tinhuviel | Entries tagged with the_augury_of

Thanks to the untimely death of my former beloved Dell, all the editing I was doing on The Augury of Gideon is gone and has to be restarted. Thanks to the wonderful Mother Unit, I have a computer on which to begin the editing process again, the Microsoft Office program to allow me to see and make necessary changes, and the file she had created with all her editing suggestions. If she weren't my mom, I'd fall in love with her in a lascivious kind of way.

I lost approximately half of the short story The Star Gazer, so I'll be trying to remember what I had written and hopefully write it all better the second time around.

I also began another Harming Tree-canon short, written in longhand when I had no computer. It's working title is called "Feeding the Tree," and it's kind of a continuation of The Waltham Phantom, seeing the return of Flint. Will he survive another encounter with Cadmus Pariah? I'd like to think he does, but I don't currently see how that would be feasible. We'll see. There's something so fabulously erotic about the Cadmus/Flint pairing, but it's also a tad too unseemly for me, considering their primary anchors. Still though...I'm so tempted to try to keep that going.

And I have not forgotten the tale of Gethsymonae. Honestly, I'm a little leery of trying to open it, as it may not be around to open anymore. If it isn't, I can only hope that I posted what I had written on The Braid here on LJ. If neither brings me joy, I'll have to start the whole megillah over again. And that will make me very sad indeed.

Mood: frustrated
Where? home
Music: tv noise

The temperature is supposed to get high enough today that everything is going to be a tad slushy. I'm going out to shovel the foot of the stairs and the walkway so that Aunt Tudi won't slip and bust her behonkie on the way out to the car tomorrow. We have errands and doctors appointments to run tomorrow and Tuesday and it just wouldn't do for either of us to get injured on the frozen and refrozen ice. I figure around 2 or 3 PM should be the best time to get the ice loose and away from the walkway.

Other things I want to do is go through more of The Blood Crown that mama edited. She's also willing to read through The Augury of Gideon, for which I'm eternally grateful. She's just such an avid reader and exemplary in English, I really appreciate this help. Of course, this doesn't mean I'm abandoning

gunslingaaahhh.

gunslingaaahhh will always be my editor. The Mother Unit is my ace in the hole. You can't proofread a manuscript too many times. That's my belief.

A friend of mine who also happens to be an artist just finished reading The Chalice, and now wants to draw Cadmus Pariah. She's already given me permission to use the piece however I want to use it. Depending on the route she takes, I may have the cover for The Blood Crown! She's an incredible artist and I'm looking forward to her interpretation of Cadmus Pariah. She said she had some other artistic obligations, so it may be a few months, but I'm a patient person and I just know that the wait will be worth the while.

Mood: hopeful
Where? home
Music: tv noise

I just finished proofing The Augury of Gideon. I feel like it took me 2000 years to read through the manuscript. I'm the kind of person that hates proofreading my work. I've written it down, isn't that enough? Of course, it never is, because mistakes are always made. I'd like to think I found every last mistake and now the manuscript is perfect, but I'm sure I missed a few. I passed the file on to

gunslingaaahhh, who is still working on The Blood Crown. Once she's finished with both manuscripts, I get to read them again. Then, and only then, will they be complete.

Mood: tired
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - Sign Of Bene Gesserit

I don't remember writing half of what I have for The Augury of Gideon. It's like I was in some sort of writer's trance when I wrote it. I'd committed to writing at least 3000 words a day, which I almost always met but, looking back on it now, I'm amazed at that I was coherent at all. I'm having to correct very little and I don't remember having written the narrative except in part. What the hell does that mean?

Mood: confused
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Black Milk

I got up with a crick in my neck that feels like it's the size of Florida and shaped pretty much the same as well. It hurts to turn my head either way, so driving later on will be fun. We have to go to the grocery store today for some foods, of which we are mostly out. It'll be later in the morning after the washing is done, so I have some time to piddle and proofread in the interim.

I've created a flier for The Chalice, which will be handed out at Dragon*Con, thanks to

booraven22,

morriganwind, and friends. Sophie wants me to include the Fey Publishing logo, which will be no problem as I still have it in .PSD format for any changes she wanted made to the flier. The Mother Unit is funding the ink and card stock I need to print them out. It's at times like this, I know I've done something right, 'cos it's coming back to me threefold.

Once the flier is complete, I'll post a picture of it here so everyone can see it. I think it looks pretty niftic, as Faust would say.

I've diddled around with the ending of The Augury of Gideon and I'm happier with it now, although I'm still not certain this will be the actual ending. It's a good thing I have the time to work on it some more 'cos the manuscript is far from ready to send to Fey. Something tells me I'll be amending it more before I ever send it to Sophie.

Mood: busy
Where? home
Music: Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man

I'm unhappy with the end of The Augury of Gideon, so I'm going to be reworking it in the next few days to satisfy my need for a marginally decent ending. I want everything wrapped up neatly, and I've done that; however, I don't want certain outcomes. I'm not saying what they are 'cos that'd be spoilerish. All I can say is that it, of course, has to do with Cadmus and the soul mates, Kelat and Dmitri.

Mood: discontent
Where? home
Music: Everclear - Wonderful

The end of The Joker Blogs went live today. The entire series was amazing, and how Scott and Andrew wrapped it made for a perfectly satisfying ending. I was thanked in the end credits, which is something I didn't expect and not something I even required. I'm just glad I was of some help during my time with them.

I'm committing to proofread at least 10 pages a day until I have The Augury of Gideon ready for

gunslingaaahhh to edit. She'll be working on The Blood Crown after she finishes with

booraven22's project, so it's not like she's in a rush to get Augury. Since it's the third book in the series, we have plenty of time to work on it.

Mood: touched
Where? home
Music: Shriekback - Il Mystera Del Tempo

I'm finished with proofreading today. I've been reading off and on (mostly on) since 5:00 this morning. I got 53 pages read. If I can muster that tomorrow and Friday, I will have The Blood Crown proofread and ready for

gunslingaaahhh to do her magick. Then it will come back to me for a final review. After I pass this manuscript on to Jill, I'll be proofreading The Augury of Gideon so we can go through the same process as we did with The Chalice and The Blood Crown. Then, when Sophie is ready for the manuscripts, they'll be polished and all purdy and shit. I need to get with

m0usegrrl about the cover art for the other two books. My idea for the third book is a picture of Kallum, his hand extended, and a red jewel floating above it. For The Blood Crown, I'm not so sure. Maybe a picture of Cadmus and a crouching Orphaeus on a hill overlooking an unsuspecting town, 'cos they did that a lot on their way to Rome. I'm just really dying to see

m0usegrrl's take on both Orphaeus and Faust/Kallum. I'm a greedy little git is what I am.

Oh, and I have discovered that Techno/House music is ideal for proofreading. I clicked the genius button and have been grooving now for hours whilst I read. I may try other mixes, but I don't see their having the same effect on me as the Techno/House mix has.

Mood: accomplished
Where? home
Music: Underworld - Rez/Cowgirl

Just a few moments ago, I finished The Augury of Gideon. This was momentous for me because I was emotionally invested in how the story was to end and was at odds with my Inner Writer as to the completion of the story. My Inner Writer won.

Now, it's my job to return to The Blood Crown and edit it while I ponder The Augury of Gideon. After I'm finished editing The Blood Crown, I'm passing it on to

gunslingaaahhh for the professional edit, then I'll do a final proof. The same will go for The Augury of Gideon. Wash, rinse, repeat. I'm hoping to have Crown ready to send to Sophie by September and Augury by October. Then, if she wants to do sixth-month releases, she'll have everything she needs.

Except art. I need to get with

m0usegrrl on the art. I'm thinking for Crown, Cadmus with his head hung down, holding the crown by his side as rivulets of blood drop from it. For Augury I envision Gideon holding a book (moleskine) that has drawn on it the most beautiful uncut ruby you could imagine.

If I could have that, I would be such a happy camper, I might even do a badly choreographed jig.

Mood: happy
Where? home
Music: Bear McCreary - Kara Remembers

My characters have hi-jacked the narrative of The Augury of Gideon. I've already written more than 3000 words and I've passed the 80k mark. I figured I only had a few thousand words to go because I have the characters all converging on Brown Mountain. But Kallum reminded me that he'd always wanted to know about his Vampiric parents, so he's gone to their hotel room to find out about this. This opens up the story of Rebekah and Mephistopheles, which I now have to tell, from Rebekah's perspective, or so it appears right now. That will be a few extra thousand words, I'm thinking. Then they can go to Brown Mountain.

Why are the Vampires going to Brown Mountain? Because I've always wanted to go there and see the Witch lights. Brown Mountain is approximately two hours east of Asheville and is the inspiration for the book Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key. My conjecture for my book is that the spirits of the trees are restless and need to sing their song. The song is the one Kallum and Cadmus have to sing to free the Vampires who want the curse removed. So the Vampires must make a pilgrimage to the mountain itself and interact with the Witch lights. I can't wait to write that part. I want it to be beautiful, eerie, and fascinating.

If I can pull it off, I'm going to celebrate by drinking more Mountain Dew Voltage. That Romulan Ale is insane.

Mood: busy
Where? home
Music: Shriekback - pointless rivers demo

Here, he is speaking to Eve.

“What about what Thiyennen and you are doing to me, hm? Hm? This is always the eventual path a Redemptor takes. Your self-loathing trickles out of you like a psychic stain and taints everything you touch, do, or say. How anyone who claims rights to what is holy or Godly can create a place such as this has either gone mad or is so hateful, it’s no wonder they cannot find God. God does not reside in torture chambers. Only small creatures make these oases of agony their indwelling.”

Mood: creative
Where? home
Music: Bear McCreary - Violence And Variations

The Haunted Angel	Kallum and Cadmus
The Shroud and the Jewel	Agatha Crawford
The Dhampir	Sydney/Ishtar
The Dreams of Madness	Cadmus
Remembrance	Kelat
The Persistent Spirit	Cadmus
Kids These Days	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
Prophecies and Pariah	Kelat
The Angel and the Vampire	Ishtar
The Swan and the Writer	Agatha and Orphaeus
Cadmus' Journal: Divine Intervention	Cadmus
The Dreams of Angels	Kallum
The Road Trip	Thiyennen
The Art of Emotion	Kelat and Cadmus
Digging in the Dirt	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
In League with Beasts	Agatha, Orphaeus, Rebekah, and Meph
The Well of Memories	Dmitri
Cadmus' Journal: The Science of Control	Cadmus
The Waiting and the Hare Moon	Kallum
The Reunion	Dmitri, Kelat, Cadmus, Eve, Ishtar, Thiyennen
The Resurrection	Every-damned-body
Ishtar and Kallum	Ishtar and Kallum
The Way of the Darkblood	Cadmus, Kelat, and Ishtar
Cadmus' Journal: The Smile	Cadmus
Flying into the Sun	Every-damned-body
The Canopy Ruins	Every-damned-body
Dreadful Absolution	Cadmus, Thiyennen, and Eve
The Prophet	Kallum, Kelat, et al
The Stricken Bird in Winter	Cadmus
Return to Asheville	Every-damned-body
The Construct	Cadmus and Thiyennen
Mysteries of the Augury	Kallum and Ishtar

Mood: out of my mind
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Angel

That's my word count for the day, most of that achieved early this morning. Like I said, I sort of peter out as the day progresses and it irks me no end. I want to be the writing dynamo the entire day. There's so much I want to say and, while I have the ability to say it, I want commit it to paper. I'm still very much afraid of that decade-long writer's block I suffered in the 90s. Although I know the tell-tale signs of a blockage and act accordingly so it won't hang on to me like a bloodsucking tick, I'm always afraid that it will hang on no matter what, then, voiceless, I will suffer. One thing I'm doing to keep my writer mojo going right now is I'm stopping at a juicy part of the narrative. I so want to keep on writing, but I force myself not to. That way, come morning, I'll fly through the word count and remain in keeping with the atmosphere of the scene to boot.

Mood: frazzled
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - My Skin Is Not My Own

I'm not at all happy with the portion of The Augury of Gideon that I wrote today. So I'm going to copy and paste it into a separate page and do a rewrite of the whole scene. Then I'm going to compare the two and see if a mutual agreement between them can be made. It has to do with Cadmus being made mortal. I feel like I haven't written it at all properly and, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure this is the correct time for him to mortate. And mortate he must for the benefit of all Vampires. It all just seems too soon. I'm not happy with what I wrote today. I'm happy with the word count, but the part about Cadmus just isn't working for me. Technically I can say I made word count goal even if I get rid of the narrative about Cadmus becoming mortal. There's just something wrong about it. I'm not going to work on it anymore today. I've been awake since 3 this morning and I have the mental capacity of a lobotomised howler monkey.

Instead, I'm working on my video database. I'm on tape three now. The current song is "Shining Star" by Madonna.

Mood: kinda blue
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - Main Title (House Atreides)

They sat silently together for a little while. Kallum leaned his seat back a little and closed his impossibly blue eyes and Dmitri continued to read his book, Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology. Dmitri never stopped trying to learn, trying to expand his mind, but he was also a little set in his ways. A Kindle was not a book to him. He had to feel the weight of the paper in his hands, and turn each page with a sacred grace. Even though he engaged in telepathy with Kelat, he was still keen on discussions that engaged the mouth and the spoken word. He liked to talk to people face to face. Even the phone irritated him. Dmitri wanted physical interaction, not the technological facsimile thereof. Sometimes he felt that all the technology that brought people together actually was tearing them apart. More and more people sat by themselves at home chatting on the computer than going out with friends and possible watching a movie or even playing games, like Monopoly or Scrabble. From what Dmitri saw of this new age of the computer, he would definitely contend that humanity had never been lonelier than they were right now. And what was so sad was they didn’t even know it.

Mood: why am I awake?
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - The Arrival Of Lady Jessica

After saying I wouldn't write today, I ended up writing 3030 words. The manuscript is now up to 53,439 words. The characters are on their way to France to the Canopy Ruins. There the magick of the three Relics will be revealed and one of the group will go on the run, a wholly changed individual.

The narrative will end in Asheville, because that's the way I want it. Everything that matter, that will transpire, will happen in Asheville.

Mood: sad
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - The Arrival Of Lady Jessica

I might be taking a break from The Augury of Gideon today. I opened up the manuscript and felt no urge whatsoever to add to it. But after almost 10,000 words written in the past two days, I don't feel guilty about not writing today. If I force myself, it'll be crap and we don't want crap, boys and girls. I may just read through some of what I've already written and do a few touch ups here and there and let that be that.

One thing I want to do is blog...a lot. I miss the multiple entries each day. But I don't want to repeat myself, nor do I want to blab constantly about writing. People get tire of the same old thing. I know I do. Why would I want to saddle any readers with crap I wouldn't read myself? So I keep my piehole shut if I don't have anything new to write about.

Brian Tyler's soundtrack for The Children of Dune has been something I've been listening to with relish. It's all I've been listening to for the past two days and is definitely a part of The Augury of Gideon now, so much so, I think him in the acknowledgments now. That music breathes a certain life into what I'm writing and, for that, I'm extremely grateful. I know why I've connected this music to Augury ~ Kallum. His anchor is James McAvoy and James was the star of Children of Dune. But it's not just that. The music is incredibly beautiful, lyrical, and stirring. And I contend to this day, seven years after Children of Dune came out, that "Inama Nushif" is the most beautiful song ever recorded. Period. If you don't have it, get it. I promise you won't regret it.

Sophie and Amy are having problems with the art. They're needing a higher resolution version of the Cadmus w/Chalice art that

m0usegrrl drew ages ago. If

m0usegrrl can't comply and the rendered version Amy is working with is even a mite blurry, we'll have to go with a different image, which torques me no end. I've got my fingers crossed that the version they have works out okay because I really want

m0usegrrl's name out there. I may ask her if she could throw together the image we discussed a few weeks ago, but I know her days are full of this and that, and she may not have the time. I just want her name on the book.

Mood: listless
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - The Jihad

I woke up a little later than I have been getting up ~ 6:30 as opposed to 4:30. I began writing almost the minute my eyes flew open and I jumped out of bed. By 10:30, I had just over 4000 words written and an over 50k word manuscript looking back at me.

When I was just about to start writing again, I got a letter from Barry Andrews with an attached Shriek biography ranging from 1995 - 2010. At first I thought he wanted me to do a rewrite because it's written in first person, but no. Then I thought he wanted me to make it web-ready, by getting rid of the giant blocks of wordage and transforming them into smaller, more readable paragraphs. I did that and worked on any grammatical/spelling issues that popped up here and there. All I found were some typos because Barry is good like that. He didn't go for the smaller chunks of writing, harking back to the olden days of grammatical correctly. On a classical level, I thoroughly agree with him. On a let's try to keep people's attention level, I fear long chunks of paragraph are going to scare people off. Then again, we're talking Shriekback fans here, and most every fan I've ever encountered is well-read and more than ready to engage in some serious reading. He apologised for disagreeing with me and I asked him to not apologise for wanting his stuff a certain way. I ended up thanking him for letting me continue on this project. I wrote: Thank you for letting me help after all these years. I'm coming out of a Very Bad Experience where I was helping do promotions for a young actor. At first, it was great, but it got really dodgy very quickly because of his manager. Needless to say, it feels good to be needed in some capacity, by friends I trust. So thank you for that.

He'll pish-posh that, but he'll be glad I said it.

I'm going to bed soon. Tomorrow begins the airplane dialogue and the trip to the Canopy Ruins. It'll all be downhill from there, at least it will for Cadmus.

I'm saying nothing more.

Mood: okay
Where? home
Music: Tyler, Brian - Dune Messiah

I'm not finished with 'The Resurrection' yet. It's a very important chapter and I want to make sure I get it right the first time. I don't like to do major rewrites because the story isn't necessarily coming from me, but from the characters who talk to me as I type. If that sounds crazy, well then I'm a nut rolled in nut powder and sprinkled with nuts. So be it. This chapter will continue the story between Cadmus and Faust, now known as Kallum, the sainted mortal who was once a Vampire. It will reveal what may need to be done with the relics so that the Augury is unlocked and the prophecies and revelations can be accessed.

I took my blood sugar this morning but, like a dumbass, did so after drinking a cup of tea. My reading was 169. A little high. Zyprexa can cause diabetes. It can also cause weight gain, which I have noticed much to my dismay. I may have to go off the medicine, even though it's helping me sleep. The docs may have to put me on something. Just give up on all this hoo-ha, docs, and give me a massive dose of Valium already! I'll be certain to sleep then and my pancreas won't be at risk. Maybe I can shed the extra pounds I suddenly have too. Colour me not so very happy.

It's been a while since I heard from Barry. He's supposed to be giving me the updates for the Shriek History and the lyrics to the new songs so I can do a song-by-song. I know he was trapped in Italy for a while because of Iceland's volcanic ash. Maybe I should give him a wee push just in case he forgot. I'll give it a couple more days. 0_o Don't want to come across as irksome or anything of the sort. I am eager to get the write-ups done for this so Allan will have something of substance to put up on the new website. I'd like to have a functional new website going for at least a couple of months before the album is released. That way there will be a place where we can get the fans excited about the upcoming album and maybe pull in new fans as well.

Look at me, I'm doing the same thing with this that I did with the Joker Blogs... But I've been working for Shriekback much longer and Barry has never betrayed my loyalty to him. That's one of the many things that makes the man special in my eyes. He's a good 'boss' when he needs to be and a grateful 'client' when its merited. It makes you want to do anything you can to help him on this crazy ride of his. As for me, I'll linger where I feel safest, even though I have my phobia to enjoy. Ha ha.

Well, I guess it's time to pull up The Augury of Gideon and write. I'm not sure I'll make 3000 today, but I more than made up for it yesterday if I don't. I'm going into it unconcerned so much about word count as I am getting the bloody thing right. So here goes...

Mood: melancholy
Where? home
Music: Oio - Sohoro

When I first started writing The Augury of Gideon, I knew it was going to be a bit touch and go, what with the number of characters involved and their distance from one another. I didn't know I was setting myself up for a world of insanity. Never before have I had to make a spreadsheet to help keep my thoughts in order. It's been a fun ride, but a confusing one too, dealing with newborn Vampires, disembodied spirits, angry bloggers of doom, righteous Vampires with a bead on vengeance...just everything! But finally finally finally I have them all together. I haven't written anything on chapter 21, but I know what's gonna happen and I'm just happy to have all of my Vampires in one place now.

The Haunted Angel	Kallum and Cadmus
The Shroud and the Jewel	Agatha Crawford
The Dhampir	Sydney/Ishtar
The Dreams of Madness	Cadmus
Remembrance	Kelat
The Persistent Spirit	Cadmus
Kids These Days	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
Prophecies and Pariah	Kelat
The Angel and the Vampire	Ishtar
The Swan and the Writer	Agatha and Orphaeus
Cadmus' Journal: Divine Intervention	Cadmus
The Dreams of Angels	Kallum
The Road Trip	Thiyennen
The Art of Emotion	Kelat and Cadmus
Digging in the Dirt	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
In League with Beasts	Agatha, Orphaeus, Rebekah, and Meph
The Well of Memories	Dmitri
Cadmus' Journal: The Science of Control	Cadmus
The Waiting and the Hare Moon	Kallum
The Reunion	Dmitri, Kelat, Cadmus, Eve, Ishtar, Thiyennen
The Resurrection	Every-damned-body

Even though I've already reached my 3000-word goal, I'll definitely write "The Resurrection" today. This is the chapter I've been struggling toward for what seems like ages now.

Mood: w00t!
Where? home
Music: Cyndi Lauper - True Colours

I've had to create a spreadsheet mapping out the course of The Augury of Gideon because I have so many plotlines that will eventually come together.

The Haunted Angel	Kallum and Cadmus
The Shroud and the Jewel	Agatha Crawford
The Dhampir	Sydney/Ishtar
The Dreams of Madness	Cadmus
Remembrance	Kelat
The Persistent Spirit	Cadmus
Kids These Days	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
Prophecies and Pariah	Kelat
The Angel and the Vampire	Ishtar
The Swan and the Writer	Agatha and Orphaeus
Cadmus' Journal: Divine Intervention	Cadmus
The Dreams of Angels	Kallum
The Road Trip	Thiyennen
The Art of Emotion	Kelat and Cadmus
Digging in the Dirt	Rebekah and Mephistopheles
In League with Beasts	Agatha, Orphaeus, Rebekah, and Meph
The Well of Memories	Dmitri
Cadmus' Journal: (unknown)	Cadmus

A year ago, I would have never had to create such a thing, but my mind just isn't what it used to be since I had those seizures. It makes me feel inferior in a way, but then I'm glad I have the capacity to create a guideline, or chart, that helps me keep the flow of the narrative smooth. I can't believe I'm about to go into the eighteenth chapter and hit 35,000 words on the last book. I would have already gotten past 35,000 if I hadn't just pooped out.

As it stands now, I've merged Orphaeus and Agatha with Rebekah and Mephistopheles, and Kelat with Cadmus. The next step is to reunite Kelat with Dmitri and his crew. They can then all meet in the basement of the SoHo apartment building so Kallum can meet and greet everyone...erm...properly.

Mood: busy
Where? home
Music: Sonny Boy Williamson - Bring It on Home

Cadmus leaned across the aisle to Kelat, his sloped Elfin brow smooth with neutrality, his eyes heavily lidded as he spoke. “Just for the record, Mother, if the shoe were on the other foot, I’d be the first to want my hand at you. Nothing would please me more than to rip you asunder and collect every last drop of your blood in the chalice. The wailing of the Vampire Hive would be a threnody of joy to my ears as I watched while your life force faded away from your vision and into mine. I am not your ally. Never forget that Kelat of Thessalonika. Once the relics are gathered and the mysteries are revealed, you’ll come to understand that I am here for one thing and one thing only; the total eradication of the pestilence that is Vampirism. Are we quite clear then?”

Mood: work work work work work
Where? home
Music: Sacha Baron Cohen - I Like to Move It

I'm so loving this...

( Orphaeus educates Agatha on the financial matters of a Vampiric nature )

Mood: creative
Where? home
Music: October Project - Paths Of Desire

I've been awake since 3:50. Yes, I've been out of the Zyprexa for a few days and my body is going back to it's crazy schedule of little to no sleep. Instead of twirling like a British Petroleum drill, I decided to go ahead and get up, maybe write a little. I'm already 2000 words into today's 3000 word goal. The characters have chosen some odd routes and partnerships. Kelat and Cadmus found themselves on the same Virgin flight to New York City. Thiyennen and Eve have decided to join Dmitri and Ishtar on their road trip from Asheville to NYC. Rebekah and Mephistopheles are flying into NYC from Iraq. And Agatha, with the Augury of Gideon in tow, is flying into NYC with Orphaeus Cygnus. And what is drawing them all to the Big Apple? The spirit of Faust, aka Kallum McCreary. We're gonna have ourselves an old-fashioned resurrection right in the heart of SoHo. As Kallum would say, it's gonna be the berries.

Anyway...there's really not much going on with me other than the writing. Today is stormy, messing with a lot of Memorial Day hoo-ha, but I'm not concerned with any of that. Smidgen has decided that the safest place on Earth is behind the toilet when it storms. Poor thing is making herself a lightning rod and she doesn't even know it. Aunt Tudi got up, got her medicine, got her insulin shot, and is now lying back down and snoring. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't envious. Instead of sleeping, I think I'm gonna watch Dr. Phil and try to stir up a little hatred, so I can write Cadmus sufficiently well later on. Like me, he's been suffering from insomnia, and he's not handling it nearly as well as I am. But that's Cadmus for you.

Mood: sleepy
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Risingson

I read the rhapsody of the Beast (as I'm calling 'Kids These Days') to Aunt Tudi last night. She did not like it, saying it was too politically motivated. Well, why not? I am politically motivated in many ways and this was an opportunity to express my opinion regarding war and the behaviour of some soldiers during war. These soulless individuals should be trained to understand that war does not mean rampant cruelty and inhumane practices. And, if they continue such behaviour, it may certainly return in supernatural karmic force to literally bite them in the arse.

So here it is, Kids These Days. Rebekah rocks. That is all.

( Kids These Days )

Mood: cranky
Where? home
Music: Stic Basin - hooliganillumination

The names of the chapters so far in The Augury of Gideon.

The Haunted Angel

The Shroud and the Jewel

The Dhampir

The Dreams of Madness

Remembrance

The Persistent Spirit

Kids These Days

The binding theme to all of these is that the spirit of Faust moves through the narrative. My revelation the other night was that he would be the one to bring the players to the field and they would be the ones to resurrect him as Kallum McCreary.

My word count for the day 3047. Total word count for Augury is currently 14627.
I am obsessed.

Mood: obsessed
Where? home
Music: Toad the Wet Sprocket - Walk on the Ocean

I have to say I've never officially introduced Rebekah and Mephistopheles. As I lay in bed (yes, I'm kinda sick) watching Total Recall, the hammer of inspiration knocked my head off. After reattaching it, I scrambled in here to the computer and this is what I wrote.

They enjoyed the barracks so much more in the days of the First Great War. The blood and piss and the heady sense of apocalyptic paranoia and psychotic breaks. Men broke like kewpie dolls from the inside out but, when their insides were ripped out by rusty bayonettes, Rebekah was always a little disappointed fine porcelain didn’t spill out instead. Barracks these days were office jobs for the most part and the mean were pre-medicated to they’d leave the war addicted to the high of the medication instead of addicted to any perversion that would keep him from screaming out into the inky night because he’d just been visisted by his eviscerated buddy from last year’s tour of duty in Germany.

Or take Vietnam for instance, when mankind first began to really explore the connection between physical and mental horror and the complete meltdown that so often happened when the two were intermingled. Only a handful of men weren’t diagnosed with PTSD after having their spirits pissed on by their “great leaders.” These men were great men indeed, for they proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to have no soul whatsoever. They could say, do, or have to done to them anything and they may show physical distress or a certain distaste for the occasional activity, but they slept like babes swaddled in granny’s knit blanket every night without one bit of issue taken with the activities of the day.

These were the men and women that easily embraced the Way of the Beast. Sought it out, they did, having heard in back alleys of the shithole town in which they were stationed or sitting in the galley eating the swill afforded them by the what was told to them was the greatest nation on Earth. And these were the men and women Rebekah and her beautiful mate Mephistopheles hunted, tortured, ate alive, and left for dead on an almost nightly basis. It was a shame that the Muslims were being blamed for a spat of gruesome murders throughout the war-torn desert streets of Iraq but no… Rebekah and Mephistopheles are gorging on the blood of the soulless and enjoyed the fact that they were actually saving more lives than they were taking.

They found four of the Soulless alone in their rec room joking about the days of Abu Graib and the games they played with the bodies stretched too far and the sacrilege they made these unfortunate people suffer. “And what’s so funny,” one of the soulless said. “He had no idea of what was going on. He just wanted to find his wife in son. Well bow to the East 22.5 times, take this broom stick up your arse and proclaim yourself a Catholic priest, and I’ll putcha out of your misery.”

The room rang with laughter, the kind that makes you want to make it the cackling of the damned. And so Rebekah did. With Mephistopheles, they entered the rec room and opened each throat before anyone could even really move. Drinking the blood they needed, they then opened the viscera to play a kind of ring-a-round the rosie with the jar-head’s bowels. They left the room bloody, happy, and pleased with the fact that the four marines still had a few more minutes of sentience to realise that their bowels were tied in a knot in the middle of the room and they were slowly bleeding out after having been visited by what the locals called Jinn.

The more blood there was, the more justice. At least Kelat thought so. Mephistopheles had to say he agreed. He adored his beloved Rebekah and made it a habit to agree with her on matters, especially important matters of the blood.

Mood: inspired
Where? home
Music: Prince - Gett Off

I got copied on a letter from Sophie to Amy (the art guru at Fey) forwarding her the image of Cadmus drawn by

m0usegrrl. Amy is supposed to create the book cover for The Chalice and give any copyright credits appropriate to said image (see icon for the image in question). I was copied on the note to confirm the name of the trilogy and to make sure

m0usegrrl is privy to the goings-on regarding her art. I am so loving this. I told Sophie and Amy that I'm so excited, I could pop. And I could, I really could.

The only downside is that it's hard for me to get into character while writing on The Augury of Gideon. Cadmus is being difficult (as usual) and I'm not even trying Gideon right now, even though I probably sound crazy. I've come to the realisation that you can't write good Vampire fiction (or what I consider good Vampire fiction) when you're freakin' gleeful.

Mood: jubilant
Where? home
Music: Shriekback - nowherenothingnever demo

It's looking like I may have to bone up on my philosophical knowledge. The Augury of Gideon is weaving in the direction of the characters pondering Life, the Universe, and Everything. Since they're focusing on a collection of prophecies that will bind the relics together and bring some sort of resolution to the Vampire race, it would stand to reason that the characters would wax philosophical. I'm eyeballing Being and Nothingness on my bookshelf right now. I may have to zip to the library and gets some books by Nietzsche and Aristotle. Who else? I'm open to suggestions.

Mood: contemplative
Where? home
Music: AcHoZeN - DEUCES

I didn't do too swell with my word count, but after writing almost 6000 words yesterday, I guess I slack day is to be expected and possibly even deserved. My word count for today is 1780 and I think the ebb and flow of the language is pretty nifty. Take this, for example, the beginning passage of chapter 5.

CHAPTER 5

REMEMBRANCE

Those dark eyes conceal their life within them. Buried secrets – the flesh won’t keep. ~ Shriekback “Evaporation”

She opened her eyes, all silver-blue and awash in alien resplendence. Kelat, the queen of the Great Hive, looked up at the waxing moon and reflected its lunar loveliness to grace the night sky and the world that revolved within it.

“Gentle Kessilon, ye in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles this Universe and all the verses that have been and are yet to be sung, I call upon thee to witness this, my offering of honour to thee.”

Kelat extended her ivory arms and, out of a pitcher, poured crystal clear water into a marble basin. The light of the moon was captured by the water, making its reflection shimmer and undulate with the movement of the liquid.

All was silent as Kelat poured wine upon the ground, her lips moving in silent reverence to her patron Goddess, She Who Wrought the Stars of Heaven.

It had been at least a century, maybe longer, since Kelat had visited the Canopy Ruins, one of the last untouched natural circles of Tarmian worship. The only other one she could think existed that was still diligently tended and pristinely kept was Avebury. Avebury was well-known by the Goddess peoples of the world, but no one save Dmitri knew about the Canopy Ruins. It was kept hidden by layered geasa to where only Kelat could find it and enter into that hallowed existence. Even though Dmitri knew about the Canopy Ruins and had, in fact, been transformed into a Vampire there, he could not find it or enter therein without Kelat guiding him.

And so she was here, acting out the ways of worship so old as to make the ancient look young, yet using the modern language of the spiritual children of the Tarmian Ways.

Mood: satisfied
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Prayer For England

I'm waiting for the characters for The Augury of Gideon to talk to me enough to help me find my way around the narrative of the novel. I know how it's going to end, but that's pretty much all I know, and that's frustrating. It's a good thing that there's going to be some time between the release of each book because I'm beginning to think that The Augury of Gideon is going to be a bitch to write.

Let's see... as it stands now The Chalice will be released sometime in November or December, then The Blood Crown will come approximately a year after that. If I took 12 to 16 months to get The Augury of Gideon written, that'd be enough time for

gunslingaaahhh to edit it and

m0usegrrl to do the artwork. There would still be several months for Sophie to do her publishing magick and the book could still be available for purchase before the Alpaca Lips.

Since The Blood Crown is finished, though, and I'm the impatient type, I may want to ride on the wave of enthusiasm and take Sophie up on possibly publishing the books in six-month increments. Not sure if she'd be up for that or not. It was mentioned in passing, so I'm not sure if she was altogether serious about that. It may not even be an option if I continue to have difficulty with The Augury of Gideon. Then again...if I catch my stride with Augury and if Sophie is open to the idea, all three books could be out by late 2011 and that would give people the opportunity to read them before the Alpaca Lips!

I'm going to do my best, that's for sure and true.

Mood: egads
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Mezzanine

They shouldn't exist. They're positioned just right to make you long for the weekend, yet realise the weekend is far enough away to make you miserable. When I was still able to work, Thursdays never failed to piss me off. Now that I'm not working, they still piss me off for my friends who must endure them. The only good thing about Thursday is Fringe. I hope I can get it tuned in. Fox is iffy at best on our digital tuning box thingie.

Okay, now that I've been all negative and shit, I guess I should write something positive. How about The Augury of Gideon? I've decided to pull characters and plots from the early days of my Vampire writing into the mix. Sydney, now named Ishtar, is going to be a main character. When I was writing her story yesterday,

acook came rushing into my psyche and embodied Sydney perfectly. Before that even happened, I'd decided that Sydney/Ishtar would be an important figure in the resurrection of Faust/Kallum. It's my desire to see the two of them become very deeply involved.

Here's what I've written on Sydney/Ishtar so far. The Dhampir becomes a Vampire thanks to Dmitri. I'm cutting it for explicit sexual content and length. Click at your own risk.

( Sydney becomes Ishtar )

So there you have it. She already senses the existence of Kallum and it's only a matter of time 'til the adventurers bring out the incorruptible body of Faust only to have him wake up upon tasting Ishtar's blood.

Mood: busy
Where? home
Music: Dvorak Antonin (1841-1904) - Adagio

I woke up needing to go to the bathroom and got so jazzed about writing, I decided to stay up and do just that - write. So far I've written around 2700 words for The Augury of Gideon. I rewrote a very short short-story that involved Agatha Crawford so it would fit nicely in the narrative. Anyone who has read "The Shroud" will be familiar with it in Augury. Thankfully, it turns out to be a lie propagated by The Apostate. Just as there are relics that the Vampires need to break the curse, so too there are misleading easter eggs left behind by the Apostate to mislead and demoralise humanity. The shroud is one such thing.

I remember when I wrote "The Shroud." I had a hard time reading it to proof and edit the thing. Even

liliblackswan had difficulty reading it when proofing it for The Howling. It's a disturbing piece, but I feel it needed a permanent home in The Vampire Relics, especially since I'm using a character that had quite a large role in The Chalice and is the guardian of the Augury of Gideon, one Agatha Crawford.

Even though I'm keen on getting to 3000+ words today, and I've drunk an exorbitant amount of coffee, I'm sleepy. I may take a nap after I give Aunt Tudi her shot.

Mood: sleepy
Where? home
Music: Massive Attack - Teardrop

I just finished The Blood Crown and am about to start tackling what I've already written on The Augury of Gideon. I'm so hopped up on energy coffees, I don't know whether I'm excited or high...or both.

Mood: high?
Where? home
Music: Peter Murphy - Roll Call (Reprise)

I'm thinking of who will be the central players in The Augury of Gideon. Here's what I have so far:

Cadmus Pariah (of course)

Kallum McCreary

Kelat

Mephistopheles

Rebekah

Thiyennen

Agatha Crawford

Gideon (by proxy)

Orphaeus Cygnus (a brief appearance)

Thanatos

This is just a tentative list. The only definite characters are Cadmus, Kallum, Kelat, and Thanatos.

Mood: menstrual
Where? home
Music: Lighterthief - Lover

There's a sign at a mechanic's shop in downtown Spartanburg that says "Eric says: honk if you're wearing clean underwear." I'd give anything to get a picture of this, but I keep forgetting about it before it's too late to get my camera out. I may have to drive to Spartanburg for the sole purpose of getting a photo of this sign. Funny thing is, no one ever honks. Does this mean no one in Spartanburg has on clean underwear? Of course, I don't honk either, even though my undies are so clean, they're spiff.

Speaking of signs, there's a new daycare in Duncan called Grins and Giggles. The sign out front is white with red lettering. I am so tempted to sneak over there in the night, paint over the Grins with white and replace it with the word Shits. "I take my son Fred here to Shits and Giggles Daycare!" It reminded me of when the shaved ice stand in Duncan had their "Hawaiian Shaved Ice" sign altered to read "Hawaiian Shaved Pussy." That was bloody priceless right there.

I'm slowly constructing the playlist for The Augury of Gideon. I've been bantering around in the brain pan about possible chapter names too. Here's what I've come up with so far.

The Violent Inquisition

The Mortal Paladin

Defeated Dragon

The Found Path

Said the Child to the Mother

The Final Reunion

This writing two books at the same time is actually kind of fun, if not a little frustrating. The rewrites on The Blood Crown are going to be ridiculous because I wrote a lot if it in stream of consciousness whilst whacked out on Monster coffees. I'm hoping Augury won't be as difficult on

gunslingaaahhh.

I just witnessed Aunt Tudi kick a news bee's ass out of the front door. I mean literally, she booted his fat ass out. He looked back at her resentfully and said "kiss my ass next time, byotch." Yes, I speak bee and he was rather vociferous regarding his poor treatment as a guest in our home. Now, if

gypsyboy70 had been here, he would have screamed like a leetle gurrl and passed flat out. He doesn't like bees. Why are so many of my friends and acquaintances afraid of bugs? I don't get it. Now, if they feared centipedes and millipedes, I could understand that, because those things are hellspawn from the planet EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK. But bees and spiders? Harmless. Mostly. Like Earth in The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy.

I've done my LJ and FB cuts. If you were one of them and want to protest, feel free. I'll add you back in a New York minute. But I don't see that happening 'cos the folks I said goodbye to were hardly active at all anyway. And I'm betting that some of them are actually grateful to be rid of me. I know I'm grateful to be rid of me when I get to sleep. Finally, some time away from myself!

Speaking of sleep, Zyprexa is helping me do that. It may kill me, but I was close to death because of not sleeping anyway. It's either take the Zyprexa or take walk in the river. Insomnia can make you want to do ungodly things, like commit suicide. If you're dead, you're sleeping the Big Sleep. I was taking that option quite seriously last week. As a result, I came really close to being hospitalised by the doctors at mental health until I explained to them that I am intractable when it comes to medication. When a couple of Advil would help a normal person, I have to take like four or six. It runs in the family to be this way too. So the doctor gave me the next to the largest strength of Zyprexa. The first night I slept 13 hours. Second night, 7. Consecutive nights have me averaging about 5 or 6, but that's 5 or 6 more hours than I was getting and I'm achieving REM 'cos I remember having dreams. I wish I could remember the dreams, but I know I'm having them. I may have to write a love poem to Zyprexa.

There's something I've been needing to do for a while and I may just do it this evening. I need to take down the Joker posters and stash them away as a moment of short-lived blissful memorabilia. In their place, I'll be mounting on the wall a Shriekback poster from the Go Bang! era. How I'm going to sleep with Barry looming over me is yet to be surmised. We'll see how well the Zyprexa does after the poster shuffling has been achieved. And yes, there will be a picture made. God help us all.

In closing, I am hungry and want lamb koorma with naan immediately, but I'll settle for a peanut butter sammich.

Mood: mellow
Where? home
Music: Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)

The Augury of Gideon begins with Kallum McCreary, which should make

luvthyjoker very happy indeed.

CHAPTER 1
THE HAUNTED ANGEL

Sometimes we’re only the action figures of ourselves. This is the sort of thing you couldn’t make up. Banality is the camouflage that God wears to walk unseen. It’s a very funny dream, sometimes we wake up. ~ Stic Basin “Downthere”

Fascination is what drew him to the incorruptible body in which his endless spirit had once resided. No sign of the Pariah’s vicious intrusion upon his physical person could be seen and he was just as young and vibrant-looking as the day Rebekah and Mephistopheles paid him the bloody visit that forever altered the course of Kallum’s life. In this stasis, the body of the Vampire once called Faust, rest in perfect repose, his bare-opened eyes the only indication of his death, being dried by the dust that buried him several feet below the new building that had long replaced his old apartment domicile. It was still a haven for the artistic folk who so preferred SoHo, but there was no indication whatsoever that these painters, singers, composers, actors, and comedians spent their evenings treading the ground where a saint rested waiting.

For what was he waiting? Rosetta, his angel who had embraced his spirit during the worst moments of his misery at Cadmus’ hands, never revealed to him what that might be. He cherished every moment of paradise afforded him, but he was still drawn to the place of his death and very much enthralled with the body that carried Kallum in mortal form and then as Faust.

Indeed Kallum, mortated from the young Vampire Faust was whisked away from the mundane world which had become an immortal hell for him had beheld the face of God and had been told that, someday, Kallum would be asked to return to this Vale of Tears to bring about a sort of redemption for those seemingly incapable of such a spiritual miracle.

His paradise was his alone and indescribable in even the simplest of terms. Heaven was indeed a unique experience for each soul and was incapable of spoken explanation not only to living beings, but also to disembodied souls. When he left his special place of bliss, Kallum longed momentously for his presence in that sacred space, but he was equally as compelled to return to the place of his murder and ponder the words of Rosetta and the nature of his destiny.
Kallum studied his wan face as encased solidly in packed Earth, forgotten rubbish, and seemingly impenetrable concrete. Above his resting place was a four-story building comprised for twenty-four fairly sized, poorly built apartments, all in which resided struggling artists of every race, creed, and colour. The only thing that had changed was the building and its owners.

Sensing that he was no longer alone in the etherealness of his sainted existence, Kallum sent forth waves of unconditional love for angel. “Rosetta, why is it you are here?”

“My dearest sainted confessor, I come to drench you with the blessedness of respite and pure love only the Creator can bestow upon the children of the universe. Your time is nigh, Saint Kallum, to redeem all that the Apostate has twisted in his unnaturally long and miserable life. You come here more and more often, I have seen you.”

“I am compelled, even though I’ve never known the joy and contentment that the afterlife has to offer.”

“You know in your heart, dear Kallum, that no afterlife will be wholly complete when the existence in this plane has been so warped in a way never intended. This realm is one of mortal understanding. The walking dead is an aberrant that only you, Kallum, can help to rectify, to redeem. Touched by the Gideon’s divine madness, only you can complete his song and reveal to the immortal cursed what it is they must do to end the wretched blight cast upon the teachers so very long ago. Your presence will set things aright and, once you’ve achieved this miracle, your heaven will complete and eternal.”
Kallum thought back upon his last days on Earth, bound by a variety of geasa and tortured in ways that would immediately have killed a mortal, he felt that all-too-well-known dread boil up in the pit of his spiritual throat.

“Rosetta, I will not have to be near…him…will I?”

“Kallum…” Rosetta said softly, wrapping her rainbow arms around the indigo-eyed saint. “Cadmus Pariah is why you must go back.”
Kallum’s dread manifested in diamond teardrops that fell to the pavement below becoming tiny quartz crystals picked up by the delighted passersby.

Mood: creative
Where? home
Music: Pink Floyd - Sorrow

You know that WTF feeling when you suddenly settle upon something with which you've been familiar for years, giving it that resplendent newborn vibe that is completely inexplicable, yet is there all the same? I've done that with a Shriekback song. It's one of the bonus songs originally only available on the Cormorant Egg, but I see it's revolving about on iTunes now. That's very good, because I can't stress more vehemently how badly anyone who reads this needs to hear this song. It most certainly will be a driving force behind The Augury of Gideon, companioned with "Gin-Soaked Boy." I'm not saying why. All I'm saying is O_o. How in the hell I have missed this song for five freaking years is beyond me. Enjoy the lyrics. Now go buy the song!

(feels like a) planet by Shriekback

i tried to walk with the mudmen
but it wasn't allowed
i wept as my golden bones were ground to dust
by a screaming crowd
they took me up to the tree line
by the mysterious pines
i stayed out for 7 nights as they hunted me down
for my holy crimes

electronic eyeballs scoop me up
even as i carve my name
pound that mutton and pour me out a glass of sublime decay

theres no rest in the galaxy
no escape in the life to come --
people gasp in my atmosphere
i'm on a turning wheel and i swear
i feel like a planet
i ache with the sun
i feel like a planet
and i wander the night till this terrible year is done

i staggered out to the firebreak
i saw the orchard in flames
i dumped my ruined clothes in a plastic bag by an open drain

i blacked out under the archway
came round immediately
and everything i knew was broken
just like they'd said it would be

spinning through the darkness burns me up
something that i cant contain
understanding this don't help at all:
lacerates you just the same

--i don't care for astronomy
its too hard on the weakened brain
i'm a stricken bird in winter
i'm blind and raw with a molten core like a planet...
i ache with the sun
i feel like a planet
i contain all there is and i carry it as i run

Mood: WTF
Where? home
Music: Shriekback - (feels like a) planet

The oddest thing is driving me to finish The Blood Crown: The Augury of Gideon, specifically the character of Kallum McCreary, the mortal incarnation of the Vampire Faust. I'm about to get to "The Sainted Confessor" section of The Blood Crown. Despite falling victim to Dengue and not hardly writing at all for the past three days, I'm still current on my word count with The Blood Crown. I even have added some of the cushion that allowed me to fall deathly ill and not suffer stress from being behind on NaNo. In the past two hours, I wrote over 1700 words. It's like I was possessed. Then again, I was writing Cadmus. I was actually writing as Cadmus, so I was kind of possessed.

But then iTunes decided to play "True Colours" by Cyndi Lauper. This is the song that helped create the Angel that began to visit Faust during his tribulation. She always came to him in a kind of a rainbow and would disappear by descending into his body. This song also said a lot about the character of Faust. Despite his Vampiric nature, he never lost his human spirit, which was inherently good. He was a genuinely good soul. I want to show this in The Augury of Gideon, even though his mortal self returns as a little wounded. He returns with memories of what Cadmus did to him as Faust and he finds himself being forced to align with the entity who visited such agony upon his person.

Then again, had it not been for Cadmus, Faust would never have been sainted. He would never have returned to his mortal state as Kallum McCreary. I'm wondering if Kallum will purchase a Triquetra to wear in The Augury of Gideon. Not only would it be a nod of appreciation and honour to Bear McCreary, but it would also fit in the story, representing the three Vampire Relics and the fact that Kallum will be the key to unlocking the Augury of Gideon. I'm thinking it will be Cadmus who actually finds it, who lays his hands upon the relic first. He's the one who is in possession of the first relic, the chalice of Kelat, and he's the one who claims the Blood Crown, even though it eventually goes into Kelat's possession, since she is the only who can touch the thing without falling into a kind of coma.

But that's a story for later on in The Blood Crown. I have the feeling that I may actually win NaNoWriMo because I'm so eager to finish The Blood Crown so I can get back to Kallum. Watching the movie Wanted has not been a great help to me. James McAvoy's secondary anchorage to the character is stronger for the mortal Kallum than it was to the Vampire Faust. One thing that won't change is Kallum's cerulean eyes. James McAvoy gifted those to the Vampire and he'll continue to gift them to the sainted mortal.

So strange that a plot device has become so important to the overall story. Then again, Cadmus was a plot device at one time. Now he's the main character. Funny how the characters demand their place in the world of my making. Do we do the same with God?

Mood: thoughtful
Where? home
Music: Moby - The Sky Is Broken

I'm in the process of wrapping up yet another Date story, this one being called "The Artist's Date." And, yes, it's a kind of creative payment for art done for me. I think that's how all creative people should gift one another, with the products of their creative effort. I was gifted with some art inspired by "The Sainted Confessor." As a result, I'm writing "The Artist's Date" in return. I'd like to see it paid forward to see how it manifests from one creator to another. It's that creative spark that inspired the first cave paintings and has been running along the longest dynamite fuse of all time. Once the spark hits that dynamite, who knows what will happen? Oh, that's right...2012!

As soon as I finish "The Artist's Date," I need to complete my outline of The Blood Crown for NaNoWriMo. "The Sainted Confessor" was always going to be the largest chapter in the book and, since I had to go ahead and write it thanks to anchoring Faust to the worst person on Earth, it totally messes with my word count for NaNo. It reached novella status, it got so huge (38,605 words!), and I actually had to break it down into mini-chapters. They are entitled: "The Timeless Vagabond," "Session One," "Session Two," "Session Three," "Session Four," and "The Incorruptible Dove." If I reach my 50k for NaNo, the novel will be right at 89,000 words. The Chalice is 88,650 words. That said, I'm thinking that The Vampire Relics will be one great big book with three pretty decent-sized parts. I'll leave a decision like that, though, to my editor. ;)

I know I haven't been the most communicative person of late, thanks to my involvement with The Joker Blogs. Since I'm participating in NaNoWriMo, it's not going to be much better, but I do plan on writing about my progress here. Hopefully, I can keep up with my f-list on a certain level too. I hope so. I miss everyone here.

Speaking of The Joker Blogs, I'll be busy tomorrow getting ready for a double release of Bloggy Goodness Saturday morning. At least that's the plan, not that any of us officially plan anything, in the tradition of The Joker in TDK. We all just "do things." But I will say that I'm slowly preparing for the viral onslaught come Saturday. And I'm pleased that the Halloween task instructions seem pretty clear. No one has really asked "what the hell does this mean?" So I guess I did my job there okay. I love writing out task instructions and Blog synopses, among other things, for Dude. I can't say I've enjoyed doing something this much in a very long time. I'll be sad to see it end.

As for doing things for The Joker Blogs and participating in NaNoWriMo, I don't know where my head is, but I'm going to attempt to do both. The only reason I'm doing NaNo is to finish The Blood Crown. If I don't make my 50k because I'm busy with The Joker Blogs, then so be it. I made a promise months ago and I intend to stand by that promise no matter what. Either way, I'll be winning because I'll be that much closer, if not finished with, The Blood Crown. And then I can move on to The Augury of Gideon.

Aunt Tudi and I have errands to run early tomorrow morning. I'll be purchasing more energy shots while I'm out...just in case. If they aren't needed, then at least I'll have them for NaNoWriMo and don't think I won't use them. I'm a maniac.

Mood: awake
Where? home
Music: The Andrews Sisters - Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (Means You're Grand) - Andrews Sisters

If you write, you know how a character or a story just won't let you alone until you do something about it? Once you succumb to it, then it eases off you, at least for a little while. Well, this is how Faust/Kallum has been treating me ever since I finished "The Sainted Confessor:" BADLY. That said, I'd written this blurb, which will actually belong to the third book, The Augury of Gideon if I ever get The Blood Crown written. The Summoning Chant Cadmus uses is based on "The Incantation to the Land of Ireland" by Amergin, whose song laying claim to Ireland is re-envisioned as "The Gin-Soaked Boy" by The Divine Comedy, which is Faust/Kallum's theme song. Convoluted much? Whatever. Here's the Awakening. Now I can get back to "The Artist's Date" for

luvthyjoker.

“Are you sure this is the location?” Orphaeus crossed his arms and tapped his left foot impatiently.

Cadmus looked up at his arch-nemesis slowly. Why again was he saddled with this waste of immortality? All he needed to do was exhume the body of the Sainted Confessor and see what it was about the incorruptible body that would lead him in the direction of the Augury of Gideon. The prophecies hadn’t been clear to him at the time Faust had told him, but it was pretty obvious now. Compelled ye shall be to bring him forth from the belly of the Spirit of Creation….he waits! Pools of indigo will carry you Home. Redemption in the song that goes before us. That one and he’d collected another over time: In the dust shall you find the ruby, the untouchable jewel sublime. Fierce with arcane knowledge, the Dove will cleave wisdom to that of the Dragon and the Swan. Prophecy shall come alive in the human heart.

( I'm the ruby in the dust, I'm the trust in the mistrust )

Mood: writerly
Where? home
Music: The Divine Comedy - Gin Soaked Boy

I've not talked about The Blood Crown in ages. Why? Because I've set it aside to percolate for a while. The ideas I kept having and the conversations between Orphaeus and Cadmus felt to me more like comedy than the tone I want to maintain from The Chalice. That won't do. Cadmus and comedy don't mix. Thing is, though, that Orphaeus and comedy do. Orphaeus Cygnus is a party Vampire. He likes to have fun and laugh and bask in the irony of existence. Cadmus likes to torture and kill. They're immortal enemies, these two, and for obvious reason. But I don't want to make Cadmus a straight man (in comedy lingo, not sexual orientation). It's beneath him. I refuse to let that happen.

The Chalice was told in a series of vignettes that led up to the conflict in Asheville. I want The Blood Crown to follow along that same path and I want the same for The Augury of Gideon. I think that, with a structure like this, one can learn more about the characters and what drives them. I've already decided that one chapter will be dedicated to the torture and murder of Faust by Cadmus Pariah, during the Summer of Sam in NYC. Another chapter will tell the story of how Orphaeus was converted into Vampirism, and it will introduce Rebekah and Mephistopheles. This novel will draw heavily from the Vampires' Tarmian roots, so we'll see more of their ancient and magickal ways, and how their choices in teaching Humanity in the ways of natural magick led to the madness unleashed upon both races by one who would identify himself only as the Apostate. I want to write a chapter from his view point as well, from a time before he became a dry husk lurking in the Vatican catacombs.

But, for right now, I have the novel set aside. Maybe I'm trying to purge my comedy bone by writing Joker fanfiction and this will enable me to have a better frame of mind in order to write Cadmus and Orphaeus in the way I want. Cadmus' voice has been very distant in the past few months, but he's always there and his influence is coming back in baby steps. Eventually, I'll be back in his dreadful embrace, and I'll have no choice but to write what he tells me, no matter how horrid.

Mood: thoughtful
Where? home
Music: Concrete Blonde - Violent

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Tinhuviel Artanis

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