Poetry Train

Control Freak

Not enough?
Are you afraid
You see yourself in me?
You made me into this.
You pushed,
punched,
ripped,
hit me into this.
You told me what to be,
how to be,
who to be.
Be like you?
Can’t you see I’m free?
You can’t keep controlling me.
I’d die first.
That’s what I would do.
Everyone would blame you.

I've been writing bad poetry for years. To do it weekly should be a trip. This weekend was beautiful, weather-wise, killed my joints walking the art fest (the only truly original thing I saw was an exhibit of wood-cuts-block prints that were lovely.) But I got the two Adirondack chairs I wanted, on sale.

New Places

I went to a new place yesterday, at least new to me. I'd seen it last February, a courtyard at the Bird Library, right in the middle. It's lovely, wooden tables and benches in alcoves. A low fountain in an alcove. Ivied columns, fern ground cover, wrens calling, water tinkling and sparkling in the sun. Small rocks and stepping stones, chinese maples and weeping willows. Just beautiful. Dappled shadows on the stones as the sun fought with the trees for space. I sketched the fountain, wrote a little in the journal I carry. Would love to take the Alpha Smart there one day and just write a chapter. Still a little cool for all that shade, will have to try it in a month or two, or else go to Martin Park or Will Rogers. Something about the outdoors that pulls me right in, keeps the words coming.

Just finished reading Changeling, by Yasmine Galenorn. It come out in June. Don't miss it, a definite page turner.

Beginnings and Ends

I began plotting Party to Murder and I'm staying away from Privy to Murder until the end of May. I have an appointment with an agent at the writer's conference, we'll see if that goes anywhere. Both beginnings and endings can be a little scary and it's tempting to retreat to comfortable territory, that middle-grade manuscript I haven't edited yet, then I wouldn't be faced with finding out if Privy is really going to have legs long enough to walk or run. However, I won't let myself get distracted. The new manuscript questions are the usual suspects like: can I really plot another one, think up a whole story, make any sense, have the characters grow?

OK enough angst. I hate angst. Anyone remember when the entire cast of Buffy went off to college and whined their way through scripts for a whole season, the first year of college. I don't know what went on in Josh Whelan's life at that time, but he almost lost me as a watcher. *grins* Pun intended, (once I realized I made one.) So I will march on with the plot and work on a killer agent pitch.

Arrrgh or something of the sort.

Today I am a pirate. No, really. We are doing a "Pirates of the Carribean" theme at work for our part of the progressive luncheon. Too fun. No. I will not post a picture of me as a pirate. It would haunt us all. But it reminds me of pirated movies, books, articles and etc. ARC's sold on e-bay, articles lifted off the internet, title changed and used on another site, or even lifted and offered for sale without changing a thing. Does the writer get any money from it? No Not right, thieves I say. Walk the plank me hearty. If you are published, google your name and see if your writing is on unauthorized sites. Sometimes you can be astonished by who has lifted it.

Branching Out

I've decided to submit a creepy story to a site, so if it's accepted, I'll link to the site, just for fun. They may not like it, but it was fun to write. I've always liked spooky stuff, since I read horror comics as a kid. I think that's how I got so seriously warped. Ever since, anything without murder, ghost, witch, demon, vampire, were-people of one kind or another, just a little too white-bread boring. Not that I hate white bread, but let's add a little cinnamon or something. I like weird on TV, serious Buffy, Dresden Files, Blood Ties fan here, movies, everything from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir to American Haunting. But they have to have suspense. Slashers just don't do it for me, there has to be an actual plot beyond "The babysitter is in the house alone and will she go upstairs where the murderer is, like an idiot, or run like hell. Of course she'll go upstairs, hence by problem with stupid women heroines. Blood and gore for the sake of, boring. Books, Dean Koontz, Stephen King among others, but they have to be decently written.

Strange Feeling

It's an odd feeling to have the first draft done after all this time and kind of intimidating to know I now have to plot book # 2 and rewrite #1. Heretofore known as PTM and PTOM. Can I get PTM in good enough shape to go to an agent/editor? Can I get started on PTOM? Should I do a rewrite of "Agatha Ann and the Spider Wizard" (AASW) and get it out there too? Decisions, decisions. It was a little easier to struggle through the first draft without the other issues. Then there is the plotting and synopsis for PTOM. Do I sound angsty? Maybe it's Monday. I don't really mind having these problems, what I will mind is when I start getting rejections after the hard work. The I will whine, but keep on submitting. I'm stubborn that way. Of course, the other best thing to do, "button", "Butt on chair-in front of computer.

DONE, DONE, DONE. Yes, I'm shouting but the first draft of "Privy to Murder" is done. That gale force wind is my sigh of relief. It's taken me almost three and a half years over-all. But, I did it. Yay for me and snoopy dances. OK I'll shut up. It will rest while I begin brain-storming and plotting for Party to Murder.