Well, I have to give a big thanks to both Jai and Jaleh. They passed on the Happiness 101 award to me.
So, I have to list 10 things that make me happy and pass this on to 5 other bloggers. Here goes. :-)
1. Creative writing
2. Dark chocolate – preferably Dove
3. Teasing my cat by hugging her – she HATES it. ;-P
4. My niece and nephew
5. Commiserating with my fellow writers
6. Sunny days
7. Warm wind
8. The beach
9. Taking nature photos
10. Naps
I’d like to pass this award along to these others who make me smile, both on their blogs and through other mediums, online and off. ;-)
1. Lydia and Joe at The Sharp Angle
2. Liz at Wandering-Quill
3. Brad at Bradley’s Brain
4. Ashlee C. at Not Just Existing
5. And, well, I have several wonderful followers who don’t currently blog – I also send this award out to each of you because your support means so much to me. Thank you.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Site of the Week - Stella Cameron
Ok, so Stella Cameron is a romance writer (and I don't write "romance") however, I am a strong believer in seeking out worthwhile advice, both in genres I write, and those I don't. Stella Cameron has published over 60 novels and novellas. I don't care what you write, that is a huge accomplishment.
I actually stumbled upon her site through a list of resources for writers. Her article on developing your villians is very informative. I also recommend checking out her article on keeping the reader guessing. She uses this as a reference to a thriller/mystery plotline, but it's equally effective in any genre.
Never stop learning. Never stop creating. Never stop. Never.
I actually stumbled upon her site through a list of resources for writers. Her article on developing your villians is very informative. I also recommend checking out her article on keeping the reader guessing. She uses this as a reference to a thriller/mystery plotline, but it's equally effective in any genre.
Never stop learning. Never stop creating. Never stop. Never.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
IN DARKNESS
Here is the introduction to my new short story (or novelette, or novella - haven't set a word limit). If all goes well, I'll be telling you where you can read this in its entirety after it's published! :-)
Elli brushed the hair from her eyes and crouched deeper into the hollow of her father’s wing, seeking relief from the icy wind.
“Da, how much longer do we have to stay here?” she whimpered.
Her father hugged her tighter to his side. “Just a little longer, Doame’u. Just a little longer.”
Elli sighed. He had been saying that for three days. She shivered and tried not to think about her mother and what was keeping her. Instead she practiced training her ears to hear the sounds of the forest.
Beneath the raging of the wind, squirrels chattered in their den. Elli cocked her head, twisting her long, thin ears to better catch the sound. They were about fifteen lengths to her right and just lower than the branch where she and her father huddled, snug inside a tree hollow. She wrapped her arms around her torso, wishing she were still small enough to join them. But it had been a ten cycles since she was a nestling.
Her wings were still too small to hold her weight, but they were growing almost as quickly as the rest of her. Before long, she would be able to soar over the treetops with her parents. The thought brought a stab of doubt. Her mother had never been gone this long. What if something had happened to her?
She started to ask Da if they should go and look for her when his body went rigid. Elli clutched his arm, terror raking its claws through her heart.
“What is it, Da?”
“Hush,” he replied, as his eyes swept the trees around them.
Elli held her breath and listened. The squirrels were silent. All she heard was the wind. Then came the distinct rustle and thump of footsteps. The feathers on her wings stood erect as a chill pulsed through her body. The footsteps were too heavy to be her mother’s.
Voices murmured together. They did not speak Hada.
Da wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do not make a sound,” he whispered, and spread his dappled wings. They blended with the foliage as he leapt from the branch, drifting on the wind – away from the strangers.
He landed upon the ground, glanced back, and ushered her behind the broad trunk of an oak. Da knelt at her side, his strong, warm wing over her shoulders.
“Listen to me carefully, Ellivi’an.” His voice was soft, and edged with an emotion she’d never heard before.
“Da, I’m afraid.” She pressed against his side, arms encircling his neck. “Where is Mama?”
“I don’t know.” He turned Elli so they were face-to-face. “I must go and search for her. I need you to promise that you will wait here for my return.”
“But I want to come.”
“No! You must stay away from them.” His fingers dug into her arms, making her wince. Da had never grabbed her hard enough for it to hurt, and she felt tears stinging her eyes.
“From who, Da?” She sniffled, and wiped at the stupid, hot tears.
“Shh, Elli,” he murmured, cuddling her to his chest. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Doame’u.” Wiping away the rest of her tears, he kissed her once on each cheek. “There are new creatures in the forest. They are dangerous and you must promise me that you will stay where I hide you until I return. It is very important. Will you promise me, Ellivi’an?”
Elli nodded. “I promise, Da.”
“Good.”
Her father took her hand and together they hurried away from the oak, deeper into the Undara Forest. Elli was breathing hard when they stopped beside a fern-encrusted stump. Da’s hands swept over the lumps of long-dead roots.
“There it is.” He turned and grinned at her as a section of the stump slid away, revealing a night-dark hollow. “Inside you go.”
“Can’t I come with you?”
“No, Elli.” Da took her hand. “Here, take this.”
She looked at the Anam stone in her palm. It had always fascinated her, but Da would never let her touch it. Her great-grandfather had created it when the magic of the Inefim had been stronger. None had been forged for over four hundred cycles.
“Da, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can, Ellivi’an.” His steady hands closed over her shaking ones. “But first I must tell you how to use it.”
Unable to speak, she nodded again, trying not to look as terrified as she felt.
“Hold it like this.” Da turned the stone so that the rune faced toward the sky. “But don’t squeeze it in your palm, just let it rest there. Now say; Edelsteen, leu’er ra kee.”
“Edelsteen, leu’er ra kee.” Elli almost shouted with delight as the Anam stone came to life in her hands, radiating a pale rose light.
“Well done, Elli.” Da leaned down and kissed her brow. “Inside now.” He gave her a gentle nudge and she started into the hollow. “There is plenty to eat. Your Mama kept it stocked well, just in case.”
“In case of what?” Elli asked, turning back to look at him.
But her father was already leaping into the sky. She thought she saw the gleam of a blade in his clenched fist as he banked left and started back the way they had come. Shuddering the dark worries away, Elli stepped into the stump and pushed the hidden door closed.
Shelves filled with earthenware water jugs, jars of vegetables, dried berries and sacks of grain lined the walls. Each one was labeled with the contents and the date upon which it had been stored. Elli ran her fingers over a jar label written in her mother’s looping hand and tried not to worry.
She noticed a linen sack wedged against the wall under one of the shelves. She wrestled it from the tight space and unfastened the tie. Elli’s eyes widened. It was the quilt Mama had sat up stitching each night for a long as she could remember. Standing, she pulled it from the bag, wrapping it around her as she did. The lily-sweet scent of her mother filled her lungs as she buried herself in the quilt’s softness. Snuggled in the precious quilt, Elli lay down and fell into the numbness of sleep as soon as her eyes closed.
Wind howled, buffeting her hair and wings. Elli hurried through the forest, sliding in and out of the sunlight slicing between the trees. Footsteps followed behind her, keeping pace, but she was not alarmed. She crouched at the edge of a still pond, waiting for the unseen creature to catch up. Just as a tousled head of brunette hair appeared over her shoulder, the water rippled and distorted the reflection. Elli turned to look the stranger in the face.
She awoke – just as she had every time the vision had invaded her sleep. Elli lay staring into the black. She hadn’t dreamt of the dark-haired stranger for seasons. Though she’d never seen its face, a part of her knew the creature meant no harm. Yet awakening from the dream always left her feeling hollow and edgy.
After what seemed like a very long time, she felt her body begin to relax. Elli curled into Mama’s quilt, pulling it over her head, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Elli brushed the hair from her eyes and crouched deeper into the hollow of her father’s wing, seeking relief from the icy wind.
“Da, how much longer do we have to stay here?” she whimpered.
Her father hugged her tighter to his side. “Just a little longer, Doame’u. Just a little longer.”
Elli sighed. He had been saying that for three days. She shivered and tried not to think about her mother and what was keeping her. Instead she practiced training her ears to hear the sounds of the forest.
Beneath the raging of the wind, squirrels chattered in their den. Elli cocked her head, twisting her long, thin ears to better catch the sound. They were about fifteen lengths to her right and just lower than the branch where she and her father huddled, snug inside a tree hollow. She wrapped her arms around her torso, wishing she were still small enough to join them. But it had been a ten cycles since she was a nestling.
Her wings were still too small to hold her weight, but they were growing almost as quickly as the rest of her. Before long, she would be able to soar over the treetops with her parents. The thought brought a stab of doubt. Her mother had never been gone this long. What if something had happened to her?
She started to ask Da if they should go and look for her when his body went rigid. Elli clutched his arm, terror raking its claws through her heart.
“What is it, Da?”
“Hush,” he replied, as his eyes swept the trees around them.
Elli held her breath and listened. The squirrels were silent. All she heard was the wind. Then came the distinct rustle and thump of footsteps. The feathers on her wings stood erect as a chill pulsed through her body. The footsteps were too heavy to be her mother’s.
Voices murmured together. They did not speak Hada.
Da wrapped his arms around her waist. “Do not make a sound,” he whispered, and spread his dappled wings. They blended with the foliage as he leapt from the branch, drifting on the wind – away from the strangers.
He landed upon the ground, glanced back, and ushered her behind the broad trunk of an oak. Da knelt at her side, his strong, warm wing over her shoulders.
“Listen to me carefully, Ellivi’an.” His voice was soft, and edged with an emotion she’d never heard before.
“Da, I’m afraid.” She pressed against his side, arms encircling his neck. “Where is Mama?”
“I don’t know.” He turned Elli so they were face-to-face. “I must go and search for her. I need you to promise that you will wait here for my return.”
“But I want to come.”
“No! You must stay away from them.” His fingers dug into her arms, making her wince. Da had never grabbed her hard enough for it to hurt, and she felt tears stinging her eyes.
“From who, Da?” She sniffled, and wiped at the stupid, hot tears.
“Shh, Elli,” he murmured, cuddling her to his chest. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, Doame’u.” Wiping away the rest of her tears, he kissed her once on each cheek. “There are new creatures in the forest. They are dangerous and you must promise me that you will stay where I hide you until I return. It is very important. Will you promise me, Ellivi’an?”
Elli nodded. “I promise, Da.”
“Good.”
Her father took her hand and together they hurried away from the oak, deeper into the Undara Forest. Elli was breathing hard when they stopped beside a fern-encrusted stump. Da’s hands swept over the lumps of long-dead roots.
“There it is.” He turned and grinned at her as a section of the stump slid away, revealing a night-dark hollow. “Inside you go.”
“Can’t I come with you?”
“No, Elli.” Da took her hand. “Here, take this.”
She looked at the Anam stone in her palm. It had always fascinated her, but Da would never let her touch it. Her great-grandfather had created it when the magic of the Inefim had been stronger. None had been forged for over four hundred cycles.
“Da, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can, Ellivi’an.” His steady hands closed over her shaking ones. “But first I must tell you how to use it.”
Unable to speak, she nodded again, trying not to look as terrified as she felt.
“Hold it like this.” Da turned the stone so that the rune faced toward the sky. “But don’t squeeze it in your palm, just let it rest there. Now say; Edelsteen, leu’er ra kee.”
“Edelsteen, leu’er ra kee.” Elli almost shouted with delight as the Anam stone came to life in her hands, radiating a pale rose light.
“Well done, Elli.” Da leaned down and kissed her brow. “Inside now.” He gave her a gentle nudge and she started into the hollow. “There is plenty to eat. Your Mama kept it stocked well, just in case.”
“In case of what?” Elli asked, turning back to look at him.
But her father was already leaping into the sky. She thought she saw the gleam of a blade in his clenched fist as he banked left and started back the way they had come. Shuddering the dark worries away, Elli stepped into the stump and pushed the hidden door closed.
Shelves filled with earthenware water jugs, jars of vegetables, dried berries and sacks of grain lined the walls. Each one was labeled with the contents and the date upon which it had been stored. Elli ran her fingers over a jar label written in her mother’s looping hand and tried not to worry.
She noticed a linen sack wedged against the wall under one of the shelves. She wrestled it from the tight space and unfastened the tie. Elli’s eyes widened. It was the quilt Mama had sat up stitching each night for a long as she could remember. Standing, she pulled it from the bag, wrapping it around her as she did. The lily-sweet scent of her mother filled her lungs as she buried herself in the quilt’s softness. Snuggled in the precious quilt, Elli lay down and fell into the numbness of sleep as soon as her eyes closed.
Wind howled, buffeting her hair and wings. Elli hurried through the forest, sliding in and out of the sunlight slicing between the trees. Footsteps followed behind her, keeping pace, but she was not alarmed. She crouched at the edge of a still pond, waiting for the unseen creature to catch up. Just as a tousled head of brunette hair appeared over her shoulder, the water rippled and distorted the reflection. Elli turned to look the stranger in the face.
She awoke – just as she had every time the vision had invaded her sleep. Elli lay staring into the black. She hadn’t dreamt of the dark-haired stranger for seasons. Though she’d never seen its face, a part of her knew the creature meant no harm. Yet awakening from the dream always left her feeling hollow and edgy.
After what seemed like a very long time, she felt her body begin to relax. Elli curled into Mama’s quilt, pulling it over her head, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Site of the Week - NPR (Novel Ideas)
Once again, the week has flown by. My day planner is a mass of scribbles and moved deadlines for my study goals. Nothing that I wanted to do got done. However, I did begin a new short story tentatively titled "In Darkness." While it's still in the rough draft stage, I'll post the first section here after I wow and excite you with this week's site - NPR.
NPR? You mean National Public Radio? Yup. It's no secret that NPR promotes the works of artists and authors of all types. However, I found a page on their site that goes beyond asking the author about their current endeavor. This page features several very well-known writers (think Jodi Picoult and Scott Turow) and asks them how they write, come up with ideas, edit and overcome the nemisis of every writer - professional or otherwise - writer's block. *shudder*
While the interviews were done in 2006, the insights and advice these seasoned writers provide are timeless. After reading Walter Dean Myers' interview I was inspired to try something new. He creates timelines for his characters and the world around them before beginning his books. (He spends up to 6 months "pre-writing.")
I am working on an historical fiction novel and time frame is very important. I think creating a timeline for the era, as well as my characters and how they fit into the Roman world, will help me immensely! Currently, I'm keeping it all in my head - which can get a bit complicated, especially since I am planning to make this a family saga of sorts with successive books telling the stories of this main character's children and perhaps her husband's childhood as well.
So, after browsing the interviews, what inspired you?
NPR? You mean National Public Radio? Yup. It's no secret that NPR promotes the works of artists and authors of all types. However, I found a page on their site that goes beyond asking the author about their current endeavor. This page features several very well-known writers (think Jodi Picoult and Scott Turow) and asks them how they write, come up with ideas, edit and overcome the nemisis of every writer - professional or otherwise - writer's block. *shudder*
While the interviews were done in 2006, the insights and advice these seasoned writers provide are timeless. After reading Walter Dean Myers' interview I was inspired to try something new. He creates timelines for his characters and the world around them before beginning his books. (He spends up to 6 months "pre-writing.")
I am working on an historical fiction novel and time frame is very important. I think creating a timeline for the era, as well as my characters and how they fit into the Roman world, will help me immensely! Currently, I'm keeping it all in my head - which can get a bit complicated, especially since I am planning to make this a family saga of sorts with successive books telling the stories of this main character's children and perhaps her husband's childhood as well.
So, after browsing the interviews, what inspired you?
Just for sh*ts and giggles. ;-)
While I was at work yesterday, my co-worker told me I HAD to read through this book we'd recently gotten in. The title? LOL Cats Bible. That's right, the LOL cats of I can haz cheezburger fame, now have their own version of the Bible. :-D
Let me tell you, it was hilarious! Now, for any of you who love the Bible as it is, I implore you NOT to read this book. However, if you want to see the creation of the universe from a cat's point of view, definitely worth the investment of time and/or cash-ola.
OMG!! Just did a search for the cover photo to share and found THIS - a totally free version. Apparently it was online before it was in print. (Goes to show how much I know about LOL cats.) Anyway, if you need a laugh today just click the link.
Here's a preview, in case you're undecided.
Genesis 1: Boreded Ceiling Cat makinkgz Urf n stuffs
1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.
2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.
3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.
4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.
5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!
Let me tell you, it was hilarious! Now, for any of you who love the Bible as it is, I implore you NOT to read this book. However, if you want to see the creation of the universe from a cat's point of view, definitely worth the investment of time and/or cash-ola.
OMG!! Just did a search for the cover photo to share and found THIS - a totally free version. Apparently it was online before it was in print. (Goes to show how much I know about LOL cats.) Anyway, if you need a laugh today just click the link.
Here's a preview, in case you're undecided.
Genesis 1: Boreded Ceiling Cat makinkgz Urf n stuffs
1 Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs, but he did not eated dem.
2 Da Urfs no had shapez An haded dark face, An Ceiling Cat rode invisible bike over teh waterz.
3 At start, no has lyte. An Ceiling Cat sayz, i can haz lite? An lite wuz.
4 An Ceiling Cat sawed teh lite, to seez stuffs, An splitted teh lite from dark but taht wuz ok cuz kittehs can see in teh dark An not tripz over nethin.
5 An Ceiling Cat sayed light Day An dark no Day. It were FURST!!!
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