I fully admit that while I’ve managed to keep this up for nearly five years, 2020 has finally seen me drop the ball.
Gloriously.
While it’s been a mess this year, I have still managed to accomplish some writing. I have also managed to do some artwork, and since I have easier access to that here’s a little art.
BONUS!!!! Here’s a time lapse of the process.
How have you been doing this year? Leave a comment or share something positive that happened this year.
I see that I've missed a few quite a few weeks of blogging here.
So - school and virus' don't mix well. I dropped two out of four classes. I'm on the last two-term papers with an online final and a little make-up work.
I'm a mess and this blog is on the back-burner.
So, there.
Welcome to November 2020!
Or, writing 50,000 in 30 days and trying to keep
everything in order and have something coherent come out of it all.
I participate in National Novel Writing Month each year.
Usually it’s where I can get thoughts down or other random ideas that have
crossed my mind. This year I began trying to finish some chapters for a novel
(the idea ran out) so I began another (which ran out). Now I am re-editing and
re-writing some old pieces of work which still counts. So, here is a little
tidbit of what I’ve been working on.
The day she went off to college was the best day of her
life.
She was sad to leave behind friends, they were all sad to go
their separate ways, but it was a new beginning. A new time to escape from
their little town and move on to different things, to see what the world would
become for each of them – graduation day was full of mixed feelings.
While everyone spent the weekend preparing for a summer full
of fun, relaxation, expensive trips, or travelling, she spent it packing all of
her belongings.
In spite of the mess she usually had around her, she’d
gotten rid of everything that was absolutely necessary. All the small things
that could be given away she sent on their way to others who would appreciate
them better. By Sunday she had everything she needed to begin her new life away
from home.
“Hey, why are you still up?”
She glanced up at her mom. For some reason she wasn’t
finding it difficult to feel sad about leaving.
“Just making sure I have enough room for what I’m using
tonight.”
“You do know that even college students come home on
occasion,” her mom sat on the bed. “I’m trying to understand why you’re packing
as though you’ll never come back.”
She sat down beside her mom.
“Yeah, I guess I could leave some stuff –”
Her mother shook her head, “No. You don’t have to explain
Catherine. Sometimes we need to take that plunge, pack up, and move into what
the world has to offer you.”
They shared a side hug.
“I guess I’m a little sad you’re moving a couple states away
and not staying closer.”
Are you participating this year? If so leave a little
blurb with what you’re writing.
Book: We Have Always Lived in This Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
This is a book I’ve been waiting
to read for a while. It took me a while, but I managed to snag the audio copy
of the book and was able to listen to it while driving to and from school the
last few weeks.
This was a story I hadn’t fully
expected.
I knew it was a scary story based
on what I’d previously heard about it, but I had to see if it was true.
It’s true.
From the onset we are introduced
to our narrator, Mary Catherine, or Merricat. She tells us about the routine
she and her household have.
She goes into the village on
Tuesdays and Thursdays for basic supplies. From there we learn that she and her
family are ostracized by the villagers.
Through the story we come to
learn that six years prior four people were poisoned during a family dinner.
Poison in the sugar bowl.
The elder sister, Constance, was
the prime suspect in the case. She was ultimately acquitted of the charges, but
suspicions run deep.
Now, Constance, their uncle, and
Merricat live in Blackwood house alone. The talk and scorn of everyone, until
an unexpected visitor shows up on their doorstep putting into play grievances
and stress.
I don’t want to give the ending
away, but this little book is worth the read!
After all, we have always lived
in this castle.
What are you currently reading?
Anything you think I should read?
I missed last weeks post.
Some things happened, which included someone at my house leaving a door open and my cat running out for two days.
So - here's a late
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
As we're all well aware, this year hasn't been great for much of anything.
This blog has certainly suffered due to ... everything.
While updating it has been *coughmissed* a few times this month, writing little bits per week has been something.
I have begun to outline various stories that I want to work on (some of them I actually have begun).
There have been little things going around stating "Use Your Initials and Find Out Your Y/A Novel Title!" I've done two of those and these were the results:
Assassins, French Kissing, and Other Bad Ideas
The Daughter of Nightmares and Smoke
Now, one of these actually has a little steam behind it, while the other one is currently being outlined. Here is a little blurb of something in the middle.
The idea was to write a novel.
"So - how long is this going to last. A month, a week...?"
"Not funny."
"It's true, isn't it?"
She rolled her eyes. This was a conversation that abounded each time a new
interest caught her attention. While it was true nothing lasted long and her
attention was dim in some regards, surely there was one thing she could see
through.
"Come on, let's get some lunch."
"You sure dessert won't distract me from eating?"
The chuckle confirmed the teasing nature. While they would always be in a
slight disagreement about her attention span, they would always be together.
"Hey Nicholas! How's the wedding planning coming?"
Well ... at least until he married and left.
"You know, Annabeth has everything covered. I'm just here to say the
vows."
"Well, that's good to know. How's the latest venture Catalyn?"
She took a seat across from Nicholas.
"It's slow, but coming along."
"What is this new venture, I always forget what you're up to."
Catalyn managed not to make her smile too tight.
"Opening a bed and breakfast at the old Sanderson place."
"Oh," Stephanie stepped back, "good luck."
Catalyn rolled her eyes.
"Geeze, doesn't anyone mind their own business?"
Nicholas laughed.
"What?"
"Come on Lynnie, you know I believe in you. I really do," he
raised the menu to hide his face, "but you've got a track of not finishing
big projects."
She wanted to argue, to say it was crazy, but she couldn't. She knew the
truth was a hard pill to swallow. She knew the town thought this one would fall
through too. But she knew something they didn't. Each time she came close to
finishing, something overcame her. A sense of dread that the ending was about
to hit, followed by a sense of panic.
"Lynnie, don't let them get you down."
She picked her menu up, "Yeah, sure."
She had to finish this project. No matter what - she would finish this one.
This would be the first project to be completed by her.
That was her final decision.
What have you been working on this month? Are you ready for NaNoWriMo next month?
Four years ago I picked up an interesting novel at a conference. Simple titled: “Beauty and the Clockwork Beast”.
It sat on my shelf since then until the beginning of summer when COVID hit.
When I began it I was under the assumption that it was just another retelling with steampunk additions
I.
Was.
Wrong.
This novel took me on a ride including vampires, werewolves, air ships, ghosts, and grisly murder.
I ate it up.
The best part?
Three more novels currently in the series.
I finished the latest (which came out this year) just last night and now I’m rather frustratedly awaiting the next one.
If you like fairy tales or alternative telling a these are a must have from amazing author Nancy Campbell Allen.
“Beauty and the Clockwork Beast”
“Kiss of the Spindle”
“The Lady in the Coppergate Tower”
“Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts”
This was one of the best series I’ve read in a while. Check them out!
(I may add photos later on.)
So we all know about the Jurassic Park films, right?
Well, Netflix made a mini-series based around the recent film, "Jurassic World".
It follows six kids who are campers at the new Camp Cretaceous. One of them got in by winning a video game, one because her family sent her, one so that she could blog about it, one is an Olympic runner, one got in because his mother works for the man in charge, and the last one is rich and his dad owns a condo on the island.
During the 8 episodes, you visit familiar locations in the film and get to know the reasons why everyone is here.
All the jumps of dinosaurs included all the mayhem of a park that shouldn't have created dinosaurs, and all the Steven Speilberg and John Williams you loved before now back again.
Holy cow, what a ride that was.
Well.
I feel as though this whole year has just drained the life out of me.
First I was working a great job, living on my own. Next, I'm back home and living with my parents, two of my sisters, and their eight children combined and unemployed.
Fast forward to August.
I'm back in school.
September - 2/4 classes are taking in a wonderful way. (3/4 online, which I've never been good with.)
Yup.
2020 is going great so far!
There is a Cozy Cat on my laptop.....(I know I'm taking short hits to this blog, but life is just a pain in the arse.)
DELAYED
With the start of classes on campus three weeks ago (just the one really, 1/4 but we're all thinking it'll go online soon too due to the virus running amock), I began what I do best while taking notes in class. Which is to say - I began writing little bits in the margins/extra spaces of my notes!
Here are some little bits of what I've been having run around through my head while studying up on Tennyson and Rossetti.
What else can I say to this?
Poetry is no longer
underrated. It never has been
unless, to a philistine mine they seem
unrevelant. Don't they realize
these predated the
novels we so richly
love? Bring back
the Poetry! Or
else, hide it with-
in the novel you create.
Surprise the reader with a
little rhyming in reason.
****
Back Again
Back again, in a seat
Taking notes, precise, and neat
Finding Rhymes
While listening for a long time
Learning anew,
Reading lessons in a queue.
Time to finish finally,
Back Again.
****
There you are.
Poetry.
Feel free to leave a comment if you so choose. (At this point I'd be surprised if anyone was actually reading this blog anymore.)
I decided to do two posts today because I missed last week and this one as well.
So - here we are.
School is still ongoing. I'm treading water.
I've got to take my Cozette into the vet for the first time in years because's she's lost a lot of weight. She hasn't been eating regular food. I've opened a can of tuna for her. At least she's been eating that. I'm worried.
No job still. There's a virus.
Also: PSA. I wear a mask for school because it's mandatory (and I don't want to be that person in case I am a carrier), but let me tell you. For someone with anxiety and claustrophobia, it's not that easy. I tried taking a drink (through a straw beneath the mask) and nearly had one of the worst attacks in my life. So, if you see someone with their nose showing, don't patronize. I understand we're all worried, we're all concerned, but some people just can't wear them. (I.E. people with asthma.)
So....there's that.
Have a fantastic week and be awesome to each other.
I remembered last night, after heading to sleep, that I did not update the blog yesterday. Then I realized that I may not have done it last week either . . .
Oh well.
Consider last month's O.M.D., super obscure.
I've been extremely lax on this blog for a while. I usually try and get something done before Tuesday, but then Tuesday comes around and I realize I've nothing actually prepared.
Naturally, I've been trying to keep up writing so that I actually have a work in progress to promote. XD
Well, I'll leave a little tidbit of something I've been playing around with for a while.
Hope you're having a great week, continue to stay safe!.
Chapter One - In Which Decisions Are Made...
The idea was to write a novel.
"So - how long is this going to last. A month, a week...?"
"Not funny."
"It's true, isn't it?"
She rolled her eyes. This was a conversation that abounded each time a new interest caught her attention. While it was true nothing lasted long and her attention was dim in some regards, surely there was one thing she could see through.
"Come on, let's get some lunch."
"You sure dessert won't distract me from eating?"
The chuckle confirmed the teasing nature. While they would always be in a slight disagreement about her attention span, they would always be together.
"Hey Nicholas! How's the wedding planning coming?"
Well ... at least until he married and left.
"You know, Annabeth has everything covered. I'm just here to say the vows."
"Well, that's good to know. How's the latest venture Catalyn?"
She took a seat across from Nicholas.
"It's slow, but coming along."
"What is this new venture, I always forget what you're up to."
Catalyn managed not to make her smile too tight.
"Opening a bed and breakfast at the old Sanderson place."
"Oh," Stephanie stepped back, "good luck."
Catalyn rolled her eyes.
"Geeze, doesn't anyone mind their own business?"
Nicholas laughed.
"What?"
"Come on Lynnie, you know I believe in you. I really do," he raised the menu to hide his face, "but you've got a track of not finishing big projects."
She wanted to argue, to say it was crazy, but she couldn't. She knew the truth was a hard pill to swallow. She knew the town thought this one would fall through too. But she knew something they didn't. Each time she came close to finishing, something overcame her. A sense of dread that the ending was about to hit, followed by a sense of panic.
"Lynnie, don't let them get you down."
She picked her menu up, "Yeah, sure."
She had to finish this project. No matter what - she would finish this one.
This would be the first project to be completed by her.
That was her final decision.
Feel free to leave a comment if you want.
- Caraval?
Series: Caraval
Title: Caraval, Legendary, Finale
Author: Stephanie Garber
These books kept me up late into the night.
Every.
Single.
One.
And I will read them all again once I've read something else.
The premise: Once a year a man by the name of Legend sends out invitations to his Caraval. It's five days (or so), of magical whimsy where you can't take anything for face value. Nothing it what it seems, and if you're not careful it will drive you mad.
But that's all part of the charm.
Here at Caraval you can buy a dress for a memory.
Throughout the trio of novels you'll find yourself immersed in Legend's realms of make-believe and fakery.
Find out what's real, what isn't, and who exactly Legend is.
Because I love artists here are a few images I've found (credit to ALL authors):
And remember..... It's all a game.
The shot went past
her head. She could hear the soft whistle, feel the slight shift of the air as
it streamed beyond her. One moment she was facing down the fiend who’d nearly
trapped her in another world. Who had succeeded in trapping others.
She watched the
look in the man’s eyes as they widened. His fall to the ground had her
confused.
Turning slowly she
came fact to face with someone she hadn’t been expecting.
“I finally caught
up with you.”
Her vocal chords
forgot how to work. She barely managed to gape like a fish,. She didn’t think
her eyes could grow any larger, nor her lids open further.
“Do you know how
long it took me? After that last conversation?”
She continued to
stare, uncertain if this was another vivid dream or someone was pulling her
leg.
“After that last
conversation I realized that I needed to do something to change. Certainly all
the movements going around also helped spur me off the main drag. I retired,
you know.”
She watched him,
wondering if gaping would be acceptable.
Another shot rang
past her. She jumped.
“What?”
The word escaped
her lips on a confused brush of air.
“He was
twitching.”
Confusion was her
best option here.
“I went to your home
town, looking for you.”
She raised her
eyebrows.
“I saw what had
happened, then began asking around.” He chuckled, “I suppose I would have made
a great detective.”
She was an
intelligent, resourseful woman, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember
how to use actual words.
Another shot rang
in her ears.
“What the heck was
that for?”
She spun around to
find the fiend had crawled up behind her.
“What?”
