A New Title

The fire story has a title, finally. I've been switching between "Pyro" and "Fires in the Valley" but I always thought that Pyro was too common sounding and Fires In The Valley sounded a bit like a romance novel.

The title?

Rest In Peace Walter Montague: Completely Defeated By Life

You will be surprised to find out who Walter is and why life got to be so tough.

Story developing.

Getting Back On Track

We've just finished moving and we're now almost done getting our new place all set up, including a nice distraction free place for me to write. This is especially handy since I intend to finish Powdery Tattoo by November so that I can participate in NaNoWriMo with whatever story I end up deciding to go with for that. I haven't thought much ahead on it.

Over the summer I wrote about four pages of Tattoo which I know is lame, but the next time I report I will have accomplished some writing. I've even penciled it into my planner, along with time for those blasted journals.

Fall is my creative time, possibly because of the colors and the smells, but certainly it creates a little place for me to be and explore the world inside my head. And knit a few scarves. I'm sorry that I'm knitting a scarf right now and not writing a book, but I need to let my mind chill for a little bit before I have to come up with anything on my own. Following a pattern is easy. The hard part is stitching it all together yourself.

The best thing for me to do right now is just plan to sit down in the quiet this week with some delicious fall smelly candles and just continue working again when I'm not feeling forced. Plus I want to get my nest back in order first.

It's a whole creative process thing.

Starting with a blank screen.

The Bane Of My Existence

I'm copying my paper journal by hand into five other journals that people all over the US have sent me. It's a project idea that sparked when I realized how much I'm not telling the world by keeping it on paper instead of blogging it. It's not a lot, but it's enough.

Plus I'm impatient and I like to give wee little spoilers.

It's a lot of work though, and these are essentially my big ol' project right now, besides learning my new camera and taking it out for test drives. We move to a flat this weekend, and I'm hoping to start writing again once Ty goes back to school.

Other than that these journals are keeping me busy. And not to worry, because they do contain spoilers.

Not too many though.

If I Had To Give You A Date...

At this point I'm going to speculate that A Powdery Tattoo will not be out before December 2010. What I want is for it to be ready before then and release it next April but with my current goal of trying to buy a house, plus the fact that we're going to be switching apartments in the next few weeks, I doubt I'll have the stamina to sit down and write anything that I can be proud of or that I'd even remotely be able to share.

National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November, and that, I promise, I will try to participate in. What will my project be for that? Well, I have a few options.

I did get Social Butterfly to 50,000, but what if I were to take it to 100,000? Okay, so it's not starting a new novel, but it's 50,000 words in 30 days like the rules say. I could get that one to 100,000 no problem, considering the first 50,000 didn't even near the climax.

A few other possibilities are Girls Are Pretty or The Fool On The Hill, which is actually part two of Golden Dawn but I think I'm going to hold off on writing it for a few years. Another idea is a book that I'm calling Pyro in my head but also Fires In The Valley but I think the latter sounds a bit like a romance novel, which it so is not. But that one needs more research I think as it involves arson investigations and some heavy scientific and psychological themes. That one might be on the backburner for a while.

The good news is that when I wrote on Twitter that I needed to borrow a fire fighter "just for a little while" the LAFD responded and asked how they could help. Wow! Even though my request sounded vaguely sexual it still got a response, and a helpful one at that! I was given the number to their arson experts so I can call and get some help if I need it. I also have a few books coming to me in the mail about arson, one of which is called, dramatically, FIRE COPS! My favorite.

I'm going to try to keep this blog just a little bit more updated, and in return I would love to see some Amazon reviews if you wouldn't mind. I know you have a lot of time on your hands and all.

Until next time...

Just Thought You Should See

I spent time with Marina Hudson today, aka Bombshell. Well, technically this is the girl who inspired Marina's character, and the whole of Bombshell. She's still fighting the good fight and trying to get to where she wants to be. I've missed my friend.

As far as writing goes, I've taken a step back from it for the time being. We've got a lot of stuff going on at the Terwilliger home, like...buying a new home. Plus I'm switching apartments for our last few months here (or what will hopefully be our last few months) so I've got a lot of work to do. No release dates for Powdery Tattoo just yet, but I can feel that this sabbatical is coming to a close really soon. Once fall hits, I'm sure I'll be back in the mood.

Other than this, there has not been very much to report. Therefore I haven't reported anything. But thanks for checking back now and then.

Bombshell Now On Amazon

Bombshell is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. This is most likely the best buying choice for my friends in other countries as I hear that Lulu charges a lot for shipping outside the US.

Enjoy!

Finished Writing "Chelsea's Demon"

This part was based entirely on a dream I had.

Crysta had always used the guise of “having a little fun” to do her most degrading or otherwise bad things. She and Chelsea were heartbroken when Crysta’s parents decided to move back down the mountain to be closer to their jobs, and though Crysta often came back up to visit Chelsea every weekend, sometimes the girls would just stay at Crysta’s house in East Highland. She had a nice little McMansion there with a handful of bedrooms, and the neighborhood was safe to walk in.

One time when they were on one of their walks when they were about 15 years old, Crysta decided to wear a midriff top with cherries all over it, even though Chelsea laughed it off as being pretty slutty. They walked along Baseline road, a brick wall covered in different vines and plants on one side of the sidewalk they walked on. Across the street were the foothills, rounded mounds that seemed to roll their way up to the big mountains they sat foot at; covered in dry brush as usual. Chelsea had her camera strapped around her neck so she could snap some shots along the way, stopping to shoot a single ragweed plant, an ancient looking fire hydrant, or some lantana growing by the wall.

They were walking and talking for a while, just shooting the shit about random boy stuff or teachers at their schools, when all of the sudden a powder-painted yellow truck pulled up beside them. The man inside was wearing a cowboy hat and a flannel shirt, he was kind of homely but he had a really nice looking beard. Naturally Chelsea drew back in fear that he might be trying to kidnap the girls, but Crysta smiled and skipped up to his truck, putting her hands on the edge of the door where the window was rolled down.

“Hi CJ,” she said cutely.

“Well hey there Crys, how you ladies been?” he said, glancing at Chelsea and tipping his hat. “Y’all want a ride?” he asked in his obviously fake southern accent. A cross on a silver chain hung from his neck.

“No CJ, we’re all right,” Crysta said. “Pick me up later though, okay?”

“You sure? It looks like a storm is heading in,” he said while pointing to the dark gray clouds overhead.

“Just pick me up at my house at like nine, okay?” and with that CJ tipped his hat and drove off.

“Who the fuck was that?” Chelsea asked her in disbelief.

“He lives by me,” she answered as they started walking again. Chelsea snapped a picture of his license plate as he drove away just in case.

“Crysta that guy was like 25, what in the hell is he picking you up for?”

“He’s cute! Don’t you love his beard?”

“A little, but Crysta don’t get yourself into trouble,” she said as she stopped to take a picture of some bright purple and yellow plants growing on a sage covered hill in the distance, the light being quite perfect as the sun broke through the clouds to shine down on the scene.

“I just want to have a little fun, is all,” Crysta said dismissively, and that night Chelsea had her mom pick her up early instead of spending the night as she had planned. When Marina asked if the girls had a fight, she said “No, Crysta’s just not feeling well I guess.” Even when she felt that something was wrong, Chelsea always covered for her friend.