When You Fall Off the Horse

     It has been over two months since I wrote a word in Flight. What happened?

     What always happens: life. 

     Ok, well, that's what I'd like to think. Sure, my schedule has been hectic, but it's always crazy over here. If I'm really honest, it comes down to this: I'm a procrastinator. I got half-way through the manuscript, started doubting everything, became discouraged, and let my fear drive me away from writing.

     It's the same old story.

     So I didn't finish in January like I wanted to. I fell off the horse, but I refuse to stay here.

     I'm going to start fresh, get back up on this horse. I'm going to finish this draft (Oh Lord, help me; I'm only on the first draft!) and I'm going to quit putting it off. It might be slow going, but it's better than not finishing at all.

     Keep an eye on the Facebook page for detailed updates.

Post Tenebras Lux! 
-ST

          

Flight Character Roll Call

     Today, I am gathering the bits and hints about the characters of Flight in one post. Why? Because I haven't written anything since Nanowrimo, and I need some kind of kick in the pants. This story is halfway done. I need to get over the crest of this hill. So, I hope a peek at the main cast will make you want to meet them and make me want to continue writing them. They are pretty cool.

     1. "Phoenix"

          This is the main character. That's all I've revealed so far. My sister wonders if this is a mythological creature; I tell you this so you won't feel alone as I continue to evade that question. 

 2. Benjamin

          This guy does not relinquish his secrets easily. I blame most of my struggles over Flight's plot on him. Very rarely do I get a clear look at his past and what his present goal is. That excites me, because I get to uncover secrets as I write, but it also worries me because I wonder if I'll be able to figure it out before the end of the story. Much of Flight hangs on him, so we'll see how this goes. He's also extremely sassy. I accidentally slipped his last name (which I apologetically stole from a real couple I know) on my Facebook page during Nanowrimo.

     3. Mrs. Highland

          This little old lady was inspired by my grandmother and other elderly relatives. She started out as an add-in to this story, just because old ladies rarely ever play a part in Spec-Fic, but she has grown into a vital character. I've described her relationship with Benjamin as "awkward" and you will get no further definition at this time. 

     4. "Nerd boy"

          I haven't yet revealed this character's name, but I will show you what helped inspire his personality traits and physical features:

I'm told this awesome picture was crafted by this artist: http://punziella.tumblr.com

          Yup. He basically looks like hipster Hiccup. My nerd boy's hair is a bit darker in color, and he's a few years older than Hiccup in this picture.

     5. Mr. Eden

          Oh, Eden. He's another rebellious character. I love him, but he has his own ideas. He pushes me to figure out new plot lines. Look, see?

     

     Also, he's apparently a pilot? Yeah, didn't see that one coming. 

     Those are all the significant characters I have mentioned so far. There are others in the story, but I will save them for a later time. Flight is, after all, still top-secret. Or something like that.

Yeah, none of the characters I mentioned today have a goatee. ;P

Post Tenbras Lux! 

-ST

Y I NO WRITE

     If you follow my Facebook page, you may have noticed that I haven't written anything in about a week. This is because a friend of mine, the lovely Jenny Kniskern of Little Faith Blog, was at my house for a week-long visit. The break from writing was well worth the fun times Jen, my sister, and I spent together.

     One of the first things Jen said to me was, "I want to hear all about Flight!"

     My response was, of course, "Um, sorry. I can't tell you anything until it's done."

     My sister shook her head like a war-weary veteran. "Yeah, Jen, you're not getting anything out of her."

     Now that the authoress of the ingenious Little Faith Book has returned

to her domain, I am plunging back into writing. My schedule this upcoming week will be pretty relaxed, I think, so I should be able to pound out a solid word count. I would love to get 20,000 this week, which would put me about half-way through the draft, but I will need to double my 500 words per day goal to achieve it. As usual, I will be tracking my progress on the Facebook page.

     The week after next will land us in November. Time for Nanowrimo! I won't finish Flight next month (unless God works a miracle), but I will be participating for 25,000 words. It will help me track my progress and interact with any of you who will be writing. Find me on the Nanowrimo site so we can follow each other!

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

EDIT: Ahem, did I say 20,000 words this week? Sorry, I can't math. That would be about 2,000 words a day. I can't do that! I don't think. I could try. But that would be crazy. 

Into the woods, TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOOOOOUSE!

     You know you sang it in your head.

     Both my sister and my best friend have communicated their displeasure with the blurring of my Flight notes in my last post. I tell you this so that, if you were also frustrated by the fact that I did not leave my top-secrets notes out in the open air for all eyes to ravage before the due time... you are not alone in your displeasure. Sorry I'm not sorry. 

     Over the past two weeks, I lived with my grandmother. She usually lives with my uncle and aunt, but they went on a trip. I was my grandmother's companion while they were gone.  

     This was a wonderful time for me because I was able to spend some quality one-on-one with my grandmother, who is called "Gramummy" by all of her grandchildren (don't ask me, it was the doing of an older cousin). We ate ice cream, watched movies, and played lots of Scrabble. Seriously, lots...

of...

Scrabble. 

     It was also a profitable time for me because Gramummy's house is quiet. With six people living in my house, it is hard to find a good place to focus on writing (yet another reason I usually write late at night). I was able to start putting my updated outline to good use.

     Another advantage to living with Gramummy was that I had a living reference for one of my characters, who is an old woman. I loooove writing old people. This character is one Mrs. Highland, and though she is different from my grandmother, they do share some qualities. This was extremely helpful in some of the times when I got stuck. 

     Mrs. Highland and Benjamin have a particularly interesting (and by that, I mean awkward) relationship. Let's just say that she gets frustrated with his secrets almost as much as I do. 

     While I wrote at Gramummy's house, I used Facebook to track my daily word counts. I will continue to do so until the draft of Flight is finished, so be sure to follow my support page. Your encouragement and prayers help more than you know. Plus, I post a little of what I write to help make up for the blurred outline notes. 

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

Storm Day

     To brainstorm Flight and get rid of writer's block, I decided to do a sort of storyboard. I chose a day when I could be home and, most importantly, when my sister would be out all day. We share a room, so it was essential for her to be absent while I laid out my top-secret notes.

     The weather was cloudy and rainy -- perfect for a brainstorm. I started the morning by printing all relevant notes on Flight. Look at that stack! That's not even all of my notes; it's all plot-related stuff (no character development) and there were handwritten notes I had to sort through.

     The stack was mostly comprised of random ideas and short scenes I had jotted down. Half of my writer's block problem was that I couldn't remember all my ideas. 

     To create a brainstorm, mind and body need proper fuel. So I made this pretty omelet for lunch. Random fact: I don't like eggs, unless they are mixed with a lot of other good things like cheese or cake batter.

     While I was creating this beautiful meal, someone by the printer asked, "What's all this?" I had left my stack of notes out in the open! Sure enough, my mom was bent over the printer, reading the top note. 

     "Nothing, nothing! Don't look!" I snatched the papers up and hugged them to my chest.

     Mom's smile turned coy. "Oh, I see! Your printed story! I think I saw a chapter title."

     "I wish. The story isn't refined enough to have chapter titles yet." 

     That was close. Whatever she saw, it wasn't integral to Flight's basic storyline.  

     After lunch, I got down to business ("to defeat... the HUNS"). Flight notes got sorted into piles on my bed. As I went through each page, I had to scissor the papers into pieces. I cut ideas I wanted to keep and put them in a pile. Some of the ideas were whole scenes, some were just lines. Old and unwanted ideas went in the Book Box of Rejects (and were later moved to the envelope of rejects). 

   
Alongside the note sorting, I made a brainstorming list of ideas and possibilities. The list was unstructured on purpose, meant to be a splash page of everything I hoped to capture in Flight's plot. This was necessary because the plot and characters have drastically changed many, many times.

     

Sorting took most of the afternoon. By the end of it, I needed something completely different, so I dusted my house while listening to Kingdom Pen Radio. If you are a writer, you NEED to tune into Kingdom Pen. Such entertainment which speaks the native language of a writer's heart is rare indeed.

   

 I made a cup of Teavanna's Youthberry and Wild Orange Blossom tea before jumping back into Flight. Like my Muggle mug? Say "Muggle mug" aloud; it tickles the tongue!

     With my new brainstorming fuel in mug, I began the storyboarding(ish) process. The floor of my room is speckled, which made the papers difficult to see, so I laid a blue blanket down. 

     

On the blanket, I arranged the pile of Usable Ideas in the plot's chronological order. Not only did it look cool, but it let me see the whole story at a glance. I touched ideas, moved them around in the plotline, saw what worked and what didn't. To wax poetic, I caught the flow of the story.

     The ideas became sparse as the plotline progressed. I had an ending worked out, but the more I looked at it, the more I hated it. Afraid to throw out the whole ending, I put all the information in an envelope separate from the rejects. 

     As the sun began to set, I lit my favorite candle and turned on my sister's lantern lights. The relaxed atmosphere helped me translate the storyboard into an outline. I spent over an hour getting the details on paper. 

     So, was the brainstorming session successful? Yes. I now have a vision for where I am going in 

the story. I know what comes next... mostly. There are still several mysteries. Since I scrapped my ending, I really can't say just what's going to happen there. And something is missing in the beginning; I know what it is, but I don't know how to solve it yet. These unanswered questions are good because they will leave me room to create as I go. The important thing is, now that the cobwebs have been cleared away by the brainstorm, I can go again.

     Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST 

Deadline

    The deadline is a writer's nightmare. We should call it our "flatline," because it's basically the same thing.

     In my very first post about Flight, I mentioned that I would like to have the story done by the time I turn twenty-four. 

     *Insert dry laugh.*

     January, my birthday month, is fast approaching. So, no... Flight won't be done by then. I was crazy to even tell you it might be.

     Actually, I might be even crazier now than I was then. 

     I want to actually make my self-imposed flatline, at least as far as the draft is concerned. My estimated word count is 50,000 - 70,000. If I write 500 words a day, I should be done with the draft in January.

     This is what I told my friend Jennifer Kniskern at the beginning of this month. It is now half-way through the month, and I've been lucky to get 200 words any given day, much less 500 every single day! 

     500 words is not a high goal. I can fly through 500. The reason I am stuck at 200 on a good day is because, when I write in the evenings, I open my documents and do this:

     Trying to get my imagination to work is like trying to spread silly putty over sand with a spatula. It's just stuck! I don't know what to do in the story. I hate to admit it, but I have a bad case of writer's block. 

     It's time for emergency protocols. Cue the siren and the flashing lights!

     I will pull out all of my Flight notes to try and to come up with a vague idea of where I'm going. Hopefully that idea will turn out to be a little more than vague... maybe even turn out to be an outline. It might be like trying to light a spark without a match, but I don't know what else to do. I really want to make my deadline.

     Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

Flight May Kill Me

     Working on the beginning of Flight. This is how I feel about my ability to be a writer tonight:

     Dear Lord, please give me ideas.

     After Darkness I sure hope there will be Light!

-ST

Flight at the Conference

     

      My sister is not happy with me right now.

     It's because I took Flight to the writer's conference. Prior to going, I submitted a bit of Flight for a scholarship. When my sister found out, she said, "How come strangers can read it, but you won't let me?"

     "Because they're strangers and it's for you."

     I didn't really think I would get the scholarship. It was the first scene I ever wrote for Flight (and one of the only scenes I know will be in the final story), an action sequence with Benjamin and the main character, Phoenix. 

     Somebody liked it. Or maybe they thought I needed to come to the conference and get help. Either way, I got a partial scholarship! If you have ever seen the movie Little Women, you have a good picture of how I pranced around the house ("Five whole dollars! I'm an AUTHOR!"). 

     When I showed the scholarship to my sister, I said, "Look! They paid me for Flight! I told you it was a story worth waiting for!"

     She rolled her eyes. "It would still be better if you let me read it."

     At the conference, I brought the same piece to Teen Track for critiquing. They were extremely helpful and said they liked it.

     I probably shouldn't have told my sister that the Teen Track saw it, but I was so encouraged by their responses. She was even more than less than unhappy ("Savvy?") that some people know a lot more about Flight than she does. 

     Today, my sister asked, "So, wait, is Phoenix a phoenix?"

     "I cannot divulge that information," I said. 

     "Do the Teen Trackers know what kind of bird Phoenix is?" 

     "Uhm... yeeeeees?"

     She slapped me. Apparently, secrets do not make friends. This story better be worth it. 

     Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

     By the way, my sister and I still have a good relationship despite her annoyance with Flight. In fact, she just did make-up testing on my face.
     "Why are you putting primer on my eyelids? I'm not a wall!"
     "No, but you are a canvas. Close your eyes."

A Beginning, A Muddle, And An End

Hey'a, fair peoples of the internet! I am here bearing tidings and stories!

I have come to embrace the cycle that I talked about in the previous post: Writing, then realizing that I don't know where I'm going. Plotting, then realizing that I don't know what the characters would naturally do. Character Developping, then figuring out enough to start writing again. I figure that I will eventually finish as long as I continue working on it. 

Right now, I am writing the begining (yes, again, shut up). I happen to have three seperate documents in the folder titled "Possible Start", "Possible Middle", and "The End." The first is a couple hundred words, the second is completely blank, and the third has a short list of things that must be accomplished in the story by the end of the book. These are not the only Flight docs (*weary snicker*), but they give a good idea of how the basic story stands in my head right now. It's a muddle in the middle and the ending is far away. 

Speaking of middle muddles, my copy of AVI's A Beginning, a Muddle, and an End was horribly murdered by mold. Such a tragedy has never befallen my library before. I guess that's what happens when you live in the south. Thankfully, abebooks.com came to my rescue again by providing a cheep replacement. 

I've been enjoying J. R. R. Tolkien these past few weeks. I'm reading Carpenter's biography and falling in love with Toller's imagination in a new way. Alongside, I'm reading the new Beowulf by Tolkien. The commentary is a challenge, of course, but it's worth the struggle. I'm learning so much about Tollers, Middle Earth, and even history itself between these two books. 

As time goes on, I get a profound sense of loneliness in my writing. Obviously, writing is usually a work for one. That's not what I mean. The feeling partly comes from reading about the Inklings. I want to be part of a like-minded group, belong to a place where the limits of my knowledge will be pushed, be striving for holiness in story with others. 

So I will be going to the writer's conference. I'm going to learn much about my craft and meet many professionals in my field of study. But I'm praying for an extra blessing. Maybe I will find a group to meet with. Or maybe I'll just find a friend. Maybe God will say, "Not for you. Not now."

Well, I can only be faithful.

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

Still Here

     I don't know about you, but I am still here.

This is how Mr. Smiley protests my long absences.

     A lot has been going on in my life. I went to Haiti for a week. Then I went to Massachusetts for a week. Then I did an intense childcare program for a week.

     I have been working on Flight, though not as much as I should. I have gone back to working out the plot. I think I will write faster if I know where I'm going, what the next step is supposed to be.

     Not gonna lie; I feel like I keep going in circles. I'm getting frustrated because I JUST WANT TO GET THIS FIRKIN-MOOSE STORY ON PAPER! But then I realize that I don't really know exactly what the story looks like. And then I come and vent to you.

     And speaking of circles, I still haven't decided if I'm going to the writer's conference. It's about $1,000 to go, and I'm naturally a Scrooge at spending money on things for myself (except when it comes to books -- I spend stupid money on books). This is assuming, of course, that I don't win the scholarship. Because, seriously, I probably won't win. I might not even enter, because you have to submit 1,000 words (if only words were dollars!) of your current project. Flight doesn't have a set of comprehensible words that long yet!

     Sheesh, I can't even believe how good I am at this being-a-writer thing.

     Ok, sarcasm aside, here are a couple good points:

• Now that life has slowed down a little, I am getting back on a routine of working on Flight. If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate prayer for creativity in nailing this plot down. Also, to help me in this department, I am currently reading The Plot Thickens by Noah Lukeman (though I have only gotten to the character development parts. Which I have already done. But it is making consider going back and doing it again... NO! I WILL PRESS FORWARD! < I don't know why, but I heard a German accent there, did you?).
  
• I have until the end of December to get my submission for the writer's conference scholarship in. Even so, I feel that I am very close to just throwing the money at them and going. It would be fun and $1,000 isn't going to look like much over the course of my life. Plus, it's on the Game Plan.
  
• Chocolate oranges are back for the season. 

Ok, I gotta quit procrastinating and go work on Flight.


Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Game Plan Report Card

• Writers Conference -
       I got in contact with two writer friends who have been to several conferences (respectfully, Johnnie Alexander, who gave me Jeff Gerke's wonderful book years ago, and my cousin Heidi Chiavaroli). They were both extremely helpful and more than willing to give tips. Much to my relief, they also gave the same basic advice: start at a small local conference, then go to the larger national conferences. There is a good conference near me next year, so I will save my pennies.
• Learning the Craft -
       Thus far, my research has revealed that there are no creative writing classes at the college closest to my home, though I could take English or journalism. There is another college not far from my house that offers a creative writing class. However, the semester has already started. In light of this mess, I am currently doing what all former homeschoolers like me do very well: self-education. I am reading several blogs and books on the subject of creative writing. My goal is to compare different styles. There are TONS of materials out there. I've found books everywhere: the Amazon Kindle store, my local library, Abebooks.com, and even an old textbook of a Hermione-approved thickness at Goodwill. I think I will be busy for a while, at least until I decide to take classes or not.
• Writing Flight -
       Currently working out the details of the climax and the beginning. Since these are related, it shouldn't take too long. Stay tuned.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Climactic Confession

     Benjamin came clean.

     To translate for all those who are unlearned in Writerese, this means that I spent a lot of time thinking about Benjamin's backstory last night and came up with good ideas.

     Praise. The. Lord. I think I finally have my climax. I'm almost afraid to say that, in case it turns out to be a dud. But, for now, I am giving thanks to the Creator of creativity for answering my plea.

     By the way, I was right. Benjamin is ashamed of his secret. Tsk-tsk. That one is gonna come back to bite him.

     And I wonder why my characters don't trust me.

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

What's Happening and What's Not

     So, the game plan is doing well. I'd be a liar if I said that I've been keeping to the code perfectly. I was about 15 minutes late to the drawing board tonight because I was captured by a warden and a wolf king. But reading is good... right? (This is where you say, "No, not write. Sometimes write, but only to get your imagination kicking, not distract you! Too much read is not write." I blame the sock man.)

     It's really incredible how far I will go to not actually write. I catch myself wandering all over the internet and the refrigerator, losing my train of thought again and again. Imagination and creativity are difficult to catch sometimes.

     I wrote a bit of the story tonight: 140ish words. Most of my time lately has been spent in working out the plot. I have a crude idea of where I'm going, but that's it. I know the beginning (sorta) and the middle fo sho (well, pretty sho), but the end is definitely missing this important thing called "a climax."

     This is mostly Benjamin's fault. Let me introduce you to Benjamin. He has an imposing physique. His voice is deep as a drum, but gentle in tone. He was in love once, but he never married her. And he is apparently hiding a secret.

     Let me state, once again, that I love secrets. Especially in a story. But Benjamin's secret is driving me crazy. This character is tight-lipped. I know that once I figure it out, I will have an important piece of my climax. The threads are just so tangled! (I really do need to stay away from Google and the kitchen.)

     I tried conducting an "interview" with Benjamin the other night. We did not get very deep. Then I tried getting the backstory from his crush, but she was a brick wall. Tonight, I just straight up asked him, "Why won't you tell me your secret?" There was an awkward silence (and not just because Benjamin isn't real). He tried defending himself, but I had already caught it. Shame. He's ashamed of his secret. Why? I dunno yet. But I will find out. Ya'hear me, Benjamin? You better fess up, cuz I need to get this story written!

Yes. Yes, I had coffee. 

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

.

The Dreaded (But Necessary) Game Plan

     Well, I’m back. And what an adventurous summer I’ve had! For the last couple of months, I have been (yet again) serving at Word of Life. It was amazing. I was able to watch God work in lives in a way I never saw before. The people I served with were incredible men and women dedicated to making the name of Jesus famous. We survived and thrived through many tales worth retelling, though this blog is not the place to relate them. For me, it was a tremendous blessing to be at WOL this summer.

     Now that I am back home, I am working on the next steps in my journey. I have created a game plan to help, which I will now share with you (you being my loyal… loyalists… who keep me accountable and will hopefully and loyally smack me if I stray very far from my plan).

ST’s Not-Very-Complicated-But-Effective Game Plan For Writing and Publishing:

1. Go to a writer’s conference (or two or three). I’m in the process of researching this out. What I am mostly finding is that it costs a bucketful of cha-ching to attend any conference. I haven’t robbed a bank lately, so it might take a bit to save up enough to go. I am also looking for any tips on which conferences are the best, so if you’ve been to one, let me know.

2. Learn the writing craft. I know a LOT about writing, but learning more is always good. This step may be a process of just researching the interwebs, or I may take some classes. Don’t know just yet, but I am moving in this direction.

3. WRITE! Flight is still my current goal. I have developed a schedule to force myself to sit down and work on it. Basically, on every available night from about 9 to midnight, I will be the Princess of the blank page. I’ll go to bed at the stroke of midnight. I tested this plan last week and it seems to work well. I’m a  night owl, so my brain works creatively in those hours. The trick will be finding available nights, but my life is fluid enough to  this out.

     There it is, folks! That’s the plan. I will keep you updated as it continues to unfurl. 

     If you are a writer, what kind of plan do you have in place to help you get your project done?

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST

Oh, P.S. I will very soon be posting the Doctor Who article I mentioned previously. I'm so excited about it. I hope you love it. The title is "The Weeping War: In Defense of a Doctor Who Adversary." Don't blink and miss it! ;)

Took a Sick Week

     I have been sick for almost a week. I think it was allergies, but since it lasted so long, I'm not sure. I absolutely hate being sick. Makes me feel so... unaccomplished. I missed meeting my favorite comic book artist on Free Comic Book Day. I used up a mountain of Puffs. I got my fill of Doctor Who episodes. I was supposed to be starting a two-week weight loss regiment, but I couldn't exercise. Most annoying of all, I have not written one word of Flight since my last post. I'm scared to check the post date. I suppose I could have written some this week, but I kept thinking, "I'll be better tomorrow." Then tomorrow would come and I'd be worse.

      Ugh. I really hate being sick. I am seriously so thankful for God's healing. Now, back to the black-and-white.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

    

Birds of a Feather

     600 words on Flight today. I wish I could write more, but I'm working out the plot as I go. I have the middle of the story down pretty well, but the beginning is fuzzy and the end is totally wrapped in fog. That's bad, I know. I keep praying for creativity and reminding myself that Flight is supposed to be a fairly short book. Nanowrimo calls for 1,500 words a day, but I'm not trying to finish in one month. I have time. 600 words are MUCH better than nothing.

     My best friend called me last night. I told her I had been trying to write, but would gladly procrastinate to chat with her. I think she said, "Oh, you're writing your bird book, hu?"

     Dear bff, let me assure you that, despite any appearances, Flight is not a book about birds. But, seeing as how it is a story for you, I can add a bird or two in there, if you really want. ;)

     I usually listen to Pandora while I write. I've gone through phases of film scores and Skillet, but now I'm on an Owl City stretch (once again, the fact that an owl is a bird has nothing to do with my book). I really like "Hello Seattle" and "Embers." Music is so inspiring, even helpful. "Say Something" came up on the station, and I realized it perfectly described an incident in one of my character's past. Ever had one of those moments, writer friends?

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

     I wrote just over 300 words today. The amount is not very exciting, but I am excited because those words make up the current start of Flight.

     If you've been paying attention, you may be wondering why I suddenly started writing the actual story instead of character developing short stories. Well, I'm still developing characters. There was one guy (you can call him John) that I needed to do major work on, but his short story rolled out nicely and helped me really see him. Now that John is done, I only have one more character with a murky backstory, so I'm still working on him. Remember, I've been hanging with these characters for over a year, so I think I have most of them down pretty well.

     By the way, if you're reading my posts, thank you so much! You are keeping me accountable, motivating me to get this story written so I can tell you about it. Maybe no one is there and I'm writing to myself, but I guess the push to write comes from the knowledge that, even if no one cares now, someday someone may be encouraged by my words.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

I'm Givin' All My Secrets Away... NEVER!

     If you check out my collection of favorite characters on my Pinterest board, you'll notice that most of them fall into one of two categories; they are either hilariously funny, or they have huge secrets. I've got Snape, the Scarlet Pimpernel, River Song, and several more. I love character secrets. I especially love discovering character secrets.

      So, naturally, I made Flight top-secret. It motivates me to write so I can share the story with everyone.

     Unfortunately, not everyone likes secrets. I'm beginning to realize that my sister and best friend may fall into this category.

     They are both complaining. After reading the part in my previous post that said, "I especially want to keep my sister and my best friend in the dark," my best friend declared (and I quote), "But the anticipation is such a burden!" My sister backed her up by saying that, "The book will be like blah and then we're gonna be like, 'Really? We waited for this?'"

     Yeah, secrets aren't really their thing.

     Now, to be fair, let me state that I do believe they are both just teasing me (to some extent). If someone were keeping a story from me, I'd say the same things. Probably.

     Anyway, they have been huge help to me in the past with book writing. They both provide great advice and ideas. I have nearly talked my sister's ear off many times, trying to verbally solve writer's block.I would probably get Flight done a lot faster and more efficiently if I included them in the details.

     But maybe that's another reason why Flight is top-secret. I want to prove to myself that I can do it on my own. Completely.

     Is that prideful? Probably prideful.

     I hope it's worth it. I hope they don't think the story is "blah." If they do... eh, I'm going to make like Scarlet O'Hara and "think about that tomorrow." I'm not nearly ready enough to spill my secrets today.

     Please excuse me while I go find more secretive characters for my Pinterest board.

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST

Cooking With Cadi

     I wrote about 270 words today (not counting a recipe I typed up for a friend). The 270 were on a character development short story. It was slow going, but helpful in discovering more about the character.

     Now, before you give me a pat on the back, I have to confess my treachery. I stayed up until 1:00 am a few nights ago and wrote almost 1,000 words... but not for Flight. It was a completely different and unrelated sliver of a story that I was suddenly feeling inspired to write a couple pages for. Sometimes inspiration is like taking care of a child; fun, but not always controlled.

     I admit to being a little conflicted; I want to get Flight written so people can read it, but I also want to do my best. Trouble is, my best takes time. I still have a year and a half. I pray for creativity and disciple for my inspiration.

     Since I can't share my 270 words with you (top-secret, remember?), here is a copy of the other words I typed today. This is a yummy recipe and healthy to boot!

Broccoli with Garlic
Original Recipe by Greg Tingstrom, tweaked by the Murphy Family

2 lbs. broccoli florets

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbs. coconut oil (original recipe called for olive oil, but we use coconut)

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. water

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I sometimes put a little less. It just depends on how hot you like the flavor.)

Cook broccoli until barely tender. (We steam a bag of frozen florets, but the original recipe called for fresh broccoli, cut and steamed.)

Place oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, just until the garlic starts to soften. Add water, salt, and cayenne. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Place broccoli in a large serving bowl. Pour garlic mixture over it, mixing gently to coat. Serve hot or cold (we've never actually had it cold, so I don't know if what the original recipe says is really yummy).

Keep all vampires clear of the area, because that garlic is strong! Enjoy!  :)

Post Tenebras Lux!

-ST 

What the Hattedsmileyball am I Doing?!

     Flight. I am doing Flight.

     And a million other things, of course. 

     Those other things include StoryShoutOut, childcare, hospitality, reading, counseling, studying, sleeping, exercising, teaching, cooking, procrastination, preparation, relaxation, worshiping, worrying…. Sorry, whew, I ran out of breath!

     However, as far as this writer’s journey goes, Flight is the current focus of my pen.

     Flight is the working title/code name of my new manuscript. I started working on it this past year (and last Nanowrimo). My previous book, the one I was working on when I began this blog, has taken a backburner. (This is because the characters are stubborn and refuse to give me a coherent plotline. I think they are upset with me because I dragged them through Nanowrimo 2012).

    Flight is top secret. Whereas I have previously shared my drafts and ideas with close friends and family, Flight’s plot is going to be completely confined to my mind until its’ completion. I especially want to keep my sister and my best friend in the dark until then. They usually have huge influence in the stories I write, but I want Flight to be a special glimpse inside my imagination for them.




     What I can tell you about Flight right now is:

• The genre will be Science Fiction.
• The story will  not be very long; one or two short books at the most. 
• I really want to have the story done before I turn 24, so I have about a year and a half. That might seem like a long time, but if you take another look at the “million things” list above, you’ll understand better.
• Most of the research phase is done. Right now, I am working on character development. That mainly looks like short stories focused on each individual character, showcasing their past and present lives. I will be updating this blog as the work continues. 

   
     And so the Road goes ever on!

Post Tenebras Lux!
-ST