Writing

Recycling: Not just good for the environment

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

In my attempts to jump start short story writing after a long drought, I find myself going back to stories I’ve written before. Not just for inspiration, but for structure. In one case, I rewrote the story with different characters, setting and outcome, but kept the structure (and some key points) the same.

I wonder if this is a “bad thing.” It got me thinking about plotting short stories again. Heck, it got me to write the first draft of a story. But by taking the plot of a story and throwing in new characters, is this self plagerism?

Life in a Facebook Status

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

needs to find The Invisible Man

finished her book, has nothing to read and supposes that she could reread Master and Commander for the 12th time.

thinks she saw Neil Gaiman walking around outside of the MFA.

wonders where Kevin the Turkey has wandered off to.

is a doctor, not an astrophysicist

is thoroughly entertained by the fact that there is a Bow Street Runners computer game.

loved Star Trek and wants to see it again

feels like Phoebe on that episode of “Friends” when she gets a cold and as a result has a sexy singing voice…except no sexy singing voice here.

GAH. Why is LOST so awesome? And why do I have to wait for next season?

is on a boat.

wonders who would win: James Bond, Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer?

thinks there should be more fairy stories about the police.

lives in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.

 hurt her wrist blogging. It’s inevitable.

wonders if it is a good idea to reference Monty Python in her philosophy paper.

wishes that getting enlisted by Jack Bauer to save America from impending doom was a legitimate reason not to do homework.

A collection of some of my favorite statuses. 

Visual aesthetics of a story

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I’ve been thinking about the aesthetics of The Continent. I see it as a movie; I need to do the preproduction work. Location scouting and set dressing are high on the list.

The Continent has a muted, understated feel, like a war movie (Master and Commander, perhaps, or Band of Brothers). Lots of browns, visually, the colors not vibrant in the least. It has an odd feel in my mind. Historical sci fi, kind of steampunkish (I use this term loosely), but The Continent is set in the near future (of an alternate reality). There are computers, indoor plumbing, etc, but it has the stately ceremony of the 19th century. Warships are more stately and curved, less angular, and certainly smaller.

CC//stevecadman

CC//stevecadman

 

 

There’s a sort of grandeur and intrigue missing from our world that is present in history. Romantic I may be, but we can’t compete with ships of the line and crazy archdukes. There was speculation, guesswork, a delay of information where battles could be fought after peace had been declared; today everything can be found immediately online. We’ve lost that mystery and sense of wonder. I hope that The Continent evokes it.

Wander here, wander there, I will wander everywhere

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

 

CC/Dan4th

CC/Dan4th

Take grey, rainy Sundays where the sky will either break into blue or descend as powerful drops.

 

Add one day off, a pair of Sperry Topsiders, the city of Boston and a bored writer.

What is the result?

Wandering through areas I know well, and neighborhoods with interesting buildings is a perfect way to spend the afternoon. I’ve wanted to see the Rose Garden for a while now, having sprinted passed it a couple of months ago, so I figured today would be as good a day as any. The same goes with the Fenway Victory Gardens. Feeling bold, I walked amongst the gardens, peering into them and snapping a few pictures.

The creativity of others is inspiring. A few lines for poetry snuck into my head as I viewed hidden garden after hidden garden.

Where is she?

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

I haven’t updated lately because I’m working at my college; free time is next to nonexistent.

I’ll be back home in a little over a week; updates will actually occur.

Goals for the summer:

Work

Blog more often

Work on first draft of The Continent

Maybe let you all know what The Continent is all about sooner or later

Interview TC main character Livius for the blog.

No end in sight. A bit of a problem for short stories.

The Twirl and Swirl of Letters

Do you need to know where you’ll end up before starting your journey?

No, I’m not philosophizing. I’m planning.

I’ve come up with a few ideas for short stories, but I don’t know how to end them. A wee problem, eh? I’m afraid to start writing, as I want these stories to be short. Maybe flash length. Gershdernit.