Wandering down a tunnel, cold and damp. The mud squelches and echoes around me. It feels like I am in a huge cavern, but I know its a tunnel, and I have been walking for a long time.
My feet feel heavy as I lift them up and out of the mud, only to be draw back in the quagmire of the muddy recesses. I don't like being here, but here is where I am. It wasn't always this way. I remember back when the sunshine existed and I was warm. That was July, I believe. I got sidetracked while traveling. That happens sometimes. But never like this, with tunnels and darkness. I wish that I could get back into the sunlight, but it feels like months, or eons away. Squish. Squelch. I start humming a little song, something that I don't remember, but I am walking a little faster. In time. In beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. And suddenly I don;t realize that I am in a dark, damp, and cold tunnel, because I am singing, "...rise to the fear, face the inner dark, and the light will.." I sing, getting lost in the melody. When I look up, I see the light, a much larger circle, though still in the distance. Maybe it's not so far away, I think, skipping along the muddy roadway.
Dear Readers, sometimes I get so caught up in the daily, in the tunnel, that i forget I am on a journey. Winter, as I spoke of before is so hard, hard for a lot of people, me included. Once again I found myself in the middle of a dark tunnel, but this time I refused to stay there. I have to fight. I have to walk. Because if I don't then I won't get out of the tunnel. I have been outside of the tunnel before, and I will return there again, but right now I need to walk, one step at a time.
In the mean time, I am beginning my journey to published author. First, I just got word that one of my two poems were chosen for a local anthology of poems on Gender and Sexuality, titled "Gender Truths". There's a reading next month and this will be in physical print. This is REALLY exciting!
So, now I have to work on getting these pieces of fiction published. I have chosen four short works that I have revised and sent out to beta readers, and then revised some more. Now it's time to start submitting them. There are in a great place, ripe for submitting. Maybe I will need to revised and/or more, but at this time it's time to try another round submissions. If I don't get my name out there, how will anyone know who I am. Right?
Other business, I recent had a Sooper Sekrit Project that I had been working on. It's time to admit what I have be doing. I last month I write on my own, four Welcome to Night Vale scripts. It is my current obsession, and am going to be seeing them live in April. SQUEEEEEE! Anyway, when I started writing these scripts I hadn't thought much beyond finishing them. Well, there are done. And I went and submitted them (afterward I checked the website FAQ). I don't know if Jeffrey and Joseph will read them, but I did what I set out to do. In the mean time I have posted them to my Deviatart Page for fans to enjoy, and I plan to do a table read with my Night Valian friends this spring.
Also, I have two children's books that I am going to get published somehow, either this year, or later and maybe self-publish if it doesn't go through the regular means. I am working on that, nd as it involves business stuff, I m taking it slow. But, it's only February 9th and I am a (NOW) a thrice published poetry (the last two were on calendars).
Yup, that is going to be my 2017, editing, revising, and submitting, maybe a little writing to keep the juices flowing.
Jumping in feet first this week... This week: *Blogging: done yesterday. A review of Coraline book and movie. That was fun!
*Writing: wrote 2 short poems on Monday and blogged Tuesday. WORD TOTAL: 1208 word for the blog and 29 word for the cinquains.
*Reading: finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Really good! Sad, yes, but an engaging read overall. Started Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Seriously I am really addicted to this man's work!! Stuck on Windhaven (George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle).
*Social Media/Visiting: on track.
*Submitting: to Yalobusha Review (actually was on Sunday, but well after posting Sunday's check-in).
*Theatre Stuffs: Cast is almost completely off book. Looking so good.
This rest of the week:
*Writing: write daily between 100 - 500 words. Current projects are to write Flash Fiction for #writestuff challenge and/or work on Doctor Who story.
*Editing: The Real Road Trip and knock out between 20 - 30 pages before Sunday's check-in. Slack on this this week.
*Submitting: 1 new submission this week.
*Blogging: 1 new blog post (non-ROW80).
*Theatre Stuffs: need to call the lady we are borrowing the chair from and print off the press release to take to The Leader this week. Call my sponsors that are supposed to be putting in ads in the program.
A Round of Words in 80 Days is a blog challenge that challenges you to set goals and report on your progress. It is a Blog Hop, come in and warm yourself by the fire and visit with the rest of us writers.
Today is WIPpet Wednesday and I am not quite prepared. Today is 2/18, so let's do 8 + 1 = 9 lines from The Real Road Trip. It's a short bit. a little more about Selynee, this time when she's older. Trust me I will post a bigger snippet next week.
Bolting awake, Selynee sat upright. Her room was still dark. Tears were following down her cheeks as the dream receded from her memory. There was Marcie at the semi-formal, it felt like an almost reliving of that night. Selynee fought to shuck the dream off as she cried into her stuffed rhino, but the emotions left her feeling heavy. Selynee threw off her covers. The pillows were already on the floor, only the rhino was wrapped in her arms. It was stared at her, with its little rhino smile on its face. “Oh Rupert!” she said, glancing at her clock. The green glowing number made she eyes ache. It was two in the morning and she was wide awake.
This cold, I tell you. I am so over winter! My productivity suffers when it is this cold. I am trying so hard to fight it. The good news is the The Mousetrap is coming along swimmingly. My cast is a delight to watch. We are a little over two week until the show. Wowsa! Scared and excited all rolled into one. What have you been up to in the middle of this snow/cold/winter, Dear Readers?
Not much to report today, somewhere between the snow, the cold, and my own busy schedule I got less done than I planned. I necessary bad, but I have been in a mood that I have been fighting all week, and with people getting sick around me I am worried that I might actually get sick this winter. Sigh! Anyway, I am not moping about the lack of progress.
BEARS!!!!!
All Dogs Must Be Carried.
I still have had an amazing week of rehearsals and have gotten more organized with The Mousetrap, so it's not a waste. Besides I got to go on a date with the Hubs yesterday. He had free passes to a local cinema, so we (well, mostly me) decided to go see Paddington. And it was worth it. A modern take on the stop motion animation cartoons of the 70s/80s. The cast was well cast, of the name I knew. There were a number of unfamiliar names in the cast and some that I knew a bit of, like Peter Capaldi ~cough cough~, Michael Gambon, and obviously, Nicole Kidman. A fun, entertaining movie. The jokes were funny, a bit more English humour, but if you are willing to learn or know English humour, then it's fine. Music was pretty good, and I have a new favourite style of music to get into and a new band to enjoy, D Lime. So, yeas, Paddington is a good movie!
Also, I finally watched the movie version of Coraline, because I got the DVD for it, and a DVD of The Maxx, and a signed mix CD from Michael Nesmith from the Hubs.
Today, I am going to buy goodies on the next best holiday "Cheap Chocolate Day". This Week: *Reading: finished Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. Up next is Stardust, also by Neil and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Sometime I buy books at Salvation Army stores and then I really do read them. Go figure! Gonna try it and see.
*Social Media/Visiting: Nothing Saturday, as it was Saturday (the unplugged day) and Valentine's Day. The rest of the week: Wednesday to Friday I visited at least 4 fellow bloggers new and regularly visited blogs.
*Submitting: 1 today. Done at Mauldin House here ----> MAUDLIN HOUSE.
*Theatre Stuffs: submitted a press release to The Courier Advocate, print up copy for The Leader, bought scarf for Giles, began promoting the hell out of this show.
For This Week:
*Writing: write something daily. minimum of 100 words to a maximum of (insert number here). TODAY TOTAL: 362 words.
*Novel: edit at least 10 more pages before Wednesday check-in.
*Reading: Stardust, The Fault in Our Stars, Windhaven (George R. R Martin and Lisa Tuttle). Make progress on each of them.
*Submitting: 1 new submission.
*Blogging: 1 new blog post.
A Round of Words in 80 Days a blog challenge where you write up goals you want to complete in 80 days and it knows you have a life. It is a Blog Hop. Come on by and set a spell...
So, Dear Readers, what did you do for Valentine's Day? How was your weekend? Have a amazing week to come, as every day is NEW!!!
You know the old adage, "When it Rains, it Pours"? It also goes for the opposite too; "when it's dry, it's a drought". Okay, I clearly made that part up, but it's kind of rings true. My creative juices have been a touch parched lately. The ironic part is that this morning it's pouring rain and threatening to snow later (that's remains to be seen). The good news is that most of the snow and ice has melted from my yard; the bad news is my driveway is now a mud pit and across the street I have mini Lake Erie.
I feel like winter's is taking on more stab at trying to reclaim it's throne. This winter storm has been dubbed Vulcan. This means that it's either going to be a logical storm, or that his going to smelt us into a sword with his forge. Vulcan is the Greek/Roman god of fire and the smiths, a patron of the crafts. He and Athena shared the duties as patrons of craft work, he with the fire/metal/forge and she with the woven/fabric/loom. Maybe that means that after the storm it will get warm again, as Vulcan will have forged Spring.
What Winter Storm Vulcan looks like in Corning, NY (picture from MorgueFile)
Okay, that a bit of a reach. I love the image, a large muscular giant forging a new sun/star to keep the peoples he watches over safe after the old sun has died. It even borrows from the old lore where Winter is the death of the Sun (God) and so the peaceful Vulcan, guardian of Fire sets to forges a new sun from the old and bring forth Spring to the Lands. Oh, that's good! Classic Greek and Celtic Mythologies merging into a new Myth. I might need to write that one down. My longest running WIP is a fantasy series and this myth could help me finally get a handle on the plot. I have so much background created, but nothing really in the way of plot, yet.
Since I got sidetracked by Greek myths, I should do something around these same myths . My name is Cynthia, who is also known as Artemis (Greek) or Diana (Roman). A goddess of the dark, the hunt, forest, wild things, and confused for the Moon (actually Selene, the actual Moon Goddess). Twin brother to Apollo and borne of Zeus and Leto (a mortal). She is a powerful and sometimes vengeful deity (depends on the story being told), but also mericful to women who have died 'swift and painless deaths' and wild things.
Connected
Guided
by the Moon,
Bore
the name Artemis:
Am
the Huntsman-in-Chief.
Goddess
of the Dark
Connected
to my Brother
Who
is Leader of the Light.
He
is Apollo and I, Artemis,
Both
of light and dark.
Cerridwen - The Magic Circle (Waterhouse)
Guided
by the Lion
And
possessed by Fire
Which
burns inside me, always.
Connected
by the Flame
Which
is ruled by the Sun.
I
have found peace,
Among
the light and the dark.
Guided
by the Circle
Where
is now I stand.
Am
the Eagle,
Thus
guided by All.
Connected
to the world,
By
the fire which we stand.
I am,
all that I am,
Now
kneeling before the King.
I
among Seven go to fight
The
Unknown demons.
The above mentioned poem is based a poem upon Artemis, my name sake; and have taken strength from her persona. She is my patron Goddess from the Greek pantheon and I also have as a patron Goddess, Ceridwen in the Celtic pantheon, she is of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. She is the keeper of a cauldron of 'Poetic Inspiration'. This is most likely a poet, being inspired by a Goddess of Poetry. I can clearly go on and on.
Moving on!
I had not journal at all last week, partly because my schedule was goofed up and I was not able to devote my mornings to my journal time. Mornings are great for offloading some of my weightier thoughts, also I feel that in the morning (even if I am still sleepy), I am more aware of my thoughts and even my dreams (if i catch them early enough). Dreams are a fickle breed, like wild horses, very hard to catch. Morning is the best time to wrangle them, usually right about the time my alarm first goes off. So, I am back to regular journaling. Feels good too.
Been reading Inheritance like a mad woman, and am almost to page 600. I look at it and marvel at Mr. Paolini writing, but at the same time I get really irritated when he goes on for pages about some of the most mundane details. Sometimes you don;t need to be THAT detailed. On the up side, I really love his characters. I am also hoping that after Inheritance that I can make quicker work of my Goodreads 2014 reading challenge. I pledged to read 25 books this year and am getting a bit behind.
Tempest has had a long weekend break and as we are gearing up for more intense rehearsals, it was a nice break. I have spend time getting my last 2 scenes memorized. I can say that my lines are all in my head. Now is the time to get the lines perfected and into Trinculo's character. I want his voice to sound deeper, meaning I need to lower my voice (as best as I can being a woman). If I can borrow David's camera I want to record my first (only) monologue in the show. It might help me to find my Trinculo.
It's Raining, it's Pouring, the Old Man is snoring!!!
So, Dear Readers, what are you doing on this rainy day (or maybe it's snowing or sunny where you are)?
I am going to be courting the muse (see Susan Werner, Courting the Muse). I am home from the day job, because of the weather. Not a problem. I got this! Time to use the rain and the serenity to my advantage. I am the master of my own destiny.
Have a fantastic rest of the week, Dear Readers and Writers. I shall
have a new non-ROW80 post up by the end of the week. Keep smiling!
Remember to visit your friendly neighbourhood writers and bloggers at AROW80's Blog Hop!
Time for some more coffee and music. Maybe I can catch my Muse. Feeling
better this morning, even with the rain, I am cleansed. Going to make
the most of today. I want to offer something for you, Dear Readers (and
Writers). A writing prompt, maybe? I give you poems galore, but today I
offer you a writing prompt. As I have been given prompts in the past, I
shall pass it on. Write for 10 minutes, do not worry about grammar or
spelling. Just writing with reckless abandon for 10 minutes. If you feel
comfortable, please post to my comments section.
Topic: "When the Rain Stops..." and GO! Here's mine:
When the rain stops, I can only imagine what the world will
look like. I am drowning in my own little alcove. Watching from the windows,
like a stalker that is dry in a world of water and rivers and sheets of rain
pouring down.
I am even so lonely when it rains. There never seems to be
anyone around. Yet I watch and wait.
What will I do if the rains actually stop?
I cannot even fathom than. It's been raining for ever so
long. I feel like a princess at the top of the tower, waiting for her prince.
Just waiting. Even the world around me seems dull. I have books and paints, but
nothing really interests me. What I want is to be out after the rains have
stopped. When maybe I can set foot on the ground, feel the sun upon my face, and
dance with butterflies.
Yet, it is still raining. And my heart is damp, soaked
straight through. Just like the rain through the bare branches, soaking the ground
and the drowning the world in an Ocean of mist.
I just want the rain to stop. I want the sun to come out and
warm my bones; to dry the mud soaked ground and my dampened heart. Maybe
someday the rains will stop, until then I have to watch from the windows of my
own fortress. A place of solitude, where only I reside, with my books and
paints.
Maybe, I stop watching it rain. Maybe that is why I am sad.
Maybe I should go out of my fortress, my sanctuary from the world. Maybe the
time is right, and then the rains will stop and the sun will come out. Maybe I
can control the weather. Maybe it's all me?
Oh, when will the rains stop? Only when I choose them
to...will they? Will they....
I had some grand plans for today, but my head seems to disagree with me. Woke up with a mild sinus headache and I was determined to not let it get in my way. I set about doing household chores so they don't get behind including laundry, trash and cat litter cleaning and removal. Then I thought it the brilliant idea to arrange and put away the board games, and that my Dear Readers it turned into an hour project. By then, my head was pounding. Now, it's time for some Advil and brunch (since somewhere between waking up and the headache of a closet project I hadn't eaten yet), at the time of this blog. For a house of only two people, it gets messy rather quickly. Since David and I do theatre, often the house is neglected during shows. Not this year, though! Trying to keep up with it. But, sinus headaches don't help with that. So, my morning has been cleaning and clearing. Also, I am trying to find a plastic box with some of my jewelry (found it while taking a quick writing break).
More snow falling and I am thoroughly sick of snow and cold and everything in between.
AnyWHO...it's Sunday! What have I been up to (set up for a bad joke *here*)? Five-Eleven (in height). I got notification that my story "Crying Mascara" was not selected as a winner for the contest I submitted to. Feeling a bit bummed. Got to keep trying! I started a new short story yesterday. Not sure yet where it's going, but I think it'll might be a Doctor Who story. Haven't tried my hand at Fan Fiction yet. I have a great image of a willow tree in a rainstorm and I needed to have Doctor #9 leaning against the tree. Being an avid Whovian, I thought that there needed to be another Eccleston Doctor story out there. Also last year a friend and I started writing a Fan Film script, it got put on hold, but we would like to get a finished script and maybe get around to filming it. That is another project for a later time.
My super secret part of the super secret project was completed yesterday. It's not a huge deal, but it's a huge deal. And it occurred yesterday...more on that later. Sorry to be secretive, but SHHHHH....
Working on my next theatre projects this week. Tempest lines are coming along. I am starting to find Trinculo, but that little bastard is being difficult. I really love Shakespeare's language, but holy cow does it become a mouthful. Next, I am doing props for The Lake Country Players Junior Players production of "Zombeo and Juliet", should be fun. I am organizing LCP's 2nd annual 24 Hour Theatre event in Montour Falls. For anyone who doesn't know what it is, it's where theatre is written, directed, and performed in 24 hours. I discovered this back in 2011. I acted in a show that I had to memorize in about 8 hours. I played 3 different characters in the one show, each with different voices and mannerisms (except I couldn't do a Minnesotan accent to save my life.). Hehehe! The following year I wrote my first 1 act and acted in another. Hint: don't try to write a script and get only about 2 hours sleep and espect to have much of your lines memorized! I will write and direct, write, or act, but nothing more. I know my abilities and my limitations. I have been organizing this event and possibly directing one of the shows. It's fun and after last year there is definitely more interest in fellow playwrights and thespians.
I actually started saving money, either 5 or 10 dollars each week goes into my piggy bank, Wilbur. Been meaning to start, but you know how some things go, you forget and what not. Not this year!
Not much else going on, just trying to keep the pace going. Finding inspiration here or there. Spending my time on my various projects. This coming week, the paying job will take up a full 40 hours (am on reduced hours throughout the winter) as my boss is on vacation. It won't deter my determination. I'm more worried the snow and the cold is doing that job fine enough.
Dear Readers, I hope you have a great week. I am going to have a fantastic week, by Hell or High Water! Full of stuff and things. :-) I am going to have a non-ROW80 up later this week. Been brain storming for something fun, maybe something to fight the winter blues. Remember, I believe in each and everyone of you!
