Writerly Ways

I see some real problems with some of my current works. One is probably not too difficult to solve in edits and the other is much harder to deal with.

I have a habit of picking undereducated protagonists. Luc in Blood Red Roulette, Nine in a currently unnamed fantasy, Kaleo in Behind Blue Eyes, Strange in Project Fierce and even Sverre in Voluntary Nightmare. All of them have spotty education or in the case of Nine, none. Here's my problem, speech patterns. I have trouble making them sound undereducated. In reality it isn't hard to fix when I'm editing it, but the other problem is, I never like how they sound when I do it. I'm not really sure what to do other than mentally slap myself the next time I see myself trying to write an undereducated character (suggests always welcome).

The more intense and difficult issue has to do with Sverre's story. I really want to write it but I'm struggling with it. It came to me last night why. It is slightly dystopic (well it's more your typical country being oppressed, you know look around and we see it today) AND it's shaping up to be one of those big battle epics with one major difference. It's dieselpunk era with magic. I wasn't kidding when I said I'm so over that sort of thing. Politics bore me. So how in the world did I start writing something that involves a mad king, an army scapegoat and the beginning of the destruction of an entire way of life (and am pretty sure needs to have two books to do it in)? I used to love this sort of thing but something in my head has shifted.

I'm wondering if there is any way to nudge this closer to the Fullmetal Alchemist mold. If you think about it, FMA had many of the same elements BUT we didn't see too much of the political manuevering and the huge battle scene was mostly at the end. It's a weird place to be with characters you love in a story you're not sure is something you can do any more. I'm not sure I can see the forest for the trees with this one.

In other news, evil_little_dog and I might be working on something together again (though I would like to see us fix Red Skies and edit Ties). It's been years since we've tried so it'll be interesting.


Yearly word count -

1702 / 100000
(1.7%)

Standing Among Stones - Submitted

Project Fierce - editing

If Two of Them are Dead - awaiting edits from DSP

Splinters & Soldiers - didn't touch. Bad CoM, shame on you.

And the unexpected keeps on rolling

I've been half asleep all day and didn't accomplish nearly anything I set out to do. That's not the unexpected thing.

No, mom calls and tells me she and Aunt M have been finding houses for me (They enjoy this). In the middle of this call Dad picks up and say's HE'S been finding houses for me in Gettysburg. This is the man who hasn't wanted me to even BUY a house. He's the one who's had a fit if I look at anything old. Just wait until you see what he picked. He is more excited about the prospect of Gettysburg than I am. Me, I'm terrified they'll say yes and will be crushed if I don't even get an interview.


So here are Mom's pics for the local area.

This has possibilities I love my neighbors (i.e the corn field) and the fireplace. However something MAJOR happened in that kitchen (points to ceiling) and why does it look like someone was murdered in that one room?

A bit too in town But I DO really like it. I love the flooring and the fireplaces and the crazy assed tiered yard from hell. Big negative, street parking and it's a tad far from work (45 miles)

Think I’ve shared this one before They finally updated the info to explain the unfinished outside wall. Apparently someone tried to build a second house but couldn't get the plumbing permit (Um don't you think you should have done that FIRST?) So it's a HUGE workshop now.


Weirdness This one could be nice (if far) but there is something funky going on in the bathrooms and other areas show water damage.


see it to believe it This is down closer to school and my friend L and MUCH further from Athens but it's a lot of house with major water damage in the living room but you MUST see the wallpapered ceiling light boxes (see, silvrethorn I told you I'd seen it before) and the bed in a nook.


And now on to Gettysburg and Dad is so right. It's like England with row after row of attached houses. He was rather over the moon about this one. I’m 220 years old in Gettysburg. Can’t you hear the ghosts a’screaming It's a log cabin. A log cabin jammed between two houses (It does have a yard). It IS cute. Narrow but cute.

He also really liked this one Why is there a bedroom curtained off from the living room?? Well probably because someone got too old to go up the steps. This one IS nice.

And then he gave me a link to all the houses and I FOUND my house. Oh he'll have to come help me finish it but I found my damn house. MY HOUSE I will have room for all my shit and run a B&B as a side business....That's right evil_little_dog and silvrethorn we WILL live together when we're old and we're doing it in Gettysburg! Okay I guess we can snowbird but one you has to buy that place.


ANd I didn't forget for too long at any rate. Happy Birthday fireun. Hope it was a nice day.


And here's the art pickamix did for me for my Unbirthday. Spike/Dru ETA - go to the comments where she offers up a link that's working.

declutter day 187 Item tossed-1 dry rotted Theraband why kept- For my broken ankle in Wisconsin why tossed =That was almost 10 years ago