Category Archives: Other Projects

So Now What?

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I’ve been reading The Lady In The Tower: The Fall Of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir, which is about the last 3 months of Anne Boleyn.  It’s pretty interesting, and so far, the information is relatively new to me.  I’m finding that the more I read, the more vague ideas I get.  I might need to read about the ideas I’m interested in, but for now, I’ll stick to a general overview because getting different perspectives would be really helpful.  Besides, I need to remind myself of the different things going on.

Writing’s going okay- I went a little over 175 for a couple of the things I worked on, and wrote almost double what I expected for the 3rd project.  I had to re-read my snape and tonks story and my draco and hermione story, since I had completely forgotten what they were about.  They’re pretty short, so it didn’t take too long.  I also had to re-read the NaNo from a couple years ago, but I decided to read the last few pages of it instead of reading the whole thing.  I think I’ll work on 4 novels this week, and write 125 words for each of them.  Plus, I’ll continue working on my characters.  I definitely want to be working on something pretty much everyday, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself or anything, so I’ll attempt to slowly increase the number of things I work on every week.  The number of words might change week to week, depending on my mood, and what I think I can handle.

I’m back to using sparkpeople.  I’ve used it off and on for the last few years, and have found it to be a great resource…when I don’t get bored with keeping a food/exercise journal.  For a free weight loss website, it’s actually really helpful, and has a lot of information on it.  I tend to get bored with the food and exercise journal aspects after a few months, hence why I’ve used it off and on.  Going to the gym yesterday was a struggle, and I was debating whether or not I should go, because I was still really tired.  I got more than enough sleep, but apparently not as much as I needed.  I ended up going, mostly because it’s on my way home from my writer’s group.  Unfortunately, it didn’t give me the energy boost I thought it would, but at least I can say I went.

Have a great day!

Just Plodding Along

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I’ve been surprisingly productive this week. 

I read 3 books, am reading 4 others, and wrote 553 words.  And I have 3 (mostly) complete character profiles.  So what if I only went to the gym twice? I still have today to go, and I probably will.  

There isn’t really anything else I can add, since I’m achieving the goals I set.  But it feels great to actually accomplish something. 

Next week, I will:

  • write 175 words for the 3 novels I haven’t worked on yet- I have 2 other fanfics that I started years ago, plus one of my old NaNo’s that are on my list of things to work on, so it might help if I actually work on them.  And I’ve decided that I’m going to slowly increase the number of words I write each week.  It seems like I write more than the goal I’m setting, and I’d like to write more, so hopefully slowly upping the number of words I write each week will help me find something that works really well.   
  • go to the gym 3 times- 3 seems minimal, but it works for me, and I don’t want to overdo it.  Plus, I do some stuff at home too, so it all balances out.
  • finish 2-3 books- I’m reading 5, so finishing 2 or 3 of them shouldn’t be a problem.
  • start the character profiles for the 2 characters in one of my other plot bunnies- hopefully taking a look at them will give me a better idea of what I actually want to do with the story.

Hopefully, I’ll continue to write and read and all that good stuff.  Oh, and relax.  Maybe I need to start meditating or something.

And The Research Has Begun

Posted in Books, Other Projects by

I’ve started rereading The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir.  It’s been a while since I’ve read it, and since I’m determined to write something set during Tudor England, it might give me an idea or two.  And since I’ve been listening to Tudor Talk, I’ve been inspired to read everything I can about the Tudors. 

I’ve started compiling a list of books I want to read, and here they are:

  • The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir
  • The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
  • The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir
  • Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox
  • The Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey
  • Pretty much anything else by Alison Weir

 I’m a big fan of Alison Weir, and I’ve heard about the David Starkey book, so I’m curious as to what he has to say.  And I want to compare and contrast his book with Alison Weir’s book.  And I think he has a book about Elizabeth I, so that may end up on the list as well. 

I’m not sure if I’ll read any other books, mostly because I’m not sure what other books are out there, but also because I have a good number of books I want to read.  Plus, they have to get their information from somewhere, so I’ll have to check out the bibliographies if I need/want more information. 

I might start reading some historical fiction too, just to get some ideas, and see what other people have done.  I’ve read most of the Philippa Gregory books, which were okay, but there are a few I haven’t read, so those will probably go on the list. 

The nonfiction stuff is probably going to take me a while, since I’ll be taking notes, but I should be able to get through the fiction stuff pretty easily.  It looks like I’ll have plenty to read, but thankfully it counts towards my 100 book challenge, so I’m killing 2 birds with one stone.

Not Quite Finished, But It’s A Start

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So I started the character profiles.  I only did something really basic, limiting it stuff like age, where they live, what they do, and other basic info.  It’s a start, though, and a lot more than I probably would have done otherwise.  I think I definitely need to set smaller goals for myself, since that seems to be working a lot better than really vague goals.  Smaller, specific goals + a deadline = me actually being productive.  It works during NaNo, so I have no idea why the thought to apply the same principles outside of NaNo never occurred to me. 

Here are the characters I worked on:

  • Kaylee Adams: I see her as early to mid-30’s.  She’s from Rhode Island, twirls her hair, is in fairly good health, and has no vision problems.  She’s the middle child, generous, and is (generally) polite, but is sometimes rude. 
  • Penelope Adams: She’s in her 60’s.  I have no idea where she’s from.  She studied psychology, and I’m toying with the idea of her having some kind of medical background.  She’s judgemental of others, but tries not to show it, is sometimes polite, and is the 1st female president.
  • Tucker Robinson: He’s between the ages of 35 and 45, is an only child, and wears glasses.  He is introverted, polite, and not very generous.  He has a PhD in anthropology, and likes conspiracy theories.

My goals for next week are: to continue working on the 3 characters above, taking a look at how they deal with things, and what motivates them, as well as what scares them and makes them happy.  I will also write 150 words each for the Giant Prehistoric Chicken, Turning Point, and Fred and Hermione.

I Am So Proud of Myself

Posted in General, HP & The Giant Prehistoric Chicken, Other Projects by

I actually planned a couple of my plot bunnies.  Not really planning, but more coming up with notes.  And I even worked on Harry Potter and the Giant Prehistoric Chicken!

Not much, mind you, but a little.  Like 20 or 30 words.  But it’s the most I’ve worked on it since November, which is a big improvement over the fact that I’ve done absolutely nothing with it.

I don’t have many many notes on my plot bunnies, but I have a few.  And I have characters!  With names!  That’s all I have, but it’s a start, and I can stop referring to them as those nameless people that I need to name and think about. 

We have Kaylee Jane Daniels, who stumbles across a mysterious group of people.  She 1st heard about this group of people through someone she met, and soon sees them everywhere.  I’m still trying to decide how she meets this person, but I have a couple of ideas.  She definitely doesn’t think anything of it, and even laughs it off, until she starts seeing them herself. 

I have a very vague idea of her job, but she tells her boss, thinking she’s crazy.  Her boss, however, becomes worried that Kaylee’s seeing mysterious people everywhere.  I’m not sure why it’s important, and in the end, it might not be important.  But right now, it is.  It seems very ominous. 

One of my goals is to have a character profile done for Kaylee and her boss done by Saturday.  I’d also like to get one done for the person that tells Kaylee about the mysterious group of people.

I will also write at least 1oo words each for the Giant Prehistoric Chicken, Turning Point and one of my other Harry Potter fanfics. And I’ll post if I actually get any of this done.

How Hard Is It To Come Up With An Idea?

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I’ve given some thought to one of my other plot bunnies, and I’ve been struggling with it.

The premise is that someone stumbles across a secret government agency- it’s an agency so secret even the president doesn’t know about it.

I’ve been struggling with it because what would be so secretive the president doesn’t know about it?  Right now, one of the ideas that popped into my mind was something similar to The Event, which is a great t.v. show.  Or maybe something based off The Adjustment Bureau.  I haven’t seen it, but the trailers I’ve seen intrigue me. 

I’m hoping to have a more developed idea in the next month or two.  I definitely need to work on my characters too, because there’s only a couple that I’ve come up with. 

The idea needs a lot of work, so hopefully by November I’ll have a lot more to work with.  I like the idea though, so I’m hoping something will come to me. 

I may end up taking it in a different direction, since I’m still not sure what I want to do with it.  Coming up with a vague idea is the easy part- it’s developing the idea and the characters that’s slightly more difficult and somewhat problematic.  I think I may end up coming up with notes for each idea and see what happens.

I Hope I Don’t Get Caught Up In The Research

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I haven’t gotten much of anywhere with that historical fiction idea I have, but I’ve started to do a little bit of research for it. 

Here are some of the things I’m considering:

  • something from the perspective of Catherine Carey, who was Mary Boleyn’s daughter (Mary was Anne’s sister, making Catherine Anne’s niece).  I don’t know what it is, but there is something about Catherine that strikes me as interesting.  Perhaps what I find so interesting is the fact that she was a witness to Anne’s execution.  That could be an interesting take on it.
  • Amy Robsart- she was Robert Dudley’s 1st wife.  Robert Dudley was Master of Horse for Elizabeth I.  I find her story to be mildly interesting, and the circumstances around her death even more interesting than her life.  It might be interesting to write something about that. 
  • Something written from the perspective of a lady-in-waiting to the queen.  Or anyone who’s staff for the monarchy.  I read The Queen’s Fool several years ago, about a girl who was the Holy Fool for Edward VI and then Mary I.  It would be interesting to write.
  • I’m not sure if I still want to focus on Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard or Jane Seymour.  I might but it also depends on what I find out about the time period.

I’m definitely going to have to do some research on this- I want to have a general idea of clothing, food, language, and the household, among other things.  Plus, names are going to be important, especially if I go with the idea of someone’s lady-in-waiting, as I’ll be making someone up, instead of going with an actual person.  I want to have the right name, and use something common to the time period.  Something I learned was that middle names were commonly used in Europe, especially Spain and Germany, and the English generally didn’t have a middle name. 

I don’t really have a clear idea for a plot, although I have a couple vague ideas- and the ideas I do have are so vague I doubt they could be considered plots.  I’m hoping that as I research more, I’ll eventually come across something interesting.  Otherwise, I may have to put this idea on hold.  I don’t know whether that’s good or bad; however, if I don’t come up with something by November, it should make going with 2 ideas somewhat easier since I’ll have one less idea to choose from.

All The Training She Needs

Posted in Flash Fiction by

Here’s another flash fiction for everyone.  And I found the prompt over at Flash Fiction.  And as usual, it is © me.

Title: All The Training She Needs

“Mission?  Me?” asked Isabella.

“Yes,” said Robert.

“Why me?  I’m not cut out for missions, that’s why I work in the lab,” Isabella protested.  “And I’m not exactly the type of person who likes wearing dresses.”

“I think you’ll look very fetching,” he said.  “Just find something summery.”

“I don’t even know how to do that!”

“Just drink some of this elixir,” he said, handing her a bottle that he had pulled from his desk.

“What is it?” she said.  “Woebegone?  What the hell is this?”

“It will solve your problems,” Robert explained.

“No it won’t!” she exclaimed.  “I told you, I’m not cut out for missions!  I’m not an agent, I really don’t get why I have to do it.”

“You’re our best option for it,” Robert said.  “We need you.”

“Are you sure there’s no one else?” she asked unsurely.

“You won’t be alone, Boats will be with you,” Robert said patiently.  “Besides, we’ll prep you for it.  You won’t be doing this alone.”

“I’ll be prepared for it?”

“Yes,” he said.  “And we can find someone else, if you feel you’re not ready at the end of it.”

“Good,” she said.  “I hope I pass with singing colors.”

“You mean flying colors?”

“I don’t care what kind of colors they are,” Isabella said.

“Do people misunderstand you?”

“Once in a blue lagoon,” Isabella said.

“I suppose we can translate,” Robert mused.  “You can do this.  It is not impossible.”

Guacamole

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I actually did something besides work on Turning Point!  I’m really excited about this.  I actually found the prompt for this over at Flash Fiction, and I thought I’d share it.  It’s © Nicole R., so don’t steal it or anything.

Title: Back In The Argument

“So today, we’re going to look at some bungalows,” Katie said. 

 “Why?” asked Ryan. 

 “We have to live somewhere, and I thought it would be nice to live near the beach.”

 “I don’t really want to go gallivanting around town just because you want to see a halcyon,” Ryan retorted. 

 “But I love the beach!  And I thought you did too,” she said quietly. 

 “Not enough to live near it,” he answered.

 “But think about how convenient it would be!” she insisted. 

 “I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours,” he said, “but you are not the empress of this house.”

 “My parents always told me I was their little princess,” she said.  “And I want to live near the beach.”

 “For the record, most girls grow out of it,” ryan said.  “It’s not normal.”

 “Are you saying that I am acting aberrantly?” she said.  “Wait, did I use the word aberrant right?”

 “You did,” he said.  “And yes, that is what I’m saying.”

 “But we can eat guacamole all the time at the beach!”

 “We can do that now,” Ryan said.  “Besides, if we move, we won’t have an avocado tree.  We’d have to buy them.”

 “I will not be deterred by that!” she insisted.  “We love guacamole.”

“I give up,” ryan said.  “You can go searching for your bungalow by yourself.  And for the record, Katie, I hate guacamole.”

A Letter To Plot Bunnies

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Dear Plot Bunnies:

We need to stop this love-hate relationship we have.  Right now, I hate you.  The last thing I need is a bunch of ideas that I’m never going to work on, just like all of the other projects I said I would work and then never did. 

Yes, I love NCIS, and while I would love to write a fanfic involving McGee, DiNozzo and/or Fornell, I have 4 Harry Potter fanfics that I keep telling myself I’m going to work on.  I don’t need to add 3 more to that!

I also don’t need to start planning something supernatural either.  Or something mythological.  One of the aforementioned fanfics fits that description moderately well.

I like these ideas you keep springing on me, I really do, but I have enough projects that I want to work on. 

The only thing I can agree on is the idea of flash fiction.  Writing something shorter may be what I need to start working on everything else.  For that, I do commend you. 

But I’d really, really appreciate it if you could somehow figure out when I need you.  You show up at the worst possible times.  Perhaps you ought to try listening? 

It was nice talking to you, plot bunnies.  I hope we can work everything out.