Writer's Lair

Tagged

2007-01-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

I’ve been Tagged by Jason so, five little known facts:

Hmm, thinking.

I was in a band, for a whole month before our lead singer freaked out.

I hang out at a goth club on Sundays, my friend spins on a fair number of those Sundays, one of the reasons I go there so often.

My friend and I have a plan to start our own dance club in a few years.

After five months alone, I finally found a boyfriend. The months alone were good, but I needs the cuddles.

I want to buy my own house, soon. Just need that pesky full time job.

Hmm, who to tag… thinks for a while.

rpging goodness

2007-01-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend I get to roleplay for the first time in a while, and I’m not running the game.  I’m happy about it, but it is with a new group so I’m a bit nervous.  I think it will be fun though.

Oh my gods is it cold too.  Ridiculously cold.

Tomorrow is going to be interesting though.  I get to feed in the morning for my roommate then run into town (and keep in mind all of this is after work which is from two am to 6am or so) and crash at my friend’s house until roleplaying starts.  Then we get to play all day, during which I get to run back to the farm, freeze my ass off and feed horses again, and then go back for the rest of the game.  I’m probably going to spend the night at his house and I’m hoping I can get my roommate to feed my cats Sunday morning.  I haven’t seen her in a couple of days so I haven’t been able to ask her.  So, lack of sleep ahead. But that’s ok.  It’ll be fun.

Other than that, my internet is being spazzy and that is kind of pissing me off.  Not much else to tell.  I wrote a little bit yesterday, and might do a bit more today but I’m not stuck anymore.  Is happy.

HI Friends, new and old.

2007-01-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy New Years all!
This year is really starting out so much better than the last one. Anyway, I’m going back to nights this week so I should be less absent.

This week has been not real good for writing, but it has been good for cuddling, so I am not complaining.

Nice to meet you Jason.

Hopefully I’ll be around more now.

busy

2006-12-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry I’ve been absent. I’m still really busy and tired and my house is leaking all over the place but I really don’t have much to say other than that. Haven’t been writing enough and even though it is 8pm I’m tempted to go to bed instead of write. It’s really sad, and this schedule is starting to take its toll. However I only have four more weeks of it and if I do for some reason end up keeping the temp job I’m going to have to adjust my schedule. It isn’t sustainable. Happy New Year all.

NaNo in the News

2006-12-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

NaNo in the News.

NYT NaNo Article

Shakes head

2006-12-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

*Shakes head*
I just don’t get it.

http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/30/book-burnings-potter-tech-media_cz_ds_books06_1201burn.html

OMG Nano is over!

2006-11-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

OMG… Nano is over.

I finished and was only on track one day this month.  That would be last Monday when I finally caught up.  Then I pushed ahead and finished yesterday at 11pm.  I had a couple days where I wrote upwards of 5 or 6 thousand words in a day.  Sunday I did seven thousand and between Sunday and Monday I wrote ten thousand words.  It was pretty crazy.  And of course there were days when I didn’t write.  Exhaustion from the craziness of my life and all that Jazz and there were a few days where I only had a couple hundred words.

Next year a friend of mine and I are going to word war and I’m going to try and take the first few days of November off to get a jump start on writing.  Next year I want to finish really early.

All right, now I can catch up with the rest of my life… Though I will of course continue to write.  Oh, and I imagine I’ll be posting again and reading all your guys’ blogs.

What an insane month.

2006-11-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

So I probably won’t be too active with my blog this month. Life is nuts. I’m temporarily working a full time job along with doing NaNo, training four horses, trying to ride my own horse and working another part time job. All without sunlight…

Mostly though I just want to save my writing for NaNo. I’m not going to check other blogs until December and I’ll post on this one once a week or so.

Hope all goes well for you in the month of November.

HI

2006-11-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

HI!

Sorry for my long absence, but I was out of town for a week in Charleston, SC. It was petty kick ass cool and I had a great time. I’ll post pictures somewhere and give a link shortly and I’ll tell you all more about it later.

Just wanted to send in an update. Hope everyone is doing well and for those doing NaNo… Good luck!

An excellent weekend

2006-10-24T01:07:00.000-06:00

*giggles*
I had an awesome weekend… I haven’t felt this happy in a long time and I’ve been walking around with a stupid grin on my face all day.  Some of my friends actually asked me if I got laid… Which I didn’t, but that’s really ok.

Anyway, it was just overall really good.  Saturday was decent, but Sunday was great.  I got up early and rode my horse and the weather was perfect.  Then I went to a NaNoWriMo meet and greet which was fun.  Then Scott and I got his drums from his house, grabbed dinner and took his drums to my house for our band practice.  He set them up then we hung out.  Then I took him back to his place, where we hung out some more and then I went to Rose’s house to change.  I decided to dress up for a change to go to Static, the club I hang out at on Sunday nights, and she did my hair.

So Rose drove me to Static, which was good cause getting into my pickup with a dress on doesn’t happen with any sort of modesty.  At least the dress I was wearing ^.^  I did have to get into it to park it better, but that involved hiking my dress up around my waist… It was a real good thing I was also wearing a cloak and it was dark out.

Anyway, Static was a blast.  I dragged Scott out with us and the DJ’s were playing awesome music and I looked really damn good (I didn’t even have to say it myself).  I danced a lot, and hung out with my friends.

There’s a trend here… Can you spot it?  *Silly grin*

Ahh, for those who don’t know who I’m talking about:
Rose is a fellow writer, in my writing group and a NaNo person.
Scott, as you may have guessed is, among other things, the drummer in our band that we are starting. I’m sure you’ll hear about our first “practice” after it happens tomorrow.

I figured it out.  I ended up being awake for something like 20 hours because I got up so early.  But it was worth it.

silly horses

2006-10-20T22:21:00.000-06:00

So, I had an interesting start to my day.  My friend/the barn manager and sort of my boss calls me just as I get up and tells me that Inge (the lady that owns the place I live and the yearlings I’m training) wants to see me work the yearlings.  I was a bit grumpy at this, though in my defense I’d just woken up, but I got moving and went outside.

Inge is a really nice lady but I’m always nervous showing things off.  Especially with horses, because they always choose the worst times to be weird.  Oh, and it was windy… and wind really does weird things to horses sometimes.  Even the best horses are often odd in the wind.

Anyway my two darling colts did lovely.  They were really good, despite not having been out for a week due to weather.  Inge was very pleased and asked me to start her two fillies too.  I sighed… internally.  I don’t really have time for the other two, but I think that if I don’t get them going now, I’ll just have to do it later.  They aren’t even really halter broke at this point so it’s going to be entertaining.

So, other than feeling totally useless right now, I had a good start to my day.

~Happy Trails

SNOW!

2006-10-17T18:50:00.000-06:00

It’s snowing in the front range ^.^

It’s really pretty outside. We have about an inch of snow, maybe a bit less but it’s actually sticking. Our first snow doesn’t normally stick.

2006-10-15T00:46:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Sorry I’ve been a bit absent lately. It’s been really busy. Monday night was writing group, Tuesday I was writing and working on my outline, same as Wednesday. Thursday we met at Static to support Rose in the DJ competition. She’s kicking ass. Last night I made buckeye’s with a friend from work and he cooked dinner. It was yummy ^.^ And today I went down to Denver to see some friends I hadn’t seen in a while. It was good, but I need to get back to my outline.

Oh and if you all aren’t familiar with the buckeye phenomena, yes it’s a tree but it’s also a candy. You make peanut butter balls and dip them in chocolate. Of course it’s a bit more complicated than that, but not much. They come out looking like the nut from a buckeye tree and they taste lovely. It’s kind of an Ohio thingy.

The Adventures of Darth Tux

2006-10-08T21:30:00.000-06:00

Hey all,
If you want to check out my comic here’s the link to my Deviant Art Page: Phoenixfirewolf.

LMK what you think if you check it out. There are five pages and they all contain links to the other pages.

Oh, they’re best viewed at 1024X768

giggles incoherently

2006-10-08T00:51:00.000-06:00

Allrighty, I’ve been awake for 32 hours, give or take a couple.  I did take a nap.  And with loosing 9 or so hours of the day to work I’ve finished 24 hour comic day.
Report:
I got five pages done, the last one I went ten minutes over my time finishing the inking.  Each page took me about two hours to complete.
I’m extremely happy with how everything came out.  I’m not displeased with my progress.  I’m not a fast drawer, and had to use “inspiration” pictures for some of the poses I wanted my kitties in.  That took time to look up, and all that jazz.  Each page is on normal sized paper and has five to six frames which take up all but a half inch border.  I made some of them more simple and some more complex.

I am now eating my reward piece of pumpkin pie.

If none of this makes sense… I’ve been awake for a long ass time ^.^

As soon as I can find someone with a scanner I’ll put these up somewhere.  I’m happy with how they turned out.

Yea!! Dryer.  Now I can really go to bed.

~Happy Trails.

Perfect ride

2006-10-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

Moonlight by Horseback

My spirit swells with joy
My breath quickens with anticipation
The moon is full
The clouds are high in the sky

The cool air caresses my skin
A nicker greets me
Perked ears and my soul’s readiness
Eager feet prance and follow mine

A swing through the air
A soft landing
Muscles shifting underneath me
We become one

Moonlight on our backs
A moonbeam lights our way
Wind rushes through our hair
Stars dance beneath our feet

The moon is a beacon in the distance
Night rainbows grace our path
Cool air rushes by
Our breath stolen in the wind

Joyously we are filled to brimming
Silent music touches our ears
As one we dance through the sky
As one our dreams take flight

2006-10-04T21:08:00.000-06:00

Perhaps an exercise for my writing group. I'll have to mention it.

Storytellers

List

2006-10-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

Things to do for writing group:

Write a short (no more than 10,000 words) story inspired by song lyrics

Bring 1/3, at least, of outline for NaNo novel.

Things to do in general:

Ride my horse

Plan out my next vampire colony story

24 hour comic

So, I’m certainly busy.

Not to mention I have to work and sleep in there too. Life is good though and I’m pretty happy with things. I’ve managed to spend a lot of time writing and the outlining that Kelley Armstrong has taught us works really well. I finished my second vampire colony story much quicker than the first because I already had an idea of where I was going. I’m certainly sold on the outlining thing. Though I still need to give the last few lessons a try with my novel. I’m kind of waiting until I have a longer block of time. I’m thinking that Thursday will be my day to work on that.

Hrm. A challenge

2006-10-03T01:19:00.000-06:00

Anyone want to draw a lot?
24 hour comic

I’m going to give it a go, though I’ll have to break for work and it’s probably going to be silly to do with my wrist the way it is, but the comic of The Tux shall be made.

Rainbow

2006-10-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

Check out the pics. A cool rainbow that I took pictures of.
http://pics.livejournal.com/phoenixfirewolf/gallery/000025zx

Happy October

2006-10-01T01:44:00.000-06:00

Ha! Vampire Colony 2 is done and I’m pleased with it.  I really like how the serial writing is working out for me.  A bunch of connected short stories that I can fiddle with and experiment without writing a novel.  I have enough novels to write and I don’t want to shelve this project.  And it gives me a sense of completion because I actually finish something more often than with a novel.

I had another MC write herself in.  She’s pretty cool and I’m looking forward to exploring her further too.

Also had kind of a neat experience today.  A friend read my Arabian Dreams novel and he sent me an email with questions that the novel (hehe, I have a novel) raised.  I was answering them and got really excited about my world.  I felt like I wanted to run out to the store and buy the next couple of books in the series so I could read them.  It was kind of cool.  Now I just need to write them…  Though my Ekatarine story is the next novel to get finished.  Once I get that one done I’ll start on the next AD, while editing the current one.  Kind of planning an overlapping project thingy.  And I get to keep writing Vampire Colony or other little projects on the side to keep me sane.

I love my writing groups.  They’re so helpful.

Damn, it’s October already… Where did September go?  No really… where’d it go?

Anyway, on another note, I applied for a new job at FedEx.  It’s a full time with benefits that pays well.  I don’t really want to work full time but the benefits will be really helpful.  If I get the job it will push back my plans for my ride a year.  However it will also provide me with more money and I’ll be able to get a dog this spring instead of waiting.  We’ll see what happens.  My manager doesn’t want me to leave, but he understands me wanting full time.  He’s the one that told us about the job…

I love pumpkin.  My pie turned out exquisite.  I’m so happy.

Sorry, rambling now.  I’d say it’s late, but for me it really isn’t.  ^.^

~Happy Trails

Don't throw it away!

2006-09-28T23:48:00.000-06:00

The story of a shoe in a coffee pot.
My dad used to be in the navy on subs and his boat had the best coffee in the fleet.  Every time they were in port officers from all around would come for coffee it was that good.

Anyway, one day they actually cleaned out the coffee pot and lo’ a shoe was found in the pot.  Not thinking anything of it, they threw the shoe away.

Their coffee was never quite the same again.  They even tried throwing another shoe in the pot, but it just didn’t work.

Moral of the story, if you’ve got good coffee… don’t clean the pot ^.^

Mmm Pumpkining in my chili.

2006-09-26T20:44:00.000-06:00

Yea, a whole evening to write! And make chili. I’m fairly pleased… Now to get to work

It could always be worse.

2006-09-23T22:37:00.000-06:00

I hadn’t heard about this.

Remember the Librarians

Keep this in mind next time you go to the bookstore or Library. Not everyone is as fortunate as we.

Things

2006-09-22T01:30:00.000-06:00

Roleplaying… Writing… same difference right?  Actually in some ways I count it as the same, especially when I’m running the game.

I don’t typically get to write on Thursdays because of my game, but in a way that’s ok.  In a way it drives me nuts.  I’m going to a party tomorrow… Lots of parties for me recently.  Considering I’m usually lucky if I make it to one a year.  And I won’t get to write tomorrow either, which does annoy me.  That’s ok though.  It will be fun.

Wow, I’m tired.  I didn’t get enough sleep yesterday and haven’t quite recovered yet.

On another note, I’m progressing with my second “Short” story in my Vampire Colony series.  I’m writing it as kind of an episodic thing like a TV show.  There’s an overriding plot that shows up now and again and the main action centers around my vampire MC, of course.  However another character wrote herself in and I’m anxious to see where she takes things.  She’s looking like she’s going to be the “dark hero’s” sidekick, however she’s a power in her own right.  She’s a genius and an astronomer/physicist and very involved in the running of the planet.  I can foresee that Mitch helps Natalia out as much as he helps her out.  It’ll be fun.

So now I have three series I’m actively working on.  The Arabian Dreams series which isn’t getting anything done to it until I get crits back, and likely not ‘till after NaNo.  My Ekatarine Series which gets picked up again for NaNo (I’m outlining that one right now) and my Vampire Colony shorts.  I also have one other project, a story a coworker wants me to write that I’m going to be outlining here soon.  I imagine that one will end up about 20K words.

So, anyway, off to work in a few.

~Happy Trails

Revealed...

2006-09-19T15:39:00.000-06:00

SU The great secret of writing a novel.

This is it… the great mystery revealed. Go check it out.

Of course the trick is: ass in chair, five pages a day = novel in 3 months with time to edit other works.

Don’t believe me? Read what the published authors wrote… I got it from them.

Ain't she pretty?

2006-09-18T03:45:00.000-06:00

Picture I used as the working cover for my recently completed draft of Arabian Dreams. I thought it was appropriate.

Pirates? Arrrr

2006-09-16T16:34:00.000-06:00

I haven’t gotten too much writing or work on outlining done this week but it’s been kind of a crazy week as I’m sure you’ve guessed.

I’m going to a pirate party tonight and I’m going to take my little black book of doom and see if I can get some ideas jotted down while I’m there for some of my WIP’s.  They’ll understand, they’re writers too.  Well, most of them are and the other’s live with writers.  I think it’ll be a fun time whether I get writing done or not and hopefully I won’t stay so late that I can’t get something done tonight.  I’m starting to hit the “Gotta write or else stage.”  It happened faster this time than last.  I’ll take that as a good sign.

On another note… I freakin hate the wind.  It’s so windy here right now, and I’ve got to go out in it.  Alas…  I’ll give it another half an hour, but I doubt it will die until I’m done with all of my outdoor chores…

Hmm, lots of … Oh well, not really worried about it right now.  I’ll use this half an hour to write, something… anything, and get some breakfast.

I love having a schedule that keeps me up all night and lets me sleep during the day.

Oh, plans for my ride are progressing.  I’ve talked to someone who’s done it before and I’m going to call someone else tomorrow about it.  I’ve also started to take other steps of planning, mostly thinking about what I need to do and asking some people for advice/help/kitty sitting.  I intend to leave in April or May.  So far it looks like I’ll get to come back here (the farm) after I leave, which will be good.

Ahh, Congratulations to Bookwyrm (points at sidebar link) on what sounds like an outstanding performance of 1778.  Hehe… I told you so ^.~
Anyway, apparently even an English couple liked it.

~Happy Trails

The end and the beginning

2006-09-13T18:27:00.000-06:00

Warning, this is a depressing as hell tale.

We got a horse into the farm I live on this sunday.  She was a 20 year old retired show horse, a paint.  You wouldn't know it by looking at her though.  She was so thin that you could have done a skeletal anatomy class on her.  She was so weak she could barely stand and so sore in her feet that she didn't really want to anyway.  Long story short her owner had left her with some "friends" when she left for AZ and the horse got starved and not cared for.  The owner got her moved to our farm.

From a distance she just looked thin, but when you got up to her you could only stop and stare.  Oh my gods, was the first thing I thought when I actually looked at her monday morning.

We tried to save her, but she was just too far gone.  We had her put down this afternoon and we just got finished with having her body removed by a very kind lady who does it with dignty and I believe she is going to be buried.

Humanity failed Apache, as it fails many horses.  Please if you see a horse in a field that looks like a skeleton... call animal control.  Humane society apparently takes a long time to respond.

She didnt make it W

2006-09-13T14:50:00.000-06:00

She didn’t make it. We had to have her put down today. It’s very depressing, but we gave it a go.

Thanks all for your kind thoughts for Apache.

we're crazy... live with it.

2006-09-11T21:56:00.000-06:00

Another good one from Storytellers Unplugged.

How to live with a writer:
Clicky

people who abuse animals should be branded on the forehead.

2006-09-11T19:40:00.000-06:00

There’s a pony who needs your prayers or well wishes today and probably for a little while until we get her out of danger of death. *Crosses fingers*

She showed up on the farm I work at yesterday. The vet has pronounced her near death but the prognosis is such that it’s worth a try to save her. It’s very sad. She’s a retired show horse, you wouldn’t know it by looking at her though.

Warning, her picture is very very depressing.
Apache

Happiness and Joy

2006-09-07T23:06:00.000-06:00

WOOHOO!!!
Er, ehem… I finished… finally.

The second draft is done, and I’m not going to touch it for a while now. Yea! Happiness ensues. Er, a bit giddy. Sorry.

ksldfiowhje!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-09-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

I Hate Editing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ACK, Arg and all that…

Ok, had to get it out of my system. Back to Arabian Dreams.

I'm saying it, so it's going to happen.

2006-09-01T20:58:00.000-06:00

Declaration of intent:
Next summer I am going to have an adventure.  Period, end of story.  A good adventure, one that I’ve planned.

I am either going to go with my parents on their boat for the summer as crew and captain when dad isn’t being captain or I’m going on a long ride.  See the link to the long riders guild on the sidebar if you want a definition.  It amounts to; I’m going to ride my horse across the United States.  I plan on starting in Washington or Oregon and ending up in the East, but I might reverse that.  Depends on what advice I receive in my planning.  If I don’t go on my long ride this summer it will be the following summer or the summer after that.  Dad has said that he is going to Alaska with his boat next summer (2008) and has said that he’ll take me along for that trip for sure.  He hasn’t said if he’ll take me along on his first trip or not.  He wants me to get a career as I’ve said.

Through out these journeys I am going to continue to write, participate in my online writing group and hopefully through email with my local writing group.  If I get a publishing contract and agent I believe that I’ll continue to be able to travel because of the wonders of laptops, cell phones and the internet.  Gotta look into internet thru cell phones and I’ll be picking up a laptop to take with me.

So, damn it… I’m going to do it.  I’ve been saying I want to for years (I’m 24 btw) and now I’m going to do it.  I don’t want to risk dieing before I get a chance to do the things I want to do.

Characters

2006-09-01T17:19:00.000-06:00

I giggled, I laughed and I said: “I know exactly what he means.”

Check out yesterday’s Storytellers Unplugged:
http://www.storytellersunplugged.com/2006/08/whose-story-is-this-anyway.html

It’s a terribly amusing account of how characters write themselves. The comments are great too.

Giggles

2006-08-30T22:48:00.000-06:00

WOOHOO!!!
Alright, sorry… *Calms down*
I got the ending done for Arabian Dreams. Finally. I’m not done yet. I’ve still got to go through and add some stuff, but I’m almost done now. I’m so happy. Well, then I gotta do a revision. Then I gotta get other’s to revise then more massive amounts of work to make it better, but I’m almost freakin done with this draft.

Ok, I’m off to read for a while. A bit of a reward as I don’t feel like digging into the rest of it just yet.

As Promised

2006-08-26T16:05:00.000-06:00

Hmm, Updates.

I had a really good weekend last weekend, despite the funeral part of it.  I got to see some old friends, and I finally got to see my dad’s boat.  It’s been a long time, two and a half years, since I’ve been back to Ohio.  It was really green.  Colorado’s not.

I’m currently trying to convince my dad to take me with him next summer when he goes traveling.  Hopefully he’ll get the boat done.  However he thinks I need to start on my career… LOL, yeah so he doesn’t quite get that I’m a writer and am eventually going to make a living that way.  Oh well.

To the goal of getting to go traveling next summer I’m pushing up my timetable for getting some of my work done.  I’m also going to work on Ekatarine for NaNoWriMo instead of something random like I was going to do.  That way I can try and get both stories done by the end of the year.  If edits go reasonably quickly I’ll start looking for an agent.  Then maybe I’ll have him convinced.  We’ll see.

So far life in general is treating me quite well.  Hopefully it continues to do so.

~Happy Trails

Howdy all

2006-08-23T14:40:00.000-06:00

Quick note
I’m back, probably won’t hear much from me for the next couple of days, as yet again I’m trying to get caught up. I’ll probably post an update this weekend.

a quarter to three

2006-08-11T18:16:00.000-06:00

"People need trouble -- a little frustration to sharpen the spirit on, toughen it. Artists do; I don't mean you need to live in a rat hole or gutter, but you have to learn fortitude, endurance. Only vegetables are happy," William Faulkner

Good advice.

It's a quarter to three,No one in the place but you and me . . .
~John B. Rosenman

Just read the Storyteller’s Unplugged essay on Dark Nights, and the one before it posted today about Literary Racism. If you read or write at all I suggest you check them out. *points to link on sidebar*

Not much else to say right now. The one about Dark Nights was especially powerful and I need to digest it. Think I’ll do that by cleaning stalls and runs… *fun*

Briefly my life

2006-08-09T22:15:00.000-06:00

Brief update as I need to do some writing instead of blogging ^.^

My friend’s visit was great. We had a lot of fun and I finally got to show off the mountains to him.

Other than that, I’m just trying to get caught back up with my writing work. Didn’t get anything done while my friend was here… but that’s ok ^.^

thoughts, musings and a bit of hope

2006-07-30T12:53:00.000-06:00

So, here’s a question.  I read everywhere that everyone wants to be a writer.  Why?  I mean I know why I want to be a writer.  The blood, sweat and tears involved with the process, not to mention the stories being told and the characters coming to life and the fulfillment I get from that makes it all worth it.  Not to mention the thrill of victory and the crush of defeat and the knowledge that I will keep going no matter what.  It’s exciting, trilling and all together worth the sacrifices I have to make to do it.

Sure I’d like to play that computer game, but I really need to be writing if I’m in front of my computer, and yeah I’d like to spend all of my free time reading, but then I couldn’t be pouring my words onto the screen.  Oh, and a career?  Yeah, I could go and get one but I’d rather have a job that pays me enough to get by while I work on becoming a paid writer.

I think people don’t understand how much work it takes to actually be a published, publishable and ongoing author.  It’s not easy, but even so far the journey has been rewarding and I don’t have anything published yet.  My ex, in one of his fits of stupidity regarding my time and what I did with it said, “and what if you get published, how long is it going to take then?”  (he was referring to my lack of time for his business).  The answer to that is, of course, “as long as it takes.”

I’ll make it, I have no doubt.  And for those who already have in my “circle” of friends, I congratulate you, wish you luck and success, am no end of proud of you and envy you.  Just a little, but it’s there.  I can’t wait to join your ranks.  So now back to the keyboard, and my novels and words and ideas, because the time is worth it, the journey amazing and the results will be out of this world.

Muhahah, or something like that.

2006-07-27T00:44:00.000-06:00

Woohoo… I finished.  Finally.  At last.  Anyway, If you couldn’t tell I’m just a wee bit happy about being finished.  What did I finish you might ask?  Ha, a story…  Anyway, it’s the middle of the night, which is my day, which is making me a bit crazy at the moment.  I had caffeine too.

Ok, so you might recall that serial story I was planning that I mentioned a while back.  Yeah, that one.  It’s 21 Word pages, and actually done.  I haven’t edited it yet, I will.  I printed it so I can work on it.  I edit better when I can write on things.

Anyway, I want to share it if anyone wants to read it.  You can wait a few days (might be a week or more, though hopefully not) for the edited version, or you can read this one.  Either way I welcome comments.  You’ll have to email me for it though because I’m not yet sure how I’m going to present it otherwise.  I might be getting space on a friend’s server that will be relatively secure and unseachable but not yet.  I believe you all have my email address or are OWG members.  You know who I am (I think ^.^ ) and you can shoot me an email or a PM through that.  Don’t want to put up my email on a public blog.

Ok, now to clean my trailer before my friend comes, get some writing group and OWG stuff done and then… finish Arabian Dreams.  Finally.  Yes, I am going to finish it.  Then I need to revise it again, because it needs it and beg someone to edit it once I revise it.  Then… well, lots of things.

Yeah, I'm a moron

2006-07-25T17:12:00.000-06:00

Today was the day of being really moronic… well today and yesterday I guess. I went out this morning (1:30am) to discover that I’d left the car lights on in my car… and the battery was quite dead. Oppose, fortunately I also have a truck so I unhooked it from my horse trailer in record time and made it to work. No problem. Then when I got home I was unable to jump it because there just wasn’t enough juice left so I called my wonderful mechanic, who also happens to be a friend and asked him if he had a charger I could use. He did so, despite my better judgment because I was so tired I got back in my truck to go pick it up. Yeah, I should have just listened to myself and stayed at home… I had to back up and around to get out and I remembered the first concrete thingy I had to avoid but I ran into the other one… going fast enough to completely destroy my tire. Alas. I pretty much gave up right there jacked my truck up enough to keep it from sitting on the rim and went to bed. Thought it is a damn good thing I was in my truck and not my car because I would have actually damaged my car.

So now I get to go fiddle with that, changing a tire isn’t hard, I just need to get it off the ground enough to do it. I don’t have the proper jack for it so I’ll have to fiddle a little. I also need to get the charger still. Scott said he could drop it by on his way home though. He lives somewhere out near where I do and it’s on his way. Erg… Truck tires are expensive too. I have road hazard but I know it isn’t going to be able to be fixed and they prorate the price of a new tire based on tread wear. This one is unfortunately one of my more worn tires too. Alas.

Other than that, I slept really well and I’m going to go eat something yummy and get awake for the day before doing some more writing.

Ack

2006-07-23T00:32:00.000-06:00

Ack
Just noticed that I accidentally posted something twice… Oh well.  Anyway I’m very happy.  I got a lot written last night.  Tonight I had a going away party for a friend and I’m pretty tired so I think I’m just going to read for another hour and then go to bed.  I figure I don’t need to stay up all night every night, just stay up late on my days off.  We’ll give it a try.

Oh and my friend from Florida is officially coming to visit.  *Is very happy*

I’m getting close to done with my first “episode” of the serial story I want to write.  It might be a bit long to post on my blog, but I’ll find a way of sharing it.  Then I’ll write more and share them, hopefully in a much more timely fashion.

Update

2006-07-17T13:37:00.000-06:00

Update:
Life is going pretty well.  I’ve got a part-time job in the middle of the night.  Nycto likes to call it my “creature of the night delivery service” because I’ll be unpacking and packing Fed Ex trucks.  It’s in the middle of the night and I’ll get between 20 and 25 hours a week of work and it pays really well.  I’m actually kind of excited about the hours because it will allow me to exist on a more natural (for me, oh creature of the night that I am) schedule and I’ll get to keep my “job” on the farm, so I don’t have to move again.  Well, I haven’t officially started, but that should happen this week.  I’ve also done some work for my mechanic, and I’ll get some money for that, and I’ll be able to continue doing work for him.  *is happy*

I’ve also been playing around with photoshop and I’ve got some great books to work on my drawing skills.  And I’m going to be doing that oil painting.  I’ve got the picture on the wood, but I haven’t started with the actual painting yet.  Writing is more of a priority.

Speaking of which, I heard back from the publishing company and they don’t want my story.  I think, despite help from Nichole and others, that my synopsis still wasn’t good enough.  So… I’ll just keep working and the good thing is that it’ll give me more time to get the story “perfect”.  I think I’ll go the agent rout next.  Who knows, it might still get published if I have an agent shopping it around for me.  I’m not to worried about it, right now it’s almost a good thing because I’ve been so bad at writing recently.  I’m getting better and more on track again, so I’m happy about that.

~Happy Trails

Update

2006-07-17T13:36:00.000-06:00

Erg

2006-07-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

Erg,
Very easily distracted, though getting better.  Am going to work on the story I want to do as a serial after I eat some carrots, or maybe during I don’t know.  I’ve got a bunch of it plotted out and I’d like to get the first part finished.

I’ve also got the first Darth Tux comic strip plotted.  If I actually get it drawn up I’ll post it, if I can figure out how.  Just a fun little strip about my cats and the dog I’m watching.  I’ve also got an oil painting ready to be started.  I’ve got the picture on the wood and all I need to do is start applying paint to wood… Sounds easier than it is in my current scattered mind.  Though I’m starting to be able to focus better.

Then by request I’m going to work on Ekatarine some more.  I have a friend who really wants to read more.  Makes me feel good, but bad too because I haven’t worked on it.  What I’m actually going to do is try and make a plot outline.  Need to learn more about plotting and plot points.  Will hit the web, but not now.  First carrots, then serial story.

I got to do a little world building and rpging last night.  That was good.  Shosh and I are planning on playing again this evening I believe.

~Happy Trails

Things aren't bad

2006-07-09T20:38:00.000-06:00

Well, life is pretty good right now considering.  I’m looking for a job.  I have a few applications in and I’ve never had a problem finding a job in the past so I’ll probably be able to find one now.  My mechanic is letting me do some paperwork for him part time so that will help too.

I need to start writing again, but I’ve had a hard time starting.  It’s frustrating to no end right now…  I want to start working on some short stories too so I can try and get them published but I need some ideas and I’m not real great at writing shorts.  I really want to get published and it’s not that I don’t want to do the work, because I do, I just can’t seem to get back into the groove.  Stupid boys.  I wrote a little bit last night and I’ll try and write some more tonight and then pretty soon I’ll be writing a lot again and it will be good.

I had a nice long chat with a friend from high school last night.  It was really good to hear from him and it’s possible that he might come for a visit.  Alas, he lives in Florida so I don’t get to see him very often.  In fact it’s been a few years at this point and he had to come to me last time too.

My cats like the windows in my new place.  They are kind of weird double windows with an outside window, a ledge than an inside window.  They like to get between the two windows and sun themselves or just watch the world.

I haven’t had any more mice and the roaches are all dieing so things are looking good there.  Now I just need to get the mice out of the walls.

On another note I want to do a painting.  I like to oil paint and I want to do another one.  I paint on wooden rounds.  I just don’t know what I want to paint yet.  I was thinking of a girl turning into a phoenix, but I’m having a hard time getting the person to look right.  I’m thinking of doing a dragon until I get better at people.  I know the pose I want, and that actually turned out ok.  I’m just having a hard time with proportions.  Oh well.

Hrm, babbling a little… I’ll leave you all with this thought:  A joke lifted from the OWG.

A writer died and Saint Peter offered her the option of going to hell or heaven. To make up her mind, she asked for a tour of each destination.Saint Peter agreed and decided to take her to hell first. As she descended into the fiery pits, the writer saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes by demons."Oh my," the writer said, "let me see heaven."A few moments later, as they ascended into heaen, the writer saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes by demons."Hey," the writer said, "this is just as bad as hell!""Oh, no it's not," Saint Peter replied, "here, your work gets published."

Ok

2006-07-06T15:14:00.000-06:00

Ok
So as you’ve probably guessed, life has been a bit odd recently.  I’ve gotten a lot of things sorted out and gotten my former fiancé’s crap out of my place with my parents’ help.  They’ve been keeping me busy too so I haven’t had time to get online.

In short things are going well and looking at things I’m really better off now than I was before.  Here’s my response when people have asked what’s happened.

Ok, in short my fiancé has decided that he's grown and changed and I haven't... Well, he's changed all right but none of us really see the growing part. I'm also not interested in really changing who I am. We have grown apart but it wasn't really apparent how much until just recently when he started freaking out about things. It's kind of hard to explain over email but essentially he's gotten into this business, which in itself isn't bad, but he is taking it as a license to be an ass hole and he's decided that we need to be on the same page about everything, including religion. And because of a book he read he's decided to become christian. What it amounts too is that he can't do anything with out talking to his mentor in the business and in religion and life he wants someone to tell him what to do. Of course this isn't what he says, but it's what a lot of us are seeing.And he's decided me and my dreams aren't good enough for him anymore. In a way I'm glad, things will be much easier without having to deal with his crap. He's a very different person than he was a year a go when I agreed to marry him.

Other than that, as I said all is well.  I’m trying to get back into the swing of things and I’m actually feeling really good about life.  I’m more frustrated than anything at this point.

Thank you all for your kindness and support.  You guys are awesome.

~Happy Trails

So much for love...

2006-06-24T23:26:00.000-06:00

Sorry I’ve been gone but it has been a rough week.  My former fiancé (we’ve been together for almost five years) decided to postpone things ten days before our wedding and then today he called it off completely.  I guess it is for the better.  I think he blames me, but it really doesn’t matter at this point.  *shrug*

I got your card Nicole and I really appreciate the thought and sentiment.

I’ll probably be sporadic for a bit while I get things sorted out, but I wanted to give you all an update.  I’m still going to write, and thought I haven’t done much recently I’m going to get my story done because it’s going to get published.  *I hope*

Hope you are all having fairer winds than I.  Happy trails.

uncomfortable things

2006-06-12T15:31:00.000-06:00

Writing uncomfortable scenes.

Does anyone else have a problem writing uncomfortable scenes?  I’ve been dreading this scene since I planned it and even now when I have to write it I’m dreading doing it.  The silly thing is that it isn’t even risqué or anything that should make me uncomfortable.  *Shrugs*

Anyway, I’m going to go write it now, because once I get beyond it, it will be done and my novel will be a hell of a lot closer to completion…  I’m almost freakin done.  I need to have it done by next Tuesday because then I go up to the mountains for a week for my wedding and I want to take a printed draft with me to edit while I’m up there.

Oh, I got my postcard back from Dorchester saying that they received my synopsis and first three chapters.  Now to wait and see if they want to read the whole thing.  I really hope that they do.  *crosses fingers*

Oh, so my mom read the first part of my Arabian Dreams story, the one under consideration, and she liked it.  I was surprised and so was she ^.^

Erg, just hit some random finger-fumbling combination of keys and now the stupid paragraph things and the space dots and all that annoyance have appeared on my screen.  Don’t know how to get rid of it with the keyboard so I’ll just finish up and close the doc.

Ok, back to writing…

Howdy all

2006-06-09T18:53:00.000-06:00

Howdy all.
I’m back, the move was obnoxious, the search of internet strenuous and the discovery of roaches rather bad… Gotta find an exterminator and convince the landlady to use him.  *Shudders* I expected mice, we do live in the country, but in Colorado there is absolutely no excuse for roaches.  We don’t have the climate for them, so someone accidentally brought them and the horrid state of this place when we first started cleaning it explains why they stuck around.

Writing has started up slowly and I’ve managed to start riding more again.  Now I just need to get back up to endurance training levels.

I’ll keep you all posted but I need to go help the boy with dinner now.  It’s good to be back and good to “see” you all again.

Deep Breath

2006-05-30T22:26:00.000-06:00

Ok, got my synopsis and first three chapters in the mail. *Crosses fingers*

Anyway, I’ll keep you all posted. Tomorrow is partial moving and cleaning, Thursday is the rest of moving and then the continued search for highspeed internet out in the country continues. I’ll probably be gone for at least a week. Hopefully not more. I’ll check in, and maybe post on a friend’s computer but I won’t be around much.

Good luck to everyone else who is moving, trying to get published and just trying to exist… I guess that would be almost everyone ^.^

~Happy Trails

Update

2006-05-25T13:07:00.000-06:00

Brief Update

I heard back from Dorchester and my idea “piqued” their interest. So I get to send them a synopsis and the first three chapters. *Crosses fingers*

I’ll probably be a little absent for a few more days while I get that done and then get packed to move next week.

Smacks self

2006-05-19T19:50:00.000-06:00

Gibbering incoherently… At least I feel like that.  I just can’t get myself to write.  I was on a roll on Sunday and it was going great.  Then I had two days of yard work, a day of recovery from yard work and then more yard work but I could have been working in the evenings on Wednesday and for the last two hours today.  The yard work is important because it’s paying the board for my horse next month so I’m not complaining about that, but getting started again is hard.

I also haven’t heard back from the publishing company yet.  I’m not worried about that, except that I think it’s affecting my desire to write.  I’ve got this feeling that, well if they don’t want it then I don’t have to work on it, but if they do want it I need to kick butt and get it finished and my brain is telling me to wait and see.  It’s dumb, I need to work on it and I want to work on it, not to mention a couple of friends who are going to climb through my computer and throttle me if I don’t.  I just can’t seem to get started.  *whines piteously*   Ok, done whining.  You can ignore that part ^.^

On a plus note, it looks like we might actually get a storm tonight, with honest to gods rain.  That would be seriously awesome.  It is raining in the mountains, I just hope it gets out to the plains where my yard work is.  More water this time of year is always good.  Three days of rain would not make me sad.

I really just need to kick myself in the ass and do it.  I’ve even got the document open.  I think another part of it is self-confidence.  I know my story needs work and I know people enjoy some of the stuff I’ve written but I don’t know if anyone else wants to read it, or publish it or whatever.  I think I want to know if someone out there thinks I’m good enough.  Which of course won’t happen if I don’t keep writing.  Silly circle of badness.

I need to do my OWG critiques too.  I think I’m going to do those tomorrow evening when my fiancé is gone to his rpging game.  One of the few he’s in that I’m not.

K, enough bitching.  Thanks for listening.  I’m going to go water my plants (which needs to be done and I keep forgetting) then I’m going to right.  Really, I am.

Happy Trails and Much writing inspiration to all.
(you can get some great ideas out on the trail)

ooww

2006-05-17T09:24:00.000-06:00

Not much writing done the last two days, but a fair amount of yard work. I got two yard’s tilled and reseeded… My body hates me now. I’ve still got some trees and stuff to plant, but I don’t have those yet, so I can’t really plant them ^.^ That’s ok with me. Though I would like to get them in this week or this weekend. And I really really hope we get a few days of good soaking rain so my grass can really take off. I’m going to be watering it, which means I get to go to the barn after 6, so it’s in the shade and the water actually does some good…

I’m looking forward to getting some writing done today. First the chiropractor and the post office… Which means I need to get going.

Flowers for all

2006-05-14T08:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Mothers’ Day to all you mothers out there.

writing and stuff

2006-05-12T12:21:00.000-06:00

Writing on Arabian Dreams had been going slowly, if steadily.  I’m getting a little bit here and there done, nothing real impressive as far as progress.  Not sure why I’m having problems getting more done, especially since I’ve got a few people who are bugging me for the ending, which I’ll take as a good sign.

I haven’t heard back from the publishing company yet, but it’s only been a week and a half, so I’m not worried.  I do worry that my query letter got there ok, but I’m sure it’s fine.  I just need to get Arabian Dreams done before they send it back in case they want to see it.  I really hope they do, and I really hope they like it.  *crosses fingers*

On another note, I’ve finally set up a Deviant Art account; my username is phoenixfirewolf, if anyone wants to check it out.  I’ve been lurking around there for years and finally had to set one up to read a friend’s story so I figured I’d post a few things.  Once I get a scanner I’ll be able to put more drawings up, but I’ve had some success with using a camera to take pictures of my drawings.

Agh, that reminds me, I also need to do my critiques for the OWG and I told my friend I’d help her with her story too.  It’s got a lot of potential so it should be fun to help her out, especially since she’s been helping me with my drawing.  Thanks Kerushi.

Other than that, life is good.  I had a great three-hour trail ride with my horse, did some exploring in our new area.  We didn’t get chased by any stallions this time, which is good.  I’m also glad I left my old barn when I did.  Apparently all of the horses are sick there.  Sabaska was healthy when I left, so apparently the lack of turn out (one of the reasons I left) was actually a good thing.  They say things happen for a reason, and I’ve learned to trust my gut instinct.  It was saying get her out, and even though it cost me extra I did and now I’m very glad, because if she’d needed vet care, it would have cost me more.

Moving is a pain in the ass.  We’ve got boxes all over our living room and we’ve packed up the majority of our books.  That used a lot of boxes ^.~

My search for High Speed out where I’m moving has produced some results and I get to call one place back before I move to set up an appointment and see if they can get service out to us.  *Crosses fingers again*  Dial up bad, cable good… wireless acceptable.  Dial up better than nothing.  Ok, writing in complete sentences again.

Happy Trails

High adventure on the trail

2006-05-08T18:37:00.000-06:00

Sabaska and I had a great journey today.  Arnora and the bold Precious joined us on our perilous quest for adventure.

Our quest for adventure first led us down a trail full of mighty dragons.  They threatened Precious, but Sabaska boldly fought them off.  After we left the dragon-infested lands we traveled east down a wide and easy dirt track where Arnora and I chatted about other adventures we’d met in our travels.  We left the track to explore a side rout and were thwarted by villainous people, guarding their secrets.  Not wanting to fight we turned back to our easy path, while unbeknownst to us evil sorcerers brewed a great thunderstorm to block our passage.

We started to hear the warning signs of the great storm and started thinking about heading back, however we found another side rout and decided to explore it first, ignoring our feelings of impending doom.

The side rout was pleasant and deceptively safe – we didn’t know that a monstrous stallion awaited us – though the first drops of rain started to wet the ground, and us.  It was peaceful though; the distant rumble of thunder and the patter of rain on the stream next to our path comforted us.  On this path we found a mighty crystal of unknown but great power.  It is undergoing analysis by a knowledgeable person as I relate this tale.

The rain started to pick up and we started to worry about being out in a thunderstorm but we pushed onward, believing that we’d be able to reach home and safety by the path we chose.  As we road we came upon a gate.  Horses please keep gate closed was the inscription upon this mighty barrier.  We pushed forward, opening and closing the might gate behind us and we traveled onward while the rain intensified.

Suddenly my intrepid riding companion commented that we were being watched.  Trusting her instincts, I started scanning the vicinity and noticed a band of magical horses in the distance.  We weren’t concerned as they were not anywhere close until one of the beasts started charging towards us.  We decided to head back because we didn’t want to deal with a band of horses in the rain.  Suddenly my companion realized the magical horse was the stallion of the herd.  We had a moment of Oh Shit! and Sabaska and I charged towards the gate while Precious guarded our back and my horse’s virginity.  We got the gate open and Precious charged through after us, barely in time to contain the raging stallion.  We backed off, breathed a sigh of relief and started to head back the way we had come.

Angered by the failure of their accomplice, the Stallion, the evil Sorcerers intensified their rain to stinging size and velocities.  We were unprepared for this onslaught but we fought bravely on hoping for barn and safety.  The thunder crashed around us as we fought the torrential rains, our horses and ourselves soaked to the bone, but the magic storm lost its fury and the sun briefly shown through the clouds warming us and lifting our spirits.  It was during this break in the storm that we found the wily Leprechauns’ clovers and plucked one apiece for safety.

Little did we know that the Leprechaun was watching and angered by our theft.  He called forth mighty griffons to harass us as we traveled homeward, however his clovers protected us from the worst of his wrath and we made it back to the barn in safety.

A bit of a silly and exaggerated but actually very truthful account of my trail ride today.

Howdy all

2006-05-05T10:23:00.000-06:00

Sorry I’ve been “away” so long.  I’ve been trying to get work on my story Arabian Dreams done.  There’s a publishing company that’s starting a new line of books and their description fits mine to the point where it’s scary.  My friend commented that I must have given the pope mouth to mouth in a past life to get such a break.  I laughed.

Anyway, I sent out a query letter.  Much thanks to those of you who helped me with it.  Bookie, Nicto and Bassetgrl being three of those that sometimes pop in here.  It was kind of stressful in a silly way.  But I have now sent in my first ever query.  I really hope it was ok.  I keep going over it in my head wondering how I could have made it better.  Anyway.  I’ve got to get Arabian Dreams done in case they want to read it.  Fortunately I got the things I wanted to add, outlined and all I need to do is get cracking.  I’ve got the first part edited and I just need to add and revise.  Then I think I’m going to have to rechapter everything.  They just aren’t quite right.

Well, if they decide they want to look at it, that’s going to be even more nerve wracking, but I was enjoying it when I went thru and re read it.  I guess that is a good sign.

So, I’ll keep you all posted and try not to be absent as long.

Oh!  I did finally find out that I’m moving at the end of the month.  Right before my wedding as apposed to right after it.  Right…  Anyway, it’ll be exciting.

howdy

2006-04-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

Sorry I’ve been gone for a while.  Lots of craziness going on in life and was just trying to figure things out.

On a plus note, I’ve gotten a lot of writing done recently.  Well, kind of.  I’ve gotten a lot of thinking done and some writing, but it was good writing.  I pushed through a difficult scene to write and though it needs some revision, as it is a bit abrupt in one area it turned out pretty good.

I’m looking forward to writing one section that is coming up in my modern Ekatarine story.  It’s going to be interesting to do, but I think it will turn out well.  It’s the dreaded visit to Jin and Kevin’s relatives.  Especially Aunt Margaret, who can’t seem to help but have a new male to throw at Kat every time they visit.  I wrote a short phone conversation between them that made a bunch of people laugh so hopefully the visit will turn out well too.

Hmm, what else.  Oh, didn’t get my OWG challenge story done.  I think I was having a hard time because there was a prescribed first sentence.  I also think that I was really stressed out, and that makes it hard to write.  I’m also still brainstorming on my piece that I want to have for submission but I’ve been doing a lot of market research and that’s helped a lot.

I’ve also started to get better at contracting things again.  *Yea!* I’ve gone back and reread some old stuff and fixed the dialog in that too.

good day

2006-04-19T22:20:00.000-06:00

I got some great writing done today on my modern Ekatarine story.  I didn’t work on my submission piece, though I have been thinking hard about it and I haven’t worked on my story that I want to start publishing as a serial on my blog.  Need to get a few finished before I start publishing it though so I can keep ahead of myself.

Tomorrow is supposed to be not very windy which will be a great.  Hopefully I can go riding and get some more written.

I’ve taken up walking in the morning to get some extra exercise.  I am enjoying that and it is giving me some good time to think.

Ahh, I got my book from Kelley Armstrong today.  *Does happy dance* Was a reward for finishing my NaNoWriMo novel.  It is really cool to have a book signed to me.

My cat is putting my arm to sleep because apparently he needs to lay on it so I am off for the night.

~Happy Trails.

Challenge

2006-04-16T20:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I started writing the things that were on my mind so I could get them out.  That has helped quite a bit.  I also made a challenge with my friend/online sister.  We are both going to have something publishable/submitable by the end of May.  I have chosen to give some Sci Fi a go, however if I come up with a Fantasy idea that isn’t a problem.  I am going to submit to either Analog or Realms of Fantasy.

She is also going to have something.  *pokes Shosh*

Don’t have a story idea yet, working on getting some of the extraneous thoughts out of my head so I can focus.  It’s going well though.

hrm

2006-04-12T10:59:00.000-06:00

Kind of hit a slump again in my writing. I am focusing on getting out of it today. My mind went “Blah!” and had too many ideas to the point where I couldn’t focus. So today I am going to focus on something.

I also want to start publishing my “weekly” story on my blog or set up a website for it. I think it would be kind of fun. I do want to get the first “intro” story done first before I do so. I think I will concentrate on that today. Maybe I can push through my stuck-ness.

Contractions

2006-04-06T12:52:00.000-06:00

Contractions
I thought of this because of another blog I was reading about starting sentences with and, and but.

I have this problem with using contractions in dialog.  I find this highly amusing since I remember a time when I contracted everything I possibly could, even if it didn’t make as much sense.  Of course that was in elementary school.  I am now a college graduate by 4 months and contracting has become hard.

I thought about it at one point and figured out why I am now having problems.  In middle school and high school English classes we had these wonderful papers we had to write where we had to use formal writing, so no contractions…  I didn’t do nearly as much creative writing and I forgot how to hear contractions while I write dialog.  It is an extremely annoying problem to have to fix but I am working hard on it and I think I have gotten better in the past few months now that I have been concentrating.

Yet another instance of having to unlearn things taught in school in my life.  There are a few others though overall for the things I have studied I have gotten a lot of good information.  I certainly know a lot more about horses than I would have if I hadn’t gotten a degree in them and I think my two horses benefit from this knowledge.  Of course my degree wouldn’t have been complete without my owning a horse during it.  I find it sad that you can get through an equine science program and never touch a horse.  Ok, going off on a rant.  Sorry…  *refocusing*

Other than that work on my Ekatarine story is still going well and I am thinking about tackling some drawing today as well.  My horse has a sore shoulder (another rant I don’t want to get into right now) and I don’t want to make it worse by riding her.  I spent awhile stretching it and massaging it for her earlier and hopefully I will be able to borrow my friend’s magnet therapy tomorrow so I can work on her with that.  I have had the magnets used on me and they really do help.

Does anyone else have any weird things they learned in school that they are now having to unlearn?  Just curious.

Happy Trails.

Got Kicked, wrote stuff, was good.

2006-04-05T20:08:00.000-06:00

I had a good kick in the head this last weekend from my Muse this weekend and got some good stuff written.  I got some future Ekatarine stuff written and then I got the modern story stuff revised and am working on writing more of it now.  I am really happy to be back working on that.

I lost a little steam on Arabian Dreams because I can’t go to the convention anymore so I didn’t have as much reason to finish it and I got distracted… Well, Kat started screaming at me is what most of the problem was.  She was tired of being ignored.

Other than that things are going well.  Still up in the air as to the new job I am looking at.  The owner of the farm gets back this week so I will find out later.  I am really hoping I get it though.  It will really help us.

Not much else to say right now.  Have a great month.

Not a whole lot new.

2006-03-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Not much going on right now.  I am going out of town this weekend, leaving tomorrow, for a business trip.  Should be a lot of fun.  I like car trips.  I am going to take a couple of things with me to work on, long hand, while I am gone.  I am going to edit and hopefully add to my modern Ekatarine story so that I can have more to post that is actually edited.

I also have a new story I am working on that I am thinking of doing something like a weekly posting.  I am envisioning the first part as something like a “two-hour” intro that they do for TV shows then posting a shorter “hourly” episode once a week or once every other week.  I haven’t decided the medium for my posting yet, but it might be this blog or I might set up a website for it.  Don’t know, have to get a little ahead first so that I am not rushing.  Might be a fun project.  I do like the story.  It is something a friend of mine and I cooked up over IM.  I might even get ambitious and do some illustrations for it as my drawing skills progress.  I am “learning” how to draw as another project now that I can use my wrist again.  I “” learning because I already know how to draw, I just suck at drawing people so I am working on that.

Hmm, what else.  Wedding plans are progressing.  I have a lead on someone who might do my flowers, just need to get the number.  I need to find fabric for my dress… Everything else is going relatively smoothly.

Weddings are silly ^.^  and planning for them is a pain in the ass.  I am kind of glad that my mom isn’t around or I would probably be about ready to kill her.  She is annoying enough to talk to on the phone.

I got a call from my Maid of Honor last night, she was worried about her dress having a train.  She hadn’t realized that it did because it was so long on her to start with and her friend told her that only I was supposed to have a train… Well, I probably won’t have a train because I am going to be riding my horse; I am just going to have a very full skirt.  I didn’t care but her friend is very into traditional weddings.

On another note, I really hope my fingernail grows all the way out before the wedding, not that we are going to be able to afford rings at this point but I really don’t want to have my nice black finger in a picture.  It will probably grow out to the point where I can get a fake nail put over it.  It is pretty nasty looking right now.

Well, back to writing things I am “supposed” to be writing.

Wow, it has been a busy month.

The Call of the Saddle

2006-03-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Wanna ride around the world?  Check out the Long Riders link on the sidebar.  They’ve got people who have done it and are doing it and will be doing it.  Well, parts of the world.  The plan for the around the world trip is still in the works but I am looking forward to seeing how it goes.

To qualify as a Long Rider you must have ridden over 1000 consecutive miles on a trip.  You can’t have profited by it and there are a few other requirements.

I am in the beginning stages (very beginning) of planning a trip across the United States with a friend and our two fiancés.  We are hoping to get another friend to join us as well.

This summer we are hoping to do our first 100 mile endurance ride (we being Sabaska and I).  Next year we want to do the Tevis cup.  The year after or possibly the year after that we are going across the US.  It has been a dream of mine since I was young to ride across the states.  When I got Sabaska I added to that dream that I wanted to do it with her.  Last summer I discovered the Long Rider’s Guild.  Now I dream to add me and Sabaska into the ranks of their Long Riders.  Just today I found someone who wants to do it with me.  *Does a happy dance*

Sure my fiancé will do it, but it isn’t his “dream” as it were.  He is excited about the journey but I am sure that he doesn’t want to do it for the same reasons Ana and I do.

Our current proposed route includes starting in May in Washington and riding across WA, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and a few other small states and ending up in Maryland at Chincoteague.  I think we have both read “Misty of Chincoteague” and the idea intrigues us.  We both want to dink along and see the northern US at the speed of 3-5 miles an hour and from the backs of our horses.

The world is best seen between the ears of your best friend.  Life in the saddle calls strongly.  Once you have heard the call you can ignore it and go nuts, wondering what is missing, or you can heed the call, but once you do; you can never go back.

Story ADD strikes again.

2006-03-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

Been bad recently. I have been giving in to my writer’s ADD again. Part of it has to do with my not going to the convention like I was going to. Why focus when I don’t have to. Part of it is that my mind needs a break. I do need to go back and do more work on Arabian Dreams here shortly but don’t feel like it just yet. Ekatarine wants attention.

Not much else right now, just working away.

Crazyness

2006-03-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

So we went for it. Kalahari is now ours. She won’t be completely ours until September, unless we get her paid for earlier, but I am not counting on it. We can take her off of the place where she is being kept any time we want to and do anything with her, we just have to take her back. Inge really wanted me to have this horse and Kalahari really wanted to be mine.

She is going to be an awesome SCA games horse and a great trail horse. She is also a good size for my fiancé.

Sabaska (can’t leave her out, she might get a bit annoyed)
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/Phoenixfirewolf/IMG_0256.jpg

Kalahari
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f286/Phoenixfirewolf/IMG_0543.jpg

I have had a great week starting last Wednesday. My boss has been out of town, so I haven’t had anything to do. I have spent most of it riding or working on my SCA garb. Erg, reminds me. I need to work on the Roman Cavalry Drill worksheets that I am going to make up. Our Equestrian practice has been kicking serious ass. We have gotten a lot of interest and we have a great site with inexpensive rental horses.

Check out www.silvercloudarabians.com for our SCA site and if you are interested in their horses in general. Big Sky Kalahari is the one I just bought.

We are also going to be doing horse archery because Inge let us set up an archery range. Our Archers are very pleased about this as are our equestrians.

Got my post up for March and am going to be doing some more writing tonight. Just need to decide on what.

busy

2006-03-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, been incredibly busy recently.  I haven’t had much time to write but I have done some.  I have been working on embroidery for a riding tunic I am making for SCA garb.  It is going well but I have to have it done by Saturday evening.

I have also been put in charge of learning all of the Roman Cavalry Drills for the Equestrian guild.  That is going ok but I need to have some of that done by Sunday as well.  And role playing tonight… I kind of know what is going to happen with that.  Contemplating now.

I am behind on everything else.  Sunday evening is going to be my catch up day because I will have all of my crazy embroidery done.

On another note, I might be getting another horse.  One Kalahari.  5 or 6 year old Arab mare.  I am sitting down with the person selling her on Sunday to discuss terms.  Interesting situation and somewhat ironic.  I swore I would never get a grey horse, alas Kalahari is grey.

More on her later, especially if I get to buy her.

I am behind on a lot of things but I have managed to get some stuff done.  We got our new printer and I got it hooked up so we can work on our invitations now and I played around trying to figure out how to print envelops.  We also got our health insurance figured out and a few other things.  So in my “real” life I am quite caught up, however in my online life I am a bit behind.  *crosses fingers that Sunday gets me caught up there*

To Bullshit the bullshiters and other nonsesnse.

2006-02-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

I actually got some writing done yesterday, not much but some. I go through these weird phases where I can’t write for some reason or another. Fortunately these days they don’t last too long. The longest one so far has been three months, the last one was only a few days. They aren’t nearly as frequent as they were either.

I do feel bad because in my extreme busyness and finger-smashing badness this last week I haven’t been able to comment let alone read anyone’s work on the OWG. *Slaps wrist* Bad Firewolf. Anyway I am still intending to get to them, probably just for comments this time. I need to read them so that I know what is going on next month. I also need to have something to post next month. That requires a bit of a rewrite and hopefully I will have/make the time to do it soon.

Read the post for today on Storyteller’s unplugged. It was great, and highly funny. I totally know what he means about the farseeing eye and his comments about being a bullshiter were great:

“Would I bullshit a bullshiter?

Before we move on, I feel I should qualify that last remark with the assumption that you:
A) Are a writer.
B) Wish to be a writer.
C) Are an enthusiastic reader.

Thus, you qualify as a bullshiter.”

~From Storyteller’s unplugged, Thursday February 23rd, by Brian Knight.

I highly recommend the site to anyone who likes to write *points at links* Thanks Bookwyrm for “pointing” it out to me.

erg

2006-02-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tired, need to write. Need to get more of Arabian Dreams done, need to write other stuff. Erg. In bad mood. Was in a good mood, then had the misfortune to call my mom. Oh well.

Hmm...

2006-02-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have had this thought for awhile but I figured out why I liked fantasy so much, and science fiction for that matter, and why I don’t like other genres nearly as much.  Fantasy and Sci Fi encompass everything whereas a specific book like a mystery or thriller seems somewhat more limited.  With Fantasy you almost have to have every element mixed in.

Of course I like epic adventures and good vs evil which you don’t always get in more “main stream” sorts of writings.  In a good fantasy you will have intrigue, mystery, adventure, good vs. evil, epic quests and often even some romance.  With sci fi it depends on the type.  I think I tend to read space opera more than anything else and they include all of those elements as well.

Hmm, also my favorite authors have recently become prolific.  I am not complaining except that it is the start of the Endurance season and my money needs to go into gas instead of book buying.  Damn 10 mpg truck ^.^  Hey it gets me there and back.  However I have a list about a mile long of books I am going to pick up this summer as soon as the money is more prolific.  Or maybe with wedding money ^.~

Might I recommend: Timothy Zahn (all time favorite), Michael Stackpole, Kelley Armstrong, Kim Harrison, and Lois McMaster Bujold as some excellent authors.

Oh and a good writing book is Stephan King’s On Writing.

Been wasting time all morning figuring out how to get the links up on my side bar, but I did it ^.^  Wasn’t too hard but it took me a little time to figure out.  Will be adding more as I find good sites.

ooww

2006-02-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Smashed my damn finger with a hammer today.  It really sucks.  *whines*
Ok, done with that.
Other than that, not a bad day.  Got to spend some time with my horse, and get further on a project I have been working on (while smashing my finger).  Got to spend some time with my fiancé for a change too.  That was fun.  We are role-playing right now over gmail messenger.

I really like gmail.  Google is trying to take over the world, or at least the internet, but I am ok with that as long as they continue to do a good job of it and keep everything free.

Poor Ekatarine.  She is having to baby-sit a naïve student and keep him alive in a rather nasty place.  Alas.

I have done some writing today, but my mind really isn’t in it.  I am counting the role-playing as my writing for the day. ^.~

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

UGH

2006-02-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

COOOLLLDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, so it was supposed to get up to 17 deg F today… Yeah, right.  The high in Fort Collins was 7 deg.  It is supposed to get to –8 deg F tonight with a wind chill of –25 - -30 deg.  Yucky.

Anyway, I did have something good occur.  I was talking to Beth (she owns the barn where I keep my horse and is a friend) and she mentioned that Jax had the blankets I really wanted on sale today.  Blanket for my horse that is.  One that would actually fit her properly.  I ran up there, hoping that they didn’t close at 6 and sure enough they were still open and they had one blanket left in my horse’s size.  I totally bought it and it fits Sabaska so well.  Now I really don’t have to worry about her being cold.  *Happy Mom*

The snow is crunching and it isn’t really possible to be outside with out freezing parts off…  Did I say yucky before?  Cause if I didn’t, I am saying it now.  YUCH!

Thursday RPGing

2006-02-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

The cast:
Gareth Blackwell: Newly turned Vampire, student at CSU
Donnavon:  Somewhat older, though still young vampire cross dresser.  He’s pretty, or is it a she?
Brandon Shaw:  Hunter out for revenge
Danielle Arsenoult:  Speedmetal guitarist who also has a thing for blood
Gesheven:  Native American kitty cat, really big kitty cat.
Daphny:  Air Travel is fun…

The first session was mostly a meet the characters session.  The setting is Fort Collins and Denver, the time is a week before the semester starts.
We learned that Gareth had nightmares about killing a “friend” of his when he fed off of her.  He did manage not to kill his first meal and his third was a cow.  That one died too.  He also informed his girlfriend that he thought he was a vampire.  She suggested that he seek help.
Donnavon joined us partway through the session.  He is a very pretty man that enjoys dressing as a woman.  He spent the evening hanging out at the Alley Cat, a local coffee shop.
Brandon traveled all the way from LA to trace a lead on his Uncle’s killer.  A vampire that shares the same last name as Danielle.  Could be interesting.  He spent the evening staking out the city and getting the lay of the land.
Danielle is in a band, actually she has been in several bands since being turned.  She managed to kill three people in the first five minutes of her introduction and wasn’t even really all that hungry…  She and Gareth won’t get along too well.
Gesheven played with pixies… typical cat.
Daphny was on an airplane from Australia.  We will meet her when the semester starts.

Kind of a summary for my own benefit but others might find at least some of this interesting.

Snow is good, cold is not.

2006-02-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Snow is good, cold is not.
On another hand though, I should have plenty of time to write tonight. I won’t be doing much else once I get home. Too damn cold. I think it is something like 2.9 deg F right now. Alas, I hope my horse is warm enough. I wouldn’t worry except that a month ago I had to shave a bunch of her winter coat off so that we could actually work without her overheating. I am sure she is fine, but still.

Money sucks: I am looking forward to having a lot of it, but right now I don’t have enough and it is getting frustrating. Sorry, still ranting about it for those who saw my other rant.

More later, gotta go to work.

Ekatarine Dream

2006-02-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ekatarine Dream

I dream about Kat a lot, probably because she is my alter ego.  Normally when I dream about her it is from her point of view.  However last night I dreamt about her from “my” point of view instead.  I was dreaming that I was myself and that we were helping her out.  Apparently she has red hair too.  I will have to fix that in my stories.  Ekatarine has spoken on the color of her hair and her build, so now that I actually know what she looks like…  Long, wavy flame-red hair, 5’4” or so and slender.  I already knew she had green eyes.

I don’t remember how it started but myself and another female ended up with Ekatarine, helping her on some mission or another.  Maybe the other female was Jin.

I don’t remember what we were doing, but there was a lot of sneaking around running for our lives and a lot of Kat being a bad-ass and saving our lives.  I wish I could remember more because I recall it being a rather fun dream.

Ability?

2006-02-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Haven’t done much writing lately. Having a bit of a crisis of confidence. I am sure we all have at one point or another. It is obnoxious though. I think I just need to get people to read the first part of my story (besides my mom) and tell me what they think. I need to work on the rest of it too, and finish the draft so I can move on for a while. Ekatarine is screaming for attention and I want to have something to post on the OWG next month but I need to go back through and fix a few things before I can post the next segment. Erg. Probably ought to get writing instead of hanging out here.

On another note, I ended up with an “it’s raining ice” day so I didn’t have to drive down to Greeley and work on computers. That is ok with me. Give me some time to work and catch up on things.

Woohoo

2006-02-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

YEA!  *Does massively happy dance*
I finally got through the initial editing of Arabian Dreams.  I still need to go and add things but the editing and entering into the computer is done.  Done, done, done.  Can you tell that I am happy about it?

I now get to go back to the fun stuff and write again instead of just alter.

Ok, anyway.  Going to go stretch my back and then get back to work.

wipes sweat off of brow

2006-02-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I did it.  It was hard and I came in at just over 1000 words, but I did it.

Other than that, slowly plugging away at my other story.  I am at the point of just editing what I have of Arabian Dreams and then going back to write stuff in.  I am through the worst part of the hacking and what is left is enough to keep me interested.  Still going to be a little while before the second draft is done and I am kind of counting the second draft as the first draft…  That way I won’t feel so bad when it gets torn apart again.  It is going to need some serious work even the second time around, but not nearly as much.  I am pleased with the progress but a bit annoyed that I haven’t had as much time as I would have liked to work on it.  Oh well, perhaps I will get more time today.

Other than that, not much is going on.  Did my taxes *VBG* I think this is probably the last year that the government will be giving me money at the end of the year but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Erg

2006-02-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

I can’t do it.  *whines*  I can’t write short stories… I have to get something in under 1000 words and I am having a lot of problems.  I am just getting to the date part and it is already 600 words.  Alas.

I can totally cut out a scene and that will help but it is to me an important part of the story.  Erg.  Well, we will see how far over I am when I finish.

On another note my fiancé’s computer crashed hard last night.  We lost the motherboard.  Fortunately we had another one.  I spent all evening getting his new-old computer set up for him.  It actually went well once the initial problems were solved.  Forgot that the old cd drive had died so it took me awhile to figure out I needed to use the other one.  Oh well, it is running better now.  Still needs some work but I need a part I don’t have to finish up adding the second HD.

I did get some writing done today and some writing and editing done yesterday.  I am still pushing along.  My second revision is going to be a lot better than the first draft but I will have a lot more to do before I am happy with it.  The second revision is going to get read by others too.  So I will have some input when I go to revise it for the third time.

Finally

2006-01-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Finally got some writing and revising done last night.  Was a short session but better than the nothing I have had the previous five days.  I got some planning done for a short story I want to write this week too.  Part of a friendly contest on my online writing group, from here on out known as the OWG.  It is due soonish so I need to get cracking.  Ought to have some good writing time tonight though.  *crosses fingers*

I am really enjoying writing my story, Arabian Dreams.  Only one that actually has a real title too ^.^  I am pretty sure that there will be some drastic revisions after the second draft is done but I think the worst of it will be out of the way with the first revision.  I am starting to get into the action part of the book and it is getting more interesting to revise because I don’t have to hack and rewrite as much but there are a lot of things I need to add that I thought of later.  I still need to finish part of chapter three though.  I should just crack down and do it tonight so I can get it done with.  Then I can build more of my second draft document and have something ready to send to my *cringe* mom this weekend.  She wants to read it.  Still not sure how I feel about that.  She has read other stuff that I have written but lets just say that the content of this tends to be a bit more adult… Was thinking about leaving out chapter five.  She won’t miss it, right?

Well, gotta finish my chai and get going.  I don’t have a set time to get to the job I am doing in Greeley but I would like to get there early enough that I can leave at four and still put in a lot of work.  I was a little bored yesterday because I was just installing things, as I will be doing today.  I enjoy it but some days it is a little tedious.  I didn’t have the awakeness to write either but today I feel much more rested so I will write away in my little black book of doom… ^.^

Printers are a pain

2006-01-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

So I finally got color ink and now my black ink is on the fritz.  I don’t think I am out, it is just being weird.  Guess I should use my printer more so that it keeps working.  I will endeavor to do so.

Other than that, haven’t gotten much writing done but I have done some more brainstorming and have some good ideas.  Just need to write them down.  Maybe tonight.  My wonderful friend Shosh has gotten me addicted to a new Anime.  That is part of my writing problem.  Honestly though, it is a good Anime and I don’t mind.  It won’t keep me for too long.  My story is demanding attention.  I have also gotten some editing done.

Not much else to tell.  New job is going well, old job is going away after today.  Life is good.

Sick ^.~

2006-01-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am calling in sick to my old job today. They don’t really pay me enough to care anyway and it is only a morning thing. I really want to work on my story more and I really don’t want to go to work. I go to my new job this afternoon and I am looking forward to that (as much as going to any job is good). I am looking forward to being free. My fiancé has an awesome business. I am not going to have to work for too much longer and I am only 24. It will be good.

Today is a good writing day.

2006-01-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am actually getting some work done again. It is making me very happy. My new job is kind of random for hours, but it pays really well so I can deal with that. So I am spending my time waiting for my boss to call me back and let me know if he has anything for me writing. Seems like a productive use of my time. I got my rewritten chapter one done and I think it is much better. I also have to rewrite chapter two, though I think more of that one is savable.

I think I am going to go and do some revisions to later chapters right now instead of working on chapter two incase I have to stop in the middle of it. Once I get through chapter two and three I will be pretty much done with the serious hacking and slashing. Next year for NaNoWriMo I will be more careful about what I write, however I also know it is possible and actually not too hard to write 50K in a month so I won’t be as nervous about getting done.

Work on the additions that I am writing into my book is also going well. I am so far pleased with how things are coming. The real test will be when I send off my second draft and get my friends to edit/read it. I already have two readers. One said she would gladly edit as long as I didn’t get mad at her as I did once in middle school and one is a reader who will hopefully comment. Oh, and my mom wants to read it. Erg. Not so sure how I feel about that one but I guess it won’t be too bad. Well, maybe it will… Alas, certainly not her type of book but we shall see.

Ok, enough with the procrastination… On to the work.

I did it

2006-01-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

So I did it.  I requested some meetings.  We will see what happens.

I think I managed to get over my fits of freaking out too, we shall see.  I was just kind of caught off guard I guess.

Now I really need to get cracking on finishing my revisions.  Especially if I get the interviews with the editors.  *Crosses fingers and every other crossable body part.*

ACK

2006-01-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I just about died and I am freaking out and not totally sure why.  Think this would fall under the category of major lack of confidence.

Kelley Armstrong suggested that any of us going to a writing convention in May should try and get an appointment with an agent to discuss our story.  Now we have to have a finished manuscript, which I will by then.  That won’t be a problem.  The problem is, who do I talk to, should I, is it good enough, etc.  I don’t know what to do.

The story I have done won’t have been read by my writing group though some other people will have read it and I might beg some of them to read the thing and at least tell me if it sucks.

Oh gods, I don’t know.

Having fits… Help??  *Is very pathetic right now*

Morning thoughts

2006-01-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Got some editing done on my story last night.  I might not have time to work on it today because in theory I am going somewhere to talk about wedding dresses with a friend who might be willing to make me one.  Would be cool, need something that will go on a horse ^.^

My next goal is to start putting some of the changes I made onto the computer and finish with my rewrite of the first few chapters.  I would like to be able to have the first part at least in readable condition, if not all of it.  Need to get working a bit harder though.  The enforced break was nice but my wrist is feeling a lot better already so I can go back to work.

On another note I kind of like getting up a little early and screwing around online before having to go to work.  I am looking forward to being done with the bookstore job though.  It is kind of annoying now that I am only working a few hours and it is interfering with the higher paying job that I actually enjoy.  However that too is almost over.

Have a happy day.

Jobs

2006-01-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, got that tech job I wanted.  As hard as it is to get a job in the town I live in I seem to have a lot of luck with it.

I think this job will be a lot of fun and I am really excited about it.  It will be some traveling around but I like to drive, and I get compensated for travel time.

Wrist is already feeling better.  It is recovering quite quickly yet still too slowly.  Yea repetitive motion injuries.

Tux update:  Kitten is doing quite well still.  I am really happy.

work

2006-01-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hmm, work on my story is going rather slowly. I didn’t work the last few days because my job reactivated my wrist injury… Erg. Quitting that job and not sure what I am going to do next. Hoping to get a Tech position somewhere. We shall see.

Anyway I have had some good planning for my story and future planning for my Ekatarine story. I am happy about that and next week I should be able to go at it again. Still trying to get my NaNoWriMo story second draft done by the end of the month… Might make it half way but I am trying.

A taste of my demented psyche:

2006-01-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

Cast of People appearing in my dream.

Mace Windu (from Star Wars)
Boba Fett (from Star Wars)
A huge Human black guy wearing a cape and yellow swimsuit bottoms (don’t ask, it’s a dream, and sorry he doesn’t have a name.)
A really small white Human (I think, might have been a rodian) side kick of his (sorry he doesn’t have a name either)
James Greer (from Tom Clancy’s books)
Some Mexican uber cool and uber important diplomat
Some random human guy Ekatarine is staying with.
Ekatarine aka Kat (from the depths of my imagination, many times over)
Louis (my boyfriend)
This dream is from Ekatarine’s point of view:

The dream starts out with Ekatarine, Mace, Boba Fett, the huge guy, the small guy and Louis working in a group together on Earth.  Ekatarine and Mace are still Jedi and Boba Fett is still in his cool armor (don’t ask, I really really don’t know).  The earth people don’t know about Jedi, etc and I don’t know why we are on earth but we are and we are working for the US government in a special ops sort of role.  (ahh, for anyone who doesn’t know… Ekatarine is a very old vampire from earth who is also a jedi in the star wars universe.  I might explain later if anyone really wants to know)

The first part of my dream is a training mission I guess.  We are infiltrating this concert complex.  It is a huge building with multiple concert halls and stages in it.  We are on the upper floor and our objective is to get in and out unseen through public areas.  Unseen by people watching for us that is.  Now of course we have the most inconspicuous group there could possibly be: note huge black guy in a cape and not much else and Boba Fett.  Some how or another, probably with a largeish application of the force on Kat and Mace’s part we get through, though one spot was kind of hairy.  We got to one concert hall just at intermission so everyone was standing up and starting to move around.  Ekatarine goes first past the openings and stands on the other side to use the force to get everyone to stand up but stay facing forward in their seats.  James Greer does come out of the hall and stand next to Kat but she doesn’t get recognized and she manages to help everyone blend in with the crowd.  Then Louis comes up and takes Kat’s arm and they walk away like concert goers.  Kat makes it seem like they both have short hair from the back as a disguise.

They make it out of there ok and go there separate ways.  Kat is staying with some random human government worker.   Probably a Jack Ryan type of worker.  Not sure.  He doesn’t know anything about what she is or what she is doing other than she is working for the government.

That exercise was at night and Kat is trying to sleep during the day, being a vampire she prefers it.  Being a Jedi she can manage sunlight if she needs too.  Unfortunately for her she gets a call and they want her to come in and with the rest of her team protect a very important Mexican diplomat.  She pulls herself out of bed and after argument with the person she is staying with manages to get him to drive her into the city and work.  On the way in she gets another call that says she has to be there right away so she jumps out of the car and uses force/vampire coolness to get in quickly.  She hadn’t been that far away anyway.  She is dressed kind of matrix style with leather and a cool trench coat.

She is assigned to be a bodyguard for the diplomat and then to infiltrate the terrorists and help capture them.  Not to hard for a Jedi.  So she guards this guy in a conference room while the meeting is going on and then the terrorists attack.  The govt. thought they were in the building but didn’t know where and couldn’t find them.  They drop out of the ceiling so Kat gets the diplomat out and everyone else gets out too apparently.  The terrorists are following Kat and shooting trank darts at her.  They hit her a few times in the back which she doesn’t worry about until she realizes that they are actually starting to slowly affect her.  She also gets shot a few times by some sort of cross between a blaster and an AK-47.  (don’t ask, I don’t know).  Finally she gets the diplomat to safety and turns around to infiltrate the bad guys.  She does this with ease, though I am not sure how as the alarm was going off and snooze was happening but interrupting the flow of my dream.

They are running through a complicated maze of places and she is slowly leading them to the ambush spot.  At some point along the way she manages to convince them that they are to do a drill where they are to line up, put their weapons in boxes and march out of the building.  She leads them out past the place where the swat team is waiting and they all get captured and placed in handcuffs, even Kat to maintain appearances.  However by this point Kat is not feeling good at all and is starting to loose consciousness and get extremely hungry.  Mace comes up to her and is “covering” her so that she doesn’t get taken away with the rest of the bad guys.  She starts to loose it and tells Mace that he needs to get her out of the sun because it is becoming too much.  Mace doesn’t know what Kat is other than she is a Jedi but he finds her some shade and she lays down and almost passes out.  At some point the guy she is staying with shows up and wants to know if she is a terrorist.  Mace tells him that she is a spec ops person and by that time had un-cuffed her.

Kat isn’t feeling too good but at least she is out of direct sunlight.

And this is where I finally get up to record the craziness.

Alas

2006-01-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Haven’t gotten much writing done these past few days.  Been kind of busy and it is kind of ticking me off.  I need to write damn it.

I also came to the conclusion that some of my story needs to be totally rewritten.  Alas.  Tonight begins the adventure into scrapping and rewriting.  I also need to figure out the rest of another scene.

I need to change some of what I am working on with another story as well because I finally figured out what I was doing with it.  That is a little less major though.

Oh well, role playing in the morning, going to ride my horse for a little bit, and then write the rest of the day.  I also have tomorrow off so I am going to write quite a bit tomorrow.

Writing is for fools... Or not ^.^

2006-01-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

Not much to update today. Worked on my January post for my Online writing group and got that up. Now I need to do more work on my other story. The one I have to have done by the end of the month. Erg.

Kitty update: Tux is doing extremely well. *VBG*

Arabian Dance

2005-12-30T17:51:00.000-07:00

My other poem that I actually like.  I wrote this one last spring.

Arabian Dance

Have you ever had a dance partner
So perfectly attuned
That you have but to think
And they can dance the same tune

Have you ever had a dance partner
Whose will is as your own

Have you ever had a dance partner
In who’s eyes are envisioned
Keen intelligence and wisdom ancient
Pride of Soul, never diminished

Have you ever had a dance partner
Whom you will never trade

Have you ever had a dance partner
Created from the South Wind
Hot and Fiery
Best of friends, closer than kin

Have you ever danced with the Arabian
Light footed, flowing mane and tail

Have you ever danced with the Arabian
Willing partner, full of heart
Over the miles flying, never faltering
Feet guided with eternal art

Have you ever danced with the Arabian

Have you ever flown without wings

By Julie Campbell

Inspired by the Ancient Bedouin Legend on the origin of the Arabian Horse.

And God took a handful of South Wind and from it formed a horse, saying: “I create thee, Oh Arabian.  To thy forelock, I bind Victory in battle.  On thy back, I set a rich spoil and a Treasure in thy loins.  I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth…
I give thee flight without wings.”

Tux Update

2005-12-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Got the kitten back from the vets today.  He is doing very very well considering.  Still worried about him but his life isn’t in danger any more.  Having him gone for two days was really tough.  It is kind of hard to let him out of my sight.

Still not completely out of danger.  We still need to kill the bug that is bothering him and make sure his kidney function goes back to completely normal.  It was close as of today but still not where it needed to be.

Still praying for all to go well.  Don’t want to loose my kid.

Tux update

2005-12-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Kitty aka Tux demon fern’s bane, went in for emergency surgery today.  *shivers*  All is going well and he is recovering nicely.  Looks like a urinary blockage due to an infection.

Vet said that he is pretty sure that everything will go well with Tux and that we will have him back on Thursday.  They are also running a massive culture test to figure out what the infection really is.  The last two antibiotics didn’t completely work (obviously).

*Prays to any god or goddess that will listen for my Kitten*

On a plus note, I got my internet back finally.  Needed a new modem and Comcast was finally open for me to get it.

More plotting

2005-12-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

More plotting… Teehee.
Didn’t get anything written today but I did a lot of concept work for my story. Is good. I know what I am going to write tomorrow.

Blagh. On another note, hope this wind goes away. It is driving me nuts.