Weekly Woes

For the past four to five days, I have been in a slump. Not because of my writing, but because of my schedule. I have needed to write much more often, and I'm facing a sort of post-modern depression from not doing so (slight exaggeration). Luckily my ideas have still been coming to me regularly, so I am not too concerned with the efficiency of my imagination.

Soon after arriving home Sunday from a family gathering, I wrote down some ideas that came to me. Not that I had many notes to write, but I think that every detail should be considered important since all of the notes are a means to an end (my novel).

Regrets and Concerns

The semester is wrapping up fast, and I am unsure of how frequent I can post each week. Initially I wanted to continue writing and posting my progress three to four times a week. With final exams following this next month (beginning of May), I might have trouble even working as steadily on my story. I plan to at least post every Wednesday, since I usually have plenty of time before my writer's group meetings. As my exams draw closer, and my work load slowly lessens, I will gradually post more as the end draws nearer.

I haven't made too much more progress as of late, but for purposes of posting I will do a slight recap. Over the many months of this past year, I have been working diligently on writing my novel. Though I had once given my story a title, I later saw that the name of the work needs more consideration, so I will be leaving this decision for after I have finished. Centered around the life of two young women, several mysterious deaths/'accidents' take place in the Castle where they have now been employed as live-in Maids, and to find the reason they might find themselves in danger as well.

That is probably one of the better recaps of what I have given so far, and I hope you enjoy all of what is to come in the future!

C. Olson

Busy, Busy, Busy -

These past few days, almost for a week now, I have been either distracted, preoccupied, or just unable to write much at all. Sunday I wrote a few paragraphs, but I was unable to concentrate with little children around me (I help out with watching the kids at Church sometimes). Even though I say that, there have been times when I have been able to focus even with distractions, but that hasn't always been the case.

In the third chapter, Cindy and Maybell are packing their personals and will be making a bee line for the Castle. Once there, events as seen by the girls and those of the Castle Staff will merge. The Castle will become the new main setting, with little change in mood. Since I don't want to suddenly throw the heroines into the 'Special World', the girls will be eased into how things work for its residents.

Since I'm not going to include explicit detail until I complete the main storyline, I cannot fully describe how events are going to fold out. When I get an idea of what I've decided to include I might share some tid bits.

C. Olson

Getting Somewhere - soon

Wednesday I went to my Golden Rejects meeting, and lo and behold, there were only a few of us there. It seems spring break can really take a toll on the number of members attending a meeting. Anyway, we discussed some interesting stories, one dealing with a heroine (thats all I feel like disclosing about that) and the other dealing with a little girl whose whole life had been focused around the occult arts. The later of the two dealt with showing how life may seem to someone who had been raised in the occult, and the irregularity of it versus what one might call an 'ordinary' life.

I wanted to talk about my third chapter, since I made some headway earlier that evening, but I was a little less than halfway through. Showing an incomplete chapter might tarnish my image... or just show how I wasn't prepared - lol. Hopefully I can get somewhere with this chapter soon and have something to show to the rest of the group!

C. Olson

Some more ideas, but unsure of outcome ~

While reading the blog of another, I thought of the difference between writing about something in brief and writing about something to help develop the Character of the protagonists. Something as small as a tiff about getting dressed in the morning for a job interview might show the differences in views and ideas of each person involved. Though I have not fully decided on how the argument will be staged, the idea itself seems promising, since readers will need to know Cindy and May before revisiting the Castle. This way I figure the reader will have his or her own idea of what might come to pass in certain events that occur in the Castle.

Though I am not yet past the third chapter, I have yet another idea, a fight between the sisters which spans a chapter or so. With an air of conflict between the two, they would be accepted by the Head Maid/Mistress easier. Then, when they make up and begin to behave around each other again, the Head Maid would then begin to cause them trouble to make them slip up in their work for an excuse to fire them. With this in mind, the main conflict of the story between the Protagonists and the Antagonist will escalate, becoming the central focus of the story.

I have a feeling that with this new pace, things might be looking up for me! (I now have enough material for a few chapters! But no promises.)

C. Olson

Darkness has as many meanings as Light

Today I had some great ideas for use in my third chapter!

The girls wake up at the 'butt-crack' of dawn for their interview, which is about when it was supposed to start. Maybell is woken by the sunlight that shines through a crack in the wall/ceiling that she had not noticed until then. She goes to get Cindy out of bed and sees her asleep with her head on the windowsill, face pointing out to the sky in the direction of the Castle (opposite sun, where the light has not yet hit). Unaware of significance of her younger sister's positioning, she gently shakes Cindy awake and then tosses her the clothes she would wear for the interview. (Since the interview is in a half hour, the two need to get ready very quickly while not making a mess of themselves).


So far, this is most of what I have, though I noticed a few details I can strategically place into the chapter, after the girls take off toward the Castle (still needs a name). I am going to look into shortening the distance between the town and the Castle so that the time frames for the events at the Castle (see chapter 1 summary) will work with the events with the third chapter. I hope to bring everything together as I work to finish my first draft of this chapter, since the story is going to start picking up pace as the girls near the Castle grounds.

C. Olson

Looking for inspiration, but I can't see ~

For a few days now, probably since yesterday, I have been feeling unable to concentrate on what is going on in my story. It is as if my 'well of inspiration' as well as my focus for the story has left me. I don't wish to go on and begin to complain about this, but it does upset me. To counter this I think I need to do a recap, which might prove interesting for those of you reading my blog but have yet to read my story up to now.

The first chapter includes two important minor characters named Sara and Amy. After waking up in separate rooms, the two girls meet up and are soon chased down the corridor into a separate hallway. The girls are swiftly killed after their employer and her henchman reveal themselves. The Head Maid orders her henchman (or personal servant) to clean the mess, and then ascends to the Main Hall to greet the main characters as they arrive at the Castle doors. (This ties into the beginning of the third chapter, as the protagonists both travel to the Castle seeking employment.)

The second chapter explains the situation the main characters are in since having left home to live independently from their parents (who wanted to marry off the two young women; this has yet to be integrated into the story, but will be included before story is finished). The two girls seek employment in the town, but only find one position as maids in the nearby Castle.

Although I have begun to work on the third chapter, I am in a rut of sorts. I know what I want to happen, but I wish to be sure of my decisions before writing something I will later want to change. Please wish me well as I attempt to gather my thoughts and continue with my story.

C. Olson

Day off, or at least a week

Spring Break has come at last, but it's also a bad omen of sorts since that also means I only have 1 month left of this semester in college. I decided yesterday to take today off, not working on or toward anything and just loafing like I would otherwise (it's great being able to do nothing!). Of course there are repercussions to this decision, i.e. - I am now bored out of my mind.

I actually took advantage of this day with nothing to do and cleaned my room - a little. At least my bookshelves are neat!- In the picture to the left (in the bottom left corner), though you can't see it well, is my collection of Ms. Owens' novels.
- To the right, you can clearly see my horde of Manga. (107 in all, excluding novels from same authors/publishers)

This is just a small look into my life, since I rant mostly on my novel and ideas of mine. I will return to my work tomorrow, and pull through the rest of the week. Until then!

C. Olson

Pressing onward... Now where did my assistant go...?

Seeing how I now have a decent idea on how my story is going to flow (not entirely clear, but getting there), I am going to go with the plan of finishing the story entirely and then backtracking as to spruce it up. Just like the other day, I am still nervous about this since any ideas that I have are not guaranteed to work, but the same is with most works of a creative thinker:

- (forgot what I was going to say, I'll get back to it later)

In order for me to complete this task well, I have decided to maybe start looking for someone who would not mind working with me to help me better think out my ideas. Even I don't understand what I mean, but I think I just need a person to talk with about ideas and help me to understand myself. A single person looking over his options alone would not get as far in thinking things out as he would with another (at least I think so). Then again, it's possible that I only need to get out more... lol

C. Olson

Just what I needed

Last night when I met for the Golden Rejects meeting, I read my second chapter to the other members of the group. Much as I had thought, based on their response to my first chapter, everyone present felt I had done well in my writing once again! Though there were some major issues brought up concerning the flow of my story ~

Using slang, jargon, or phrases one might say in the present doesn't pass when used in a story that takes place in Mid Evil England. Since the type of slang, or what have you, was much different from what we use today, the manner in how words are used can change the reader's perception of when the story is. After talking over with my new friends of the Golden Rejects, I have decided to try for something I had been too afraid/cautious of before now; I will not only tell my story, but with it I will build its world from scratch. Like a master painter before a single piece of canvas, I will take everything into consideration before finishing my novel.

The only individual who I believe would best resemble a seasoned artist in the creative realm is my own personal favorite, Ms. Robin D. Owens. With each new installment of her series (both) she takes minute details and uses them to build her story, while revealing to her readers that there were no small details at all but instead details which held great importance. Someday I hope to join her ranks among the greater writers of our country, but for now I'll settle with finishing my first of many works!

C. Olson

*Here is a phrase I thought of after the recent meeting:

"A writer takes from the world all feelings and experiences brought upon him,
only to write it down and spread its given meaning throughout the world."

Stumped

For some reason unknown to me, I have been unable to think of how to add further description to my second chapter. Although I have already completed it, I feel that my extensive description of events is what might later be considered my trademark. I have never wanted to have renown like say, J.K. Rowling, but I have since discovering my talents wanted to be known for something in relation to my work.

I have described the most important details that flow with the events, but I feel that there is something missing from what I have already done. My characters are supposed to reflect normal young women, but what exactly should I base this 'normal' from?

The characters in a story are supposed to reflect the perspective, opinions, and/or personality of the author, so I guess one of the reasons I am having trouble is 'cause I am feeling indecisive. Later on after thinking over things, I'll have sorted this out, hopefully soon.

Still Looking ~

Still digging away for information on Mid Evil Europe for my novel, this might take a while. I hope to come across something I can use right away to set the mood for when the girls first enter the Castle. There is something missing whenever I think on how the girls will react to the interior of the Castle, but I know that there are only a few possible events that can occur, at least I think. As far as I'm concerned, the two will enter the castle and at first only one of them will notice anything weird in the castle's atmosphere. There shouldn't be any challenge introducing that, but if I can I want to have each scene in the Castle to flow together smoothly. Similar to the way an Anime comedy might flow, but without the whole 'real' feel of the scene; in other words (for those of you unfamiliar with Anime or Manga, there would be little attention given to important details, but they will be present for readers to be able to look back to for reference when piecing things together later on.

This is about all I have for today, but if I have anymore bright ideas for the story, I'll let you know!

C. Olson

New Information leads to new revision

Today I spoke with a friend who traveled to Europe for an educational program. When I told him I was in the process of writing a novel, he gave me some helpful information on buildings, places, torture methods, defense methods, and much more about Mid Evil Europe. I learned about Lye, a chemical used in Mid Evil times in defense against attackers, dehydrates area where exposed to until no moisture is left. Today Lye is used in manufacturing soap, as a cleaning agent, and many other different purposes. Other than defensive measures, I learned a little about Forts used in Mid Evil times and how many included center rooms to house those who were not in the fight, while a surrounding zone housed those defending the Fort from attackers.

Though much of this information was interesting to me, since I had no knowledge of it beforehand, some of what was told to me was too upsetting for my taste (i.e. - 'Stretching', stuffing people into extraordinarily small compartments and leaving for months on end, drowning in barrels, etc.). I was not too thrilled to learn this, but having said that, I might still use this in my story when thinking of ways to place my characters in danger.

Taking a break every once and a while might be good for me too, though I usually am unable to work on my story as often as I desire anyway. Tonight I am going to welcome home my cousin who has been away on a cruise for about 6 months. I need to write down some ideas I recently had, so I will have to tell more later!

C. Olson