Black Again

Hey. Been awhile.

As the title indicates, this is Black. She may be learning Portuguese, but I don't know a word of it, and I'm not randomly obsessed with Irish, so no worries on that front. On the other hand, if your preference happens to not be English, she's added a translate button on the right for you.

Random post of the month. I'm Black, one phantom black who posted back in September. Remember that? No? Cool, then.

Black is not my given name. I do have one. Still not telling.

She's currently in Pennsylvania again. The kid is in the house. For almost a whole week, but they (two minions came) go back tomorrow. Tears and dramatic sadness, seems she. Alright, that's a bit exaggerated, but it goes something like that. Meanwhile, they read and play on devices and I sit unnoticed on my iPod. Mostly because I'm invisible. Though I get the idea that kid thinks my name is Bob. Nice to be known, even unknowingly...but, Bob? Despicable. Ish.

And that whole paragraph was not supposed to be a Despicable Me reference but seems to have turned out that way. At least it fits.

Spontaneous sleepover plans with Anne were thwarted Friday night, but the girls definitely enjoys seeing each other again. First time since September. An eternity. She forgot to return that random question, though. Nicholas spoilers are apparently unforgivable. Personally, I'm not sure what she sees in that guy, but then, I can't exactly judge what I don't know.

Next time, you two, I'd like to be invited, not lurking in the shadows like a stalker. Thanks.

The writeress is making a comeback. I'm here, aren't I? I've been silent for some time. Now if she'll just get that short story she's writing finished, she can move on and get some good WIP work done. Maybe continue with that couple she created the other day, which has basically created their own story in her head. They've shown up as truth and not something she's got to make up. Rwayn isn't so bad, either. Not sure about Gary, buried in those books and hardly ever says a word. Working on that.

All in all, her last week has been something like this:

Excellent.

Now she's going to go finish that story for her friend. Before midnight. (Probably not, but ambitious deadlines force incentive.)

Signing off,
Black

The Answers I'm Looking For

Just a snippet from my first unnamed book. I'm quite proud of myself at the moment. I've been wondering just how I was going to bring God up in this book when, before I realized it and completely without any planning, AnnDrew was about to eat; and of course she had to pray first. And I suddenly realized...well, that was easy! I hadn't even tried.

I'm probably going to look back on this (and the rest of the scene...this is only a bit of it) and think, Did I really think that was so awesome? It's terrible!, but for now I'm quite happy about it.

She set one of the cups next to Alex's bowl, one next to her own, and held out her hand to him. He looked at it, unsure what he was supposed to do. 

AnnDrew looked at him quizzically. "Don't you usually pray before you eat?" 

"Pray?" 

"Yeah. To thank God for providing what we're about to eat. We hold hands because we're thanking Him together." 

"Oh." Alex took her hand, though still confused. AnnDrew smiled, then bowed her head, closed her eyes, and began to talk to someone Alex couldn't see. He was still watching her when she finished the prayer and began eating.

What do you think? Criticize it, please! I have so much trouble finding people who say something more than "I like it" or, when asked if they noticed anything, "I don't really know...um, well, you put an extra space here". Nothing wrong with that but I'd really like someone to be brutally honest.

• Is there anything about the wording that seems awkward, that I should change?
• Are there any spelling/grammatical errors I've missed?
• What impression does this give you of Alex?
• What impression does this give you of AnnDrew?
• Are there any discrepancies?
• Do I repeat any words or phrases too much?
• Were you confused by anything?

Obviously, the bit I've shared in this post isn't much to go by, but those are some of the questions I'm wanting answered.

Leave a comment! I'd love to hear anything you might have to say.

         

This Writer's Return

Well, I'm back.

For a moment.

I've been off, sick and reading and otherwise. We (my entire family and I...actually, my entire church...) seem to have caught some rather nasty cold/flu/something-or-other. I've been sick for around three or four weeks now, though the first two weeks were simply a cold. Anyhow, I'm nearly over it by now (or, at least, I think I am). However, I've many, many, many, many -- did I mention I have a lot? -- of books to be read.

Books from the library. With due dates. It's my own fault, really, but that's that. And so I'll not be on much, I'm sure. But I'll be back now and again, and later more consistently.

Here's how it happens: I go to the library (mistake number one, but I really can't help it). Then I sit down to read. But somewhere between the door and the chair, I can't help but notice some book. Or if I don't, then when I look up from reading. Or between the chair and the door again. I can't help myself. Though I've gotten better. I simply can't resist a potentially good book. And so my pile of library books ends up looking something like that picture at the beginning. Or like this:

This leaves me with plenty to read, though very little time to do it in. That always seems to be the way of things. Either you've plenty of time but can't seem to find a book to read, or you've plenty of books though too little time.

So many books, so little time.

adieu for now, my friends           

         

Frosty Thoughts

Last night on the way home from church (an approximately 25-minute drive), I didn't read (no flashlight) and I didn't play my iPad (I was kinda tired anyway). I just lay back on the slightly reclined seat and thought and looked out the window.

My mind must have been feeling writerish because I came up with the line, "The day is dawning on the bright silver moon." Unfortunately, that doesn't exactly make sense. Fortunately, I was in a thinking mood and this created a problem in need of a solution. So I thought about it. I was determined to either make it make sense or think of a way to change a word or two while keeping the rhythm and idea of the original words.

Not long thereafter, I came up with a different kind of line, though very similar. Rather than a simple author's description of the beginning of the day -- or night, as I can't honestly be sure. I may find a way for that line to make sense at some time in the future -- rather than a simple author's description, I turned it into a first-person view of the sunrise. I wrote (or thought), "Day is dawning over the glassy silver lake."

When I thought of a glassy silver lake, the lake in Rise of the Guardians came to mind. As soon as that happened, I became Jack's sister standing beside the lake as the sun was coming up...which became a book with lots of ideas and an end and a...theme, I suppose...though not an actual plot...or maybe I do have a plot. I'm not really sure what it should be called, the theme/plot I mentioned.

So, new book!

That's all I'll say for now, except that it's going to be written in first-person with a single point of view, Jack's sister's (yet unnamed). I'm not quite sure of the genre yet.

          

Cats and Coffee

Cats and coffee.

The point of this post?

Well, to be honest, nothing really. I felt like typing (as I call it) and my cat was sitting next to me on the back of the couch I'm lying on. I love my cat and it's awesome when Mom makes me a good cup of coffee. Other than that, I don't suspect this post will have much to do with either.

That's her: my cat, Torri. That's not a picture of her just now. First of all, that's not a couch, it's a chair. Second, the picture is from a couple weeks ago. It's also my profile picture on Facebook. She actually just turned 15 this month. Happy birthday my darling cat!

*evil glare*

What?

*evil, oh-brother, don't-you-dare, you-know-what glare*

Okay, okay, Cat.

*rolls eyes* Just like her person.

Happy birthday my dignified creature!

*you've-got-to-be-kidding-but-I-suppose-I'll-accept-that stare*

*looks away then begins to groom herself*

(Yes, I really do have conversations with my cat. They go something like that. She gets her looks from me; pun intended or no pun intended.)

So I'm sitting here, having just finished with some pancakes my sister Rissa made me, listening to Julie Fowlis radio on Pandora, watching Mom crochet the blanket she's been working on, reading Scribblings, and wondering what I could write right now.

I currently have two books I'm working on.

The first is untitled.

Actually, let me just outline them for you.

BOOK #1
AnnDrew, Jess, and Alex Kyle

Main Characters (so far)

• Alex - his real name is Josh. He and his little sister were abandoned by their mother 8 years ago when they were 3 and 7, their father being a Navy Seal MIA. He ran when he was unable to save his sister from dying at the hand of their abusive uncle, their mother's brother.
• AnnDrew - 
• Jess - 
• Kyle - Alex and Jainie's father. He escaped / was rescued (I'm not sure yet) and has made it back to the US but without any contact with his family whatsoever. He's looking forward to being a husband and father again.

Other Characters (so far)

• Jainie - Alex's younger sister. She was killed by their abusive uncle at 11 years old.
• Jake - Josh (Alex)'s best friend. He isn't fooled by Alex's uncle's lies about how Jainie died, and after Josh tells him the truth he helps Josh escape.
• Ken - Alex & Jainie's uncle and Mia's brother. Abusive, gambler, blackmailer, embezzler. Has everyone in the small town in which he lives (and was raised in) fooled and is looked up to as the rich, generous gentleman and an upstanding, law-abiding citizen. He left when he was in his teens and came back rich, though no one know where the money came from. He calls himself an entrepreneur.
• Mia - Kyle's wife, Alex & Jainie's mom, and Ken's sister. Abandons her family when Alex and Jainie are 7 and 3, respectively, leaving them with her abusive brother. (He didn't abuse her, and I don't think he abused the children much at all while she lived with them.)
• Mrs. Parker - Jess's mom. She makes the greatest sweet iced tea. That's about all I have on her right now.

Plot

I'm not entirely sure of my plot yet. Kyle & Alex's reunion will definitely be a big part of it. Jake will have to come back in at the end (I can't just leave Josh's best friend all by his lonesome while everyone else is "happily ever after"...not that there will necessarily be one of those, though I do plan for an at least partially happy ending).

BOOK #2
Joshua, son of Nun

The second book is a book I'm co-authoring with Anne-girl. It's more of just a side project right now, especially for her, since she already has plenty of books she's working on and not nearly as much time.

The basic idea is that we're going to write a novel based on Joshua, son of Nun. You know, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho..." Yah. Anyway... Now when I say "based on" I don't mean "loosely similar to a story based on a story of the biblical story of Joshua." No, I mean we're going to stick as close to the facts as we can. We're not going to change anything that's clearly spelled out in scripture. Sure, we're going to have to take some poetic license in places to turn it into a novel (there aren't exactly a lot of details about several things which are necessary for a novel) but only where and as needed, and in keeping with what we do know.

Of course, there will be mistakes. We're not perfect, only human, and some things are subject to interpretations. Chances are, since there's two of us working on it that it will end up more accurate than if just her or just I were writing the entire book by ourselves.

Our hope with this book is simply to create an unforgettable encounter with one of the great and forgotten characters of the Bible.

Wait...Joshua, forgotten? Okay, so everyone knows the story of the battle of Jericho. You might even remember that he was one of the two "good" spies (Joshua and Caleb) who spied out Canaan. But do you really know much else about him?

Joshua pops up many places throughout his life where you may never have noticed him before. He follows Moses part way up mount Sinai, and stays there until he meets back up with Moses on Moses's way back to the camp. He leads the battle during which Aaron and Hur hold up Moses's hands; he prays in the same battle for God to stay the sun and give them victory over the enemy. There's also a second instance of Joshua asking God to stay the sun, and He does both times.

Those are just a few of the places no one really knows he's part of. All the more reason to write a novel and write it right, write it accurately.

This book doesn't have a title yet, either. As far as themes, we're thinking courage or faith or trust, something along those lines. In fact, I think I may want to suggest a theme based on "be strong and of a good courage," since that phrase appears often in the books in which Joshua lives, and is spoken several times directly to Joshua.

That is enough for now. This post has become quite long enough and longer than I expected...which, I suppose, is a good thing?

I shall have to have some of my head characters stop by sometime. Perhaps they won't ramble unimportantly so much as I do.