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Alphabe-Thursday: M is for Making Excuses

AlisonLeave a comment

I obviously haven’t kept up on my alphabet. So this is my “Making Excuses” post. (That was for “M”)

Making Excuses

Nauseated and Exhausted

Obstetrician and ornery

Pregnant and mushy-brained

Queasy still

Really tired

Super relieved I don’t have writing deadlines to meet

Trying to join the world of the living now. . .

So there you have my excuse, which got me through the alphabet up through ‘T’.  I am in zombie hibernating bear mode at this point in time. I am typically nauseated for the whole time I am pregnant. I am feeling like I’m getting the use of my brain back, so I hope to be much more present here.

Happy writing!

(Alphabe-Thursday:L) L is for Love (Lust)

Alison8 Comments

This is for Alphabe-Thursday on Jenny Matlock’s blog. You should check out the other entries too!

I enjoy a good romance in my stories. I don’t like ‘romance’ stories per say, where the entire story is the romance, but I like the relationships to help add another layer to the stories. I do avoid those stories where things are too graphic. I think it pulls away from the story. So with that in mind,  I did put lust in parenthesis on purpose. First, to me love is a many layered thing. There are depths to love that are unending. However, that first kiss always has an element of lust to it. (Unless, of course, the kiss isn’t wanted. But that is a different story.) That chemical response is an important part of making the connection that can develop into love. So my entry today is a little peek into that first kiss.

This is a couple of friends that have just been through an ordeal together. They have escaped intact and are saying goodbye after the adventure.

“I can’t let you leave without telling you this.”  Lilly stepped up to Graydon, grabbed the front of his T-shirt, and pulled him to her.

Her face neared his and she paused a moment before their lips actually met. He was frozen, not moving at all. She took a deep breath and then slowly touched her lips to his. Graydon hesitated, but when there were no comments from the people walking past, he melted into the kiss with a deep sigh.

He buried one hand in her hair, holding her head, and placed the other on her lower back, pulling her closer to him. His grip was surprisingly intense. Not a bad surprise, but one none the less. His lips remained soft, gentle, and questing. After a moment, Lilly pulled back to look at him, searching his face for something.

A slow smile spread across his face as he opened his eyes to look at her. Those eyes that had deepened to a midnight-dark took her breath away. “Well,” he whispered, his voice rough. “That wasn’t really one of the things I imagined you would say to me after today. I thought you would yell at me for being an idiot.”

“I still might do that.” Lilly attempted a light tone, but she was glad he still held her in his arms, not sure if she could yet stand on her own.

“As well you should. And I would be glad to listen to all of it,” He glanced at her lips again, “If we could return to this conversation again as well.” He briefly kissed the corner of her mouth.

“I believe that could be arranged.” Lilly said with a giggle.

(Alphabe-Thursday: I and J) Inside Jokes

AlisonLeave a comment

My last ‘catch-up’ entry for Jenny Matlock’s Alphabe=Thursday.

This is the next in my series of trying to sort out how we make those people in our stories ‘real’.  What is your opinion on “inside jokes”? I know that in real life if you are friends with a group of people long enough, things will happen that will become the future ‘inside jokes’.

My family, for example, only has to mention Friar Tuck or Valentine’s Day hearts to have my mother turn red and everyone start laughing (forgive me mom). No one else would understand but it is hysterical to us. My husband’s family has ‘cheever on the roof’. Again, makes no sense to those on the outside.

Does that work in books?  If there is a group of friends that are really close, do they have inside jokes? Does it translate well in the reading or do you have to over-explain, thereby killing the inside joke?

Do you know of any books that have these kinds of interactions? Does it work for you?

I think one issue would be that comedy is difficult. Everyone has a different sense of humor and what is funny to one may not be funny to another. A favorite book of mine is “The True Meaning of Smekday” by Adam Rex. I thought it was laugh-out-loud funny. But I can appreciate that a lot of the humor was subtle or required the cultural knowledge behind it to be understood. It may not be an easily accessible humor.

Would it be the same with an inside joke?

 

Edit: Apparently I also missed the letter “K”. Well I am feeling a bit contrary and so I am just going to say that the letter ‘K’ doesn’t exist in the Italian language. Quindi se io scrivo in italiano, no devo usare la lettera ‘K’. Basta.

(Alphabe-Thursday: G and H) Grief and Hidden Burdens or Hardships for Our Characters

Alison2 Comments

Since I am sooooooo late in posting my alphabets, I am combining letters. And I will just link back to Jenny Matlock’s main website.

 

I had an interesting experience this summer that started me thinking about character motivation.  I work for two Universities. However, the classes I teach are not offered during the summer semester. So that means no paychecks for July, August, or up until the end of September. I know that this is coming each year and I plan for it. I am usually able to save from through the year and save school loans (my husband is a full-time student) and tax returns. It typically isn’t an issue. Much.

Now, this summer. . . Husband started graduate school. We didn’t realize that school would be starting in May instead of September (like all the other schools he was accepted to). So, here come due a large tuition payment and yet school loans don’t start until September (because that’s when school is supposed to start?). So, it drained pretty much everything we had.

Summer was interesting.

Part of understanding this is the fact that I can NOT miss a payment. The thought of even being late on a bill or a payment makes me physically ill. So I can tell you that there wasn’t a day (hour?) that went by that I wasn’t mentally shifting our finances around and sorting out how to pay for one thing or another.

I’m pretty sure I wasn’t my normal self in my reactions with those around me; simply because in my head I was constantly battling reality.

It got me thinking about writing characters.  Do we have characters carrying unknown burdens that affect how they treat others, or respond to different situations? How can we include these things to make a well-rounded character without having to do a lot of ‘back story’? What about a chronic illness, one that isn’t physically apparent?

Can you think of any of your favorite characters that are carrying these Hidden Burdens?

NaNoWriMo a No Go

Alison2 Comments

Well, I explained the craziness I was taking on in NaNoWriMo (writing a 50,000 word novel in the month of November) and then I haven’t checked in since November started.

I’m sure that all of you had images of me sweating over my keyboard, pounding out thousands of perfect phrases destined to become the next ‘take-your-breath-away’ novel. Right?  Anyone???

Well, it’s funny how things actually work. My grand total for words written on my novel. . . (are you sure you are ready for this?)  289!

Wow.

Not only did I not get that done, but I also missed out on the Alphabe-Thursday for G,H,I,and J. I will be making those up before this week’s edition.

It is strange. I don’t feel too bad about not getting more fun writing done. November wasn’t completely lost to the writing vacuum.  I did get non-writing things done. Or I should say non-fun writing things done. I finished several major projects for work that required a lot of writing. I did get all my grapes picked and the juice bottled (yum!). Unfortunately we had a  funeral too. And while it was really hard to lose my husband’s grandmother (she is an amazing woman), it was also really nice to see all the family that came in and play hostess to those who dared to stay with us.  Also, my husband decided that he would like a Tom Baker “Dr. Who scarf” for Christmas. For those of you not familiar with the scarf, here is an image.

Yes, it really is that long. And my husband is 6’ 4’’. So that is a LOT of scarf. I did get a start on that in November.

 

As I was writing I discovered a few things. It may have been an idea that had been kicking around in my head for a while. An idea that still intrigues me, but I hadn’t fleshed it out enough.

I need a few things to write a story:

When I write I need to have a solid “Who.” That was problem number one. My main character wasn’t whole. I didn’t really know her, or what her situation was. Without knowing her, it is really hard to care about what is happening or going to happen to her.

I need a concrete “What.” I need to know what my main character (MC) has been thrust into and how it will be fixed.

I also need a definite “Why.” Why does she care? Why does the conflict matter to her and thereby matter to me? What is at risk?

The “How” is something I can figure out as I go. But without having those other questions answered – Nothing happens.

So now I will set to work on answering those questions, playing with it in my head. Meanwhile I will be attempting a major overhaul on my ‘already written’ story. I am excited about the revisions and how it will make the story in my head come to life on the paper.

(Alphabe-Thursday: F) F Is For Fear

Alison13 Comments

Jenny Matlock It is that time again, Alphabe-Thursday on Jenny Matlock’s blog. (click on the button to see all the other ‘F’ entries.

F is for Fear

Ah, Halloween. The perfect time for this emotion.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with fear. I liked to be frightened . . . to a point.

But, I have an over-active imagination and so I can’t watch movies that are too scary. My brain just won’t let go of them.

When I was young, my room was in the basement. There wasn’t a window and there wasn’t a door.

There was a doorway, but not a door. Needless to say, when I turned the light out at night, it was dark; really dark.

So, in my head I had to make up ‘rules’. There were rules that all the monsters had to follow.

First and foremost, the rule:

After I turned out the light I had until the count of 10 to get in bed and cover up with my blankets.

Everything under the covers was safe.

Of course I had to add an amendment rule:

My head didn’t count and it could be out of the blankets. (It got too hot trying to keep my head covered)

My bed was against the wall and I had to sleep with my back to the wall.

Now I’m a grownup and I don’t have to do that anymore.

Okay, so maybe I still catch myself counting from time to time. And, when I wake up from nightmares I have to continue the dream in my head until there is a happy conclusion. Then I can go back to sleep.

Now—thanks to my friend Elesa—I have five new ways to die that I can add to a list of fears. (check it out- she’s hysterical)

Back to fear. I think that there are different kinds of fear; different gradations.

We can be afraid of things like spiders, snakes, or pineapple wielding ferrets. We can be afraid of feelings like rejection, humiliation, failure. And, we can fear for our lives or the lives of those we love. Those are all very different feelings, and yet we call them all fear.

So, now I guess it is time for my take on fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kiera stretched and rubbed her neck. I hope I get used to these twelve hour shifts soon. The shower after felt good, but I’m afraid it is going to put me to sleep.

The hospital employee lounge was well-stocked and provided the nurses coming off their shift with a shower or some food. There was a small bed as well for a power nap or two. Kiera walked to the fridge and grabbed a drink. Moving to the mirror, she glanced at her hair. She shook her head as she pulled the wet curls back into a make-shift bun.

My hair is going to be terrible after this, but I’ll take care of it at home. She moved to her locker and grabbed her new jacket. It was a bright yellow, not a color she would normally of purchased, but her family had given it to her as a graduation present. They were so proud of her for getting her degree. The color went nicely with her dark complexion and black hair.

It’s really quiet now. Kiera thought as she stepped out into the hallway. The lights were low for nighttime and the hallway deserted. The only sounds were the quiet noises of the various machines and her footsteps on the linoleum. Her cell phone vibrated once in her pocket.

Why can’t he leave me alone?! Her tiredness was gone. She could feel her heart rate immediately accelerate and her pulse throb in her throat.   Always texting. Should I look? She paused in the hall and glanced quickly over each shoulder. With a sigh she pulled out her cell phone to see.

“I KNOW U R THERE. TXT ME BACK.” Kiera felt her stomach flip. She tried to swallow through her suddenly dry throat. Almost immediately there was another text. “HOW DO U LIKE THE NEW JOB? HOSPITAL GOOD?”

How?! How does he know? I haven’t spoken to him in over a year and I thought he left town. I thought he couldn’t come back. She shoved the cell phone in her pocket and whirled around, looking everywhere in the darkened hallway. I’m getting paranoid. He’s doing this to freak me out. He always loved it when I was scared.

She continued out of the building, waving at the reception secretary. She walked to the dark parking lot, humming softly to herself and making a mental shopping list in her mind. She was nearing her car when the phone buzzed again. With a growl of frustration she pulled the phone back out. Her breath caught in her throat and everything went cold. The phone’s bright screen illuminated the night and the terror on her face as she read the message.

“LIKE THE NEW JACKET. U LOOK REAL GOOD IN YELLOW.”

 

Do You NaNo?

Alison2 Comments

November is quickly approaching.

With that, also comes the beginning of NaNoWriMo.

What is this NaNoWriMo that I speak of?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month.

It is a particular and crazy experience. In one month you write a 50,000 word novel.

Of course that is really fast and you will end up with a lot of garbage, but that is kind of the point. The idea is to get the writing flowing without worrying about editing everything as you go. There will be terrible writing, but there will also be ‘a-ha’ moments that will be golden. At the end of November you will have a beginning, something to work from, expand, and polish.

I had two main story ideas bouncing around in my head lately. One I used for a short-story contest on NPR so I can’t use any of it for anything else at the moment. So, I guess it will be the other one. It is a concept that has intrigued me for a while and I’m excited.

My problem is my preparation is behind. The rules for the month state that you can’t have anything actually ‘written’ of the story, but you can outline and plan before hand.

I don’t have an outline yet. I have a vague overall story arc, but nothing concrete.

For work I have been having to rewrite a manual for one lab, and update another one. So, I’ve been trying to get it done before November rolls around and it hasn’t left much time for planning. Perhaps I will be a ‘pantser’ (you know, just write ‘by the seat of your pants’ and see where the story takes you rather than plan) this time and just write it as I go.

So. . . do you NaNo?

(Alphabe-Thursday:E) E is for Ennui

Alison14 Comments

E is for Ennui

I know, you are here you find out what ‘ennui’ is. This is an Alphabe-Thursday entry for Jenny Matlock’s blog.

The funny thing is, when I was trying to think of an emotion to write about for ‘E’, the word ‘Ennui’ popped into my head.

So did ‘elephant’, but that typically isn’t a feeling or an emotion.

Oh, I could probably argue it and say that after Thanksgiving dinner you might feel ‘elephant’, but that would be stretching it. So I went with the other random word.

And yes, I had to look up the definition too to make sure I was on the right track.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ennui as such:

 

Ennui: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction: boredom

 

So there you have the ‘what’, now for my portrayal of it – inspired by my class on Tuesday.

~~~~~~

Micah’s eyes were drooping and her head nodded while the professor continued to drone on in front of the class. Micah checked her watch.

Forty-five more minutes?!  I will never make it. She tried to listen to the lecture. She took a few notes and then began doodling on the paper. Her seat was hard and uncomfortable. She shifted around to try to find a better position. Tapping her pencil on her other hand, she looked at her watch again.

Forty-four minutes?! Seriously. I am never going to take another class this long again. A two-and-a-half hour class gives way too much information all at once. She sighed and tried to listen again.

I wonder what Devin is doing right now? Maybe I’ll text him and find out. She slid her phone out and, under the table, texted her friend.

Okay, so now what? She made another attempt at listening, her foot tapping out of desperation for something to do. She started to plan out her schedule for the weekend on her note paper.

At least I look like I’m taking notes. When that was done she put down her pencil and stared up at the board. The professor was still explaining an image of the microcirculation in the blood.

How can she talk so much? Doesn’t she get bored too? Micah’s head was feeling heavy so she leaned against her hand. I’ll just close my eyes for a second…

The sound of closing books and moving chairs startled Micah back to reality. Class was over, finally.