A short story written to free me up of writers' block for Nanowrimo based off of the song by Ludo.
You can listen to Lake Pontchartrain here
My name is Elijah. I’m going to tell you a story about how I lost everything in a single night in the dead of Summer in Louisiana. At the time we were leaving home, it was the morning and we were out of college, intent on enjoying some good Louisiana air. Anything but Missouri, the place was a ghost time that time of the year. The packing itself filled us with such a childish abandon.
The idea of our first trip out of the state to somewhere with some life other than cows and peacock farms was enough to make any one giddy. It was Darius, Nolan, and I. We burned rubber out of that suburbian hell towards what we thought would be freedom. We had the money to survive a while, we turned off our phones to get away from the parents prying questions of where we were, what we were doing, if we were safe. We were in college, but it seemed like the folks never quite let us out of their sight, which was fine when they cooked free dinners.
Anyway, the air seemed to get only muggier the further into Louisiana we got. The trip past the state line was filled with horrible jokes about the girls at our school and countless other insensitive subjects that made me almost crash laughing. The sun sank low but we weren’t nearly far enough to stop for the night, instead we stopped at some dive for a bite to eat. I’m not sure what it was called now that I think back on it. Perhaps it was because I don’t want to remember any of it at all.
We went in and the waitress pushed the crawfish on us as if the smelly little buggers were going extinct. Darius and Nolan took the bait like a pair of children. Who could blame them, the chick was hot and with that much cleavage who could deny her? Minus the man with the shellfish allergy, which would be me. I stuck to the grilled chicken sandwich. It seemed like my buddies got the better end of the deal. They were practically choking on the stuff at the rate they were eating the little red half-lobsters.
We were out of there with a surprisingly low bill, and naturally I was a little skeptical of what effects the food would have on us later. At the time I thought it would be food poisoning the likes of which no man had ever known. I was so wrong. We continued on into the night, the southern bell music was interrupted with a commercial occasionally, about some lake in the back country. “Come down to Lake Pontchartrain, rest your soul and feed your brain, that’s where you will get to see,” It sang in a voice that was eery and less inviting then intended.
But the thing that started to make the night terrifying was the all-soaking rain and the way it killed our visibility. We couldn’t see the map in my dinky car, the light inside was long past the repair date and so we had to pull over in the storm that seemed to brew from nowhere. We sat in the car, huddled around the map outside of a run down motel. The light from the sign being the only light, but just enough for us to see that we were well off course.
Then someone bashed themself against my side of the car. We all leaned away from the driver side window with horror. A man was raving, shouting about something familiar. His eyes were wild and his teeth could have used some work, but what scared us was what he was yelling at us.
“Come down to Lake Pontchatrain,” He yelled at us in that familiar rhythm from that stupid cheap commercial. “Rest your soul and feed your brain, free for you and all your friends, crawfish to the bitter end,” It was different, he had changed it up, we were scrambling to get a weapon of some sort out of fear he would murder us. I got into my seat and slammed the gas pedal to the floor as he yelled the last line; “Wade to where the shallows break, that’s where you will get to see everything the water can be!” But I was gone.
There was no way I was sticking around, putting my Camrys’ engine to the test in an attempt to put some miles between that crazed man and us. My friends were completely silent. Perhaps the hobo scared them or they weren’t feeling that well, I thought. I tried to hit the interstate but the ramp was flooded, forcing me to take a small road that lead straight into the woods. I lost my way soon, the rain coming through the trees washed away all signs of a route.
I slammed my breaks when a sign reared up from the darkness, my headlights making it glow with an unnatural light. It read; “Lake Pontchartrain”. At the time it didn’t hit me something was definitely up. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Darius saying someone was in the lake that was a few yards in front of us. I looked but I couldn’t see in the rain and lightning, he even pointed and yelled to the point where he was reaching hysteria. Before I could stop him he was out of the car and gone like a gazelle, straight towards the rough lake waters.
I turned around to tell Nolan to stay put but I discovered he was gone too. I got out, staying behind my car door an I yelled for them to come back so we could get out of there. But then I heard it, I swear I heard what they must have heard even if I couldn’t see what they had seen. There were voices, coming from the lake itself. They weren’t panicked mid-drowning voices of people in distress.
They were almost angelic if it weren't for the snake-like hissing and synchronized clashing of the lake. I felt something on my foot, looking down, through the rain, I saw thousands of crawfish making for the lake, and to my horror they were screaming. The look you’re giving me right now is probably one of sarcastic disbelief. No, they were screaming and the lake was moving in the most unnatural way while I stood there in the rain. I remember wiping off my glasses just in time to see the most demonic sight of my life.
My friends were wading in deeper and I tried to call them back but I was too scared to go out and get them myself. The water seemed to climb at an ungodly rate, even with the way the rain was falling, the water was rising oddly, right out of the lake itself. I watched as the lake opened up in front of Darius and Nolan, like a beasts’ maw opening for a meal, and with a horrible roar it swallowed them up. That was the last I saw of them, I swear to you. It was the most unforgettable view I had ever seen, one I wish I could wake up from but I know I can't.
When I first told my story, I sat in the interrogation room. The detectives stared at me like I was insane. “That’s how I told it to them, and how I told it to you and every other reporter, doctor, and curious intern who’s come and asked me.” I said through the pane of scratched up yellowed glass in the Louisiana State Mental Hospital. On the other side sat a reporter, his face was blank, I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not.
Seeing as I was here under an insane plea my attorney made on my behalf, I couldn't blame the guy. I was formally charged with the murder of my two friends, even if nothing was found.
Then I saw the hint of skepticism in the reporters’ face. That look of question as to how he would be able to sell a story like this. “Why would I lie, there were no bodies,” I said, my voice cracking a bit from the retelling of the story. “You could always just say I was a boy who lost his friends in the rain.” I told him, leaning forward a bit. “Any more questions just go and ask Lake Pontchartrain.”
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"It's stopped being about Nuclear Winter, and started being about a house with a thousand detailed rooms."
As I've stated before, I restarted my novel on the 9th. I brought myself to 23,000 plus words in the past few days and I've slowed to a crawl.
Welcome to the Writers' Wasteland.
The writers' Wasteland is an area of imagination that is barren, dry, and in need of a good rain and some tender loving care. Week three often soaks up all of that creativity, leaving you with the "what next?" Factor. When you get over that factor, you actually get some momentum to finish but let's be honest; it seems like the Wasteland is never ending during this week.
So, are you going for quantity over quality? If so, welcome to the Rooms club. In the quote that's the title I mention something that's happened during week two. I got the block, a huge unsightly Thwomp from a Mario castle, and to get over it I just wrote about rooms. In excruciating detail. My book is about a girls journey to find the truth behind a nuclear winter after she comes down from a space station to Earth. And suddenly, it's become this monster of a house.
There's blue rooms, green rooms, Victorian rooms and peasant rooms. There's a morgue room, and a kitchen, a lab, library, green house, and several lavish bathrooms. It's a brilliant practice, to write about something completely unrelated to your story but something that, if your characters entered a house, made a nice catalog of rooms to pick from. And each room is 500-800 words easily.
Again, if you want quantity over quality, try writing about your dream room, a room you once had, or a room that can only exist in dreams.
Welcome to the Writers' Wasteland.
The writers' Wasteland is an area of imagination that is barren, dry, and in need of a good rain and some tender loving care. Week three often soaks up all of that creativity, leaving you with the "what next?" Factor. When you get over that factor, you actually get some momentum to finish but let's be honest; it seems like the Wasteland is never ending during this week.
So, are you going for quantity over quality? If so, welcome to the Rooms club. In the quote that's the title I mention something that's happened during week two. I got the block, a huge unsightly Thwomp from a Mario castle, and to get over it I just wrote about rooms. In excruciating detail. My book is about a girls journey to find the truth behind a nuclear winter after she comes down from a space station to Earth. And suddenly, it's become this monster of a house.
There's blue rooms, green rooms, Victorian rooms and peasant rooms. There's a morgue room, and a kitchen, a lab, library, green house, and several lavish bathrooms. It's a brilliant practice, to write about something completely unrelated to your story but something that, if your characters entered a house, made a nice catalog of rooms to pick from. And each room is 500-800 words easily.
Again, if you want quantity over quality, try writing about your dream room, a room you once had, or a room that can only exist in dreams.
Friday, November 11, 2011
A venture into week two of Nanowrimo: Why Coffeehouses will save your life.
The title really does say it all. This is a venture into the second week known as Block Week. This week Nanowrimo.org is focusing on its impressive archive of pep talks. They contain talks from the founder, to notes from John Green to the late and great Brian Jacques, to Lemony Snicket and many many others.
But what if you can't pull your inspiration from these? What if Lemony Snicket can't entice that creative muse from the corner of your mind? You leave the house, that's what.
I've restarted my novel and made a brand new one. I did it two days ago and my word count is now at 12,023! It was due to scenery suffocation. My room, my kitchen, living room and fireplace, they grew stale and as did my story. I wrote into holes, contradicted myself, I needed human interaction and a new lively place to write in.
It's not lie that I love coffeehouses. And one in particular: Aromas at Newport News City Center. The music, the people, other groups of writers, knitters, artists, musicians, coffee lovers and families would pile in and file out. the employees love their job, it's easy to see it by the way they smile and talk to each other. the food is made with care, as are the coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, and espressos.
I found the place through my Regional writing group on the Nanowrimo forum, the girl who introduced me to the place worked there herself before moving. Now you may ask "What does this have to do with getting my block out of the way?!" Great question. Here's the answer:
When you've found your coffee shop, whether small or large chain, you now have what you need to get your novel going. Not sure what to write even after all of this time? Pick a person in the crowd, write a story for them. They look like a big business man, maybe they're really a superhero by night, and that's why he's getting the triple espresso.
Know what you're writing? Use other peoples' interactions as your own. Maybe you need some dialog? Look at the couple talking next to you, or the business friends speaking across the way. Look at their body language, see how they smile or not, pick apart that interaction and rebuild it with your characters. Being around others who are working, writing a novel or otherwise, is good for your production.
1. You can get with your writing group. They're all writing and getting stuff done, which is a pressure for you to get yours done.
2. Without your group you're guaranteed to have one or two people ask you what you're writing about. Tell them and then ask "What would you do from there?" Whatever they tell you, try it out in your story.
3. Being around lively people inspires you to have energy, and you can use that to write.
A change of scenery is good! Whether it's the library, a coffee shop on Open Mic night or a bookstore, if you stay cooped up and are finding yourself with trouble on moving your word count ahead for the month, get up, go out, an break free a little.
But what if you can't pull your inspiration from these? What if Lemony Snicket can't entice that creative muse from the corner of your mind? You leave the house, that's what.
I've restarted my novel and made a brand new one. I did it two days ago and my word count is now at 12,023! It was due to scenery suffocation. My room, my kitchen, living room and fireplace, they grew stale and as did my story. I wrote into holes, contradicted myself, I needed human interaction and a new lively place to write in.
It's not lie that I love coffeehouses. And one in particular: Aromas at Newport News City Center. The music, the people, other groups of writers, knitters, artists, musicians, coffee lovers and families would pile in and file out. the employees love their job, it's easy to see it by the way they smile and talk to each other. the food is made with care, as are the coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, and espressos.
I found the place through my Regional writing group on the Nanowrimo forum, the girl who introduced me to the place worked there herself before moving. Now you may ask "What does this have to do with getting my block out of the way?!" Great question. Here's the answer:
When you've found your coffee shop, whether small or large chain, you now have what you need to get your novel going. Not sure what to write even after all of this time? Pick a person in the crowd, write a story for them. They look like a big business man, maybe they're really a superhero by night, and that's why he's getting the triple espresso.
Know what you're writing? Use other peoples' interactions as your own. Maybe you need some dialog? Look at the couple talking next to you, or the business friends speaking across the way. Look at their body language, see how they smile or not, pick apart that interaction and rebuild it with your characters. Being around others who are working, writing a novel or otherwise, is good for your production.
1. You can get with your writing group. They're all writing and getting stuff done, which is a pressure for you to get yours done.
2. Without your group you're guaranteed to have one or two people ask you what you're writing about. Tell them and then ask "What would you do from there?" Whatever they tell you, try it out in your story.
3. Being around lively people inspires you to have energy, and you can use that to write.
A change of scenery is good! Whether it's the library, a coffee shop on Open Mic night or a bookstore, if you stay cooped up and are finding yourself with trouble on moving your word count ahead for the month, get up, go out, an break free a little.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Nanowrimo week 1: Tips on writing Fantasy, specifically MAGIC!
Hello there, this would be the first post on my blog... Ever. I don't usually blog, but hey! Why not!
So I started my novel about a girl named Jael. I'm not going to lie and coat it, she's a lot like me. Tall and boyish, often mistaken for the wrong gender, crass and stubborn. Her job is simple: Protect the people on her side of the Wall. The Wall separates magical creatures (like Imps, Dragons, gorgons, demons, harpies and the like) from humans. It was a good move, the supernatural thrive in a world where they're with their own kind and the humans thrive in a world where a vampire won't suck them dry.
However the wall starts to crumble, monsters called Scourge begin to seep through. Mostly they represent sickness, making anyone in their arms reach ill, but then strong ones come by. Smallpox, Measles, it gets to the point where Jael is teamed by with a man from the other side of the Wall to figure out what's going on and how to stop it.
Now, I know it's lame and whatnot. It's Nanowrimo, I wanted simple, easy, explainable. And you should stick to that as well. Remember! Nanowrimo is quantity over quality, throw complicated out of the window! I learned this the previous year, I won was but very unhappy with my results.
Complicated lead to one issue I think all complicated plot lines will followed at some point; You get really far with writing, you look back, and notice a contradiction so huge and glaring that you have to practically start over. It hurts, especially in National Novel Writing Month, to start from scratch on day 7 or day 14. Catching up is nearly impossible if you have a job.
So how do you stay away from digging yourself into a complicated hole?
Go simple. Go fantasy, go rule-of-cool. Rule of cool refering to doing something that makes no logical or physical sense, but because it's cool, because it's not complicated and requires too much explaining, you can slap it up and leave people to figure it out on their own without contradicting something you have.
Example: Walking Skeletons. How does this happen? Without tendons and anchor muscles something like that can't be possible. True! And claiming "MAGIC!" is a bad excuse to patch things up. That's how most high-fantasy books break things down, it's just magic. You can go that route, nothing wrong with it at all, but if you feel the need to explain something of that nature to raise your word count, here's a few ideas.
So you need tendons. And your character is a mage or is fighting one. The enemy or your character use skeletons or has a companion that is one, what have you. You could use vines. And yes, plant vines. Put a pot in the skull, the pot has water, you just have to keep the vines alive and then use magic to will the vines as you see fit.
1. It would look cool and 2. the vines can act as tendons. It's a small and simple explanation that cries "magic!" but with more that just invisible lines to back it up. What you've just done is throw the reader something to work their own mental calculation off of. They feel they understand your world without any real explanation. Good Job! Simple tweaks like this can save a story!
On the flip side.
don't get too overly complicated. Vaguely explaining something is good. However it can get out of hand when you try to scientifically examine a spell. Take, for instance, the vine tendons. Say you do something like this: "The vines fibers are like muscle tissue," Okay, good start. Do not continue into: "And so the magic moves the water in between the fibers to case motion in the skeleton, it can also make heat from the vibrating molecules!" You have just introduced science. Magic is Science without explanation, Science is Magic with explanation. Keep that in mind. Be vague, it's okay!
When you get complicated, you lose sight of your end, you end up with padding and useless dialog as well as flat characters. Complicated stories for a 30 day write-a-thons can be messy, not that it's a bad thing! But if you want to make it into a real novel, the editing can get to be so heavy that you'll end up just writing it again.
A last good bit of advice for you lovers of Nano and complications:
You can do the same book draft over and over each year, tweaking the plot in the off season then writing the actual draft until you like it enough to properly edit it and send it off. I'm currently working on that now.
I hope some of this proved useful to you in your search for 50,000 words. Good luck fellow Nanoers!
So I started my novel about a girl named Jael. I'm not going to lie and coat it, she's a lot like me. Tall and boyish, often mistaken for the wrong gender, crass and stubborn. Her job is simple: Protect the people on her side of the Wall. The Wall separates magical creatures (like Imps, Dragons, gorgons, demons, harpies and the like) from humans. It was a good move, the supernatural thrive in a world where they're with their own kind and the humans thrive in a world where a vampire won't suck them dry.
However the wall starts to crumble, monsters called Scourge begin to seep through. Mostly they represent sickness, making anyone in their arms reach ill, but then strong ones come by. Smallpox, Measles, it gets to the point where Jael is teamed by with a man from the other side of the Wall to figure out what's going on and how to stop it.
Now, I know it's lame and whatnot. It's Nanowrimo, I wanted simple, easy, explainable. And you should stick to that as well. Remember! Nanowrimo is quantity over quality, throw complicated out of the window! I learned this the previous year, I won was but very unhappy with my results.
Complicated lead to one issue I think all complicated plot lines will followed at some point; You get really far with writing, you look back, and notice a contradiction so huge and glaring that you have to practically start over. It hurts, especially in National Novel Writing Month, to start from scratch on day 7 or day 14. Catching up is nearly impossible if you have a job.
So how do you stay away from digging yourself into a complicated hole?
Go simple. Go fantasy, go rule-of-cool. Rule of cool refering to doing something that makes no logical or physical sense, but because it's cool, because it's not complicated and requires too much explaining, you can slap it up and leave people to figure it out on their own without contradicting something you have.
Example: Walking Skeletons. How does this happen? Without tendons and anchor muscles something like that can't be possible. True! And claiming "MAGIC!" is a bad excuse to patch things up. That's how most high-fantasy books break things down, it's just magic. You can go that route, nothing wrong with it at all, but if you feel the need to explain something of that nature to raise your word count, here's a few ideas.
So you need tendons. And your character is a mage or is fighting one. The enemy or your character use skeletons or has a companion that is one, what have you. You could use vines. And yes, plant vines. Put a pot in the skull, the pot has water, you just have to keep the vines alive and then use magic to will the vines as you see fit.
1. It would look cool and 2. the vines can act as tendons. It's a small and simple explanation that cries "magic!" but with more that just invisible lines to back it up. What you've just done is throw the reader something to work their own mental calculation off of. They feel they understand your world without any real explanation. Good Job! Simple tweaks like this can save a story!
On the flip side.
don't get too overly complicated. Vaguely explaining something is good. However it can get out of hand when you try to scientifically examine a spell. Take, for instance, the vine tendons. Say you do something like this: "The vines fibers are like muscle tissue," Okay, good start. Do not continue into: "And so the magic moves the water in between the fibers to case motion in the skeleton, it can also make heat from the vibrating molecules!" You have just introduced science. Magic is Science without explanation, Science is Magic with explanation. Keep that in mind. Be vague, it's okay!
When you get complicated, you lose sight of your end, you end up with padding and useless dialog as well as flat characters. Complicated stories for a 30 day write-a-thons can be messy, not that it's a bad thing! But if you want to make it into a real novel, the editing can get to be so heavy that you'll end up just writing it again.
A last good bit of advice for you lovers of Nano and complications:
You can do the same book draft over and over each year, tweaking the plot in the off season then writing the actual draft until you like it enough to properly edit it and send it off. I'm currently working on that now.
I hope some of this proved useful to you in your search for 50,000 words. Good luck fellow Nanoers!
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