My Crazy World

Fact versus Fiction

2010-08-28T16:59:00.000-05:00

It seems my brain rarely knows how to shut itself off, even when I am in need of sleep. Earlier this afternoon I was getting a lovely, massive headache and tried to lay down to sleep it off but my mind had other ideas. Instead of the sweet release of sleep I found myself thinking of, what else, writing.
There are so many genres out there, niches in which a writer can make a place for themselves, and I wonder sometimes, as I read a novel or even in writing my own, what makes an author choose to write the story they have written? For some, it came in a dream like Stephanie Meyers and her Twilight Saga and others found themselves writing their story because the subjects who they wrote about fascinated them so, and sometimes, sometimes a character can get a mind of their own, like Lenathaina.
I have read many authors blogs, blurbs they have written and spoken to other writers so I feel confident enough to say that I know I am not the only person this happens too. Rosina Lippi has made statements to the same effect, with her Into The Wilderness series, which gives me much hope. If it were not for her, and others making such statements sometimes I would worry I am going insane! But here I go getting off topic.
For myself, I am a lover of novels. I have not limited myself to one genre or another but instead read a wide variety of books. No matter the author or type of book one question always presents itself at some point, how do they make the story come so alive or how did they fail to do so? So much work goes into a book, no matter what the genre is but there are large differences in the way that each is written.
Any book based in our world, here on earth, no matter the time or place (unless futuristic) can be researched. There are examples of clothing, geography and of the culture in question available. The author can read about the time, look at maps…. There is so much available, so many ways to learn! In a way I am not sure if that makes this sort of fiction easier or harder. On one hand the facts are there, or at least we hope they are fact! But on the other, the facts are there, and you would be surprised how uptight some folks can get if they don’t think the author is being true to history! But that is the thing, it is fiction so the author can take artistic license and change things, should they want.
Fantasy however is a whole other cup of tea, a whole other drink in itself. In writing fantasy you start with a blank canvas, an empty notebook. You are creating your own world, your own culture and religion. You design your own buildings, clothing even races sometimes. Instead of research it all comes out of your head and the work doesn’t stop there! You then have to make that world come to life and the characters in that world have to respond to it realistically.
So much of my time is spent drawing maps, sketching clothing and pulling family trees out of thin air! The amount of time I have spent building my world is equal to, if not greater than the time I have spent writing. I hope, the longer I write the less this is true. That maps and trees, and all the tiny details are taking care of themselves now and later… later there will be more of what I really want to do.

Back to Work!

2010-08-26T21:59:00.002-05:00

With Joey in school (and WoW offline) I am spending a lot more time working. I hit 68,181 words today!
I hope to be posting more records and news of a deadline soon!

Diary Post One: Lady Maelynn, Age 15

2010-07-13T13:55:00.003-05:00

This entry will not contain spoilers, as the events in this post take place 20 years before those in the novel. When I started writing these posts it was just to get to know my characters a little better, and as always with these things it turned into something more.
In a way I am glad, because now I can share some of these entries with you, and in turn you can get to know them as well.

Here is the first one, I hope you enjoy it!

Lady Maelynn, age 15
Papa says he saw me a court and that I danced like a forest sprite, whatever that is. He said that my laugh was enchanting, that it cast a spell on him. The High King, not Papa, but I don’t even know him! I never thought that men spoke that way. I thought that was only in the songs.
Papa says that it is a great honor, that our House will rise high from this, from my marriage to a man I know nothing about. A man whom I have only been introduced to formally twice in my life, a man who would take me from my home, from my country and everything I know. Papa says that every girl and woman in Caeldenon and Thynn will envy me, but I think it is me who will envy them.
I hear he still mourns for his wife and child, they say it was a little girl. How sad to lose your wife as she births your child and your daughter to a fever a few weeks later, all this less than a year after your father died in battle.
I know that he is the High King, and he must have a wife and I know that sooner or later I must wed, I can’t keep my father’s house forever, but I do not think I can live in a castle filled with ghosts, even one as beautiful as his.
I hope Papa changes his mind, and soon!

Home Sweet Home

2010-06-10T01:39:00.002-05:00

We are here in our new home of Cleburne, Texas. Jason has started his new job and is happy thus far! We are getting settled though there are still more boxes to unpack than those that have been unpacked but since there is no rush now I am taking my time and doing things nice and slow!
The move had take quite a toll on me but I am glad it is over and happy that I have my Little Family all under one roof again!

Well I Tried...

2010-05-25T16:49:00.002-05:00

No more boxes packed and no excuses just tired and lazy.

Plan on doing a lot this weekend, no raiding just a ton of packing!

It’s Been A Long Time

2010-05-23T18:48:00.002-05:00

Well it has been a rough few months but I think things are looking up. I just got out of Gall Bladder surgery and we hope that the end result will be better over-all health and well being. So far everything is looking up after a very bad week.

We are also in the process of moving, again! We have about twelve days to get finished packing and moved out of our current home here in Wichita Falls and into our new apartment in Cleburne. Overall not losing a lot of space, save that we will no longer have a yard (not that Joey is big on the outdoors but I think Jenny might miss her yard) but we will have access to a pool, which Joey is thrilled about and a gym (which Jason is not so thrilled about but will be taking advantage of) and the biggest advantage is all three of our animals are welcome and it’s one of the few complexes that takes large dogs without robbing you blind!

Back to Work Soon

2010-01-28T21:20:00.001-06:00

Well as some of you might have known I have been super sick for almost three weeks. Ya, It has been fun!
It started as a sinus infecting that my lovely husband gave me, thanks honey! It just kept dragging on and last week my whole face and left side of my neck swelled up, all the lymph nodes from my shoulders up were super swollen. It was great, let me tell you. After some antibiotics the swelling went down, and after sleeping all week I am feeling much better so after our trip to the in-laws this weekend for a late Christmas I will get back to work on the book! Can’t wait!
Note to Sally and Chris: I am writing as fast as I can!

A Big Boost

2010-01-06T18:23:00.000-06:00

So it has been a big day.
I hit a big milestone in my writing, 60,000 words. Everything is going real smooth right now, its just coasting. I get in to someone’s head and start writing from their PoV (Point of View) and things just flow. It is amazing. I am spending a ton of time working, not as much on WoW (World of Warcraft) as I have been but I am making sure to pace myself and not get blocked or frustrated.
But I digress (Love that word!). The book is going great. Moving forward better than I ever imagined.
I have been spending a lot of time working on a real tough part in the past few days and that has had me in a real rough place emotionally. I can’t go into detail, no spoilers here, but getting into the emotions of several people going through some of the toughest situations they have ever faced, coupled with loss, horrendous crimes against them…. Well there have been tears and not just fictional ones!
And to end my great day, the best thing! A compliment! I will quote it here:
Wow Kris! I am hooked! I need more of your wonderful story
I love the picture you draw with your words, enough detail to set the scene. I feel like I have just been there!
What can I say.....
Well done my dear {{{Massive (but gentle) HUGS}}}

This is from Sally, one of my best Gals, and any compliment from one of my Forum Gals is equal to the praise from oh…. Tor Fantasy!

A Christmas Story

2010-01-05T09:49:00.002-06:00

As some of you may know it has been a tough few months for my family, my mother most especially. Grammy passed away last month after being sick for the past months, and as most of you know she suffered from one of the auto immune diseases that I have, so she has been ill for a long time. Other things have been going on, that those closest to me know about, I won't go in to that here. So because of all that, my desire to be with my mother, my ignorance of snow and nasty weather (this is Texas after all, and apparently we only get weather like that once in 50 years) and Jason staying mum on what he really thought about us getting out in that led to a very interesting Christmas Eve.
It started with a blizzard. Later in the evening the snow stopped, so from what the idiot on TV said, I thought if we went slow we would be okay. Jason loaded the truck. Took us a while to get out of the drive way (clue one: o back inside) but we finally got going and all was good until the 18-wheelers who were sideways across the highway everywhere held us up. We were not getting stuck; we were going along great it was just slow, mostly from the big trucks getting stuck. Until Bellevue.
The highway was shut down there.
I had to pee.
That’s how it started.
We were going to stop, so everyone could go to the bathroom, walk around (we had Jenny with us, cats at home) and then decide what to do. The highway might open up in an hour or so, or e could go home. We went down a side road to turn around and got stuck. Took about 45 minutes to get out and we were headed to the gas station to do the aforementioned when.... we came upon 5 trucks parked across the road. We stopped to try and figure out what way to go and we go stuck. That was around 11pm Christmas Eve. The truck stayed there until 10am the next day.
Thank God for Bellevue.
The Fire Department and Church set up as many cots as they had and let people put blankets on the floor and kept hot food and drinks going all night. By the time we got there was no room at the Fire Department, and we did not know at the time that the Church was allowing dogs inside, so we slept in the truck. My 'water proof' boots did not work so much, so I was wet to the knee until 1pm the next day. I fell, and busted my hip and shoulder, and we all spent a rough night, but the generosity of the people of Bellevue showed the true spirit of the holiday and seeing that, and the Christian love displayed in acts big and small, a person allowing someone to borrow a phone so they can call home, people pushing us out of our hole, the folks who stayed up all night to take care of stranded travelers, and those who donated their Christmas diners to those who were still stranded on Christmas Day.
Someone that night said Bellevue should be renamed Bethlehem. I agree.

It has been a while

2009-07-28T05:24:00.002-05:00

Things have not been going so well. I will get a new post in soon letting you all know whats going on.

Kris

There never seems to be enough time.....

2009-07-05T21:25:00.001-05:00

July 5, 2009
There never seems to be enough time
I have now had two sessions of Therapy. The first one I had the wrong PT and he was not familiar with my diseases, nor did he listen to anything I had to say or the instructions my PT gave him. Instead he had his own agenda, and went with it. The result? I was in horrible pain all night and the next day, did not sleep well and was so tired I could hardly think. Missed church because of it Wednesday too. I was not happy. On top of that the receptionist lied to me, saying they lost my appointment instead of telling me the truth that MY PT was ill. I would have said fine, I will reschedule. Instead I get into the pool area to find the on PT my husband did NOT want me with.
I was sick, with nausea on Thursday so missed that one. Friday I had the right Therapist and it went well. I was sore, a little more pain than normal, but not too bad. I really like Tim, he is a nice guy and we get on well. Jason kept peeking in on me, it was cute. I know he is so worried for me now. Neither of us wants me back on the stronger medicines but we don’t know what to do. We are grasping at straws here.
I am a bit worn out from the therapy, and have had pain/nausea all weekend. I am hoping it gets better soon.
Been reading/editing some while resting and brain storming, getting some ideas down. After I edit a section that I have had some new ideas for tonight I will be working on the closing to Part One and then moving on to part two. Have the first couple of events in Part Two in my head, working on an outline soon.
I really feel good about where it is going.

Therapy and Good Friends!

2009-06-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

Therapy and Good Friends!
Well first off I want to thank Brandy Swaim for waking up at 6:00am (her alarm went off early!) to come over to watch Joey while I went to the Hospital for my Evaluation. She hung out until he woke up and played with him, fed him and made sure he had his meds this morning. It is so wonderful to have a friend I can trust with my little man! He loved having her over, and her fiancé joined her as well.
It’s also good for them to get some practice caring for kids together, and my kid is good practice! I also enjoy their company, and they enjoy some of the same things we do, such as watching movies, and computers so I hope we get to spend more time together in the future, all of us!
Now on to the Evaluation and how that went: My Therapist, Tim was wonderful. He and Jason know each other well (they work in the hospital together) and he had been reading articles about my conditions and was very open to talking about them and hearing what they were and how they affect me and creating a treatment plan that would fit ME.
We are starting at three times a week for an hour, in the heated pool. He will be doing range of motion in the pool as well as other things, and I really hope it helps. To all those out their praying for me, keep it up! I start rehab on Tuesday and will be posting about it afterward. Sense I cannot drive I will ride to work with Jason and he will bring me home at lunch time, so Brandy will again be here in the morning and afterward we might hang and watch some movies, I hope so! It’s nice to have a friend to spend time with again.

Answered Prayers

2009-06-24T21:25:00.003-05:00

The pain got real bad today, but despite that I went to Church tonight. Maybe my desire to go was fueled by God because when one of he preachers asked how I was doing instead of joking, without thought I answered "Not good John, I could relly use some prayers."
By that time the pain had me near to tears, and the meds were not helping at all. We went into a room with an Elder and talked about our situation. We are 3 hours awa from our nearest family, and that is too far for them to drive up and help out. I am having more and trouble careing for Joey and myself while Jason works and Jason is so tired from not sleeping well because I don't sleep well by the time he gets home he is too pooped to help with dinner or the cleaning so we are eating cheap take-out and microwave meals and the laundry is sky high.
We finally found someone to help with Joey while I am in Therapy, and we trust her with him. She needs the money and its a price we can afford so it works out. John is going to find some people to look in on us from time to time and someone to come clean the house at a reasonable price as well as continue to pray for us.
After praying tonight the ain lessened for a while, so I hope can get a decent night's sleep.
I ask for your continued prayers. Mcuh love, Kris

What's in a name?

2009-06-20T01:20:00.003-05:00

Coming up with names for characters isn't always easy. With some... it just happens. I create a character and they come with a name, a personality. They are who they are and I just have to listen. With some.... not so simple.
I keep a running list of names, well several lists. With each country, and sometimes regions, they are different languages and so forth, so the names have to reflect that. Sometimes when I am working on a character I can consult that list and one pops out at me others... well sometimes it's a lot harder. The list will hold no answers and I will have to go in search of something.
Either way I have developed a new eye and ear for names. I will be watching a movie and something in the credits will pop out at me, or hear a name in conversation. These names normally don't keep their original form, depending on the country I am using the name for they change, spelling, sound... everything. Sometimes it is just a few letters that give me an idea.
Just a peek into my head. Scary, I know.

Update on Doctor’s Appointment

2009-06-19T02:47:00.001-05:00

Goodness gracious the pain is BAD! The hip x-ray did not show anything so next step is heated pool therapy and manual stretching. The only approved therapy for Spondylosis. I had two sets of blood work today and will post about it when I learn more. Once the Doc calls about that we will talk about what can be done for the migraines, which are worse and the nausea.
If the therapy does not help with the pain we will discuss what to do next. At this point I am asking for prayers for the following: the therapy to work, the therapist to be open, and listen to both Jason and I, and for a solution to what to do with Joey while I have rehab three times a week for the foreseeable future.
I am still having trouble sleeping (obviously) because of the pain. I am doing all I can to stay off the opiates.

Further Episodes of the Kitty Kapades

2009-06-19T02:46:00.000-05:00

We ran out of cat litter and a few other essentials this weekend but did not need to do a major shopping run so instead of hitting up the local Wal-Mart per usual we headed to United Market, a regular grocery store. United is more of a specialty store carrying the normal groceries as well as organic foods, a well stocked deli with amazing meats and a wide variety of cheeses, well the list goes on!
United did not have our normal Kitty Litter and I felt like crap; Jason was tired so we just bought another brand. Or normal brand is this cedar stuff that turns into saw dust when used, the new stuff is more sand-like. Needless to say, or I would not be commenting, they are not taking to the new litter well. Periodically Lena and/or Gavan go into their cage (door is open unless they are in time out, yes I put my cats in time out and otherwise treat them like children) and start flinging litter out of sand. EVERYWHERE! Kitty sand in their cage and on the kitchen carpet (yes, carpet, you can’t be picky in a rental).
Also…. So funny! They do not like their collars and attack each other trying to help get them off of each other. It’s hilarious. Gavan is a grabber! You pick him up and he reaches out and grabs a claw full of clothing so as to prevent you from putting him down and right now, both he and Lena are playing with a laundry basket, trapping each other under it. I wish I had a video camera!

I can't even....

2009-06-17T15:45:00.003-05:00

Read or watch a movie! I am currently re-reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series and as I am trying to lose myself in Backcountry North Carolina with Jamie and Claire Fraser instead I find myself in Caeldenon with Prince Gavantar Coden and Princess Lenathaina Morthan.
To say the least, it is wonderful to have gotten past the block and to be working on the story again. I love exploring my World and the people and places in it but right now, going through issues with both of my diseases makes concentrating and sitting for long periods of time hard.
I have an appointment tomorrow to talk about my hip and the fatigue not to mention the increasing issues I am having with the Hughes Syndrome.
I am and have been working on the story as often as possible and finished a beautiful section just two days ago. I printed out 44 pages for proofing and to have Jason read over, he is loving it. I am still in need of a good friend to volunteer to read it and offer an opinion. I wonder if any of my WONDEFUL friends over at Full Bookshelves can find the time? (Hint, hint ;))

Good news, Bad News

2009-06-09T03:10:00.003-05:00

Well I always believe in starting with the bad news first, that way when you get the good news the bad doesn’t seem so bad.
As you can tell from the time this is posted, I am not sleeping at night. Sometimes not at all. The Spondylosis has gotten worse, though I tried to pretend it wasn't for a while I am ready to admit it now. Jason thinks my body has gotten used to the meds, not a surprising thing if it has only surprising it took this long. My upped back is bad but the hip is the worst and is what keeps me up most nights. With a 5 year old at home sleeping in the day is a risky thing, though I do manage naps and thankfully Joey sleeps late. The thing is, napping in the day makes it harder to sleep at night even when I do get comfortable, so as a result no matter how bad the pain is I don't sleep well.
That's the bad news.
What’s the good news you ask? No sleeping gives me time to think and write. Last night I was able to finish a section that had been giving me a trouble for a while as well as edit some bits and pieces here and there. This morning (it's 3:17 AM now) I hope to get through a couple sections at the least.
In other news I am looking for a few trusted friends who might be interested in proofing some stuff for me. Anyone interested e-mail me or comment here.
Also, a funny story... sort of. Last night I was putting in a movie for Joey when all the sudden Gavan (the kitten) launches himself at my hind-parts and hangs on for all he's worth. I screamed (it hurt!) he ran and I chased him around the house. Jason was in hysterics, and could not stop laughing for the longest time, even as he cleansed a paw-shaped set of claw marks on my right cheek.

The Power Of Dreams

2009-05-24T20:26:00.005-05:00

I woke up from an afternoon nap with my mind reeling! Normally all of my writing is done while awake, though I do daydream, and construct scenes and characters that way, I have never literally dreamed a scene.
When I daydream, it’s like I am viewing the scene from the outside, and consciously changing, altering and moving forward. Sometimes it’s something as simple a meal or a conversation, other times just a fragment, maybe something someone said, just a line or two or an aspect of life, or just a small observance. And sometimes it’s something big, like a major plot change or the achieving of goal in the story that I had been unable figure out a way to accomplish before.
Dreaming, actual dreaming while fully asleep is so different. I have read Stephanie Meyer's account of the 'birth' of Twilight, where she dreamed the meadow scene. I am still amazed that he world, her characters, everything started with a dream. I thought, "She’s lucky to have gotten that gift!" I never thought I would be the recipient of such a gift.
I will not describe the dream as it would ruin a major plot point, but I will say, "Wow!" It was good!

Fictional Characters

2009-05-10T12:06:00.001-05:00

The past two weeks have been a little hectic, adjusting to new cats and Joey being home after a month with Tata and Papa, so I have gotten little in the way of writing done. Very little! I have also had a small writer’s block, mostly from being unable to concentrate with all the noise, so even when I have had some quiet time I have not "heard" from my characters.
I think most writers, published or not, as they get to know their characters they "hear" from them. It sounds crazy but it is almost like having a few extra people in your head telling you about their lives, having conversations. Sometimes I will daydream whole sections of the book, tweak this, edit this, change this, and then write it out. Writing a story doesn't always mean you sit at a computer all the time and just type, it takes more than that. I spent months working on maps, figuring out the cultures for the different countries, and in those countries the tribes or groups that make up the country. Each culture has its own clothing, food, religion, way of speaking; names are different, the way that they interact with each other and those outside their own world! The structure of their day-to-day life! It all had to be created.
My living room looks like a crate of office supplies exploded! Medium sized cry-erase boards propped against walls, filing crates full of note books, more note books scattered about the rooms, boxes of pens and art pencils for maps and other drawing uses, containers of dry-erase markers.. The list goes on!
So much goes in to my story that no one ever sees, save my husband. Not just the fruits of my imagination but my emotions, my thoughts. Lenathaina (the main character) has grown with me through the years, yes years! I only hope that I can do justice to her, and the story as I continue to write it. I want others to know Lenathaina as I do, and love her as I do, and to know Gavantar, sweet and gentle towards his family yet fierce and unforgiving with his enemies. Galwyn, whose moods change like lightning, the deadly and wicked funny soldier. I hope I can do them all justice. I hope someday, I can share them with the world, but for now, I will just share them with my friends!

Kitty Kapades

2009-05-05T20:08:00.001-05:00

We recently acquired two Domestic Shorthair Kittens; they are almost 7 weeks old. I have not been around kittens much in my life so this has been an interesting week and a half! We have a boy and a girl, Gavantar and Lenathaina. Gavan is solid black, and at first you think he is the sweet, cuddly and calm one but looks can be deceiving! He gets wild and crazy and when he wants attention he gets it one way or another, normally by attacking body parts. Lena is mouthy and demanding! When she wants something she whines and cries until she gets it. Both of them are fascinated with computers and when Jason and I are online or I am working on my book they are trying to climb on the computers, walking on the keyboards and trying to swat at the things moving on the screen. When I am reading a book they climb on top of the book and lay down.
Joey loves the kitties but it is taking him some time to adjust, he wants to play rougher than we think he should, they are still babies after all, but I think the kitties are a good thing for him!

Welcome to my world...

2009-04-29T23:08:00.000-05:00

My husband and I moved to Wichita Falls last May after spending a few years as contract travelers. My husband works in the health care field as a COTA and we basically traveled from job to job moving every 3-6-9 months. We lived in some neat places here in Texas and we have lived in some crappy ones. It sounds like an easy life, going from Hotel to furnished apartments to rental house, and at times it was, no bills save cell phones and Warcraft accounts. Good pay, but it was hard to be so far from friends and family, alone most of the time, and traveling with a toddler is NOT easy. Some of the places we lived, well the company didn't quite check them out before leasing, and they did not look like the pictures! It was an interesting experience and I believe it helped to cement our relationship.
My husband and I have had a different relationship that most from the start. We still can't stand to spend a night away from one another and spend 99% of our time together (not counting when he is at work). We have a wonderful son, Christopher Joseph, who is a beautiful child with a VERY active imagination.
I spend my days at home with Joey (Christopher), our dog Jenny and our new kittens Lena and Gavan. Between the normal household stuff, and spending time with Joey I am working on a book. I have been writing in one form or another for ten years, I used to write lyrics but eventually moved in to short stories that never seemed to stay short.
I have a great love of reading, and will try almost anything. My book shelves are overflowing.
I come from a creative line of women. My mother wrote poetry, and both her ad her mother do all sorts of crafts as do several of my aunts. My dad's mom, my Nana, used to draw and paint (at one time she had some paintings in a gallery in Chicago) and she also used to write.
I am an advocate of Spondylosis and Hughes Syndrome, two disorders that are relatively unknown to most people, and both of which are still being researched. I myself knew nothing of these disorders until I was diagnosed. You can find links to websites that give detailed information about both in my profile.
Not sure what else to say, so I will call it a night.