Amy’s Journal

This is about the novel that just ended (Zombie Dance) and the one that just entered the planning stages (Antigod [Yes, horrible first title. Still working on a better one]). Feel free to ask questions. The prologue’s almost ready for peer review (Yes, Jessica, I fixed a bunch of the issues you found with it. Such as the ridiculous length.)

The new novel is falling into place. Things about my cast that haven’t made sense for years are suddenly clarifying themselves for me. Such as why the heroine would merely turn herself into the villain for punishment. That didn’t feel right, even when I wrote it nearly five years ago.

Here’s a song quote that I feel sums up the crux of the novel I just finished.

I know what runs through your blood
You do this all in vain
Because of you my mind is always racing

– Three Days Grace, It’s All Over

This quote won’t make sense until chapter 20 or so, which isn’t yet through copy edits. In fact, when I got to editing this scene, I realized that my outline didn’t do the scene justice. I also realized sub consciously, the story was still full of sub texts I wasn’t aware of writing. Now that I am aware of what I was doing, several earlier chapters need to build up to that one scene, that lovely plot twist.

Eden didn’t remain the unexpected twist. She’s an important character, but her nature is vital to the plot, so she is revealed far earlier than I’d originally planned. I believe chapter 5, she takes her friends to the beach and introduces them to a Lorelei. Now how many mortals do you know on speaking terms with otherworldly creatures?

I am babbling, and this isn’t making enough sense. I apologize.

The following will make sense to Elaine and Ashley, if they read this. Everyone else will have to wait for me to stop planning and start writing.

In the desert of my shame
I have found myself to blame.
Now I thirst for innocence,
And Your blood is there to quench.
Pour Your life into my soul,
Let the cleansing waters flow,
Make me white as snow.

Hear me as I pray, wash my sins away,
Drown me in Your grace, baptize me.
As my lips confess, fill this emptiness
With Your holiness; baptize me.

– Jaci Velasquez, Baptize Me

This verse is not going to be interpreted right. This will not sell well to religious publishing houses, nor vampire fans. At this point, vampires don’t exist in this world (unless you count Chiyla’s delusions), and the old gods didn’t follow humanity to their next planet. I don’t have a cute synopsis yet (it’s going to take me months to write one for the LAST book), but let’s just say it involves the birth of religion, the downfall of the matriarchy, and a bunch of awesome dragons.

Celesi is back to her roots. She is not drow, but she is still trapped by priests in a religion she doesn’t ascribe to.  The difference is, this time she is the Goddess.  But can one be divine while disbelieving in oneself?  Celesi harkens back to the past, and looks into old gods, finding some strange comparisons to her present situation.  Dillan returns, perhaps under a new name (I need to call Ashley to clarify details), and brings a demonic aspect to Celesi’s issues.

Aidana will be included, though I haven’t clarified how yet.  Elwen will not be part of the book.  Celesi will have a long lost sister, but in this tale, she will remain lost.  If someday, I own a publishing house and all my friends can be published with me in our own universe, then perhaps her story will come out.  But Elaine has made her request, and I will honor it.  Elwen will not be named, and she will be mentioned once, in a religious text the reader will learn not to trust.

I have much more figured out, but my DH is tired and we have work in the morning.  More updates to come!

After eight. grueling months, the first, still rough, draft lies before me, finished.  The prologue is undergoing extensive reconstructive surgery at present, and may be soon viewable for the public.  The poor thing just lost her first two pages just this morning!

I have been busy with a new hobby, making bento.  I have also been busy daily with my new position at work.  I was just put in charge of the Twilight event at work.  DH is concerned my GM just handed me a never ending dose of excitement, and he may be right.  When things have been finalized, I will make sure to advertise appropriately.  Even if that means driving to Vancouver to create the HTML for the work website myself.

Amber’s turning 21 tonight, so I’m going away again.

Well, the new apartment’s wonderful. Much more space, though strangely we’re now lacking in furniture. I’ve been given a whole room for my books and writing–but lack a desk and bookcases. So in the absence of funds for purchasing said items, I’ve found the moderately priced ones I’d like. Once we crawl a bit further out of debt, perhaps I can buy one or two.

Kind of expensive, but it has some shelves, a place to hide some file storage, and an alcove for the pesky printer. Having all my writing books within reaching distance? Perfect!

I like the simple lines of this, and I’ve found their folding furniture is more stable than solid backs and sides. Go figure!

This one is a bit more stylish, but also feels as though it would match the shorter one.

Ultimately, I’d like to get two or three of each, and mix and match them.  That’ll be a while.

In writing news, I am coming up on a deadline.  The fc2 story needs to be done by the end of the month, if not sooner.  I’m also working on a comic script for Emily.  I’m quite happy with the results so far.  It’s about half done.

The novel has been on a back burner as our writing day this week was missed.  I hope to get back into it, though it’s hard with no space to set up the laptop.  I just need to follow the great advice, “A writer writes every day–no matter what.”  Don’t ask me who wrote that, I don’t remember.

(Edited)

The comments option has been disabled.  I was receiving hundreds of spam messages a day.  I’m sorry I had to do this, as I wanted genuine readers to be able to communicate with me, but I don’t have time to delete three thousand spam messages a week.  I have two jobs and a book to write.

I have tried various anti-spam wordpress add-ons, but none of them work the way they should.

Section 2 completed today. I think it only took about 500 words to finish that last chapter. Then I set in on Section 3, and soared through two more chapters before I actually had to sit down and write through chapter 18. I have at least two more chapters that have already be written, and will only need to be revised, so I hope to be done with the draft by the end of next week. Yes, that’s a lot of time, but I don’t like pressing myself too hard, you know.

So the Zombie Book is nearly ready for thorough editing and first readers. For the handful who have already given me helpful advice on the prologue, thank you.

There is a botanical spider growing on my deck. I’m not sure how it got there, as we’re on the third story, and I haven’t noticed any other biological creatures like it on the lawn below, but it is rather…disconcerting. You look out the window, and there’s a green tendril curling around the flowerpot. When it’s windy out, you can easily mistake the breeze for the little creature stretching his limbs.

As disturbing as this little fellow is, he will probably end up being a pet of Eden’s, if and when I write on her again.

Amazing how a lack of time really results in incredible productivity.

I haven’t even seen the critiques on paper yet, but I’ve already written about half of the prologue to make it a little bit more reader friendly. I have changed it to first person, which Jessica will probably adore, since it fractured the rest of the novel, and I have avoided throwing names at the reader without first introducing you to her. I hope this will help.

I had to stop rewriting, because I don’t want to do a third rewrite when I finally get the hard copies back, you know?

Well, I’m going to spoil myself with some podcasts now, I’m so happy with my progress.

For those of you who know me personally, you’ll know I was recently promoted. This is cutting into my writing time, and just general life. I’m adjusting, and writing needs to take a back burner while I sort out…well, life.

I am still brainstorming. I got some very helpful advice on the Zombie Novel’s first three chapters, which will make it so much easier/nicer to read than it is now.

Today went amazingly well, considering. (Yes, I have horrible grammar in my blog. How very terrible of me.)

My outlining….continued at the coffee shop. The zombie novel is still restlessly dozing in the back of my mind while Celesi and her friends roar forward, eager for the attention suddenly available.

Amazingly, I actually got a couple of lines written during my lunch at work, and then managed to do my paperwork and still have an hour to wait before cleaning theaters. So the rest of the notes got rewritten then. And depending on what Nick says about Speed Racer, I might get an extra two hours of down time on Thursday, too.

I will not tell you what I have heard about it, because that simply isn’t fair. I know things ahead of time that I shouldn’t. And I will only tell you it was a horrible, really bad movie if it does as poorly as Deception. (Hugh Jackman! Ewan McGregor! Should have been awesome, and yet…)

What does this novel entail? Well, as the previous blog’s title states…this is the Dragon trilogy. Yes, Dragon is capitalized for a reason. I figured that out the third time the outline was rewritten. Or when writing the prologue. I don’t remember. (Atticus is apparently male, so I’ll have to change that. Why do I know girls with that name, then?)

The novel is yet again a story supporting strong, self sufficient women. Well, I don’t know if Celesi will actually come across in that light to the end, but at the start, that’s what you’re led to believe. (And you quickly fall from that height. I haven’t even finished Chapter 1.)

The story deals with one important Dragon, maybe two. I haven’t called Ohio yet, so we’ll see what gets agreed on. There are several less important dragons who will show up, terrorize the heroines/antagonists, depending on which novel you’re in, and prove an important point about behavior and prejudice.

The most interesting thing, and most difficult aspect to accomplish in this project is going to be the culture. The technology is tentatively set to steampunk, but we’ll see if that sticks. At some point in this century, a handful of women get fed up. Fed up with the overpopulated earth, the pollution, the coagulated prejudices everyone holds against everyone else, and choose to go elsewhere. A young NASA technician’s personal/stolen/”borrowed” prototype notes leads a women’s support group into space. These first women are not going to be positively portrayed by the narrators, who are fighting their own progenitors in a strike against their society. But I want the reader to see what these women brought across space with them.
They bring education, folklore, initially a charge against prejudice and injustice.

These things change. I can’t tell you how because A) I haven’t gotten that far yet and B) I have to go to the bank before work tomorrow.

For any unseen regulars I have, you will know that I have spent the last six months slaving over my zombie novel. The zombie novel is a first in high power, kick-ass chicks taking on the “real” world, and the metaphysical one. Six girls, between the ages of twelve and twenty three come together to survive a zombie attack in Gresham, a city just outside of Portland, Oregon. I’ve drawn on my studio experience, my knowledge of this area, and just how I think group dynamics work to write this. If I ever manage to sell this “first novel,” I could write a second. I know where I would go. But now, with the end in sight, I’ve got too many other projects to choose from to work on book #2. At least until an agent or publisher is involved and interested.

I have occasionally taken a couple of breaks, worked on a short story or two, or just dealt with my real life while putting writing on a back burner. Speaking of which, I need to send Glazed Guilt out again. It wasn’t political enough for the fall issue of Tin House, which hadn’t been an issue when I submitted back in February. So…yeah. Where to send a second person, present tense story about summer fairs? I’m really drawing a blank.

For creative friends of mine, you have likely heard the names Celesi, Dillan, Aidana, Elwen, or maybe even Chiyla. These characters came to exist somewhere around middle school. I had a couple of close friends, and we created a cast so synced, they could be placed on a pirate ship, in world war II, or just sitting in the park, pelting each other with acorns.

Well, during the middle of Iron Man (which is a supremely awesome movie you should go watch, and buy Dibs), one of the bad guys said something that reminded me of a piece of writing advice I hear over and over again. Bad guys are only bad on your side of the fence. On theirs, they’re fighting for justice, peace and freedom. You are the horrible oppressor who needs to be brought to reason.

So suddenly, the story fell into three parts. Three heroines each get an entire novel’s worth of screen time, and I finally have a world I can set them in. I’ll have more details about the trilogy when I get a handle on the first book. The second is already fully formed in my mind. It’s the first and third giving me issues, interestingly enough.

Sadly, this means the other three projects with this cast will have to change names, and subsequently have some behavioral adjustments. Which is fine, really. Devlin doesn’t really strike me as the repenting kind. And as for 11th story…well, Celsie is Kelsey with a C, so I don’t mind too much. (Yes, Lidia, I do plan on finishing that, polishing it and getting it to you. I just need to manage to finish a project first.)

I am just so happy to know where this cast belongs at last. So for Elwen and Devlin’s progenitors, expect some phone calls, some get-togethers, and just some general making sure we are staying true to our roots.

And for that pesky Zombie novel? I’m in section 3 now, which is mostly already written. It needs some decent rewrites, and my new position at work is going to prevent a quick finish for those. I no longer have hour breaks where I can just lounge. With my raise, I have increased responsibility.

Maybe I’ll manage to get up at eight tomorrow, get some work done. I doubt it, I’ve been trying for close to a week.

Since all the old excerpts have been lost, here’s a scene and a character I enjoyed in the prologue. Kristen doesn’t appear nearly enough, now that I think about it.

Kristen came into the room, stopping at the door. She looked as though she’d rather close the door, and retreat back into the office.

“Krissy!” Angela shouted, and jumped out of her group, and tripped, and fell on top of Adrienne. The girls dissolved into giggles.

While Angela tried to escape her suddenly rebellious friends, Kristen turned to Danica, nodding her approval. “This certainly turned out well. Maybe you should let the girls handle the decorations more often.” She said. Danica gave her a look, and the older woman smiled, and shook her head. “Well, maybe the silly string was too much, but they’re young yet.”

Danica looked over at the two groups of students, and noted that the barrier seemed less defined. Both groups were getting food from the table, and talking amongst themselves. Once Adrienne passed the dividing line, and Olivia didn’t start the girls in on a screaming chorus, Danica knew the trouble was passed.

Kristen’s fingernail scraping along the side of a file brought Danica’s attention back to the secretary. Kristen patted a stack of folders she held across her chest. “I should have our tax information sorted out by the end of next week. You two hooligans,” she nodded at Danica and Alyson, who was standing across the room, pulling silly string away from a child’s mouth. “Just need to keep up on when and how parents pay for their children’s lessons.”

Danica clucked her tongue. “Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Kristen,” she scolded. “You have classes to teach, too. The girls wouldn’t be ballerinas if you didn’t come out on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Kristen chuckled, and moved the folders to under her arm. “We’ve been amazingly blessed by donations this year, but we can’t expect them to keep paying our bills. Even if I do teach two, or even three days a week, without the charity of Mr. L’arquette or other parents, we wouldn’t be making enough to cover every cost.”

Danica bit her lip, and forced the smile back onto her face. She decided tonight was not the time to discuss the fact she’d had a restraining order issued against the “generous” parent.

“Events like this are a clever way of a community event that helps us raise money for the studio. I still think a couple’s dance class would draw in more customers…” The older woman trailed off, looking hopefully up at Danica.

She laughed. “Kristen,” she said. “Unless you want to teach salsa or line dancing, you’re looking to hire a fourth instructor. Neither Alyson or I do dancing with couples.”

Kristen adjusted her jacket, and zipped it together. “Well then, I’ll leave you to your party, and see if I can’t arrange for you ladies to take lessons!”

Danica rolled her eyes, and groaned in an exaggerated manner. “Come on, mom,” she wined. “I don’t like playing nice with big sis.” Kristen shook her finger reprovingly, and let the door close as she backed away.