Inspiration and Procrastination

This is cross-posted from the Den of Shadows message board.

If I can't focus on my writing for lack of ideas/inspiration I usually read (if I'm in a reading mood), or do a Google image search. Like lately I've had a couple ideas for different stories but nothing too solid, so I've done a couple image searches because looking at pictures helps inspire me. The downside is that it can be a huge time-suck too. So it's just a matter of finding the balance.

Reading is probably a better idea for inspiration because I think it serves double duty by helping you analyze others' writing too. But I have a hard time finding what I want to read or something that will interest me.

My problem now is that I have two stories I want to work on, but I want to keep one for NaNo and the other is a short story I want to finish before NaNo, and I have to work around my toddler's schedule. Which leaves me to write early in the morning before he gets up, during nap time, or after everyone goes to bed at night, and I just haven't found what time works best for me yet. (Part of that's also an excuse to procrastinate.)

I Heart Apocalyptica

Normally, I'm pretty self-centered on this blog, talking about my writing and occasionally about other things like life in Japan or my son. But I found a new band today, so I'll make an exception.

Instead of writing my NaNo novel, I started making a playlist on Youtube for another project I want to work on (Standard Issue). Feeling guilty about that, I decided to add to my playlist for No Leaf Clover. Most of the songs for No Leaf Clover are from Metallica and Linkin Park. Linking Park because it's one of my favorite bands, and Metallica because one of the love interests is based off a guy I knew and Metallica was his favorite band. Plus, the title comes from a Metallica song.

So, I came across this band. And they are amazing. Okay, partly it's because I like Metallica, but mostly it's because the violin is my favorite instrument in the entire world. (Yeah, yeah. I know they're not actually playing violins, but still.)

I've loved violin music ever since I was a little girl when a violinist came to my church to play. I even attempted to play the violin when I was in fifth grade, but gave up shortly after seventh grade because I just didn't have the heart for it. So the violin is kind of a symbol of "What if" for me, of a life different than the one I have now, but it's also very nostalgic. Also when I was a girl, I imagined forming a quartet with my friends. Another friend and I both played the violin, and we had a friend who played the viola and one who played the cello.

There are some Evanescence songs that I enjoy because they have stringed instruments in them. The most notable song is Whisper. I also like that song (Whisper) because it reminds me of Rose (from my Hunter series) who's one of the very first characters I created in the Realm of Shadows.

So here's my favorite Metallica song (Nothing Else Matters) done by Apocalyptica, all with stringed instruments. And yeah, I realize it shows them playing cellos in the video, but still. One, it's such a beautiful song anyway. And two, I like pretty much anything with stringed instruments, but especially violins.

Here's another one, called One.

And yeah, I'll admit. I like just about any song that has violins in it.

Angel Love, Demon Love Snippet

So over at the Den of Shadows message board, there's an Adding Depth thread in the Writer's Section. Usually I don't post there, but I've been procrastinating with Kitsu's story, while also really regretting not bringing my red Angel Love, Demon Love folder to Japan with me when I went home in January.

The location for this was supposed to be a castle, but I took a few liberties with the term, and used the Great Wall instead.

Anyway. Here's a small snippet from Angel Love, Demon Love.

Xander tried to force his head up, in an attempt to ease his suffering, but it only caused more pain. Giving up, his head flopped back down, a mere inch from the vast desert sands. He was just as his brother had left him, chained and bound upside down to a large barbed pentacle. Would the demon learn his lesson? Would he give up his rebellious ways and convert the angel Cortillya?

Not bloody likely.

He spun the large barbed pentacle around so he could gaze upon the Great City Wall one last time. Cartillya was still trapped within the City, awaiting whatever fate Abaddon deemed suitable for an Archangel's daughter. Xander dreamed of being the dashing knight of ancient legends and rushing in to rescue his princess from her prison as he passed out.

Procrastination

This is how my week went. These are cross-posted from the writing chatter section of the Den of Shadows message board.

Sunday.

So while I'm having some difficulties with Kitsune, I've been talking to my husband about working on a collaboration. Which of course for the one we really want to do (or more specifically the one I really want to work on), we need to know a lot more about Shinto than what we know, so that one's kind of on the back burner again.

But one that's a lot more feasible for us to work on features Rosaline DeLiney, Paranormal Investigator (she even has a badge), and Tommy Thompson, the guy in Witness Protection who makes the mistake of answering Rosaline's Help Wanted Ad that was written in the form of a Personal Ad. Now poor Tommy has to suffer through Rosaline's paranormal investigations that should only exist in really, really bad B-rate horror movies. (You know the ones that are so bad they shouldn't even exist so people like me who find watching said films quite enjoyable, even if they are just as painful, don't buy them.) Their first adventure is titled Tank Riding Zombies.

Hopefully the last of my rewrites will be done tomorrow so I can send the first three chapters of Kitsune to my friend to read. And then I should get to work on the synopsis.

Only my brain is shouting, "But . . . But . . . Tank riding zombies!!!!"

Monday.

That sounds like two of my characters. Where they hate each other (mainly because he tried to kill her and she retaliated), but they are drawn to each other on a level that neither of them understands or even *wants* to.

But I sort of got over writing sex scenes when I wrote a scene between these two characters detailing their issues of not knowing whether they're going to try killing each other or having sex. And when I turned it in for the class, everyone (except for me and my husband), even the teacher, thought they were having sex. One girl even said it was the hottest sex scene she had ever read.

And my only comment was, "But . . . they're not even having sex."

* * *

So I've gone from wanting to write something funny, which mostly means I'll probably participate in Script Frenzy this year so I can finally write the Standard Issue Vampire script.

To finally finishing the first scene between Kitsu and Kaitou in my novel. I'm really excited about how I redid the scene, since it makes the characters seem so much more alive, and it gets right to the heart of their issues.

Now all I have left to do is rewrite the fight scene between Sasori and Garnet, and I'll finally be ready to send it to my friend to read. (Even though I meant to send it to her Saturday or Sunday at the latest, but now she'll get it Tuesday or Wednesday. I just hope she doesn't take too long to read it.)

Thursday.

yttar wrote:
"To finally finishing the first scene between Kitsu and Kaitou in my novel. I'm really excited about how I redid the scene, since it makes the characters seem so much more alive, and it gets right to the heart of their issues.

"Now all I have left to do is rewrite the fight scene between Sasori and Garnet, and I'll finally be ready to send it to my friend to read. (Even though I meant to send it to her Saturday or Sunday at the latest, but now she'll get it Tuesday or Wednesday. I just hope she doesn't take too long to read it.)"

Yeah, it's like, what, five days later, and I still have to rewrite the fight scene between Sasori and Garnet.

But hey, at least everything else in chapters 1 - 3 looks good, and I've added in a few extra details to show more of the characters and the world in which they live. I just can't seem to get around to writing that fight scene. It doesn't help that I spend hours playing solitaire trying to win one stupid game.

Today's a holiday here in Japan (yes, they consider the Vernal/Spring Equinox a holiday), so I get to spend the day with my husband, which will hopefully allow me to finally write that fight scene.

* * *

I used to find ninth grade physical science class to be the perfect time to write. It helped that I had two friends who sat near me so they could keep me informed about what was actually going on in class. Though one time I wasn't so smart on the uptake, and ended up embarrassing myself. Once the problem was fixed, I just went back to writing and ignored everybody else.

Though I thought that if I were to ever get that book published (which is unlikely since parts of it are missing - as in lost for good), I always planned on writing an author's acknowledgement (or whatever it's called) that went along the lines of "I'd like to think my ninth grade physical science teacher for not getting to mad when I spent more time in his class writing than paying attention to science. I sort of regret it now, especially that I love writing science fiction and really wish I had a better understanding of physics." Only it would sound a lot better than that.

Friday.

I finally finished revising my first three chapters and sent them on to my friend. Now I'm impatiently waiting her feedback.