Alex stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly to clear the sleep from both her eyes and her mind. She could feel the beginning of a headache pushing at the back of her eyes as she rolled out of her bed. It had been another night of tossing an turning and trying to get to sleep. Slipping into her robe she shivered as the coolness of the floor crept up from her feet to the rest of her body. Like any other winter it was a familiar feeling and she had come to expect, if not, accept it. Stretching, she made her way over the hardwood floors and down the stairs, knowing each creak or groan with the intimacy that only someone who really listened could. While her body was awake, her mind was focused on sleep still, and totally unprepared to deal with human contact at this point.
Her mothers voice reached her just as she had almost reached the bathroom.
"Lex, I need to you to take the garbage out and don't forget your laundry!"
It was like nails on a chalkboard at this ungodly hour and it was all Alex could do not to yell something laced with profanity back at her. Instead she grunted "Fine!" Turning quickly on her heel she headed back towards the kitchen to obey her mother.
While getting dressed Alex would catch glimpses of herself in the mirror. She knew she was attractive but like most teenage girls had some issues with self image. Alex could pick apart her body and describe every flaw without so much as batting an eyelash. However she knew how to dress her body to accentuate whatever she wanted and today was a low cut black shirt with a lace back and a pair of blue jeans made to look worn and loved. As usual her hair would have a bouncy 70's flick and on her feet would be a pair of ratty old converse that had been around since she was in grade 8. Admiring herself in the mirror, Alex nodded with satisfaction and walked out of the bathroom to grab her lunch money from the counter and head to school.
It was a typical day, with a typical bus ride... and it became even more average as she stepped into art class. Her teacher was a stuffy religious man in his mid fifties. His eyes scaled her once with disapproval and then rolled as he went back to writing on the board. Alex took her seat next to her girlfriend, Leandra, and thumped her backpack and art bag onto the desk. Smiling she turned to Leandra to ask how her morning went, but was greeted with a listless stare. Alex knew exactly what was about to happen and tried to turn back to her books but it was too late.
"Did you honestly have to wear a shirt like that?" Leandra sneered. "It gives away too much and we already have to deal with enough stares in this shithole."
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Monday, 28 November 2011
Chapter 1 -cont
Alex looked at Leandra and tried to make her eyes appear to be big empty zeroes. She knew exactly what her girlfriend was talking about, but played dumb to appease her. Smiling she couldn't help the sarcasm that slithered into her voice as she responded "I have no idea what you are talking about Lee.... I just threw on the first thing I could find!" Leandra grumbled in disgust and went back to hunching over her art book, scribbling furiously. Alex let her eyes move over her with care and an emotion akin to love. She knew Lee was a bitch but good God was she ever beautiful when she was pissed. Feeling a tad guilty for dressing in a way she knew would attract the attention of men, Alex slid her jacket over her shoulders. Poor Lee had enough on her plate already, with every guy in the school wet dreaming about what pretty little Lex and Lee did together, not to mention the fact that Leandra's religious family wasn't exactly thrilled when she had informed them that she was in a relationship with a woman.
Lex knew her own parents were accepting only because they thought it was a phase, not to mention they didn't believe that someone could be bisexual. In her house it was all or nothing, you couldn't be "On the fence" as her mother put it. However Alex was, she really didn't have a particular gender that she found more attractive or pulled towards. She was attracted to the person instead, and she loved knowing that she wasn't restricted by gender. Lex knew it wasn't a phase, especially when she caught Lee watching her draw from the corner of her eye.
The rest of the day moves slowly, Art class trudged into French class where she always felt like shooting herself in the head. The teacher who taught is was an obvious pervert who only graded highly to the prettiest students. After that came lunch at The Bar & Grill, as soon as the waitress caught her eye she gave a preoccupied wave and said "Usual please." While Lee and Alex were waiting on there lattice fries and burgers, Lex found herself lost in a daydream about leaving this place. What would college be like? Would Leandra still be around? Would they get married and have children? It all circled around in her mind like water around a drain, pouring deeper into her subconscious.... "Hey!" Alex looked up startled as a hand waved in front of her face "Where'd you go just now, cause you looked a little like your mind was in outer space again!" Lee grinned at her over the table munching on a fry. "Food's been here for, like, 5 minutes and you didn't even notice" Alex stammered out an apology and took a bite out of her burger, enjoying the taste of the rare meat as she chewed slowly. She always hated it when Leandra pulled her out of day dreams like that, but she had to admit it was nice to have someone to share her lunch with. Even if it meant not being buried in her own thoughts for a while. She smiled across the table at Lee and was pleased to see Lee's eyes smile back as she bit off a chunk of her burger.
Lex knew her own parents were accepting only because they thought it was a phase, not to mention they didn't believe that someone could be bisexual. In her house it was all or nothing, you couldn't be "On the fence" as her mother put it. However Alex was, she really didn't have a particular gender that she found more attractive or pulled towards. She was attracted to the person instead, and she loved knowing that she wasn't restricted by gender. Lex knew it wasn't a phase, especially when she caught Lee watching her draw from the corner of her eye.
The rest of the day moves slowly, Art class trudged into French class where she always felt like shooting herself in the head. The teacher who taught is was an obvious pervert who only graded highly to the prettiest students. After that came lunch at The Bar & Grill, as soon as the waitress caught her eye she gave a preoccupied wave and said "Usual please." While Lee and Alex were waiting on there lattice fries and burgers, Lex found herself lost in a daydream about leaving this place. What would college be like? Would Leandra still be around? Would they get married and have children? It all circled around in her mind like water around a drain, pouring deeper into her subconscious.... "Hey!" Alex looked up startled as a hand waved in front of her face "Where'd you go just now, cause you looked a little like your mind was in outer space again!" Lee grinned at her over the table munching on a fry. "Food's been here for, like, 5 minutes and you didn't even notice" Alex stammered out an apology and took a bite out of her burger, enjoying the taste of the rare meat as she chewed slowly. She always hated it when Leandra pulled her out of day dreams like that, but she had to admit it was nice to have someone to share her lunch with. Even if it meant not being buried in her own thoughts for a while. She smiled across the table at Lee and was pleased to see Lee's eyes smile back as she bit off a chunk of her burger.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Authors word.
Seems in my busy day to day I have neglected my writing... I will have to begin again and I think I will be starting to write again very shortly now that I have started working again and have a steady routine going... I will have to find the time. Likely on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. I may be changing the basic plot around a little but I'm anxious to find out more about my main character and my ideas... I will have to wait to see what really comes pouring out of my when I start my story. I think I am going to reference my outline but see what I want to do with my characters as I write.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Basic outlines - Spoiler alerts!
So I'm going to try to start with basic outlines. Just something to get the creative juices flowing and inspire me a little bit. Nothing too fancy or professional, just a way to collect my thoughts.
The main character will be female, loosely based off of the girl that I want to be. She will be strong and confident as well as personable. She is going to have a rocker based look, mainly be dressed in attractive middle class attire. A small girl, short and petite, dark brown hair and steel grey eyes. Compassionate, caring and mildly hyperactive, also with a mild craving for attention.
Secondary characters will include friend and family, as well as a number of "Adversaries" so to speak, her main adversary, however, will be herself and time. Basically she will have to reach her goals, but to do that she must conquer her own fears and vices. As for time, she gets a little older everyday, she is human like the rest of us, but she is also terrified of becoming old, she longs to find a neverland of sorts.
Conflicts in the book will begin with something small and normal, natural even. Headbutting against the parents desires. Her need to evolve into something more, to grow and accomplish her dreams. They will move forward to larger ones, abuse, identity crisis and questioning larger purpose. I may include romance as a conflict, feeling torn between freedom and love type of thing. In the end the climactic conflict will be her death likely from an accident or severe illness. It will be her fight to stay in this world and the question of what comes after that will draw audience suspense. (At least I hope.)
Setting of the book is going to be taking place in a city, not quite as large as, say, Toronto, but about half the volume, closer to Peterborough or Belleville's size. The main character will have moved there from a larger city. There are a lot of trees and plant life throughout the city, however it is still an urban area with a diverse population. It is nearby to a lake and has many parks and bicycle paths. The city also includes a number of apartment complexes and highrises. Most of the residents are elderly people but there are a number of students as well due to a local college. There is a mall and a few night club, nothing terribly exciting. However, the city itself is pretty, it has cobblestone sidewalks, Victorian houses and fresh air. Not too much traffic or noise and a downtown with local shops to peruse. The wind coming off the lake keeps a light breeze in the air but also brings in some extreme temperatures and extreme weather conditions.
The main character begins in a local public school, it is a boring place. The walls are painted yellow and they have standard one piece desks. The floors and ceilings are both tiled and the lights are all florescent. It smells like cleaner and old books, not necessarily an adverse smell but one that can become overpowering at times. The library is carpeted and has a moderate selection of books and computers. The books are mostly older but they have many interesting stories. As for the computers, they are slightly out of date Intel models with the old bulky monitors, and like most at the school the keyboards have had the letters almost worn off from overuse.
For the home of the main character, she lives with her parents in the suburbs for the first part of the novel. It is an older Victorian home that her parents spend a lot of time reconstructing. The projects always take years to finish but it gives the house a strange charm. It's like living in an everchanging world. All the windows are float glass and the small imperfections distort the view of the outside world. The only bathroom is small but tidy, with a corner shower and a sink built into a wooden cabinet. The walls are green and the floor is wood, 2 pictures hang on the walls. One of two small children in formal clothes exchanging a kiss while the little boy offers her a fistful of wildflowers. The other is of a woman that looks eerily similar to the main characters mother looking wistfully out of a window, as if waiting for someone, while holding a small baby. The living room is much less put together. There is always toys and tools strewn about in a chaotic manner, the couches have animal fur on them and there is always the occasional dust bunny on the floor. It is where the family spends a lot of there time at night. The couches are a dark blue with deep seats and fluffy cushions, with that note there are also cat scratches on the ends. The floor is covered in cheap vinyl which looks like it if from the 70's and it slants towards the rear of the house. The living room is attached to the laundry room. There isn't much to describe there. Only cupboard upon cupboards of towels, tools and craft project materials. There are only the laundry machines and the double sink in the room. The kitchen has ugly califorian ceilings and a matching brown carpet. The counters are white and have a modern look, but the island with the sink has older style doors with black metal handles. The dishes are always kept clean and orderly, but the rest of the kitchen has papers, pencils, books and nonsense everywhere. It is not unpleasantly messy, it just looks lived in. Most nights you can smell the food cooking throughout the house.
To be continued.
The main character will be female, loosely based off of the girl that I want to be. She will be strong and confident as well as personable. She is going to have a rocker based look, mainly be dressed in attractive middle class attire. A small girl, short and petite, dark brown hair and steel grey eyes. Compassionate, caring and mildly hyperactive, also with a mild craving for attention.
Secondary characters will include friend and family, as well as a number of "Adversaries" so to speak, her main adversary, however, will be herself and time. Basically she will have to reach her goals, but to do that she must conquer her own fears and vices. As for time, she gets a little older everyday, she is human like the rest of us, but she is also terrified of becoming old, she longs to find a neverland of sorts.
Conflicts in the book will begin with something small and normal, natural even. Headbutting against the parents desires. Her need to evolve into something more, to grow and accomplish her dreams. They will move forward to larger ones, abuse, identity crisis and questioning larger purpose. I may include romance as a conflict, feeling torn between freedom and love type of thing. In the end the climactic conflict will be her death likely from an accident or severe illness. It will be her fight to stay in this world and the question of what comes after that will draw audience suspense. (At least I hope.)
Setting of the book is going to be taking place in a city, not quite as large as, say, Toronto, but about half the volume, closer to Peterborough or Belleville's size. The main character will have moved there from a larger city. There are a lot of trees and plant life throughout the city, however it is still an urban area with a diverse population. It is nearby to a lake and has many parks and bicycle paths. The city also includes a number of apartment complexes and highrises. Most of the residents are elderly people but there are a number of students as well due to a local college. There is a mall and a few night club, nothing terribly exciting. However, the city itself is pretty, it has cobblestone sidewalks, Victorian houses and fresh air. Not too much traffic or noise and a downtown with local shops to peruse. The wind coming off the lake keeps a light breeze in the air but also brings in some extreme temperatures and extreme weather conditions.
The main character begins in a local public school, it is a boring place. The walls are painted yellow and they have standard one piece desks. The floors and ceilings are both tiled and the lights are all florescent. It smells like cleaner and old books, not necessarily an adverse smell but one that can become overpowering at times. The library is carpeted and has a moderate selection of books and computers. The books are mostly older but they have many interesting stories. As for the computers, they are slightly out of date Intel models with the old bulky monitors, and like most at the school the keyboards have had the letters almost worn off from overuse.
For the home of the main character, she lives with her parents in the suburbs for the first part of the novel. It is an older Victorian home that her parents spend a lot of time reconstructing. The projects always take years to finish but it gives the house a strange charm. It's like living in an everchanging world. All the windows are float glass and the small imperfections distort the view of the outside world. The only bathroom is small but tidy, with a corner shower and a sink built into a wooden cabinet. The walls are green and the floor is wood, 2 pictures hang on the walls. One of two small children in formal clothes exchanging a kiss while the little boy offers her a fistful of wildflowers. The other is of a woman that looks eerily similar to the main characters mother looking wistfully out of a window, as if waiting for someone, while holding a small baby. The living room is much less put together. There is always toys and tools strewn about in a chaotic manner, the couches have animal fur on them and there is always the occasional dust bunny on the floor. It is where the family spends a lot of there time at night. The couches are a dark blue with deep seats and fluffy cushions, with that note there are also cat scratches on the ends. The floor is covered in cheap vinyl which looks like it if from the 70's and it slants towards the rear of the house. The living room is attached to the laundry room. There isn't much to describe there. Only cupboard upon cupboards of towels, tools and craft project materials. There are only the laundry machines and the double sink in the room. The kitchen has ugly califorian ceilings and a matching brown carpet. The counters are white and have a modern look, but the island with the sink has older style doors with black metal handles. The dishes are always kept clean and orderly, but the rest of the kitchen has papers, pencils, books and nonsense everywhere. It is not unpleasantly messy, it just looks lived in. Most nights you can smell the food cooking throughout the house.
To be continued.
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Explanation.
So first thing is first, everything that is going to be portrayed in this blog is fictional and while it may have some loose similarities to my life, it's made up. If any of my characters are like anyone in your life, don't sue me, dear god, I'm too poor for that.
Now moving onto the point, I am going to be writing a story of a girl in my fantasy world. She much like me in many ways and I feel she is even the girl that I hide away inside me. You know, the one with all the brave things to say and all the daring ideas. Everyone has someone like her, this is just my way of letting her out into the world.
I have no real plan for this story but it is mine. If you want to use it, ask me, other than that, leave it alone. I hope that I can someday show this to my children or family. It may not be brilliant, or witty, but it is how I FEEL.
I have to do a plot outline, character map and some writing exercises before I actually get down to writing. This may not even get off the ground, but it's going to be fun while it lasts. Trust me, stick around and you'll understand how much passion there is in my heart.
Now moving onto the point, I am going to be writing a story of a girl in my fantasy world. She much like me in many ways and I feel she is even the girl that I hide away inside me. You know, the one with all the brave things to say and all the daring ideas. Everyone has someone like her, this is just my way of letting her out into the world.
I have no real plan for this story but it is mine. If you want to use it, ask me, other than that, leave it alone. I hope that I can someday show this to my children or family. It may not be brilliant, or witty, but it is how I FEEL.
I have to do a plot outline, character map and some writing exercises before I actually get down to writing. This may not even get off the ground, but it's going to be fun while it lasts. Trust me, stick around and you'll understand how much passion there is in my heart.
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