Tag Archives: completing

May 16 2013

I’m Making a Triumphant Return! Maybe…

Hello all!

I have to admit, I am utterly ashamed of myself. By not writing to you all (on a consistent basis), I’m failing myself. So, I make a resolution (once again) to jump right back into being a more frequent blogger. Lord knows it’ll take some time, but I’m going to work hard towards it. Even if I have to write about things that do not pertain to my several unfinished novels (which I intend on working on).

First on the list, the book I am currently reading: The Left Hand of Darkness by  Ursula K. LeGuin.

So if you guys know me, you know that I have sort of a soft spot for science fiction and fantasy.  I stumbled upon the book after hearing it referenced in that movie The Jane Austen Book Club, which was also based on a book. I figured if one of the main characters made such an argument for his love interest to read it, then shoot, I should read it too.

I will not lie — it took me a minute to get into it. Not knowing that this book was a part of a larger series, you can imagine the numerous questionable looking expressions on my face when I fell on weird ass city names, species of humans and the word kemmer which is like one of the MAJOR themes of the book.

Nonetheless, I continued to read and found myself getting increasingly immersed in it — especially because I had never read a book about an androgynous race of people. They are not androids, they’re not “aliens” in the sense that we know them, they’re a race of hermaphroditic beings that mate once a month almost on a menstrual cycle!

Consider my MIND #BLOWN. Add the fact that a person can be either man or woman at a different cycle?!?!?!? Could you imagine that?!

And this is why the people of their world  believe that there is no cause for war; there is no imbalance of hormones to create a feeling of superiority. At the same time, it’s awkward because there is no gender, the society is just a mass of the same people.

Anyway, I’m starting to enjoy the book because of its shift in narration — and because this book was published in like 1969. It’s pretty freaking amazing that this was around at a time where social constructs were being challenged, but at the same time remained very much rigid.

I’m at a point in the book now where POVs are about to converge and I’ll finally get to see them interact once more. I have to say this book is not necessarily an easy read, but some of the metaphors are beautiful and some of the quotes make me want to highlight them for forever.

—

As for everything else going on? I’ve halted on the period piece, despite the fact that I have the entire plot mapped out. Finding the words to move the plot can be so hard to do sometimes, and I don’t really want to force it. And my fantasy novel (pfft), I haven’t looked at the in a while. My novella is on hiatus BUT I intend to make a triumphant return and finish at least ONE this year … maybe … no, I have to. I just have to!

Mucho besitos!
-Alja

Dec 29 2011

Day 15

While my personal life is going into disarray, I’ve decided to forge on and make moves with my writing. When I feel that I’ve exhausted my thought processes, I begin to read and so I’ve pulled a book off of my shelf and started to sift through it. While it’s a somewhat random choice, the nature of the book has both elements of fantasy and of mythology which coincides with both elements that I’m trying to work out in two separate stories.

I’ve started to read this charming piece of 360 some odd pages:

I haven’t made up my mind of if I like it or not, but I do love the idea that there are several narratives going on, with interconnecting characters and one first person narrative from a god-like being. I feel that this may help me hone the way in which I handle my own characters in my ancient egyptian mythological piece.

Alas, if I intend on finish any story before the new year, I only have three nights and two days to do so. I don’t think there’s any story I have that I can finish in that time unless I throw caution to the wind and make a really short story out of the many beginning lines that I have. Let’s see what I can do.

*Give Me Strength*

w/love

-Alja

Dec 12 2011

Day 12 & 13

I’ve got another confession to make: since my first day of actually hitting the 750 word target on 750words.com, I’ve written another post (again, a piece about myself) and I exceeded 750 words with a whopping 1216. Today, I went on the site again, hoping to push myself and keep the magic going and I was able to complete 800+ words. However, the words didn’t go towards finishing an old story. Instead, it’s gone towards a new story.

I had a bizarre dream the other night…very science-fiction and (I will admit) influenced by Tia and Tamara Mowry. It was about twins and their care-giver on the run from something or someone. I think I thought of those twins because I was watching their reality show before I went to bed, but I’ve been trying to remember more about the dream and when that happens, that means that I’m on the verge of a new story or something about that dream I find story worthy.

I see that science fiction/ fantasy may be the genre that I would very much like to pursue. Though I’ve written tons of short stories with a realistic fiction vibe, something about the sci-fi world allows me to expand my thoughts more.

I do need to finish my stories; I need to finish at least one before the new year.

Hopefully I can produce something memorable.

I will be posting an excerpt of my chapters from my unfinished novel soon. Feedback is always welcome.

w/love

-Alja

Dec 8 2011

Day 11 – Small Breakthrough

Who knew that by me rambling on about my weird musically triggered depression on 750words, that I would hit my 750 words for the day!

While I am elated that I was able to get out almost 800 words during a busy day, I’m still not pleased with myself for not focusing harder on finishing one of my many incomplete stories. I’ve been thinking about stories that I have and where I want to go with some of the characters and I’m realizing that I may even have a couple of novelettes on my hand (according to wikipedia’s word count).

I have several stories and I’m hoping that at least one could be finished before the end of the year. I will be posted excerpts and if you think there’s a story that you’d really like to see an ending, don’t hesitate to say!

Aside from that, I’ve been working on my other ventures, which takes time away from my writing, but is something I do enjoy. These are the times I wish I were an established author already. =)

Nov 21 2011

Day 9

I’ve been neglecting my duties to finish one of my pieces at the end of this month. It’s hard and trying, especially when I find all my literary motivation coming to me at times when I should be putting my attention on other more ‘important’ things. As it stands, I have added several pages to my story, typing up all the pages that I’ve written on the train and adding other pages from my tracking site 750words.com. As it is, my story is growing longer and longer than I expected and I find myself finding holes I have to fit and I haven’t even hit the crux of the story yet!

It’s all a process I suppose. I have only 9 more days to attempt to finish this story. Will I finish it? Maybe. If not, I do intend on finishing it before the end of 2011. I don’t want to start 2012 with a set of incomplete stories. One less incomplete story leads to one more shot at publication in the New Year.

I must persevere, I MUST persevere, I MUST PERSEVERE!

 

w/love,

-Alja