One More Chapter To Go...

That's it! For the school project version, I only have one more chapter to write. I will then finish with a short epilogue, and then I can really get started...

I'm really thinking about completing the novel before publishing Part One. That would set the publishing date back several months (I'm hoping maybe in the early Fall 2013), but it would be so much better that way. I feel like people will enjoy reading a bigger story more than they would the novella. What do you think?

I leave you with a short quote from Chapter Eleven:

Something snapped, and I forgot all of that ‘indispensable for making me whole again’ shit; I darted towards him and threw a punch towards his face. He caught my fist with his bare hand and laughed; I thrust my other arm forward, but he caught this one too. I let out a scream of exasperation.

     “If that’s all you can do when you’re angry, it won’t be enough,” Jordan said, this time without the smile. He was very, very serious. “Stop hitting like a wimp and try to kill me.”

A Fork in the Road

When I first decided to write Abiding Heart, it was only supposed to be a novella meant to be a school project. But since I developed the idea of the story, it became so much more. I saw the character Selena could become if I only developed her into a deeper persona, and that's just what I did.

The problem was that it made my school project more complicated. I still have a deadline to work with: we are on week 7 of the semester, and it needs to be all finished, printed, and ready to present on week 13. Not wanting to sacrifice the potential of the story, I decided that at one point in the 'end' of the project, the two stories would split.

My school project is a novella; novellas are not very complicated and contain only one major conflict. The end of this project will be more simple and straightforward, but in the version I intend to publish, I will go further into the conflict.

I will post the school project version- the simple novella- online eventually, for those who are interested in the alternate ending. However, the real version will be much better and much more intriguing. Of course, in the real version, this will only be the first part of the actual 'novel'.

I am approaching the part where my two stories begin to diverge. This is where it gets tough, but in the end, it will be worth it for both my school project and my published work.

I only wonder if I should publish Part One as a paper book, or as an E-book only, and wait for Part Two to be done before publishing the book version. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Ten Chapters, 20 Thousand Words

Progress has slowed down a little now that I am back to school and working again. However, I managed to reach the 20 thousand word mark today!

Actually, I lied. I'm at 19,546.

Tomorrow, I need to present a Work In Progress for my class. I will probably present them with this list of characters (copied from my project proposal):

Main Characters

Selena: smart, wounded, and often speaks without thinking first. She often lets herself get carried away by her emotions.

Lester: laid back, against violence, and straightforward. He will never be cruel for no reason, but will never lie, either.

Arianna: Bubbly, happy, and loves everyone. She believes there are no bad people and hopes to find a man who loves her enough to buy her freedom.

Billy: Strong, sarcastic, and fierce. She is rarely in a good mood, but somehow that makes her likeable.

Lawrence: Quiet, careless, and socially crippled. He cannot move up in levels due to his inability to connect with the audience.

Amber: keeps to herself and only wants to win.

Jacob: ambitious, friendly, and emotional. He wants to gain freedom to find his loved one in the outside world.

Jordan: rude, ruthless, and selfish. His only desire is to escape, and he is ready to do anything for that, even kill.

Mr. Lavergne: the self-righteous owner of the fight club. He believes he is actually helping people by running this business.

Work in Progress Update

Today I have reached the 30 page milestone!

That makes it about 16 thousand words, just a little more. So far, I haven't had any major writer's block, thankfully. The March break gave me a chance to make some solid changes to the original plot line and really get the project working, but I plan to work on the novel a bit every day even when classes start again.

While editing the first chapter, I did notice a huge mistake of mine: I mention at one point that Selena has lost a finger in a past explosion, but never do I mention it in other places. I will either remove the loss of the finger or go add some references to this handicap in some parts of the novel.

Fantasy World

Through drifts of time, I have dreamed of my fantasy world
A place only mine, where I lay, sending a wish to every star
Hoping that for once, what I see isn't a trickery

Towers gleam like glass, and they climb up ever higher
Still not asleep, even at such a late hour
Dreaming there is a place where my heart should belong
Praying to this world that I cannot be wrong

Everyone has a dream in a fantasy world
The desire to be held dear in someone's arms
And to feel like they belong, to thrive into the light
To know that all is right

Fragile is the flame that holds it in existence
Extinguished by a breath, so I shall hold my silence
A blink of an eye, and we're here, but who knows how long?

I seek a shelter to warm up my soul
A safer refuge for when this life gets cold
Searching for beauty of pure untainted hearts
Hoping that in this place, we'll never grow apart


Everyone has a dream in a fantasy world
The desire to be held dear in someone's arms
And to feel like they belong, to thrive into the light
To know that all is right

Hi!

Hey guys!

I hope all is well for everyone. As for me, I am starting my first serious writing project (well, first in several years): Abiding Heart.

I've attempted several novels before, and succeeded in finishing two or three of them. Not that I would make anyone read those anymore. Abiding Heart will be the culmination of everything I have learned as a writer.

The novel will be set in a futuristic North America that has fallen into chaos after World War III. My goal is to construct a heroine that is unlike others: wounded, unpure, crude, and selfish but big-hearted all at once. The story will appeal to daring young audiences (NOT children, however) and to those who enjoy love, action, and broken characters all in one bundle.

I will update my progress with the story as I go along. I also write songs and poetry, and may decide to post a few of those once in a while.