What’s up 😎

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

I’m afraid…that I am terribly late. But in my excuse…well…I’ve been on a particularly large writing sprint, y’all see. And this sort of writing sprint (of this enormous size) doesn’t come regularly to me. Usually, there’s just a bit of a layer, not a THIRTY-FOOT layer. AND: I’ve got some things done that needed doing. As a matter of opinion, of course.

@gracie-j Ah *weak laugh* well, it’s a long story, see, and there’s really not much time to tell it…Well, for one: I was gone. That is, away, absent, off, out, not present at the moment. Though I’ll admit that that’s sort of half-way obvious. And for two: I found out about this thing called David Copperfield and then I met these friends (I’m happy to say we’re friends) of mine called Writing and Authorship, and they all sort’ve combined into one, you know? Very realistic, I’m sure. Though…David Copperfield (the novel) is one of the best novels…actually it might have been the best novel I’ve ever read. And that’s saying a whole lot. Think about the facts going for it: an 800 sum-odd page novel, some of the best prose, great story unlike stories I’ve read before, and a great cover. It was, to be exact, five stars. I took a few days off of reading anything serious after I finished it, and read only Peanuts comics (which I’m not ashamed to admit; I’LL STAND BY MY RIGHTS!). But that’s the gist.

Speaking of books: Hey, @selah-chelyah! I’m reading A Tale of Two Cities. It’s going pretty great so far. I just started it…I’m only on page 9, but in my defense there are a lot of distractions!

@nova21 Yes, it is a lot, I suppose. And, er, well, I do work on them mostly all at once. But I have them in sections: my mystery is my mystery, my fantasy is my fantasy, poetry poetry, and language as language. These are separate, but I can have a whole lot of documents up on my Pages thing only in one Pages window. Something new I just figured out about a year ago. And so I work on them all at the same time, reading on the side (then I’ll get an idea, or improvise and I’ll take a break to jot it down). Actually, I just began a new language (how stupid of me) amid the numerous others I’m working on. I know. Not smart at all. Too many is just too many, but this one’s really progressing.

Yes, one could say that self-publishing has worked out for me. It’s a really easy process once one gets to know it. I’m using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). The finished product turned out pretty well, with a few illustrations at the beginning and end (this is my poetry anthology, that is). I look forward to publishing traditionally, though, because that’ll end up being a much better quality book than a self-published book. (Oui, oui; I don’t exactly appreciate self-publishing to the fullest means that are available to me, but, still. It’s worked for a first book. Plus, I used it because I don’t think I could get traditionally published with the anthology of mine that I was publishing the way I wanted it.)

@kathleenramm XD Well…I’m not sure really. I just open up a whole bunch of tabs which nowadays are mainly mystery and a few on languages. I mostly do my languages by hand, though. (Now it’s only generally around 11 at a time. I’m planning them out using the same detective and there’ll be several lingering threads throughout several of the novels. I’ve also recently come up with a few other detectives which I might use in short stories or even novels later [then combine a bunch of detectives into one large novel; lots of fun], not to mention a whole bunch of ideas for other novels. Also: sometimes I’ll think up a pretty good title, then think up a story to go along with the title. Very enjoyable work, this.) Now I’m also in school again, but it’s definitely not too heavy a load. Not to mention that my science is particularly interesting this year. And both it and my math have been sources of inspiration believe it or not.

As for how I work on them through the week…I just sort of work on them, you know? When I have an idea for one, that’ll usually lead to a whole string of other ideas which will spin off into another one of my projects which will then lead to an idea for one language which will lead to a string of ideas for another language, then I’ll begin work on the phonology, then the morphology, then I’ll wish I could work on the etymology, and I’ll think about the mythology which will lead to ideas for tales and lays in fantasy and I’ll go off on spurts down that road, then I’ll think about the huge epic (blank here: I can’t really tell you what sort of epic it is. Is it an epic hero lay? An epic fantasy lay? It’s a secret until it’s not anymore) poem/lay that I’ll begin work on later this month (and which I’ll begin writing in November hopefully, rain or shine), which will lead me to thoughts of the one I’m supposed to be working on right now [now that I’m working on various other projects] and I’ll think about the scenes I forgot to add in on the first draft of the first part which would really stand alone by itself, then I’ll start thinking about the origins of this poem and how I began to think about writing it which will lead to thoughts of great large poems like Beren and Lúthien, Paradise Lost, The Illiad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and others by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which will lead to thoughts on the plays of Shakespeare which will lead to thoughts on Robert Frost’s and William Wordsworth’s poems which will lead me to thoughts on my own poems, and how I really could be writing that one poem right now which I thought up yesterday, then I’ll begin on that which will lead to formatting it into the main document for As the Days Fly By which will lead to formatting which will lead to touching up my website, then I’ll think about how I haven’t written a Blog post or Newsletter in YEARS [how I’m letting down all my members, but hey, writing is writing], and so I’ll begin work on those which means I’ll open up all the tabs, write a few paragraphs, then I’ll have an enormously amazing idea for an entirely NEW mystery novel which will lead to thoughts on one of my languages which will then lead to…

Yeah. That’s basically how it goes in short.

Sorry if I’m long-winded today, but I just got up, my house is basically an egg-shell, I’m reading Charles Dickens, and my mind is going bonkers at the moment, and I could really use a cup of coffee right now.

Hey! My sister literally JUST walked in after I wrote that last sentence above and offered to make me a cup of coffee. Gee, what a coincidence.

Oh, and guys. I’m not dead yet. YOU CAN’T GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY. Hey, there’s another great idea…XD I’m gonna shut up now.

 

SO. What is everyone working on at the moment!

[Anonymous]

@leon-fleming *the girl gasps, sitting upright as her jaw drops to the floor with a thud* What is this? The great Sir Fleming yet lives! (I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing…)

Gee…I wish I could go on a writing sprint. *sighs* I never could run very far…

I noticed you enjoy David Copperfield. Hmm. I’m afraid the only Dickens novel I’ve ever read was A Christmas Carol–and I think it was abridged.

Please–drink the coffee. Lord knows you need it.

Well, I’m reluctant to admit that I’ve been working on invites to your funeral. (The one I sent to the Queen was, unfortunately, returned. With a death threat if the name Leon Fleming was ever presented to Her Majesty again. Oh, and apparently your knightly status has been revoked. My apologies, sir.) And an author interview (my first; it’s fun), and contest submissions, and a little something I like to call A Tale of Two Ships. It’s a very original title, and a very original story about two ships who have it out in the middle of the open ocean.

Anyway, it’s nice to see you’re still alive (I think; your absence has cost me $300 in printer ink).

 

[Alien and Sojourner in a Foreign Land]

@gracie-j I’m feeling snarky right now. Your sarcasm does not become you, Funeral Woman. I would rather perceive you as a somebody who’s life has been devoted to having a morose mien.

That’s funny; I’ve never read the novella A Christmas Carol before, but I did just recently buy it. Unfortunately, I do not have easy access to it at the moment. And I’m sorry to hear about her Majesty the Queen. She was once my dear friend. I cannot say that I am offended, as she produced for me several rather amazing book ideas.

Contest submissions. A Tale of Two Ships? Nice, I’m reading a book called A Tale of Two Individuals. They hate each other’s guts right now. Apparently, in the end, one of them ends up somewhere in Switzerland and the other ends up on an ieland in the Pacific Ocean. Your’s sounds original, I’m sure.

Yes, I’m alive [no thanks to my aging health]. Why on earth does the prospect of my funeral keep coming up anyways? Gosh, I got the idea for Epitaph on that, and that was only a month ago. Funny how those book ideas come up, right? I was making up that whole conversation up all along. No, not this one, the other one.

Why did my absence cost you three hundred bucks in printer ink? Speaking of printer ink (and the fact that some twosome just hijacked this introduction thread: @nova21 What’s your current book idea? I feel like you’ve been asked this before, but I’ve totally forgotten what that was.) As I was saying, speaking of printer ink, don’tcha think it would go better in a salad dressing served with jalapeños and relish rather than on a beefsteak? Talk about book ideas.

Seriously, let’s think up an idea for a book that would be amazing. I’m thinking something with bacon grease. Perhaps a faint background-aroma-like-substance? The fat cook got caught in the larder again, frying bacon. Not on THIS ship he won’t. Just because he’s got a hankerin’ for the tasty bits, don’t mean he’s got rights to ’em. I found the ol’ sucker in [a small room] holding a frying pan to his nose, smelling the thick, juicy aroma of the crispy bacon. I rapped him a good one, left him a red welt on the small of ‘is back with me cutlass. Aye, that’s s’what I did.

Y’all can help out, if you want. The more the merrier, s’what I always say.

[Anonymous]

@leon-fleming You’ve got me pinned there, Cap’n. I’m a right nasty one, I am. I believe ’tis that British in me. Or maybe that wee bit o’ Nazi German I prefer to, uh, keep to meself. And I’ll be havin’ ye know tha’ me sarcasm does look right nice wit’ me brown eyes. As does tha’ dark, shadowy cloak I keep pulled up over me ‘ead when I’m playin’ the Ghost o’ Christmas Present in the Christmas play e’ery year (and, y’know, the rest o’ the time tha’ I’m wearin’ it, which might be all the time).

The Christmas Carol is a classic, but since you don’t appear to have much of an affinity for classics, I’ll refrain from mentioning how ashamed I am in you for having not read it. Or at least watched some form of it. (You have watched The Christmas Carol before, haven’t you? I mean, even, like, the Disney cartoon version or something?)

The Queen’s actually been helping me out on a story right now. She’s rather ingenious. Quite creative, indeed.

Hmm…A Tale of Two Individuals. I sense an air of prophesy. Actually, A Tale of Two Ships has come to an end, and A Tale of Two Captains hath just begun. (One captain happens to be a fop; the other is a girl. It’s definitely original.)

Wait. You were really making all that up as you went along? Huh. Explains the plot holes then. (No, really–it’s a splendid idea. You can dedicate it to me for inspiring you.)

Also, I recommend a lifelong trip to Mt. Everest for your health. The air up there is great for aging and irritating–pardon me, endearing old men, quite like yourself.

Printing out all those invitations, of course! However, though I wasn’t able to send the rest of them out, I was able to make a rather nice, toasty fire out of them. Seems your continued state of existence was good for something after all. What a surprise.

I can’t believe those two! How could they? More, how could that one scrawny stick of a boy say such horrid things to that poor, dear, beautiful young lady! I’m ashamed! What a horrid creature.

*gags profusely* Definitely beefsteak. Besides, who puts relish on their salad? I mean, aside from you, of course. No, no, no–beetle juice and ostrich eggs are best for salads, especially with a side of chilled monkey brains. Printer ink a la beefsteak is a delicacy in France, you know. Certainly one of their best dishes, right next to escargot.

Only a little thawkin’? Really, Mr. Flemin’? Ye best be knowin’ that a dirty deed like tha’ be deservin’ of a good ol’ fashioned floggin’, it does. I’ll send Mr. Phelps to fetch the cat-o-nine-tails to take a whack or two at Cook. Where’d ye say the ol’ swab was? The galley? Aye, I’ll be after that slimy worm, I will. An’ I’ll ‘ave a stern talking wit’ him, I will. He knows better than t’ mess wit’ me bacon, he does. *shakes head violently, sending her tricorn to the pitch-blackened quarterdeck*

*swoops down to pick up the hat, then plops it atop her head with a frown* Now, whilst I be overseein’ the rapscallion’s punishment, ye be distributin’ that there bacon. The rest o’ the men be deservin’ it after tha’ prize we just plundered. An’ save me a piece, will ya? Jist don’ give none to Cook and none t’ Mr. Roth. Y’know how ‘e is, bein’ Jewish an’ all.

*glances around, suddenly remembering something* Where’d ye put tha’ chest o’ jewels? An’ me bottle o’ rum? I ‘ave a hankerin’ fer a drink, I do. *saunters away to her quarters, humming a shanty along the way*

 

 

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