#tapferhills

[thelonelybrilliance]

Joe Keery watches Little Women 1994?!?!?! The man has taste!!!

In this interview he mentions that it was a common movie in his household because he has four sisters <3

[novelmonger]

The Four

The Four is the oldest original novel idea I still intend to write someday. I first came up with the idea when I was twelve! At the time, it was very heavily (and obviously) derivative of LotR and Prydain, and the spark of inspiration came from the little-known book The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett. It's undergone many changes in the years since then, and I still need to do a lot of work to make it a viable story, particularly in terms of antagonists (the original villain I came up with was very one-dimensional and needs to either go or be changed so completely as to be unrecognizable, because right now it's just boring).

But the core concept has remained the same for over twenty years: Timor is a twelve-year-old boy who was discovered in the woods at the age of four, somehow managing to survive on his own without ever having encountered human beings before. He is raised by Lord Avadris, who was the High King's most valued councilor and best friend until the king was killed and the land fell into anarchy. Timor learns to speak and act more or less like a civilized person, but still carries some quirks and many, many fears from his experiences as a small child. He's terrified of basically everything.

And then, when he stumbles upon some dusty old boxes, he finds a golden circlet meant for a boy about his age, and puts it on, discovering that it fits perfectly. Lord Avadris sees him, and finally realizes what he should have put together immediately, but had been denying to himself: Timor is the spitting image of the High King. No one knew that the king and queen had had a child, but there's no mistaking it. Timor is the long-lost heir to the throne.

And so now they have to take him to the High King's castle and reveal him to the world as their king...which is something not everyone is too excited about. Various factions set out to kill him, forcing him to run for his life. And Timor himself doesn't even want to be king! But it doesn't matter, because he still has a target on his back whether he wants it or not.

I thought I was terribly clever when I first came up with this story (and honestly, I still think it's a pretty solid idea and am impressed with Baby Novie for thinking of it). It takes the trope of the long-lost heir to the throne and, instead of making that revelation the climactic twist, it's revealed in Chapter 1. And instead of a quest through the whole book to put the true heir on the throne, the protagonist would really like nothing more than to hide under the bed until the book is over and everyone leaves him alone XD

[itspileofgoodthings]

Just randomly dropping in to say that the school-sponsored absences have been driving me crazy lately. 😖😖

I’m so sorry I took so long to respond to this (much like students making up their missed work FROM THEIR SCHOOL SPONSORED ABSENCES)

It is the worst. It’s like everyone is conspiring to keep them out of our classrooms as much as possible. SOLIDARITY MY FRIEND.

[mollywog]

Finished Sunrise on the Reaping! (Had to be an adult last night and put the book away. But now I've finished.) I'm glad for the spoilers I had. Knowing that I'll take whatever I enjoy from the book and toss away the rest, I did enjoy most of it upon reading.

Effie's appearance was the best "twist" for me. Suzanne lulled me into thinking she wasn't going to be there, and then "big, big day" and I gasped! (I enjoy Effie.)

But I must say, I did get a little tired of The Raven.

But now I get to read all your thoughts and posts!

Nice!!!

Boo to being an adult, but glad you were able to read the whole thing!!

Take/toss - great perspective! I’m still working through what I do and don’t believe, but dying to hear your opinion!

Bahahaha- I see what SC was going for there in the last chapter, but yeah, it was a slog.

And I’ll say, my posts are more reactionary, but there are some great metas, analysis, praise, and criticisms out there!

Effie was definitely a surprise for me; Did not expect her!

[culpers]

Do you have that bts photo of Abigail and Akinbode?

i wish i did. i saw them on the tag at some point and on instagam’s turn amc tag, but i didn’t save either since they were a little too spoilery at the time. 

[itspileofgoodthings]

How short is your summer break? I feel like your school went on for a loooot longer than mine, and you're starting again just barely after me.

It’s about two months. It feels a little short to me lol!! Especially the day before I go back.

[itspileofgoodthings]

I want to take an English class from you!! I just watched David Tennant's Hamlet the other day, and when the queen was relating Ophelia's death, I remembered you had this great analysis of it that you had posted, but I couldn't remember what it was! Do you remember? (maybe that the way in which the queen is relating her death strips Ophelia of even more of her dignity...did I remember that much right?) I need to take your class so I can fully internalize these things!

Also, one of my good students was complaining that they were starting to read Romeo and Juliet in English class, and I gasped and immediately quoted a section (super famous and easy, but I was internally so surprised that I had that in my back pocket), and her friend looked at her and said, "See? Shakespeare can be fun." So I felt like a mini-you in that moment!

Omg I love the Romeo and Juliet moment!! 😭♥️♥️ and I am so touched you thought of me!

And ahhh!!! Thank you for your kind words! Would simply LOVE to have you in my class, let’s go. And oh yeah!! I think the part with Ophelia’s death is just that because it’s related by the Queen in such vivid detail (the kinds of flowers she was picking, the songs she was singing, the way her clothes got heavy and dragged her down) it’s clear that her death was watched (by the Queen or maybe others but someone witnessed it) but no one intervened to stop it or bothered to help her. Which is SO dark. So yeah, I think that’s it! It’s an observation I stole from someone else years ago and it changes how I see it!

[mollywog]

I, like a rube, went to the bookstore a day after Sunrise on the Reaping came out, and they were SOLD OUT! Did not even occur to me that that was a possibility. Should have, but it didn't. So now I've had to turn on all the filters to avoid spoilers. Hopefully I can get the book tomorrow! Then I can start seeing all your thoughts!

Ohhhh nooooo!

There’s been a ton of interesting analysis! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!

Good luck on your mission!! 🫡