I must be. I entered the 2010 NaNoWriMo's 50,000 words in 30 days starting November 1st. Insane, isn't it? That's approximately 1600+ words daily for 30 days. Piece a cake right? Well, given that I work 5 days a week, have 2 children and 2 pets to take care of, there's a holiday in November...umm, no pressure.
Why would you enter, you ask? Well, at the time I hadn't calculated out how many words a day I needed to do and it sounded fun. LOL Honestly, I entered because I feel strongly about the story I've been plotting and I felt the NaNo's would give me the push I need to get the rough draft done. REMEMBRANCE took me 2 years to write and is still waiting for my editing. I'll admit, I laxed off on that story more often than naught and thank heavens I had great friends who pushed (whipped) me right to the very end.
I can be a procrastinator at times and I know what pushes me. Also, I don't want to bother my friends with another story (well at least until I have a finished product-ha). Knowing I have a deadline to meet and a wonderful story to create is the push I need. I figure either way I win. If I meet the goal - Fantastic - I get my lovely NaNo parting gifts and a 50,000 word rough draft. If I don't meet the goal...then I have something more than I started with on November 1st.
What I hope to learn from this experience is to just write. By that I mean, to stop editing while I'm doing the rough draft. It slows me down trying to perfect a sentence. I stop when I need to look something up (research); these things break the creative flow. I need to make highlighted comments and learn to go back later. Since the NaNo's are all about just writing, writing, writing, it's my goal to do just that. I feel good, so far, about this.
October is my month to prepare. I've been outlining, plotting, creating character assessments, and interviewing my characters. Trust me when I say they're talking. Emma, James and Seren have been letting me know how they want their story told. Though, if James keeps changing his tune...I may have to fix his sorry arse. (I'm the writer I can do that-HA) It's been very interesting. Damn them though-they won't tell me the end. They say it's a surprise. LOL
It's fun preparing for the big day. A large part of me wants to start now but the rules state no actual writing until 11-1-2010. I did create a prologue for this story awhile back but had to stop the story when I hurt my hand. Now that my hand is just about back, well...it is time! The prologue and its word count will not be used for the NaNo's. I tend to write prologues to see if the story works for me. I have approximately 3-4 prologues sitting around, along with my, What if..." folder. Prologues are my jumping pads to the actual story and this one rocks (if I do say so myself).
November will be a tough month but if I can stay true to my Chapter outlines I know I can do this thing. I have to unplug from the internet and just do it - WRITE, WRITE, WRITE. I need to make SEREN'S ANGEL a reality.
Wish me luck, heaven knows I'm going to need it.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Friday the 13th
Muwahahahahaha (insert sinister laugh)
Has anyone else felt like this has been a week from hell. Starting it off I hurt my right hand. Fantastic, in that its not broken, but awful in that its my dominant hand and I can't do anything with it. As a writer and a person who makes a living being able to type...well, this is not a good thing. It's getting better - still stiff, still has the lump, swelling and bruise, but in time I'm assured this will pass. Must do my exercises, which is to hen-peck the keyboard to get the muscles moving again. So much for my 90 wpm speed, huh? All this because I knocked a fan onto my hand. (gah)
Its been slow going on the story. I tried using a dictaphone but I can't seem to make myself speak into the darn thing and make it sound like a story. Why? My doctor's make it seem so easy to use. I guess with time and practice I will get used to using it (probably about the time my hand is doing better). I did do some outlining on my new story last night (hand therapy). Can't keep a good writer down. LOL
I haven't been able to do anything in the house. All my grand plans for cleaning child's room and fall cleaning while she was away didn't pan out. I was lucky to get the pigs cage and cat litter pan clean and that was only with help (thanks Rob-I owe U).
Back to work already which is probably a good thing as daytime tv is brutal. When you find yourself yelling at the imbeciles on Contestant Row and the Showcase Showdown and have watched repeats of movies on the Lifetime Channel... it's time! I did however find a great show on at 4pm on the BBC channel some talk show - Funny stuff that was. I wonder if I can switch my hours at work. Hmmmm
Well hand therapy is over (for now) - I need to attempt dishes. Have run out of all coffee mugs and this is disastrous. I need coffee cups. :-)
Has anyone else felt like this has been a week from hell. Starting it off I hurt my right hand. Fantastic, in that its not broken, but awful in that its my dominant hand and I can't do anything with it. As a writer and a person who makes a living being able to type...well, this is not a good thing. It's getting better - still stiff, still has the lump, swelling and bruise, but in time I'm assured this will pass. Must do my exercises, which is to hen-peck the keyboard to get the muscles moving again. So much for my 90 wpm speed, huh? All this because I knocked a fan onto my hand. (gah)
Its been slow going on the story. I tried using a dictaphone but I can't seem to make myself speak into the darn thing and make it sound like a story. Why? My doctor's make it seem so easy to use. I guess with time and practice I will get used to using it (probably about the time my hand is doing better). I did do some outlining on my new story last night (hand therapy). Can't keep a good writer down. LOL
I haven't been able to do anything in the house. All my grand plans for cleaning child's room and fall cleaning while she was away didn't pan out. I was lucky to get the pigs cage and cat litter pan clean and that was only with help (thanks Rob-I owe U).
Back to work already which is probably a good thing as daytime tv is brutal. When you find yourself yelling at the imbeciles on Contestant Row and the Showcase Showdown and have watched repeats of movies on the Lifetime Channel... it's time! I did however find a great show on at 4pm on the BBC channel some talk show - Funny stuff that was. I wonder if I can switch my hours at work. Hmmmm
Well hand therapy is over (for now) - I need to attempt dishes. Have run out of all coffee mugs and this is disastrous. I need coffee cups. :-)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
So WIP it...WIP it good!
Well, I finished the rough draft of REMEMBRANCE. Yay me! It was an exhilirating moment to say the least. I did the happy dance for the remainder of the day and the next. Then the let-down came. I began editing. No happy dance then, it was more like - drag my feet and plunk my sorry butt into the chair and edit. It wasn't a pretty sight.
I had been given some critique's which informed me my POV was off. Excuse moi. My POV...off? How could that be? My baby was beautiful - don't tell me it has flaws and needs major surgery. I was still very much wrapped up in the rapture of it being done - how could I possibly dismantle something so wonderfully delectable. :-) But, they were right. I knew when I wrote the story it was a rough draft and that the editing process was NOT going to be fun. (Hmmm even though writing is supposed to be fun - isn't that what creating this story was all about?) Anyways, I decided to take a break from REMEMBRANCE and editing. Clear my head and step away from Ari, Aiden, Teiran and the cast of characters that were screaming - NOooooo - don't touch us, leave us alone. We're beautiful remember?
So now, I am working on another story. Well, two stories...ok three but I'm not counting - it's just these pesky voices in my head keep telling me...OK they are all begging me to tell their story. So I'm outlining them, writing up character assessments and did prologues to see which one feels right. Hopefully I'll figure it out.
I had been given some critique's which informed me my POV was off. Excuse moi. My POV...off? How could that be? My baby was beautiful - don't tell me it has flaws and needs major surgery. I was still very much wrapped up in the rapture of it being done - how could I possibly dismantle something so wonderfully delectable. :-) But, they were right. I knew when I wrote the story it was a rough draft and that the editing process was NOT going to be fun. (Hmmm even though writing is supposed to be fun - isn't that what creating this story was all about?) Anyways, I decided to take a break from REMEMBRANCE and editing. Clear my head and step away from Ari, Aiden, Teiran and the cast of characters that were screaming - NOooooo - don't touch us, leave us alone. We're beautiful remember?
So now, I am working on another story. Well, two stories...ok three but I'm not counting - it's just these pesky voices in my head keep telling me...OK they are all begging me to tell their story. So I'm outlining them, writing up character assessments and did prologues to see which one feels right. Hopefully I'll figure it out.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Stellar Day
Oh what a night...and day. I feel so accomplished. Everything I set out to do today I actually did. Yeah me! And now look - icing on the cake, I'm blogging.
I've done some shopping for my daughter's party, finalized the menu for said party, ordered cake, baloons, etc. Did some laundry, have lil one's bag almost all set for her week in Florida, actually ate breakfast and dinner and not just coffee. I trashed my old query and rewrote a new one thanks to the great help of Jodi Meadows and her query crit. I finished Chapter 44, one more to go and then I'm in the editing trenches. I'm actually looking forward to it - one step closer and a little each day.
I feel awesome. Tomorrow it's food shopping and cleaning (not fun but it has to be done) and maybe just maybe I can start 45. (Squee!)
I've done some shopping for my daughter's party, finalized the menu for said party, ordered cake, baloons, etc. Did some laundry, have lil one's bag almost all set for her week in Florida, actually ate breakfast and dinner and not just coffee. I trashed my old query and rewrote a new one thanks to the great help of Jodi Meadows and her query crit. I finished Chapter 44, one more to go and then I'm in the editing trenches. I'm actually looking forward to it - one step closer and a little each day.
I feel awesome. Tomorrow it's food shopping and cleaning (not fun but it has to be done) and maybe just maybe I can start 45. (Squee!)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Puddle Jumpers
©2010 by S.A. Hussey
Not to be posted or reprinted without permission of the author.
“Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day.” It was a lilting song the two young girl’s half sang-half chanted as they skipped through the wet field by the elementary school. A slight mist fell but their mother’s dressed them in red and yellow knee-high puddle boots and matching rain jackets as if they almost expected the young girls to get caught in a downpour. The girls giggled as they held hands and merrily continued their sing-song that is until they came to the fence that separated the school from the woods. Both girls stopped.
“What do ya think?” Amy asked smiling mischievously at her friend. “You want to go check it out?”
Lily stared into the dark woods and her stomach did nervous little flip flops at the thought of going in there. It was against the rules, everybody knew that. Bad things happened in there. Children would go in but never came out. At least that’s what Marty the fifth grader had told them when Amy asked why no one ever played in there. Marty was the bravest boy she knew and even he didn’t go in there. She looked at her friend Amy and shook her head no. “I’m not going in there. You know what happens and besides it’s against the rules.”
“Rules schmooze. I don’t believe what they say anyways. It’s just a story the grown-ups told kids to ruin our fun,” Amy said as she climbed over the fence. “Come with me. We’ll just go check it out. We won’t go near it or anything.”
“Amy come on…get back over here, if anyone sees you we’ll get in big trouble.” She watched as Amy started tromping into the woods. “Amy. Please,” she pleaded as she looked around to see if anyone saw her go in.
“You know what Lily, you’re a chicken. Bwak bwak.”
“Am not. I just…I just,” she stopped and looked down at her feet. The tears were welling up inside. Everyone made fun of her and now her one and only friend was too. Perhaps she should just go with Amy, prove to her and everyone that she wasn’t a chicken. Maybe Amy was right. Adults were always making stuff up to keep them from having fun. She looked at her friend leaning against the tree. Amy was new to the area and she liked her. They were bestest friends and didn’t bestest friends do everything together. “Hold up, I’ll go with you.”
~ ~ ~
The woods weren’t that big. It was just an area on a small hill covered with trees. The place they were looking for was located just at the incline of the hill, about a five minute walk from the fence they had just climbed over. Lily hoped they wouldn’t find it; that it was just like Amy said, ‘a made up story’. But when they reached the area where the hill started Lily stopped short and her mouth dropped open. No, the story couldn’t possibly be true.
“Amy let’s go back now.” The pancakes and bacon she had for breakfast were churning in her nervous stomach. She tugged on Amy’s jacket and gave her a pleading look. “Please. Let’s go back.”
“In a minute, I want to check this thing out.” Amy walked towards the hill’s incline but her eyes were fixed on the ground ahead of her. “It’s not much to look at. I expected it to be bigger.”
“Come on…let’s go.” Her stomach really hurt now. Why did she come with her, Lily wondered? Oh yeah-bestest friends. They were going to be in serious trouble. “I’m leaving.”
“So leave then you big baby.” Amy retorted.
Lily was afraid, part of her wanted to stay for her friend but the other half…she swallowed hard as she looked at the glistening black spot on the ground. If she left now she could make it back to school and no one would be the wiser. If Amy wanted to make fun of her like the rest of them did, then let her. She wasn’t about to become another name added to the list of missing children. “I’m leaving,” she said again. Amy didn’t even answer her; she was too busy staring at the spot. When she watched her friend pick up the small rock, she turned and ran. It was a cowardly thing to do but her nervousness got the best of her stomach. She was going to throw up and she didn’t want to do that in front of her friend.
Amy stared hypnotically at the spot. She was fascinated. How could something so small do what everyone said it did? With a quick toss, the rock she had just held in her hand, landed in the middle of the spot. Small ripples danced across its dark surface. The rock protruded out of the inky blackness. Breaking a branch off a nearby tree she moved in closer to the spot. Crouched low, she moved the branch over the black liquid then up and down. A smile crept over her face then she laughed. Stupid kids and their made-up stories, it’s just a puddle. Idiots, wait til she told Lily it was just a dumb story. A puddle, she thought giggling. It’s going to eat me. Yeah right.
It was big enough for her to stand in if she wanted to, and judging by the protruding rock she threw on it – the water would only come up to her ankles. So how would it eat her? What did Marty say? Oh yeah ‘that all the kids jumped over it and the spot ate them’. Ok Marty, I’ll prove you wrong, she thought backing up a foot. It’s a stupid puddle. How’s it going to do that? She ran and jumped over it. Turning around she snickered. Marty is so dumb. Running again she jumped over it and landed on the other side. Yep the story is lame, just what she thought. Ok one more puddle jump and then it’s off to school. She took two steps then turned around and ran without thinking. Had she stopped before running she would’ve seen that the puddle had grown much bigger and the protruding rock she had thrown earlier had now disappeared - like she did when she landed in the middle of the inky blackness just as the puddle came alive and swallowed her whole.
Not to be posted or reprinted without permission of the author.
“Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day.” It was a lilting song the two young girl’s half sang-half chanted as they skipped through the wet field by the elementary school. A slight mist fell but their mother’s dressed them in red and yellow knee-high puddle boots and matching rain jackets as if they almost expected the young girls to get caught in a downpour. The girls giggled as they held hands and merrily continued their sing-song that is until they came to the fence that separated the school from the woods. Both girls stopped.
“What do ya think?” Amy asked smiling mischievously at her friend. “You want to go check it out?”
Lily stared into the dark woods and her stomach did nervous little flip flops at the thought of going in there. It was against the rules, everybody knew that. Bad things happened in there. Children would go in but never came out. At least that’s what Marty the fifth grader had told them when Amy asked why no one ever played in there. Marty was the bravest boy she knew and even he didn’t go in there. She looked at her friend Amy and shook her head no. “I’m not going in there. You know what happens and besides it’s against the rules.”
“Rules schmooze. I don’t believe what they say anyways. It’s just a story the grown-ups told kids to ruin our fun,” Amy said as she climbed over the fence. “Come with me. We’ll just go check it out. We won’t go near it or anything.”
“Amy come on…get back over here, if anyone sees you we’ll get in big trouble.” She watched as Amy started tromping into the woods. “Amy. Please,” she pleaded as she looked around to see if anyone saw her go in.
“You know what Lily, you’re a chicken. Bwak bwak.”
“Am not. I just…I just,” she stopped and looked down at her feet. The tears were welling up inside. Everyone made fun of her and now her one and only friend was too. Perhaps she should just go with Amy, prove to her and everyone that she wasn’t a chicken. Maybe Amy was right. Adults were always making stuff up to keep them from having fun. She looked at her friend leaning against the tree. Amy was new to the area and she liked her. They were bestest friends and didn’t bestest friends do everything together. “Hold up, I’ll go with you.”
~ ~ ~
The woods weren’t that big. It was just an area on a small hill covered with trees. The place they were looking for was located just at the incline of the hill, about a five minute walk from the fence they had just climbed over. Lily hoped they wouldn’t find it; that it was just like Amy said, ‘a made up story’. But when they reached the area where the hill started Lily stopped short and her mouth dropped open. No, the story couldn’t possibly be true.
“Amy let’s go back now.” The pancakes and bacon she had for breakfast were churning in her nervous stomach. She tugged on Amy’s jacket and gave her a pleading look. “Please. Let’s go back.”
“In a minute, I want to check this thing out.” Amy walked towards the hill’s incline but her eyes were fixed on the ground ahead of her. “It’s not much to look at. I expected it to be bigger.”
“Come on…let’s go.” Her stomach really hurt now. Why did she come with her, Lily wondered? Oh yeah-bestest friends. They were going to be in serious trouble. “I’m leaving.”
“So leave then you big baby.” Amy retorted.
Lily was afraid, part of her wanted to stay for her friend but the other half…she swallowed hard as she looked at the glistening black spot on the ground. If she left now she could make it back to school and no one would be the wiser. If Amy wanted to make fun of her like the rest of them did, then let her. She wasn’t about to become another name added to the list of missing children. “I’m leaving,” she said again. Amy didn’t even answer her; she was too busy staring at the spot. When she watched her friend pick up the small rock, she turned and ran. It was a cowardly thing to do but her nervousness got the best of her stomach. She was going to throw up and she didn’t want to do that in front of her friend.
Amy stared hypnotically at the spot. She was fascinated. How could something so small do what everyone said it did? With a quick toss, the rock she had just held in her hand, landed in the middle of the spot. Small ripples danced across its dark surface. The rock protruded out of the inky blackness. Breaking a branch off a nearby tree she moved in closer to the spot. Crouched low, she moved the branch over the black liquid then up and down. A smile crept over her face then she laughed. Stupid kids and their made-up stories, it’s just a puddle. Idiots, wait til she told Lily it was just a dumb story. A puddle, she thought giggling. It’s going to eat me. Yeah right.
It was big enough for her to stand in if she wanted to, and judging by the protruding rock she threw on it – the water would only come up to her ankles. So how would it eat her? What did Marty say? Oh yeah ‘that all the kids jumped over it and the spot ate them’. Ok Marty, I’ll prove you wrong, she thought backing up a foot. It’s a stupid puddle. How’s it going to do that? She ran and jumped over it. Turning around she snickered. Marty is so dumb. Running again she jumped over it and landed on the other side. Yep the story is lame, just what she thought. Ok one more puddle jump and then it’s off to school. She took two steps then turned around and ran without thinking. Had she stopped before running she would’ve seen that the puddle had grown much bigger and the protruding rock she had thrown earlier had now disappeared - like she did when she landed in the middle of the inky blackness just as the puddle came alive and swallowed her whole.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Ferryman
Charon gestures,
board the boat of reeds.
Gather up the obolus
dig deep the broken oar
Forever forward,
traipsing the sunless sea.
Drift in murky depths
rough, blackened waters.
Backwards tussle
into the Isle of Sorrows.
Jagged rocks, twist, turn, lost
shroud the labyrinth within
Screams in the oblivion
nothing whispers
Entering weeping bay.
hold tight the soul
Within harrowing's embrace
specters take flight
To dark Shadow delight.
(Unfinished ~ In progress)
board the boat of reeds.
Gather up the obolus
dig deep the broken oar
Forever forward,
traipsing the sunless sea.
Drift in murky depths
rough, blackened waters.
Backwards tussle
into the Isle of Sorrows.
Jagged rocks, twist, turn, lost
shroud the labyrinth within
Screams in the oblivion
nothing whispers
Entering weeping bay.
hold tight the soul
Within harrowing's embrace
specters take flight
To dark Shadow delight.
(Unfinished ~ In progress)
Wake me in Spring
Spinning the web
Out of control
No place to go
Damn it’s too bloody cold.
Step right, then left
One foot outside the door
The wandering heart
Has no place to soar.
The heart of a gypsy
Beats with wanderlust
An eye to the East
Fills now with dust.
Slip into the cocoon
Wrap the blankets tight
Thor is blowing frosty winds
Wake me on Beltane night.
Out of control
No place to go
Damn it’s too bloody cold.
Step right, then left
One foot outside the door
The wandering heart
Has no place to soar.
The heart of a gypsy
Beats with wanderlust
An eye to the East
Fills now with dust.
Slip into the cocoon
Wrap the blankets tight
Thor is blowing frosty winds
Wake me on Beltane night.
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