[Posted on Flickr by dianaschnuth].
Haven’t posted a photo in a while, so I figured I’d post one of the Black Swamp Art Festival pics I just got around to getting developed.
I need to use my Olympus XA more often. Most of the photos on this roll came back out-of-focus, which was *very* disappointing, since it could have been remedied with a steadier hand and more practice at rangefinder focusing.
I wrote nearly 1,000 words tonight, and came up with a more detailed backstory about one character’s genealogy. I also wrote out a timeline of events, so I can decide in which month each event happens, so I can more accurately present the setting and all that shit.
Basically, I’m filling out the interpersonal part of the story, because that’s what I’m feeling right now. Later on, I’ll add in more of the supernatural bits, the backstories, the setting and more characterization and all that. For right now, I’m being very juvenile and wanting to write my more emotionally charged scenes — and no, they’re not all love scenes. Actually, I’ll end up having very few of those, all told. I’m going for more tension than actual fan-service. Y’know?
I ended up writing for around three hours tonight, and I wouldn’t have stopped if my brain hadn’t wanted to go to sleep already.
This weekend, I’ll be in Michigan at Youmacon, so that’ll put the kabosh on any writing for a few days. I’m sure I’ll get back into the groove when I get back, though. I’m finally starting to get over my “what do I write next” hurdle, and am just writing *around* the story until I figure out the exact logistics of everything, and the backstories of all the characters and such.
I remember why I enjoy this now.
I am officially NOT participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I am, however, budgeting at least one hour per day (preferably two) during the month of November to work on last year’s NaNo.
Tonight, I successfully rearranged my story bible wiki into a more navigable tree; I fleshed out my female lead’s background and personality; and I rewrote an argument between my male and female leads that had been bothering me and was a big part of why I’d stopped writing on this story. I’d painted myself into a corner, and I’ve successfully unpainted myself with this rewrite. Making the male lead do what he wanted to do, instead of walking off silently and meekly without even a “fuck you,” really added some dimension to their relationship and to their personalities.
I also did some more succubus/incubus research online. There are several resources on the internet that start with, “the only way to kill a succubus is” — and they all end with something different. Burning her. Starving her of sex. Trapping her in her own reflection. And so forth. With all these ideas, though, I’m finally coming up with a halfway decent idea of how my Guild of immortals probably hunts down and destroys incubi and succubi.
I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow evening, but I’m sure I’ll make some more headway of some sort.
Time was when my Mom and I would go visit my Aunt Sammie, cousin Michael and Memaw every Sunday after church. We didn’t always enjoy or appreciate the visits, but it just seemed like the thing you do on Sundays: go to visit family, eat the lunch they’ve prepared for you, listen to them complain or just talk, then politely excuse yourself to go home and get out of your Sunday clothes.
Thirteen years later, Mom lives with my step-Gary in Texas, Sammie and Michael live in Carolina, and Memaw’s three years gone now. And I don’t even go to church anymore.
Even though I’m all connected with the world and with my faraway friends via the magic of the internet, I feel isolated from my family. I don’t understand how we were once so interdependent and loving and familiar, and now we’re so far apart, both geographically and emotionally. I just don’t get it.
Aaron’s off at a Frank Black show in Cleveland with Kris and Kris this evening. I opted not to go for several reasons, not the least of which being that I have to work tomorrow. Instead, I ended up throwing together a (half-assed) Halloween podcast, which frees up tomorrow night for my annual Halloween genealogy devotional.
The time change seems to be catching up with me tonight, too. It’s not even 10pm yet, and already I’m feeling like it’s time to wash the dishes and go to bed. Yesterday’s leaf-raking extravaganza has well and truly taken hold, as well, so my back and arms are hella sore and stiff, which is also helping to edge me toward bed.
Good thing I didn’t end up going to the show — I’d be turning into a pumpkin barely halfway through, and putting a damper on everyone’s good time.