Day 9.
I always feel that the second week of NaNoWriMo is the hardest. And I've bloody well hit that point today.
Week 1 is great fun because everything is all new and exciting and you're setting the stage for something wonderful. Week 3 is probably the easiest as you're right into the thick of the plot and world almost feels real - well to you anyway since it's 100% your creation - and the characters begin to feel like people you've known all your life. As for Week 4, well it's pure adrenaline that gets you through that one.
And Week-bloody-2...
That cruel mistress is a temptress and a tease. She hangs ideas in front of your nose, but never long enough for you to get them onto paper. She whispers the sweetest lines in your ear, only to whisper them low enough for you to only catch snippets and hints of phrases. She beckons you close but never lets you achieve anything worthy of feeling proud of. All in all, week 2 is a bitch.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm severely procrastinating with this post. Such is the way of Week 2. I have been on the laptop for over an hour tonight and have only written 500 words. See what I mean? The rest of it has been arsing around on Twitter, putting up this post and cleaning out my iTunes. Oh and watching Amanda Palmer music videos.
Going to have one last attempt at tearing myself away from the internet and attempt another 1,000 words. Week 2 draws me closer with the promise of success, but I'm almost sure she's a liar as well as a tease. Anyway...once more into the breech.
Em
17, 552 words
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Friday, 9 November 2012
Sunday, 4 November 2012
I'm Such a Tease...
Since NaNoWriMo is now well under way, I thought I'd just toy with you all a little by posting my novel's prologue. The character featured in this has undergone a major overhaul since I created her in 2004. Now she is hard, tough and more than just a little damaged. I freaking love her. Anyway, enjoy.
And I wish all NaNo participants the best in their monthly write-a-thon.
Em
5,051 words.
And I wish all NaNo participants the best in their monthly write-a-thon.
Em
5,051 words.
Somewhere in the Southern
Realms…
A sign, nailed to a wall
outside a tavern of very questionable reputation:
WANTED!!!
For murder, resisting
arrest, assault on royal guards, high treason and witchcraft!
Short in height, slender
in build. Long, black hair, unruly in
appearance. Distinguishing features:
black eyes and a prominent scar on upper lip.
Often seen dressed in men’s attire.
Here could
be seen an artist’s impression of the bust and head of the criminal. Wild, dark hair floated around a thin face;
high cheekbones; furrowed brows over black orbs for eyes; and a wicked, almost
malicious, smile split down the left with a ragged and hideous scar.
This woman is highly
dangerous and no attempt should be made to restrain her by members of the
public. She has killed before and has
harmed several royal guards. Instead,
all sightings and incidents should be reported to Queen Layith of Theorosana,
or to the head of her personal guard, Lady Falienne.
Co-operation will be
rewarded handsomely.
By royal order of the
King and Queen of Theorosana.
Friday, 26 October 2012
A Change of Heart
NaNoWriMo is less than 1 week away and after weeks of me saying, tweeting and even doing an interview on the fact that my NaNo project will be a "Glitter and Trauma" spin-off, I'm having a change of heart.
Today, while chilling in my favourite pub in the world, some metal track blaring over the sound system, I realised something. I freaking miss writing fantasy.
The day after I turned 16 (yes, I can be that specific), while helping my mum at a craft fair, I started writing a sprawling fantasy epic. It told the story of a hero, a fair maiden, an angst-ridden youth and an evil queen. Yes, I know it sounds shite, but it was my shite. It went on for near 300 pages and was written across 2 years. I was obsessed with it. The characters filled my every waking moment, and often my dreams. They possessed me and haunted me and whispered sweet, beautiful, terrifying things in my ears. I filled mixed CDs with an "Original Soundtrack" and listening to songs that inspired me, or provided cues for key scenes, or gave my characters a theme to live to. Fantasy art spilled from my printer before being glued into various scrapbooks and notepads. All in all, I loved this project.
Until life happened. University took over, I made friends, I got a new job, I suffered and survived. My real world dramatically altered and my fantasy world fell away. Horror took precedent in my reading, writing and cultural pastimes and fantasy...well, it became a dream world that I wasn't keen on going back to for a while.
It reached a point when I couldn't even bring myself to look at the chapters I had written. The characters seemed flat and stereotypical. Dialogue seemed clunky and pretentious and bloody stupid. The playlists got boring. My prose seemed so juvenile. The file with the so-called "final draft" was stored away in a folder and left on an old laptop, while the notepads I had once poured over were left at my parents' house while I moved out on my own.
5 years have passed since I last looked at this story and these characters. I've grown, I've changed, and my world has altered even more. And now, after being so sure that I wanted to continue down the dark fantasy/horror route, the idea just hit me today that I should go back to my roots.
So, while chomping down on some damn fine Cajun chicken and sipping on a Pepsi, my characters returned. They whispered in my ears again, promising that they can be better. I've read a lot more now, my writing skills have been honed over the years, and my iPod is bursting with songs, desperate to inspire me. This will not be a revisit to old material but, rather, a total rewrite. No original text. Just brand new prose with the same characters and general structure. This is a brand new project with old ideas. Once again, I am excited.
Therefore, I have decided that this NaNoWriMo, I am going back to the very beginning. I am awakening the "Heart of the Dragon".
Today, while chilling in my favourite pub in the world, some metal track blaring over the sound system, I realised something. I freaking miss writing fantasy.
The day after I turned 16 (yes, I can be that specific), while helping my mum at a craft fair, I started writing a sprawling fantasy epic. It told the story of a hero, a fair maiden, an angst-ridden youth and an evil queen. Yes, I know it sounds shite, but it was my shite. It went on for near 300 pages and was written across 2 years. I was obsessed with it. The characters filled my every waking moment, and often my dreams. They possessed me and haunted me and whispered sweet, beautiful, terrifying things in my ears. I filled mixed CDs with an "Original Soundtrack" and listening to songs that inspired me, or provided cues for key scenes, or gave my characters a theme to live to. Fantasy art spilled from my printer before being glued into various scrapbooks and notepads. All in all, I loved this project.
Until life happened. University took over, I made friends, I got a new job, I suffered and survived. My real world dramatically altered and my fantasy world fell away. Horror took precedent in my reading, writing and cultural pastimes and fantasy...well, it became a dream world that I wasn't keen on going back to for a while.
It reached a point when I couldn't even bring myself to look at the chapters I had written. The characters seemed flat and stereotypical. Dialogue seemed clunky and pretentious and bloody stupid. The playlists got boring. My prose seemed so juvenile. The file with the so-called "final draft" was stored away in a folder and left on an old laptop, while the notepads I had once poured over were left at my parents' house while I moved out on my own.
5 years have passed since I last looked at this story and these characters. I've grown, I've changed, and my world has altered even more. And now, after being so sure that I wanted to continue down the dark fantasy/horror route, the idea just hit me today that I should go back to my roots.
So, while chomping down on some damn fine Cajun chicken and sipping on a Pepsi, my characters returned. They whispered in my ears again, promising that they can be better. I've read a lot more now, my writing skills have been honed over the years, and my iPod is bursting with songs, desperate to inspire me. This will not be a revisit to old material but, rather, a total rewrite. No original text. Just brand new prose with the same characters and general structure. This is a brand new project with old ideas. Once again, I am excited.
Therefore, I have decided that this NaNoWriMo, I am going back to the very beginning. I am awakening the "Heart of the Dragon".
Monday, 24 September 2012
Imagination Will be the Death of You...
So, I think my imagination's gotten a little away from me. This morning (September Weekend and up nice and bright and early), I curled up with some headphones on, Amanda Palmer's new album blaring, and a glass of OJ to hand, and attempted to plot out all of the ideas that @UnknownMaleDOA and I had come up with so far.
2 hours later, I had enough material for nearly 20 issues of - what has now come to be known as - "The Glitter and the Trauma". Holy crap, when did this project get so huge?! I'm extremely psyched that it's going so well and overwhelmed but just how much we've got to work with.
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to start a wee video blog on here and, hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll have a website up and running for the project. Until then, please make here and my Twitter Page your first port of call on all Illuminator news.
Issue #1 is well under way and there are a few posters lurking around Twitter, too, so keep an eye out and, for a little sneak peek, here's a wicked poster by Pablo. Be sure to follow him on Twitter and show your support for the man who gave Sarah and Ellie faces (and, well, other body parts too in the case of his current Twitter background!).
Em
2 hours later, I had enough material for nearly 20 issues of - what has now come to be known as - "The Glitter and the Trauma". Holy crap, when did this project get so huge?! I'm extremely psyched that it's going so well and overwhelmed but just how much we've got to work with.
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to start a wee video blog on here and, hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll have a website up and running for the project. Until then, please make here and my Twitter Page your first port of call on all Illuminator news.
Issue #1 is well under way and there are a few posters lurking around Twitter, too, so keep an eye out and, for a little sneak peek, here's a wicked poster by Pablo. Be sure to follow him on Twitter and show your support for the man who gave Sarah and Ellie faces (and, well, other body parts too in the case of his current Twitter background!).
Em
Sunday, 29 January 2012
I'm Writing Again!
The Other Side is back on track. Whoop-de-doo and all that jazz. Got another chapter done and working on more. Hope to have a full read-through next weekend and sort out some niggles.
I've just change the main character's name so that'll need a bit of fixing. On top of that, I've got a character with a southern drawl and I want to get that sounding better so dialogue will need a bit of work.
But hey, good intentions, etc, etc.
Have also sent off two new stories to anthologies. Fingers crossed!
If you haven't read my latest posts, you won't know that I have succumbed to the Twitter tidal wave. Follow me @GirlofGotham. It's mostly nonsensical bullshit but kind of quirky. Check it out if your signed up.
Lotsaluv, Em
I've just change the main character's name so that'll need a bit of fixing. On top of that, I've got a character with a southern drawl and I want to get that sounding better so dialogue will need a bit of work.
But hey, good intentions, etc, etc.
Have also sent off two new stories to anthologies. Fingers crossed!
If you haven't read my latest posts, you won't know that I have succumbed to the Twitter tidal wave. Follow me @GirlofGotham. It's mostly nonsensical bullshit but kind of quirky. Check it out if your signed up.
Lotsaluv, Em
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Freebies For All
Just updated the Free Stories page and the Glitter and Trauma page. Enjoy! In the Free Stories page you will find "Clowns All Around You", one of my favourite stories. And in G+T, you will find a free extract.
In other news, the blog will be getting a revamp very soon. So please keep checking by.
In other awful news...I am about to watch the Wicker Man remake. Holy shite...
Lotsaluv, Em
In other news, the blog will be getting a revamp very soon. So please keep checking by.
In other awful news...I am about to watch the Wicker Man remake. Holy shite...
Lotsaluv, Em
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Damn right...
I am going to write all day tomorrow. I swear to the Gods. K Bargie is faffing about with movie soundtracks right now so I don't care. It sounds like Ghostbusters 2. All day I'm going to create wonderland. I'm writing something to "Hurt" by Johnny Cash. Gonnae be awesome, I promise. Sort of twisted Rapunzel. Anywho, Kylie's off the computer so I better scoot...
Farewell my loyal bunnies, thank you for visiting.
Lotsaluv, Em
Farewell my loyal bunnies, thank you for visiting.
Lotsaluv, Em
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