World Without Water

What if you came from a planet where there was no such thing as water? What if you somehow ended up on Earth? What if you discovered water for the       very    first    time?

So that's my newest book idea.

It's been swimming around in my head for a while now but I believe

the time has come to start putting some words to it.

And I very much like that teaser.

Inspiring Irish

I've had another idea!

It's to do with a girl and car headlights and Irish countryside and otherwise Irishy things.

I'll say nothing more than to say that all this was brought about by the Irishness of St. Patrick's Day and by a girl who's been slowly making herself known to me, and especially today while reading A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. (I haven't finished this book and please don't take this as a recommendation -- I can't say whether I'd recommend it or not -- but it is the book through which this girl has shown herself to me.) She's even got a name, this girl of mine.

*she glares at me*

Oh, sorry, I don't mean that I own you. Simply that you are mine, affectionately (not romantically, thank you!).

*she smiles suspiciously but accepts the explanation*

this be the painting which hangs in her room
not that I know anything about her room
or any type of thing therein
or even if she has one

But I said I'd tell you nothing more. Gártha!

(I've become quite obsessed (not that I wasn't already) with the Irish language. I don't speak it (unfortunately) but Google translate does!)

In other news...

I've found this rather disturbing or saddening viewpoint of Peter Pan. I shall have to investigate.

Also, getting to getting the book read would be great.

And one last crack at Ireland.

I love this picture for some reason.

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.

          

Barefoot in the Snow

"Though spring has sprung, I'm still walking barefoot in the snow."

                                                                                                         ~ Jessie, 11 March 2014

This awesomely real winter of 2013-2014 has, as you may or may not know, been quite the snow season, unlike the past few winters, so-called.

It started with some snow. Then we got some more. And then we got a huge snowstorm, and then more snow again. It simply kept on coming. It was even forecasted that we'd get thundersnow! As in, snow with thunder and lightning. Which excited me beyond belief, of course, as this particular winter was already too good to be true, especially after the aforementioned preceding "winters." But I mean, can it get any better than snow and thunder and lightning?

My hopes were dashed when I awoke unpleasantly early the next morning (the storm was forecasted to be between 6 and 9) to view the very looked-forward-to thundersnow and, alas, none came. Too good to be true, indeed. There was, however, plenty of snow that day, and so my broken heart was soothed. (Yes, that was a bit exaggerated but I couldn't help it, it sounded so nice.)

I've only just gotten back on the blogger after quite a while. What sparked this sudden rebound was talking with a friend and getting excited about writing again and checking out her blog for the first time in a long time. I must say, I find said blog exquisitely fascinating and also quite captivating. (Also gripping, enthralling, absorbing, engrossing, spellbinding, riveting, arresting, intriguing, compelling. But enough of that, lest I embarrass the poor girl.)

Moving on. To continue with my narrative, there was much snow this winter. Despite it not having snowed in a while now, there is still quite a lot of snow and ice covering yards and driveways, particularly where it was piled out of the way during shoveling exercises. Being thus, though spring has indeed begun to...well, spring, and our driveway has for the most part thawed to gravel and mud, there is plenty of snow left on and in which to walk. 

I, being myself, choose to walk barefoot (as always) on the snow. Simply because I am myself and I love snow and I will cherish its company up until the very last tiny patch of snow has melted.

We had some friends over on Tuesday. They came to crochet. Now, I know how to crochet. In fact, I taught my sisters and my mom how to do it. However, though I'll admit it can be addicting once begun, I'm not a huge fan. Also, I didn't seem to be needed at the time. Meanwhile, Dad has arrived home from work (this is around 2pm) and has since been washing our vehicles. I go down to help. By the time I arrive on the scene, Dad has finished washing his pick-up and has just begun the family minivan.

The point of stating any and all of the preceding paragraph is to say this: as I'm working, I insist on walking only on the frozen snow piles whenever possible. It is spring weather outside but my feet are pleasantly freezing. At times, I do step on the gravel and in the puddles and the mud. While this is taking place, I'm thinking. Obviously. Anyway, something I end up thinking of is what would normally become a Facebook status. What I'm referring to is the quote you read up at the very beginning of this post.

Now, I'm thinking, thinking, thinking. (Of course I'm thinking; I'm a reader, and a reader whose writer's mind has recently been brought again to vibrant life.) All day, I'm thinking. Reading the Anne-girl's blog has put in my head that perhaps I could create a blog and keep up with it.

I already have a blog, you say? Yes, the literature blog. A literature blog is different and easy in that you simply post literature whenever you happen to like it. A movie quote here, an original poem here, a short story every now and then; some song lyrics and short ramblings.

No, I wanted a blog. A writer's blog, to be more specific. Much like Anne-girl's Scribblings. This, Barefoot in the Snow, is what I have come up with.

I know I've been rambling a bit -- okay, a lot -- along the way and I'm sure you're all wondering where I'm going with all this talk of snow and winter. The point is this: I came up with the title of "Barefoot in the Snow" from my quote. It jumped into my head and shortened itself, and it wouldn't go away. Which is okay. In fact, you might say I had a title before a had an idea, and my title needed a blog; as I've said, a writer's blog.

So there you are. My hope is that anyone who has the irritating misfortune to stumble upon this, my soul's internet dwellingplace, shall find something to their liking. Thanks for visiting and I pray you relish my ramblings, however jumbled and disjointed.