Writing Prompts, DLFs, and Pirates

Just to shake up the already chaotic and entirely unorganized routine of my blog, I thought I'd bring you something new today.

For about two months now I've been receiving daily writing prompts in my inbox from Sarah Selecky, who also has all of her prompts in a more displayable form on Pinterest. They've been very helpful, and though I have not yet accomplished the goal of writing with them every day, several stories and scenes have been born due to these prompts. Here's today's:

Sick Day!!!!!

I do realize that exclamation points do not generally follow words so glum as "sick" and "day," especially when used by my health-preferring, nocturnal self. It was intended to throw you off, or perhaps to give you a sense of forced gaiety. Whatever happened in your mind when you read the title, (which will have some bearing in my post, I promise) sick days are a remarkably un-fun experience. Especially when you're public-schooled. You have to roll out of bed at un-earthly hours, make yourself look as presentable as you possibly can when you have absolutely no desire to do so, then go and do things with people for an entire day. (public-schoolers, help me out with this one. I have no experience in the public school world)

I'm homeschooled. I stay home with the people who have already seen me at my worst and probably don't remember ever seeing me at my best. ("best," in this case, refers to a non-existent state of appearance) I do cruddy algebra in the privacy of my own bedroom. I emerge out of the privacy of my own bedroom to run upstairs and get my dad, the resident algebra genius, to stop saving the world and help me with said cruddy algebra. I live in an eternal state of bliss in which nothing could be better.

UNTIL........


*pause for effect*

A Question

I realized I probably need to define my goal of writing a chapter of Lorelei a week by determining how long a chapter should be. But I really don't know. 3,000 words? 5,000? Help!!!



~Margaret

Birthday!!!

Today is my blog's one-month birthday.

Have some cake. You guys deserve it.

 

 

 

 

~Margaret

Why I Love (And Hate) Being a Writer

This post was due sometime. Perhaps it's overdue. But I felt that right now, while I am in a pensive and thoughtful mood, was somehow the perfect time to do it.

I'm not a writer by choice. I do believe with all of my heart that God has chosen me for this. I don't think I ever had a say in the matter. It's how I was made.

Like any gift or interest that becomes more than just an interest, there are things I love and hate about it.
Writers have an incredible opportunity. They heal or destroy our society. Words are what change the people's mind. They can help or hurt. They can create or kill.
It's also a gigantic responsibility. Every word we say has tremendous potential for good or bad. Every word anyone says has this power.

Writing isn't a 9 to 5 job. (yeah, now I'm going to get comments about how I'm only a teenage girl and have no concept of what work really is. Just hold your horses.) You don't get breaks, you don't get to have the satisfaction of knowing that you've finished your work for today. It's spontaneous. It's unexpected. Although we do try to insert order when we can, writing isn't something you can always plan for.

More Questions And Finally, A Resolution

Character sketches have come to an end. I've even made a character page. That makes me really proud of myself.
It also means I'm responsible for coming up with a really cool idea of what to do next. And if you don't think that sounds like a nightmare, you may not be intuitive enough to understand the unclear ramblings which I post here with startling regularity.
I considered posting the story as I write it.... For about two seconds only. Guys, I'm not that kind of a writer. I pick and preen at my writing until I think it's absolutely perfect. That alone can take weeks. I feel like it would be unfair to you guys to promise to something I know I can't keep up with.
The other reason I dismissed the idea of some sort of weekly chapter-posting system is because even though I should confine my talents to one story at a time (or mostly one) I tend to be all over the place. Lately I've been writing on that one about Tiana and Lairke and Forge and Thrad. You know, that one. The one I don't have a name for.
I don't need to you point out that I am lacking names for almost every story I'm writing.
You just did, didn't you? *sighs* Well, it...... hampers my creativity. Yeah. I never name them until I finish them. *crosses fingers* (please don't let them bring up that one novel I actually have finished...)

That Time I Emailed Megan Whalen Turner

Wow, that makes it sound like it happened forever ago and I'm just now remembering it because I don't have much space in my brain for those writer people.

Actually it was yesterday morning, and I was biting my nails and then my knuckles when those were all gone because I was so nervous.
I don't know why. She probably gets thousands of emails every day.

I know, you guys aren't listening to me because you're distracted by what the email contained. Busybodies. But so you'll listen to me the rest of the time, I'll tell you. It was a short story I had written that was inspired by one of the legends in The Thief. Never once in a thousand years did I consider the possibility of copyright infringement by writing what some might consider a derivative work without the express permission of the copyright holder.
Oh great. That makes it sound like she got really mad and pressed charges and now I'm going to jail. It's okay. She didn't even read it. She sent back a nice little note that was definitely not a form letter, just to tell me that she read the note but not the story because of possible infringement. She said, and I quote, 'I am delighted that my work has been an inspiration and I hope you will keep writing.'

Character Sketch ~ the Duke of Amery & the Count of Jonte

I have officially accomplished something important in my life. I found the names. Big things are happening, I can feel it.

So now I can write the character sketches. Yay!!^.^
I go through phases of favoritism when it comes to my characters. One day it's the protagonist, the next day it's the villain, the day after that it's some nameless person that MC bumps into on the sidewalk who is never mentioned again.
I know favoritism is a dangerous game to play. I've read the story of Joseph. He had some messed up brothers. But the fact of the matter is, my characters don't even know I exist. For all they know, they're just living out their little lives, full of adventure or boredom as I see fit to give them. So it doesn't hurt that much, does it?
All that to say, I'm really liking these two characters right now, the Duke and the Count. They're diametric opposites. The Duke is an embodiment of every ideal of nobility. The Count is ruthless with a capital R, not caring at all who he hurts as long as it's not him.
Which is why they get a joint-post. They're too different to do them separately.

First, let me explain the names.
First, let me explain the characters of the two men who bear the names.
First, let me explain the country and the people in it.
Aghh let's just go to the very start.
'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.'
Lil too far back.

In Which I Talk To Myself Again

What to blog, what to blog, what to blog.....
Oh hi there, random reader!!! I'm blogging!!!
Errr, make that "trying to figure out what to blog." But hopefully, if you're very observant, you already knew that.
What I planned to do today was write a character sketch on either the Duke or the Count. But I'm in a serious bind, because I really can't write about them without giving them an actual name. So I plan to spend my day on baby name websites, trying to find the perfect ones.
Which still leaves me with a lack of post-able material. *sobs* I tried so hard....
The questions I usually try to ask myself to get me in a blogging mood didn't work.

Me: How are you feeling today?

Me: I dunno, kinda tired I guess. Even though I slept until 11:00 this morning.

Me: *stern face* Why did you sleep so late?

Me: I was up reading, okay?! It's what normally-weird people dooo!!!! Besides, it was one dinglehopping whizwhacker of a book!! (yes, I sometimes use the term "dinglehopping whizwhacker" in conversations with myself. My spellcheck hates me for it.)

Me: *sighs in a mature, disinterested way* What book?