Summer Vacation

I'm really sorry to say but I have hit a wall.  Not literally.  But I seem to have run out of things to talk about.  I should add another topic, but the problem is I don't have another topic.  So I am going to take a break from this blog and work something out.  Maybe I just need some more variety.  We'll see.   I'll take the next few months off and get reorganized.  Sorry about this.  I'll talk to you all in the few moths.

Wordless

These are some of the pictures I got these last few months.  And sense I was left a little wordless this week these will do till I dig up some words.

Have a very blessed week
Morgan J

How Can I Move the Sun?

This is not my picture

Sunset at just the right angle.  Frogs talking in the creek.  Cool damp air.  Spring is here.  It's in the sun and water.  The winter is fading and everything is coming to life.  This should be the start of the year.  When everything is renewed.  Everything is fresh and alive.  Fresh starts and new energy.  Resently I ran into a little trouble with my book.  I thought I was doing good.  It had been edited twise and the main character has been acting as I hoped he would.  But when I went through the third draft I started noticing that it wasn't feeling right.  The story is too short.  The scenes don't fit together like they should.  Somethings missing.  I'm not sure what it is yet, but every time I sit down to read it I get bored with it.  Now I may not know much about editing, but it's not good when the author gets bored with their own book.  I need to go back and read the origanal draft and find out what I lost.  The first draft was ruff and I cringe when I read it but I still find it interesting.  More interesting then the third draft.   I need a new beginning.  That renewed energy of spring.  Maybe I just need a different angle.  A fresh perspective.  Just changing the angle of the sunset might shine a light on the missing peaces. 

A Snip of February

I've always liked when people posted snippets of their stories.  So I decided to try that in this post.  These are from the First Nightin book.

"Warmth radiated from the bricks and seeped in through his jacket.  The warmth of the building and the sound of feet on the cobble stone street made his eyes droop and he could only think of the comfortable warm sun.  Dart Nightin stretched his legs and let his body sink into the bricks."

""Dart Nicolas Nightin!!!" 

Dart started awake.  The stool swayed.  He clutched at the desk.  Stool, boy and books hit the floor with a clatter that was almost defining."

"The last warm winds of summer shook the gnarled trees making them sing like a torrent of rushing water.  Seed pods hung thick and green on most of the trees.  Dart snagged one as he went by and absently tore it apart dropping peaces along his path.  Soon the wind would blow cold and the seed pods on the trees would turn black and dry up.  Cold weather would come and hold tightly to their mountain city for the next six months."

""Now it was really a fight.  Both of them turned on the Nightin.  On his feet Haven could hold them off and beat the energy out of anyone who came close enough.  He targeted Dan as the weakest of the two.  But that left the other Klassdotter a little more freedom to work Haven back into a corner.  With his back pressed against the wall Haven suddenly leapt into an aggressive attack.  Faking a kick to Dan's legs Haven drove his punches hard into the young man's face.  The other Klassdotter took the opportunity and rushed in from the left.  His weight pinned the Nightin to the wall for a minute.  Silence filled the room like a heavy fog.  Only the ragged breaths of the three men made an impression on the quiet.

`It's over Nightin.  We're done.'

The words were low, barely a whisper in Haven's ear.  But in that hot and heavy silence it was easy to hear.  Unceremoniously Haven dispelled the silence with a loud grunt and shoved himself off the wall.  Taking a few steps away the Klassdotter let him.  Fabric snapped taught as Haven straightened is shirt and re-buttoned his vest.  Dart breathed in the thick smell of beer and sweat."

I hope you enjoyed these snips.

Have a blessed week,

Morgan J

Inspiration of Cold Rain

Cold rain; perfect weather for writing.  It's also perfect sleeping weather.  You look outside see the gray sky, dripping trees and you pull the blanket a little closer.  Once your all warm and snug your ready to write right?  Till your eyes get heavy.  Just a blink to rest them.  Maybe just one more.  A minute later you head starts to nod.  Just a little rest.  The words aren't coming just now anyway.  Forty five minutes later you have to go pick up your brother or meet some friends for a movie and you've slept away all your writing time.  But maybe your not like me.  Your one of those super people who can resist the hypnotic glare of a blank page.  But the words don't sound right.  No matter how you word the sentence it never comes out right.  Every time you write your secant guessing your choice of words and structure.  So you avoid writing.  There is no time.  There are other things that need to get done.  There is a project I've wanted to do for the past few months.  Let me be the one to break it to you.  There is always another excuse for not writing.  We need to stop looking for them and focus on the reasons to write.   Why do you write?  What made you pick up a pen and tell that first story?  I've written several books and never did anything with them.  A few days ago someone asked me why I kept writing when the stories just sat there.  Because I love to write.  I love the feeling of words flowing through my fingers.  Getting to know a character so well that I almost regard them as a friend.  Watching my story take a turn that I didn't expect and be totally surprised.  Or getting mad at my own characters for misbehaving.  What is there not to love about writing?  Well . . .  there is always editing.  It isn't that bad.  I'm getting the hang of this whole rewriting thing.  Without a doubt I love writing.  I just need to remind myself of that sometimes.  When your avoiding your book because the words aren't flowing or your drooping over a blank page try having fun with it.  Forget your inner editor and remember why you love what you do.  Sometimes you need to inspire yourself when your eyes are feeling heavy and the words are all tangled up.

Have a blessed week,
Morgan J

There be Monsters

This is not my picture

There be monsters just behind that first page.  The front may look passing maybe even good, if you squint one eye and strain your imagination.  But after that; beware.  Past that opening scene or first page the words contrive to scramble themselves into undecipherable knots.  Even the best characters suddenly find they can not bare the weight of the plot and pressure.  They over react to the smallest things and fall flat on their faces.  But please don't mention the plot.  It throws people here and there with no regard for them personally.  Even Hercules would not survive the terrible plot that is waiting behind this first page.  In fear and quacking I open the book and try not to let the panic and drama that is pulling the words down make me forget how much I like this story.  This story that I've worked on for the past two years, how could it be so bad? 

This past week I started editing the first Nightin book.  At one point I had Talitha read a scene from the beginning.  When I had first written it I thought it was pretty good.  But listing to her read it was agonizing.  Afterwards I wanted to delete the whole thing, so no one else would ever see it.  Instead I quickly changed documents and started working on something else.  The next day I was back at it, forcing out the words that fought against me.  Finally I had to stop for a minute. 

"What am I doing?  This whole story is terrible, what is the point of rewriting it.  The rewrite is as bad as the first draft." 

That's what I was thinking to myself.  Then I remembered all the times I heard about not giving up on your writing.  Every time I would hear about cutting yourself some slack I always nodded sagely.  "Oh yes of course, I never expect perfection from the first draft."   Till I actually did some editing, and discovered that I couldn't even expect mediocrity.   Editing is scary.  I have to go back and read that terrible story and try somehow to turn it into something worth reading.  Something I could give to someone else to read without cringing.  But the only way I know to make it better is to go over it.  Then go over it again.  And again and very likely a few more times.  I just have to keep telling myself that I am a writer even when I don't feel like one and even when my stories look like a bad soup opera.  I'll have to be brave enough to look that story in the face and pray that one day it will be worth so much work. 

If you have any advice for chasing out the monsters please feel free to drop a comment.
Have a very blessed week.
Morgan J

Stiff Fingers

Shivering there on the couch, my fingers almost numb with cold, I understood why people say you should write about what you know.  My two main characters were hiking up a mountain in a snowstorm and my hands were stiff with the cold.  For the past few weeks, the temperatures have been hovering around freezing.  Which is really cold for this area.  The mountains in the story are colder, but that doesn't keep me from relating to their discomfort and danger.  When I described how the girls hands were stiff with cold I was thinking about how my own hands were stiff with the cold.  When she clung tight to the thick fur of the tiger I could almost feel the warmth seeping into my hands.  Now I would personally not want to do that again.  Below sixty-five is not really my idea of good writing conditions.  But, I was able to show through the words just how cold she felt because I was right there with her.  The next time they are walking in a snowstorm I can pull from these past few weeks for memories of shivering and my own reaction to cold temperatures.  I may have never walked in a blizzard, but I can easily imagine it.  The drifts pulling at my boots and the snow clinging to my eyelashes and matting my hair into snowy dreadlocks. 

I hope everyone is having a great winter and staying warmer than me.
Have a great week.
Morgan J

New Yeat Resolutaion: Change

 Image source: wikipedia.org

The new year is almost here.  I've been thinking about what my new year resolutions would be and I think I have it.  It's time for a mental change.  Writing has always been a fun hobby for me.  Something I loved doing and hoped one day to do for a living but only when I was grown up.  Well this year I will change that.  I'm still thinking like a want-a-be writer.  If I want to get better I need to change that and start thinking like a professional writer.  So that is my goal this coming year.  Take writing seriously and put all my effort into it instead of a casual attempt.  The way I think has to change before my writing does.

So what are your new year resolutions?

Have a great week 

Morgan J

Bright, Colorful, Loud,

Merry Christmas.  I thought it best to start out with something cheerful because I have been so blatantly neglectful of my blog the last month.  Christmas is almost here.  The tree is up, the lights are lit, hot chocolate has been made and drunk, all the presents have been bought.  Food still needs cooking, still some presents need rapping and the last few candles wait to be light.  This is a bright season.  Bright and colorful and loud.  With lots of demands for my attention and time and money and focus.  I'm trying to remember that this year.  Last year all the hubbub depressed me during one of the happiest times of the year.  Not this year.  This year I will laugh at the business and find the joy and funny behind all the noise.  This year will be the best Christmas ever.  And next year will be better.  Can you tell I'm feeling optimistic?  This a really short post, sorry.  Christmas has been on my mind sense Dec 1 and everything about Christmas has already been said.  I'm happy, excited, and ready.  What else can I say?

All of you have a joyful Christmas.
Morgan J 

No Excuses November Is Here

I don't like excuses.  Excuses are me trying to blame someone else or circumstances for my own failures.  But still I catch myself saying things like "I got busy and forgot."  Yep I confess I made that excuse just a few minutes ago when I looked at my documents and it suddenly hit me that I had not written a post yesterday.  But honestly it is not true.  I remembered yesterday at lunch time and decided to put it off and get my NaNoWriMo writing done first.  So it was my fault and I'm sorry if any of you were waiting in agitated expectancy for my post.  
Speaking of NaNoWriMo how are all you novelers doing?  I'm just keeping up with it.  I have a little friendly competition with Della.  Every time I get ahead she goes on a writing spree and passes me.  Then I'll write a few thousand on the weekend and pass her.  It's really funny how excited we both get about it.  Yesterday when I passed her word count I was bouncing in my chair with joy and telling everyone in ear shot that "I passed Della!"  It's more fun when your doing it with someone. 
For lack of anything better to say I have picked out some samples of my writing so far.

"Everyday he pushed them all harder, moved quicker.  He could feel the forest and mountains closing in on them each day."

"Two mountains loomed on either side marking the end of the Salto Mountains.  Between them ran a great valley with flat open land that sparkled green and lush under the summer sun.  It looked like the welcoming arms of Cypress to the tired group."

"They have traveled hard at your warning for six full days now.  We have reached the end and I say they deserve a night to catch their breath and sleep without the forest to bring bad thoughts."

"The grass smelled sweet and comforting, but the way it constantly rustled in the wind made it hard to catch foreign movement.  Kneeling down the Jaden dug his hands into the cool damp earth.  It gave way under his weight.  The grass rubbed against his shoulder.  There, a movement.  Two, no five dark shapes against the silver grass.  The young man froze."

"One of the big men grabbed her up and carrying her back to the corner dropped her down harshly.  As the girl bounced up immediately he hit her a ringing back hand to the cheek.  The blow spun her around and her head cracked on the wall.  She slumped to the floor, her crazy red hair spread over the floor like a puddle of blood."

Yes I tend to beat up my characters.  "I'm sorry Resh."  She is alright I promise.  You all have tons of fun writing and have a blessed week.
Morgan J

Long Weekend

Well I completely forgot that I had to write a post this weekend till Friday night.  On any other Friday night that would have been fine, I would have spent a few hours Saturday and written up a post, but last Friday I was at Devils Den State Park for a weekend camping trip.  Our phones didn't have service most of the time much less internet.  So I'll just give you all an over view of what happened.
Friday night it was just me and big sister.  It was freezing even with a heater and a big blanket.  During the night my air mattress deflated and I was on the ground freezing.  Big sister also had to have a corner of the tent door open so it was really freezing.  Did I mention that it was a really cold night?  And being the brilliant prepared person that I am I had forgotten my jacket and hadn't packed any long sleeves shirts.  So Saturday morning I have to get up and get the grill going in the 50 degree weather in my short sleeves.  I could see my breath in the air, and my arms were going numb.  Do you get the idea?  It was a bit cool that first night and morning.  But the sun came up as it always does and soon I was all warmed up and we went off to find cell service.  Little sister was suppose to join us and we were worried that she wouldn't know where to find us.  There wasn't room in the camp grounds so we were allowed to camp in the horse camp and we couldn't remember if we had told little sister that.  Well we got in touch with her and gave her directions.  By the time we went to the store and got back to camp she was there and after lunch we all went hiking.  We went on Devils Den trail.  The Devils Den was locked up though.  Because of the White Nose Syndrome that is spreading south west from New York state that is killing 95 to 100% of the bats in the caves it hits.  There were overhangs that are not officially caves and we could explore those.  Those were cool.  I discovered that I love rock climbing.  After that trail little sister wanted to go back to camp so we dropped her off and big sis and me went up Yellow Rock Trail.  It was pretty.  No caves but a good view and a funny group of East Texans at the top.  That night was much better.  Every time I would wake up I would think how much better it was this night then it was last night.   Sunday we were going to go hiking in Ozark National Forest but we couldn't find any hiking trails.  We spent the day driving around looking for trails. Though we did get sleeping bags and that made that last night a lot better.  This morning the sisters wanted to head straight home but I wanted to go on around the Devils Den trail again.  It was a lot of fun the secant time.  I got to explore a bit more.  It felt like we were exploring Middle Earth.  I'm already thinking about when we could go back.

Back to real life.  But maybe a 9 to 5 job and bills and obligations aren't real life?  Maybe the trips and the writing are real life and we just have to put on a facade so we can interact with the rest of the world.

Sorry again for being late.
You all have a blessed week.
Morgan J

Warm Colors and Cold Nightins

My Picture

Summer is coming to an end.  The last flowers have bloomed and the nights are growing longer.  This is the season of warm colors and cold nights.  Of new sweaters and good food.  The year is rapping up and National Novel Writing Month is almost here.  I was ready to start writing a novel in the first week of October.   It has been really hard to keep focus on the stories I have going.  The first edit on the Nightin book has sunk to almost nil.  I'm also writing a story for my sister's Christmas present, and that one is still in the planning stages.   I finally figured out what I'm going to write for November, so that means lots of planning and outlining.  Fall has a lot of anticipation rapped up in it; NaNoWriMo, Thanksgiving and looking forward to Christmas.  Personally I'm expecting to write like crazy this fall.  Drink apple cider and tea.  Put flannel sheets on my bed and see Orion in the sky at night.  Cut out red, orange and yellow leaves for the thanksgiving tree.  Ware my warm coats even in the afternoon and watch the leaves change colors.

I hope you enjoy this short season as much as I do.
Have a blessed week.
Morgan J

Good Villain

this is not my picture

"Why is the villain always stronger then the hero?"

I asked my sister this after we finished watching the Fantastic Four. 

"So they are hard to beat."

It made sense.  You can't have a good movie when your villain isn't hard to beat.  But it started me thinking.  What does the perfect bad guy look like.  Would he be sneaky and more then a little crazy, like Moriarty?  Would he be like most super villains, extraordinarily powerful and completely bad.   I think the perfect antihero would be like Loki, powerful, manipulative and who can give the appearance of working on the right side.  He would be powerful but he would rely more on his mental powers and manipulation then on strength.  Maybe I'll write the perfect villain.  Someone who comes out on top every time.  Novel Writing Mouth is coming up soon.  Maybe I could write a book about a villain?  I'm not sure.  It's ether that or a story set in my story world, ( that I've been trying to write a story for years).  Ether way I think the perfect villain would be hard to tell from a good guy sometime.  He might help the hero for a while just to further his own ends.  Like Shield and Hydra.  Those two were so much alike at times during the secant Captain America movie that it was hard to tell them apart.  That would be a hard bad guy to catch.  Now that I know how he would acted, I need to find out why.  The best villain would need the best motive.  Greed can only go so far.  Hat is over used and not something I could easily relate to.  No, there has to be a really good motive to be the greatest villain.  I will have to give it more thought.  If any of you have any ideas I would love to here them.

You all have a blessed week.
Morgan J

Making Memory's

I'm a planner, and a dreamer.  I've grown up leaving in my dreams for the future and in my weekly check list.   People always said to write what you know and I never really listened to that advise.  What have I ever done that would be worth writing about?  That's what I thought for a long time.  Then I read an article that explained it for me.  You don't have to actually go on a quest to write about one.  Just remember back to when you spent four hours in a nature park till your feet were numb with walking.  Add to that the time you camped out in the backyard during a storm and your tent sprung a leak.  That was cool I thought, but that was all.  It didn't change anything though.  But a few years ago I realized that I was letting a lot of experiences pass by.  I preferred to stay home and write instead of going out and meeting new people seeing new sights and generally enjoying life.  Since I figured this out I've been making a conscience effort to enjoy the moment.  Instead of relaxing at home I've decided to go out of my way and out of my comfort zone to make memories. 

Yesterday I went to a chalk art contest.  Before I probably would have sat down and watched a movie, but no I was walking around the street watching people coloring with calk and talking to artists about the pictures in their booths till 10:30 at night.  It was so worth it though.  At 10:00 they had people come in and blow fire and spin burning balls.  It was really cool.  Time is moving on and I am falling asleep every few words.  Good night and God bless.
Morgan J

Colorado Trip

Sorry I'm late with this post.  I was going to do it yesterday but I kept forgetting.  Last time I wrote I was on my way to Colorado.  My family and me went up through New Mexico then into Colorado.  Actually I really loved the desert.  The day we were there it wasn't too hot and the night cooled down nicely.  We stayed at an RV park out in the middle of nowhere.  When we got there it was already dark and there were no lights around at all.  The stars were so bright that first night.  When my sister first told my about the milky way I didn't really believe her.  You kind of have to image it at home, but out in the desert you can see everything.  It was like one of those pictures of the night sky that you see on the internet that look digitally enhanced.  It was one of my favorite sights of the trip.  The rest of the trip the nights were cloudy or we were in a city and we didn't see much of the stars the rest of the trip.  I almost liked the desert better then the Rockys.  The desert was quiet.  We got up in the morning and there was no sound around us at all.  No birds, no bugs, very faintly if you listed hard you could hear water because our camp site was above a lake.  It was really peaceful. 
I took tons of pictures and wrote down things that caught my attention.  I thought you might like to see some of the pictures so here are a few that I liked.

Enjoy and have a blessed week
Morgan J