Some of My Favorite Tropes

I had a productive morning! I got ready for school to start in about a week, and I also did some good writing. I'm approaching the climax of a novel, so I want to finish that before I start working on those spooky short stories.

(Which are getting better and better in my planning stages, all the same!)

Besides, the climax is always the best part. I've earned this dessert, dang it.

Anyway, because I'm in a good mood, I decided to write a positive post today. I considered writing about one or two of my least favorite tropes that I wish would just die, but I've talked a lot about those and I don't want to use this blog to whine. So today I'm going to name some of my favorite tropes, and why I think I love them so much.

1. Tapping on the fourth wall.

Let me explain this one. "Breaking the fourth wall" is when the writer acknowledges the presence of a reader and that the work is a piece of fiction of some kind. The show is a TV show, not real life, or the book in your hands is a work of fiction. The Muppets do this all the time. So does this guy:

When I say "tapping," it's not a full acknowledgement that there is a reader for the text. It's not a "yes, we know this is fiction and we're going to reference that." It's more a subtle appeal to readers, as readers, like slipping in a tiny reference to another show or book that wouldn't exist in that world. Like naming characters after characters from another franchise, or even very subtly calling out the premise of the piece. ("A show about a dog detective? No one would ever watch that!" in a show about a dog detective, for example.)

Or this:

They're talking about a show inside the show, but Gravity Falls also has a big mystery element. They're talking about both.

Tiny break, tiny crack in the fourth wall. But nothing super obvious. I love these because if you catch them, you get the joke, but you don't need to catch them to get the joke.

2. Implied backstories.

These are when the backstory of a character or situation isn't stated, but implied with words like "again," "one time," "like before." And we either get the whole implication, or we get enough and are dying to hear the full story, though we don't need to.

Like, there's a strange scene where the protagonist walks in one someone fingerpainting with their toes while eating lemon meringue pie, wearing a ball gown, and singing along to Taylor Swift. And they say, "Really? Again?"

Which implies this whole thing happened before. As weird and singular as you think it would be.

Or, "You shot me."

"One time!"

This is comedy gold to me. But used well, it can establish some good character development through implied backstory that can help readers understand the relationships between characters or past situations. Like this:

Person crying into ice cream, holding a picture of a past love interest.
Protag: *gently* "Really? Again?"

Not a great example, but there you go. I love implied backstories.

3. The Bad Guy really blew it, but didn't know it until the end.

This makes me so happy. Every. Dang. Time.

This is when the climax comes and the good guys go to fight the bad guy and apparently get smashed in combat (of physical or mental nature). The Big Bad is gloating, all hope is lost, the heroes are defeated...or maybe that's just what they wanted the Bad Guy to think.

A trope heavy in heist shows like Ocean's 11 and Leverage, this works best when it's been supported and foreshadowed the whole story and no one saw it coming. I love the reversal when the Bad Guy has to go from gloating to, "wait, what?" in a heartbeat, as the heroes get to give the closing monologue and tell them how they missed some key detail that let the heroes' plan come together.

Because you think the villain is supposed to give that monologue, but the heroes do, you see? You see the joke?

And it's clever. And I love me some clever writing and clever characters.

A good example of this is actually in the Harry Potter series, right at the end. Who is the master of the Elder Wand? Why, Harry is, not Voldemort, even after all the effort Voldy put into finding it.

Hohoho, I love it! This may be my favorite trope of all.

Anyway, there we go. Three of my favorite tropes. What are some of yours?

Here We Go

I apologize, once again, for the late post. I seriously intended to post yesterday, but I got home late and just couldn't muster up the mental energy to put together a post for you then, so I decided to wait another day.

Besides, the only thing I could think to write about yesterday was a rant about how awful driving in Utah can be, and you don't want to read that, do you?

Anyway, the wait was good. Because today I have a video for you:

Not my first YouTube video, but it IS the first on my new channel. Consider this the "promo" video for Codes and Capers, what I'm calling the channel.

(Yes, I'm a dork. You knew that already.)

For those of you who can't see the video (I know that happens), here's the script:

"Hello, detectives, puzzlers, and retrieval specialists of all ages! Do you like cracking codes, cracking cases, and (only in theory) cracking safes? My name is Allison K. Hymas, author of mystery novel Under Locker and Key, and I’m right there with you. I love challenging myself with a good mystery, and if you’re up to the challenge, join me as every week I present some ciphers, mysteries, and good old fashioned capers for you to solve. This is Codes & Capers, where no case is too small, no solution too bewildering. So, stay tuned. I’ll be kicking off my first episode with the first puzzle September 6. Get ready. There’s a lot of mystery out there."

I already have my first video filmed and edited, and let me tell you, there's a LOT to this I didn't know, and I'm pretty sure there's still a lot more that I don't even know I don't know. But anyway, it's starting, and I'm pretty excited!

If this seems like something you're interested, check out the channel, and hey, I don't know, tell your friends.

In other news, I'm getting back to writing with a spooky fall project or two. A novel I've been working on and still need to write the climax to, and a new thing. Remember last week, and my idea to write retellings and scary stories where the explanation is far more interesting than just "ghosts or aliens are responsible"? Yeah, I'm actually doing it, and I'm writing up some notes and outlines for short stories now. Before long, I may be able to share some scraps. We'll just see how it goes.

Oh, and I'm reading this book:

Because you can't write a convincing story unless you know your material, so here we go. Here we go on YouTube, and here we go into deeper research and a form of fiction I don't write as often anymore. (It will be interesting writing fewer than 100 pages to a story.)

The Alien-Free Challenge

Well, folks, my brain is tired, and I'm sick of the summer. Which means...

LOTS OF SPOOKY YOUTUBE VIDEOS!

(Speaking of YouTube videos, I'm planning on filming a couple this week, so stay tuned!)

Okay, so I'm fond of creepy stories, especially when fall is coming, so I have been digging up creepypastas and urban legends, and I watched a few episodes of Buzzfeed Unsolved.

Correction: I watched a lot of episodes.

And I noticed something: whenever there's a mystery that seems unsolvable, after the rational theories are gone, two things always seem to remain.

Ghosts.

 

And aliens.

Which has brought me to the realization that I'm a pseudo-skeptic when it comes to these kind of stories. I believe in spirits, but I dispute that they are hanging around waiting for people with radios to talk to them, and I believe in extraterrestrial life, but I disagree that they come to Earth to draw circles and abduct people in the middle of the night.

Mainly, I think that our world is plenty weird without having to go right to "ghost" or "alien" as the reason for everything strange that happens. I don't like the idea of jumping to them as explanations because it seems lazy to me.

For example, I don't like hearing that "aliens built the pyramids" because that, to me, is insulting to the ancient Egyptians. Why wouldn't they be smart enough to plan and build the pyramids efficiently?

Just because we don't know how they did it, doesn't meant they didn't know how to do it themselves.

So here I am, thinking about all these paranormal stories, the urban legends and conspiracy theories, and I'm thinking...what if it wasn't aliens?

What if it wasn't ghosts?

What if the truth was something far stranger?

As a writer, my brain perked up. Because this is the realm of creativity. This is where exciting things can happen, when boundaries are placed.

Thus, I came up with this challenge: to, this autumn, write short stories based on famous ghost/alien encounters, but give a new explanation that is weirder, fresher, and possibly creepier than the original. No ghosts. No aliens. None of the conventional explanations, ordinary or weird.

Something else.

Granted, this is all fiction. I don't plan to rationalize away all mysteries. Just to use them as a starting place, give myself limitations, and see what happens. Maybe nothing...or maybe I'll write something worthwhile.

Fellow writers, wanna try?

Baking for the Books: Dark Recipes

Summer is hard.

The heat doesn't usually get me this much, but this summer is particularly hot and the marathon really hit me harder than I expected. And I've been busy traveling and writing, and such.

Thank goodness for baking.

I'm a fan of baking. I started baking more during my senior year of college because it was a way for me to take a break from all my homework and projects while still feeling productive. Sitting around watching TV made me antsy, because I wasn't accomplishing anything, but baking and candy-making...I was creating something new, so I could trick my brain into thinking I was working hard.

Meanwhile, my aching brain got a nice rest.

Now, I still bake when I need an outlet while still feeling productive, but lately I've been getting creative with recipes. I've started modifying recipes I find online, for various reasons, but mostly to better fit my writing group's needs.

Let me explain: I enjoy bringing cookies and treats to my writing group meetings. However, one member of the group is vegan and another is off refined sugar currently, so that means I have to alter the recipes. Here's some of my methods for altering for vegan/no sugar.

- Using fruit puree instead of butter or eggs. This holds the cookie together, and also adds some natural sweetener so less sugar is needed.
- Oil works well when the recipe calls for melted butter. There's almost no difference in consistency or flavor.
- Avocado also works in place of butter, but affects color and flavor so may need MORE sugar to cover.
- Honey and maple syrup can be replacements for sugar, though honey requires a little baking soda as well due to acidity. Honey is also not vegan, technically.
- Technically shortening works in place of butter, but I hate it. It doesn't have the same consistency, so I use fruit puree when I can.

However, I also modify the recipes based on what the books we discuss are about. As my group members bring in their stories, I like to try to "capture" their book in a treat. It's a good puzzle for me (and you know how much I like puzzles), and I get to attempt a new recipe. So, here are 3 recipes based on some darker stories to cross my laptop for this group, and why I adapted them like I did.

Dark Side Cookies

Okay, this one came about because of the meme "Come to the Dark Side, We Have Cookies." We got a new member in the group and welcomed her with this meme, and I started to think about what a real Dark Side cookie would be like. The result is a dark chocolate crinkle cookie with a little spice. This recipe is vegan, but not sugar-free.

Makes about 48 cookies.

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup applesauce (or 4 eggs if not baking vegan)
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder

*Note: all spices are to taste. I usually put in what looks like "enough" but these are rough estimates*

1/3 cup powdered sugar for rolling

1. Mix oil and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Add cocoa and beat until well blended.
3. Mix in applesauce and vanilla.
4. Stir together remaining dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne pepper) and gradually add to wet mixture, mixing well.
5. Cover and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle (about 6 hours)
6. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and coat in powdered sugar.
7. Place on a lined or greased cookie about 2 inches apart and bake for 11-13 minutes (or until tops are cracked) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool and enjoy!

Forbidden Pomegranate Truffles

This one came about due to a group member's story --- a very, very, VERY dark story about angels and demons and immense evil. I didn't think a cookie was right for this story, so I looked to darkly sinful chocolate and, of course, Persephone's forbidden pomegranates. I found this recipe, which worked well as a base, but I decided to dress up the recipe with a little white chocolate for contrast and black pepper. They are neither vegan nor sugar-free (sorry, but I haven't learned how to do that with truffles yet).

Makes 36-40 truffles.

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
11 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (chopped, bar, or chips - it's all going to melt anyway)
2 tablespoons of softened butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I actually doubled this because this is a mild spice, but here's the ground base)
1/4 cup pomegranate juice (the original recipe calls for liqueur, but I don't do alcohol)
1 cup white chocolate (or cocoa powder, if you'd prefer for the coating)
Black pepper and red sugar crystal sprinkles for decoration

1. Place heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
2. Place bittersweet chocolate and butter in a small glass or metal bowl.
3. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
4. Stir until all the chocolate is melted.
5. Add pepper and mix.
6. Add pomegranate juice a little at a time; mix until everything is combined.
7. Refrigerate for an hour.
8. Roll truffles into 1 inch balls.

*IF USING COCOA POWDER*

9.  Roll truffles in cocoa powder.
10. Sprinkle with black pepper and red sprinkles.
11.Chill and enjoy.

*IF COATING WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE*

9. Follow the instructions here on how to coat truffles with chocolate.
10. Coat the truffles with white chocolate. Sprinkle black pepper and red sprinkles on top.
11. Chill and enjoy.

Wolfish Red Riding Hood Galettes

(This picture is actually of the ones I made.)

This recipe is one of my favorites. It was a big hit at my writing group meeting. This comes from a really dark, earthy, poetic retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." I wanted a treat that was dark and earthy, reminiscent of the forest. I also wanted something old-fashioned and "peasanty" in nature, and I wanted to, of course, make it red. The idea was for something a little girl with a thirst for red might bring to her grandmother in an ancient, dark forest. So I altered this recipe, using red berries instead of blueberries and adding rosemary as a hint of pine forest. The galette form, the rustic pastry, was perfect for this project.

This is also not vegan or sugar-free, though could easily be sugar-free in you desire.

Makes about 16 galettes.

1 lb chopped strawberries and (unchopped) raspberries
1/4 granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tbsp-1 tbsp dried rosemary leaves (this is one of those cases where I added "enough" but this measurement is a rough estimate)
4 pie crusts (2 2-crust storebought boxes) or your own homemade crust, enough for 2 pies
1 beaten egg for egg wash

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (Parchment paper is a wonderful invention. I freaking love it)
2. Combine berries, lemon juice/zest, sugar, cornstarch, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Set filling aside.
3. Clear a work space to use to roll out the crusts. Sprinkle area with flour and roll out dough.
4. Cut circles that are 6 inches in diameter (use a bowl or cutter with those dimensions). Roll out dough, again, as needed. You should get 4 circles from each ready-made pie crust.
5. Spoon 1-2 tbsp filling into the center of each circle and fold up the edges.
6. Place 8 galettes on each baking sheet. Brush each galette with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

*NOTE: this recipe is amazing fresh out of the oven, but over time the red berry mix can start to look a bit like roadkill. It still tastes good, but looks a little rough. Maybe, though, considering the story this was inspired by, you might want that look.*


I hope you enjoy these recipes! They're the dark ones; there are also recipes I'd call "light" ones, not as heavy on dark and spicy flavors, but those will be a post for another day. Also, if these recipes don't work for you, by all means alter them. That's what I do.

I promise to get back to posting on Mondays; life will be calming down soon. Which is great, because I still need to work on my YouTube channel and get ready for that, on top of my usual work and writing.

Talk to you soon!

Getting Familiar With Video Editing

Hey, all! What's that, you ask? It's my first YouTube video!

(If insert doesn't work here's the link.)

See above video for my blog post. If for some reason it doesn't work, then here's the text version (which is much more eloquent than the video. Be patient; I'm learning):

I'm making a YouTube channel and today I'm messing around with video editing software found on my computer. I'm not very technically savvy, so I need to practice and see if this software will work for me. I don't know yet; it's a little clumsy.

I've wanted to make a YouTube channel talking about the Things of Mystery. And by that I pretty much mean the things I talk about in my books: code breaking, lockpicking, solving crimes, etc. I grew up making up puzzles for my younger siblings to solve, and I really like doing it. So here's a channel, coming your way, where I'm going to give viewers puzzles to solve, codes to break, mysteries to overcome.

Think of it as a chance to be Jeremy or Becca, to be given a problem and have to solve it as a retrieval specialist or a detective. Every week, a challenge. Every week, comment with your answer. There you go!