Need some Writing help!

Know it's been forever since I've wrote on here, or any of my blogs for that matter, but I've been super busy with starting upgrades for my Math and looking for a job. Also been working on finishing my Creative Writing course. I started working on The Never-Ending Dance that I want to expand to submit to Realms of Fantasy magazine and am having a lot of trouble. I've got it expanded to roughly 800 words now...It needs to be around 5000 to really be submission worthy....and I just can't get it expanded to that without possibly ruining it...I really need some advice on it.

Life Behind Rat Rescue...

So, for anyone who follows my other blog(s) you may have seen we had recently gotten two young ratties from a local pet store. They were, in technicality, my friends I'm living with right now (long story lol) but I was paying back for them and they would be coming with me when I moved back to Sarnia - hopefully with my hubby in our new house if this works out.
Well, unfortunately, the adorable little dumbo boy with a blaze, has left this world already. I was praying my intuition was wrong, but it seems he had Mega Colon (genetic disease, easily avoided by proper breeders) and I have been talking with a woman who runs a rescue nearby as the store is stupid and we got one boy and one girl, so she was to be taking our girl as we looked for a boy...Well, we might still rehome the girl and look into two boys from kijiji or the rescue itself. There are two nice older boys I'm asking about, and a couple of younger litters with boys left from kijiji I have e-mailed about, so we shall see.

Anywhoo, I had thought about doing a rat orientated book for ages. Sort of a rescue one, but from the point of view of the rat. Sort of, family buys their kid a rat from the pet stores; kid gets bored so they take it back; repeat a couple times until he ends up at a rescue and then his forever home....Not positive yet though.

Faerie Names

I'm working on Allumineria again, as I did a rough draft of an expanded version of The Never Ending Dance and it still needs a lot of work to make it up there to something I can submit to Realms of Fantasy so am leaving it back burner for the moment and waiting for it to inspire me again, so want to work on my faerie novel.

I have switched to writing free hand over keyboard and have the first chapter started on, though don't like it as much as my first go at it, but first draft so no editing right now - that's why my Fantasy trilogy (LandStar Legends) hasn't made it past book one, chapter one in over 6yrs LOL but I was hoping for some help from my lovelies. I am no good with names, and have a few in mind for the main Faeries, but of course would love some input. I have the faerie name generator so might put in some randoms and see what pops out and what I can use, but always love some ideas from fellow creators!

Realms of Fantasy

So Allumineria is taking a bit of a back burner stance for the time being. Not fully but I have something else I need to work on. Along with getting my etsy shop up and running to hopefully raise funds to get my kitty to the vet, I have finally found a story I hope to submit to Realms of Fantasy magazine.

I don't know many publications for short stories such as this, so have been wracking myself for nearly 4 yrs to try and find something that seemed to fit RoF's genre of Fantasy as they specifically do not accept "Elves and such things" or your basic traditional Fantasy which I adore writing...I think I have finally found something though.

Inspiration randomly hit after reading The Charge of the Goddess recently for a story to do for Pagan Culture's Pagan Fiction in 113 Words or Less Which won't be posted on Magaly's blog until the New Moon but I shall post below (shhhh lol) and after playing out the short story aspect of it in my head one night as drifting off to sleep, I decided it would be a good story to expand. Their maximum word count is 10,000. I think if I can push it to 5000 - 6000 without it getting boring or repeating I will be lucky, but we shall see. There doesn't seem to be a minimum word count, so my aim is 5000 minimum. I know there is much more, and more details, to be added to this little piece and yet more mystery as well to shroud it in, so it shouldn't be to overly hard to expand upon.

I have also decided to work, initially, free hand on paper. Not only does this give me more time and options to work on a story at any given time (I love my laptop but it's a big 17 inch with the webcam and so is mighty heavy and a pain in the rear to move around a lot...plus the battery life sucks horribly...) but I can scribble away into the night with less disturbance to the hubby when he's working, etc. and if I get a job somewhere that is slow at times and is okay with me doing 'school work' I can bring it with me if I get a job soon too. Of course I despise typing things up, but it takes two to three drafts to get things right anyway, so by the time I get to typing up the second draft I will have, hopefully, have found most of my mistakes.

So, this being said...Allumineria will be switched over to paper. I needed to edit the first chapter anyway and most of it will stay the same. While it's not my front project right now, I can work on it in between if I get block on my short story or just need a tiny break from it to work on something else. Anywhoo here is said short story, hope you enjoy!

The Never-Ending Dance

I stared at my feet in the grass. Hushed voices surrounded me. I looked up at the silver moon and all fell silent.

I looked to the center of the circle. She beckoned me. Without process, I stood before her. Her eyes blazed, taking my breath.

Her hands took mine. His found my waist. We twirled, twisted, danced for a lifetime. I stumbled. Four hands caught me. Two lips found my cheeks. I was alone, again staring at the cool, dark grass.

Voices silenced as my blazing eyes looked up at the young soul. I felt my lover by my side and opened my arms. Beckoned her to join our never-ending dance.

On a side note. I hope to create my first drawing to sell on Etsy inspired by this piece as well.

Pen or Keyboard?

I'm having a slightly stupid dilemma here now. I need to do some minor editing to the first chapter of Allumineria, few details I need in there and completely forgot as I went at it. Thing is, there are times I wish I was writing by hand, pen and paper method, as then I could write all night if I wanted to (now with my handy $2 book light LOL) and not keep the hubby up with the sound of my keyboard.
Now, the downside of this is of course, hand cramps, the slight carpel tunnel I've got going on, and of course having to eventually type it up anyway...to post and all that especially...

So, I am curious. How many of you write specifically by hand and then transfer, compared to those who say screw it and take on the technology and specifically type your stories?

March 21st

Still curious of your opinions, but am thinking I'm going to switch back to paper for first drafts and such anyway. Will make it a bit of a pain to show some online friends, but easier to write in the first place.

Writer's Bug :D

So, got a little over 1500 words and the first chapter written. Might do some editing I thought about later though before posting anything here just yet. Working on a couple art projects but hope to have the cover art done soon too! So, being busy but still gladly taking ideas for the conflict and such. I think I have it worked out for the most part, but we'll see how it grows!

Allumineria ~ a world not too far from our own

Title of book above *big cheesy grin*

Allumineria is actually the name of the 'world' of one of my OLD novels I have set aside. It is an Elven fantasy type, but when trying to think of a good name for my Faerie Realm here, it just fits so well I couldn't resist. I am sure I can think of another name for my Elven realm whenever I go back to that trilogy idea :)

I already know what I want to draw for the cover art too lol and have started on the first chapter. I have a rough idea of the conflict and such now, just not the actual "baddie" behind it all. Details that will hopefully be figured out once I get to that part as I plan on the first 1/4 of the novel to be outside of Allumineria anyway...Got some time to mull it all over and still work on it.

I would like to post something up of it soon. Going to wait til I have a decent chunk though, and might wait until I finish the cover art, not sure. I'm still catching up on the 52 Weeks of Pagan Art Journaling and need to finish a second drawing for my second guest post for the Welcoming the God blog party, and also want to do an Ostara piece soon...and need to think of something "witchy" for the Pagan Fiction in 113 Words or Less, and the lovely blogaversary party....So much to do...hehe