Writer of the Week (WOW) Spotlight: Tara

Tara is one of my two "WOW" writers this week.  She took our "Stargirl" activity and created her own character web on an interesting character named Slaira.  Then, Tara expanded all of her prewriting thoughts into an interesing character study.  I found that this piece of writing reflects our young adults and kiddos' love of fantasy, magic, and the underworld.  Meet Slaira, the Monster Slayer!

Slaira the Monster Slayer

by Tara

                Do you know that the world is really full of monsters?  Well, I do.  My name is Slaira Minster.  I also go by Monster Slayer or just M.S.  People say that my hair is black as a starless night with no moon.  I have a single stripe of blue running down the right side of my face.  Not a bright blue, but a blue like the bottom of the ocean.  My face is milky white, my lips blood red, and my eyes a cloudy silver.  I dress in the most battle gear they will allow in school: a black jumpsuit with places for swords, daggers, a bow, and a quiver of arrows.  I have tennis shoes with great traction and black gloves that are heat proof.  I’m average height, but I’m strong enough to get the best of almost anyone or anything.  I am defiantly different but that is just how I like it.  Being different means everyone leaves you alone.  My job is better this way.  There can be no liabilities when facing monsters, no way they can get the better of you through emotion. 

                Now that you know I am a monster slayer, I can tell you about the horrible darkness in this world that most people don’t know about.  All the things you see in blood curdling nightmares and gruesome horror stories are probably real.  The witches that exist have long dagger-like talons many needle sharp teeth.  Their eyes look like empty voids that lack emotion, only the need for blood can be seen in them.  Witches normally live in forests or remote caves.  They rarely venture into towns or cities, but when they do it is our job to get rid of them. 

There are also things called boggarts.  Four types can be found: house pests which throw around a few books or chairs, farm blood hunters that rip open farm animals and drink their blood, or tornado generators who can control the wind by ripping up trees and toppling houses.  The last type of boggart is called a blood sucker.  They drink the blood of humans.  Blood suckers bite their prey on the neck and drain their blood.  (These are mistaken for vampires, which only bite victims on the inside of their left wrist.)  These are only a few of the things I know about monsters.  You name something creepy, I guarantee I know what it is, where it lives, and how to kill it.

I trained at a very young age for a very long time at a school called Magnificent Monster Hunters.  Our motto was “Think quick or get killed.”  Charming, isn’t it?  You get accepted to the school when you are four years old and training starts the first day.  The schooling we received was very advanced in our core classes and we learned five new languages.  The hardest class was battle training.  We had weaponry on Saturday for the whole day, weight training was twice a week and running, swimming, and soccer each once a week.  Our physical condition was top notch.  I was always the best of my class, but I stayed away from people even then.  Like I said before, monster hunters have no friends.

Now that I ‘m done with school I get to go out into the world and start dealing with these monstrosities. My blade skills are yet to be matched.  I’m fast as the wind with my hair flying out behind me.  I can kill monster after monster when attacked!  I know everything there is to know about the darkness, like how one look at a gorgan will turn you to stone in two seconds flat, and I have all the gear necessary for the job: a gleaming sword, flashing daggers, and deadly arrows.  I am champ against almost everything I meet.  Now that you know me and understand what I am, will you take a ride through the dark with me?  I swear I will do my best to protect you, but there’s no guarantee you’ll make it back out into the sun light. 

Tara, what was your inspiration for this piece?

I have always wanted to be the action hero of my own fantasy story.  I wanted to create a strong character that could hold her own against all the monsters I put her up against.  In a way, she is who I would love to be.  I also wanted her to be a loner so that if I ever continued the story, I could introduce her to her first love and put an emotional aspect into the story.

What authors inspire your writing?

An author that inspired me was definitely J.K. Rowling.  Her Harry Potter books introduced me to the fantasy world that I couldn't get enough of.  This inspired me to read more fantasy, in turn opening the gates to my fantasy book writing.

What was the last book you read?

The last book I read was "Stanout Hero Behavior."  The book I am currently reading is a shortened version of Romeo and Juliet.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

The book of my life would be titled, "The Laughs, Tears, and Wonders of the Life of Tara."  It's an odd title, but I kind of like it!

Obviously, you are an excellent writer.  What other hobbies do you have?

Some of my hobbies include homework, homework, and homework.  Just kidding!  I enjoy reading in my spare time.  I also won't say no to a good board game.

 

Thank you Tara!  Someday I am confident we will see a Slaira the Monster Slayer series on the shelves right next to Harry Potter!