Outside of the lines

Every once and a while I get the urge to write or share something outside of literature, it spices things up.

Who’s Afraid of The End?

/ Alysia / 29 Comments

AfraidOfTheEndI AM.

I think that has to be the reason I haven’t finished the first draft of my latest novel. I have tried and tried to finish it over the last few weeks and I seem to find any excuse possible not to. Even this blog update is a form of procrastination.

Do you know what the worst part is? I know exactly how I want the end to work out, I have the basic outline so the writing can take me there but I can seem to bring myself to write it. I really like the novel itself, I think it has great potential……

Maybe I am afraid after all this work it will be horrible? Maybe I am afraid it won’t live up to my expectations? Maybe I am afraid that it won’t be worth editing? I don’t think I believe any of this but I seem to be sabotaging myself subconsciously….

Is anyone else afraid of the end?

What helps you break through the final wall?

Who Is She?

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ShadowWho is she I wonder? Everyday I see her there completely alone. I have never seen her with anyone else. She doesn’t pay any heed to whomever passes by. She keeps to herself. Why does she maintain her isolation?

Does she dream as she stares off into the ocean? Does she cry quietly to herself as life passes her by? How is it possible that she is here in the middle of the day? Doesn’t she have responsibilities? Each day her routine is the same. There is no excitement, no deviation, no opportunity, no chance.

Each time I see her I create a story of what might be in my mind. I am never able to come up with a positive interpretation. Each time my mind delves into the numerous tragedies that must have happened.

The situation is unique, strange to say the least. I never see her come, I never see her go.

Who is she?

Am I her?

Are you?

What is the real tragedy?

How Do You Define Poetry?

/ Alysia / 13 Comments

Image 1For my Children’s literature class we spent an entire week discussing poetry. It was really the first time I had discussed poetry on that type of level since I had started writing it. It, like the rest of the class, was eye opening. Poetry can be expressed and utilized in more ways than I had previously considered. It can be used to teach children to write, express themselves and to learn a new language.

I may be in the minority but I always saw poetry as this “grand” work. Now more than ever I see it as an expression of emotion that anyone and everyone is capable of making.

One of the questions we were asked to end the section was how would we define poetry?

“Poetry is a window to the soul of the poet”

“Poetry offers readers the opportunity to explore emotions, ideas and the extraordinary use of language”

“Poetry is the best words in the best order”

The definition I connect to most is that of Robert Frost,

A Poem Begins in Delight and Ends in Wisdom.

How Do You Define Poetry?

The Friday Bucket List

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Bucket List

I am generally speaking an extremely superstitious person, it is ingrained in my nature. Therefore my next few thoughts go against pretty much all of my instincts. Things have been going quite well lately; new job, school, great progress on my latest book and a blog I am really quite proud of.

It’s like everything is going my way. There I said it…out loud.

I can’t help but wonder then if I say a few other things out loud if they make come true.

So for this Friday I am going to write down the five most ridiculous things I can think of off the top of my head for my Bucket List.

In hopes of course that they will come true because….Hey Why Not?

1. World Wide Best Selling Author

2. Travel to every Continent

3. Do a Triathlon… haha just kidding never gonna happen.

4. Court side Season Tickets for my beloved Denver Nuggets

5. Inspire People with my Writing on a Global level.

Just in case you’re curious I left out; Marry Brad Pitt, Become President and Change The World because while it’s a great idea it has always been entirely too vague for my taste.

What ridiculous or even non-ridiculous five things would you add to your bucket list today?

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Early Morning Writing Confessions

/ Alysia / 11 Comments

IslandAtNight

The title might be a bit misleading depending on what part of the world you are in, it is not early morning but it’s early enough for me.

Last night I was brainstorming and working hard to figure out my plot for the last 20,000 words of my April Novel when the following questions bombarded my thoughts:

What if someone somewhere in the world is having the exact unique thought I am?

Who writes it down first?

Does it matter if neither one of us shares it?

What if we both do?

Is anything we write 100% original?

 

Kickin’ It Old School

/ Alysia / 48 Comments

20130411_083957

 

Why is that no matter how many new tech toys I buy myself I always go back to where it started? I have more notebooks filled with my writing in no particular order than I even know what to do with.

I can’t get away from it, there is no escape, no matter what I do I have to write it down.

Even my NaNoWrimo stories are at least partially in a notebook… and then of course I have to type it up when I get the chance. Yes I know I am doubling the work but writing in those notebooks in like an addiction I can’t cure.

How do you all do your writing? Notebook, Macbook, Napkin?

I know I can’t be the only one who can’t make the transition, right?

Character Fight

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Fictional Characters

In case you were wondering that is me except with the impromptu blizzard I am doing all of my brainstorming in the warmth of my home. Occasionally I do it at work as well but I trust all of you not to mention it to anyone 🙂

I am making a lot of progress for Camp Nanowrimo which is great, I am actually enjoying my plot and where things are headed even though it was not at all what I anticipated from the onset. There is, however, an issue which is staring me down from my laptop and that is my character development.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel like my reader knows what they look like and their back-story, they might even know why they act the way they do but I want more. My problem is that I am not entirely sure what it is I want or how I can go about doing it.

Ideas? Anyone? What do you want from you characters when you write or even when you read?

Don’t be shy.

15,000 words down only 35,000 to go.