful language I’ve ever learned. I wish you equal happiness in learning your own unique language. I hope with all my heart you’ll find beauty, inspiration, and time well spent, when you read mine. 

Mirrors, Magic, and Fairest

Mirrors have always fascinated me. When we look at our reflections, what do we see? Why did an evil queen own a magic mirror in a fairy tale? Was it simply to behold her own beauty? What exactly did she see, reflected within its enchanted glass? What is the meaning of the question, "Who is the fairest of them all?"

All the questions will face the heroine of 'Fairest', as she tries to escape a sleeping curse laid upon her. Even as she tries to escape, she becomes more and more captivated with the one who cursed her. Saving her enemy becomes as important as saving herself, as she learns that everyone has a secret, even those closest to her.

'Fairest' is coming out in the anthology, 'Rainbows Come in All Colors' in the spring of 2016. I hope you all find magic in its words.

K.S. Trenten, author of 'Fairest'