I have such great intentions, but life always seems to get in my way. I know there are a million excuses for why I am not working on my blog, but none of them are really all that good. I read somewhere that have to schedule it in to your day and you have to write if you ever want to be any good. Well, I managed to get a beautiful writing area set up for myself, and yet I still have not really managed to use it to write. What do I do, play video games, namely Runescape. Well, I have managed to actually get somewhere on my story about the twins, and I have purpose once more. So now I am making it my goal to do some kind of writing every week. As with all intentions we will see. But I wont say try, because as Yoda says, “do, or do not, there is no try!” So instead I am putting the intention out there to DO!
The Twins: An Outline
So I am taking a free e-course to writing a plot outline. The first week of this seven week course is the actual plotting exercises. So, since I gave it a go here is my first ever rough sketch of what my story The Twins may look like. This of course is a first start and entitled to MANY changes, lol. But since it is my first go I figured I would share it. Any ideas for it please let me know, I would love to add more scenes and structure to my story, this is just what I came up with as I was working on this project today.
The First Ever Plot Outline
- Sum up what you know about your character in one short paragraph.
- What he does, what he needs, what he wants, what he fears…
Aidain and Aisling are twins. They have just left home, and are afraid of their mom finding them. They both graduated high school a year early. Both want to get a college degree and want their life to be meaningful. Aidain is very protective of Aisling, and it drives her nuts. They are very close and fear what would happen if their mom would find them. They want to create lives for themselves somewhere far from where they grew up and maybe find spouses as time goes on.
- Determine what you like and don’t like about your original summary.
- List the points you want to pursue, the ideas that you find fascinating and compelling. Three or four items will be enough.
They are too young to actually get married, but finding someone, maybe having an unsuccessful relationship and one of them finding someone. Dealing with their mom finding them, but I don’t want them to move from where they are living. Maybe they will become of age or something to put a stop to their mothers control? Maybe something to do with their real father? Or dealing with why their mom is the way she is or something along that line.
- Write your opener. Any ideas about your character, put together single paragraph that focuses on the critial parts of your character (from step 1) Should answer the following questions:
- What is the most difficult thing my character is struggling with right now?
- How does that struggle give him one problem he must solve?
- Who or what will stand in the way of the solution he seeks?
The twins are going to sneak away from home in the middle of the night. A friend of Aidain is going to help them get set up in a different state, near where he lives. They have to find a way to get what little they want to take with them out of the house, and to the new place without their mom finding out.
- Create your ending. Using your opener figure out in general terms how you want the story to end. Try to answer the following questions:
- Does your protagonist succeed or fail in gaining the objective you gave him in your opener?
- Does your story come to an emotionally satisfying conclusion?
- Can you see yourself going through anywhere from ten pages to seven hundred and being happy to see the story end this way?
One twin will succeed in finding a relationship.
They will find a way to get out from under their mothers life, interesting things will come up in all of this. Maybe who their father is, maybe he will take part, maybe he is dead… not sure on that, but he will be a key in them getting away from their mother.
He may not be someone who they like, he might be worse in some way or another.
Yes, but I will want more for Aidain. (This may be the opening for a second story out of this.)
- Rough in your middle. Sketch in between 3 and 60 one line scene.
- Come up with many as often you will find that about 20% of your ideas will not pan out.
Mom will find them.
Aidain will find a girlfriend, it will end badly.
Aisling will fall in love with Aidain’s friend. (lots of drama over this?)
They will find their birth father?
Their mother will cause serious trouble.
Their birth father will not be who he seems.
Aidain will find someone else he likes, but takes it much slower.
Aisling will get a job.
Novel in a Year exercise 1
The day after my eighth birthday, my father told me…
We were moving. These are devastating words to hear at the end of summer break! Now what is going to happen? What about my friends? A new school, what will I do? So many thoughts ran through my mind then, and none of them would have prepared me for what really happened! …
What Might Have Been song fic
This is the song fiction I created based on some feelings from the song “What Might Have Been” by Little Texas. The following is the lyrics in bold and my writing within it.
New Roads
Sure I think about you now and then But it’s been a long, long time I’ve got a good life now, and I’ve moved on
It used to be every waking moment. He was in my mind, my heart. He was me. There was a time when that was all that was needed. Time has moved by. Life has changed me. I have started to see my own way in life, follow my own path.
So when you cross my mind… I try not to think about what might have been Cause that was then And we have taken different roads
There is more to life than what used to be. Who I am is changed. The person who was is no more, in her place stands another, equally great. No need for what ifs, no need for what could be. New paths have fallen before me, forging a new trail.
We can’t go back again There’s no use givin in And theres no way to know What might have been
No reason to relive old times. Our lives are different now. Things have changed and moved on. Never will time go back to how things were. There is no window to the past, and no reason to try.
We can sit and talk about this all night long And wonder why we didn’t last Yes, they might be the best days we will ever know But we’ll have to leave them in the past…
Time has come to move on. Not sit and dwell on why things have changed. Times were great, take from that what it gave us. Give new life to what we have now! Create a new page in life, forge a new road.
So try not to think about what might have been Cause that was then And we have taken different roads
New roads stand before me each and every day. Follow new turns and climb new mountains. See things from a different place every season!
We can’t go back again There’s no use givin in And theres no way to know What might have been
Every day a new surprise. A new valley to find. Why stay in the hills of the past, move forward. Don’t look back, someone new arises in you each day!
That same old look in your eyes It’s a beautiful night, I’m so tempted to stay But too much time has gone by We should just say good bye, and turn and walk away…
You appear the same to me. It is easy to stay. To pretend nothing has changed. But things are different, in us both. Really we should not be who we were, when we are someone new. Temptations are great, to be something of old, something I know. But the real journey lies in finding a new way… Saying goodbye
And try not to think about what might have been
Cause that was then
And we have taken different roads
We can’t go back again
There’s no use givin in
And theres no way to know
What might have been
No we’ll never know, what might have been
Transformation: Chapter 6?
June 17, 3033
Here we are, moving along. It is as if we have been going along on auto pilot. It is a bit disconcerting, things have just been so quiet. Things have been just a bit too good. What does all that mean? No troubles, no side effects. Does that mean that everything will work out grand? Does that mean that we should be prepared for things to go haywire? I know that things just seem to keep moving and they are just so quiet. Like that calm before the storm. I see others who have been going through some of this, others who we think are on the same study as she. None seem to be taking this treatment as well, and the doctors are just loving how good she is doing.
Outside of being nervous that things are going too well, there have been a few odd little things I have notice. The other day after she got out of the shower there were purple spots all over her legs. I am not sure why, but they seemed to have gone away. When we brought this up the doctor said that it could just be from the heat of the water, or maybe slight graft vs. host bothered by the heat. But it is nothing they say. We will continue to watch it and make sure nothing more comes of it.
Her hair is trying to come back in, but she seems to be flaking off skin all over. It is like no matter what she does her skin is just scaly and flakes off. I suppose after the heavy drugs they used in her body it is growing everything new.
Something odd we have noticed as we go up to the new area of the hospital. There is no way to get onto floors four and five, and they have a big X when the elevator is going by them. I wonder why it seems to skip them. It is very unusual.
We have been officially told we have the weekend off. It is a nice feeling. To not have to go in for the first time in over a month! I am sure we will find something to occupy our time.
A New Venue
So, I think to help better my motivation to write a bit more, I am going to look into doing some freelance writing. I am going to look for some magazines or online websites even that look for authors. Then I will see what kinds of things are looked for and try it out. It will be a whole new world of writing for me! Who knows, I may even like it!
Now to do some research in what magazines would want the things I actually would enjoy writing! A new direction to hopefully becoming that published author some day!
I’ve gone and done it!
So it is official. I have gone and done it! I joined the NaNoWriMo since my goals have been to write more and get better so I can actually accomplish my goals of publishing some books. If anyone is interested here is the site http://www.nanowrimo.org/ It looks to be a fun challenge! Now of course I may have to come up with some preliminary ideas to craft a story, maybe even get some practice in with creating some outlines. I am so excited to participate in this, hopefully I can even succeed, lol.
The Threat, Only the Beginning
Out dining at your local favorite Chinese restaurant one afternoon a strange event occurs. Getting your fortune cookie, it has the strangest of messages in it. “Your life is in danger. Say nothing to anyone. You must leave the city immediately and never return. Repeat: say nothing” Carefully you look around. Nothing seems out of place, and you do not notice anyone looking at you. Now granted you eat here every week and a few of your friends are jokers, but they like to see the response from their jokes. They do not seem to be anywhere in sight, so what does this mean? You finish up and pay for your meal, just as you always do. Heading home you think about what is best to do. Should you really leave? This could be some big hoax, but if it isn’t, what if you really are in danger?
Transformation: Chapter 1
March 3, 3033
We were selected! All the time of hurry and wait and finally the process has begun. We know the doctors have said the results could be interesting, and the side affects many. We are pioneers embarking on this new trial. They still have not told us much about it, only that it is a very new experiment. Looking around at the others going through their various trials, we wonder how many of them will be changed. There are whispers the whole program we are part of is some secret conspiracy of the government. Some kind of DNA rewriting program. They want to make us stronger. Take animal DNA and get rid of our faults. Thinking about it I figure there is nothing to lose anymore. Maybe if it really is we could find a new way of life. This just isn’t working anymore, after so many years of no results. That’s probably why we were selected for this new treatment. With very little family and ties we are open to disappear. I have begun to believe those saying this is some form of conspiracy just for the simple fact that we have not been getting any answers. Some of the people here speak another language, I am sure they too wonder. I am curious as to how they have found and chose those of us selected for this journey…
March 8, 3033
The next round is soon to begin. So far we have not seen much for
Transformation: Prologue
October 3032
There is this great trial out there for people like us. The people who have tried everything, and nothing has worked. They have not said much about this trial, but the criteria to get into it is pretty hard. We will see if we can get in soon.
November 3032
We had our first apointment to see if we match all the criteria for this trial. The doctor sounded real excited. I’m not sure his excitement was such a good thing, but it sounds like real good for us. We should know soon I hope.
November 3032
So far so good. She passed all the preliminary work. That means she has to pass anouther round. It sounds like total there are three rounds she has to pass before she makes it in. Her overall health outside of this is great which was real helpful. Her DNA is a perfect match also, which is what got the doctor so excited. I guess thats a big deal on if this whole thing will work. I overheard them talking about it in the hall, saying something about it being a determining factor, especially with her overall health being so good.
Random Acts of Writing 