Findings

Mainly I seem to post about things i find -or things that find me- thoughts, bits of paper, things in my garden, old stories. Trust me every bit of it weaves it's way into my book, like a giant jigsaw of 'stuff'. I like to think that people who know me well might recognize a place, a mannerism and idea... anyway If i find my sanity amongst  these discoveries I will let you know.
My laptop case -the Mary Poppins bag of lap top cases- contains many of these findings. Today I leafed through the bits of paper, knitting, notebooks, crochet owls and buttons held within said bag and found a poem.
(I just dropped coffee on my keyboard, I hope the 'num lock' button isn't important...) I've never ever been any good at poems, in fact the only ones I've kept are ones intended for my book. The poem I found was probably written four of five years ago. It's very short and very sweet and I can't believe I wrote it, but lets just say I am extraordinarily excited to slip it inside the jigsaw. I won't write it here because It's one of those poems that only makes sense when you know the mythology behind it plus it's far more powerful when you hear it from the marginally-depressed, ill-fated, possibly-doomed and overwhelmed character who is going to say it. it isn't sad though, don't get me wrong, its sort of carries a sense of resignation. It's a 'turning point' poem. It's special.

I went to see breaking dawn a few nights ago. now that's an interesting topic. Twilight, I'm almost scared to talk about it actually. It seems people either love it, hate it, love to hate it or are obsessed with it..
A few years ago I was conned into reading the first book, I didn't think it sounded like 'my thing' Turns out it probably was my thing, I liked it, I read the others and brought Breaking dawn as it hit the stores.
In retrospect it quite possibly wasn't the literally content that drew me in but the rain, the wolves, Bella and the mysterious immortals. I've learned to fear Twilight (seriously the fans that emerged with the movies got scary) and have developed a certain respect for vampires that don't sparkle. I no longer know what to think of it all, in my opinion the books were a cool idea and the first movie was awesome but since then... and the final book didn't do anything for me, sorry SM but what good is a story where everyone gets absolutely everything they want. A good story has to have some balance, some sacrifice. (In my opinion)

I want to talk about Tellan. I've not written another synopsis yet, sorry. I'm excited about it. I feel like I'm weaving.. or putting together a big puzzle. I have little mysteries everywhere, wee lose ends and carefully planned comments, objects and visions. BUCKETS OF FUN. (accidental caps-lock but i'm gunna leave it just to emphasize my joy).
I've just introduced my protagonist to one of my favorite characters (who we can nickname 'the prince under pressure'). She's also just been extracated from a scrap with a 'lady' and experienced a rather mind-blowing change of circumstance.
Next on the 'to write' list -or rather in the up coming chapters- I have a series of near-death experiences involving a lake, some serious rain, a blue tiger and a wolf boy. That's right the wolf boy. He's about to make one of his brief appearances. I can't wait. This ones for you Alice.

Speaking of Alice (my sister). We-re about to re-united. With our combined adventures (her to Aussie, me to Canada) I haven't seen her since May 2010. whoa.
She's in Sydney being amazing, a model, fashionista, babe, writer, I'm not sure what.. http://lunamagazine.com.au/author/alice she wrote some stuff.. and I miss her. Alice is the basis for one very important character. One of those characters who's talked about all the time but no one really knows what she's up to, or where exactly she is... Alice was also the one who gave me the brain juice to create the wolf boy. When I was in Canada and told her of my plans to write my book she told me to write about a boy who was raised by wolves. I think the wolf boy is the next best thing... he wasn't raised by wolves but he's interesting. At least I think he's interesting.


THE HOBBIT. (more caps-lock, also leaving to emphasize joy). Still depressed that I wasn't here for extra's casting. and I think that this is the closest that they are filming to home, http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/11/14/50243-nz-photos-from-pelorus-river-region/

seriously considering going bush with a camera. No I'm not that dedicated. Or am i?
Pelorus is a pretty place It'll be neat to see it in the movie, I once found a frog in Pelorus that came all the way from the N. I (according to the DOC website).

I'm doing lots of exciting things this week, 'The Mousetrap' has just opened (our first show went seamlessly).   Well except for a minor 'light switch' hitch and a few missed lines, but it was live theater and opening night  it's to be expected. On top of that I have been asked to walk on stilts in a parade on sunday -which could be disastrous- I should be practicing... oh and I have to wear a giant ice-cream cone... hmm.

An ode to Chris Paolini and another chapter finished.

I can't begin to explain what finally getting this book written is like. .
Eight years worth of day-dreams, idea's, drawings, plans and a fair amount of random excerpts, are now almost a bare-bones-rough-edit-draft-of-the-first-draft. whoa.

I reached a hair-wrenching point of indecision today regarding the placement of two minor events in the space of one or two chapters... the 'one or two' being the indecisive part. Ideally it would be two -and there's definitely enough material there for two- but it's a part of the book where I really don't want to linger. .. hmm it's a thinker. Then again the previous five chapters are like AHHH (shit hits fan). Perhaps the book should drag it's bum for a few pages.. otherwise my poor protagonist is going to hit the fan also, or drop from exhaustion.
anyway.... OK a re-write of that patch may be in order (curses).

Upon realizing that I had no one to discuss this quandary with, I took off on a wee adventure. An adventure to climb the old-forestry hill, look out over Hobbiton, and generally vent my frustration somewhere far, far away from my laptop. I clambered over the debris of old felling, grass and bramble -all the while listening to epic, classical music and feeling rather brave and adventurous- then I tripped and fell on some pine cones... not so cool now are we. I proceeded to come home and make the situation (chapter/s) three times worse, drank a few cups of 'coffacino' and wrote a rather emotive speech from one character to another about good things coming from where you least expect it.