I Write Weird Things

Ash gets assaulted by a suit of advanced armour.

...and thus began the angry adventures of Hash O'Tool.

Plodding Away

I've been trying to write Jason's chapter again. I don't know why he's so difficult to write. Maybe it's because I can deviate much from what I planned on being said and done at this point, especially with how important the information in this chapter is to the story. I have a lot of the dialogue down, a lot of the character traits and I've even developed some plot points in my traditional writing manner, but still, the chapter remains unfinished. I think my other problem is I haven't got a "feel" for Jason's character yet. I want him to be more than an arrogant and angry. He needs to be likeable enough to count as a complex character and to have the ending I am planning MEAN something.

My philosophy in writing is that both sides of conflict need to have a face, a personality, a cause and a legitimate reason for why they do what they do. I don't believe in the archetypical villain who plots away in his tower with his only motivation as "I am evil." WMRR isn't that kind of story.

As for the next two chapters, I have a good idea of how they'll go down. I also finished a lot of the dialogue for a chapter after the next interlude (Myra's), which makes me feel better about not having done as much in the last month.

My video production has been difficult as well as I have just been BUSY. October was brutal in terms of being busy and being sick. I have had stomach issues for two weeks now, so I'll hopefully be seeing a doctor next week about that. Hopefully I don't have some infectious disease that will wipe out all of humanity as we know it.

Expansion

The world of WMRR is getting bigger. I need to revamp a few parts. I already knew I'd need to rewrite chapter 1, but I also need to work on explaining the universe a little bit better. Right now, its mostly character-centred, which is what I want, but it needs to have a strong base in another world on another continent. This will be difficult, but I think I have all the pieces I need. In addition, I am expanding the story. If all goes according to plan, there will be two books after this, which I have the basic plots and aspects outlined. I have been thinking on how to continue the story after the first part. I always knew there would be more, but I was unsure of how to execute it. All I need is to figure out how all the players come together in the end, and who will ultimately come out on top.

And the purpose. What needs to be accomplished. That, right there, is the ultimate aspect. One I do not have the means to devise yet. I have no idea how it will all end, but I know how a lot of elements will come full circle. I have a lot of work cut out for me.

So essentially, based on my current work ethic and amount of words I am getting weekly, this project (all three books) will be completed in...25.6 years.  

Either I need to pick up the pace or get a new hobby.

Not again...

Every year. EVERY year for some asinine reason I either forget or can't participate in free comic book day again. I forgot to go again today. I slept in because I was so tired, started playing some video games and then I looked over at my comic book and it hit me. Picture me screaming clichéd Hollywood "NOOOOOOOO" as I fall to my knees and crumple into a ball on the ground and roll around like a wounded animal. Yes, wounded animals roll around. On the ground. Screaming NOOOOOOO.

So...my plans were thwarted again, but at least I get to go on vacation tomorrow for a week so I'm not too upset. Probably won't get much writing done, so I'm trying to pump out at least a little bit today. I have a new plan to apply for manuscript writing. Despite my forgetfulness, I don't give up easy. I'm thinking work stories this time around. They seemed to be my most successful ones from my other writing classes. I need an outline and some writing done on it. I'm also thinking of using completely new material. I won't recycle like I did last year.

WMRR has been going through some changes. I know EXACTLY how I want chapter 12, so I just need to do the rewrites and filling in for that. We'll see how silly it sounds when it's finished. Chapter 13 is done, but needs a better ending. The one I have at the moment is pretty awful. Chapter 14 is off to a good start, but I have one hurdle to flail over before the words flow the way I want.

It's going to be intense guys. So, very, intense. I am super excited.

My geek week would have been over today with free comic book day so...yeah. Comic con, Avengers midnight premiere, cosplaying and posting tons of LP videos have shown me that I've fully embraced my nerd identity. I'm so proud of myself.

Avengers was the most amazing movie of my life by the way. Well...maybe second most amazing. Lord of the Rings is hard to beat.

Christmas

I must say it didn't feel like Christmas to me. Don't get me wrong, my day was wonderful, and relaxing. There's still something deeply unsettling, like the world's fraying a little at the edges. I just don't understand Christmas. I think I knew at one point, but I'm not sure anymore. I love to buy gifts for everyone and I got so see some special moments and had a good time with friends and family, but I don't know why we need a holiday to do it, and I don't know why we have to spend our life savings on stuff we really don't need.

That said, I'd be lying if I said presents and food and cookies and decorating trees and spending a whole day with family wasn't something I enjoyed.

I think this is why I have such a problem with it. Like so many other concepts, ideas and events, I can't decide what I believe overall. I might just be a little cynical and off from this term. It really did mess me up. I never want to go through that again. I have fears and thoughts I've never had before...which is tough to deal with. I have another possible huge blow coming my way and I know I won't survive that without some serious damage. My world is changing and with it, the way I see everything. Everything is a lot less real now, if that makes sense. I suppose that's why I've written so much in the past few weeks...and none of it related to WMRR.

Nearly 20,000 words in the span of about 14 days. It's taken me 5 years to write 60,000 words. It's so strange and yet, I think it's because I have no plans for this new project. True the writing is...lacking, but I'm exploring subjects I've never touched before. And I have tension!

If I've learned anything this past year...it's that nothing ever happens the way you want it to. I can't force my image of what I want the world to be on what it actually is. I still have a lot to figure out, but I think one of the keys is patience and compromise. I don't want to be angry anymore.

I have a lot of recording and writing to do. Maybe this year...WMRR will finally be complete (ha ha ha...right).

Sorry for the introspective journey. The ghost of Christmas fail visited me.

Is That You Murphy?

Events and circumstances have gone from bad to worse. Among them have been health issues, train failures, useless libraries, excessive readings, basement floodings, terrible sleeps, betrayals, personal set-backs, irritating work environments, little writing, too much work and a general amount of bad luck. I shouldn't complain, but I have no idea what's going on. I'm just waiting for something to go up in flames.

I've put recent thought into another project of mine, which I may start up. WMRR is on the back burner, though I've decided to rewrite a portion of Chapter 12 that I've done because it sucks. I have to admit...I'm really stuck. It's not so much writers block as it is lack of motivation. I want to continue and complete this, but it's just harder and harder to do so. I'm foreseeing a lot more time after November, but right now it's a whirlwind of disaster.

I'll be posting an update on progress and what I've decided to do in the next little while as long as I don't catch the bubonic plague or spontaniously combust in the next few days.

It's times like these where having an unopened bottle of whiskey on your desk is a bad idea. I should probably get rid of it.

2 + 2 = Fish

2010: 358 days +
2011: 59 days
=417 days

Words: 67977 -
Prologue, Chapt. 1, Chapt. 2: 9933
= 58044 words

58044 / 417
=139.19 words per day

Estimated final word count: 110000

110000 - 67977
=42023 words left

42023 / 139.19
=301.91 days until completion

D3PR3551NG



78 days until September.

42023 / 78
=538.76 words per day

200 days until the new year.

42023 / 200
=210.11 words per day

Therefore, if I write a proposal length essay every day this summer, I will be finished the first draft. If I write the equivalent of my average blog post, I will be done before the new year. That's not so hard right? Right?




Now I know why writers usually don't like math.

THIRTY DAYS

http://thirtydahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifysproject.com/?p=65

I could technically finish WMRR if I participated in this. The only problem is I can work exceptionally slow on personal work, even if I work on it all day. At least it would motivate me to try. I could also do short stories, but I don't know if I can come up with 30 original short stories...unless they were very, well, short. Well it's something to try for. Maybe I'll actually get some WMRR done.

Maybe I'll just watch the Supernatural seasons I got yesterday....

The world may never know.

Old vs. New

Been awhile since I made a post, so I thought I'd do something fun. I'm going to take snippets of WMRR from version 1 and the version I'm working on now and compare them. Looking at my old highschool material gave me a good laugh. It really is horrible. I don't know if I'm much better now than I was, but at least I see SOME improvement. All snippets are largely unedited, so sorry for any mistakes. I'm too antsy about looking over them now, especially the new, because then I'll start CHANGING EVERYTHING, and that won't be good for any progress I've managed to scrape out of this month (which isn't much).


Completion of CMD: 2006

Ash and the technicians worked non-stop for the rest of the evening and into the night. Dedrad and Grypt came by about three hours in, bearing coffee and painkillers. The coffee was for Ash, the painkillers were for the members working under his supervision. Ash downed the coffee and bullied Grypt into bringing him something stronger. The two stayed for until they got tired of the yelling. They had more than a lifetime’s worth of yelling from Ash, seeing as how he was their trainer. They decided to leave Ash alone to his work and went to join Dan, who was gaming, down the hall in computer room 113-A.

Four hours later the project was complete. Ash was incredibly tired after yelling non-stop, chucking clipboards at various people, and bringing about half the technicians in the room to tears. Supervising was hard work.

Jennifer presented the device they had worked so hard on, to Ash. He took it in his hands and studied it. It was small and compact, only being the size of his thumb. It did not look complicated or important, but it was the device that would give them a huge advantage in the war.

Completion of the CMD: 2011

Five hours and six empty coffee mugs later, the CMD reached its completion. Ash woke from a short nap to see Joey standing on the observation deck next to him. He held the same clipboard in his hands and looked down at Ash as if he were something nasty he had just stepped in. Without a word he handed him a memo and stepped off the deck onto the floor. Ash wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat up. He scanned the sheet before using the com next to him to page Dedrad. He chugged the cold dregs of his leftover coffee and followed Joey to where a small group of researchers were gathered.

As he approached he saw the team passing around and inspecting a small device. They looked pleased with their work. Ash slipped into the circle and watched as the small, metallic rectangle made its way slowly towards him. Jennifer was the last to look it over when she handed it to Ash. She placed it in his open hand, face was almost reverent. He was shocked at how light it was. He turned the thumb-sized box in his hands, examining the display on the front and the chip with two tiny prongs at the back. He passed it back to Jennifer. She turned it over and activated it. The device made no noise as it glowed with life.

Intro Jason: 2007

A knocking was heard at the door, followed by the soft click of a laptop screen being folded down. Jason Manila spun around in his chair to face the door. He stared at it for a moment, then rolled his eyes and stood up.

“Come innnnnnn,” he sung to the closed door.

The door opened to reveal a gorgeous girl with long black hair and grey eyes. She was holding a large coffee mug. Jason guessed that it was his latte. He narrowed his eyes.

“Hello General. I have your drink here sir,” she greeted, adding a fake cheer to her voice.

“What happened to latte man Miss Aimee? Did he fall down some forsaken pit, or has he forgotten how to cross the street and buy a coffee?”

“I’m sorry sir, Cody was called away on an urgent matter. I’m merely filling in for him.”

“Now what was this urgent matter I wonder? Going to tell me, or just stand there stupidly sniffing my coffee?”

Aimee’s face flushed, but she answered his question. “President Colorine requested him for sector duties sir. I am not clear on all of the details.”

Jason raised his eyebrows, and turned towards his desk. He motioned for her to enter, and tapped the desk with his finger.

“Just leave the latte right here Miss. You have duties to carry out now don’t you?”

Intro Jason: 2011

His drink was lukewarm. Again. The espresso machine on the fourth floor needed tending to. The damn appliance was brand new and though it used an old system of capsules, it should have been capable of making a hot cup of coffee. Jason tossed the last half of the drink down the sink, drops flying onto the tile backsplash. He discarded the little cup into the basket next to the sink, ignoring the nasty clink it made when it landed. Tired and annoyed he slumped into one of the chairs surrounding the common tables. Five home guard and three maintenance workers kept hm company in silence, trying to disregard his foul mood.

Fifteen minutes until he had to return to his rounds. He slumped over the table, head propped on one arm, as he tried to take an interest with the television hanging on the back wall of the room. Weather reports about the droughts and fires, government speeches concerning relations with the East and an opinion piece suggesting the Freets could be burned out of hiding, using the dry conditions to their advantage. It was followed by an ad about hair replacement with an over-the-top spokesman obviously wearing a wig. Nothing new, nothing interesting. Jason wished he had caffeine.



*EDIT - I fixed some of the typos and bad wording in the 2011 version of Jason's Intro

Critiquing

I have added a new section to the EGAWT involving critiquing. I'm not sure how good it is because the people I sent it to didn't give me any feedback. At all. So meh. I plan to go through the entire guide some day and make sure it doesn't sound horrible. At any rate...

Critiquing

Still waiting on someone to send me the poetry section. I doubt that will ever happen. Also still waiting for feedback concerning two short stories. I doubt that will ever happen either. At least I got them critiqued in class, which is the most useful feedback I could ever ask for. I strive, as an aspiring editor, to always give my 100% when editing and critiquing writing.

I extend the offer I made on my site (that no one visits but whatever) to anyone who reads this. I will edit and critique anyone who asks it of me. Depending on the length depends on how fast I can get it back to you. I will give a thorough read, with edits, comments and suggestions. The only pieces I refuse to take are unedited ones. If I catch more than a couple typos on one page (even then) I will stop editing then and there and make you read it over and send me a new copy before I touch it again, I can't be bothered to edit stupid little details when an author's read will accomplish the same.

That aside...WINTER BREAK YEAH. Still not any less stressful with all the stuff I need to get done, but I'm done school. And that is good. I will hopefully get tons of reading and writing done. I need to record the next few levels of Dungeon Keeper and post them on YouTube. I have also been assigned "What the Crow Said" by Robert Kroetsch...but I have yet to find it in any local bookstore. I will probably need to get it through the mail.

AS for WMRR...it has been on hold since I last wrote in...Novemberish? I have so many ideas for the next few parts, but I haven't been able to justify sitting and writing for a few hours when I needed to study and write papers....and yet I found time to play Fire Emblem, Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty...

Nevertheless, I will make efforts to get even the BARE MINIMUM out on paper. This book should have been done in six months. It's taken me nearly six years. Maybe six years. I don't know anymore.

Assassin's Creeeeeeeeed

I'm going to squeal like a fangirl for the duration of this entry. Unfortunately, you will not be able to hear it. Or maybe that's good in your case.

I have more than enough topics to rant angerly about, but no, I'm going to do something different. I'm going to talk about them in a happy way to lighten my mood! Like for instance how my professor can't seem to spell my name correctly even though she has a sheet right in front of her to look at! How hilarious is that? I mean I've gotten some fantastic misspellings of my name before, mostly from people who have just heard it and tried their best based on pronunciation. What a joker she is. She must have an awesome sense of humour to say my name wrong in class every time because she never bothered to ask me or correct herself. What a kidder. Even funnier, she misspelled another girl's name! Instead of "Otten", she typed "Otter" (okay that one's kind of funny). Not only that, she's such a wonderful person because she makes due dates on Sundays at noon electronically. I get to get up early on my one day of the week to sleep in and enjoy the lovely morning! I also get a work out as I frantically try to write and edit assignments to hand them in on time. Who needs those extra few nights? Oh and get this. With incredible foresight she decided that it was a good idea to have a 3000 word essay due four days before a huge group presentation. Improving our multitasking skills is obviously on her list. Who needs a social life or some time off or heck, time to work on other classes? I DON'T APPARENTLY AHAHAHAHAHAHA

Okay that was ridiculous. I shouldn't get so angry, but god. I guess I'm just tired of school. I enjoy some of my classes, but I don't really want to commit anymore. I didn't even study for my last midterm. That said, I don't want to be done school. I don't know what to do after. What do you do with History and English degrees? I keep saying I'll figure it out, but it's not going to be easy. I want to edit and publish and write, but the business is so hard to get into. I need to start getting into programs and working on getting experience NOW, and I have no time. If anyone has any ideas let me know.

Anyway, the prospect of good video games, good books and ski trips keep me in semi-good spirits. I've started my next project for Fiction Writing. I'm doing a novella for after the break. My main points to work on are tone, description, better vocabulary and not using the verb "to be". It's not going to be easy, but it'll give me something to work for.

Philluppus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohnhem

Aka Paracelsus

I just loved the name. At any rate, I have determined that this fall at school is Erasmus Term! I'm writing at least one paper on him and devising a short story based on one of his written works. This includes the manners of children in a modern-day setting...performed by an adult at a mall. I'm having fun. I figured I needed to get a head start and try harder since my first story was pretty god-awful. I think most of my friends are getting tired of me saying that, so I will say it here for the last time and never speak of it again. I'll fix it one day. I like the idea, though it's difficult.

Also yesterday I picked up "How to Train Your Dragon" and the new Linkin Park album "A Thousand Suns". I love the movie. It's adorable, has a lot of fun scenes, creative (even if it does have some...unViking-like Vikings) and it has dragons. DRAGONS. Yeah. The Linkin Park CD isn't bad. It's weird because two of the songs on the CD would be perfect theme songs for a couple of my friends. It's definitely a different sound, but I don't mind. Some people really hate how they've changed, but change is normal. If they didn't try new techniques and styles they'd end up like Nickleback. OHHHHHHHHH.

I am also not sick anymore. Well mostly not sick. I'm still pretty exhausted, but I feel so much better than the weekend. Pro tip guys: don't get the flu. I find it ironic because RIGHT after I said to someone I don't get flu shots, I got the flu. OHHHHHHHHHHH.

Anyhow, back to work. I have some outlines to produce. OHHHHHHHHH.

Here is a fun video involving philosophy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3QZ2Ko-FOg&feature=related

(I actually don't mind Nickleback. If you only listen to a few songs by them, it doesn't seem so redundant.)

(Also, I don't get flu shots because when my father got one when I was younger, he was bed-ridden for a week...I also never got the H1N1 shot and never got it. OHHHHHHHHHH).

Oh yeah

I meant to post an update.

It's not much different from last time but...

Rough Draft Completion: 48%
Overall completion: 36%
Word Count: 48,564

Almost done my critiques aaaaaa

I am making them more creative and interesting than last year's.

I have been told to do so.

That and not use padding language like "quite" and "rather" and "almost" and "fairly".

I give thee permission to slap mine wrists if I shalt engage in such frivolity.

I don't even think that works in Middle English (or something).

Mark it down as an epic fail on my part.

I don't know why I put a space between all my sentences.

Inspired by the Cow

Yes, I am inspired by the cow.

Well two weeks into school and I'm already a little burnt out. I think I may have to blame this one on work and a manager's incompetence. Apparently "can't work more than 15-20 hours a week" means "available to work 34 hours with 3 weekend closing shifts". I need to have a little chat with this woman. It just surprises me that I would be booked almost full-time at work when my GM KNOWS I am a full time student. I also seem to have to write my requests for days off three times before they are "valid". I still haven't gotten approval for the third request. Regardless, I AM leaving for the duration of November 11-14. If work has a problem with that, they can expect me to quit right in the middle of Christmas maddness =D I think I really am the evil twin.

I am happy to be writing a lot again. I just finished writing one of my first assignments which was a "Writing Manifesto". I may have to re-write it since I didn't check the specifications before starting (and finishing), but hopefully it'll be all right. I might end up posting it here either way. I had fun writing it. Due at the same time is my first short story, which I haven't started yet. I'm getting close to getting all the details worked out, so all is good. I will try and finish more of WMRR in between random readings and other homework.

In other news, my dog is dying. I'm not really sure how I'm going to take this, and my guess is not good. I haven't dealt with much loss. I am lucky to have all four of my grandparents alive and to have known them all for as long as I did. Most of them aren't doing so well either, so I'm scared. Anyhow, Dinah has a tumor in her liver, which has been there over a year now and is being managed. However, over the last 6 months (since her anxiety attack), she has been gradually eating less and getting scary skinny. Over the last week she has nearly stopped eating altogether. She has also started to walk hunched-over and off to one side. We took her to the vet on Monday, and it's one of three things: a random phase that dogs sometimes go through, a stroke, or a brain tumor. I'm thinking it was a minor stroke, mainly because of the way she is walking. We got results yesterday from blood tests saying she has kidney disease, which means her body is being poisoned. We got medicine today, but I don't know if it will work. I'm hoping she'll last to Christmas at least. She's been with us fifteen years, and is a huge part of my family.

I guess all I really have to say otherwise is that I'm still recording Dungeon Keeper (though very slowly), I'm turning the random forum I made into an information cache (because I fail =p) and I will hopefully retain a lot of my sanity after the 34 hour work week of hell. Yay! OH and I have a book recommendation. "Poets and Pahlevans" by Marcello di Cintio is a Calgarian non-fiction writer whose book is about wrestling and poetry in Iran. Two reasons I recommend this book: he's local for me, so that's cool, and he's an amazing writer. I have been interested since I picked it up. That hasn't happened much lately.

Also...WTF DID THIS VENGABOYS SONG COME FROM, HOW DID IT GET ON MY PLAYLIST AND WHY IS IT PLAYING? AAAAAAAAAA Seriously random.

Reading in Rain

I look at my next week and look at nothing but constant work. Won't have much time for WMRR writing, but at least I'll be busy.

Going to be writing for Fiction II all this week. I still don't know what my first story will be, but I also have to write a "writer's manifesto" for next Tuesday. I don't know what that really means yet. Maybe I'll be able to add it to EGAWT when I'm done (I'll cross my fingers).

This may seem a little random, but I love taking transit. I of course don't like the random schedules, creepy passengers, waiting in cold winters and the filth and smells, but I do love the time it gives me to relax, read, listen to music and think. I was waiting for a bus in the rain for 40 minutes today because it was a Sunday and buses only come once and hour, and I enjoyed three chapters of the book "Poets and Pahlevans" by Marcello di Cintio. It's a book about wrestling and poetry in Iran and it's one of the best reads I've had in awhile. I would highly recommend it. It wasn't just a good book, however. I found a certain peace hiding from the rain under the metal and glass of the bus shelter. I stood, book in hand, music playing and watching the sky slowly turn to darker shades of blue, and eventually black. Blanketed by clouds the rain fell into small grooves made by heavy buses. The little puddles looked like ink or oil, reflecting the blue-black sky. I even if I turned off my music, the world seemed silent. Only one other person was at the stop, and the constant drone of a bus engine was like white noise in the back-ground (which is "like silence, but not empty" as Mark Haddon puts it in his book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (another book I recommend). I don't know if it's a direct quote since I can't find the book at the moment in the mess that is my room. I don't take enough time to enjoy the beauty of the world (especially when it has been constantly raining ALL SUMMER...seriously, it was shitty). I don't know what it was exactly, but despite my exhaustion, anger, dissociation and confusion that's plaguing me right now, I cherished this moment.

PLAGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Also, I have no idea what sort of state I'll be in this week. As I said before, I won't have much time for WMRR, which saddens me. I don't do well with loss, and a lot of loss is coming my way. That and...I'm not sure...anger and stress makes it hard. I'm getting more reclusive. I don't know. Regardless I need to try at least.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZwwHIxHINI

STUPID GOD DAMNED AUTOFILL IN THE STUPID GOD DAMNED LABELS BOX AAAAAAAAAA

Revelations

I just realized something rather strange. For the last few years (the last year especially), people keep asking me what I want to be when I "grow up". When I'm done school, ready to slave away in the work world and lay down my life for that carbon-copy, picket fence everyone more or less dreams of (we'll call the picket fence the "ideal future" since that idea is a little outdated by a few decades). In other words, people ask me what I will become, but they never ask what I am. Then I noticed that this is the same for everyone. For young people, hardly anyone cares who you are, what you do and what you love. Instead they treat you like a unimportant blank slate and ask what you'll be when you are older and more "interesting" (or carbon-copied). I think this is why I can't answer anyone when they ask me what I want to be after university (or high school since everyone seems to think I'm still a teenager). It's not because I'm in History and English and the uses of those degrees happen to be ambiguous, it's because I already am (more or less) what I will be in the future. Of course people change, but it seems like a stupid question to ask what a person will be, mainly because no one has any idea. I certainly don't. It's more useful to ask what a person currently is. For example, I can say I am a warrior writer who is battling as a retail slave in order to win the freedom of finance to travel to the mysterious land of Las Vegas in November and to defend a new-found love of skiing. That's a lot more exciting and realistic than saying "uh er I dunno maybe I'll try to uh teach or something...I reckon I'll go through the mill and knock the galley west".

I have no idea how the Old West slang got in there. I might just have to respond to people with that exact line now.

Maybe this is because I have been spending a long time with people 10-50 years older than I am. They have no idea how to talk to people younger than them, so they ask the same, safe questions. Just our way of being social I guess. Silence is more unnerving than petty chatter. At any rate, living in the now is a lot easier and practical (maybe I should be like my friend and attempt to disregard time altogether...though that would make scheduling difficult). The only dream I have at the moment is to get this damned book finished.

Speaking of which...I fixed some of the parts, cleaned up some lines and had a few giggles. I also wrote most of the missing part of chapter 8. SO CLOSE AAAAAA. In thinking about my characters and events, three of my main characters are a little blandish. I mean...some of the side characters are more exciting than them. Dan is one of the ones I need to liven up a bit. Dedrad too. Grypt is a little blandish, but that's part of his character, so I'll let it slip. I'm just glad I'm slogging away at this again. Writing does wonders for me. Life isn't so bad if you can live half of it in another scenarios, frame of mind, or world altogether.

I should post some excerpts.

Smells Nutty

I think sugar is the answer.

I have no idea where that huge depressive post came from before. One of those days I guess. As for writing, I think I'm ready to try again. I have to remember that if I want something, or want to get it done, I need to fight for it. None of this is going to come easy and the longer and harder I fight, the more I learn and the better I get. I'm ready to continue WMRR and Westwrimo. I love to write and I need to remember that when I get discouraged. I am not writing to sell. I am not writing to get fans and fame. I am not writing because I have to. I write because I love to write. It is what I do and who I am.

I have completed the bookshelf overhaul, and I must say it looks quite snazzy. I've got a shelf of classics, a doubled-up shelf of fantasy and science fiction, half a shelf of Canadian Authors, half a shelf of random books or an "odd shelf" (a term I picked up from Anne Fadiman's collection of essays entitled "Ex Libris"), a shelf of history/historical fiction and general fiction, and a shelf of graphic novels and horror (I included Sherrilyn Kenyon here since I don't have a "Romance" section and I don't consider her "Romance" overall...I'm also getting good at spelling her name without looking). The bottom shelf is reserved for my Sonic the Hedgehog comics collection (no comment please) and the very top shelf has borrowed books (because I need to remember what doesn't belong to me), religious books and larger series (like "Harry Potter" and the "Series of Unfortunate Events". My desk shelves contain manga and movies and my closet contains children and preteen books. Last but not least is my old nighttable with a large compartment below. This has all my English anthologies, language books, style guides and dictionaries. So now that my random project is complete and my bookshelf is looking rather top-heavy, I think I'm ready to get down to some serious work.

I will finish chapter 8 this week even if it kills me. And I mean that literally. My work keeps booking me for closing shifts. I even have a random 10 hour shift this week, which I am not pleased about. I also need to insert some important exposition into the prologue and chapter 3 concerning politics, the government structure and motivations. This won't be easy. Ash's motivations are the most important here. Poten's are easy (except in one tiny area that I've yet to work out). Ash is the real wild card here that I need to hammer out before I get further in the story. Something BIG will be happening in the next 4 chapters, which I'm stoked for. Chapter 8 is first on the list though. Once that is nice and complete in a pretty little package, I can move on.

Also, I decided I need to work more shifts with Jessica. Who knew RTV tags, nutty smelling boxes, random smelling soaps and the stickers on the bottom of glasses could be so amusing?

Another Round of the Victory Fanfare

I got into Fiction Writing II. I'm so happy. I honestly wasn't looking forward to anything else in the coming year and now I am satisfied. I don't really have too much to look forward to since I have no direction in what I want to do, people and pets are ill or dying and I am nearly broke, struggling to earn money at a job I can't decide if I like or not. Horrible sentences aside, writing has ground to a stop because my short attention span struck again and this has been distracting me:

Dungeon Keeper Multiverse

Seriously I work too hard on these types of projects. Then they hardly ever end up being worthwhile. My creative writing class defies this. I keep trying though. Keeps me busy and I figure one day I'm bound to succeed.

I want to continue my work on WMRR, but I have a little Westwrimo project to take care of...after my crazy day tomorrow. AAAAAAAAAAAA

I get more random and spontanious and distracted as I get older. God what will I be like when I'm 60?

Oh God a Spork

Well I haven't had much progress on well...anything. At least not this month. I've been dealing with a lot of or random BS this month, which is really weird for the summer. I haven't been feeling too great the last few weeks, mostly because of a lack of sleep. Only half of that is intentional. I've been having all these weird dreams and keep waking up at random points of the night. I sort of have a reason, but I highly doubt anyone would understand or believe me if I wrote them here so let's just say I've been restless.

New job is going quite well, especially now that I've gotten to know a lot of the people I work with. Most of them are women, so tons of random hormones and politics at work. It's like a giant messy game I get paid to play. It's also a lot more exhausting than any other job I've worked, and I don't even do full 8 hour shifts. Customers are pushy, rude and more or less ignorant (in more than one way). There are exceptions of course, but I find I'm liking the stock shifts A LOT more. I get to work in peace with people that I actually like. I can carry drinks around and swear as well, but that's just between you and me.

As for writing, this is the first day in a long time I've sat down to write something serious. I'm sitting at Higher Ground in Kensington drinking tea, eating a sandwich and waiting for a friend to arrive. I've also joined up with some other friends in a unofficial Nanowrimo called "Westwrimo". For those of you that don't know, Nanowrimo is a writing event held in November where you write a short novel in a month (approx. 50,000 words). This is basically the same idea, only it's the whole summer and it's Western themed. I have never read nor written a Western in my life. The only true Western movie I've seen was "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." So this should be interesting. I don't think I'll have enough done to use for my portfolio...which is essentially due for me next week. Aaaaaaaa

WMRR is on hold for a little while. I need to get my ducks in a row and bees in a line before I can count them, order them and squirt them with a water pistol. Now I know what you're thinking, and yes this is a giant, dirty mop that I am holding. I discovered it at work and decided that I'm going to wield it and instate it as a new form of weaponry. It's like a staff, but so much wetter and dirtier. Also it sounds really awkward when you scream "BEHOLD THE POWER OF MY DIRTY MOP" while you run up and down aisles as snobbish jazz music plays like elevator music. I may or may not have done this. All I can really say is...

A STORM IS COMING.

...literally, there's scary ass clouds all over the place outside and the trees are going nuts because of the wind. Wtf is up with weather in Calgary lately.

PS – I may have a special insanity reserved for whenever I drink green tea.

Filling in the Gaps

“Five factions to learn and be united as one. All powers and studies have two sides: a light and a dark, creation and destruction, mimicking the flow of our consciousness and hearts. You will be better at some than others, reflecting your talents and true state of being.

“The power of the body, the Physical: Known to you as Letics, they have mastered the arts of the body; its functions, capabilities and limits. They perfected the arts of speed, strength, agility, coordination, acrobatics, touch, stealth and endurance.
“The power of the mind, the Mental: Known to you as Brains, they have mastered the arts of intelligence. They are ones who have discovered the arts of learning, memory, remote manipulation, sense and awareness, mind reading, the conscious, precision, concentration and the abstract.

“The power of the soul, the Spiritual: Known to you as Happies, they have mastered the arts of feeling. The arts of empathy, heart, healing, the unconscious, dream, meditation, projection, protection, and stability are theirs to command.

“The power of the chaos, the Conflict: Known to you as Darks, they have embraced the turmoil and struggle of human experience. They may summon, consult, glimpse future and past, hide, frighten, teleport, mask and disguise, find what is lost, and know truth from lies.

“The power of communication, the Influence: Known to you as Populars or Poppies, they understand the call of the masses and the strength of the whole. They may persuade, rally, discourage, unite, build, adapt, dominate and control.

“Finally as a make-shift sixth faction, we represent the power of homoeostasis, the Balance: Known as the Freethinkers or the Freets, we seek to find harmony between all the factions and powers. Though each individual may not master all the arts, we learn from each and strive to equalize and keep our minds open to all possibilities.

“Know all these powers, learn from their ways and find your harmony and balance. Each has a light and dark side. Every Faction can be used for good or ill intentions. The Freets must acknowledge and accept both the stereotype and the contradiction. The journey will be difficult, as is with all Freets who wish to become Masters of our Order, but have faith that in time the answers you seek will come to you and you will understand.”


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I need to incorporate this into the prologue of my novel. I have feedback from two sources now that tell me that the story makes sense except for why the characters in my story have these "powers". I've been struggling to figure out how to explain these powers, since obviously I can't just expect my readers to accept them. I was going to explain the HOW later on, but the WHAT is the factor that needs to be taken care of immediately.

I realized I haven't given much information on my story other than general progress and the occasional snippets of what I'm focusing on and the type of research I'm doing (mostly light weapons and martial arts with some aspects centred on technology). It is a science fiction novel set in an "alternate future" (though I may change it to an alternate world altogether, but that would be more difficult). It's definitely an alternate future because there is no way in hell this could ever happen. Essentially a war occurs in North America between the East and the West (playing on that whole East/West tension idea that's at least present in Canada...I'm not sure about the States). The war ends in a stalemate, placing a temporary border between the East and West more or less in the middle (prairie provinces and states). The West divides into 3 parts, a north, middle and south. The East remains united, and a great deal stronger because of it.

My story takes place in the middle West (obviously most easy for me to relate to) and focuses on one of the factions mentioned earlier, "The Freethinkers" or "The Freets". Now, these aren't the Freethinkers you would associate with in our day and time (at least I associate them with religious issues, but that's probably because of the university clubs I've encountered over the past few years). They are called the Freethinkers because they are a group of rebels that oppose the government of the Middle West called the "Middle West Populars" or as the Freets like to call them "The Poppies" (or simply Populars, depending if the user is joking or not). The Populars (if you read above) established their "temporary government" after the North American War. After some disputes about which parties should be the one to govern the new state, the Populars came out on top, mostly because of their use of Influence powers (convincing the populace that they were the best choice for their nation). Many were not pleased about the development, but out of fear of being attacked by the East and the other two Western nations, they accepted the MW Populars as their legitimate government. Navar Poten was one of the few to resist, believing that the use of force and control over the minds of people were not a compromise for safety. Therefore he formed the rebel faction of the Freethinkers in an attempt to bring the government down from the inside and restore a form of democracy.

Over a course of five years, Navar Poten built his organization as the Popular government became stronger and less opposed. Originally starting with a handful of people, he gathered other like-minded individuals until the organization grew to number in the thousands. My five main characters, Ash, Dedrad, Dan, Myra and Grypt all join the Freets in this time (for extremely different reasons) and become part of a special operations team led by Ash. Ash was the first of these five to become one of the Freets (was one of the first overall, joining little over a year after Poten began his faction) and became Navar Poten's apprentice. He was then given the freedom to find members for his special operations team and learn to master the five powers. At the time of the story, the Freets are preparing for their final attack with the creation of the "Clear Mind Device", a small machine which can protect their minds from the Popular's Influence powers.


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Wow a really long entry, but it was about time it was done. Now when people ask "what's the book about", I can just give them this site and I won't be lost for words. I have been working on this story since I was in grade 11 (so since 2006). I have gone through 2 versions before arriving at the one I am working on now. I seem to always give up before I finish and I decided that's not going to happen this time. After I figure out how to work this information into the first few chapters, I will be finishing chapters 8 and 9 in the next few days. I have no idea when the whole book is going to be finished. I have the attention span of a goldfish (thank you internet), a job to worry about and a portfolio to finish in the next little while. I also have a video series I'm WAY behind on, so hopefully I'll be able to allocate my time a little better. My writing tips page is currently on hold because the person who said they'd give me notes on poetry can't now and I'm still trying to figure out what else to add. I'm also trying to figure out how to USE the EGAWT, but I digress. At any rate, being the paranoid writer I am I pray none of these ideas are stolen, but I really don't think I have anything to worry about.

I ran out of black forest ham. Sad day.