Getting Busy

So the past couple of days have been productive at least. I managed to tape up my Rienna and cut out the pieces of fabric to make her cape and hood. I used some stiff paper to create a sort of ledge for the shoulder pieces. I might attempt my air dry clay later, but I've ordered a different kind in case this stuff doesn't work. It's a kid's clay that I have right now, so it will give me a feel for sculpting, even if it doesn't hold up well.

I also started some diamond painting of a sakura tree. I forgot how maddening diamond painting is. Takes forever and kills more time than I would like it to, but it's still a good distraction.

What else? Writing. Yes, I've managed to finish a second chapter of the Dreampunk Chronicles, so that's good. Poking away at UnHeard is also good. I have no idea what I wanted to do with one of my short stories. I think I confused myself when I initially wrote it, so I had to do a quick fact check, but I think I know what to do with it.

I'll probably release the three stories as one. One's very short, only about 10K words. The other is about 20-25. Not sure how long the last one will be, but it will be small enough that it won't break anyone's bank. Unfortunately, epic fantasy really drives up the price of prints, but I can at least keep the ebooks at a decent price. I'm thinking of calling it Before They Were Heroes, since each of them deals with characters I've done before the events took place in their series. One is pretty much romance erotica, while the other two are procedural in terms of fantasy. Either way, they still fit together, so I'll leave it at that.

But it's New Year's Eve and almost 2020, so I'm looking at a board game night with my sister and nephews and some good times. Better get things started (or at least get out the games). I'll see the rest of you on the other side of the ball dropping. Happy New Year!

On the Ball

It's kinda fun studying maps and images to try to put myself in a place I've never been. Once I plotted that out, it was then a blast just to explore it as a work of fiction to wander through. Conversations, plots, and making those images come to life. I like this internet adventure I've stumbled into!

So I wrote a few thousand words, divided up into the one I've been researching (France, in Through the Golden Doors), my short story collection based on the pasts of characters from my two series, and a little towards UnHeard and its rocky new paths I've attempted to lay out.

Epic fantasy can be a real bitch though, dealing with a roster of fully-realized characters in places you make up. Gotta keep all that straight so you can pants it all you want; at some point, you gotta pull up your pants and do some plotting! Of course, writing wouldn't be as much fun if you had to plot everything and just get it down. There's still flexibility in conversations and movement and character, so there's something to be admired in the many ways writers get their ideas accomplished.

I'd love to work on my doll projects, but it's kind of a crappy cloudy day and I tend to do better with writing and such on those meh days. Good lighting is important for painting on faces or adjusting fabric, so I'll definitely save that for a good day.

Maybe once I publish Through the Golden Doors, I'll take you to some of the real life places I visited in research, do some blogs on those places that inspired the dream worlds beyond them. I'm usually stuck on what I'm up to (and it's not exciting) but eventually, I would like to share more.

There's simply grudge and drudgery phases and those bright and shiny share phases where stuff gets finished.

I'll get there, but there's no point in rushing it. I'm already insanely ahead of where I could be. 11 rather sizeable books published in a couple years... Maybe it's a good thing I slowed down. I think some stories need time to ripen a bit too!

Might take a break from blogging until I have something to share though. But thanks to anyone that bears through my maybes and bare bones updates.

Another Modest Word Count

So today, I worked on the Dreampunk story again. In case, you're not sure of what I mean, it's the YA (young adult) fantasy novel featuring two girls, Miria and Vivienne, from Louisiana that discover they have the power to travel into pockets between our world and another, or the Real and Surreal, gathering artifacts and closing the rifts that are rather dangerous to other humans.

I've put a modest, maybe, 1000-1500 words in this morning, but I've made it a personal goal to just write towards my projects for at least a half hour a day. Not counting research, that is, so I actually spend at least an hour on the back and forth, since I've never actually been to the places where I'm setting up their journey in the real world. Traveling through the eyes of the internet so I may have to do quite a bit of changing in the editing process.

The working title of the Dreampunk Chronicles is actually Through the Golden Doors, which points to the start of their adventure. The scene I start with is based on a dream I had, where they are quite familiar with their gifts, so after that, I travel back to a time before they are acquainted with them and initiate the reader into their first awkward trip to the Surreal. The vocabulary is still advanced, but I think that at least Middle Grade readers would be able to field this one. I'm not filling it with gratuitous swearing or dark themes as I did in my first series, so it definitely won't be filed as Adult. I really wanted to write something my nephews could pick up without any embarrassment for the content. When I write for adults, I simply assume they understand sex and violence, whether they're comfortable with it or not.

So there's that, but since my goal is to both take care of my creative AND physical self, I'm also dedicating time to exercise and watching my diet. I gained back about 30 pounds this year that I'd like to melt away again. I simply felt better without it, so it's not totally a vanity play. Looking better does make one feel better though so let's not pretend it's not nicer to look better as well. If I had the discipline, I'd go for being muscular, because damn, can I build some impressive muscle, but it's also an obsession that too often distracts me from the creative. My journey's goals are about balance though, so we'll take smaller steps for the time being.

In any case, it's time for me to wander off to the next action. A little exercise, then I might hop back into writing. Or figuring out where in the hell I can actually put my new airbrush set. I didn't think this one through. I need a craft room... Can I get a few thousand bucks to build an extension on this house? No? Looks like I'll have to make do.

Don't mind my goofy ass. Just... do you too and we'll make it work. Peace, darlings!

Merry Christmas!

So it's been a good day, filled with board games and video games. At the moment, I'm researching Alsace, France for a book I'm working on. While actually traveling to these places would be the absolute best way to write about them, I'm going to attempt to simply write them through the eye of the internet. Maybe someday, I'll end up getting to write the screenplay and get sent on a wonderful tour to chase the facts in person. Sometimes, you write first and research later, so perhaps the first edition might need some corrections in the future anyway. It'll be a work of fiction ultimately, so if I can suspend disbelief, it's well enough.

I won't take up too much time here, since I've promised my nephews I'd be available when they want to play some of their new toys or games with me (also why I've stuck to research--much easier to break away from a research dalliance than a juicy scene). However, I'd like to take the time to wish you all Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. If all goes well, I'll simply be too engaged in writing and other projects to really notice being absent elsewhere.

So enjoy your holidays and make the best of every day!

Christmas Eve Productivity

So I started the day with about 1200 words towards UnHeard. As I've said before, it's not really writer's block that is a problem. In this case, I'd been coming up with the ideas, but it's my rather sluggish laptop that frustrates me into not really wanting to work on it. I'll eventually get a nice writing laptop and leave this one to just drawing again. I did an intro scene between two of the main character's brothers, which I may or may not like later. Better to just get it down and let the editing decide later.

I've delved into that, but I'm hopping over to my Dreampunk YA story instead. I've been wanting to edit it, again, after becoming more familiar with it through my thought processes. It's my friend Antonio that got me thinking about the parallels between real world places and the other worlds the girls visit, so I'm more than happy to go back into it with the new ideas.

I don't know what order I care to finish them (what will be published next), but let's stick to enjoying the journey. I'm back, at least, for the time being and I plan on NOT planning and just letting the drive commence how it will. After having my friend Kristian ask if I'm writing, and the answer being no, I simply decided I hated the truth in that answer. So I *am* writing. Simple as that.

I plan on meeting up with one of my sisters for the first time after Christmas. It's complicated, but I'd like to attempt to make it less so. I'd like to meet the other as well, but I think it will be best to meet them one-on-one, not make them feel like they have to compete for attention and all that. It's a roller coaster either way, so I hope the ride is as smooth and thrilling as possible.

Ready to celebrate Christmas with commercialism tomorrow, spending a day eating great food and enjoying some new things with my nephews. Games, of the video and board persuasion both, and relaxation and, yes, even more writing or creating. Could be crafting or drawing. Who knows? I like this avant-garde decision process.

So onto the editing and continuation of Dreampunk for now. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Have a great rest of the year and a better year to come!

Daybreak

Started the day with vacuuming and wrapping gifts so I won't babble on about my pre-noon day. Not the rest is super exciting, but...

I did binge Season One of The Witcher and Henry Cavill makes for one hell of a yummy Geralt. I don't just mean that in the objectification sense; I really mean that aside from being a handsome devil, he also injected a succulent amount of that questionable Geralt charm and grey morality that the role needed. I really liked the actors picked until a lackluster Triss showed up in the 7th episode. A little put off that with the detail to eye and hair color that went into the others, they'd pass up a flaming red haired Triss. But it's a forgivable offense in a show that otherwise held my flighty attention span. The way they roll out the characters will even make it more friendly for first timers. The rest of us, gamers and readers, had a bit of whiplash from gathering the past lives and present connections spanning the series.

All in all, it makes me want to delve into writing my stories again. While I can't decide if UnHeard or  Through the Golden Doors or even Rock My World will get some attention (those three have been producing at least hints of a nudge over the months), I think I'll just open my laptop and take a shot until something sticks.

Finishing my day with some Kahlua and coffee. Because I'm backwards. But it's lulling me as I hoped. After some good rest, I'm hoping a day of writing is ahead. Christmas is sneaking up on us and I'm excited for that too.

Happy Holidays ahead to everyone! Keep your dreams on your sleeves!

Break Time

Oh, the possibilities for the next two weeks, without work, are endless.

Tips were super so first thing I did? Order an airbrush set! If you've followed my blog, you know I've been wanting one to do the matte clear layers on doll faces. Mostly. I totally intend to let my curiosity wild. But it won't be within the next couple weeks unfortunately since it'll take a month to get here. I shelled out for a good compressor though, not just the little ones you can get cheap. I've seen the Vallejo brand of matte varnish recommended so I shelled out for a little bottle of that too.

I'm also likely to work on the eye motifs for a small decorative blanket I crocheting... Pics to come once finished, of course.

I do have some wrapping to do still but that's mostly done. I do look forward to some family time for the holidays.

Dolls, writing, drawing-- so many possibilities. Why plan it all neatly when impulse is so much more satisfying? I did get my mischievous Minifee and Dreamland Karen, both white as the driven snow, as opposed to the usual natural peach tone my other dolls have. Yes, I love the darker skin tones but they're pretty pricey. Light and medium resins and plastics are easier to mix while a doll maker can hit inconsistencies in dark mixes if they don't know what they're doing. I consider myself a novice so there are certain prices I'm just not comfortable with paying... So I do without certain options for now. I bet I could learn to blush doll skin with the airbrush to get darker tones to look natural. Eventually. But with all on my plate, it's not a short term goal.

Onto a bout of sleep. Oh yeah, you didn't think I'd do without that luxury, did you?