So my reasons for not updating? Well I'm not entirely comfortable discussing them on the net, but put simply, I was faced with a dilemma that robbed me of whatever motivation there was for writing. But I think I'm getting over it. I'm working on the chapter again (and toying around with an idea that could cause general geekery among you all.) But since I'm SO overdue, here's my chapter preview. This part is pretty much guaranteed to be left in the posted draft, but I actually deleted a large portion today to purse a better path.
I curled in the sheets of a massive bed that wasn't mine. I heard patters on the window. Fat drops of water abused the panes with such gusto that my eye creaked open. I heard people laugh outside. At first it was hard for my sleepy-head to grasp why, but then it became clear.
I sat up and tried to blink the sleep from my eyes.
It was raining at Gamath.
I kicked the sheets away and placed my bare feet on the wooden floor, my face turned long with wonder at the sight of the bespeckled glass--the view through which revealed to me indefinite forms that danced and shifted. I stood, my legs only somewhat affected by my fleeting sleepiness. I swayed a little as I crossed the room, and the partial light lanced my sensitive eyes. Forced to squint, I tried to shield my face with a hand, and it was through parted fingers that I saw a phantom drift toward the window.
They wore only a soaked white nightgown and their auburn hair was left to hang in wet locks about their angular face. Even through the changing mosaic of rain, I could make out wide cerulean eyes that didn't blink or falter in their stare.
"Elmiryn." I called, hoping she heard me through the glass.
She reached a hand up and placed it on the window. Her lips moved and I could hear her voice through the rain, but didn't catch what she said. I shook my head and stepped closer, where I leaned on the window sill for support. My breath fogged the glass. "What did you say?"
The woman laughed and shook her head. She gestured for me to come outside and began to walk away.
I tapped on the glass and tried to call her back, but then decided I was being silly about it. Rain wouldn't kill me. I ran to get my shoes and was about to rush out the door when something occured to me.
Elmiryn was standing outside in nothing but her nightgown.
Wet from head to toe.
I was thinking I'd post the writing exercise I was doing the other day, just for kicks. You guys get to see Nyx tear me a new one. Yay! And I may post that Elmiryn drawing I was doing a while ago. No it isn't finished, but I said I'd post it...
Okay, that's all I have right now, really. Here's to hoping I can make it this week!
Bands I'm looking forward to? The Offspring, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cage the Elephant, Crystal Castles, and Metric. Apparently Does It Offend You, Yeah? isn't going to be participating, though they were initially included in the lineup. Plus, I'm not sure, but I guess Designer Drugs aren't playing live, which seems weird to me that they would even list them if that's the case.
Still, Saturday looks like it'll be a great day!
...And in case you were wondering, Eikasia Chapter 8.1 is at 960 words right now. I'll definitely have an update Friday!
So I guess I was thrown for more of a loop then I thought, and as is usually the case with me, my weekend was rather busy. I think part of the reason I dislike the chapter as it is right now is because it feels like its lacking some scenes, and it's also feeling like it needs a POV change. (I've been doing it from Elmiryn's POV the whole time)
Here's a portion of what I have so far:
Elmiryn's hands still tingled with the feeling of her companion's throat in her hands, the pulse against her thumb, the light sheen of sweat that had made her palms cool when the air kissed it. Involuntarily, she imagined how the throat would hum under her hand if the girl could speak without impediment. Maybe it was indeed possible to catch sound by hand? To possess that voice and keep it as a pet, when the nights got cold and the hours long...it was such an enticing idea. Once it was in her possession, she could use it when she didn't feel like being herself.
Then moral sensibilities, stunted, but still present, objected.
Nyx had carried her unconscious body more than a mile, and had remained at her side when she was comatose--what kind of repayment was strangulation?
But those memories...those precious, vivid memories. They were so real to Elmiryn, moreso than the world she drifted through now. In them, she had felt connection; in them, she had a voice that carried sincerity.
At seeing that these things were no longer hers to have, she had hollered for wine and drank half-a-bottle's worth with little pause. Then she vomited it all up, because she thought the wine was blood. She had tried to stand, and lost her balance. Nyx tried to keep her in bed but Elmiryn became agitated, wild-eyed, and asked why the covers were so dangerously heavy.
That first day, she refused to lay in the bed. Instead, she sat in the corner on the floor and alternated between drinking rum and water. Food was repulsive to her. She thought the steak they gave her had pulsed in her mouth, and the rice felt like ants on her tongue.
I apologize guys. Like I said, I just got really thrown for a loop.
...I'd just like to clarify (for those who follow my twitter account) that the past two days have been weighed down with economic troubles, family feuds, emotional breakdowns, medical bad news, and the looming fear that I may get sued or fired from my new job over a stupid misunderstanding.
There. :)
Update will be up before Monday! (I mean, why let some bad luck ruin a good thing?)
So hopefully some of you are still sticking around. If not, I'd understand--a site that doesn't update just doesn't seem worth bothering with. But I'd like to let you all know that I'm making efforts to resume work editing. I'm also going to make an effort to resume the story. Probably more effort for the latter considering the amount of time that has passed.
Gosh, so what the heck have I been up to!? To be honest, not much...job hunting, like so many in America. Making plans for community college. Making books and journals from scratch. Perhaps spending more creative energy than I should into LARPing (live-action-roleplaying). I've also been healthily distracted by movies, games, books, boys and the silly messes they bring with them...
BUT! (and this is one hell of a 'but', my friends) I've been making gradual progress over the last month in getting the next installment done. It's sad that this couldn't have atleast happened BETWEEN adventures instead of near the tail-end of one. Though I think I made some progress in my editing, and perhaps even improved my understanding of Nyx and Elle.
Now I'm not just blowing smoke up your asses. Really, just see for yourself:
I was the defiler, there. The clumsy heathen whose ragged breath and befuddled feet made a mess of things. All around me was dead. I was a perversity whose future was mirrored in the gray stunted world. My trail was marked by the clouds of ash that came up into the air. These little clouds drifted a yard or two as swirls of currents that traced pale lines through the air, before they blanketed the corpses of animals. Milky eyes glared at me accusingly as I made my way.
Blood stained me. The quilted weave of my gambeson was tainted, the rips that marred it like wounds themselves. I could even feel a breeze in my left boot. The sole had begun to separate at the tip.
My muscles loathed me, and quivered beneath the strains of my commands, as if they had to remember that I was their master. When exhaustion sought to overcome me, I would kneel in the desolation and try to catch my breath. My eyes tunneled, and sweat dripped from the dip of my nose. In my arms, Elmiryn's lanky body barely seemed to fit into my grip. Her head was cradled against my bosom, eyes shut and her breath faint. Her eyes were red and raw, and her skin a terrible pale complexion. If I stared at her long enough, I thought I could make out her eye sockets shifting...but then it occured to me that it could just be a trick of my eyes.
All the while, in my head, things that were not mine prodded me. I saw battles, recalled feelings, felt sensations that were not mine--not even my counterpart's. Some of these things, these memories, were Elmiryn's, I knew...but I made an effort not to pay it any mind. It threatened me, revulted me. My head seemed barely capable handling two personas, how could I stand the memories of others, however feeble?
Every time I felt myself too enthralled with a particular thought, every time I felt myself come too close to empathizing with a memory, I moved. Forced myself forward in sloppy standard, like a drunkard startled out of his settlement. It worked, to some degree. I didn't drown in what wasn't mine. But still, things slipped through, and I kept returning to nagging details...
I'm going to put a big phat general disclaimer on that one. It's subject to change and edits, as always.
One thing that helped me get my groove back was an awesome music playlist...which I worked tirelessly to perfect over the course of four days. Some of the songs I chose on the basis of mood, subject matter, and style. Clearly, some of those songs seem out of place (Nirvana, what?) but some of them reminded me of things completely relevant. I avoided songs that just sounded cool or catchy. I had other playlists for that. This one was put together with a goal. There's an art to getting the chemistry of music just right. For the curious birdies, here's my playlist, in order--plus three songs from the list to hear:
1."The Creep Out" by The Dandy Warhols 2."Love is an Unfamilar Name" by The Duke Spirit 3."Joker & The Thief" by Wolfmother 4."The Devil In The Kitchen" by Ashley MacIsaac 5. "Psycho" by Puddle of Mudd 6."So I need some fine wine, and you, you need to be nicer" by The Cardigans 7."Strange And Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You)" by Aqualung 8."First Love" by Adele 9."The Cave" by Jorane 10."La princesa Dolça de Provença" by Trobar de Morte 11."Wake the Dead" by A Perfect Circle 12."Natural Blues" byMoby 13."Face in a Cloud" by Audio Bullys 14."Bottom Of The Lake" by The Builders And The Butchers 15."All Apologies" by Nirvana 16."The Hollow" by A Perfect Circle 17."Here Come the Bastards" by Primus 18."The Rage" by Judas Priest 19."The Trooper" by Iron Maiden 20."Jack Of Diamonds" by Sonic Syndicate 21. "War?" by System Of A Down 22."I Disappear (Metallica Goth Remix)" by Public 23. "Wildcat" by Ratatat 24."May Day" by Unkle (featuring The Duke Spirit) 25. "My Own Dirge" by Sxip Shirey
"The Cave" by Jorane
This one made me think a lot about Nyx and an important moment in her past...which you'll all be familiar with soon enough.
"The Trooper" by Iron Maiden
This one makes me think alot of Elmiryn and the battles she's experienced...but it also made me think of the time Nyx snuck to a battlefield when she was young and saw the dead and dying.
"So I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer" by The Cardigans
Elmiryn's drinking habits. Easy.
Okay, that's all the chatter I've got left in me. With luck, I'll get this chapter up before another month goes by. (no, really, I'm trying for this Friday.) Till next time, remember to check twitter and the RSS feed for updates!
EDIT: Wow, I sound like a grade schooler giving automatic answers..."This story made me think of the, uh, stuff that was...y'know, important." It's almost midnight, I'm allowed some ineloquence, darnit! Oh, but I meant to pip in that the embed players are being a little weird, so if they aren't working for you, just try reloading the page...or going here, where coincidentally I have two more songs to listen to-- http://soundcloud.com/cajeck
As unadmirable as it may sound, I just nearly broke my $1700 laptop in a sudden fit of rage that had me slamming my fist into the walls and screaming all seven deadly words irascibly. I had to take a cold shower to calm down. Now I just feel dejected.
You see, I just lost about an hour-and-a-half's worth of writing to an accidental keystroke that took me away from the Blogger post editor. The real issue wasn't even that. It was that the auto-save feature, for whatever reason, failed to do its job. So the two new scenes, the new dialogue, and the grammatical and editorial changes for Chapter 2.3 have all been lost.
Frustration, as many writers will say, is understandable in this situation. "What you really need to do," they'll tell you, "Is think about it in a positive light. You can rewrite whatever you did, and perhaps even better." I've had this happen to me before, so I know this. I've lost more work to silly screw-ups like this in the past.
It still sucks though.
Anyway, I apologize that this is all taking so long. I forgot how long it can take to put edits into effect, even with notes in hand. I guess part of the reason I'm so determined to get this done first is so that I can create a stronger base to build off of when I move to finish "Tributaries". Generally, writers wait till a work is finished before editing the whole thing, but I think it'll be better if I do things this way. My issue is that, despite having an outline and notes and all that nonsense, I still tend to write solely with the last chapter in mind.
Now this may not sound bad, but just imagine it like building a jenga tower. Each level has a piece missing, and you place pieces with consideration to those gaps. But as you build, you only take into account the level you are building off of. So as you go further up, the tower starts to tilt more and more to the side, until it falls over. I really was feeling like the paths of Nyx and Elmiryn's character were beginning to stray a little from how I introduced them and how I intended them to be. The same went for their adventure.
Bottom line: I felt like I was losing perspective, so I wanted to regain that before I went on toward the finale.
To me this is extremely important. So important that I'm willing to put the story on hiatus for a while. I'm tempted to do fillers and/or side stories in the meantime. Maybe post up excerpts from the book Tobias gave Nyx, or do abstract 'backstage' skits with the characters in the story. I'm not really sure. These won't be posted on a regular schedule and they likely won't be long pieces. If I can get the help, I might ask a guest writer to share their work on the site.
So will there be an update Friday? Probably not. Maybe a filler, but it'll be posted on THIS blog, under the appropriate category.
I'm feeling a bit better. Writing this post was a little cathartic. I'll stop now, as I have to go get ready for a lunch meeting, but know that I'll resume work (maybe not today) and the story will continue.
Till the next update, hope everyone takes care. I'll leave you all with a colored pencil drawing I did while I was in Panama. My only wish was that I didn't do it on lined paper.
So Eikasia - Chapter 6.2 is now live. I hope you guys like it. From this point on, adventures will be grouped into parts. Part 1 is called, "Tributaries." There's an installment or two before it's completely through, but I'm going to take this opportunity to get something important done.
What follows next is heavy, heavy, HEAVY editing. It's long overdue, and I need to weed out those bad moments of characterization, the typos and grammatical errors, the fluff and the emaciated portions. Simultaneously, I'll be doing outlining and notes for the next adventure, "Hawks, Cats, and Dogs," which I'm thinking will span atleast ten chapters. There's going to be some new characters, and some light will be shed on who Tobias is. Plus we'll be seeing a bit more of that "romance" I claimed Eikasia had. I'm hoping good planning will eliminate the need for much backtracking, but you never know. Outlines are nice, but so far I've found the temptation to deviate is powerful indeed.
Hey there folks. Just pipping in to let you know I'm still at it. I'm hoping some of you have read my post on shapechanging which I posted only a few days ago. I'm also here to bring you a chapter preview, as I doubt my ability to finish by tonight. Today was a busy day for me--in a nice way mind you, but still busy. I won't bother with much excuses for being unable to update early Friday. My addiction to Team Fortress 2 seems to have come back full swing, and I still have yet to even touch some of the other new computer games I recently bought so...well, I'm just a geeky mess. Ha, ha.
Anyhoo, here's your chapter preview. If you're wondering about the above song's purpose, know that I've imagined the next installment's events, scene by scene, insync with that song. ...I have an overactive imagination.
Elmiryn worked the Earth with blistered hands--like she was certain her ancestors did before they took to tools of a different kind. She knew the sun. She felt it like wings seared onto her back. Nevermind that she worked in the nude. The breeze felt nice on her flushed skin. A cool comfort in her tiring search...
...For turnips.
A curious impetus, but a dire one nevertheless. Dire why? Elmiryn couldn't remember. Maybe because they were the ones who first put the word 'impetus' into her brain. She had to ask them what it meant.
Her rake was fashioned from iron and oak wood. Splinters. Biting, aggravating. They bothered her. She paused her activitiy to try and fish one out from the fleshy bend of her left thumb. "Stings like a mother," she grumbled as she squinted at the tiny dark shaft she could see just beneath the layer of her skin. It scratched at her nerves. "Curs-ed lil' shit."
As usual, the above is subject to succumb to my editorial whims. Till next time, folks.
I'm working on a few sidebars for Eikasia that I think some might find interesting. I don't know when I'll post them, but hopefully I'll be done with them soon enough.
I plan on doing some heavy editing for Eikasia. Chapters 1.1 and 1.2 are all ready in their second drafts, but I'm still going to be doing another pass to try and eliminate the crappiness. Chapter 5.1 is probably the one I'm most eager to get to, because I feel the overall quality of it is low and I probably could've described the scenes in a better and more plausible way. But despite my eagerness to re-work it, I'm going to hold off until I can revise the earlier chapters--after all, I need a good base before I can hope to work at the top.
I did a review last week on Chris Tejeda's "Lifting of the Veil", which is a very interesting science fiction web serial that I think you folks should check out.
I've also started doing the next installment for Eikasia. However, if I'm actually productive this week, it may be tossed out in favor of something better.
Recently watched "The Mindscape of Alan Moore"...which really told me a lot about the man, and tore down my earlier belief that he was just an egotistical creep. In fact, a lot of the things I've thought about when writing, or dreaming, or while staring blithely at my ceiling at 2 in the morning, he echoed, in a fascinating and evocative narrative detailing his career and his beliefs on politics, science, sex, and religion. It was eerie. I won't say that everything that came out of his mouth was gold--but I was surprised at how much I did agree with him on things. I recommend it to anyone who has read any of his work, or who appreciates an alternative view on things, or who simply reads comic books. It really is worth a look.
Gonna sign off here...Some part of me wants to vent recent personal frustrations in this entry--they are "personal" but they've affected my work on Eikasia, so I guess it's partly relevant. But I'm not sure what good it will do but make me seem attention-seeking and like any other silly bitch under the esteemed banner of "Generation Y".
Ah well. This really isn't a personal blog anyways. Who the heck reads my non-personal stuff to begin with? (oh whoops, I'm fulfilling the stereotype again, ha ha)
Oh wow...this week was kinda hard for me. Not because anything in particular happened. Just...well, put simply, these have been the worst mood swings I've ever suffered in all my years of being a girl. I haven't felt like doing anything, I've been sick, and tired...and sore. And tired, and sick, and--it's like a vicious cycle. Yesterday I was quite literally sitting at the bottom of my shower, staring off into space and wishing I could just put life on pause, then later that day I was high as a kite and happy as hell for no real reason at all. I've tried taking vitamins, drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and watching funny stuff, but it was all moot. This morning I woke up and felt like someone died. I guess I had a bad dream. Feeling better now though, so I guess I'm in one of those highs.
And to think, I've only got menopause to worry about when I get older.
Anyways, enough blathering. Here's the chapter preview to prove that I've actually been doing something:
She told herself to scream, because she figured it would make her feel better. But where would that sound go, in this terrible place? What would that sound mean here? It hardly meant a thing to her, after all... She was dead. A ghost...right? So what did it mean when the sound of anguish curled out of her mouth like a desperate hand?
...Aw, who cares...
Elmiryn pushed herself upright, and her limbs shook with the effort. She came to an angle her spine disagreed with and fell back again, pain incising itself into her nerves. That dubious noise came to her lips once more, but rather than take flight, it clung there, shuddering, before it was lost in a sudden bark of laughter.
She had always wondered if Halvard, moral god, would see fit to cast her in some dank hell. Well...she got her answer. How could she have survived such a crash of water? It cast her into dark--shattered her completely beyond recognition, like glass, like a mirror...
Remember kiddies, it is subject to change, but you should all ready know that by now...
Hello folks. Did an early update this week. I felt that the writing I had done was enough to stand on its own, and would make the next installment longer if I didn't separate it. I still plan on doing an update this Friday, but its Thanksgiving week here in the US, and I don't know how much time I'll have to do writing. I'll figure something out, though.
Good news! I figured out how to get rid of those stupid green borders on Chapter 4.2. So now the chapter reads as I originally intended it. Turns out the issue wasn't with the coding in the post, but the actual site template I was using. I guess the CSS was overriding everything else. I'm not too familiar with CSS but it was simple enough to figure out how to change the one part I needed to.
What was going on with Italian directors and music? So far each of the ones I've seen use it in weird ways. I guess maybe I'm just not used to seeing music used in such a forthcoming manner, where its as much a part of the scene as the acting is. Nowadays it seems the only time music plays a huge role in a movie is if its a musical or has a montage. But the problem is that the music used in these films don't always pose a good presence in the scene its used with. In Cannibal Apocalypse for instance, Antonio Margheriti saw fit to have the opening sequence--a violent scene from the Vietnam war--accompanied by groovy funk. What the heck!?
The same happened in Dario Argento's "Opera". After a terrifying encounter with a crazed murderer, the lead woman decides to go running out into the streets (for whatever reason--god forbid we actually have the sense to call the cops and report a murder) and this death metal music comes on...while she's just walking down the street. The music is used for nothing else but THAT. ONE. PART. It was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. I mean...I get why Dario Argento is considered so influential in horror, but I personally don't think its because of his scripts or even the cinematography of his films. It's just that he's RIDICULOUS. Experimental. Wasn't afraid of campiness or over-the-top, not-quite-plausible gore. I don't know if the 80's was the height of Italian horror, but I'd really like to know if there are any Italian directors out there still doing what they want, reality and common sense be damned.
...And I still have to watch David Cronenberg's remake of "The Fly". It's just been sitting on my desk since I've got it on Netflix.
Did this today. Started another digital drawing as well, with both Nyx and Elmiryn. Hopefully I can manage something full scale like this.
Well today was...uncomfortable. It started at 2 AM when I woke up and found my tonsils were so swollen I could feel my breath whistlingpast them. They were so damn big, I kept swallowing reflexively, and every time it hurt worse than if a cheetah were to use them for speed bag practice. Somehow I got to sleep and woke up the same way later. Couldn't eat any more than yogurt for breakfast. Thankfully the swelling went down after I took some antibiotics and drank lots of water, but its evening and it is still difficult to talk.
It was REALLY odd then, feeling this way, and watching Apocalypse Now: Redux. I also managed to see Hardware (finally!) and I really enjoyed it. The last movie I saw on my list of surrealistic, dark films was Videodrome. I drove 40 minutes to get these (including Blackula, and Eddie Murphy's elusive 'Delirious' special). Hollywood Video and Blockbuster both bite sagging nuts because they don't carry a wide enough selection of movies. Netflix--though they offer more--still didn't seem to have either Apocalypse Now or Hardware for some reason. I enjoy these wacked out, stylistic forays into the human imagination. The bonus was that it's given me a few ideas for Chapter 4.2...which will be interesting.
Prepare for heavy linkage!
Apocalypse Now: Redux, originally premiered in 2001, was just an extended version of the original film, which came out in 1979. Though I've never seen the original, I really enjoyed this version a lot. There were a lot of powerful images, and I felt the acting was pretty spot on. The only part about it I'd have to say I didn't like was the plantation scene, which dragged on and on--I literally fast-forwarded through it. Aside from that, it was all just great. Marlin Brando does an amazing job as the disturbed Kurt, and seeing the final scene with him and Martin Sheen was pretty excellent. I'm not a history buff, but the Vietnam War has always fascinated me. Seeing this movie made me want to watch Full Metal Jacket again...then maybe Rescue Dawn. (and just because the last film would have Bale in it, I'd probably run to find American Psycho...which is such a deliciously demented movie)
After that I watched Hardware, which I mentioned on the blog a little while ago. It seemed to parade around its soundtrack a little bit here and there, but for the most part I understand that it was a film mired in alternative culture, and I think the music really lended to the post-apocalyptic setting. I somehow missed ever hearing about Iggy Pop doing a voice cameo, so it was a surprise to see his name come up in the credits. Given the film's budget, Richard Stanley and Steven Chivers did an EXCELLENT job with direction and cinematography. You can see the financial restraints whenever the killer robot, M.A.R.K. 13 is onscreen, but the sonuvabitch is actually pretty creepy in my opinion. The use of color and lighting sucked me in pretty well, so this easily joins my list of cult favorites (right next to Repo Man and The Warriors.)
The last movie I watched today was Videodrome, from good ol' David Cronenberg. It's your basic "body horror"--a kind of niche genre of story and film that deals with severe abnormalities with the body (mutation, parasitism, general gore.) I was glad to see it wasn't as contrived as Scanners, another one of Cronenberg's films, but the man does seem to have a penchant for stories with opposing forces...not so much one character versus another, but one faction versus another. Like in politics, religion...or comic books. Even in his recent film, Eastern Promises, that still seemed quite apparent...but I can't really hate the guy for it. It's pretty common in stories.
Anyways...the film I felt was pretty disturbing in places (which not many horror movies manage to achieve) but around the end it started to lose the creepy feel and gained more of a forced 'epic' feel. The whole 'snuff video making people go insane' was pretty good (just seeing little clips of it made me nervous), but they lost me at the sudden conspiracy theory BS. The special effects, again, were VERY good, making me miss the days when movies didn't leave it all up to computers to make things look cool. I think my favorite scene was when the main character tries to stick his head into his television set...
So hopefully I can come up with some interesting stuff to write for this coming chapter, considering the bizarre things I've seen today. Tack on the fact that I've been feeling exactly as Nyx and Elmiryn have in the story, and the only way I could fail to do a satisfactory update is to put my pants on my head and light it on fire...
I set a goal for 3000 words under 2 hours. I met it! Granted, maybe something more restrictive would have been more impressive. At any rate, my NaNo has progressed! Huzzah!
And don't worry, I've been working on Chapter 4.1 for Eikasia gradually. It's currently at 912 words.
Another chapter preview! More Nyx Nerdiness... (remember, this is subject to change, blah blah blah...)
Elmiryn thought, tapping the handle of the skinning knife on her chin. "Let's play a game."
I gave her a deadpan look. "While you're carving an animal corpse?"
"You tell me about yourself. Using single words."
"...Pardon?"
"Five syllable words," Elmiryn added with a grin. Her angular face seemed a little flushed and for a brief moment I wondered if she were drunk again.
"Elmiryn I can't--"
"Of course you can. I bet you can come up with a word for how you're feeling right now."
"Yeah. Exasperation!"
"See?"
"I really don't think it'll work."
Elmiryn looked at me. Then shrugged. "Okay. If you say so." That was when she filleted the deer from the gut to the chin.
The beast in me snarled at the sight of red life spilling onto the dirt, the tumble of dark purplish organs, the gleam of the exposed rib cage. The smell that hit me literally made me reel. I spun back around, horrified. "Disquietude! Feelings of anxiety that cause one to become tense!!" Even I could note the lower pitch of my voice, the growl that tinged my words.
"That's four syllables." Elmiryn said calmly. I couldn't see her expression, but I could imagine her smiling. Why did she find these things funny?
"Fine! Pestiferousness; something akin to evil or general annoyance."
If you guys have checked my twitter updates on the main site, you'll know that the next update won't be up till sometime Sunday. I apologize for this and really DO dislike going against my schedule, but sometimes that happens in life, and after this rather eventful week I really have no reason to stop and regret it at all.
I was feeling pretty unmotivated with the next installment before I was hit with a random idea. It literally saved the sinking ship! It also helped to remember that I was writing Eikasia for myself as much as for others (though I truly do appreciate my readers)--It was just getting to the point that I was fretting so much about what people would make of my story that I couldn't even write it. But now I think I've gotten over that (for now, ha!) and the writer's block has magically vanished. I'd stay up to work on this more, but I have work tomorrow so I'm afraid I'll have to put it off till later.
Being an American citizen feels good now. In fact it feels amazing. My international readers will have to forgive me--sometimes I forget that anyone outside of my bubble of a universe bothers with anything I do. I've been feeling incredibly motivated lately--but not really for writing. The effort of creativity comes easier in spurts. I should probably ease off with the roleplaying on forums. It doesn't help that I signed up for NaNoWriMo too (hoo boy.) So as of this moment? There isn't much of the new chapter. I'm thinking lots of coffee and loud music for tonight.
The odd thing is that I actually DO wish to write. I KNOW what I want to write. But I just...can't. When I get going I either get tired, distracted, or find myself stunted by the need to fact check. I love writing I do. I just hate having to fact check.
I will write this next part, damn it. I can't promise it'll be by tomorrow morning, though. I'm hesitant to say I'll even have something by tomorrow.
The next installment is proving to be quite long. 'Aftermath' portions are always a little easier to write. I'm wondering if I should just split the thing into two smaller updates. One for tonight or tomorrow, and one for late Thursday or early Friday? I like to stick to my schedule--it gives a good sense of rhythm--but I also hate to sit on so much when it's practically done.
I guess I'll keep thinking about it...
Here's another little concept sketch of Nyx. She's a thousand times easier to draw than Elmiryn. I CAN do something more ambitious than these, I just haven't find one drawing worth the effort of coloring yet. Cleaning up scans can be annoying. I should really use my tablet more, I think it is collecting dust....
I haven't worked much today on the new chapter, but I'm going to try and finish it tonight (if not then tomorrow morning.) I was feeling a little ill and depressed, so about all I managed today was to watch a bunch of stuff on my Netflix list and do some chores around the house here and there. I didn't have dance practice like I thought, so I took the time to do some quick drawings.
Here's one I did of Elmiryn with her hair down.
I did another drawing of her with her armor, but instead of drawing a bustier, I did a corset. Doh. I also couldn't figure out a reasonable way to draw the straps that keep her shoulder guards on. Debating on whether to post the image with the chapter or here. A silly thing to fuss about, maybe, but I want to keep the art featured in chapters to a certain standard.
I did indeed start writing the next installment. Here's a quick preview of it. Remember, it may be liable to some changes later:
"Nyx." She shook the girl's shoulder lightly. "Nyx. Wake up."
A groan. Nyx shifted so that her face turned into the pillow, away from Elmiryn. "Mmmrph."
Elmiryn rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "How is it that I'm awake before you are?"
"You're right." Nyx mumbled, turning her head enough to offer a sleepy glare. "You should correct this grievous mistake and get back into bed. You ought to be hung over worse than a opossum."
"What does a opossum have to do with it?"
"Go back to sleep and I'll tell you."
"You can't tell me if I go back to sleep."
"That's the idea."
Elmiryn's shoulders shook with laughter as she tried to keep quiet. The battling suns had barely colored the sky with their blood. The streets were still delicate in quiet. There was not a person stirring in the inn. Elmiryn shook Nyx's shoulder again. "Hey, c'mon. Get up. Seriously. I'm not beyond dragging you out of here."
Nyx whined and hid her head under the blanket. "You always come with the same threat."
"I didn't know I was being judged on creativity."
I might've even finished the chapter last night if I hadn't gotten distracted doing this video:
I've become some sort of Xena Warrior Princess geek. When the hell did THAT happen?
Oh, and just to let you all know, I also did some editing to recent chapters. Again, like the first chapter, I was just trying to make it more streamlined. Less "telling" more "showing"...yadda, yadda, yadda. Before anyone points it out, I'd just like to say that I realize there's been a mistake in the recent chapter. I think I mentioned Nyx and Elmiryn's room only having one bed, but when they finally go there I suddenly say there are two. I'll be correcting this, don't worry.
Started working on the new chapter. Sometimes I wish I had someone to critique my work and tell me if my characterizations and narrative choices make any flaming sense. Ah well...who isn't insecure about their work? It seems I'll have a disclaimer filled with excuses for just about every update I ever do, so I guess I'm doomed.
Here's a quick preview of the upcoming installment. Might be different when posted:
When she came outside of the inn, the air was cool and the sky had shifted to a glorious velvet. The merchants were long since packed and gone, only a small crowd of folk wandering here to there taking care of things before they were expected to retreat for the night. The warrior spotted Nyx across from the way, sitting on a basket with her head bowed down and something in her hands. She cantered towards her.
“Hullo there, my kitten in cutie's clothing. What is that you've got there?” Elmiryn chirped. She bent over and tilted her head to one side, her body swaying. “Is it because of what you are that you can read out here with so little light?” the woman asked.
Nyx sighed and stopped reading, her tawny eyes rolling up to glower at her companion.
Elmiryn pouted. “You're still mad at me.” she grumbled asininely.
“That's very astute of you, considering you're head's drowned in ale.” Nyx looked back at her book. “Step back, please. I've got a sensitive nose and you're making my eyes water.”
Elmiryn knelt down with a flop before the girl and blew wisps of hair away from her forehead. “My head isn't swimming just with ale, you know,” she said matter-of-factly. “It's also swimming with information.”
“Lovely. I can just imagine what that would look like.”
No, no ladies n' germs, I haven't forgotten the story. I just haven't had a proper chance to work on it. The written pages still aren't typed up, but more ideas keep popping into my head--unrealized sentences, touching images, and humurous jokes galore. If not tonight, then tomorrow I'll try and work on the next installment.
Working up plans for a possible project, yes in relation to my story, that will hopefully serve as a treat for you all as much as it would for me. I'm not going to say much more than that in case this falls through. The friend I'm working with is a very talented guy, and I think you folks should check out some of his other work: http://sakket.deviantart.com/ I'm totally psyched! ^_^
I'm an aspiring writer who wanted to have fun with a story and test just how well she could keep an original idea going. I like drawing and a bit of graphic design, and I also have an interest in making fan music videos. I'm a picky reader, a critical moviegoer, and a tactless lover. I write crappy poetry with no regard to method or style--and I've got a lukewarm interest in playing music. I am bisexual, and no, I'm not confused or stuck in a transitory stage between hetero to lesbo or vice versa. I'm an incurable geek and a hopeless idealist. I'm also a jack of all trades and an unintentional hypocrite with a great passion for things she believes in and an exasperating tendency towards general stupidity.
