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