BRBC week 30: The strand of song

Miss Linda and Miss Mary are visiting this week. We are dividing our time equally between beanbrew, art projects, and naps. :-) This week's excerpt, from the last section of The Monster in the Hollows, is one of Miss Linda's favorites.

When Leeli sang over the cloven, her song rose from the depths of her heart and sent a burst of shimmering cords into the matter of the world. They sizzled from her in a million strands, like a spiderweb of lightning bolts. They shot through [the Wingfeathers], waking something bright in their bones, and each of them felt it differently. The music’s power was invisible to everyone around them, even to Nia; for her and the others it was just a pretty song amidst the clamor of warfare. But for the Jewels of Anniera, who bore the blood of their ancestors, the music reached into secret places and did wondrous things. Janner heard voices, Kalmar saw pictures, and Leeli’s tender heart coursed with the rivers of emotion swirling in those near her, opening her to the deep, unutterable mysteries of their souls.
Discussion: What was your favorite passage this week?How does music connect you with those you love?Forum fun: Which is more ferocious: A honeymuffin, or a banana? Discuss in Friday Night Fights!Art: What have you been playing with lately? We'd love to see your Wingfeather art (just send it to Andrew from the Art By You page). If you have fun project ideas, tell us about them in the forum. :-)We love you Featherheads!

Art from Jay Myers

Who wants a wee bit of Florid Sword/Shadowblade art?Yeah, I thought you might. :-)https://www.instagram.com/p/BmTtENlhca2/?taken-by=mrjaymyers

This week, Madame Sidler will be reading THE END of The Monster in the Hollows! To follow along, start at chapter 54 and keep going till you run out of appendices. See you Friday for an excerpt—and next week for The Warden and the Wolf King! Meanwhile—to the forum!

BRBC week 29: Goodness in the dark

This week we read chapters 47-53 of The Monster in the Hollows, and so many good things happened—and other things that weren't quite good, but good to read. There are some passages that make me cry every time. Here is one of them, from the last time we convened the BRBC. Here is another one. (And I bet you can all guess the one too spoilery to post here.)

Into the silence of the great hall, Leeli played. Her eyes were closed and she stood beside her mother, swaying with the melody. Janner knew the moment she spoke that if she played, the strange magic would awaken. And he was glad, though he couldn’t imagine what good it would do them, with Bunge’s hand on the lever that would send Nia and Kal plunging to their deaths. Except for the time it had assuaged the sea dragon’s anger, the magic had never really done them any good; the words and visions that filled Janner’s mind mainly left him confused.Still, he welcomed it. His heart was black with despair, so the Maker’s magic was most welcome. It helped him believe there was power pulsing behind the veil of the visible world, pulsing like blood through the world’s veins, sending life and light coursing through everything, surprising and confounding at every turn. When he remembered this, the darkness glimmered with goodness.
Discussion: What helps you when you feel beset by darkness?What would you hope for after the Fork Factory? (discuss in the forum)What passage stood out to you most this week—from these chapters, or wherever you are?Bonus: There are a lot of recordings of "My Love Has Gone Across the Sea"—live, studio, theatrical, covers—but here is its very first performance, including some commentary from Andrew on writing that scene.

The Wolf King and the Cloven

Look how beautiful this is.In our book club last week we read what Janner found in the cave. But this is what Kalmar found in that same cave.One little snout. One big snout. Connection.Thank you, Noah, for sharing your heart and eyes and Conté work with us.

This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 47-53 of The Monster in the Hollows. I can't wait to share an excerpt with you this Friday and hear how your week has been. (And you are always welcome in the forum. What would you like to talk about?)

BRBC week 28: Kingly grace

This week instead of reading the chapters myself, I let Andrew read to me. Have you listened to the audiobooks? He does the best accents. This particular passage pulled me in as he read it. It's beautiful and sad.

There was nothing to do but carry his grieving heart through the snow to whatever Kalmar had to show him. Every step was a silent farewell to Chimney Hill, and every minute brought him closer to the end of the peace he had found there.Kalmar said nothing. His head hung low, and the dead hen left vivid specks of blood in the snow. He led Janner back the way they had come, and when they crested the last hill on the outskirts of the city, Janner could see the steep, snow-white roof of Chimney Hill in the distance. Kalmar paused and looked out at the moonlit valley.“It’s so pretty,” Kalmar said. Frost clung to the tips of his ears and dusted the fur that framed his face; steam clouded out of his snout in little bursts; his black Durgan cape caught the moonlight; his brow shadowed his eyes with mystery; his back was bowed as if he carried a great weight, and Janner sensed his fight to bear it and his sorrow that it had to be borne. Even with the dead hen drooping from his claw, he shone with a kingly grace. He smiled, and Janner had the sudden urge to bow.
Discussion: What passage stood out to you this week?If this week's reading hurt (it was hard for me) and you need to talk, come to the forum. <3Activity: What do you think is going through the Bunges' heads? What about the chiefs? What would you be thinking if you were in the crowd? Try rewriting a chapter from one of these perspectives. (If you want, post it in the forum when you've finished!)

Nicholas Kole interview, part 5

Here it is—part 5 and the final segment of Madame Sidler's interview with Nicholas Kole. (Here are parts one, two, three, and four.) Thanks for sticking with us as these interview snippets rolled out!

Madame Sidler: Moving away a little bit from Wingfeather—Jellybots! Tell us about Jellybots and what else you’re currently doing.

Nicholas Kole: Jellybots is a little project I’ve been—what is it called when a mother hen sits on her eggs?—I’ve been trying to foster and grow that gradually. It’s a science fiction story project I’ve been chewing on for a number of years at this point, and finally this year as Wingfeather was wrapping up I got up the courage to kick off a Patreon and try to make a go of it a little more directly, rather than just trying to take care of it in the background.

What specifically would you like to know about it?

MS: We were just wondering—this question is from Vekka Youngbeast, which may be my favorite name in the world—wondering what your plans are.

NK: Well, the plan right now is to develop that through the Patreon to the point where we have enough content to create an art book. And the desire with an art book is to have a physical object that says yes, this exists, these designs exist, and to have a concrete thing that can then be used to pitch and move forward with the story and the world. I find that I really love worldbuilding. I really love populating the world with creatures and characters, and figuring out what’s the nature of this space and the different powers and how they relate to each other. And if you leap too quickly into just trying to get the story out there, I think opportunities get missed to more thoroughly envision what that world’s going to be like.

So right now it’s primarily a worldbuilding project. I’m pretty wary, though, that I don’t want to dither too much on all the details before committing to trying to make it a real thing with a story that’s working and a script that moves the way you want it to, but it’s been a personal project and testing ground where I vent all of my energy that I can’t spend on the professional projects I have. So the weirder designs and wackier stuff that I want to do and I can’t, I pour into Jellybots.

MS: Cool. Jellybots are super fun. :-) Another fun question: Bronze the Sling asks, “Are there any chances for students to learn from you by internships, tutoring, or even online tutorials?” And we have actually had one or two other people ask whether some of the artists from the Wingfeather design—either from the books or the animated series—would be interested in doing online drawing tutorials.

NK: Tutorial posts, yeah, for sure! That’s actually been a part of the Jellybots Patreon—getting together a monthly tutorial to walk through that stuff. And, slowly, my plan is that that continues and a book kind of exists, or at least does online, apart from the Patreon. So right now those are locked behind the Patreon, but eventually I think they will not be. I do try—on Twitter sometimes, I’ll go off on little rants to explain visual principle or put together a short tutorial for people struggling—

MS: I’ve seen those; they’re really cool.

NK: Thank you! People seem to really respond to those. I really love taking that opportunity to teach and give back, because none of us arrived in the place where we are professionally without people teaching us to begin with.

MS: Are there other artists you learn from?

NK: Definitely, yes, definitely. And professors and mentors, and people along the way. In terms of influences, I would say Kazu Kibuishi, who does the Amulet graphic novel series, has been a huge inspiration and influence. Jake Parker does a lot of great breakdowns and stuff like that, and just makes stellar work, and watching his trajectory has been cool. And he’s just a really nice guy, too, so that’s always fun. Those are the two that spring to mind right off the top of the head. Being involved in online art community has been a huge part of my development.

MS: Awesome. We have reached the end of our very long list of questions, and I really appreciate you talking with me. Is there anything else you would want to talk about?

NK: Well, I’m an open book, but I can’t think of anything that springs to mind.

MS: Okay, well, thank you very much. What’s next for you? What’s exciting you right now? And we’ll wrap up with that.

NK: Okay, yeah. Right now—well, I’m about to get married—

MS: Yes!

NK: —so that’s pretty exciting; I’m pretty pumped about that. I just signed a lease for our future apartment. So getting all that squared away has been really fun—and nerve wracking, but great! And I’ve been involved with the new remasters of the Spyro the Dragon game—so I don’t know if that means anything to anybody, but I’ve gone from dragons to dragons. So my whole life has been very, very dragon-focused for the last couple months, and those are coming out in September. We’ve just [in April] begun to announce things and drip out screenshots, and that’s been really exciting to get people’s response, so that’s been really fun. I think that’s going to be a really enjoyable time. And for the person who asked about Wingfeather game stuff, give the new Spyro games a try! [laughter] It’s not the same. But there are dragons, and I did draw them!

MS: Cool! Well, thank you very much.

NK: Absolutely! Happy to talk.

MS: Yeah! So, greetings from the Featherheads, and I appreciate your time.

NK: Absolutely. Right back.

MS: I hope the rest of your day is full of colors and dragons and all sorts of wonderful things.

NK: Absolutely! And yours as well.

Since this interview happened way back in April, I am pleased to report to you that Nicholas and Erika were successfully married last weekend! Congratulations, Koles!

Nicholas has paused his Patreon for August, but you're still welcome to visit. His wife Erika is an artist as well—and was a storyboard artist for Wingfeather! Meet her on Instagram and Tumblr. :-)This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 40-46 in The Monster in the Hollows. Check back on Friday for an excerpt—and head to the forum for art and writing challenges and all manner of fun conversations. :-)

BRBC week 27: Awake-ness

Do your books ever talk to each other? Mine have been a lot lately. Right now I'm reading The Monster in the Hollows (obviously) and A Wrinkle in Time. (Have you read it?) In both books this week there were characters who had been, in different ways, made blank, unable to think or imagine outside the system which held them enslaved. In both books the main characters needed to reach through this deadening to find the real person on the other side.Anyway, I love Sara Cobbler.

She turned from her bed and bumped into one of the Maintenance Managers.“Excuse me,” Sara said, pretending to have just woken up.“I’ve been watching you, tool,” said the boy. He was a head taller than Sara, skinny but strong, with a missing front tooth. He held a chain in one fist and swayed it back and forth. Sara quickly looked at the floor. She had to remind herself to act like a factory tool, not a girl. “I’ve been watching you for a long time.”“Excuse me,” she repeated and tried to walk around him. He stepped sideways and blocked her path.“Look at me,” he said.Sara couldn’t slip by him, and she couldn’t look at him. She was afraid if he saw her eyes he would know in an instant that she was up to something. He would report her to Mobrik and that would be the end of it. If she was thrown into the coffin or punished, the children wouldn’t know what to do. Borley was bold enough and foolish enough to try to do it without her, and she couldn’t let that happen.“I said look at me.” The Maintenance Manager grabbed her face and forced it upward.Sara could pretend no more. She looked into his eyes, but not as a factory tool. She decided not to hide her awake-ness but to pour it into him. If he saw the light in her, maybe it would wake some compassion in him and he would let her go. It was a terrible risk, but she didn’t know what else to do. She willed him to see her as a girl, as someone he might have known before the Fork Factory, someone he could have been friends with. If she carried any of Janner’s fire, she prayed it would cross the few inches between them and make its way through his eyes and into his soul.
Discussion: Which passage stood out to you most this week?Is there anything you want to talk about? Come to the forum. See if there's a conversation you'd like to join, or start a new thread of your own. :-)Activity: Gather a few friends, an apple, and a staff-whacker (or maybe a pool noodle or cardboard tube). Take turns being the Guildmaster (or Guildmadam) and see who can sneak the apple away without being caught!

A certain blue-eyed Fang

Several years ago Pastor Rob was reading The Monster in the Hollows to his seven-year-old daughter, who brought him this drawing. I don't know her name—and she'd be older than Janner now (sorry for the delay!)—but we do appreciate this drawing. What a contrast there is between the long, sharp claws and the sad blue eyes. When I look into those eyes, I think he looks afraid. And no wonder.The Maker makes a flourish. The Maker makes a well. What will He make of you, little Grey Fang?

This week, Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 35-39 of The Monster in the Hollows. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and meanwhile, join us in the forum for conversation and bibes!

The stories are true.