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