The Finish Line is in Sight!

Well the story is 'finished,' and now I'm working on filling it out a bit. I was happy that I came in not too far under a decent word count, since it is far easier to add than remove; but at the same time there is always the question of where to add more, and of what information. What is going to move the story along, or just be extraneous, albeit sometimes interesting, information? Especially in a fantasy novel, where not even the sky is the limit for what a person can create.

As a first novel I have to find the balance between a good story, good word count, and not going overboard on either. If you look at bookshelves in bookstores, you don't see too many first-time novels with the length of Terry Goodkind's or George R. R. Martin's. They are the exception, not the rule. Most of the series I've read have first novels that sit pretty between 63 and 70k words. Those series get larger over time as the author becomes more famous, and the publishers are willing to spend more on them.

The finish line is within reach, and hopefully I'll be querying a few agents this month!

Final Showdown

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

 - William Blake


But what about your enemies? Do they deserve kind relief; especially when they're tyring to kill you?

This is the farthest I have ever written into my story, and it is both exhilerating and intimidating to be so close to the end. Finding the blanace between doing it justice, and not prolonging it into tediousness is a fine line. 

The final fight has just begun and I have the main points worked out. Now I just need to connect the dots, so to speak. 

I was invited to continue working with the instructor from my advanced novel writing course, still 10k at a time, and I am thrilled! She has been such an immense help in developing my writing skills, and I hope this is the continuation of my journey to be published!

First thing's first, though, to finish the story!

All Good Things Must Come to an End!

The Road goes ever on and on
   Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
   And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
   Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
   And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road Goes Ever On - J.R.R. Tolkien



I started my advanced novel writing course a few months ago, and on Monday I turned in my final session. I'm now anxiously awaiting my final critique, and I wonder what kind of parting advice I'll be getting. Will this lead me on to some larger way, as the poem says? I cannot say; but I sincerely hope this is not the end!

'Tis the Season

Yule by Kenneth Klein

Amongst the oak and holly leaves
The wren and robin sat between
"Come", the wren croaked, "I shall sing
A song of winter cold.
"My brother is the far-flung crow
The black death-watch upon the snow
The swordless Horned One to him goes
When Autumn sun wanes cold.
"My Sister of Dark Night is queen
The hag that lives the moons between
Her womb is barren now of seed
Her lover grey and old.

"And where have you been, robin brother?
Gone to see your white-breast mother?
The white snow covers up her bowers,
She's taken her home of old."
Amidst the oak and holly leaves
The robin silent sat between
Until with sweet voice, calmly
He began a merry song.

"Long has my White-Crow Mother been
With your brother, Black Winged Bran
Until her belly stirs within
As Yuletide sun grows strong.
"And now at sunrise, silent stark,
Between the days and the Winter dark
Rekindled is The Fire's spark
The Oak King sounds the horn.
"In the forest's icy gleam
There goes a shadow, swiftly seen,
The holly and the oak between
The Green Man is reborn.
"So tell me truly, dark-eyed wren,
Where will you the Summer spend?
Until The Wheel is turned again
And Winter casts its thorn?"

But wren's reply was never got
By a golden arrow he'd been shot
And darkness died upon the spot
The holly and the oak between.
The Oak King is now berry-crowned
The Green Man, born the forest 'round
But the wren lays cold upon the ground
The holly and the oak between
And young lads on the darkest night
Their golden arrows swift in flight
Will sing until the morning bright
The sun to welcome in:

"The wren, the wren, the King of the birds,
On Yuletide Day was caught in the furze.
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
And give us a penny to bury the wren."



I certainly don't know how others feel this time of year, and it is not something I often discuss. It probably sounds weird and mystical, and likely crazy, to others. 

After Samhain (Halloween to all you 'normal' people ;), there is a change in the, for lack of a better word, energy in the air, and as each day marches toward Yule, or Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate, the feeling grows stronger. 

It is a kind of mixture of the excitement we felt as children waking up to presents, and something inherently darker. Not bad, necessarily, but dark and unfathomable. I feel it strongest at night, and as silly as it may sound there is a sense of magic in the air that has nothing to do with consumerism and presents; but instead of a night repeated over millions of years holding the vast knowledge of the Crone in all her glory, and the hope of the Maiden and the Oak King for the year to come- from the first Longest Night to this one. 

Yule, to me and many others no matter what their religion, is a time of rebirth. Whether it is the rebirth of the Sun God, or the birth of the Son of God, it's when we begin the transition to longer days and shorter nights after the longest night of the year. A renewal. 

Some Celts believed, unsurprisingly, that the God of the Old Year represented by the Holly King would battle the God of the New Year, the Oak King, and the year continues only because the Holly King loses. On the Goddess side of things, we see the transition from Crone to Maiden, who carried the Oak King now born on Yule. 

A lot of Triple Goddess/God transitions, traditions, and lore can be interpreted differently by everyone. It's all interesting and highly individualized. 

The point to all this rambling, is to ask everyone to take the time to enjoy that magic in the air, no matter your beliefs. The Longest Night will continue on into the future, for as long as the Earth spins ever on it's axis, but the number of the Nights we experience are numbered; and we should appreciate them while we can. 

On the writing front, I got my feedback for Session 4, and I am now working on Session 5 due on Dec. 16th - wish me luck!

Also, for your viewing pleasure - Lindsey Stirling's Celtic Carol. 

 

Sometimes, I get a Good Feeling!

"That adrenaline, never giving in // Giving up's not an option, gotta get it in // Witness I got the heart of 20 men // No fear, go to sleep in the lion's den"

Have you ever been so incredibly nervous and excited about something that your chest feels strange, and you've determined this must be what the beginning of a heart attack must be like? That is how I feel each time I submit new portions of my writing to my instructor for the writing course, and I log in to find she's posted her response.

It is such a rush of adrenaline that I almost forget how to breathe.

Each time I submit a new session, I think, "This is it, she'll come back and say my story is going nowhere, it's gotten boring, and I'm wasting my time." The fear kicks the adrenaline into high gear, and my heart is beating as if I'm running for my life.

Isn't that the truth, though? I really am running for my life - a life where people read my work and greatly enjoy it.

Any way, she didn't say that I sucked. There was less technical feedback this time - I do try hard to fix my mistakes and actively incorporate improvements into my writing. It doesn't always mean I'll succeed, though. As any person can tell another - bad habits can be hard to break.

What makes my spirit soar, like every happy event in my life happening happening all in one moment, is this:

"I really like your story—very different.  What  delightful characterization, excellent use of dialogue and your narrative introspection has the perfect touches of voice that makes Nyx come to life."

If I could sing and/or dance, I would probably be doing one or both. Instead, I'll get close to hyperventilating in excitement. 

Alright, deep breath. Time for session 3 to begin. 

Session One Complete

Whew, what a rush! I'm taking a course to help me write my novel, where every 10 days I turn in 10,000 words to the instructor. She reviews the chapters and sends me feedback on what needs to be improved.

I just finished fixing up the first few chapters, though I am sure they still need a touch-up or two. The feedback was great; constructive but still positive. Best part of all? She likes the story! A person can be taught the mechanics of writing, but as someone once said - it is very difficult to teach the craft of writing.

Since I was basking in the glory of my review from the instructor, the news that neither of my short stories placed in the Wirter's Digest Annual Competition didn't hit me too hard.

On to session two and the next 10k!

Hard Work, Work

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."

- Colin Powell


It sure has been a while! Things got a little crazy around here, but hey, that's life. 

I decided to take a 15 week, advanced novel writing course to help me with my book. I write 10,000 words every 10 days, and it gets reviewed by Terri Valentine - a published author and screenwriter. It is an amazing opportunity, and I am so thankful I was able to participate in this course. 

In the wee hours of the morning today, I turned in my first 10,000 and I am excited to get started on the next 10. 

Also, I am anxiously awaiting the results of the Writer's Digest Annual competition, for which I submitted two short stories. 

There is also a Sci-Fi/Fantasy contest that I am debating entering. I was thinking of doing a supernatural spin-off on my surrogacy experiences. It should be interesting!