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picowrimo2014-11-21 10:01 pm
elmey.livejournal.com) wrote in picowrimo2014-11-21 10:01 pm
Pico Day 22
Here's today's post for your snippets, comments, thoughts.
About 500 words yesterday. I didn't manage to sleep well, sadly, and was utterly exhausted to the point of not being sure whether the direction I was going was right, so I got an early night.
I'm thinking of dividing this long tricky scene into two chapters just to make it easier to get my head around. It worked quite well last time, and might actually save words overall, as I find it's easier to put in blocks of summary at the opening of a chapter.
I'm thinking of dividing this long tricky scene into two chapters just to make it easier to get my head around. It worked quite well last time, and might actually save words overall, as I find it's easier to put in blocks of summary at the opening of a chapter.
There is no Swedish class next week, so I don't feel obligated to produce any kind of writing until the week after. This being the case, I think I'm going to concentrate on the 17 Moments challenge, since that's ticking over quite nicely right now and I don't want to run out of steam. This means I probably won't be posting to the comm, although I shall almost certainly pop in now and then and leave the occasional comment.
I've had a pretty exhausting week and am feeling pretty fragile today. I've managed about 275 words, to which I may or may not return and add more. Here is a little snippet:
Glen stopped half a second after I did, crashing out a vague resolving chord. 'Phyl, that would have been perfect – if you were a robot. Technically, you're much better than you realise, but you need to get the character into it.'
'I'm trying,' I said, miserably.
'Really? From where I'm sitting, it sounds like you're going for angelic choirboy, not hormonal teenage boy. The name's meant to be ironic...'
At this point he shut up, because I burst into tears. This is not something that usually happens in my singing lessons, so it threw him. He dealt with it fairly well, all things considered, passing me a box of tissues and waiting until I'd subsided to the occasional sniff before apologising.
'I'm sorry, Phyl. That was a bit harsh.'
I shook my head and took another tissue. 'Not your fault. I just can't deal with hormonal teenage boys at the moment.'
Glen stopped half a second after I did, crashing out a vague resolving chord. 'Phyl, that would have been perfect – if you were a robot. Technically, you're much better than you realise, but you need to get the character into it.'
'I'm trying,' I said, miserably.
'Really? From where I'm sitting, it sounds like you're going for angelic choirboy, not hormonal teenage boy. The name's meant to be ironic...'
At this point he shut up, because I burst into tears. This is not something that usually happens in my singing lessons, so it threw him. He dealt with it fairly well, all things considered, passing me a box of tissues and waiting until I'd subsided to the occasional sniff before apologising.
'I'm sorry, Phyl. That was a bit harsh.'
I shook my head and took another tissue. 'Not your fault. I just can't deal with hormonal teenage boys at the moment.'
An early night is always a good move, and your strategy sounds sensible.
Good luck with the 17 Moments!
I'm afraid I missed yesterday's update. The dreaded insomnia struck again, so I just made it through work, came home, and went straight to bed without eating, let alone writing anything.
I, um, may have slept for up to 11 hours and did take another nap today. But hey, afterwards, I managed to produce over 1,000 words!
So, here's my snippet for today:
Hippias dropped a bundle of letters on the bed and thrust a message right under her nose. "These are my informers’ usual reports. I wanted to go through them with Your Majesty, but I think you should read this first."
Cursive script looped elegantly over thick, expensive paper. The golden seal that showed the Emperor’s throne amidst winged lions had already been broken. At the bottom of the scroll, Attolia noticed another familiar stamp: Melheret’s personal sigil, carved in wax.
The letter from the Mede chancellery condoled the queen on her newly widowed state in exquisitely polite terms. Its florid prose made no mention of the year-long trade embargo, but it included personal greetings from another erstwhile ambassador: Nahuseresh was grieved to hear that such a young king had died so soon.
Attolia’s earthenware cup hit the wall in a shower of splinters and a spray of tea. With a loud yelp, the poodle jumped up from the carpet, rudely torn from its nap, and dug its teeth into Hippias’s tough leather boots.
"I’m afraid it mistook you for the Mede," the queen said dryly. "If these esteemed diplomats were here, I’d be tempted to bite, too. Only I’d have the good sense to go straight for the throat."
"They are mocking us, Your Majesty," Hippias huffed. "Provoking us, almost."
"Provking us, period. But I won’t be goaded into anything rash," Attolia said with a rueful look at the remains of the cup.
"We can’t risk giving them any pretext for war. We still don’t know where we stand with Magyar, and relations with Eddis and Sounis are somewhat … tense. Laying waste to their empire in order to avenge the slight to my dear departed husband? Very romantic, no doubt, and very stupid."
I, um, may have slept for up to 11 hours and did take another nap today. But hey, afterwards, I managed to produce over 1,000 words!
So, here's my snippet for today:
Hippias dropped a bundle of letters on the bed and thrust a message right under her nose. "These are my informers’ usual reports. I wanted to go through them with Your Majesty, but I think you should read this first."
Cursive script looped elegantly over thick, expensive paper. The golden seal that showed the Emperor’s throne amidst winged lions had already been broken. At the bottom of the scroll, Attolia noticed another familiar stamp: Melheret’s personal sigil, carved in wax.
The letter from the Mede chancellery condoled the queen on her newly widowed state in exquisitely polite terms. Its florid prose made no mention of the year-long trade embargo, but it included personal greetings from another erstwhile ambassador: Nahuseresh was grieved to hear that such a young king had died so soon.
Attolia’s earthenware cup hit the wall in a shower of splinters and a spray of tea. With a loud yelp, the poodle jumped up from the carpet, rudely torn from its nap, and dug its teeth into Hippias’s tough leather boots.
"I’m afraid it mistook you for the Mede," the queen said dryly. "If these esteemed diplomats were here, I’d be tempted to bite, too. Only I’d have the good sense to go straight for the throat."
"They are mocking us, Your Majesty," Hippias huffed. "Provoking us, almost."
"Provking us, period. But I won’t be goaded into anything rash," Attolia said with a rueful look at the remains of the cup.
"We can’t risk giving them any pretext for war. We still don’t know where we stand with Magyar, and relations with Eddis and Sounis are somewhat … tense. Laying waste to their empire in order to avenge the slight to my dear departed husband? Very romantic, no doubt, and very stupid."
It's Saturday; no write day. After spending the morning ushering a titmouse, who made it into the house, safely out, and making a menu and a grocery list (boring things seem to take forever), I am now looking at an afternoon of the usual chores. Meh. At least it's two or three degrees warmer than it has been and the sun is shining. We did get wood for the fireplace last week though, so will have a cozy evening watching something unedifying :)
Since it worked last time, it seems like a good idea to try it again. I hope you're able to sleep better tonight!
Getting a good night's sleep is the best thing for decent writing!
I hope the two scenes will work better now.
I hope the two scenes will work better now.
Best of luck for the challenge, and I hope to see you around.
You could pop in to crowdsource which of your characters were actually alive at the time :)
Is your Swedish teacher enjoying the stories? I would think he would!
Is your Swedish teacher enjoying the stories? I would think he would!
I hope you'll recover a bit over the weekend!
And I love the snippet you've posted - the way in which Phy's trouble with her singing lessons comes to reveal her emotional state. So, what's going on with the hormonal teenage boys in her life?
And I love the snippet you've posted - the way in which Phy's trouble with her singing lessons comes to reveal her emotional state. So, what's going on with the hormonal teenage boys in her life?
Glen sounds like an excellent music teacher! Hormonal teenage boys can make anyone cry.
I'm sorry you had a bad week--but this is a very good snippet!
I'm sorry you had a bad week--but this is a very good snippet!
Amazing what a good rest and a clear mind can do for you :)
I really like the way you're able to add very serious political considerations on top of the personal story, it adds an extra layer of tension to the scenes.
I really like the way you're able to add very serious political considerations on top of the personal story, it adds an extra layer of tension to the scenes.
I am now looking at an afternoon of the usual chores.
You can do it! I totally believe in you. :)
And your pllans for the evening sound splendid.
You can do it! I totally believe in you. :)
And your pllans for the evening sound splendid.
Thank you!
And yes, I'm unfortunately not one of those lucky people who can function on little or no sleep. I just need to catch up on it as soon as possible, or thing will get ugly soon.
And yes, I'm unfortunately not one of those lucky people who can function on little or no sleep. I just need to catch up on it as soon as possible, or thing will get ugly soon.
I agree. It's been my experience that smaller bites are easier to chew, to use a horrible metaphor. *g*
Hormonal teenage boys are pure hell. I should know - I deal with them for a living on a regular basis.
Get better, soon!
Get better, soon!
Sometimes you just have to function on very little sleep, but it's not pleasant. Good for you to get the rest you needed - the resulting word count is indeed impressive. :)
We cleaned the dratted flat. It took us only, oh, six hours, together with the hired help. Then I did the shopping for next week, because I'll be at work day and night, and my mother mustn't lift anything heavier than two pounds and she has to eat while I'm doing slave labour, the poor thing.a
Then I watched Cake Battle on German TV and felt the irresistible urge to bake something. A simple pear cake, in case you want to know. And since I was in the kitchen already, I cooked the meal for tomorrow.
Then I did some editing. I dug out a few old drabbles and double-drabbles in the hope that without the constricting for I might turn them into a Tolkien advent calender, which I haven't done for many, many years and felt like doing this year. It worked fairly well as long as I had existing material (that is, for the first four days), but I felt myself totally uninspired to write any new stuff. Am very frustrated. I think I'll watch Megalodon with John Barrowman - a really bad shark movie, in which he plays a straight guy and has to make out with women in the shower. Misery loves company, after all.
Then I watched Cake Battle on German TV and felt the irresistible urge to bake something. A simple pear cake, in case you want to know. And since I was in the kitchen already, I cooked the meal for tomorrow.
Then I did some editing. I dug out a few old drabbles and double-drabbles in the hope that without the constricting for I might turn them into a Tolkien advent calender, which I haven't done for many, many years and felt like doing this year. It worked fairly well as long as I had existing material (that is, for the first four days), but I felt myself totally uninspired to write any new stuff. Am very frustrated. I think I'll watch Megalodon with John Barrowman - a really bad shark movie, in which he plays a straight guy and has to make out with women in the shower. Misery loves company, after all.
A bit of prodding at the FDO story, trying to sort out how to add the information that has to be in the earlier bits... it doesn't feel like the additions are working right at the moment, but maybe will work better later. Spent most of the day trying to recover from the past week. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll get a chance to catch up here and inspiration for writing.
I can manage for a day or two, but it's really, really hard for me. One of my bosses is the exact opposite - he never gets more than five or six hours per night, and still works for twelve hours a day, at a pace that would send me into a nervous breakdown. I don't know if I find this enviable or disturbing...
I think you might need a bit of a break before you find the inspiration to write more. Your chores sound quite exhausting - maybe your brain just needs some rest too.
Enjoy the movie! It definitely sounds like a nice "it's-so-bad-it's-good" clonker.
Enjoy the movie! It definitely sounds like a nice "it's-so-bad-it's-good" clonker.
Get some rest! Sometimes, that's all the muse needs. ♥
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