Picture of the Day:

The Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg

Quote of the Day: 

"There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not."

- Francois de La Rouchefoucauld

Hello again, my dearest readers. I am updating again because I have somehow managed to find a bit of time in my hectic day, and simply felt the urge to put something to paper--or in this case, to computer. I stared at my pirate document for a time, but ultimately decided to visit here instead. I need to do much on my story, but I am afraid that I do not have time for such a long commitment at this very second. I do hope you understand and forgive me accordingly. Nonetheless, I have something for you.

I assume, reader, that you are aware that I am a large fan of J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. If you are not, then you are now. I model my writing in part after Tolkien's work, I am told. I am very descriptive and technical when it comes to scenes and settings. I have created a world (many, in fact) that only I can navigate wholly, but I enjoy my detailed tours. I find this a great complement. Anyway, that is not quite why I am here today.

C.S. Lewis is the famed author of many different things, including the renowned Chronicles of Narnia series. I am a fan of these as well--and have, I must confess, enjoyed the movie renditions of them. (Aside from Prince Caspian, I regret to say. The whole movie was a mess--the only redeeming factor was Ben Barnes' dashing good looks.) 

Well, The Dawn Treader movie was much better than Caspian, and I have contented myself to spend many nights watching it. I always stop it though before credits roll. I dislike the jarbled, hard to read text flying over the screen so fast that I doubt even people who have their names on there can find them or care to look. No, I take the DVD out, put it away and meander off to think about such grand adventures as the ones Lucy and Edmund have had, and wish that my life were as interesting. 

A couple days ago, though, I didn't get up to the DVD player in time. I finally saw part of the credits--and I heard Carrie Underwood's powerful voice begin to lift up in song at the end. I like Carrie Underwood, so I decided to let the song finish out and take a listen. What I heard was this: 

There's a Place For Us - Carrie Underwood

I was in tears by the end. It is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in quite a while. It has a message of hope without sounding forced or fake--and I appreciated that. It is absolutely lovely. I would like to, then, add this to the list of inspirational music that I have shared with you since this blog's inception, and I would also like to take the time to implore you to remember this little tune when you are feeling sad, downtrodden or forgotten. It's available on iTunes--put it on your iPod. 
I do not have too much to post about this time, but this song needed to be shared. I hope that all of my readers enjoy this song as much as I did, and that it speaks to you in your time of hardship as it did in mine. 
I will be back at a later date to give you something to read or something to learn about my book. But today, this is it. Please have a wonderful weekend; and remember--there is a place for us. 

Picture of the Day: 

The cutest cake topper I have ever seen, taken at my friend's beautiful wedding!

Quote of the Day: 

"Make a decision, even if it's wrong." 

-Jarvis Klem

Hello again. I am doing better about remembering to update this blog, though I am not entirely sure the content is satisfying. I am not able to say as much as I would like about what I am working on, and I am sure that the vague references to things are grating at best. Still, I would like to take this moment to thank you for staying on this journey with me. If you are reading this, I am sure you are one of two people. And if you are one of those two, know that I am entirely thankful for your support. 

Now. And update.

I have started chapter three, though I am not quite sure if I like how it just plunges in to what I want to happen. Still, in the spirit of the above quote, I am simply going to finish it out the way it is right now and then go back and edit to my heart's content when I have finished enough of my book to have made progress. I can, as I see it, always come back and add some extra chapters or things when I have a mind to do so--before I send it to a publisher to see if someone will take it. I don't like when books feel like they are moving too fast. While I have kept myself satiated with chapter one and two so far, three is beginning to feel like a speeding train. Not precisely what I had in mind. Oh, well. 

Something humorous that I ran across yesterday! Okay, so I have set this pirate novel in a world that I have created from the ground up. Most of the nations in this world are seafaring, though there are a few that are not. Anyway, for the design of each country in the world I have created, I have drawn from real-world places here. Veliar, for instance, is based off of England for style and people (though I have added my own flair and made them different enough to be original!). Well, for Bellumar (the neighboring nation of Veliar), I chose to model their designs after France. The point, therein being, that I needed to come up with differences between the two countries. Well, I decided that Bellumar's people are all darker skinned and have darker hair. Then I decided: What is the harm in saying they are smaller, too? Well, when I put that into action, it sounded like the entire country had growth issues!

Probably not as funny to you as it is to me. But hey, I laughed for a good while about it and then scratched the paragraph. (It could, I admit, have something to do with the fact I was writing at midnight and was terribly sleep deprived! But who's counting?) 

However, this is not the only story going through my head. It is the one I am working on--though, true to Kathryn fashion, another story has arisen and claimed itself a document on my computer, awaiting further attention. So, for a moment I would like to share the basis of my thought with this. Maybe someday when this pirate saga is finished I can look to this for the next work. Mainly, my idea revolves around magic and wizards (though, I am not sure wizards is the proper term? I don't want to sound too much like J.K. Rowling.), but with a twist. There are a lot of people that are "different" in the real world. People with issues that other people do not understand and do not take time to learn about. What if, in this wizarding world, children born with "disabilities", or more rightly differences, need to have their magic bound? 

My idea started out with this particular thought: what if a really rich, really powerful family of magical blood had a daughter who was autistic--and she was the strongest one out of them all? Then, I ran with it and made a few base characters. However, this idea followed: what if there was a deaf girl who had her powers bound when she was little because she was "different", but retained a gift that could not be bound--a gift of "Sight". Well, then I ran with that idea and wondered what would happen if the world needed her to save the world, while simultaneously proving that deaf people are not disabled? 

More thoughts on this may surface whilst I whittle away at Liam's story. I have been attempting to learn sign language with my sister (She is fantastic. I am....not.) and have been watching the T.V. show Switched at Birth--which is really good, as a side note. I am tired of pretty, perfect, wonderful heroines. I think this is the next character I will need to tell the story of. And hey, true to my form, she may even discover something about herself, about other people, and about magic. I am a fan of epiphanies. 

There you have it, folks! An update. Not too terribly boring, I hope. Keep checking back! A journey is never supposed to be easy, but one can only hope that the ending was worth it all!

Picture of the Day: 

A beautiful sunset in downtown Dunedin--a little bit of paradise.

Quote of the Day: 

"An artist is always alone--if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness."

-Henry Miller

Hello again! I have returned to this blog at an odd hour (I kid you not, it is 1:58 in the morning!) because I simply cannot sleep. It is not that I am not tired--no, dear reader, I am exhausted. Nonetheless, thoughts are barraging my mind and I cannot seem to find any glimmering hope of reprieve or rest. And, I must confess, that none of these thoughts are good, pleasant, or otherwise healthy. In fact, they are eating at me, like a carnivorous foe--and I cannot seem to escape. So, with the hopes of somehow freeing my mind from its ailment or distracting myself long enough to succumb to quiet slumber, I have come to speak on little things here and there and perchance give you another look at the latest noveling endeavors I am facing. 

ATTENTION: Below is some darker material. If you wish to skip over my bipolar depression issues and life situations, then feel free to skip down to where you see more bold, large print. I will not be offended--this blog is for writing, not personal blurbs. Nonetheless, this week, they are very much tied together.

Samwise, my dog and best freind, is sick once more. I must say that the little man spends more time in the vet than at home, and more time sick than healthy. I suppose that comes with the horrible birthright of being a spaniel. Nonetheless, my pocket is hurting for all the money I have spent taking him to the vet, and there is still no answer as to what is wrong with him. He has been vomiting for close to two weeks straight now, and the medicine the vet has given him has done nothing to help. Quite frankly, it has left me in a sour mood, and drained me of all will to write anything. My mind keeps sneaking back to the thought of having to put him down, and I know that I am just simply not ready or mentally able to handle such a devastating blow. He is my best friend, and the only being in the world that loves me day in and day out, bipolar depression aside. He is the only being that gets excited when I walk in through the front door and make eye contact with him. He is, I am certain, as close to a soul mate as I am ever going to find, and just knowing that he is ill (perhaps irreparably so) makes me extremely depressed. 

I cannot help but think he is just sick enough that the vet will suggest relieving him of his suffering. After all, he now has developed an intense repertoire of diseases he has--the least of which is epilepsy. It seems unfair that I should find the one thing that loves me, and would love me, until the day he dies, and he might just be too sick for me to keep. I have shed many tears over the matter--and it has yet to do me any bit of good. I try to keep reminding myself that things happen for a reason, but all I see is a life that is a mess, one that is doomed to be lonely, empty of achievement and ultimately pointless. 

I have considered going back and working some more on that piece that I started a while ago, the one that recounted what it feels like for me to wake up in the morning with this nasty disease. I am not sure what else I will be adding to it, though I must say that I need to get something cathartic going on soon before I completely go mad. I have noticed that my styles in music have changed ever so slightly, as have my preferences in past times and my beliefs. For instance, I have always been an avid music fan. My iPod is a saving grace, and carries a little piece of my soul, a little piece of Heaven and the comfort of a friend. Just yesterday I was thinking about it--yes, if I am alone in my room the earbuds are near glued to my ears. However, my number one song played went from this Rascal Flatts song:

Closely followed by this song by the amazing Josh Turner: 


To these two songs listed below. 
At number one, we have this: 
Never Too Late - Three Days Grace

At number two? 
Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin

Needless to say, something drastic is going on, and until just recently I did not notice. I have added songs to my iPod and daily music playlist that are more rock/alternative based than anything else. I have also added a song by Eminem and Rihanna called "Love the Way You Lie" to my constant stream of music--and that is a song about an abusive relationship. A song about an abusive relationship that Eminem ends with the line: "And if she ever f*****g tries to leave again, I am gonna tie her to the bed and set the house on fire." Yeah, quality stuff. 
I have taken to watching gory-er, darker things. I have taken to reading stories that are quite a bit questionable than any of my other reading material. I have written darker stuff, too. For instance, I have completely jotted down a rough draft for every sad/super bloody scene in my pirate novel already. It is what I have felt able to write, and it is what is giving me the most satisfaction. 
Now, I haven't started wearing all black, and I haven't started cutting--yet. Though, I shall admit that perhaps my mind contemplates the thoughts of suicide more often now than ever before. I cannot seem to understand or find a purpose for myself beyond the grim idea that I am simply an experiment; that God put me here, on this earth, as a bet. That Satan and the Lord have a bet running to see how long it will take me to just give up completely on everything and give over to the urge of taking those pills.
I am being careful. I am hardly speaking to people, for fear they begin to see how much I have changed. Though, I must admit it is hard to parade about like nothing has changed when I know a lot has. I have pretty much given up hope on things getting better; I have taken two brain maps and still nothing has turned around. Now, for those of you who do not know what a brain map is, it is a test where they hook a patient up to a brain-wave reader, ask you to do four different tasks, and then examine the pattern, size, frequency, etc, of your brain's wave activity to try and match you with a proper medication. 
Now, the first time I took it, the test came back saying I was a vegetable. No kidding, apparently two of my brain waves are the same pace as a person who is in a coma. So, they sent me back for testing--again. Both tests have recommended Welbutrin as my most compatible match for medication. This has greatly disheartened me, since I have tried Welbutrin before (I was on it for a year and a half or so!) and it did absolutely nothing. At all. 
So, as you can imagine, I have been greatly disheartened on that battlefront as well. If my depression never clears, I never have a hope of accomplishing anything I actually want to accomplish. It is a sad, frustrating feeling which has led me to think again about the short piece I posted for you to read some weeks ago. Maybe, then, you will be getting an update on that sometime soon. Perhaps a revision, or a story idea to go along with it. However, for now you will have to be satisfied with some other work I have done. 


IF YOU HAVE SKIPPED THE ABOVE, the coast is now clear. Read on merrily for an update with the pirate novel!
So I have promised a little update on the pirate novel, and specifically on the evolution of the idea of the greaterpus. I have settled on this idea, and have basically made a Kraken infinitely better. These animals--or monsters as some would say--are beautiful and hard to find. They are born small, no bigger than a normal octopus, though from the very beginning they are very different. They have nine arms instead of eight, and only come colored in the same shades as precious gemstones. So, while officially called marapna (meaning many armed in Old Norse!), many sailors call them "The Jewels of the Sea". 
They are smart, crafty and shy, making them a rare sighting and even rarer friend. They have some very special abilities too--and it makes them a valued prize for any seafarer or collector. However, there is only one pirate ship in existence that can boast a marapna crew member, and they would not trade her for anything.
Now, if allowed to fully mature in the wild, marapna can very well get to be the size of a kraken. However, if the marapna lives somewhere without much space, it will mature at a much smaller size. They are, in a sense, like turtles: they grow to their surroundings. 
Quite valuable, my marapna. And certainly a wonderful addition to Prince Liam's adventure--he shall not soon forget those creatures, mark my words! 
I am not sure I can say too much more about them (I must, I am afraid, be very wary of theft and the like!) so you shall have to let this satiate you for a while, reader. Perhaps I will be able to speak on them again some other day! I know that these marapna shall not disappoint. They are quite special to me, and I owe their creation to my lovely sister who sometimes has better ideas than me! 
Also, before I close out completely, I would like to put up a song that has made it to my "inspiration list"---do you remember me starting that so long ago? Reader, it has been too long since I have updated it and brought you something new to listen to. So, with that being said, I would like to put this up for your listening pleasure!!


Sail On - Masterplan
This particular song definitely makes me think of my pirate novel! It is strong, adventurous, and purposeful. I like it! I can almost imagine their adventures and battles with sea monsters listening to this! Do enjoy--perhaps soon I shall decide if I want to do character introductions for you to take a look at. Some things must stay secret, of course, and this is why I am debating the value of a half-done introduction to some characters. 
Either way, I shall see you again soon, reader. Happy writing. 

Picture of the Day: 

My puppy, Samwise, in Christmas wrapping paper. He was a good "present".

Quote of the Day: 

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

-C.S. Lewis.

Hello again, readers! I trust that all of you have enjoyed the final installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise. I also assume that some of you, like me, now feel a little bewildered. I cannot believe it is really over. Good thing I still have The Hobbit movie to live for--otherwise I would be in really poor shape! 

I have, I believe, finished chapter two! Yes, I can hear the fanfare now. I will soon begin working on chapter three--a chapter that I am currently debating. I would like to have it be the chapter where the messenger from Bellumar comes, though I am currently unsure as to how that affects my story pace. Mainly, I think that the story happens too quickly. I may write it as the third chapter anyway and if I decide that it is in fact moving too fast, simply add another chapter or two before it. Either way, I plan on  moving forward. 

This is good news, my readers! I shall not be discouraged. I can always edit later anyway--I just need to get the ideas out of my head and on to paper (or, in this case, my computer). To reward you for your patience, I would like to offer up a snippet of my book so far. 

My smile widened. “A magic sword?” I repeated.

“It’s impossible,” one of the other men interjected. “That’s what it is!”

Gill scoffed. “Impossible?” He shook his head. “There is magic out in the freelands, make no mistake!”

“He’s right you know. Witches, I hear!” Someone else offered. “Nasty brutes, they are. Lovely as can be, and then,” he snapped his sunburnt fingers in punctuation as he leaned forward, “next thing you know you’re under their spell.”

Some of the sailors laughed, but others nodded gravely. I had heard stories myself of the magic in the freelands. It was rampant, uncharted and dangerous. While some part of Veliar’s tapestry was weaved with threads of enchantment and magic, practice of those arts had faded away to mere stories in our history, and now her people feared those from the stories who could wield such great power.   

“Lovely?” One of the other men nearly shouted. “No, hideous. Hags! The problem is that once you are under their spell, you just don’t care anymore!” He leaned in toward the rest of us, propping his hands up on his knees, golden eyes shifting amongst us to make sure we were all paying close attention to his tale. “Then they eat you alive! Use your bones for spells, they do!”

“It ain’t the bones they want,” another sailor said. “It’s the blood.”

So there you have it! A small chunk of chapter two for you to enjoy. Soon I will be back to explain further particulars about the renamed "greaterpus" that I had earlier discussed. I do believe it shall be interesting at the very least; so if you care to know anything at all, do not hesitate in checking back. I am not as absent as my silence my lead you to believe.

Mischief managed, everyone. The end has come.

 

Picture of the Day: 

My sister and I ready for the Harry Potter: Half Blood Prince premier!

Quote of the Day: 

"History is a novel that has been lived, a novel is history that could have been." 

-Edmond & Jules de Goncourt

Hello, my dear readers! I have come back to see you sooner than I would have imagined, based on my latest trend. Basically, I felt the need to keep working away at stuff, and found the song of my blog a bit too hypnotizing to ignore. However, before I delve into that I would like to say a few things. One, that the picture above is not quite like my usual "Picture of the Day"s, but I feel it is nice to get in the mood for the upcoming release of the final installment of the Harry Potter movie franchise. This is my "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" vow. I will be at the premier myself (if all goes well!) and back in this costume. Hopefully an updated picture shall come of it. Two, I would like to say that I have completely forgotten the "Book of the Month", and will therefore skip this month of July and start again in August. It will give me time to read some more anyway. I have read quite a few books, but not too many worthy of recommending as a "Book of the Month", if you understand.  

Anyway, I would like to give you a bit more of an update on the pirate novel. I got to speak with a friend of mine, one that offers quite amazing advice, and she helped me work through an issue I was having. Showing and not telling, for lack of a better way of describing it, is something I am having trouble with in this particular section. What is the difference? It is the difference between telling the audience the scene is scary, and showing them that it is. Here is a little example--do not fret. It is not from the pirate novel. 

Natalie walked up to the abandoned park, and immediately goosebumps crawled up her arms. It was dark, and somewhere in the back of her mind she realized how frightening the place was at night. 

Okay. It gets the job done--the reader knows that the park is dark, scary, and Natalie is nervous.

Showing, though, is more fun--and less boring for your reader to boot.

Natalie approached the entryway, eyes sifting over the dark paths and shadowed trees. The air was eerily calm, the park itself silent as if devoid of all life. It was unlike the park she had come to find familiar in the morning; no children scampered through the green grasses, no laughter or chatter filtered from the benches along the path. No, there was nothing. Nothing but shadows and silence, and their cold brush sent goosebumps up her arms.  

I am not sure that that paragraph is completely "Show not Tell", but I am sure you get the idea. Anyway, I am having a distinct problem with this kind of work in chapter two for one reason or another. I have a new character I am trying to introduce--his name is Gill--and I find him quite interesting. Interesting and important! Mainly, I am struggling with how to show the reader who he is short of having our good Liam tell it to us point blank in his narration. Trust me, reader! Gill is quite a fun little fisherman, and is sure to win your heart as favorite minor character. Or, at least I hope so.

Anyway, a lot of my issues have been talked out thanks to the lovely friend of mine who continues to put up with me and my writing obsession.

I have more updates on the "greaterpus" I had suggested earlier. Well, I think I have decided to take the idea for a test-run and see how it goes. It is not called a greaterpus anymore. It has a much cooler name, one that I am not going to share as of yet. Still, be on the lookout for updates concerning those.

I will try to update again sometime this weekend, maybe with another excerpt or idea for you to sink your teeth in to. Until then, I hope you have a wonderful week! And, in your own writing endeavors, try a bit more show and a little less tell. It may make all the difference!

Picture of the Day:

A beautiful house in New Orleans--where my cousin was married!

Quote of the Day: 

"Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." 

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Hello, dearest readers! I am back once more. I have not, I suppose, been doing much writing. Though, I have had plenty to be doing otherwise. I have not forgotten this blog, nor have I forgotten my vow to finish these novels. I have stories to be told, and I will not rest until I have done them justice and service. I admit that sometimes I wish I could just walk away from this and never think twice about it, but I am born to write, so I write I shall do. 

I thought my pirate story would come easy, since all the details have been mapped out quite nicely. Still, in a quest for proper wording, planned stories do not help. So, I have been working for months...and I have barely ventured past chapter one. Though, I must say I am happy with what I have written. Well, for the most part. 

I have tried to press on further, and I have added three pages to chapter two, though for some reason it feels like my voice as the author changed. Maybe it is to do with my moods while writing, maybe it is something different entirely. Either way, something does not feel quite right about it. I will be taking a look at that some this weekend, hopefully. 

I am introducing a new character in chapter two, and a few important concepts for the rest of the novel. So, it is imperative that chapter two is not weak--this is the chapter that sets up the boundaries of my novel, and makes the rest of the plot possible. Hopefully I will get it all worked out soon! I would like to leave you with a short excerpt of something, and while I am positive it may not make sense, it will be a tangible (and by tangible I mean readable!) proof of progress--no matter how small the progress is.

So, without much further ado, here is an excerpt from my pirate's story. You get a paragraph--mostly because I want to make sure my story and book are safe from plagiarism and thievery. I trust you, of course, but I do not trust the internet!

“You seek adventure,” my father offered, breaking the silence once again. “You want a life worthy of one of your novels, but, Liam,” I could hear his words catch at the back of his throat for a moment, and for just the space of a breath I wondered if he had expended his words. “Liam, perhaps you already have that as a prince, yes?” 

Well, there you have it. An excerpt! Short, but decent! Make it a great week, and I hope all of my readers had a very safe Fourth of July holiday. Do not give up on me, reader. I will get there someday!