105 :: phoenix rain {rachel}

these are the first 105 words of my second book. this came to me in my sleep last night, and i could not get it out of my mind. this concept is one that i have been toying with for some time now; the narration for these first lines came to me in my dreams. i value your thoughts, opinions, or anything you wish to share.

{via pinterest}

My name is Phoenix Rain.

My name is Phoenix Rain.

My name is…Phoenix…

Every slash of the whip brought the recurring thought, the continual reminder. It was a mental chant, one that kept up a steady cadence, matching the pulsing throb of the blood that poured from her shredded shoulders  

It was the one thing she had left. Her clothing was torn, her body was captive, her wings were bound. All of her former self had been shredded and turned to ash.

Save for her name.

The name that pounded in her soul, the only tether that still bound her to the sky.

            Phoenix Rain. 

the novelist {rachel}

{via pinterest}

50030.

this was my final number on the 27th of November. somehow, by the power of God, i finished my NaNoWriMo novel.

well, i finished the word goal. the novel itself is still undone. i am anticipating a novel that may double in word count by the time the story completes.

and with a publisher already expressing interest in Cut Loose, i have my path laid out. December will still be busy, even though the writing month has come to an end.

but i've also come to another decision, one that crept to my lips at breakfast with my husband today. one that i had not voiced before.

i'm not going to wait until November 2012 to write another novel.

i'm starting again in January. no word counts or time crunches, no insane word sprints or nightmares of being pursued by passionate purple bars and line graphs.

i don't even know what i'm going to write about. but i've had ideas coming and going since the beginning of the month, ideas that i forced myself to push down and away while writing this current book.

NaNo may be over, but this blog is not even close to be concluded, and my writing adventures are continuing to grow.

so January will be a new start. not a resolution or a box to check off. it's a new thing, a freedom thing.

in Cut Loose, Niamh learned to cut her chains. 

in my life, NaNo helped me cut mine. 

my King and i, these words and i...we're looking forward.

geeking out {rachel}

{via pinterest}

i never write fangirl blog posts. not about handsome celebrities or the next great thing in music, with the one-time exclusion of Owl City.

but tonight, i feel the need to go just a bit crazy.

because Chris Baty just replied to me on Twitter. twice.

this checks off item no. 46 on my bucket list.

i am fully aware that i sound a bit like a frantic schoolgirl. i do wish you could have seen me, leaping around the house and dancing.

11:46pm, 11-15-2011. 

@ChrisBaty: "Seriously, right?"

{this tweet was in response to the technique of starting each day's writing on a fresh document to avoid spasmodically erasing the previous's days disasters.}

please forgive me this childish rant. but i must admit, this has given me quite the boost in my writing. 

33,163 words. 

i am overwhelmed and overjoyed. 

forgive this rant? i've consumed a great deal of caffeine and raspberry chocolate, and so i feel that it may have been inevitable. 

oh, my glorious God knew i needed this. desperately. 

excuse me for a moment...i'm going to go dance for my ultimate Hero.  

the Lover and Restorer of my weary soul.

expectations cut loose {rachel}

{via pinterest}

today's word over at The Gypsy Mama was "unexpected."

while this is not technically an entry into "five minute Friday," it is indeed a snapshot of my literary moments of shock, chagrin, and confused delights.

this week in the world of writing has been the epitome of unexpected developments.

my entire plotline changed overnight. it was remarkable to watch, and almost frightening to realize that i had much less control over this storyline that i originally thought.

Cut Loose has lived up to its title.

it had found its wings -- dragon wings, even.

it has grown so much larger, so much greater,  than i ever could have anticipated.

i am terrified and overwhelmed with joy.

22,646 words.

ten days of writing.

my hands shook as i wrote the above numbers. does that even make sense?

curious as to the changes made? first, take a peak at this post, written by me right around the end of October. read the post, take in my original synopsis.

and then read this -- my new and "improved" synopsis, which is located on the NaNoWriMo page itself.

what do you think?

are you a fan of the changes? 

i'm living in the land of the unexpected. my anticipations regarding this novel have found their own wings. 

i'm cutting loose. 

-blessings abound,

rachel 

day three {at the close -- rachel}

{via pinterest}

it's day three. almost the end of the day, actually.

and i'm at 11,048 words.

i'm not sure if i should break into cheers or copious sobs.

being this far ahead is incredibly frightening for me. my first year, i wrote 50,056 words. 20,000 of them were written in the last four days of November. last year, i barely scraped 30,000 in a month's time.

and now, i'm so far ahead in less than 72 hours.

and i'm elated. 

and petrified. 

in three days, Cut Loose has changed more than i ever imaged possible.

my lead character's name has changed from Caitlyn to Naimh.

what was once a magic-less story now has a complicated weaving of mages and a complete magical system revolving around the Elements and colour.

government has arisen and a monetary system has been invented. there are maps and geography where once there was blank paper.

it's a prism of light, an ever-changing thing.

at this point in  your novel, is it turning out the way you want it to? i suppose so. i'm honestly not sure; i didn't have a whole lot planned in the beginning, so i'm letting my characters run the show a bit for now. 

have your characters had any big turning points yet? definitely! Niamh's character has been tested three times now; her love has now been ripped away from her, and she is about to be married off to a man who is more deadly than she knows just yet. i'm scared for her, actually. she's strong, though, thank God.  

{via pinterest}

have any characters met their significant other in the book yet? oh, yes. they were together from the beginning of the book! 

what are your future goals for your novel this month (besides word goals)? i think it'd be very nice if my characters would start behaving themselves just a bit. i've let them run the show, yes, but even they need to reign it in just a bit. magic is dangerous, and Fire is the most dangerous element of all. 

current playlist: a combination of Howard Shore and Regina Spektor stations on Pandora, as well as a steady stream of Gilmore Girls on the DVD player. 

caffeine intake: high. extremely high. M&Ms and Dr. Pepper rank high on the list

latest night thus far: midnight, so far. but i'm pretty sure that a 2am bedtime will be down the road shortly. 

any emotional breakdowns: does crying count? and having to get up and leave the computer a lot to avoid editing? then yes. 

curious as to how the poet in me is handling this journey? then check out my two most recent personal blogposts here and here. 

-blessings abound,

rachel

10 Things:

Hi, voice of reason talking here. NaNoWriMo officially starts tomorrow, and  most of us are gearing up our playlists and outlines to start writing our novels. We live for our late night writing sessions, our marathon like attitude as we push ourselves to keep writing the next word. However, I am here to remind you of 10 things you should not forget during this month. I'm sorry, the free spirited goof ball I am can not stay silent as I listen to some of you have mental breakdowns over your novel's plot lines and forget to eat because you're glued to your laptop


TOP 10 THINGS YOU CAN NOT GO WITHOUT THIS NOVEMBER

1. Remember to eat


2. Remember to eat Chocolate


3. Remember those family and friends of yours? Make sure to give them time.


4. Go out once a week.


5. Watch some comedic movies, Redbox is calling your name. Laughter is the best cure for a writing hangover.


6. Remember to shower, dress, do your hair a.k.a look like a presentable human being. Trust me your spouse/friends/family will thank you.

7. Everyone has responsibilities, remember to do your homework, do well at your work place, or do your jobs at home.

8. American? Don't forget thanksgiving, plan on this day having your computer off. This is a time to be with others.

9. Remind yourself why you love to write, it is easy to get fed up with it during November.

10. Above all else, have fun with this. This is meant to give you the push you need to create that story within you that was meant to be shared. However, it is not the end of the world if something goes wrong. This is a challenge! Laugh at yourself, step away if you start yelling at your computer, eat some more chocolate if you start feeling depressed. This is sure to be a great and fun month if you allow it.




Keep Calm and Drink Tea,
                     Alexandria

plot-ish {rachel}

i finally feel like i have a footing. it's taken me six months to come up with this concept.

i'm honestly not sure what took me quite so long to let loose and allow my inspiration to create this concept in my head.

i will admit, a very large portion of this came to me in the bathtub {of all places} on Friday night. i now hold fast to cucumber melon body wash, and the power of a relaxing soak.

i am sharing this plot with you all. it comes direct from my NaNoWriMo profile, which is what i'm sharing with the world at large.

please understand. this plot is a seedling. the barest beginnings of what are yet to grow from my ever-growing inspiration.

take it in, if you will. drink it down like the copious amounts of coffee and Dr. Pepper that will accompany me in this process.

as a little girl, Caitlyn never wanted a fairytale life. in fairytales, all the fathers die and there's so much pain before the love. all she wanted was to grow up at her father's estate, marry the stableboy {Ashley}, and live in her own version of "happily ever after."

but her father dies anyway, fairytale or not. blamed for her father's death by her already bullying half-brother, she is still raised as a Duke's daughter, but treated with nothing but disdain.

when the time comes for her to marry, her brother cruelly ignores her pleas to marry Ashley as Caitlyn's father had always intended. instead, he chooses Royce, a sinister man who has a history for losing wives to mysterious deaths.

passed as a pawn from one frightening overlord to another, Caitlyn struggles to maintain her individuality while still preparing herself to become a murderer's bride.

she has faith still. she knows that love is stronger, faith is deeper. her father's words echo in her head: "you are this to some, you are that to others. but you are always mine, and you are always more."

will she find herself trapped forever, or will she find a way to be Cut Loose?

this is rough, i know.

be gentle with my soul. please?

-blessings abound,

rachel

pique

{via pinterest}

i'm touched by so many things.

wood, freshly hewed and polished alike. candles, their flames flickering in the darkness of night. lanterns with their soft beams casting a warm glow over me and my soul.

i surround myself with these things when the time comes for me to write. i know what piques my mind, what pushes my inspiration to its highest point.

i rent films. not movies filled with careless words and meaningless drivel. but films, rich with colour and life so gorgeous that it makes me melt.

An Education. 

Starlight. 

Edward Scissorhands. 

Once. 

Chocolat. 

Anne of Green Gables. 

The Chronicles of Narnia. Shakespeare in Love. 

i fill my ears with soundtracks to life and love. i find artists that don't just sing, but whisper their souls between the notes. i find those melodies that change and transform. 

Imogene Heap

John Williams

Hans Zimmer 

The Swell Season

Owl City

my senses come alive during this month. i slip between the words and find my place to snuggle up and watch this world pass.

what inspires your NaNoWriMo? what pushes you down this path? 

who are your guides?

-blessings abound,

rachel 

Outlines, Procrastination, and Hunger

 I am a relatively funny person right? If you are a follower on my blog Petals and Freckles you know that I often blog about my own embarrassing, clumsy experiences. This is for a chance to have you laugh along WITH me.
That is probably why I despise outlines so much. There is no humor in it's context, no cynicism etched into it's numbering system. Just a skeleton of ideas to fill with veins and meat later.
So here I am, sucking peanut butter off a spoon, creating my outline. I really can not get enough peanut butter lately, although my husband really likes the crunchy stuff and I'm craving smooth  smuckers. That is all beside the point though, the point is, I hate outlines.
It is like the preparation before a marathon. Wait, maybe that is a bad example being that I'm not great at long distance running so I've never actually prepared for a marathon. Hmm..let's see here...it is like cooking the meat before a meal. No one really likes doing it, but after it's done and added to the meal itself, it is exceptional and worth it. Unless you're a vegetarian, in which case imagine food processing before making pesto sauce. Pesto sauce sounds really good right now doesn't it? Sorry, apparently procrastinating makes me hungry.

Back on track..There are things in life, preparations we have to take, to make our final goal it's best. No, we may not like doing them, and yes they can be tedious, but they are worth it! So if you are like me and dread outlining, hang in there! We will get through this! The fun of writing is just around the corner!

Now I am going to see if I have all the ingredients to making pesto sauce for tonight's dinner.

Till Next time -

Keep Calm and Drink Tea, 
                     Alexandria 

cover art {rachel}

it's seven days from the beginning.

seven days until my life turns into words and clicking laptop keys and late nights where i see sunsets and sunrises before my eyes ever close in slumber.

seven days until my husband begins his understanding meal plan of mac-'n'-cheese and tuna helper.

seven days until Ali and i launch upon this glorious adventure of thirty days and fifty thousand words.

today was another day of prep. a day of pouring over photos and character names. of creating cover art for my novel.

it's freeing for me to see the cover of the book i will soon be composing. it's a sign that there is some sort of structure. a plan for its creation.

currently, i have four covers. i'm not sure which one i will be choosing.

would you care to aid me in my decision? 

each one is a fragment. a corner of the story yet to be told, but that i can see so well in the corner of my novelist's mind.

seven days until the curtain opens.

and i feel ready. if only just a little.

-blessings abound,

rachel

Novelist {Alexandria's Ediction}

Sum up your novel in five words or less.Witty, Quirky, Comedic, Romantic, Inspiring 

Novel title?
Confessions of an Almost Bride  


Sum up your main character(s) in one word each.
Alyssa: Determined 
Eric: Patient 

Advice for newbies in three words?
Laugh at yourself. 
 
Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
The secondary characters are the tapestry that holds the story together. The family and friends that give their opinions, support, and sometimes lack there of, affect Alyssa and Erics emotions as well as their relationship. 

Do you plan to stay up till midnight on the 31st?Probably will be in the living room on the iPad with chocolate and a mug full of Earl Grey ready to go!

How many years have you done NaNo?
Just 2009, I was so close to completing and hit writers block. Not this year though! 

What came first, characters, or plot idea?
All came together at once. Honestly the book is based off of my own experiences 

How much prep do you do before November?I do a lot of inspirations prep. You can see my Nano Inspiration Board here


Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?I'm excited!!! Succeed or Fail I'm excited to give this a try =)

Keep Calm and Drink Tea,

 Alexandria 

Counting Down

It's that time again, a week before some of us throw ourselves at the mercy of our word documents and mac pages, and write till our minds and fingers are sore.

I am back from my beach wedding, back from the insanity of wedding planning, and all is becoming calm around me. I am preparing to finish a book this year, while learning what it means to be a wife.

Here I am, the week before, diving into the gloriousness of my muses, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, and Jane Austen.
I know exactly what I am going to write about this year. I am eager to start this journey and watch it lead me to knew and exciting ones.

This is why we created this blog in the first place, to state our confessions as we toil away on our novels, to keep us going, to wallow in our own self pity for 5 minutes, then get back to writing.

I know my voice has been more like a whisper on this blog...busy swimming in a sea of lace and flowers, but I'm back, bold, spunky, and ready to write!

Have you ever just had an idea in your head that just wants to leap from your soul and onto any medium it can find? That's me right now, with a story, a character, a beautiful beginning in mind and waiting till November 1st to bring it to life.

So here we go, the countdown begins as I twiddle my thumbs in anticipation.  7,6,5,4,3,2,1........GO


Keep Calm and Drink Tea, 
                          Alexandria

novelist {rachel's edition}

{via pinterest}

sum up your novel in five words or less.
music. eyes. ruins. luggage. freedom. 


{yes, i'm fully aware that my list could not be more disjointed. but there's a beauty in that, i think.}
 
Novel title?

current title: Cut Loose
be aware, this could change. it usually does. 


 Sum up your main character(s) in one word each.
Coleen: freedom
Allistar: passion


{names pending and subject to change. A LOT}

Advice for newbies in three words?
never give up.
 
Tell us about your secondary characters, how do they affect the story?
honestly, i'm not exactly sure yet. i'm already having problems with my secondary male lead running away with himself. i'm feeling the creeping fingers of frustration slipping over me already, and it's still nine days before we start. this may not be a good thing.

Do you plan to stay up till midnight on the 31st?
yes. i always do. i would be far too excited about starting to actually sleep anyway. so i stay up and write until i crash, wake up, and write more and more and more. 

{via pinterest}

How many years have you done NaNo?
three. 2009, i completed 50,216 words. 2010, i barely scraped 10,000. this year will be the best of them all.

What came first, characters, or plot idea?
characters. i have only the barest scraps of plot.

How much prep do you do before November?
quite a bit, actually. having my NaNo pinterest board as a springboard has truly helped me a great deal. it's been nice to be able to mentally coordinate and physically view my ideas as they come together. 

Now be honest, how do you really feel about NaNo?
in a word: terrified. i always get this way before NaNo though. it's a beautiful kind of fear, the kind that will spur me on to the completion of this novel. i'm more than a little excited, as well. i cannot wait to see what November brings me. 

-blessings abound,

rachel

to question and to answer

here we are.

twelve days from one of the biggest months in a writer's life. 

at this point, i'm honestly not sure if i'm ready to undertake this task yet again. it's my third year, sacrificing an entire thirty days toward the creation of a brand-new novel. breathing life into a new chapter, day after day after day. 

are you joining us? 

have you ever done this before? is this your first? your fifth? have you been writing since the beginning? 

for those of you who have never done this before

what questions do you have?

for those of you who have walked this path time and time again

what answers can you share?

this is a group effort. individual stories, but all one great work.

so please, share with us together. 

what are your questions?

what are your answers?

ask and we will answer.

share and you will be shared. 

twelve days and counting.

-blessings abound,

rachel 

down the aisle

for those of you who did not already know,

our beautiful Ali is now a wife. 

on october 16th {sunday}, ali and zach became man and wife. 

the wedding was beautiful. 

perfect. 

i can hardly begin to describe it to you all. 

it was the most romantic, simple, blissful wedding i have ever seen in my entire life. 

i was honoured beyond measure to have been a part of this day. 

a few notes from ali that she asked me to share with all of you:

• she and her new husband, Zach, will be on their honeymoon from sunday night until sometime next week. she will be back to posting -- both here and at her personal blog -- and commenting when she comes home. 

• she loves you all so very much, and so appreciates your support and words of love and encouragement leading up to this day.

• wedding pictures will slowly begin to trickle onto her blog, my blog, and this blog in the near future, so please keep your eyes open. 

ali has been so blessed by each and every one of you as she begins her life with her new husband. 

thank you from the depths of her heart...

...and from mine. 

blessings abound,

rachel

the maid of honour 

soul's genre

{via pinterest}

the countdown to NaNoWriMo is slowly ticking down.

twenty-four days remaining.

and now the time has come to decide.

what will your story be?

and where will it begin? it must have a year in which to dwell...and a genre which to inhabit.

genre is tricky. 

when you begin to write, you must ask yourself the most important of all questions:

have i found a niche or have i fallen into a rut?

do you write for your genre because you love it...

because your nights are filled with dreams of knights and fair maidens, 

of cowboys on dusty horseback, 

or things that have not yet come but are whispering from the future? 

do you write because these worlds intoxicate your soul? are you captivated, lost, and overwhelmed because these places love you back?

or do you write because, when pen meets paper, when soul and words collide, you find yourself with a sigh and a muttered

i don't know what to write. so i guess i'll write this. i always do. 


my dear friend, do not let your stories die because you feel compelled. trapped.

for this death is the worst of all. you kill not only your characters and your literary light...but part of your ink-stained soul dies as well.

write the truth. not the requirement.

write for love. 

for passion.

do because you love. not because you must.

seek. define.

what is your soul's genre?

-blessings abound,

rachel

fascination

{via pinterest}

i've said it here already.

but i'm drawn to eyes.

and now as nanowrimo draws closer, i am getting more and more captivated by those little things that stare and pull and tug at my ink-blotched heart.

i find myself running my fingers over the worn wood of doors, searching for the stories in these portals. do you know? does anyone know what happened behind these entryways? loves lost, heart proclaimed, lives taken away.

and there there are the innocents. 

spoons and eggs and all those little things that are too much overlooked and not enough dwelt upon. their sacred appeal is lost in the shuffle.

and we start to write in twenty-seven days.

this countdown is getting shorter

but my list of fascinations are getting longer and longer.

i like that.

{via pinterest}

so i ask you.

what things captivate? fascinate? entrance?

share with me. 

-blessings abound,

rachel

{on an unrelated note: our beautiful Ali is getting married in two weeks. won't you join with me in wishing her and her handsome groom well? look for more wedding posts from us both in coming days, both here and at our respective locations}

the wire

{via pinterest}

down to the wire now, i suppose.

less than thirty-two days until the madness of nanowrimo starts up.

and i'm starting to breathe this story, i think. so little is compiled, but i have a grasp. so little is known, but i've figured this path out.

i know this girl. i don't even know her name yet. but i know her. i know her heart, her soul, her mind and her wishes. i know her secrets.

i know this man she loves. i read his thoughts like a book and his letters as though they were addressed to me.

is that strange? 

thinking back to my first nano, i had no idea what to expect.

it was a handmade video that Ali posted. and an email shared between her and i.

this journey brought me my best friend.

it laid a fictional foundation, but showed me a soul sister in reality.

i picture my inspiration here. what my words can't invent, these pinboards compile together. it's making a story, little by little.

is this rambling? perhaps. but so much thoughts lead to dancing rambles through literary meadows.

thirty-two days. 

i can't wait, loves.

hurry up, November.

i'm waiting.

{if you still have no idea what nanowrimo is, slip over to the site and learn more. you won't regret it, i promise.}

-blessings abound,

rachel

composer

i’m a novelist.

it’s one of those things that slightly mandates my life, particularly during the month of November.

November is National Novel Writing Month. affectionately known to the writer world as the start of nanowrimo.

it is during this month that i and hundreds of other insane authours will embark upon one of the most incredible and frightening endeavours of our lifetimes.

50,000 words. 30 days. innumerable cups of coffee, endless playlists of Imogene Heap and Alex Goot, and a straight month of kissing midnight. 

one incredible novel.

or perhaps a collection of 50,000 words of ramble. it depends on how much sleep we get.

it’s this music we compose.

{won't you join me here for the rest?}

blessings abound

-rachel

Rule #1

There is only one real rule to writing. Sure we have our grammar rules, spelling, outlines etc. but none of it matters unless you allow yourself to let go. You must purposefully put yourself out there. You must allow yourself to dream big and publicly display your imagination. As a writer, you have to become okay with the potential for embarrassment, for people to not understand you. It is essential that you shake it out and just write. Let your soul be free and allow it to take you wherever it wants to go.

Sometimes I will sit there staring at a blank page afraid to put my pen to it's white unblemished surface. The ideas in my head start to disappear as I hear my grammar 101 kicking in. Don't think, just write! That is what editing is for. Do not let the fear of failure hold you back from the story inside of you.

You where made to be heard

So be proud

Be Bold

Be Loud

Without making a sound.

You are a writer because you have a story.

Keep Calm and Drink Tea - Ali

first person shoes

i obsess over first person.

i've written three "books." two were first person. one was third.

the first person books are my compilations of OCD and too much thought. i struggle through them, tears drip down onto torn pages of frustration and overly furled browlines.

but i know why. it's because i don't want my voice in amid the fiction.

not even a note.

i don't know why i refuse to let my own voice slip into the mind of my characters. maybe because i'm too afraid of what might come out, what truths about me i might accidentally let into the open air.

i don't want to be the one to fill these empty shoes. 

but i'm steering away from this fear.  bit by fragile bit.

it's from reading a book. one thousand gifts by Ann Voskamp. she makes this thing of first person so simple. or maybe so hard yet made effortless by the voice of the King.

either way.

she pours herself out. 

yes, this volume is non-fiction and tells of truthful events and heartcries, not created characters. but yet the richness is still there.

she makes me think i can do this, truthfully. maybe with fiction, i can make it a little less fictional and a little more real. because this is real life after all.

naught but truth and honesty found here anymore.

so my fiction will be real. my real life will be through the filter of ancient days and past events that never truly came about.

but isn't that what we do here?

isn't that novelling, after all?

~blessings abound,

rachel

eyes

i have an obsession with my character's eyes.

actually, i'm obsessed with eyes in general. maybe it has something to do with the spiritual connotation found behind these rich pools of ocular beauty.

the eye is the lamp of the body

it's true, though. so much can be spoken through a simple glance. a moment spent gazed into another's eyes can be enough to pass along an entire conversation and more left unspoken. 

eyes are mirrors of the heart. 

and when it comes to my characters within those stories so close to my heart, i cannot be pulled away.

what hides behind them? what isn't being said? or what is being said so much louder than the tongue can convey? 

i have spent hours studying photos of eyes. reading their stories. 

eyes are books. pages of novels. 

i want to know. 

i want to see and read their hearts through these minuscule portals that i am allowed on this earth. 

maybe this makes me odd or strange or completely irrational. i would not be insulted if you said so, as the greatest of writers have been deemed strange. 

so strange is a good thing.

and i'm rambling. 

but that's okay. right? 

just let me see my characters' eyes. and i can try

and tell you their story. 

~blessings abound,

rachel 

ink dreams

via Pintrest

part of my novel came to me in my sleep last night.

rather, it was in that half-wakeful, half-dozing state that brings one to a place of reality and dreams unlike any other.

it was strange. i could hear the voice of my heroine. see the circumstances in her life...bits and pieces of them, anyway. i even heard portions of the prose itself narrated in my head in some unknown tone.

and then i awoke. 

and had forgotten most, if not all. 

i should have sat up and penned it all down. i now feel like something has been lost...like something is missing from within my soul.

this feeling of the forgotten

it is almost painful to my writer's heart. 

but in other respects, it is reassuring to me, as well.

i now know my characters live. my words breathe within me, and i can feel their life starting to surge in my blood.

i can still hear my heroine's voice in my ear, urging me forward.

i know i have something to give. something to write.

and in two months time, it will all begin.

and i will outline and plan and write down my scrappy thoughts

until the magic happens

soon. 

~blessings abound,

rachel

Transcendental

So I am sitting down, minding my own business with some caffeine and a snack. I am prepared to write.

I am to the part of my novel where my main character meets her love interest for the first time. I enter the corners of my mind, and get inside my head to imagine this impeccable love story. It has to be cliche of course. Boy meets girl, girl hates boy at first, etc. That is when the love of my life (who I am glad to report is not in my head) sends me a text message. He reminded me how much he loves me, how much he thinks of me.
We will be getting married in 6 1/2 weeks! YAY! However, right now we are in two different states and feeling the miles. I miss his kisses, his whispers, his amazing hair brushing skills. Seriously girls , this man knows how to handle a brush. I found myself straying from my novel writing, and writing silly love songs. Oh yes..something about how his "kisses are transcendental"...

Please forgive me bloggers, for I have sinned.
I have turned to bubble gum pop worthy songwriting, and I like it!
You know what that means? Time to grab my guitar! Bye for now!

Stay Calm and Drink Tea - Ali

pinspired

found on Pintrest
a piece of my story

i have a pintrest addiction.

it's becoming more and more obvious with every passing day. there is just something so brilliantly inspiring about perusing page upon page of beautiful photographs

categorizing them

listing them.

it's the place that my artistic side and my OCD side get together for a playdate.

i have followed the example of several of my friends and begun the process of putting together a nanowrimo pinboard. 


it's starting to come together, i think. or maybe not.

see, i have a fairly cohesive concept for the story i'm going to compose. however, these pictures are starting to go in a slightly different direction than i originally envisioned. it's starting to challenge me a bit.

it's as if the story is saying

change with me

let me move

let me breathe.

found on Pintrest
a piece of my story

maybe i need to loosen my ideas a bit. maybe i need to let my story tell itself the way it wants to be told. maybe i need to become more pinspired, and less boxed in. 

i'm seeing colours. themes. locations and ideas. i'm seeing more and more of less and less. 

so i am going to pin away

and let my story breathe

and take me along

for the adventure of a lifetime.

~blessings abound,

rachel

Back at my parents after a summer of traveling. 7 weeks before my wedding, and so much to do. How does one write, and think about 10 million things at the same time? They find an Oasis. My parents recently moved into a big 1925 country home, and I am still trying to find my way around. The room they left for me has a window seat. It's the perfect hideaway. It's filled with pillows just begging me to sit and read or pick up my pen. I love to handwrite. I very rarely write my stories or songs on the computer. There is just something about picking up that pen and writing your words down that is romantic and exciting. In my window seat the world stands still. I couldn't be happier. There's boxes lining my room whispering for me to unpack and repack for my new home with my soon to be husband. However, the voice calling from the window seat drowns them out. I have time..I will just sit here, drink my tea, and imagine for a little while.

Stay calm and drink tea, Ali

holding it together

i am getting a combination of emotions regarding starting up this writing project again.

honestly, i haven't written anything other than my blog since last year's NaNo ended.

please understand

it is not for lack of trying.

i've started projects. 

 pages upon 

pages upon 

pages upon 

pages 

of ideas. and not one of them has spoken to me. 

this is madness. i've been writing since i was seven. why is this suddenly such a block? 

insert frustrated groan here.

maybe i'm trying too hard. maybe i need to just let go and write. 

excuse me, please. 

i need to seek the story again.

~blessings abound,

rachel

Writer's Blo....ADD

I can not honestly say I have writers block at the moment. Rather there are so many other things going on that I forget what I was about to write about, and can't seem to recover it. I'm not over exaggerating either. Today, I was laying in the hammock under the vines and kiwi trees, writing for my novel. My main character was just about to say something completely witty and cynical, which is something she rarely wants to do out loud. Just as I was putting pen to paper, a butterfly flew by. It was so pretty. It was yellow and black, big and graceful. I watched it fly and flutter around me and felt the breeze across my face. BAM! I lost what my character was going to say and now she does not have the desire to say it again. NO! UGH! COME ON GIVE ME A BREAK! IT WAS A PRETTY BUTTERFLY!

Deep breaths, I know.

I surely can not be the only one that experiences this headache. You could put me in a dull room with no windows and I probably would still find a way to get distracted. Must. Stay. Focused. However not too focused because that is boring and I will lose all inspiration.

Oh this is inanity.

Stay Calm, and Drink Tea - Ali

Under Construction

Welcome!

We are more than honoured that you have decided to join in this journey with us.

As we are sure you can see, this blog is still slightly under construction. 

Please feel free to look around, but bear in mind that this is not yet the finished product.

Bear with us, if you will.

~Ali and Rachel~

The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.  ~Anaïs Nin