Monday, October 25, 2010

"Tired, Sleepy, Bye"

“Tired, Sleepy, Bye”
It’s a Buffy quote, but its one that I feel accurately describes the mood I’ve been in lately. There’s still some post-flu fizziness going on. I’m still not sure that going back to the gym to use up the rest of my free passes is a great idea, because, knowing my luck, I’d probably cough and splutter all over the equipment (if I don’t fall off of it first). Most of the time, I’m just so tired that I usually crash before five o clock and its rare that I get anything of substance completed.
Because of the way my head’s been off in never never land, I’ve not written as much as I’d like to either. I’ve only just completed “Rise and Fall” (the necromancer story) in the format for midnight echo, so now I just have to look and make sure that they’re accepting submissions still. Then I can start working on another piece.
I’ve also written a piece for Hit and Miss (it’s a derby magazine) about my time so far with derby. I only have one or two photos of my own that I can use. They print pretty much anything, so who knows. I wrote it ages ago so there was some work to make sure it was still okay.
I just realised that I wrote fizziness instead of fuzziness, but that’s actually a pretty good description of how I feel, plus the whole high bounce rubber ball feeling of ups and downs that come with the medication and inevitable sugar highs that help me feel a little more human.
I was at angus and Robertson today and saw a book that’s written under the pseudonym of Virginia Andrews. It was a vampire book. It made me realise that there is no one that won’t not write a vampire book if it sells in today’s market.
(I know, I’m quoting a vampire tv show, but to be fair, it was cooler than twilight will ever be).
Almost medication time. Happy again.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Writing Werewolves, Vampires and necromancers... Oh my

I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Not a surprise there, seeing as I’m writing again. Actual writing, and not editing and re-writing something. This is something new. Well, kind of. That’s another part of the story.
Anyway, when I was home last visiting the family, I got into a discussion about what is selling, book wise at the moment. I said that if I really wanted to be published, all I had to do was write a crappy teen love story, throw in a couple of vampires and werewolves and soon I would be rolling in cash. I was asked why I don’t do that, to which I responded that it would be a bit like selling out. Not to mention that since I’m a massive Buffy fan, my stories would probably run a little too close to that style of vampires, complete with dusty ending. It makes me giggle when I see books that I read as a teen being re-released as special omnibus editions, aimed at getting a new audience from the twilight wannabes.
Though I did read a good vampire book recently, Let the right One In. It’s the one that Let Me In is based on. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I’m sort of interested in seeing it now, just to see how close to the original book it is. It wasn’t all sugary sweet like the Twilight books are, which to my mind, is a good thing. Edward and the rest of his pale bunch are a little too good for me.
So anyway, I have been writing again. My central character is Amber and she’s a necromancer. She’s one of those tough, supernatural characters that I seem to be writing more of lately. I have concerns about it being a little too Buffy or Hollows, but if I am aware of it, I will be able to present it differently.
I realised I needed another necromancer after, while writing the exorcist story I worked on at the start of this year, I killed off the last one because I didn’t like her. She annoyed me. So, she had to go, but I promised myself that I’d find a way to re-create the character again. That means that most likely Candy (the exorcist) and M’Alice (death) will make a cameo appearance in this story. It also means that I get to think like my character will, finding dialogue for her and working all the nuances about mystical human reanimation out. That’s the hardest thing, because its only going to be a short story, so I have to work out a way to present that information (if its important enough) and keep the reader interested.
See, I have this theory that I’m working into the story. If a person dies, but their soul hasn’t been taken through the veil yet, when they are reanimated, they are just as they were when they died. However, if the soul is no longer in the body, then that’s when you get your zombie.
Anyway, so far the story is about Amber taking part in an interrogation of a prisoner who dies during questioning. She reanimates him to get the information, all the time dealing with a co-worker who really hates supernatural people.
I should get back to it, I guess

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Sneek Peek. 1st chapter of Ferris Wheel

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO ALL MEDIA OUTLETS IN MILLTOWN AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Carnival arrives in town this weekend...

In a world where it is thought ‘cool’ to have the latest of technology within our grasp, Montmerry’s Old World Carnival is pure fresh-air escapism that takes its customers into a world where time seems to have come to a halt. Full of magic and wonder, it is a place where the whole family can find something to make them smile.
Arriving in Milltown, in regional Victoria, on the weekend, this carnival will make its temporary home at the Old Showgrounds on Martins Road. After all of the preparations that will ensure the carnival is safe and fun for all are completed, the gates will open at noon on Saturday for business.
Patrons are reminded that once entry is paid at the gates, tokens will be required if they wish to go on any rides. Tokens are non transferrable and may be purchased every day from the roving token girls. Cash may be used at all food and merchandise stalls.
Montmerry’s Old World Carnival will be open daily, from noon until midnight. Entry is $10 per adult, $5 under 18s. No entry cost for children under five. A percentage of the money taken at the gate will be donated the Children’s Cancer Fund on the final day of the carnival

random rambling update

I don’t know where my head’s been at lately. Just when I think I have it all sorted out, I either get distracted or something happens to throw me off course completely.
To begin...
The job situation has not changed. I still don’t have one and I’m still scrounging by, making do with mediocre meals and walking as much as possible to reduce how much petrol I use. I’m still waiting to hear about any of those jobs in Melbourne. It’s not like they couldn’t send me a courtesy email to let me know the state of things. I’ve covered my job searching “requirements” for this fortnight, so now, if I look for any work, it’s my choice and I don’t need to do it to make a form look good.
Ferris Wheel is coming along, I mean, the manuscript is finished, though last week, I did realise that perhaps Sasha is a little too passive and I was concerned about it, so I’m now working on bringing in slight changes to make her more assertive. I want her to be a strong character, despite the memory loss and everything that she’s going through.
While I’m working on that though, I really do need to get my thumb out of my ass and start editing some of the pieces that are on my computer, see if I can have them published somewhere.
I’m doing the whole premier 30 minutes of exercise for 30 days. The gym pass is helping, though I usually average about 30 minutes as a minimum at home anyway. Now I hurt all over. While I do like/ loathe the cross trainer, I think, perhaps, it’s not the best piece of equipment when one has two slightly dodgy knees. It’s ok, I’ll still go and I’ll still use it. Who knows, it might whittle away the fat.
I read an interesting book last night called soulless, which is a steampunk, urban fantasy novel set in England at the turn of the century at least. It was a little confusing at times, with the author’s need to refer to the character as both their first name as well as “Miss...”. Anyway, it was still a good read.

To end...
Currently I’m reading: Fistful of Charms (Kim Harrison) and Let the Right One in (John Aivide Lindqvist). The first I’ve read a couple of times. The second one’s the novel that a movie called Let me In was based on.
I’m listening to: Celebrity Skin by Hole, soon to be followed up by Songbird by Bernard Fanning