Hello Bookworms!
Sorry about the long absence, I'm trying to work on that. But, I'm here to say that NaNoWriMo is over, (I finished??? Since when does that happen???) And I'm getting back into blogging! (I'm even writing myself a reminder so I don't forget!)
So! In this next year, I'd like to: post more about books, READ more books, offer some advice, hear from my audience, (that's you guys, please comment! Let me know you're reading this!) and all in all, just have fun writing.
So! Ready to explore a whole new world of writing? Please let me know! (Seriously, comments are what tell me I should keep going!!!)
Can't wait to keep writing!
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Friday, September 1, 2017
Shady Friday #23: Connor
Hello Bookworms and Book Dragons!
I'm writing! Again! So soon after my last post!
Well, my muse still isn't awake yet. However, I remembered that part of the advantage in taking a year off of blogging, is that when I get back, I've got a lot of material to work with.
Today I'm taking a scene from an unfinished draft of my third zombie book. I'm trying to stay vague, and not give spoilers. And frankly some of this might change. But for the moment this is what I've got, and even if I never use this, I'm really proud of this scene. So. Enjoy!
~
Conor stood in the strange wreckage, turning slowly as he surveyed the area he’d woken up in. It seemed empty enough, but he’d learned a long time ago not to trust his eyes. Grass cracked along the pavement of whatever building he was in, and his eyes followed the growing plants that crept towards the-
Glass ceiling. There was a glass roof over his head, and rain pounded down onto the impossibly sturdy structure.
“Nice, isn’t it? I can still watch the stars while being protected from the elements.”
Conor startled at the voice, turning to face the person standing, or more leaning, on the railings of whatever platform was behind him.
“It’s a pity no one realized the value of these buildings before.”
“What buildings?” Conor asked cautiously.
“Museums.” The strange Latino smiled at him, but it didn’t reach the figure’s eyes. “We’re in a museum. Wonderful place to stay. Everything’s already dead.”
The kid leapt over the rail, dropping down to the main floor and Conor took a few steps back, eyeing this strange kid as he stepped ever closer.
“Do you mean to hurt me?” The kid asked.
“What?” Conor was backed into the wall, staring at this strange man in front of him.
“Do you mean to hurt me?” The Latino repeated.
“No, of course not! Do you?” There was something very off about this….kid?
“Do you mean to hurt my friends?” Another step.
“Kid, I don’t even know who your friends are! I don’t want to hurt them!”
The kid stopped and smiled at him, this time letting it reach his eyes. NOW he looked harmless. “Great. Want some tea?”
Conor stared at him as the kid walked away. “That’s it? Sheesh, okay, thank you but no thank you. I have to go now. I have to… find something.”
“But aren’t you looking for Medusa?”
Conor stopped. “You know about Medusa?”
The strange man laughed, childish eyes and wicked smirk waiting for Conor as he turned. “Unfortunately for your presumptions, O’Conor, I’m incredibly well acquainted with the Medusa. And its virus.”
“It’s just Conor, actually.” He searched the kid’s face, and found no lie. “What do you know of the virus? I thought I was the only one?”
“You’re the only one they’ve approved who knows. I’ve actually met her. Quite the vicious creature. But the head… well, that remains to be seen.”
“I don’t understand, who are you? Why did you bring me here? Where is here, really?”
The kid just walked away. “You’re in the black zone Conor, but if you want a name to link to something,” The kid turned back to him, hand on the rails. “You’re in Chicago. And my name is Hades.”
I'm writing! Again! So soon after my last post!
Well, my muse still isn't awake yet. However, I remembered that part of the advantage in taking a year off of blogging, is that when I get back, I've got a lot of material to work with.
Today I'm taking a scene from an unfinished draft of my third zombie book. I'm trying to stay vague, and not give spoilers. And frankly some of this might change. But for the moment this is what I've got, and even if I never use this, I'm really proud of this scene. So. Enjoy!
~
Conor stood in the strange wreckage, turning slowly as he surveyed the area he’d woken up in. It seemed empty enough, but he’d learned a long time ago not to trust his eyes. Grass cracked along the pavement of whatever building he was in, and his eyes followed the growing plants that crept towards the-
Glass ceiling. There was a glass roof over his head, and rain pounded down onto the impossibly sturdy structure.
“Nice, isn’t it? I can still watch the stars while being protected from the elements.”
Conor startled at the voice, turning to face the person standing, or more leaning, on the railings of whatever platform was behind him.
“It’s a pity no one realized the value of these buildings before.”
“What buildings?” Conor asked cautiously.
“Museums.” The strange Latino smiled at him, but it didn’t reach the figure’s eyes. “We’re in a museum. Wonderful place to stay. Everything’s already dead.”
The kid leapt over the rail, dropping down to the main floor and Conor took a few steps back, eyeing this strange kid as he stepped ever closer.
“Do you mean to hurt me?” The kid asked.
“What?” Conor was backed into the wall, staring at this strange man in front of him.
“Do you mean to hurt me?” The Latino repeated.
“No, of course not! Do you?” There was something very off about this….kid?
“Do you mean to hurt my friends?” Another step.
“Kid, I don’t even know who your friends are! I don’t want to hurt them!”
The kid stopped and smiled at him, this time letting it reach his eyes. NOW he looked harmless. “Great. Want some tea?”
Conor stared at him as the kid walked away. “That’s it? Sheesh, okay, thank you but no thank you. I have to go now. I have to… find something.”
“But aren’t you looking for Medusa?”
Conor stopped. “You know about Medusa?”
The strange man laughed, childish eyes and wicked smirk waiting for Conor as he turned. “Unfortunately for your presumptions, O’Conor, I’m incredibly well acquainted with the Medusa. And its virus.”
“It’s just Conor, actually.” He searched the kid’s face, and found no lie. “What do you know of the virus? I thought I was the only one?”
“You’re the only one they’ve approved who knows. I’ve actually met her. Quite the vicious creature. But the head… well, that remains to be seen.”
“I don’t understand, who are you? Why did you bring me here? Where is here, really?”
The kid just walked away. “You’re in the black zone Conor, but if you want a name to link to something,” The kid turned back to him, hand on the rails. “You’re in Chicago. And my name is Hades.”
~
Okay. Thoughts? Yeah, probably really vague. Still, it's something that sparked about 10K words during Nano, so I was really happy with it.
Anyway, off to the books again! Let me know if there's anything you want for me to write about!
P.S. I'm now putting labels on my Shady Fridays, because I was getting really lost when trying to find old material.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
The dead muse
Hi Bookworms and bookdragons!
I'm so sorry it took so long, I lost wifi for several days! But it's back, and today I'm writing about muses again. Specifically: The dead muse.
For the last month, my muse has not spoken to me. Not a single word. No funny ideas, no scenes, no characters, no nothing. I'm actually sitting here writing this instead of trying to stare at a blank screen and carve something from my imagination again.
So, I've taken to trying random things to try and wake it up again. This includes: Dressing up as characters. Drawing characters. Reading new books. Watching new movies. Watching old movies. Sewing. (literally. I got out a sewing machine and tried to sew a dress.)
Nothing has worked. Today, I myself have writing block. So I guess today is more a question to all of you: how do you revive a dead muse? Is there a type of song? A certain book? Incantation? Zombie plague? How?
I'll keep you up to date, and if you want I could even include more detailed elaborations of how I've tried (and failed) to wake up the muse. Just let me know.
Until next time!
I'm so sorry it took so long, I lost wifi for several days! But it's back, and today I'm writing about muses again. Specifically: The dead muse.
For the last month, my muse has not spoken to me. Not a single word. No funny ideas, no scenes, no characters, no nothing. I'm actually sitting here writing this instead of trying to stare at a blank screen and carve something from my imagination again.
So, I've taken to trying random things to try and wake it up again. This includes: Dressing up as characters. Drawing characters. Reading new books. Watching new movies. Watching old movies. Sewing. (literally. I got out a sewing machine and tried to sew a dress.)
Nothing has worked. Today, I myself have writing block. So I guess today is more a question to all of you: how do you revive a dead muse? Is there a type of song? A certain book? Incantation? Zombie plague? How?
I'll keep you up to date, and if you want I could even include more detailed elaborations of how I've tried (and failed) to wake up the muse. Just let me know.
Until next time!
Saturday, August 19, 2017
I'm Back!!!!
Hello my dear Bookworms and Bookdragons!
I'm so sorry for that absence! Things in my own life got...crazy. But now I'm back! And ready to dive in with new book ideas, recommendations, advice for writers, and just plain craziness. :)
I have a goal to finally get things going on here, and start posting more regularly! (Let's see if that's even possible, shall we?) I recently competed in Nanowrimo, and both camps, and I actually finished one of them! So now I'm back, ready to write more, and hopefully not forget about this place!
Anyway, sorry to keep you all waiting. I'm hoping to get a new post up within the week! Maybe some advice on writing dialogue! Who knows?
Thank you to each and ever one of my avid readers who is still here, despite nearly a year of nothing, really sorry about all of that. Hope to not fail you guys so much.
Well, off to the books!
~Mara.
P.S. You might notice some things are different. I'm trying to change how I do things, and a part of that includes dropping the Latin phrase. If anyone misses it I can try to bring it back, but I think it was just dragging things down. :) Let me know your thoughts!
I'm so sorry for that absence! Things in my own life got...crazy. But now I'm back! And ready to dive in with new book ideas, recommendations, advice for writers, and just plain craziness. :)
I have a goal to finally get things going on here, and start posting more regularly! (Let's see if that's even possible, shall we?) I recently competed in Nanowrimo, and both camps, and I actually finished one of them! So now I'm back, ready to write more, and hopefully not forget about this place!
Anyway, sorry to keep you all waiting. I'm hoping to get a new post up within the week! Maybe some advice on writing dialogue! Who knows?
Thank you to each and ever one of my avid readers who is still here, despite nearly a year of nothing, really sorry about all of that. Hope to not fail you guys so much.
Well, off to the books!
~Mara.
P.S. You might notice some things are different. I'm trying to change how I do things, and a part of that includes dropping the Latin phrase. If anyone misses it I can try to bring it back, but I think it was just dragging things down. :) Let me know your thoughts!
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