I have some writing shop-talk to, umm, talk about. All of it is involving my multi-chapter epic that I hope to some day grace with a real title. It's getting hard to type out "Multi-Chapter Epic" over and over again. The title hasn't quite tickled me yet, though. That's not really the point. I have a grand plan that involves crafting this little bit of nothing (I currently have just over 10,000 words written on it) into a full length novel. I roped malkovich03 into looking it over for me in conjunction with the notes I'm jotting down on things to expand and delve into deeper so that I could have an outsiders view on the things that work and kinda work and don't work in any way, shape, or form. Now, I roped Mal into doing this for me, but oddmonster actually asked me if she could help out along those same lines.

Seriously, guys, I have the BEST FRIENDS IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE INTERNET! The support I'm receiving from those two alone makes me giddy with delight.

Now, chapter 5 is written and typed up (in Word) but I haven't posted it yet because I always have to tweak the formatting when I copy it over from Word and today we had a whole family thing going on and I haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down and work on this type of stuff. Blah, blah, blah. I'm aiming for tomorrow.

For the record, chapter 6 already has a few hundred words written on it.

Here's the thing, I know there's a whole mystery that will be solved and I know the answer to the mystery and I can see some of the places I'm going to mislead and misdirect and ... wait, there's really no thing here. I'm just babbling. I think I'm excited that I can see so far down the road with this story. I know where the twist is. I know how to tie two separate things that are going to happen together. I know, I know, I know. And it's awesome.

I just want both Mal and Odd to know that I'm humbled to have friends who believe in me and are willing to let me use them for my own nefarious purposes. I can't thank you enough and I hope you don't regret offering to look things over and be my sounding board.

If anyone is interested, here are the chapters that are already posted:
Chapter 1 - The Places Between
Chapter 2 - The Dream in Motion
Chapter 3 - These Things Sometimes Crash and Burn
Chapter 4 - Wrong Number

They're all located at my fic journal, bay12_fic. If you like what you're reading and want to see more, feel free to friend it so you don't have to go through my LJ for the latest posts.

Before I forget, those chapters are the un-beta-ed originals. If the planets align and my dream of becoming a professional writer ever takes off those will go through some sort of an overhaul. Mostly because when I started this little story it was supposed to be nothing more than a self-contained snippet. Chapter one was the beginning and the end of it. Except that it wasn't and it isn't and I hope you can look past the flaws that are there and enjoy some part of it.

I really didn't mean to go on quite this much.
*mwah*
Later!

Today I offer up to all who care to read it Journal Number 1900. Wow. That's a lot of writing.

Since I watched all of White Collar yesterday and it got me in the mood for that type of show, I started in on season 1 of Castle. Yeah. I pretty much think it's great. It's totally hitting the spot right now. I love love love how Castle can turn almost any part of the police investigation into a "if this were the book, we'd have (motive/money/sex)" and it somehow turns out to be right. Also, his daughter's little insights into life that always come at the perfect moments crack me up. Would Castle be totally humped if his daughter stopped helping him unknowingly solve the cases with her one-offs?

Anyway. Since stuff occasionally happens in real life and not just on my TV, Cole invited a bunch of boys over tomorrow after school to play video games. He told me this today. O_o Okay. I don't think I have any food in the house. And and and ... no, that's it. I keep trying to impress upon him to let me know ahead of time so I can plan for these things. I guess he thinks one day is enough ahead. Oh, well. The joys of having kids.

I need to get my puppy house trained. I'm afraid it's starting to smell like a urinal in my room. Gross and gross. I think I'll do some carpet cleaning tomorrow.

I'm also going to start outlining a story since malkovich03 has decided that I must present her with some new writings by February 5th. I have no idea what it's going to be on or about or who the characters are yet, but when Lacey asks I must listen.

I'm done now. I think I have a few more eps of Castle I can watch. Awesome.

I thought I'd start out the new year by finishing my book ...

Book #1 - Malice by Chris Wooding - I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It sounded good. The cover is really cool. But those things don't mean squat if the writing falls flat. I'm pleased to say that isn't the case here. Malice was creepy. It crawled and chittered and grew as you saw more and more of this twisted world. The story had enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Plus, it gave that extra little dollop of plot that pushed the book from being a one-storyline wonder into something big and grand. I want to know what's going to happen to these kids. I want to know how they're going to get out of their predicament. The revelation about Kady and her time in San Francisco took me by surprise.

The plot? Rumors are whispered about the comic Malice. Rumors of a ritual that takes those that perform it into the comic itself. Following a trail of missing children, Kady and Seth find that the rumors are true and that escaping Malice is even harder than getting in. I'm pretty darn excited to get my hands on the second book in the series. There are so many things I want answered. Arrgh. The official website says it will be out in 2010. Nice.

Since it's a new year and all that I was looking back on my reading resolution for 2009. I wanted to read 100 books. I did that. I read 109. I finished my last one on December 15th. That's 2+ weeks that I didn't finish any books. Hmmph. I'm sticking with 100 books again. That's such a shiny number. It makes me happy.

I also like to mention that if I reach back in my (dusty) memory all the way to 2008 I can admit that I didn't write anything (non-journal, that is) at all that year. Damn me and my nervous breakdown. Quitting my job and being an unemployed slacker did lead me to write a bit in 2009. It's still not up to the level that I'd like it to be, but I can work on that. However, I feel like my journal writing and movie reviews have really picked up this last year. Still, I signed up for NaNoWriMo and cranked out 1000 words on an original piece. I wrote another chapter on my Supernatural fanfic (which I started in 2007, I think). Well, a chapter plus part of another chapter. I should really finish that.

Not great, but still totally workable. Read and write. And hopefully find some sort of job that pays me to do both. Or at least one of those. :)

There you have it. Books, resolutions and ramblings about writing. All the good things in life.
Okay. I'm out. I have nothing to do. I might have to start another book. Yes!

PS- I totally did a monthly and yearly wrap-up for blabapalooza. I wrote up a shitload of movie reviews over a 2 month period. Rock on!

I was planning on posting another review at blabapalooza but I got caught up doing other things today and didn't really watch any movies. I know! What is the meaning of this? Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

I did talk to my HR lady this afternoon and I'm officially on a 30 day paid leave. Since I haven't been at work in almost 2 weeks, I kinda figured that was going to happen soon. I mean, how long are they going to keep paying me when I'm not there? 30 more days, apparently.

This does mean that I have to throw my plan on writing magazine articles into full gear. No more just talking about it. No more! I also have a few other ideas that will hopefully generate some income. *crossing fingers like mad*

I need to get Cole to bed. Later!

My first week of work at the new branch is over and done with. It wasn't terrible. I had moments of blind panic (malkovich03 heard most of my ranting) but I think I can do what has been asked of me and do it well.

Let me get a "Hell, Yeah!"

Jamie Bamber should be ( ... (yes, there are spoilers for the season premiere) )

I feel shallow after writing that. I feel like I should have all these deep, dark, momentous thoughts. But I don't. I'm just happy to be on the ride.

It's time for me to scoot off to bed. Cole likes to wake up early. Seriously early.

ETA: This almost made me cry. It's a journal entry by Laurell K. Hamilton and it so perfectly captures ... I don't know what it captures. It's how I feel when I sit down to write. Real writing, not journalling. There's that moment of panic, those moments of love, that "OMG, what am I thinking?!?!", and the moment where eveyrthing comes together. No, I've never had a story published, but those words are ... guh. Perfect.

I have two more episodes left in season 4 of The X-Files. I always find it funny that by the end of the season I'm trying to rip through the eps just to get them done with. Yet, I'll start the next season asap. I'm a strange creature.

I watched the pilot ep for Stargate: Atlantis again. Now I need to get the rest of season one in my hot little hands so I can write more SGA stories. And have them make sense. Because who wants to read stories that don't make sense? Seriously.

My sister brought the wedding pictures over. The ones that she's going to have to pay for. The ones she had a professional photographer take. To be quite candid, they're not very good. There are a couple of well composed shots but the bulk of them look rather amateur. In short, I think the disposable cameras left on the tables turned out better candid shots than the expensive photographer that my sis had to have. Even the posed bridal party shots are ehhh. Too much space between people. I'm crushed against a wall in another. I'm not impressed.

Ooh! Time for pizza.
Later!

ETA
I made some icons.

( 18 multi fandom )

Okay. So I finished the naughty Ronon fic I started the other day and immediately wrote a companion piece that's kinda naughty starring Sheppard. The thing is that I feel weird asking any of my friends to read it for beta-ing. I mean, I'm proud of it and think it's well written but it's dirrrrrty. Like, Christina Aguilara Dirrrty. You know. Still, it's good. At least I think it's good. I should point out that one of my other stories I wrote a while back is still waiting to go out to some of my friends who offered to beta it for me. And I think that one's good also. I just get stage fright when it comes time to post them for human consumption. Even when it's two people whose opinion I value when it comes to books and other fun literary things. Shout out to Seps and Aud - love you, ladies!

So, what do I do? Do I bite the bullet and ask for help with the beta-ing? Or do I just post it as is and harden myself to the taunts and laughter that will issue forth when my terrible sentence structure sees the light of day?

Anyway. It would seem that I write porn extremely well. What does this say about me as a person? Maybe it just means I'm going to be a dirrrrty romance writer. I think I can handle that.

I'm out.

I'm home alone today (I sent Cole off to daycare since he hadn't been there more than 2 days in the last week and a half) so you may be spammed relentlessly. Then again, maybe not.

FYI- I started Harry Potter on Sunday morning and finished it Sunday night. No, I'm not going to talk about the book at all. At least not yet. But I was honestly trying to savor it. I didn't want to read it in less than 12 hours. Damn me and my super-human reading ability.

My mom makes coffee so strong it tries to eat through the lining of your stomach. I still drink it. Kinda. If you can call a half cup of coffee topped off with both vanilla and mocha creamer a real cup of coffee. Oh, shut up. tinamishi, I somehow always think of you now when I drink coffee. :P It might have to do with your innocent wondering of what days are NOT coffee days. Hee. I loves me some Christie! *psst, you should visit California when you get back. Really.*

I sat down to write today (all part of The Plan) and just doodled. Stupid. This is a golden opportunity to write my ass off and I'm sitting there drawing arrows to connect words on a page.

It's been fucking HOT here lately.

Let me see if I can get the most awesome picture of me in my dress */sarcasm* posted. If the fucking thing ever emails itself to me. *taps fingers impatiently* It looks like I have Cole in a headlock and am soon going to smother him with my boobs. No, I'm not kidding.
Okay. I guess I'll just have to put that one up later.

I have to take my car in. My driver side door doesn't open from the outside and as much as I love climbing in from the back seat ...
Later.

Okay. tinamishi nearly made me pee my pants with laughter at her over-the-top love for me. And just out of curiosity, is there really any inappropriate fondling between friends? Ha! On top of that, since Christie's now officially my bitch I'm going to move in with her and let her support me. It solves my work hatred problem and makes me meet new people. That's a good thing. Christie, your kids will love me. I completely lack the moral button that tells me which movies are or are not appropriate for children to watch. I'll be all, "C'mon! Let's go watch a terribly scary movie that will give you nightmares for months!" And the kids will be, "Gosh, Kelly, we love you!" And I'll be all, "Yeah, I am pretty cool." And Cole will be all, "My mom's the best!" Hee.

Crap. I have to work now.

My computer's still not working. This is with the addition of a brand new hard drive that I bought yesterday. Fuck. So, either we figure out what the other thing wrong is or I buy a new tower. Which I'm actually okay with.

Also, my wrist has been hurting something fierce (I'm back to wearing my brace all the time) and I still hate my job. Remind me to journal about how my life is divided between the dark times (before the empire) and the good times. It will be a fascinating look at my psyche. I'm sure.

However, regarding my job ... I'm putting my Plan (notice the capitalization) back into effect. Write, write, write. And quit my job on Thursday. I'm just kidding about that last part. I will write a book. I will have it published. I will be able to escape from the hell that is the bank.

The good news is that I didn't have the urge to pull over on the side of the road and hide. Well, at least the urge wasn't too strong.

Toodles.