Only the Beginning of the Adventure

“I’m falling.”

Those two words popped into my brain on December 10th whilst doing my nightly teeth brushing duties.

“Huh,” I thought, “that’d be an interesting way to start a story.”

These thoughts buzzed louder than my electric toothbrush, festering and growing. A whole prologue of a girl falling through nothingness had come alive by the time I was ready to rinse and spit.

Hurrying to my room, I pulled out my Author’s Journal and scribbled the few nonsensical lines down. “Someday that could be cool story,” I said to myself as I slipped the little journal back on the shelf, knowing good and well most of the random ideas constantly whirling inside my head never make it out. Besides, just ten days before that I had finished NaNoWriMo. No writing was to be done in December. It was time for a break.

But as I slipped under the covers that night and closed my eyes, the words came back to me. “I’m falling. . .”

Why is she falling? Where is she falling to? Maybe she’s just in a coma? What happens when she wakes up? What if she doesn’t remember anything?

“Stop it, brain! I’m trying to sleep. I can’t think of a new story right now. I just finished NaNo and I already have decided what the next book I’m going to write will be. Now be quiet.”

But. . .

“I’m falling.”

The words were back by the next morning, and the falling girl wouldn’t leave me alone as I went about my daily business.

“But I can’t start a new story right now. That’d be insane!”

That night, when I crawled into bed, I pulled up my laptop and opened a fresh new word document.

“I’m falling,” my fingers clacked onto the empty white page.

And Fallen Matter was born.

For six months now this story that never even supposed to exist has kidnapped me in a solid grip, constantly on my mind, constantly demanding my attention. So I let it have its way, and I’m so glad I did.

Never has a story surprised me as much as this one. It threw away all my notions of disliking sci-fi. It proved to me that veering away from my comfort zone can be a good thing. That I am actually capable of writing something far, far away from medieval fantasy and *gasp* enjoy it, a lot. It completely turned around my great hatred of first person. Basically, it took one look at my comfort zones, crumpled them up, and tossed them out the window. And I’m so glad! This book took me on an adventure that made strides in my writing journey and I feel so much more confident because of it.

Ever since that December night, my life has been centered around this single story. Most of my days have been spent clacking madly on the keys, pounding out this weird, wild tale. I’ve enjoyed most of the stories I’ve written, but never once has any one captured me so tightly as this. I couldn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop. Usually, I end up getting burned out at some point in the story and writing becomes a chore. But not with Fallen Matter. Sure, there were days I had to push myself to reach a word count goal, but those times were few and far between. I got immersed in the world, the confusing plot, the intriguing characters, rooting them on, wanting to stay with them through the entire journey.

And then, last night at 8:25 PM, my fingers tapped out the much anticipated words.

The End.

I had done it. Six months of mad writing and Fallen Matter was done.

*cue the dancing*

So what now? Well, this is just the beginning. Have I mentioned Fallen Matter is the first of a trilogy? That’s right! The adventure has just begun!

As much as I love this book, it needs work. And I mean WORK. I think this is the one I’m going to attempt querying with and poke at that prospect of getting published, which means this draft is just the first of many as I twist and shape and squeeze this book into something worth reading.

Did I mention it ended at 164,474 words and 49 chapters?

Oops.

That’s not going to work! I really didn’t want it to be any longer than 100k. How it got to be 164k words is still confusing my poor brain, and how I’m going to cut about 60k words out of it turns said brain into soup. BUT those worries are for another time. Right now I’m simply reveling in the feeling of it being WRITTEN.

This idea that started out as two words, I’m falling, transformed into a story with such a big, confusing plot I’m still trying to sort it all out. I honestly had zero plot and no clue what was happening when I had already written three chapters! And now I have a full, 164k story. Naturally, this first draft would be a bit on the messy side. But I discover the story while I write, so now I have something to work with. If I hadn’t plunged in, I’d have nothing. Now I have the building materials I need to really create and shape this story into something worth reading. And it excites me beyond belief!

For now, though, Fallen Matter and I need some time away from each other, as hard as it is to separate. I need a good long break to sort things out and give myself time before tearing my baby apart. For the duration of June I’ve been writing like a mad person, critiquing books and things for friends, and catching up on those ever stacking emails. But now I’ve finally completed my tasks and caught up on things. Goodness does it feel good! I love doing those things but sometimes I need a bit of a breather away from the computer, you know? A special thanks to some of Fallen Matter’s characters, Cyrus, Isaac, Tiff, Elan, and Lykan (and Elan again), for taking care of my blog for me while I wrote their tale. *winks* You guys were great. Well, some of you. *looks pointedly at Lykan*

As for July, I’m going to LIVE. I’m going to swim and paint my nails weird colors and watch movies with my siblings and waste away the day on Pinterest guilt free and read and maybe even write a short story which is a subject for another time. But the main thing is I don’t have any huge projects demanding my attention. So for a while I’m just going to breathe a bit and maybe take some time away from the computer. If I’m not prompt on email answering and such, that’s why. (Because I’m always so prompt already, riiight? *grins*) And then, once I’ve gotten my breath of fresh air, well, we’ll see what August brings.

For now I’m going to enjoy the lazy days of summer and celebrate in the satisfying conclusion of another adventure.

The moral of this post? Brush your teeth often! You never know what will come of it. *nods sagely*

Elan’s Second Try

Okay, we’re going to try this again. For those of you who don’t know, my author Christine is busily trying to finish the story I’m from, Fallen Matter, so us characters have occasionally been taking care of her blog for her while she does. I had a post a few weeks ago but my little bro Cyrus rudely interrupted it, so I’m gonna give it another go. He’s not around right now but it’s only a matter of time, so I’ll have to be quick. Everybody be sure to keep your voices low so he doesn’t hear us, okay? Great.

According to Cyrus I was being boring last time so I’ll try to do better. Now, normally I’m not wild about talking about my wings, but all of you seem so interested in them I guess I can try a little, at least for the sake of not being boring.

So yeah, I have wings. Um, they’re basically giant, mutated bat wings. They work and all but I haven’t exactly had much of a chance to test them out. I live in a city that’s locked away inside this giant cube. Not exactly the best place to go flying. Plus, way too many people around for that. The looks people give me when they see me. . . Well, never mind. It’s taking a lot of adjusting. They’re just so cumbersome. You all probably think having wings is cool, but try sitting or sleeping with them for the first time. You might change your mind. And running with them is like running with two giant things behind you pulling the wind in the opposite direction. Plus they make my back feel. . .weird. And kinda sore sometimes. I’m not one to envy, I promise.

How ‘bout we talk about something else?

Um. . .let me see. . . Well, Christine’s friend Celti gave some suggestions so I’ll try that. One suggestion was to talk about the other characters. I like that. Gets all the attention off me.

Well, you’ve probably gathered my thoughts on Cyrus. He’s a handful but, hey, he’s my brother. I love him even though he does try to take my posts away from me.
Breighly. . .I think she’s great. It’s just hard to get inside her head sometimes. I never really know what she’s thinking. She seems so sad all the time and I barely know why. I want to help her but sometimes I feel useless. I just don’t know what to do. I’m trying my best to be her friend but, well, it’s not always easy. Nothing against Breighly though! I know she’s had it rough, we all have. Hopefully time will heal.
Isaac? Mmm. Not exactly my favorite person. I think he’s hiding something and I can’t figure out what. I don’t trust him.
Tiff is a lot fun! She reminds me of Cyrus sometimes. It’s good to have her around for a laugh, which is something we all need from time to time. I’m glad she’s made friends with Breighly. I think Breighly needs someone like that.
And Lykan? Don’t even get me started on him. It wouldn’t be pretty.

What else did you ask, Celti? Let’s see. . . What’s my favorite thing to do? What’s my favorite color? Okay, these look easy.

I think my favorite moments were always one-on-one talks with my dad. He was always so wise and we had some pretty great discussions about life and everything in between out on the fire escape of our apartment. I really miss that.

As for a favorite color? Blue, I guess. Green is cool, too.

And you want me to tell you something silly about Cyrus? Oh, that’s a good one! I’ve got plenty of stories. There was this one time that he—

Oh, drat! I think I hear him coming. Sorry, guys, I gotta go!

The Olaf Award

My dearly blogging friend Kiri nominated me for a very fun tag. . .like a few weeks ago. *cough* But better late than never, right? (And technically I have at least 3 other tags passed my way as well, but I might wait until July to get to those when things have hopefully settled down for me AKA when I finish the book I’m tirelessly writing.)

This tag, as described by the maker, is “a blog award dedicated to the glories of Disney animation.” Pretty epic, is it not? Who doesn’t love the Disney animated movies?

Because everyone loves Olaf!

~Rules~
1. Answer the award questions.
2. Pass the award on to however many bloggers you choose, using the same or your own questions.

Quite simple!

~Questions~

1. What is your favorite Disney movie of all time?
That would absoluuutely be Tangled! It’s got Flynn, a way fun heroine, Flynn, frying pans, Flynn, a hilarious horse and frog—ahem chameleon, Flynn, awesome plot, and did I mention Flynn? Okay, okay, I don’t love it just because of Flynn (but Flynn <3).

2. Of the three newest Disney films (Tangled, Brave, and Frozen), which is your favorite?
*points up* I think I’ve got this question covered. But Brave and Frozen are completely delightful!

3. Do you tend to prefer Disney films made prior to the 2000s or those made more recently?
Hmmm. . . That’s an interesting question. Tangled, Brave, and Frozen all happen to be 3 of my favoritest animated movies of all time, BUT then you got Winnie the Pooh, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, The Aristocats, Robin Hood. . .I mean, come on, people! All those classics are AMAZING. So I guess maybe possibly I’d say prior to the 2000s, even though Tangled is my favorite.

4. Who is your favorite character in Frozen?
My. . .favorite. . .character. . .? WUUUUT? WHAT. I think I love Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven equally! They’re all so spectacular in their own special way and just asdlkjflskjdf. I CAN’T CHOOSE. I love ALL the characters!!! *huggles them* Except Hans. I do not love Hans. . . >.>

5. Everyone loves Disney music. Any movie whose soundtrack you particularly enjoy? Limit yourself to three.
TANGLED. (Seeing a pattern here?) I listen to that soundtrack practically daily (and if I ever get married highly considering having “I See the Light” at my wedding). As for two more. Um. . . Probably The Little Mermaid, she always had my favorite singing voice of the princesses and the songs in that film are just so fun. And thennn Robin Hood, maybe? Who doesn’t love those songs? But maybe Beauty and the Beast. . .or Frozen? GAH. I don’t KNOW. I don’t really have a top three!

“I have dreams like you no really,
Just much less touchy feely,
They mainly happen somewhere warm and sunny!
On an island that I own,
Tan and rested and alone,
Surrounded by enormous piles of money!”

Because we all know that’s the best.

6. In your opinion (similar to Question #3), has the quality of Disney's film-making decreased as time has gone on, or has it only improved?
Wellll I think it’s increased a bit just for the fact that they’re bigger now, have more recourses, etc. But I also think the classics are so amazing because, well, they’re classics. It’s what we grew up on. Some our parents grew up on. They have this nostalgia to them that the new ones don’t because, ya know, they’re new. But the new ones have deeper, richer stories, while the classics are happy and nostalgic. And I’m not really going anywhere with this, am I? I’m mainly talking it through with myself because I don’t exactly have an answer. As I first said, their quality has increased due to better storytelling, bigger budgets, and more advanced technology, but there’s something about the classics that you just can’t remake, even when they try. Have you seen some of the sequels they made to the classics? No thank you! So, to answer the question (yes, you may sigh in relief), I wouldn’t say they’ve overly increased or decreased, it’s just different. Not necessarily in a bad way or a good way, just different.

7. Favorite Disney couple?
Want to take a guess at this one?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FLYNN AND RAPUNZEL.

Shocked, right? The obsession goes deep, people, deep.

I mean. . .

Can you get anymore adorable?

8. Favorite Disney sidekick?
*sputters* Sidekick? MEH. WHY THESE QUESTIONS SO HARD??? Does the Mad Hatter count as a sidekick? I’m not sure he really does. But he is one of my favorite fictional characters in the history of ever, in all his forms. (Am I babbling to put off this question? Why yes I am!) ERM. *pulls at hair* Sidekicks. . .sidekicks. . . Maaaaybe Maximus. (Yes, another question answered with Tangled. Are you not surprised?) Who doesn’t love that mischievous horse? But then there’s Olaf, who is, well, Olaf. He doesn’t need a reason to be favorited. But then MUSHU. Who is just fabulous and hilarious in every way possible. And Dug, from Up. SQUIRREL. And does Dory count as sidekick? Can we just say ALL the peoples?

9. What is the worst Disney film you've ever seen?
CINDERELLA 3!!! Remember when I mentioned them making sequels to the classics? NO. You do not touch the classics, you do not remake them, you do not try to change them, don’t even look at them! The classics are my babies and I do NOT appreciate them being tampered with. ESPECIALLY Cinderella, which happens to practically be my childhood. Just NO. Do you know what they did in that movie? Am I even allowed to speak the horrors done? They altered the entire timeline of the first movie, people!!!! Normally time travel and I get along swimmingly, and Cinderella and time travel? Okay, wow. Very interesting. Hahaha. . . NO. They basically erased all the events that happened in the first movie, ERASED MY CHILDHOOD, and changed it and I just can’t. I get so worked up when I think about it (if you didn’t notice) that I can’t even acknowledge the existence of that movie. *shakes it off and moves on*

10. Lastly, what is one lesser-known Disney film you'd recommend?
Uh. . .we’re still keeping to animated stuff, right? Is Oliver and Company very well known? I never see anyone ever mention that one but ooooh my goodness. I watched that so much when I was little it’s ridiculous. That movie is FAAABULOUS. Or. . .I think it is. I can’t even remember the last time I saw it. o.o

Okay, this was spectacularly fun! Hope you all didn’t mind the many rambles. Disney and I run deep. Thank you SO much, Kiri, for passing this on to me!

Now my turn to share it as well. . .

~Nominees~

Deborah (Or Celti as I fondly call her)
Belle
Sarah
Jack
Lisa

And here is the list of questions for you to answer. I’m just going to use the same ones I was given because they’re a lot of fun (and I’m too lazy to come up with any myself *cough*).

~Your Questions~

1. What is your favorite Disney movie of all time?
2. Of the three newest Disney films (Tangled, Brave, and Frozen), which is your favorite?
3. Do you tend to prefer Disney films made prior to the 2000s or those made more recently?
4. Who is your favorite character in Frozen?
5. Everyone loves Disney music. Any movie whose soundtrack you particularly enjoy? Limit yourself to three.
6. In your opinion (similar to Question #3), has the quality of Disney's film-making decreased as time has gone on, or has it only improved? 
7. Favorite Disney couple?
8. Favorite Disney sidekick?
9. What is the worst Disney film you've ever seen?
10. Lastly, what is one lesser-known Disney film you'd recommend?

Don’t forget to be “happy snowmen!” out in these summer months! *wink*

Beautiful People - Elan {June 2014}

Beautiful People is back, guys! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Well, let me tell you a thing.

A good while back Sky and Georgie Penn hosted a blog party called Beautiful People in which they would give authors ten questions each month to answer about one of their characters. It was a really fun way to get deeper inside the life and heads of those beautiful people we call our characters. Unfortunately, due to life and all its invasiveness, Beautiful People got put on hiatus.

But as of this month it has officially returned!

Georgie is unable to continue it, so now Sky’s lovely co-host is Cait from Notebook Sisters, and we’re all very excited!

If you’d like more information on Beautiful People you can go HERE. Or pop on over HERE to see this month’s questions and link up to the party. It lasts all month so you can join in at any point in June! I think the new questions will come up on the 5th of every month. So come along for the ride! It’s tons of fun!

~*~*~*~

Since I am heavily working on Fallen Matter, I decided to choose Elan for this month’s BP. Being as how he’s the second main character of the story, I really need to get into his head, but I’m having trouble doing that. I can’t quite get as  full of a spectrum of his character as I’d like. So maybe this will help.

Sighing, Elan stepped closer to me. "All of us have things we don't want to remember, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't."

This made me look up. "But why not? Life is memories, isn't it? So wouldn't it be better if we just had the happy ones?"

"What kind of people would we be if that was the case? You're right, life is made up of our memories, memories of the experiences we've had. And it's the experiences that shape us. If all we ever live was happiness and pleasure, how would we ever learn? It's all the hard stuff that strengthens us. Sure, it isn't fun, but it's life. It's what helps us learn to rely on Someone far bigger than us."

 

~*~*~*~

1) What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it?
Elan Reid Keldrite is the whole of it. There’s not much of a story behind it (or at least not that I know of). Elan is just what his parents decided to name him. His middle name, Reid, is actually his father’s first name, so that’s where it came from.
 
2) How old are they, and when were they born?
19 years old. (Although that age keeps shifting on me, so it might be different by the time I get to the final draft.) Elan was born in the year 3004. Yeah, this novel takes place very far in the future.

3) Describe their physical appearance.
Elan is pretty tall, being a little over six feet. He has an all around muscular build to him that might seem intimidating at first, but after a closer look at his playful, boyish face, he seems harmless. He has fairly short dark brown hair and blue eyes. His style is casual—khakis, t-shirts, etc. Usually you’ll find him in more muted colors like forest green and faded blue. His appearance is not something he really puts much thought into.

(Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/nationality/ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it!)
Most of Elan’s blood is actually English, but there’s some American in there as well. With maybe a touch of Australian roots sprinkled in.

I surely do!

4) Describe your character's personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences.
One word? Hm. That’s a toughy. I think I’d have to say protective. Most of his life is just trying to protect his loved ones in a corrupt world.

Elan is a big hearted person, tending to put others’ needs before his own. Sometimes he doesn’t always go about it the right way, his overly protective nature blinding his common sense, but he means well. He’s mostly introverted in nature, not overly fond of big groups of people and speaking publicly. Despite this, he’s pretty trusting, always wanting to see the best in people, and is always happy to make a new friend. Even if he is a little awkward. His friends are lucky to have such a loyal guy on their side, his enemies, though, better watch their backs. Especially when it comes to harming his loved ones.

5) What theme song(s) fit their personality and story arc?
The majority of my music is Contemporary Christian or a hodgepodge of instrumental songs. I never really listen to stuff that would fit my stories or characters. So these questions always stump me. I don’t actually have fitting songs for anything. . . 

6) Which one of the seven deadly sins describes your character?
Wrath, I think. Elan holds in a lot of anger towards those that have wronged him and his family.

7) If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would they be?
Earth. He’s a very strong, down to earth sort. (Although I suppose having wings and all would also make him a lot like air, wouldn’t it? Heh.)

8) What is their favorite word?
Safe. He just wants everyone to be safe. Unfortunately, that never seems to be the case.

9) Who’s one person they really miss? (It could be someone who’s passed away, or someone they’re not close to anymore, or someone who’s moved away.)
He equally misses both his mom and dad.

10) What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?
When he sees and hears his brother, Cyrus, laugh it gives him a flashback to a much happier time when his family was together. The smell of oranges reminds him of the joyful day his dad came home with a can of oranges, an extremely rare treat for their low income. And whenever he looks at the small, worn Bible he carries around, he can hear his father’s deep voice reading passages from it as the family gathered together every evening in their cramped living room.

And that’s that! Don’t forget you can join in on the party HERE as well as read everyone else’s June BP posts. Have a b e a u t i f u l week!

You’re in for a Treat AKA Lykan’s Turn

Why hello there. Name’s Lykan, but hopefully you already knew that, and if you didn’t, well, be glad you do now. Your life just got a whole lot better. Trust me.

Supposedly I’m expected to write some sort of dribble for my annoying author. This kid named Cyril or Simon or Cyrus or something, I don’t know, don’t really care either, told me as such. I don’t even know this kid and was going to brush it off as drivel, but then it occurred to me, my author has some mighty pretty friends. I couldn’t deprive these ladies of getting some Lykan time, now could I? That would be very ungentlemanly of me. So here I am. Now then, what do you ladies want to know about me, hm?

“Lykan! NO flirting with my friends. Bad!”

See what I mean about annoying? I get scolded for being nice. Psh. Authors. Can’t be too mad at her though, she did create me after all. What would the world be without some Lykan gracing it with his charms?

*Christine facepalming noises in the background*

I’m also apparently doing this so said author will have time to actually write the book I’m from. And hey, the quicker it’s written the quicker I get out in the world, so if this helps move it along then I’m all for it. I think it has more chance of getting out there though if I was the main character. Breighly’s got a pretty face but the thing is scared of her own shadow and barely talks. Do you guys really want to read about her? But I guess having a novel centered around me wouldn’t be all sugar and spice. I don’t do backstories, so if you’re thinking about asking me about my past, don’t. In fact, forget about asking about my personal life in general. That’s no one’s concern.

Now you may be wondering what I’m going to post about if I don’t talk about my life. Well, don’t worry your pretty little heads over it. There is a vast number of conversations we could have. Like how good I look in leather jackets. Or that I, in fact, don’t actually use gel in my hair. Yeah, it just looks like that naturally. Not that I could get gel in this wretched place they call a city even if I wanted to. I’d much rather take my chances with the monstrosities destroying the Earth than being locked up inside a stupid cube. But let’s not focus on that subject. Don’t want to start upsetting anyone. Back on the subject of me. . .

Oops. Christine is giving me dirty looks, and since she has threatened to kill me off (twice) I guess I’d better stop talking about myself. Don’t want to  upset her highness, now would we? Really, I was only teasing anyway. Where’s your sense of humor? I can’t bring some smiles?

She suggested I talk about my thoughts on the other characters. The other characters? Really? I’ve only ever met Breighly and Bat Boy. I think I’ve already expressed my feelings on Breighly. And Elan, well, let’s just say he’s not my favorite person. Too protective. And just annoying. Breighly can at least show herself useful. I see no point in the winged thing. What’s that about anyway?

You know what, I have a better idea. Why don’t you tell me what you want me to talk about. Ask me questions, I would love to get to know each and every one of you better. But we’ve established no personal questions, right? Good. I very much look forward to chatting with you all.

Lykan out!

(Disclaimer: Christine here. I feel like I should apologize for my character. I never approve of anything he does. . .ever. I just. . .don’t know what to do with that boy. Sorry. *facepalm*)