Zumba Cancelled

So here I am, on Tuesday at 5:30, pulling up in front of my gym for my Zumba class.  Not only does it clear my head, it focuses my energy and I feel like I can write better afterwards -- my mind's been cleared of all the extraneous.  So I'm all pumped and shit walking in like I'm gonna get my booty-shakin-on.  It was cancelled today.  My instructor was sick.  So now I'm home early with absolutely no excuse on why I can't blog about my Novel Writing.

Today was all about the Forums.  Not only did I discover the Age Group 20's forum, but I also signed up for the Swap, which is a really fucking cool idea.  What a great way to keep people motivated.  I posted my info up there, but no one's replied yet.  Maybe I'll read through them and reply to a few on my own.

I'm really pushing myself to update this blog and keep it going through November into December and January.  I really want to force myself to document my experience of trying to write a novel of my own making, in all it's painfully beautiful glory.  But I'm getting nervous.  I'm starting to double back on my plot idea, maybe thinking it's redundant and has been done a thousand times before.  But then I think -- so what?  It's not like I have to publish it.  It's not like I have to let anyone read it.

It's just this burning story inside of me, one that I identify with on a variety of levels.  And come hell or high water, I've got to get it out of me.

LoL -- Of course, I've said that before.  I've written two novels (Fan Fic) before this, and started a third.  Now, because of NaNo, that one's on the back burner -- and might be for while.  The truth is, I've done some research over the past few months.  I've read up on how to write a story, and what the basic elements were.  I'm thankful I did that because I used to be a pantser -- just write whatever I felt like on that day, and hoped it fit into the story.  As a result, I got a story that held people's attention only because they didn't know what the hell was going on -- and wanted to figure it out.

I suppose, as I was writing, I didn't even know what the hell was going on half the time.  Which is the main reason why I'm happy I did my research, why I got into plotting a story ahead of time, why I'm doing it with my first attempt at original fiction.  I feel like the story will work better as a whole, and won't be as choppy or convoluted based on my varying array of emotions from day to day.

It is officially T Minus 13 days until November 1 and I've already got each scene laid out, I know the entire plot, I've done backstory for my main character, I feel like I really have a good grasp of who she is and what she wants.  I've also decided my final actor for Octavia is Olivia Wilde.  She's beautiful and has this subtle-untrusting demeanor about her (think Thirteen from House) which I think works perfectly for my Protag.



And Quinn, my vampire/human hybrid love interest, has been and always will be Jensen Ackles. 





**YUM**

It's a little sad, but I'm pretty sure I had him picked out ahead of time and worked my character around his mannerisms -- is that wrong?  I don't really care.  He's beautiful to look at, and even more gorgeous in my head.

I did the same thing for Castor, the werewolf competition for Octavia's heart.  At the risk of not sounding too cliche, he's my tall, dark and handsome.  And I'm hoping, praying to god, that I can get away with him not sounding too Jacob - y.  Sure, I liked Twilight, but I'm not trying to write another one.  Like I said in my previous post, I'm thinking my story and characters are different enough that the comparison won't be there at all. 

My story is dark -- a lot darker than anything in Twilight.  (And a lot more graphic **wink wink nudge nudge**)

I'm also hoping that keeping Jason Momoa in my head will help with that:



(Yeah, I picked Khal Drogo and Dean Winchester as my main male characters -- Maybe I could just make the whole a Menage fic and they won't be competitors for her heart at all -- Hmm -- Ahh -- yes, there they are -- the Dirty Thoughts.)

Anywho, so what was I saying?  I'm not sure I remember.

13 Days to go and the only thing left on my to do list is finish the backstory for my creatures.  So far, Octavia will encounter:

Vampires
Werewolves
Djampire (Hell Hound)
Ghouls
Witches
Faeries
Succubi
Demons
Ghosts
Strigoi
Gods

And I think that's it.  In my world, there are three Realms:

The Realm of Man
The Realm of the Gods
The Realm of the Damned

And most of those creatures belong to the Realm of the Damned, and my protag only really encounters them when she begins to fight the Big Bad of my story.

Also, I've started working on some book cover ideas -- nothing beautiful or anything. I was just tinkering in Aviary.  Anyways, here they are:








Okay, well, I'm quickly running out of things to talk.  So, I'll wrap this up with a thanks for reading and check back for more updates!

NaNoWriMo and other things

I suppose, since it's T minus 16 days and counting until NaNoWriMo starts, that I should get started on the blog.  I've decided I'm going try to write my own story, one that I thought up, with all original characters.  And I figured I'd start a blog about what that's like, and what the experience of NaNoWriMo is really like - the first time around.

Now, I'm no slouch to writing novels, and 50K is a month seems incredibly doable for me.  Hell, I'm capable of putting out 6 to 7 k a day.  But that was fanfiction, which in all reality, is not really like writing your own story.  When the characters only exist in your head, there's something to be said for taking your time with things.

The story I'm going to write in November is a paranormal romance/fantasy.  It's about this Hybrid vampire who discovers she's the missing piece in a prophesy that will end the Blood Feud between Witches and Vampires.  While borrowing concepts from the genre, I'm hoping to create a heroine that's likeable, but not quite as predictable as those commonly found. 

I'm fiddling with the title, "The Walking Shadow," which is reference to Shakespeares "Macbeth," Act 5 Scene 5:


"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing." 

Even though I'm excited to start writing, (I have to wait until November 1 per the rules of NaNo,) I keep thinking up new scenes and wanting to throw different obstacles at my Protag.  But that's good I guess, because everytime I think of something new, I remember what Ms. Pow used to tell us in Theater.  "Take your first three ideas and throw them out because someone else has already thought of them."  Ironically, I'm currently on opening scene number 3, and that's helped me with my Protag's character, allowing me to really dig deep into her psyche to find out exactly who she is.

Of course, I did write a quick autobiography of her, and damn, she's had a rough life.  I don't feel sorry for her, because she'd hate that.  But for as much as it's screwed her up, it's made her stronger - too strong.  It's like she's taken all these emotions and buried them deep down inside of her, never letting them see the surface.  Which is in great contrast with Danny, her vampire father, who just happens to be an empath.  So, regardless of how hard she tries to hide it, he knows what she's feeling, and he sort of makes her confront everything she's been trying to forget. 

And my hero, (because it is ultimately a romance,) is another hybrid and is just as disconnected with his feelings, which makes what happens with them so remarkable and interesting.  They really start to bring out the best in each other, and bring out these feelings that I don't think either has ever felt before -- it's acceptance and passion and unconditional love.

At the start of planning the novel, I knew it was going to be a romance, and I also knew there would be a love triangle.  I'm actually a little afraid of doing because the other love interest is a werewolf - and I really run the risk of a Twilight wanna-be knock off.  But I think my characters are completely different than what Stephanie Meyers created, so I'm thinking the similarities end there.

As for NaNo itself, I've volunteered to host some write-ins in November, nine to be exact.  I'm really excited about meeting other authors in the area and hopefully making some connections.  As to what made me volunteer to host?  Well, I suppose I'm trying to force myself out of the house every now and then.  Besides, Panera Bread rocks.  And so does the library.  So whatevs.

In personal news, I'm going back to school in January -- Community College, and majoring in English.  I'm getting pretty pumped about that, to be honest.  I'm incredibly ready to have my degree and get a better paying job.  I'm hoping to go for a Government job in Frederick, or maybe trying to break into editing.  Whatever I do, I'm working on my degree right now, and thats more than I can say for the last few years of my life.

Hey, not that I'm complaining.  I got married.  I have my own house.  I can afford to pay for my school out of pocket.  No ginormous debt for me. 

I've also developed a huge crush on Dean Winchester from Supernatural -- which is such an awesome show and has provided so much inspiration for my novel.  So there's that.

Well, that's all I got.  Until tomorrow --