C.S. Cole

Structure Components and Making Them Get Along

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:28:44 GMT

Story structuring is hard, not because I don't know what I'm going...okay, I don't really know exactly what I'm doing just yet but I'm slowly internalizing the story components needed for 3-act structuring. The hard part for me right this moment is trying to figure out what part of my story would fit well as Act 1's Turning Point, and not confusing that with the Act 2's Problem Intensifying component. I don't think I understand the difference between the two just yet other than to say Turning Point 1 has flaming red hair and Problem Intensifying has a bad case of the zits.

Then there's figuring out which plot point should wear the "Dark Moment" t-shirt (which everyone seems to want to wear) and which point should get the not-as-exciting Turning Point number 2 baseball cap.

Right now, those two are duking it out. I've switched them multiple times with Act 1's Problem Intensifying component and just when I think I've got it the whole structure down, I discover I'm missing Act 3's Final Obstacle, which seems to me to be the same as Turning Point number 2 gone bad(er).

At least I don't have a problem with Act 1's Setup. Or at least I don't think I do.

Personal Writing Retreat.

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:24:34 GMT

My back yard writing retreat:

How could I not feel inspired?

The Idea Brain.

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:26:40 GMT

Ideas - who knows where they come from. Two nights ago I had one of my thrice-yearly surfing dreams and awoke with sore, tender-to-the-touch upper arms. It's all that paddling, don't you know.

Oh, you don't know? Hmm, well don't ask me. I've never actually surfed in my life. But gee, that water was so blue...

Last night I was killing polar bears. How awful was that? Me, a self-proclaimed bunny hugger dreaming of killing bears for food and clothing. Okay, I suppose if I absolutely had to I would but gee-sh, how messy!

And what does all this have to do with ideas? Maybe nothing, but if I know how my brain works, I think some thing's brewing.

Yes! Another WotF HM!

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:06:13 GMT

Yes! I am immensely proud to announce that I was just congratulated on my second Honorable Mention in THE WRITERS OF THE FUTURE Contest. That's three quarters entered, two honorable mentions. Yeah, I'm stoked! Even more so because they said I have talent. Oh baby! It's all up from here.

(Thanks and appreciation go out to all INK members for their critiques, Lake & Scholes for unknowingly influencing me to explore Speculative Fiction writing, and to The Husband for inspiring the original short story.)

In Need of a Leak.

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:48:10 GMT

Today was a day chalk-full of writing goodness. Too much perhaps to sort out just yet but good nonetheless. Washougal Library group in the morning, Lucky Labs in the afternoon. Brutal, some might say, or just enough say others. My brain is full.

Style? Hey, I've Got Style.

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:29:45 GMT

Three hundred words on J&T today. Most of them were fine tuning the previous eight hundred. I know where the story is going (I can't believe I know where the story is going this time!) and I'm excited but I have to slow down until the education catches up.

I'm deep into reading about story structure and style, something quite frankly, I didn't know anything about. Three-act structure? Uh, what's that all about? I get that now though I'm still struggling with how exactly one goes about accomplishing it.

In an amusing moment, I discovered what structure style I use, one completely un-taught, the one I had always gravitated toward writing: The Slice of Life. I already knew what this was called but had always been told it wasn't a real writing style. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that outside of the westernized world, it's a preferred story structure. Apparently, it's accepted, somewhat loved even, in parts of Europe proving to me once again what I've been accused of in the past; that I'm more European than American. Funny that since my family has allegedly been here in the states since the mid-1500's.

To help me internalize the traditional three-act structure, I'm going to print up a cheat sheet of steps and requirements and keep it lovingly enshrouded in a clear, plastic sleeve, here on my writing desk. And whenever I find myself straying from turning points, temporary triumphs, reversals, and final obstacles through to climaxes and resolutions, I'll slap my hands and delete all that Slice of Life nonsense...until I'm no longer a newbie writer and can get away with writing in my former, preferred style once again while getting paid for it.

It's All About the Confidence.

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:55:16 GMT

The interior of Fireside is getting warm again but this time, unfortunately, K isn't here to ~~demand, intimidate or,~~ ask the air conditioning be turned on. Fortunately, the outside temperature isn't as warm as it was last week which is to say I'm fanning myself but less often.

Things are quieter here today. I need to remember this is writing time, not social chat time. I'm being good and chose to limit my few questions and conversation to earlier in the afternoon (though I have some for someone else if I can find the right time to ask them later). I've spent the last two and half hours writing up my critique notes for a big ms in preparation for my first Lucky Lab Rats Writers Group (LL) meeting since my audition and acceptance into their group. I have no idea what to expect with the group but I'm sure I'll be fine. Not worried yet.

Now I'm looking for the SciFi Wikipedia link I thought I saw someone post here about four or five months ago. The SciFi channel's SciFiPedia isn't cutting it. Sad but not devastating. J gave me a suggestion for the J&T story and it all revolves around author confidence. If I believe something hard enough to write as though I do, readers will be more apt to forgive something I get wrong. Just don't write something too obviously wrong. That's probably easier said than done but I think I can pull it off given the story isn't about the technology or the science (horrors!). I know, I know. I rely too much on characters. I'll try to live with myself.

Edit note: Also finished another polish of YAWT and am considering asking LL if I might be able to submit this for critique sometime soon. Next up, reread my audition piece in case I'm asked questions about it. Even though it's only been four or five months since I finished that story, it seems like a lot longer.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That.

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:09:13 GMT

"I'll take a little bit of everything, thank you. Hold the drama," I asked and received.

Had a good INK meeting last night and accomplished more than usual. Our group, renamed INK-Lite for our summer schedule, critiqued, talked, read, and listened to workshop files. If time had slowed just a bit, we had a couple other things to explore but those will have to wait for another time.

Today, I dove into book reading and sure enough, before I finished one chapter, I was struck with J&T story ideas. The Husband and I closeted ourselves indoors since heat was predicted for the day but by mid afternoon, I was annoyed. Not with the heat or staying inside but with pets who demanded constant attention (with claws and drool and after spending the entire morning and lunch hour on the floor with them lying all over me) and with household activity that seemed to interrupt every time my brain was nearing a complete and total earth-shattering understanding of some complex science-y thing crucial to my story's thematic point.

So I started and stopping writing half a dozen times before I gave J&T one last shot. I started with 810 words, added about 600, moved around about 400, edited out rambling sentence after sentence, polished some words, add a few more, and deleted a small section. I ended with...810 words. But they are much better words, I swear!

The good thing, no, the great thing is whereas I knew where I was going with the story but didn't know how I was going to get there, I sure as heck-fire do now. And I'm terribly excited about it. If I can do this right, applying what I'm slowly learning about story structure, this one might end up being downright terrifying.

But now it's research time. I need to look up a bunch of stuff that I can only hope to get right. Space stuff and their effects on Earth. I don't plan on putting much of the stuff in my story, but I need to understand it in order to not come off sounding clueless and uninformed. Where's an astronomy/earth sciences professor when you need immediate access to one's brain?

Two for One or One for Two. I Pick Both.

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:01:33 GMT

I finished most of that reading I needed to get to yesterday like a good girl. I haven't started on the two books I want to complete by month's end and I've just remembered I need to ask about getting a hard copy of another ms I should read very, very soon. It'll be hot here over the weekend and since I need to keep The Husband cool, that's as good a time as any to race through what my eyes need to see.

Because it's not hot today, I spent half an hour out back in my little piece of heaven scooping up dead Oregon grape leaves and snapping off spent day lilies. And wouldn't you know it? I thought of another angle, a different direction I could take J&T, that short story I started just before I decided I needed more writing education and less flailing about trying to squeeze out something that doesn't have a clear beginning, middle, or end. Not that there's anything too wrong with that style, I'm told. Still haven't sold anything because of it though.

So I jotted down my thoughts and then dug out J&T and read it aloud to myself and the cats (my unconditional fans to the end), added a few words here and there, and thought, "This isn't half bad for an 800 word beginning (a beginning because I'm saying it is)." But is it really the story I want to write? What about the other direction that came to me earlier out in the back yard where I seem to find really good ideas?

Well, I can write that one too if I want. Sure, twice the work but twice the stories. I can decide which one is better in the end and who knows, maybe I'll find markets for both. At the very least, I could use one for all the crappy words and save the best for the other. It's possible. I'm sure it is.

If I Have To, Then I Ought To and vice versa.

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:55:20 GMT

A month without exercise is a long time without, um, exercise. First it was the Husband's MS flare up, then my back went all wonky for some reason, then there was the long weekend with a toothache. No, I wasn't really feeling good today either but that's because a) I had hardly looked at the room designated as the gym here in a long time even though it's on the way to the refrigerator and the pants are getting tight, and b) I had a less-than-enthralling manuscript to get through by this evening.

Then it hit me: When faced with things I'd rather not do, why not do them together and kill the proverbial birds with one stone? I'm embarrassed up to my earlobes to have not thought of this before (actually, earlobes included if you know how easily I blush from embarrassment).

A while later and I have finished that wordy thing and got a nice workout in on the treadmill as well. In fact, I might just have to rinse and repeat later this evening because I've got a second read-thru and critique to do on two short stories due Friday. Who says I can't catch up?

Tuesday Work at Fireside.

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:39:25 GMT

True to my word (because sometimes I just know things like that) I woke up feeling fine. No pain at all where my tooth was removed yesterday. That means no pain medication either and I can get back to all those things I need to accomplish by the middle of the month. I'm nearing the end of one manuscript, have a good amount of critique notes to offer on that plus notes on two other stories. I already got back a rejection on one of the short stories I sent out last week but here's the thing: It's the best rejection I've ever received. Informative, helpful, thankful for my taking something in a different direction. How is this a rejection again? Oh yeah, no money or credit coming my way. But I'm learning, I'm being taught how to improve. I can't see this as anything bad.

It's very, very warm today here at Fireside. K asked the guy behind the counter to turn on the air conditioning after several people here complained about it. At one point the thermometer showed it was 87 degrees in here. Warm, still, dead air. I'm fanning myself nearly constantly but it's nothing that would be helped by air conditioning. It could be 50 degrees in here and I'd still be fanning myself. Personally, I think he's shutting it back off every half hour or so but that might just be me.

With all my reading, I keep thinking back to my YAWT story and how to fix things that brought about questions. I guess that's a good thing. The MS I'm reading, while confusing in sections, allows me to think of other stuff at the same time. Usually, I can't do both at once. I don't yet have that multi channel mind that some authors talk about having but maybe someday it'll make sense.

Whew! Glad That's Over With.

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:53:59 GMT

The offending tooth has been pulled and not a moment too soon. I've got it with me (because I've never asked so much as to see any others I've had pulled over the years) and it looks horribly dark and bruised on one side. The pressure released off that side of my head the moment it was taken out was euphoric leading me to believe I had been in pain for quite some time but didn't realize it until last weekend. I have an abnormally high tolerance for pain so that would be normal.

I'll give myself the rest of the day to recover, pop a pain pill or two to mask the achy feel of the huge new hole in my head (like an elephant tusk had been pulled), and then life will be back on schedule tomorrow: Reading, Fireside, more reading followed by yet more reading.

Trying to Submit to it all.

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:03:17 GMT

I've been a lazy bones since, oh, I don't know, since Thursday when vacation plans were scrapped due to a neighbor's late night/early morning tomfoolery with high flying explosive devices and our tinder-dry roof. The husband was off for a forced company-wide vacation this past week and we've spent the most of it teetering on CrankyPants-dom.

I try not to get too riled by people with more money to spend on fireworks than sense in their heads; honestly I do, but I guess after witnessing seven separate instances over the past eighteen years of expensive things catching fire or being blown apart (some of those involving downright cruelty), I'm just jaded toward the whole holiday. Or in our area of the country, the entire week (or two) because, as one neighbor informed me yesterday, yes, somewhere in the Constitution it states that Fourth of July celebrations are a God given right to each and every American which can official begin on June 28th.

"Huh?" I said, after which I was pointed to and laughed at.

Can I move to Canada now? (Please don't pop my self-romanticized Canada love affair bubble just yet.)

I have tackled a pathetically small amount of that huge pile of reading I need to finish before mid-July. Part of my reasoning is due to just not feeling like it (bad excuse), part is due to a toothache. It should be noted here that I, similar to most major appliances in this house, only have breakdowns, failures, or severe aches and pains over holiday weekends when either a) there is nothing that can be done to fix it, or b) fixes are wildly, horribly expensive and usually done by angry men wielding pliers.

This time around and since the tooth dishing out the grief is a back molar I routinely have problems with, I'm going to demand it be pulled. I'm tough that way. I'm not going to baby it any longer. I've hated that thing, a crooked, sideways lump of bone in which every morsel of food gets trapped, most of my adult life. It's so out of there...but probably not until later next week at the earliest. And while I could spend the time doped up on whatever pain medication I can dig out from the cabinet under the bathroom sink until that yet unscheduled dentist appointment, that might not be the best time to read through that pile of material. Unless I like fairy tales because that's what my brain will undoubtedly transform it into. I know myself so well.

But not to let every waking moment of today go to waste, I did send a query to a publisher on an old, unheard from submission and received word back nearly instantaneously, and then sent out two new submissions. Go me, and to that toothache, just go away.

The Reading Pile.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:57:46 GMT

I have an ungodly amount of reading to do, most of which I need to finish before July 19th. Four books, 2 non fiction, two fiction, and two complete(?) manuscripts. You know, probably as much reading as an editor or slush reader does in four days or less. I'm not whining. I need to read more and this is the best time for me to do so.

I've come to a conclusion: My short story writing doesn't completely suck but it needs A LOT of work. Some would argue my short stories aren't stories at all but are Slice of Life pieces. I agree wholeheartedly with that but only because it was recently pointed out to me in a way that I finally understood. My stories generally don't have a beginning or end; some would say they don't have a middle either although until last week, I would have vehemently argued that yes, yes they did (because I say they do!), all of them did because my god! a story that doesn't have a beginning, middle, or end isn't a story at all and if what I've just spent the past year doing wasn't writing stories then what the hell am I wasting all this time doing?

Fooling myself?

Naw, spinning my wheels is what I'm calling it and there isn't anything wrong with that, in my mind, because I do have work to show for that spent time and it has gotten me to this point, that point being that I know it's time I pick up my game and spend more time becoming educated on the craft of writing.

I'm not beating myself up for any of the time I've spent stabbing in the dark, trying to hit the short story artery. Nor am I going to beat myself up for not feeling bad about not feeling bad. Onward, ever onward is my goal beginning with this pile of reading.

Putting Myself Under the Microscope.

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:28:43 GMT

Didn't write today (Hey! It's still early. Kind of.)

Finished most of my research for the J&L short story which made me think of another story idea, though naturally without an end. Geez, that gets old. My brain just has the worst time figuring out endings! But I think I've got a title this time around, a real title even!

Gained another rejection last night. No worries. It was another nice one. Haven't sent that story back out yet. It's home doing laundry as I type this. A big load of mismatched socks I think. Might take days.

Meanwhile, I've still got a few stories out there; one overseas for an anthology that I haven't heard a peep on since last October (a very reputable author told me keep writing and not to worry or query until it hits the one year mark), a couple are in slush piles (I hope), and a couple are getting the eyeball treatment by some more reputable authors.

Come November, I'm attending OryCon 30 in Portland, Oregon (I'm running the late night Open Read & Critiques actually, like last year). A couple of weeks ago I committed to attend next February's RadCon 5a in Pasco, Wa (Go RadCon!), am still toying with attending RustyCon in January (the weather and expenses at the time will be a factor for me), and this morning I confirmed my attendance and booked a cabin at Rainforest Writers Village put on by tbclone47 up at Lake Quinault next March.

After that, I'm probably going to have to lay low for a while to recharge my energy and restock the wallet. But still, Rainforest Writers! Sure, it's not Viable Paradise, or Odyssey, or Clarion West even but it's a start and I feel, the next logical step for me at my stage of writing.

Rainforest Writers Retreat sounds low-key (please let it be low-key) and productive. Doesn't sound scary like VP, O, and Clarion sounds (to me anyway) and I can just afford it. Now all I have to do is not freak myself out over going between now and next March. Yes, I can do goofy things like that sometimes.

And finally, since I'm here under the microscope, I'm afraid that sometime soon, for my own sanity, I'm going to have to come to terms with what genre I'm writing and want to continue to learn to write. I still balk at anyone saying I write fantasy (That's flying unicorns and talking dolphins writing! Or is it talking unicorns and flying dolphins? I get those mixed up.). I still haven't given myself permission to write true horror, other than one or two short stories, and might never, and I've never been a SF nut (Okay, so I loved "2001, A Space Odyssey," after the third time. Does that count?). Looks like I've got several months of pondering to do and most of the summer left to do it in.

A Meme 'cuz my brain went on strike before I woke up.

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:09:18 GMT

From karindira via jens fire:
It's a meme!

* Post 3 things you've done that you don't think anybody else on your friends list has done.
* See if anybody responds with "I've done that." If they have- add another!(2.b., 2.c., etc...)
* Encourage your friends paste this into their own journal to see what unique things they've done.

1. Met Alice Cooper, then drove and sold one of his cars for a lot of money.
2. Drove a car at 162 miles per hour for one mile with witnesses to the event (unfortunately, not the right kind of witnesses to make the record books).
3. Had the opportunity to train for the 1980 Olympics (swimming), the one we boycotted...but I'm not bitter!

Rereading these, it's apparent I'm not too much into girly-type things, ya think?

Maybe The Pain Was In Not Writing?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:40:08 GMT

Another hundred words done on J & L, my newest short story. Last evening, I pondered the possibility of creating two stories out of this one, and it may still show that it's open to go that way, but I'm going to focus on just one now, I think. J & L will undoubtedly be a dark piece with a slight smidgen of humor stirred here and there.

And then I contracted a huge case of the yawns.

I awoke with my back not hurting much at all this morning, a very welcome departure from the past ten days or so, and fairly rapidly after I had announced I would make a doctor's appointment for early next week if things did not improve.

I guess I showed it who's boss.

Since the house had fallen apart since The Back Ache (not really fallen apart but I sometimes like to make it seem I'm more important around here than I am), I took advantage of my fluidity and vacuumed, did laundry, and cleaned out the entire pond.

You know, all those easy tasks.

Then I wrote for an hour and a half. One hundred one words in an hour and a half. Okay, so most of it was editing what I coughed up yesterday. The point is I like what I have now for the most part. Like this Darling du Jour:

"Dead branches swayed before a bright orange haze like finger bones flexing against the sun."

Yeah, okay. So I guess you'd just have to be here. . .

Hot Time in the City.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:50:23 GMT

It's warm in here at Fireside Coffee Lodge this evening. The temperature outside should only be in the mid-seventies but the southern wall of windows looking out onto a busy, rush hour laden Powell Boulevard is reflecting back the heat from the pavement or something. Almost everyone is complaining about how warm it is in here; everyone but Jay who isn't feeling temperatures yet like the rest of us.

700 words tonight on a new short story that I'm going to call J & L for the time being. This WIP is going in two separate directions at the moment and I've half a mind to try to create two separate versions of it - one dark and downtrodden, one with a humor bent like YAWT turned out to have. The dark one is a good release for some angst I've felt pent up with for a while. The humor version is the one I really want to write. I had so much fun writing YAWT, a piece full of voice and character peculiarities. I want all my short stories to be that fun but I know I'd get tired of it eventually, and probably, my readers would too.

I haven't sent YAWT out yet. I'm saving it for a late year submission. What better reason than to create another one along the same lines for earlier submission elsewhere, right? But I did resubmit my previously created short, the one that was almost bought. So close. Not a humor piece at all but well liked. If I'm lucky, very, very lucky, the dark version of J & L will turn out as good as this one and then, I will have fulfilled my personal goal of six new shorts for the year. And with half a year left to go. Sweet!

What's Back is Back Out.

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:07:06 GMT

Call me Speedy. Call me Informed. Call me a persistent, persevering, Go-Getter. Just don't call me late for dinner.

I believe strongly in a couple of my completed short stories. When one of them came back this afternoon, I squealed with glee at receiving the personal, upbeat 'rejection,' checked my weekly submission market homework, and sent the story right back out. I didn't even give this baby time to dump off a load of laundry or raid the 'fridge. Just a quick verification, a loving pat on the head, and out it went like a dutiful son, fresh college degree in hand and a head full of sense and direction.

Happy trails, young one. Make your mama proud.

Does Anyone Know Me Yet? No? That's Okay.

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:12:36 GMT

From majikshop via matociquala via ramblin_phyl via Jay Lake:

“If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want — good or bad. When you're finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people remember about you.”

Back to Stress or Stress to Back?

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:53:02 GMT

I think the stress I went through a couple of weeks ago has gone to my lower back. Is that possible? There's a song that talks about someone who died of a toothache in their heel (Old Susanna?) so why can't it be possible to get stress in ones lower back? Don't think too hard on this. Humor me.

For the record, I haven't dug in my yard for three weeks so that can't be it. Haven't vacuumed in a couple of weeks (Husband has done it recently), haven't lifted any furniture, planted any trees, or beat up any neighbor kids (though if it were legal I assure you I would). Nope, I think all the mental stress settled into my lower back and thank gawd I've got non-barfy pain medication should I need it.

Which brings me back to a discomforting, dark story idea I've tossing around for about ten months. I think I'm going to have to give myself permission to peck away at it little by little because that original totally awesome Working Title story just won't work itself out.

Note to self: Please find time soon to completely dissect Working Title since obviously the basic premise won't vacate my head.

Looks like summer-like weather might actually have arrived around here. Picked half a dozen alpine strawberries out of the hanging baskets this afternoon and noticed my blueberry bushes are bent with lots of green fruit. Around this time last year I began what I called my garden story though gardening wasn't what inspired it and in fact, it had little to do with any actual gardening. I'm terribly pleased with myself for picking that one back up, dusting it off, and making something out of it. Hopefully, I'll hear something good on that one in a couple of months. If I can do the same with the dark story idea that's languished mostly forgotten in my idea file, I'll be one story away from completing my shorts goal for the year...not that I'll stop because of that, but I do need to get back to The Car Novel that hasn't seen eyes since early May.

So much to do, so much to accomplish. Now you see why I think the stress has gone to my back?

Yeah, I know, doesn't make much sense to me either but that's the story I'm sticking with today.

Fireside Writing.

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:57:51 GMT

An adventurous driving day for me and perhaps hundreds of others in Portland this afternoon. On my way to Fireside Coffee Lodge, usually THE best place on a Tuesday afternoon/evening to write*, I saw:

A convoy of large dump trucks driving side-by-side down Powell Boulevard at twenty-seven miles an hour effectively backing up miles of traffic heading west. People were doing all kinds of 'interesting' things to get around these guys and I'll admit I was toying with doing the same for a while, the same being taking a left turn only lane at a speed high enough to get around a truck or two and rocketing back into the westward flow of traffic. But I didn't. And by the time the trucks all turned off, going either north or south on 18th, and I drove the last few blocks to Fireside, I was *almost* recovered from the diesel fume high. Don't know what that was all about.

For a short time, I was behind an older model Honda with no back bumper and even less brake light functionality but with an uber-cool wing that put Dodge Superbird wings to shame. At least I'm sure the driver thought it was uber-cool. The thing probably weighed as much as the car's frame and engine combined. Unable to get around the dump trucks, I played nice guy and kept letting him back into traffic. He waved to me when he finally turned off and I'm pretty sure all his fingers were used.

At one point, a younger driver in an older model BMW (Frigidaire white, lowered, blackout lenses and dark tint) acted suspiciously like he wanted to go with me at the first light off I-205. Problem was he was in the left turn lane and I wasn't. I wasn't impressed either. Maybe he was just revving his engine and nodding with his chin because he had a twitch.

Saw a very lopsided drag race off another light between some small foreign car and a motorcycle. Probably don't have to tell you the outcome of that one. Saw another of the same *on my walk back from the ARCO gas station and mini mart across the street from Fireside where I had to go to get a bottle of water because no one was working at the Fireside counter until after six today. But at least the Lodge was open and everyone was honest and kind and didn't try to make each other grilled cheese sandwiches on the house or anything.

Fireside Writing accomplishments today:

- INK Critique for Kami.
- Started info gather on cachers.
- Looked over recent notes on robot idea. (Don't think I'll build one.)

Permission to Write.

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:50:16 GMT

Yesterday the husband went back to his first full day of work after his bad MS exacerbation two weeks ago, except he was only supposed to stay half a day. Reason? A little bit of 'superman syndrome,' a little bit of 'the boss implied it would be in everyone's best interest for me to work a full day.'

Stress? No, me?

Really, I'm trying to get the creative writing flow back on track. Had half an idea or two a couple of days ago. This time I was smart in that I jotted them down. I just can't make sense of them at the moment.

We had a discussion today in which I effectively kept myself from bursting into tears while driving (because I do most of the driving nowadays and I've learned that the two don't generally mix well) about channeling my stress, frustration, and anger over his MS things into my writing. I had to admit I don't want to go there just yet, if ever. It's a black, horrific place and frankly, the thoughts have terrified me. I'd have to give myself permission to write about that. Afterward, I would have scared myself as badly as I did last year when I granted myself permission to write about a particularly dark incident in my childhood (but wait! It was fiction, right? Right??). I was scared half out of my mind to let my writing group read it and even then, I felt I needed to prepare them for what they were about to lay their eyes upon. Not for the squeamish. That story, btw, is still out, overseas, since last October in fact, for a horror anthology, and I'm still hoping it'll be bought sometime this year.

So yes, someday I may venture into that world of frustration. I guess I could look at it as a writer's growth spurt, that permission-granted area that isn't all kittens and butterflies (not that I have or most likely ever would write about kittens and butterflies and not to imply that there's anything wrong with such). But for the time being, I think I'll stick with expanding my writing brain with things like goofy buddy characters and rocket-cars and flying machines and accidentally invented inventions 'cause right now I'd rather laugh than cry while I can.

"Git Off My Land" Chapter Two.

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:40:37 GMT

Irate neighbor apologized today to the husband. I would have gouged his eyes out and knew I would so I locked myself upstairs with the cats who also would have gouged eyes out, probably without much prodding. All the usual excuse cards were played: "My medication, the economy, my unemployment, the kids, the dog barking down the street. the weather..." I nearly yelled down from the luxurious cat abode upstairs how much I liked the weather but kept my tongue to myself. The husband was very accommodating even if he was barely able to get a word in edge-wise yet again.

I'm still not going to trust the neighbor who seems to pull one of these hissy fits once or twice a year. He's a sneaky one; all apologies one minute, carving knife and fork set in the back the next. Avoidance at all costs is the new rule around here...

...unless I need more fodder for my character file. I'll just make sure I'm wearing chain mail if and when I re-open that dialog.

193 words written this afternoon on a piece that won't see the light of day anytime this year. Just had to capture my emotions. Missed the aura of Fireside and my writer friends there.

"Git Off My Land!"

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:37:55 GMT

What an interesting evening! Husband was called a derogatory name to his face (literally screamed at) by an irate neighbor who was manipulated by his seven year old daughter. Again. All over a ball thrown into our back yard. Again. And without letting us get a word in edge-wise, we were told to move "if we didn't like it." Neighbor kids then flipped us off through our clear front glass door for the rest of the evening. This is like reliving grade school.

We outrank this guy in this neighborhood by five years. We ain't going nowhere. And he's publicly known as an overly medicated loose cannon by his own admission. Knowing this guy, one of those kinds who exists by suing anyone and everyone over everything, I'm expecting papers to be served within the week. Ah, drama. I'll keep my doors and windows locked anyway.

Yep, I just might have lots of character-driven stories cropping up this summer.