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Monday, September 5, 2016

SNIs and other distractions

Well, I have to admit, even though the calendar says there are still another two weeks of summer left, it doesn't feel like it. After a nice toasty August, September has arrived much cooler. I even put my heat on a bit these last two mornings, wuss that I am. And maybe it was the cooler weather or some other change in in the air, but I discovered an SNI. Well. Let me explain. I have this folder on my computer called Interesting Ideas. Cuz I get ideas all the time for stories, or maybe I should say ideas that could turn into stories. For example:



3. Rule #1: A mortal may not bind a soul.
This is how short some of my ideas are. No idea what I was thinking of when I jotted this one down

7. You are out walking your dog. It is December, raining, dripping off the trees onto the leaves. You flash you light around at the old stumps and spindly young trees, then up the trunk of a threesome and see…a shadow darting away from the light. Vanishing into darkness. It makes a sound. You have no fucking idea what you just saw. 
This was prompted by a real life experience - a very strange sound - which then prompted the idea. I've had this idea before, ie, you see something that shouldn't be and how that would change your outlook.

12. What if you did something that made people hate you but there was a good reason for doing it?Well, I want to know what I did first, and why I did it. What was my motivation for doing something I would be reviled for? Hmm, that IS an interesting question. 
And this one was thanks to Liz at Laws of Gravity who poses a weekly what if question. 

4. I paddled out to the center, breathing evenly in the early dawn, mist rising form the water. The whole place was quiet and still and silent except for Grandfather. He told me to hug the shore, pass through the cove and find the entrance to the river. USED: NO REST

As you can see, my little idea folder pans out now and again. Anyway, I added to it again, even though I didn't want to, and it's such a fun idea I'm going to be hard pressed to resist, but. I am in revisionland and must stay there until the gate opens. And the gate doesn't open until I finish. 

Meanwhile, I've also been distracted by Stranger Things (can't wait for the next season) and effing scrabble. Why the heck do I care about the weekly challenge? I'm not going to win anything. No one is going to pat my back if I complete it. And if I do, then the game is going to up the challenge next time, making it harder to beat. Stupid scrabble.

On a happier note, I spent most of Sunday playing Minecraft with my brother yesterday. He has two gaming computers so we could play cooperatively. I only died once, while we were in a village and I stupidly went outside at night, which is when all the bad creatures come out to eat you. And because we hadn't built ourselves beds yet, I ended up back where I spawned way far away from the home we built. In the dark. It was wicked fun :)

How was your weekend? Do you have a folder for shiny new ideas? Addicted to scrabble?



33 comments:

  1. I have a Scrivener file full of notes for a SNI, something I want to work on after I finish BREACH. Can't wait to share it with you!

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    1. Now I can't wait to hear about it :)

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  2. Yep, I am definitely addicted to Scrabble, and just about any other kind of word game that's ever been invented. Used to be the same way with all kinds of Trivial Pursuit games, too, but I ended up giving all of my TP games to our older son, because nobody would play with me anymore. (I have a head stuffed full of useless knowledge.)

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  3. Oh, I used to love Trivial Pursuit, too! I do prefer playing one on one in person, but it's a great way for my mom and I to play since she lives in Florida.

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  4. I had no idea what SNI meant. I have one of those files, too, but I haven't added to it in years.

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    1. I have so many ideas in that file I could give some away.

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  5. I have a journal for those ideas that I hope come out to play someday. Sounds like you've been having fun.

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    1. It was fun, but I'm back to revising now. One third done, two thirds to go...

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  6. Heat? As in a furnace or fireplace? I'll probably go swimming in a couple of days. The weather is beautiful and warm.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. You lucky dog. I wish I lived some place it stayed warm. Winter and cold are hard.

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    2. I've lived with cold and snow most of my life. Now I'll never shovel snow again and the "winters" are beautiful, but summer's heat is shocking. I hardly leave my house from June to October.

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  7. I am always intrigued to learn more about writers. My head is a crowded place and there are snippets of lots of things stuck in the corners. Despite loving words I don't like scrabble. Or crosswords. Which the people around me don't understand.

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    1. I like scrabble way better than crosswords. The only crossword puzzle I was ever good was the one in the back of tv guide, which probably doesn't even exist anymore.

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  8. We play scrabble at work. Every time someone goes into the office kitchen to get coffee or tea, they make a new word on the magnetic scrabble board if it's their turn. Takes at least a week to play a game, LOL. And I love that scrabble cartoon so I'm stealing it if you don't mind.

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    1. How fun! And go ahead and take that cartoon ;)


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  9. I have a book with ideas and dreams that I have. Some of my dreams have made some really cool stories.

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    1. I used to be so much better about writing my dreams down. I remember one in particular that would make a wicked cool story, too. Those are the best dreams.

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  10. I don't know what an SNI is, but I sometimes make notes of ideas. But usually by the time I'm outlining a new story, they're very off topic and are never used. Awesome that you actually use yours!

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    1. Shiny New Idea! I love them but sometimes they're terribly distracting and other times you come back to what you thought was so cool and are like, huh? So far I've only turned one from the folder into a full fledged novel. Others have potential and some are just something I didn't want to forget.

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    2. Oh! I should have known that! *facepalm* BTW, I forgot to mention how much I like your headers. This one is so silvery and beautiful. It's like a sea of liquid mercury. Gorgeous!

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  11. Hey, Marcy,

    That cool already... WOW. WE had a week of lower temps and it was LOVELY ... Yesterday they escalated back to FLORIDA temps 96 and HUMID...this is ridiculous for Chicago....

    No, I wish I jotted down ideas. Haven't had any inspiration lately... just wanting to finish the loft and that what I did this weekend. It's finally DONE! Posted pics on my blog today if you get a chance to drop in.

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  12. I used to have a manila folder called "the junk pile" for that. I accidentally threw it out when I moved. :/

    I think your number 12 would be a great premise for a high school YA novel.

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    1. Yup, it definitely would. Maybe some day I'll write it - unless someone else does first...

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  13. Sounds like an idea. For now I keep losing all my jottings.

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    1. That's why a file on my computer is helpful; all the ideas are in one place and if I need want, I pluck it out and put it in it's own file, as I did with my story, NO REST.

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  14. That first idea make me sit up straighter. My problem is having enough ideas sitting to be written that I'll probably never get them all done.

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    1. Oh, I know I won't use a lot of them, but there are some I think I will. And never enough time.

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  15. Love the cartoon.

    I could do with some of your cooler weather. It's still hot in Vermont. I've had enough. Bring on fall!

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    1. You would've liked today, breezy, 70s and sunny. Oh, and dry.

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  16. I tend to expand mine just a little so I have drawers full of scenes that don't go with anything but just felt like there was a kernel of a story in there somewhere.

    Mother Nature is teasing us with a touch of Fall. Cooler nights but still very hot days.

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    1. yes, the nights have been cooler here, too, and I see trees changing their colors. Sometimes I write more than a snippet but I try not to spend too much time since I'm usually working on something else.

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  17. everybody needs a folder with ideas even if they're crazy like some of yours :PPP Ideas do escape sometimes quicker than shadows....

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