W.I.P. All the Things She Said

 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.

W.I.P. Umm.....

Here is a little excerpt from something I've been working on. At one point I added two potential ways of phrasing things. Let me know which one you think fits bet.

The morning after the concert and double homicide I woke up to someone trying to toss me on the floor. I’d fallen asleep in a rather large beanbag chair that felt more like a cushion than anything. After the other gals had drunk their fill of rum (Lizzy prevented me from getting any, at least remembering through her alcohol-induced haze that I didn’t drink), I had crashed from mental exhaustion. The bean bag was perfect – I melted into it and bundled down.

“Where’s Ann?”

I’d covered my face with another blanket, not wanting to deal with people in general. The choice to hide was gone the moment I was lifted into the air.

“Don’t toss me!”

The bean bag came down and I was left facing a bewildered Erik and Inspector.

“What were you doing there?”

I was half way awake, a bit wider now that I’d almost been launched into a couch and in no mood for stupid.

“I was sleeping. In case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Wait…are those your pajamas?”

I paused, glancing briefly down at my long pajama pants and baggy tee shirt. Looking back up I raised half an eye brow, “Yeah. You got a problem with my comfort?”

“No! No, no, it’s just…”

“Ann we need you to come with us to the Basement. It’s not safe for you.”

I stared down again…. “Yeah. You do realize you just barged into a room full of women who were having a slumber party (sleep over?)?”

They had the decency to blush.

I ushered them out.

“Right, well I’ll be out when all of us are decent and dressed. Bye!”

Shutting the door in their face I glanced around the previously full room.

“Traitors,” I murmured. Scrounging my clothes from the piles on the floor I slipped into the bathroom and got ready.

What are you working on this week? Need any help - I'd be glad to!

WIP - Weekly Progress

I have nothing to report here - move along - NOTHING TO SEE HERE!

..... just kidding.

Kinda.

In the past few weeks I have been trying my best to get back into the field and zone of writing. It's never as easy as it seems, but once you get those juices going it's easy . . . (That was a rather bare-faced lie right there, but it does, ask any published writer).

Now - writing isn't exactly an art form.

It's a frustrating process that makes you want to, and often succeeds, in tearing your hair out.

I've been going back over previous works throughout the years and doing some re-writes. It's made me realize that I often have a great foundation and basis for a story before I peter out and lose interest in the story. Coming back to it years later I've found there is more motivation and inspiration to continue with the story.

Well, with all that ado, I present to you a re-worked little short back from years ago and redone in this past year's NaNoWriMo. No title, just the story.

As always, leave a little comment below to share what you're working on.

Changing my address had seemed like a great idea. The reasons were this: the way things were going, or the path we were heading down, I didn’t want, or shave have bothered with staying in the same boarding house for more than a few days at a time. If I became sick I would take a week to try and recover, but never for longer than that at one address. I continued moving around, one by one, just having the gut feeling that I should always be on the move. Keeping on the run to make things difficult for whomever it was I was running from. I made a certain point to avoid all of the places that I’d frequented the previous occasion that I’d been here. (Which was sad because I missed all of those places.) I was only here to avoid people in the general populace. I didn’t want any more new people in my life, nor any of the old ones either. I’d keep it that way. I’d managed to keep it up; at any recent address I would dine alone, content to avoid all of the other tenants, doing my best to avoid mingling or small talk.

Though, every resolve finally burns in the embers and dies out.

I knew there’d been a bush I’d been dancing around, figuratively. I’d beat around the bush for long enough. I had to finish what I’d come here to do. I had to find the one person in this city who’d been there the last time – we had to talk about what had happened before.

Since it would be a reunion of sorts I decided to dress for the occasion. I kept it looking nice, while at the same time practical: skirts (many layers of), a practical shirt with a bodice, a small overcoat, then my regular overcoat, a pair of gloves, and a scarf wrapped around my neck to combat the chilly fall weather. I went out that night with every intention of finding him. He had to be easy to find, right?

I knew what I wanted to say to him, I went through it like a monologue in my mind, playing the words over and over again in my mind. It would be simple. All I had to do was find him.

I didn’t know where to go, or start with, so I sort of ambled all over Paris hoping for a great turnout. It wasn’t the worst city to be wondering rather aimlessly around – there were plenty of places that I could pause and sit for a moment to relax with a small sample of food and a drink. The best sorts of food and drinks provided.

After passing such another location I soon found myself wondering on the steps of Notre Dame (to which I dare you not to sing that aloud or in your head). There were plenty of other single walkers out that night, of each sex and persuasion. It was a pleasant evening out, so it was no wonder the streets were becoming full of people, out and about on such a lovely night. I looked up the side of the building at the gargoyles guarding the towers and turrets and bells of Notre Dame (again, I defy you not to sing it!). Most of them seemed rather happy up there, the exception being a few of the more sinister looking creatures who chose to glare down at the masses of the city.

Don't forget to leave a comment, and have a fantastic week!

WIP - Tangled Work

Here is a little something that I've been working on. It's an old piece of work that I've had for a while.

Using Paint Tool Sai is one of the best investments I've ever had.

I've also started working on a short story; here is a snippet of what's to come.

“We’re going to split into pairs, that way everyone has someone to go with.”

In a few moments everyone had divided, leaving only one out.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late, my alarm didn’t go off.” Mira practically bounced up to the group, “What did I miss?”

She looked at all the couples standing around, smiling. Something was off, she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“We split into pairs,” John smiled at her.

“Wait, you split into couples!”

Her stomach dropped a bit. If that was how they ‘split into pairs’, then she was in trouble.

“Wait….”

“You and Erik are park buddies! Have fun!”

They exited, leaving her alone with the tall professor. They eyed each other, each annoyed with the outcome of this unexpected pair off.

“Alright, so we’re, uh, stuck together.”

He rolled his eyes at her.

“Listen, I came to have fun while we’re here, so if you’re going to be surly we can split up and meet back later on. I’m not going to give up having fun at Disney just because you don’t want to enjoy some time off.”

Those are just a few of the things that I'm up to.

Leave a comment, what are you working on right now?

WIP - "Evermore" Part -

In the past few weeks, I've done - well nothing on the projects I should be doing. Surprisingly I've been rather busy. However - there is still room for improvement. While I have yet to tackle any sort of re-write for any of my current projects, or re-draw for that matter, I will leave you with a little expert of a story I've posted about before, and am still working with on draft number one. (How's that for a sentence!)

A little background for this story: Yes, it came about after I saw the remake, er, "live-action", of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". Yes the song was stuck in my head. Yes it inspired it. And this is sorta the middle part of the story.....yeah. It's titled the way it is because I'm not overly concerned with an actual title for this piece as of yet. So, without further ado -

"Evermore"
(Part ???)

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

He stood in the doorway, unwilling to enter the small room with her.

“No, it’s alright,” she straightened the chair. “No harm done.”

She stood near the old desk. The last time he’d been down here was when the brothers had stumbled upon his castle. They’d decided to keep these rooms after learning of the curse. To better fit the atmosphere, was what they’d called it. As he thought about it, all of the others who’d come through had used this room. None had wanted to stay in the upper floors, or have any window near to them. As though the panes to the outside world held some fright.

“You’re curse – there’s little time left to break it, isn’t there?”

Her voice drew him from the past. The question was not one he’d been expecting. There was still much he wanted to discuss with her; none of which involved the topic of his curse.

“How did you –”

The grin she gave him was subtle, but in the candlelight it illuminated the mischief in her eyes.

“These papers here, they were written by others who’ve come to the castle. Others who tried to break the curse,” she picked up the papers, “Can you tell me anything else about it?”

He stared at her, then at the papers in her arms.

“Come, lunch is served.”

He felt guilt for not answering her directly. Being down there so close to the darkness was overwhelming. It was not the place to talk about already dark matters. They were too close to the hidden room where the curse had festered and languished for the past century. There was power in words – power given freely. If spoken too close to the source it would add to that malevolent power. He wouldn’t risk it.

Barely glancing over his should to ensure she was following him back up to the dining room, he could see the slight droop of her shoulders. She’d hoped he would answer. He could see it in her – she wanted to know more.

A thirst for knowledge to understand what cannot be explained, the thought made him smile. No one before her had had that.

* * * * * * * *

Catherine followed him back up the winding stairs. He’d changed the subject when she’d asked about the curse. She tried to understand. There was so much more to this new world she was in. So much that she needed to understand. She needed the truth about this strange place; about why it had seemed to draw her back each time she left. She finally realized the day she’d found her father – he had been right outside the gates leading into the vast gardens. He’d been here before; that was how he’d remembered the castle to make the cast for the music box. He knew about this place. She’d been so close then.

“Mademoiselle.”

Coming out of her memory she looked up. They were back in the lavish (if outdated) dining room. She looked around for the person who’d spoken to her, but found no one. The monster-man-

Tarnish it, she thought, I’ll just call him…Adrian.

The name didn’t fit him, but she couldn’t think of a better one for him. It was frustrating. She would go on a hunt here in the castle to find something that had his name on it. There had to be a diary of someone, or papers, letters, anything to let her know what he might once have been called.

Taking a seat across from him, she set the papers on the chair next to her.

A meal as she’d never seen before was spread out: fresh bread, hot soup, fruits and a few things she didn’t recognize. It was one of the best meals she’d ever had.

Adrian cleared his throat. When she looked up at him he diverted his gaze to the side.

“I wanted to apologize,” he paused. “Again.”

Curious to what he could be apologetic for she waited. The silence continued to stretch while he sat there. She realized he hadn’t eaten a thing.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

He looked right at her and shook his head. The expression in his eyes startled her. Setting down the roll in her hand she glanced down at the food before her. Would he –

“I can help break this curse. The papers I found down in that room – from the others who’ve come before – they have hints to how it can be done.” She caught his eye, “I know I can break it. There’s still a few weeks left before the new year, you have to let me try.”

The room became hazy. Mild panic reached into her.

“Don’t let her win! If I am the last one to try, bring me back,” her voice lowered to a whisper. She saw him coming around to her, “Don’t let her win….there’s still a way to break….”

What are you currently working on? Feel free to leave a comment, or a little bit about anything you're working on.