Thought Patterns

Ah! This feels good! I am up to and past chapter 20/page 72. Now is when Grace and Kelly open their eyes to what is right in front of them. They still have some stuff to go through first, but the comparison is about to start.

I wonder why I write romance. Basically because I am intrigued with the idea of getting two people together. That love can get folks to do stupid things, good things, impossible things. That romance, the wooing and cooing to entice the other, still exists. Am I a romantic at heart? Dangit, yes. But shhh, don't tell anybody!

I want to write fantasy books, The Graced is my effort into that realm. Good vs evil type stuff. Aren't we all? Isn't that one of the basics of our existence? We can't ride that fence. We either make a conscious choice or we just do.

I have another theory. The world revolves around priorities. Not necessarily just on the 'must' priorities, but also, and probably more, on the 'want' priorities. And those two switch places at random. Which choice is 'good'? Which choice is 'evil' or 'not good'?

A person meets someone he/she is interested in and decide to make a committment to each other. Because our person already owns a house, they decide that they will live in that house, together. Now, which is the priority? truly sharing? or holding onto what he/she alone worked hard to pay for?

Lorna and I have been together for 14 and 1/2 years. Over the years our priorities have changed, evolved, even metamorphed into things we never considered. Have we always had the same priorities? hell no! I don't want to live with my clone! *shudder*

At any rate, I ramble again.

I don't know where it went, but it didn't come here. We had a light dusting this morning but then…it stopped. Now it is raining but it's just rain, not freezing rain or sleet.

Plowed through the counselor scene. I'm going to let it sit for a bit then look at it some tomorrow. Worked also on the character study for Grace. She turned out to be fiesty-er than I thought she was. But I like that. Didn't do one on Anna and not sure that I will. I may do it on Kelly, focusing on how she is as the story starts.

I need to also get back to work on the two year novel project, UHauls and Toaster Ovens. I am behind on the assignments and the story has sat there for a while now, brooding.

The other novels I'm working on are content where they are. Well, the ladies from The Trilogy aren't too thrilled about it and Sarah is pissed that Lea is getting all the attention. After all, this all started with her not Lea. I keep them in a seperate folder from Kelly and Grace. I wouldn't want to see the four of them in a fight. Now, rolling nekkid on silk sheets, that's a different image altogether!

We are supposed to be getting snow tomorrow, changing over to sleet and freezing rain. Whoopie. And Lorna will be out in it, delivering mail.

I got some writing done today. Decided that Anna is still dead but was a cheating bitch. Right now I have Kelly at the counselor's again for the first time in over a year. They are discussing how Anna died and why this event was so devestating to Kelly, besides the obvious. So I need to have it all figured out in order to continue. I think this is Chapter 13. Huh, well, that 'splains it.

Tomorrow I am going to work on character development for Anna and Grace. I wonder if they will turn out to be similar or vastly different? I think vastly different. But who knows?

Well, I am off to bed at almost 3am. dang, where did the time go??

Been up since 630am. Got some work done today, mostly reading and rereading everything. The first four chapters are fairly solid, now to continue on. That will start tomorrow. Today was just too weird.

I am on the brink of dropping the idea that Anna (former partner) didn't die afterall. But I think the variable of her coming back is just too strong if she is alive. At first she died after a big fight and was on her way home so they could talk about it. Then I decided suicide was stronger and with less baggage. But now I think not that either. Lorna and I talked about it yesterday and I think we came up with a solution. So far I've only mentioned her in passing once I think. Yeah, I think I'll keep her dead. She's gone from a nice wonderful person to a wacko and is now an offical bitch. An official dead bitch at that. Tomorrow I tackle Kelly's history with Anna. Today was just too weird.

I was going to take a writing class (not creative writing!) but would you believe it was full!? And they had a waiting list of over 6 people?? But they already put it down for the next quarter so I'll try it again in March.

Did I mention how weird today was?

I had hoped to get to bed the same day I got up but the dogs had other ideas. Two are in but the others are all still out there somewhere, annoying me by not coming back. If it were warmer, the back door would be open and getting them in would not be an issue. However, I have this aversion to snow in my kitchen and frost on the faucet. Silly of me, I know.

I am feeling better, at least better than I did yesterday/last night/this morning/whenever. I was able to eat dinner (easy chinese food) and it settled nicely.

Got the first chapter of Butch Girls down so pretty! I let Lorna read the three different versions of it and she liked it best and had some good ideas. Tomorrow I'll add those details in. [She and I worked on character development this evening. It was good to sit and talk to each other vs me on the computer, her in a book, and the dogs demanding both of whatever else we have left over.] The other beginning chapters are looking just as good. I'm considering bringing in Grace earlier but maybe not.

Anyway, the last of the critters are in, the head count is done, and I am actually going to be before 12:10. Have I been taken over by aliens???!!!

I am not well. Okay, we already established that. I mean I am not feeling well. Off my feed today and now, 3:30am, I am still awake and got the queazies. If I hurl, do you want to know about it? Just kidding.

Got zippo writing done today. Couldn't focus my thoughts enough to play solitaire.

So, y'all just hang in there and I'll get with you on this matter (whatever it was) later.

Linear, according to WordWeb, is of or in or along or relating to a line; involving a single dimension; "a linear foot". The synonym is 'one-dimensional'.

According to Nancy Kress, author of Beginnings, Middles and Ends, the writer tells the story in a linear way, rather than movies that present all the information in lumps since it is visual. The reader needs to be led through the book, giving them all the information by the end.

I am visually oriented and 'see' the story of the novel, like a movie. I need to be able to break that down so it is in linear format. Lorna, the love of my life for the past 14 and a half years and therefore is getting better at knowing how to present information to me, says it is like a ball of string. I have the rolled up ball, the novel, in my head. I need to unroll it, presenting the reader with the string, showing them the novel in that line rather than saying 'here is the ball' and getting upset that they don't understand it.

Well duh!

Here is Kelly and Grace and daughter Lucy, they are going to work out their differences and find similarities and then eventually form a family. Kelly is still freaking about the death of her partner two years ago. Grace is wanting stability in her life after several years of bad luck. And Lucy is wanting a family, something she's never really had.

That is the ball of string. Why would the death of her partner two years ago still have Kelly freaked? She's a strong woman, physically and mentally, yet she's still held back by that. Why? Well, there's the ball and you can't figure it out?

Sure, after several years of bad luck, any one would want stability. Why is Grace's situation different? What about her daughter? Can't you figure it out?

How about if I start unrolling this ball of string, showing you this is Kelly, see how she thinks and behaves? now, here is how she sees her work and her friends. Here is how her partner died. Now, knowing all this, the reason she is still focused on it makes more sense, doesn't it?

Last night I started at the beginning of Butch Girls, again, and presented it linearly. I assumed nothing. I presented the information as if you, the reader, had no clue of the story because, duh, you don't, other than the blurb on the back of the book.