No NaNoWriMo for Wendopolis this year. Why? Because I've got to finish "Only You" and I am determined to do so. Taking 30 days off to whip out 50,000 words of shite wont' help me, it will only hinder.
That being said, must get butt in gear.
25 October 2007
24 October 2007
Why do I have to be professional when they're not?
Here's the deal: I submitted a story to an online magazine, Aberrant Dreams, February 26 of this year. Their guidelines state the response time as being 1-5 months. Ok, I'm down with that. So why is it nearly eight months now and I've not heard a word? I've queried as to the status of my submission and gotten no response. Is that professional? I'm thinking not. So my options are to keep waiting or formally withdraw my story and subbing it elsewhere. Am I wrong to be annoyed by this? Yeah, yeah, they get lots of subs, etc, yadda yadda yadda. Fine. But why does that make it okay to jerk me and I'm sure others around? I keep checking ralan.com just in case there's anything about response times for the mag, but nada so far.
Grrrr.
Grrrr.
Exercise 1 and 2
Recently I've begun participating in a group workshop on writing.com. We've begun doing writing exercises, and they've been quite helpful. The first one I didn't do so hot, but the second I did much better:
Exercise 1: Sensory
A sweaty arm brushed against Melanie’s, slicking her skin with alien liquid. She jerked away, only to plunge face-first into a humid forest of chest hair.
“Oh my God,” she muttered, pushing hard with both hands. Curses clanged in her ears as she bounced off more bodies, finally coming to a rest against a wall in the corner. The familiar strains of one of her favorite songs filled the venue, sending shivers down on her. If only she could see!
Gathering her courage, she shoved bodies out of her way, getting punches and curses and once even a squeeze in return. It didn’t matter, though; she had to get closer, had to be in the front. Once he saw her, everything would just fall into place, as it was meant to be.
Stephan began singing, and her urgency increased. It had to be this song. If she didn’t make it up front where he could see her, then all would be lost. But an impenetrable wall of flesh blocked her every move. Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to breathe in the hot, smoke-filled air.
Then she fell to the filthy floor and began crawling through legs, determined to achieve her goal. A boot crunched down on her hand, another jabbed her leg. Her knee came down in a cold puddle of something she didn’t want to think about, and still more legs, more bodies, more obstacles.
Crying, nose dripping, filthy from head to toe, one questing hand found the way clear as the music became almost unbearably loud. The stage! She’d made it. Now to get Stephan’s attention…
Hands gripped her arms and began dragging her backwards.
“Uh-uh, missy,” a rough voice growled in her ear. “You’re getting too close.”
“Stephan! Stephan! It’s me, Melanie!” She screamed and screamed, clawing at the hands, until the music faded away.
Exercise 2: Character
Melanie leaned against the grimy brick wall, cradling her hand against her chest. She could barely move her fingers, and they hurt like the devil. God, she was such a mess. Brown stains covered her black dress, and there was something that looked like puke ground into the laces of one boot.
But she didn’t care. She was going to see Stephan, talk to him, make him understand that they belonged together. If only she’d been able to reach the stage and get his attention, she sure as shit wouldn’t be standing in an alley behind the Bottleneck, waiting for the concert to end. Concert. What a joke. A stinky, smelly bar with room for only fifty people? That wasn’t a concert, it was a party. A party she’d been kicked out of.
Fuming, she paced back and forth, trying to ignore the way her boots rubbed against her heels. Hot Topic hadn’t carried her size, but she’d bought them anyway, who cared if they were half a size too small? They were kick ass boots that laced clear up to her knees.
The steel door clanged open, making her jump. If it was one of those sonofabitching body guards—
It was Stephan. For a second she couldn’t move, transfixed by the sight of him after so long. He twisted open a bottle of water and took a drink. His hair was black now, instead of the dirty blonde color it was last time. It suited him, she thought.
It was now or never.
“Stephan,” she said, stepping out of the shadows. He jerked, spilling the water on his shirt.
“What the hell?”
“It’s me. Melanie.” He just stared at her blankly. “The Granada? Two years ago?” It never entered her mind that he wouldn’t remember. “You invited me back to your room, remember? You said I was sweet and—” She stopped, feeling like a fool. “Never mind,” she said, turning away.
“Wait a minute. Did you have long brown hair?”
“Yes,” Melanie said slowly, a small spark of hope igniting.
“I remember you now. Yeah, the girl who jumped up on stage and sang ‘Unicorn’ with me, right?” He smiled
“That was me. I wanted to sing with you tonight, but it didn’t work out.” She glanced down at her ruined clothes and shrugged.
“You look different.” Stephan moved closer, making her heart thump. “Your hair’s so short now.” He touched her messy do. “No wonder I didn’t recognize you.”
“So what do you think? Do you like the way I look now?” Melanie held her breath while his eyes studied her from head to toe. He folded his arms, frowning a little.
“The boots are kick ass,” he said finally. “But really, Melanie, you look all the other groupies now, with the tight black dress, black eyeliner, piercings. The reason I liked you so much before was because you were different, with your jeans and long hair and cute top. You stood out from all the other girls.”
Melanie’s eyes stung. She’d done all this for him, thinking he’d like it. “I was so boring,” she said in a small voice. “Ordinary.”
“Sometimes ordinary’s a good thing,” Stephan said, offering her a small smile.
“I guess.” She bit her lip. “You look a lot different, too. The hair, mostly.”
He made a face. “Yeah, the hair, the hair, it’s always the hair.”
“You’ve lost weight, too,” she said, liking his new thinness, wondering what it would feel like to hug him. To kiss him again.
“Well, damn, was I that much of a porker before?” His dark brows came down over his eyes, a petulant cast to his mouth.
“Of course not,” she said quickly, putting her hand on his arm. “You looked great then, you look great now, Stephan. I—I wish…”
The door banged open, and a heavyset guy stuck his head out. Music blared, light spilled out, hurting her eyes.
“Stephan, whatchu doin, man? Everybody’s lookin for you.”
“I’ll be in soon, Dave,” Stephan said, waving him off. Dave glanced at Melanie and smirked before going back inside.
Stephan sighed. “One more concert tomorrow night, and that’s it for awhile. I am so tired.” He loosened his skull-printed tie, sighing again.
“It must get lonely on the road,” Melanie ventured, sliding her hand up his arm, liking the way his skin felt against hers. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered the night they’d spent together before.
“Sometimes,” he agreed, moving away. She dropped her hand, flushing. He didn’t want her. Well, she’d make him want her.
“I—I thought maybe we could get a drink after the show. Catch up a little, you know.” Melanie gave him what she hoped was a sultry smile.
Stephan smiled ruefully. “I can’t, Melanie,” he said, capping the bottle.
“Why not? Don’t you like me? You used to like me a lot.”
“I’m married.”
She stared at him. “What did you say?” she whispered.
“I got married about nine months ago.” He glanced at his watch. “I better get back inside. It was great seeing you again, Melanie.”
“Sure, Stephan,” she mumbled, turning away so she didn’t have to see him leave.
Married?
God, she was such a fool. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she stumbled down the alley to the sidewalk and started walking.
Exercise 1: Sensory
A sweaty arm brushed against Melanie’s, slicking her skin with alien liquid. She jerked away, only to plunge face-first into a humid forest of chest hair.
“Oh my God,” she muttered, pushing hard with both hands. Curses clanged in her ears as she bounced off more bodies, finally coming to a rest against a wall in the corner. The familiar strains of one of her favorite songs filled the venue, sending shivers down on her. If only she could see!
Gathering her courage, she shoved bodies out of her way, getting punches and curses and once even a squeeze in return. It didn’t matter, though; she had to get closer, had to be in the front. Once he saw her, everything would just fall into place, as it was meant to be.
Stephan began singing, and her urgency increased. It had to be this song. If she didn’t make it up front where he could see her, then all would be lost. But an impenetrable wall of flesh blocked her every move. Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to breathe in the hot, smoke-filled air.
Then she fell to the filthy floor and began crawling through legs, determined to achieve her goal. A boot crunched down on her hand, another jabbed her leg. Her knee came down in a cold puddle of something she didn’t want to think about, and still more legs, more bodies, more obstacles.
Crying, nose dripping, filthy from head to toe, one questing hand found the way clear as the music became almost unbearably loud. The stage! She’d made it. Now to get Stephan’s attention…
Hands gripped her arms and began dragging her backwards.
“Uh-uh, missy,” a rough voice growled in her ear. “You’re getting too close.”
“Stephan! Stephan! It’s me, Melanie!” She screamed and screamed, clawing at the hands, until the music faded away.
Exercise 2: Character
Melanie leaned against the grimy brick wall, cradling her hand against her chest. She could barely move her fingers, and they hurt like the devil. God, she was such a mess. Brown stains covered her black dress, and there was something that looked like puke ground into the laces of one boot.
But she didn’t care. She was going to see Stephan, talk to him, make him understand that they belonged together. If only she’d been able to reach the stage and get his attention, she sure as shit wouldn’t be standing in an alley behind the Bottleneck, waiting for the concert to end. Concert. What a joke. A stinky, smelly bar with room for only fifty people? That wasn’t a concert, it was a party. A party she’d been kicked out of.
Fuming, she paced back and forth, trying to ignore the way her boots rubbed against her heels. Hot Topic hadn’t carried her size, but she’d bought them anyway, who cared if they were half a size too small? They were kick ass boots that laced clear up to her knees.
The steel door clanged open, making her jump. If it was one of those sonofabitching body guards—
It was Stephan. For a second she couldn’t move, transfixed by the sight of him after so long. He twisted open a bottle of water and took a drink. His hair was black now, instead of the dirty blonde color it was last time. It suited him, she thought.
It was now or never.
“Stephan,” she said, stepping out of the shadows. He jerked, spilling the water on his shirt.
“What the hell?”
“It’s me. Melanie.” He just stared at her blankly. “The Granada? Two years ago?” It never entered her mind that he wouldn’t remember. “You invited me back to your room, remember? You said I was sweet and—” She stopped, feeling like a fool. “Never mind,” she said, turning away.
“Wait a minute. Did you have long brown hair?”
“Yes,” Melanie said slowly, a small spark of hope igniting.
“I remember you now. Yeah, the girl who jumped up on stage and sang ‘Unicorn’ with me, right?” He smiled
“That was me. I wanted to sing with you tonight, but it didn’t work out.” She glanced down at her ruined clothes and shrugged.
“You look different.” Stephan moved closer, making her heart thump. “Your hair’s so short now.” He touched her messy do. “No wonder I didn’t recognize you.”
“So what do you think? Do you like the way I look now?” Melanie held her breath while his eyes studied her from head to toe. He folded his arms, frowning a little.
“The boots are kick ass,” he said finally. “But really, Melanie, you look all the other groupies now, with the tight black dress, black eyeliner, piercings. The reason I liked you so much before was because you were different, with your jeans and long hair and cute top. You stood out from all the other girls.”
Melanie’s eyes stung. She’d done all this for him, thinking he’d like it. “I was so boring,” she said in a small voice. “Ordinary.”
“Sometimes ordinary’s a good thing,” Stephan said, offering her a small smile.
“I guess.” She bit her lip. “You look a lot different, too. The hair, mostly.”
He made a face. “Yeah, the hair, the hair, it’s always the hair.”
“You’ve lost weight, too,” she said, liking his new thinness, wondering what it would feel like to hug him. To kiss him again.
“Well, damn, was I that much of a porker before?” His dark brows came down over his eyes, a petulant cast to his mouth.
“Of course not,” she said quickly, putting her hand on his arm. “You looked great then, you look great now, Stephan. I—I wish…”
The door banged open, and a heavyset guy stuck his head out. Music blared, light spilled out, hurting her eyes.
“Stephan, whatchu doin, man? Everybody’s lookin for you.”
“I’ll be in soon, Dave,” Stephan said, waving him off. Dave glanced at Melanie and smirked before going back inside.
Stephan sighed. “One more concert tomorrow night, and that’s it for awhile. I am so tired.” He loosened his skull-printed tie, sighing again.
“It must get lonely on the road,” Melanie ventured, sliding her hand up his arm, liking the way his skin felt against hers. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered the night they’d spent together before.
“Sometimes,” he agreed, moving away. She dropped her hand, flushing. He didn’t want her. Well, she’d make him want her.
“I—I thought maybe we could get a drink after the show. Catch up a little, you know.” Melanie gave him what she hoped was a sultry smile.
Stephan smiled ruefully. “I can’t, Melanie,” he said, capping the bottle.
“Why not? Don’t you like me? You used to like me a lot.”
“I’m married.”
She stared at him. “What did you say?” she whispered.
“I got married about nine months ago.” He glanced at his watch. “I better get back inside. It was great seeing you again, Melanie.”
“Sure, Stephan,” she mumbled, turning away so she didn’t have to see him leave.
Married?
God, she was such a fool. Brushing a tear from her cheek, she stumbled down the alley to the sidewalk and started walking.
09 October 2007
NaNoWriMo
I guess I'm going to do it this year again. I'm not real sure what I'm going to write on, and that's not a good thing at all. I do have several ideas, though, but nothing firm as yet.
Idea #1: write a series of short stories using song titles as a springboard
Idea #2: blast out a very rough draft of the fantasy novel hubby and I've been talking about
Idea #3: write about Billy the Kid
Idea #4: expand 'Dragonfly'
so......of the four, #1 and #2 sound the most plausible. I like the idea of Billy the Kid, but that's probably more of a short story. #4 was my first idea a few months ago. I'm not liking it that much.
so we will see...
Idea #1: write a series of short stories using song titles as a springboard
Idea #2: blast out a very rough draft of the fantasy novel hubby and I've been talking about
Idea #3: write about Billy the Kid
Idea #4: expand 'Dragonfly'
so......of the four, #1 and #2 sound the most plausible. I like the idea of Billy the Kid, but that's probably more of a short story. #4 was my first idea a few months ago. I'm not liking it that much.
so we will see...
07 October 2007
writing crap
I looked over that novella I wrote last month, A Tangled Web, and omg it totally sucks. it is SOOO bad. but, hey, i was writing. That counts for a lot. I mean, if I waited and only wrote something good, geeze, I'd never write anything at all. I guess in order to create something good you have to give yourself permission to write crap.
I think I've had that permission for quite a while.
I think I've had that permission for quite a while.
27 September 2007
whoops!
I almost forgot about this thing! Obviously, since it's been like 2 months. So, you ask, how's the writing been going?
Glad you asked! It's going pretty good. I wrote a complete (yay!) short story, The Demise of Peter Pan, and finished a novella. Now I am back to Only You, doing some editing and trying to figure out how to add more words. :-) Most people have a probem being verbose; I seem to have the opposite problem.
anyhoo, that's all for now.
Glad you asked! It's going pretty good. I wrote a complete (yay!) short story, The Demise of Peter Pan, and finished a novella. Now I am back to Only You, doing some editing and trying to figure out how to add more words. :-) Most people have a probem being verbose; I seem to have the opposite problem.
anyhoo, that's all for now.
07 July 2007
Over 10,000 words
Yes, that's right! I wrote over 10,000 words in June! Go, me!!!
This 500 words a day group is really helping me write regularly.
I've started working on 'Only You' again; it's going pretty well at the moment. Derek's problems are becoming apparent to Cassie, her dad has moved out of the house, her feelings for Joel are intensifying, and a renewed friendship with Janie is on the horizon. I just thought of that last point earlier today. I think Tommy Marco will dump Janie for whatever reason, and so will Imelda and that group. Janie will be on the outside, and at first Cassie is glad she's getting a taste of her own medicine, but Cassie's mean spiritedness won't last very long, and she'll extend an olive branch.
As for the Joel thing...it's getting there. I want to show his relationship with his parents, his intense anger, his feelings for her...plus, Rich and his friends are going to jump him one night as he walks home from Cassie's house. Audra causes more problems, and Cassie will realize that Audra is a person, not just someone to hate. I think I need to put Craig Hopper in a bit, probably at youth group.
It is SO nice to finally be over the bump.
This 500 words a day group is really helping me write regularly.
I've started working on 'Only You' again; it's going pretty well at the moment. Derek's problems are becoming apparent to Cassie, her dad has moved out of the house, her feelings for Joel are intensifying, and a renewed friendship with Janie is on the horizon. I just thought of that last point earlier today. I think Tommy Marco will dump Janie for whatever reason, and so will Imelda and that group. Janie will be on the outside, and at first Cassie is glad she's getting a taste of her own medicine, but Cassie's mean spiritedness won't last very long, and she'll extend an olive branch.
As for the Joel thing...it's getting there. I want to show his relationship with his parents, his intense anger, his feelings for her...plus, Rich and his friends are going to jump him one night as he walks home from Cassie's house. Audra causes more problems, and Cassie will realize that Audra is a person, not just someone to hate. I think I need to put Craig Hopper in a bit, probably at youth group.
It is SO nice to finally be over the bump.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)