Writer's Paradise discussion

Hey Paul,

How did you rate a suite of your own? Very nice! I like the open space.

*Hands you a note with the maid's number*

You are going to need Ray's services :]

Ok, back to work!

*eating a piece of pecan pie* I agree Julie. Paul's comments are very helpful, and appreciative :)

*steals a piece of pie* *runs away*

Hello Paul. I think it is normal hours in your part of the world. Happy writing.

Hello all,

Had a couple of very busy days so I've been a bit remiss posting stuff here.

Yes,it's nice having my own private wing, isn't it?
Actually, I think of it more as a tower, at the very end of a wing.

A spiral staircase winds round and round the tower to the room at the very top. The lower rooms are filled with lumber, old suits of armour, shields and the like.

The top room has arrow slits admitting narrow shafts of light. There is a trapdoor in the ceiling which leads to the flat roof of the tower. Owls roost overhead.

From the outside, you can see the tower is ruinous; centuries old ivy clings to the walls and burrows into the crumbling stonework. It points like a blasphemous finger to the darkling sky above.

It is probably called 'The Tower of Ceremonial Offerings'.

Think Gormenghast and you'll get the picture.

Hi Dee, Good word count to start off with. I'll look forward to reading it soon :)

Julie, no problem. Always a pleasure to read, review and (hopefully) help with a different perspective.

A ray of light glances off something in the middle of the floor.

What's this? A sword? A sword in a stone?

Aaahhh, it's that sword.

Places an affectionate hand on Excalibur's pommel, running a thumb over the somehow familiar ridges of the giant purple amethyst embedded at the end of the hilt...

Hmmm... Should I try to remove it from the stone now, or wait for an audience?

I've just noticed that the rooms in the wing that leads to my tower have been refurbished, and occupants have moved in.

That's alright, always nice to have company.

Just remember...

I. was. here. first!

Hi UM :)

Hi Andrea, thanks for the brownies and all...

5th March MNNWM: 1,217
6th March MNNWM: 3,453
Running total 9,424.

Three more chapters going up today when I've done a bit of editing.

Right, the new chapters of 'Revival' are posted up here

Enjoy!

*puts pie back on desk*

uh sorry....

It's OK Toli, help yourself to pie. There's plenty to go around!

*takes another piece politely*

why thank you *scrambles out window onto tree and stuffs down throats*

YESSSSS!

:D

Right, today's MNNWM word count is, wait for it, 7,002.

Bringing running total to 16,410.

Holy Crap Paul, You are doing a great job!

Yesterday I wrote zero...spent day at dentist and evening pouting, because I spent the day at the dentist ;]

Today...I plan on writing more on SOA 2 :]

Oh, and I like what you have done with your tower!

Thanks. I think that dark, Gothic look is back in vogue now, don't you?

Sorry about the dentist. It's never fun going to one of those guys.

Hey Paul,

You should see my office...everyone that comes to visit dubs it the Bat Cave :]

My walls are a deep hunter green, with Arthurian artwork on the walls, and of course a couple of swords and tons of dragons on the book shelves.

So, what are you working on today? I have heard wonderful things about your writer workshops! You have helped a lot of people :]

Oh, do you Twitter? I just started yesterday :)

http://twitter.com/Dee_Marie_SOA

Hey Dee,

Bat Cave - hehehe :)

Today, I concentrated exclusively on Revival, which can be seen in all its gory, glory here:

Warning - later chapters contain sex and violence, as well as an intensifying air of dark, brooding malevolence. Well, I hope they do anyway.

Tomorrow, I have to write a 2000 word lexical analysis of a short piece of text of my choice - I'll probably choose a brief excerpt from LOTR. It needs to be submitted by Monday.

I also have to fix two websites - install some minimalist blog software on one and rectify a mysterious email blockage on another.

As well as another 3000 words or so for Revival.

And devise a lesson plan baed on spelling strategies for a lesson I'm being observed teaching on Tuesday.

And finally make a start onthe 15 minute vampire short.

I'm also continuing to search for editing resources and royalty free matierial for the SOA book preview video :)

I'm temporarily stopped on The Symbiont, with our three vampires (and that will be intriguing when it's revealed - just why do they always travel in threes?) preparing to make their final stand against our heroes, the Fearsome Foursome. Thing is, I need a slam-bang climax, and another slam-bang idea for the next set of scenes, featuring something completely different. I expect my mind will come up with something in a week or so.

So, ho-hum, just another 15 hour working day in Paradise:)

Hmmm, I haven't twittered yet. I am told that I sometimes have a tendency to burble, but I think that's just envy on their part.

Come on and Twitter, Paul! I'm Twitterpated!

Paul Wrote:I'm also continuing to search for editing resources and royalty free matierial for the SOA book preview video

Let me know what you are looking for and I can help with the searching.

I truly do appreciate that you are still willing to work on the Sons of Avalon Merlin's Prophecy video, especially with your over-busy schedule.

Sorry, but I forget, out of the bazillion stories you are currently working on, which one are you doing for our group’s write-a-thon?

Oh, and for the record, I seldom giggle…although since joining Goodreads, I have found myself doing a lot of gigglesnorting...with is real close to a guffaw :]

*Dances out of the tower in my red leather boots*

*runs back up the Turret stairs*

Yippers, UM and I are Twitter sisters :]

Hey Dee,

Revival is the one I'm doing for the MNNWM.

We'll get together (twitter or message or something) next weekend perhaps and map out a final scheme for the book preview; then we'll know exactly what we need in the way of resources. No need to thank me; it'll be fun!

Hi UM, we might twitter together yet, like a flock of starlings :)

Or a murder of crows ;]

A dissimulation of birds?

An unkindnes of ravens?

Or one of my favourites, a wake of buzzards :)

Flock of Seagulls?

Loved that group :]

Dee wrote: "Loved that group :]"

My oldest daughter used to call my hair a Flock of Seagulls cut. She's a nut.

"Pats UM on her funky Rob Pattinson hair*

Nice "do" ;]

Well, I just did another 2,357 words because there was nothing on the TV.

So todays total was 9,359 and the MNNWM running total is: 18,776.

The whole lot is here:

G'night all. See you tomorrow.

Awesome word count today (well, yesterday for you now) Paul! :)

Paul! I went to your download spot for that death...* script and.... it didn't work. :( Even my husband the computer GOD couldn't do anything. It says it is currupted. You have another way to get at it?

And for the record- I vote you all be some twittering thing other than starlings. THey are the bane of my existance during corn season. THey ate half my field last year - wreched things pick the nicest-prettiest-yummiest ears of corn and then slit the husk lengthwise picking out the kernals within. The way they come in a clould- I swear it's like that freaky movie 'the birds' sometimes. My neighbor called 'em "rats with wings."

When we take the kids out to teach them how to shoot- we are ususally aiming at starlings. Sooo- if you all insist on being starlings- wear a big pink bow- we wouldn't want any ... um... accidents! :)

Hi Wendy,

Just tried and it worked for me. Having spent 25 years in IT, including IT support, I am now going to ask some pertinent questions, so don't get offended (either you or your computer God) during the process.

What browser are you using?
What version of Adobe reader do you have?
What was the exact nature of the error message?

If we can't fix the problem, I'll upload it as a Word document and we'll give that a go.

The reason I don't stick it here in my writing is because when you paste stuff here, all the special formatting goes. And there's a lot of special formatting in a film script ;)

Hi Paul! Adobe 9, and IE 7 and the message is.... hey it worked today. hmmm- evil computer gremlins.
thanks- I'll read it. ;)

Thanks Wendy.

I always use Firefox, can't stand IE, particularly can't stand IE7. Still, to each their own... :)

Paul,

My taste in computers and cars is much the same. If you can turn it on... and it goes... then I'm happy. :)

Hey Paul, I know it is late over there, but I have run up against a quandary of sorts with SOA 2, sigh. Will put it in the SOA group.

When, or if you have the time, I would appreciate any feedback. Although I fully understand if you are too busy, you have a ton of stuff on your plate at the moment.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

Line, 98

Right,

Today's MNNWM word count 9,832
Running MNNWM total: 28,632

Going to bed soon.

Paul- I'm on page 76 so far of your script. So far there was just one word that was not Idahoan- the Trunk of the car was called a luggage... Something- I'd have to look. But that was in the directions and not the dialogue so it really doesn't matter.

You might want to check out this sentense on page 34:

"John Bear look sat them hatefully." (Page 34)
I think it might be missing a word.

I liked the potato field with the sprinklers going. that is a common sight around here from May-August.

Is a "Beat" a quick shot of something?

I have never read a script before, but everything is great so far, very entertaining. I can almost 'see' the movie as I'm reading it.

On a side note- just FYI- The Tribes are very powerful here from all the money they pull in from the casinos. THey have more money for lobbying and they pull a sympathy vote from people who do not live in the area. THere are mafia-like families that rule the councils and decide everything right down to who gets what job. They are an "independant" nation, subject only to the Federal agents- and often have brushes with local police. If a tribal member is running from the law- and they make it onto the Reservation- they can request a native cop in place of the sherrif and then they get off scott free. We had a local sherriff that chased down a wanted man onto the reservation and the reservation police got there and took the guy into custody until the sherriff could go back for the proper warrents. When the sherriff got to the native jail an hour later with the papers, they had let the guy go and then they tried to arrest the SHERRIFF for tresspassing.

I don't know if any of that gives you more perspective on some of the negative aspects of relations here- but I thought you'd like to know.

That said- My best friend is a native and most of the time we get along just great.

Morning Paul,

Wishing you a great Monday :]

Hey, great Wendy. Thanks for those comments. I think I meant "John Bear looks at them hatefully" so that's just a typo.

A beat is a quick shot of something, just long enough for the audience to register it before the camera moves on.

Thanks for the info on the tribes and casinos. That might be something I can incorporate if I have to do another rewrite.

Ok Paul- just finished it- what fun!

I liked how you added the bad grammar like- “you was gunna..., get 'er... , ….them things,” I'm sorry to say that all that sounded very Idaho. The grammar here drives my mother (a teacher) nuts.

On page 90, Laura is bound hand & foot and gagged- but then she talks to Jon Bear. You might think about adding something about who took her gag off.

On pg 91, when Jon Bear says “For real?” Seems to me that it's usually kids here that say 'for real' and that line painted a momentary image of Jon Bear as being like an inquiring youth- more innocence than he probably deserves. I imagine a big scary guy like him would say something like : “No shit?” or “You're shitting me.” or “Bullshit.” or maybe just a plain dry “Really” drawled out and sarcastic.

pg. 99 “slipways” = spillways? Maybe

What an exciting ending! I love it when the girl isn't a wuss- when she gets to kick butt too. (I have a 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do by the way)

I didn't find anything that wasn't okay for being in Idaho. I think the only comment on actual plot/characterization would be that during the final showdown/conversation between Bear & Frank...

"JOHN BEAR
You know what I want, don't you?
Frank smiles grimly.
FRANK
You want to die, John Bear.
John Bear smiles back in satisfaction.
JOHN BEAR
At last. And you man?"....

I thought it would be revealed how they knew each other so well- both survivors of some horrible secret Ops mission, or survivors of some other major thing that they can't forget- that eats away at their humanity bit by bit-
I guess I was thinking there was a reason that they knew each other so well, why they were so aware of each other right from the start. (seeing each other climbing & tracks)
Or if not, maybe a line about how “We're the same- you and me. All we know is the hunt.” Something linking them.

That was the only confusing part for me.

So, Dee was right- I loved it :) It would be fun to go see it in the theater and bring all my friends to cheer you on!
-Wendy

:) Hi Paul. How are you?

Makes it up the staircase, stops to gasp for breath and whinge about the climb, thinks better of it and looks around to admire the view through the arrow slits.

Nice view. I assume the dungeons are below?

LOL of course! That's why he fell through the trap door!

*gestures to open trap door*

I bet Paul's dungeons are full of willing listeners to his stories- sort of a cushy... well, if not cushy then just cheerful- in a chained up sort of way.

*imagines the guy in chains hanging from his arms clapping to the song of Camelot from Monte Python & the Holy Grail*

PPS. Paul I went to school with a kid named Bear, and in the same grade another named 'Afraid of Bear.' poor kid.

I've a best friend since university whose nickname is "Bear', but no one is afraid of him. In fact he's a rather cuddly sort as men go. He was at Trinity during my time at Queens College.

There was a rather strapping lad we nicknamed 'Ox'... and it seemed everyone was afraid of The Ox. He disappeared back to Scotland after first year. We never found out why.

LOL Maybe he was offended at being an Ox.

A girl once told me I looked like a hawk because, "You look evil and crazy,"

So I laughed like crazy in a very villainous way and then punched her in the face.

It was very evil and crazy of me, wouldn't you say?

I was dated a boy named "Johnny So-Happy" on the White Swan Indian Reservation near Yakima Washington :)