Much Progress

Today is a mass of hysteria and confusion as I sort out everything I need to do. Bear with me, Dear Readers. I am trying to get caught up on stuff, so this is getting posted on the late side.

This Week:
      *Reading: making slow work of Inkheart (Cornelia Funke). It a good novel and I need to soak it in. I have forgotten much of it since my last read of it.
      *Writing: wrote my OctPoWriMo poems daily (about 100 words each), Tuesday Writing Blitz (700+ words), Wednesday Writing Blitz (713 words), ROW80 post (863 words), and some NaNoWriMo prep work (its coming too fast).
      *Editing: Didn't get to editing Tuesday, but managed to get about an hour on some edits tonight. I wrote this so out of order that getting these edits and re-writes into the script is really going to take a while. But on the upside I feel I am getting a clearer story out of The Real Road Trip. Its becoming a stronger story. I have chapters now, but they feel more like sections while I sort this story out. We will see after I finish with this re-write draft.
      *Theatre Stuffs: scanned the my script (so I can print of a Lighting and Sound Technical Script tomorrow). Making sing-up sheets for make-up, and help for box office and parental guard duty. Typed up stage notes for Act 1. Much more to come....less than three weeks now!
      *House Tending: got plumber to fix leaky pipe in basement, getting a quote on a new furnace (joys of home ownership) as it appears that the furnace is shot, keeping up with laundry. Most of the dishes are now done.
      *Social Media: spending tine on Twitter, visiting 4 blogs daily from ROW80 and OctPoWriMo (at 4 for each since Sunday), and keeping up with my sponsor duties.

This (upcoming) Week:
       *Reading: continue reading Inkheart, read Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey), and start Mrs. McGinty's Body (Agatha Christie). Update my Goodreads Reading Challenge.
       *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words. Hoping to make this happen in the latter part of the week this week. Spend a little time getting character sketches done and finish a mock outline for Modern Muses for NaNoWriMo, because that starts on Sunday.
       *Editing: Spend 1 day between now and Sunday editing The Real Road Trip for an hour.
       *Blogging: post Thursday.
       *Social Media:  4 blogs daily, sponsor duties, spend time on Twitter.
       *Theatre Stuffs: report.
       *House Tending: report.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and see what the other ROW80-ers are writing about at the Blog Hop.

HOw are your goals coming? Who is doing NaNoWriMo? Ready for November?

So much stuff and now time for a little WIPpet Wednesday!

The creation of K.L. Schwengel, where writers post a bit of their WIP on Wednesday to a Blog Hop (CLICK HERE) to visit the other WIPpeteers. By using today's date you share a snippet and give a little background on the piece. Today is 10/28 so lets do 2 + 8 = 10 paragraphs from the beginning of Modern Muses (working title). Here we meet Thalos and what was doing at the top of the novel and a little bit of Teri.

A man bounced a tennis ball against the ground as he heard shouts from the field. “That’s fifteen – love, mate.” The guy on the further end of the courts called to his partner. 

“Okay, my serve then,” and he reach up just in time to miss the ball and as he ran to catch it his laces which were now loose and sprawled out across the court. He did a tuck and roll, but still managed to bang his head on the fence.

“You okay mate?” his friend called.

“Yeah, just cracked my head that’s all.” Everyone else on the nearby courts eyes the event unfolding, some even chuckle a bit, but most turned back to what they were doing when the young man slowly stood up.

They were supposed to laugh, Thalos thought. Why didn’t they? He thought it was funny.

What people didn’t see was that the man, Thalos was laughing and moving his pointer finger as the young man had skidded into the concrete, dropping his racket as the ball went out of bounds and bumping his head. Thalos wiped tears of mirth from his eyes, “Oh that’s good…” as he mentally checked off points about the young man’s fall.

“I thought you were in charge of inspiring the lighter side of poetry, comedy, and mirth.”

“I am,” said Thalos who now stood, dropping the tennis ball into his draw string bag. “I am just sitting here minding my own business. Doing some research for one of my…um, charges.”

“Right….Thalos. You think I was born yesterday.” The voice belonged to a short and thin girl, who looked much younger than Thalos. She was certainly clean in appearance. “You’re a bum, Talo.”

He hated that nickname. It made him think of candle, “What’s it to you, Teri?” Thalos said ignoring Teri and walking past a girl who was wearing black yoga pants and a purple spaghetti strap top with some brand name store across her meager chest.

All TEH Things Wednesday

This Week:
       *Reading: finished Dead Before Dark (Wendy Corsi Staub). A very engaging story, but I was a little Inkheart (Cornelia Funke).
disappointed in the ending. It felt rushed and a little anti-climatic. Over all was a fun read though. Focusing now on
       *Writing: wrote  Monday (500+ words), Tuesday (616 words), and my ROW80 post (628 words). Also, I have written my daily poems for OctPoWriMo (about 100+ words per post).
       *Editing: spend an hour Tuesday and Wednesday on The Real Road Trip. I have about 4 chapters set . Finding the story better now. Still its like playing giant word Tetris . It's coming, albeit slowly, but it's coming. This why I need to plot more and pants less.
       *NaNoWriMo Prep: started breaking down my scenes (have 6 currently) and made a character list for Modern Muses.
       *Theatre Stuffs: sending out regular week in review emails, wrote my bios for the Golden Age of Radio Show and The Music Man. Bought a first aid kit and the glow in the dark spike tape will be delivered tomorrow. Still need a box for my stage manager stuff.
        *House tending: dishes and laundry done. Discovered a leaking pipe in the basement, just above the hot water tank. The joys of home owning and being an adult. That call will happen tomorrow to get someone to fix it. Decorated for Halloween.
        Social Media: 4 blogs daily (ROW80 and OctPoWriMo makes 8). I got most of that since Sunday and Visit at least 2 WIPpet Wednesday, as I miss that this past week. Visit my sponsor duties. Sponsor post has been submitted, will be live in November. I skipped #writestuff tweet chat to focus on the editing.

Been a good week, except I have been feeling distant. I think because I have a lot going on and my brain gets focus on one thing, and ALL TEH OTHERS get pushed to the back burner. Still, it's been a good week over all.

This (upcoming) Week:
      *Reading : continue with Inkheart and start another Agatha Christie mystery.
      *Writing: write daily, at least 300 words.
      *Blogging: post something Thursday.
      *Theatre Stuffs: report.
      *Social Media: 4 blog daily and sponsor duties.
      *House tending: carve/paint pumpkins. Bake Halloween goodies.

A Round of Words in 80 Days, the blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and visit the Blog Hop and see what everyone is writing about, working on, or involved in.



• What are you currently reading? Inkheart (Cornelia Funke)
• What did you recently finish reading? Dead Before Dark (Wendy Corsi Staub)
• What do you think you’ll read next? Mrs. McGinty's Body (Agatha Christie) or The Faerie Path (Frewin Jones)

Today is also WIPpet Wednesday, the brain-child of K.L. Schwengel, the chief cook and bottle washer and flying monkey trainer. By using today's date I will share a bit of my WIP (working title) Modern Muses. Today's snippet is right after last week's, continuing with Teri's adventures in the dark. WIPpet math 21st day, 2 +1 = 3 +1 = 4 paragraphs.

Check out the Blog Hop to visit the other WIPpeteers and see what they are writing.

“Yes?” she said tentatively as she began to look around the darkness of wherever she was.

“I thought so. Nothing makes sense here, I should know,” the voice said, sounding neither male nor female, but was calming. Teri tried to relax some, inhaling and exhaling slowly, not sure if she was breathing or pretending to. “I know you are lost. You encountered one of them didn’t you?” Teri felt warmth surround her shoulder, or what she thought her shoulders were.

“Them?”

“So you really don’t know, then?” The voice grew closer and Teri was sure that her shoulders were real. There was pained that arched across her shoulder blades.

Whew, that was a long post....

Okay, it's that time again, first post out of the gate of Round 4 and how did I do? Well considering that I packed quite a basket of writing in this Round and some theatre too. Let's take a look...

This week (since Monday):
     *Reading: made quite a bit of progress on Deep Time (Doctor Who: The Glamour Chronicles), almost
done. Only 15 books left from reaching 50 books read for 2015.
     *Writing: wrote a poem for OctPoWriMo everyday since October 1st; wrote ROW80 post Monday, writing blitz (800 words), rough draft for ROW80 sponsor post (667 words), and ROW80 post today.
     *Theatre Stuffs: ordered ink, ready to print and mail sponsor letters, and ordered spike tape for my theatre box.
     *Social Media: visited 4 blogs (ROW80) yesterday and OctPoWriMo blogs (3 today, 3 yesterday, 4 Sunday)

This (upcoming) Week:
       *Writing: write daily, 300 words a day and finish Sponsor post.
       *Editing: work on The Real Road Trip edits Friday.
       *Reading: finish Deep Time and pick up Murder Comes Ashore.
       *Theatre Stuffs: report.
       *Social Media: 4 blogs daily, sponsor duties.
       *Blogging: post Thursday.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and visit us at the Blog Hop.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
    Deep Time - The Glamour Chronicles by Trevor Baxendale
• What did you recently finish reading?
    The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (its been a while)
• What do you think you’ll read next?
    Either finished Murder Comes Ashore by Julie Anne Lindsey or             Dead Before Dark by Wendy Corsi Staub

It's WIPpet Wednesday. Time to share a piece of my current WIP Modern Muses on K.L. Schwengel's brain child project WIPpet Wednesdays where you take today's date and share a snippet relating to the numbers in the date. You see today 10/7 and I am going to share 7 + 2 = 9 paragraph from what I just wrote this evening. Go on and visit my fellow WIPpeteers here.

This little section is more from the trouble the Mel (the Muse of Tragedy, Melpomene) has gotten into.

“So what are you doing here?” the woman asked pulling slowly away.

“We needed a place to stay. There was, well is a threat, I thought I would visit my buddy, Dio. He has a nice place up the coast. That’s how we ended up here. This is Dio’s place.” Mel said, sounded convinced and a little cryptic.

“You think so, little one?” the woman laughed, arching her back. Mel opened his eyes and saw her, skin tight dress and blonde hair wavering in the still air. “How little you know, Muse.” Her voice changed. Mel didn’t move as she leaned back down and kissed him again forcefully. Teri was frozen as she watched this play out. Mel’s eyes grew wide and she pulled away, “Didn’t you stop to think, why your friend didn't come down to see you?” She sauntered around the sofa and came around to Mel’s other side.

Teri held her breath, trying to back up slowly. She couldn’t seem to release her mind from the Dream State, although she was more than ready moments before. Another step back, hoping that the woman wouldn’t notice her, even though she was aware that she was in a Dream State and NOT visible to anyone but Mel.

The woman again kneeled on the sofa, kicking off her stiletto heels in the process and flipping her hair back, “Never once did you think to ask, Mel. Is that right?” Mel tried to respond, but he was frozen and could only watch her movements. Teri hears his frantic mentally screaming in her head as the women kisses him again. “Who sent you?” she purred.

Mel couldn’t move, let alone speak. The women then looked up, “I can’t see you, whoever you are?” Looking right at Teri, but not seeing her she said to Teri, “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on? I am well aware, Little Muse,” she called out, “There is more than you know going on and I will not let you interfere.” 

Teri was locked in fear and stood still, “I don’t know who you are, but if you think you can stop it, you don’t really know anything. You see my sisters and I…” but she stopped. 

Teri felt herself disappear, and in her head she heard, “Don’t tell them anything?”

Then it was all gone…

Unrhymed and WIP'd!

I tried to write a rispetto, I really did. I actually got the the iambic tetrameter, but am struggling with the rhyme. The feel of the poem feels genuine, and I really don't want to lose that. Maybe it's destined to be a unrhymed rispetto. What do you think, Dear Readers? Should I try to make the rhyme happen, or just enjoy the poem I wrote. I am happy that I got the iambic tetrameter to happen. Do you ever struggle with writing a rhyming piece versus and non-rhyming piece? Do you prefer rhyme to non-rhymed?

Today is my final warm-up for OctoPoWriMo that begin tomorrow. 31 poems in 31 days! Check it out!!

I used Clavichord as my writing prompt. A Clavichord  (from dictionary.com) an early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.

Where Words and Music Meet

When you prepare to write a poem

its best to try to remember 

that meter comes while on a whim

much like those melodies composed

Upon clavichords, metallic

counting the beats as they roll past.

Measures and words, from writers and

composers, are no different.

Today is also WIPpet Wednesday, brainchild of K.L. Schwengel, author extraordinaire. Every Wednesday writers share a bit of their WIP. By taking the day's date, you select a snippet to share. Still confused? Don't worry, it took me a little while to get it. See today is 9/30/2015 and by using the numbers in the date you can pick how many sentences, paragraphs, or words to share. Also, from which chapter and page (if you know that much of you WIP). Clearer now? Okay. 

Come visit my fellow WIPpeteers at the Linky List here.

How could he even get here, wherever here was? Not even sure he could speak. He’s thoughts were wild, racing about the real world. For he believe that he was not in the real world, either a dream or maybe it was the end and he finally succumbed to the pulse of the city he had fled years before.

That made something stir, memories float to the surface of his mind. He was sure that he was still himself, but who that was he wasn’t sure. Memories of his Abeula singing to him, teaching him how to play. Thos were the best of times, sitting in front of the fire after a meager dinner of rice, beans, and whatever vegetable that could be procured by the roadside markets in the middle of the night. He smiled. Was sure he was smiling, thinking about Abeula and the vegetables and the fire and the guitar. He missed her terribly, but another memory floated to the surface.

It was of anger and sadness, and a choice that he made so long ago.

There were harsh words between him and someone else. Not Abeula! She would never have made him leave. Never! Who then?

The image of the angry voice was blurry in the blackness, suddenly he felt cold. And he dropped the memory, he felt a faint warmth tip his head and nose, as it flushed through his body and he was aware of his nose, his mouth exhaling, his eyes blinking. There was dampness on his face, sweat maybe, tear. He didn’t really cry, did he?

Little Bit of This and That...Labour Day and End of Summer

So much to report....

This Week:
       *Reading: I have been bouncing between my menagerie of books. Haven't finished reading anything new yet, but enjoying the progress. Currently, I am working on Invisible Moon (James A. Owen), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie), and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams). I have recently discovered that I enjoy jumping from book to book, as it suit my mood. This sprang up from a conversation with an old friend from High School two weekends ago now about how we read books. I always marveled at her ability to read books quickly.
       *Writing: wrote Monday (650 words) and Tuesday (953 words), and will be blitzing later today on Modern Muses.
       *Editing: finished the reading through/edit of The Real Road Trip back on Friday. I am reallt please dto have made it the whole way through and even more pleased that the story is still workable. Just need some massive re-writes in the process. Enjoyed a bit of a break during the weekend. Now I start the next phase of the edits.
       *Social Media: keeping up with my sponsor duties and returning to my daily 4 blog visits. Spent a little more time on Twitter with my #writestuff tweet chat yesterday.

In the middle of all this I have to find a schedule to accommodate my upcoming rehearsal schedule. Daunted? Maybe a little. Determined? Heck yeah! I built some good habit over the summer and don't want to lose that. I am also trying to do more challenges, like the WWW Wednesdays:

What are you currently reading?
   -about 5 different novels. The one I am leaning more towards is Invisible Moon (James A. Owen). It the second in his Mythworld series about what happens when Rangarok happens in a little Upstate New York town. I don't think that was too spoilery.

What did you recently finish reading?
     -The Festival of Bones, Mythworld Book 1 (James A. Owen). What happens when ancient literature meets opera?

What do you think you’ll read next?
     -finish one of the other books I have started. Also want to revisit and finish the Inkheart series (Cornelia Finke) . I have a pending review of the movie that is just waiting to happen. I do book to movie review/analysis.

This (upcoming) Week:
     *Reading: finish reading Invisible Moon and maybe Murder Comes Ashore (Julie Anne Lindsey).
     *Writing: write daily, at  least 300 words.
     *Editing: begin my re-write of The Real Road Trip, trying the edits re-writing all the crap, and finally organizing the chapter, maybe an outline too. To be completed by the end of September.
      *Blogging: missed my Tuesday blog day, so this week will be Thursday. 1 non-ROW80 post. Also blog about goal progress in August and September goals.
      *Submissions: 2 new submissions and report on the progress.
      *Social Media:  visit 4 blogs daily and sponsor goals. Thinking of being a sponsor for Round 4.

Music Man read through is next week. Got to work on a props list. Revise my schedule to account for rehearsals and writing/editing time. Prep for NaNoWriMo in November. Post more spoke word to my YouTube channel (as it hasn't gotten a lot of love in the last year). Prepare for OctPoWriMo in October. Also, enjoy the End of Summer.

How are your goals, Dear Readers? What have you been up to as the summer is winding down?

A Round of Words in 80 Days, a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Stop in the Blog Hop to visit my fellow bloggers/writers.

It's also, WIPpet Wednesday. The day we post a snippet of our WIP. Created by K.L. Schwengel. YOu take today's date and used the NEW MATH to get a snippet of your WIP and share with the interwebs. Visit my fellow WIPpeteers here. Today's date is 9/2/2015. Going to make it simple 9+2=11 lines from
Modern Muses.

We find Thalos calling on Teri and she arrives via a dream form...

“Guess I am hearing things now.”

“No, you’re not,” the voice came again, sounding closer.

“Teri?” Thalos called, but when he looked up he didn’t see anyone or anything.

“You called?” Teri’s voice filled his ears.

“Did I?”

“I heard to whisper my name. Then you said something. I then found myself here” 

“What was that,” he said to the emptiness that was the study and to the direction that Teri voice had come from. He closed his eyes and thought about Teri, her shape, hair colour, her smell.

“Talo, it’s me.” The voice was stronger now and he saw through his closed eyes Teri’ small frame standing near the fire. “Come here, but don’t open your eyes too fast.”

“I how can I do that and not trip over chairs and mediaeval armour?”

“It seems to work better when you close your eyes. Relax . Then slowly open your eyes.” Easier said that done, Thalos thought to himself. “I am glad you called. There seems no way out of this room.”

“Where are you?” Thalos asked, finding that he was suddenly standing.

Thalos and Teri's Song:

WIPpet Wednesday: Meet Melopomene

Tonight is an early WIPpet Wednesday. I am really plowing into and through this Modern Muses story. I am not sure I will keep the title, but for know it works.

WIPpet Wednesday is the brain child of K. L. Schwengel, writer, blogger, and photog of sheep and various wildlife. Rules are this, take your WIP and select a snippet from it to share, using the day's date to connect back to the WIP. Today's date is 8/26 (a little early). The math I will use is  8+2+6=16 lines from Modern Muses. I have shown you Teri and Thalos. This week is Mel's turn. This is going back to back arriving at Mel's "friends" house. This is when we meet Mel. Also go visit my fellow WIPpeteer here!

“Hey Hey,” a voice called from the heavens and suddenly someone appeared, while the crowds of people pushed past the two muses. Thalos couldn’t tell if it was a male or female he was seeing in front of them. The figure had short dark hair and dyed a bright shade of blue and a jovial smile as he came up to Thalos. “Talo, sup my man?” laying some skin on Thalos’ now open hand. 

“Uh, nothing.” He was trying to remember who this was. They were short, barely adult size, but that meant nothing to an immortal. The eyes were quick and shifty, but they were smiling too. 

“Don’t remember me do ya?”

Thalos shrugged and tried to play it cool. “It’s been a while. Been busy.” Teri laughed suddenly, a short bark that belied that Thalos was lying, if only slightly.

“No, not really. You look awfully familiar though.”