[Naeya's Scrapbook] Cosmic Love

[Naeya]

If you write to impress it will always be bad, but if you write to express it will be good. Thornton Wilder. (This is advice that I need to keep reminding myself to follow on a daily basis, over and over and over again.) Threads To Reply To: Things Fall Apart (Imass) The Serpent and The Seer (Savitaire) Hurricane Drunk (Orion, Rothyr) [Need Reply #2] Fighting Dirty (Rhy) Mad Treasure Hunt (I'sona) Come Away To The Water (Gianne) Alvadas, The City Of Many Questions (Mirage) The Night Starts Here (Serrif) [Need Reply #2] I Stand Corrected (Solo) Imass' Journal New Faces & Final Plans (Ayanna) A Tower of Cards (Blythe) [Need Reply #2] [Reply #3] Strength in Numbers (Imass) Fate or Coincidence? (Sybel) Threads To Begin (Mura): Entrance to Mura (Solo) Mura Job Application (Cachet) Thread with Gavin ("A Tower of Cards") Thread with L'orlei ("Drink Up") [Need Reply #2] Wrenmae: The Vision (Solo?) Job Thread #1 (Solo?) Job Thread #2 (Solo?) Threads To Begin (Other): Thread with Duvalyon Hellebore (Dreamscape) Steel Yourself (Solo, Summer 512) Prove It (Solo, Summer 512) If you're one of my thread partners, thank you so much for your patience with me. I know most of you have been waiting quite a while for your reply, and I really appreciate that no one has yelled at me about it. You guys are seriously the best. I promise I haven't forgotten! I adore all of my threads, and I'm working very hard to both get out of my writing rut and manage my time so I can actually get these replies posted for you. Sending buckets of love your way! xx

[Naeya]

yours is the light by which my spirit's born: yours is the darkness of my soul's return - you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars e.e. cummings

[Naeya]

Again and again, even though we know love's landscape and the little churchyard with its lamenting names and the terrible reticent gorge in which the others end: again and again the two of us walk out together under the ancient trees, lay ourselves down again and again among the flowers, and look up into the sky. Rainer Maria Rilke.

[Naeya]

On Word Wars & Just Getting Started So, Imass and I have recently been doing something that has turned out to be incredibly helpful for my writing: post battles. It's a very simple & classic concept. We each pick a thread that we've want to reply to, and start writing our response to it at the same time. The first one to post, wins. (Really, though, we both win, because we each get a good reply out in the end. Shhh... don't tell Imass.) Big thanks to Imass for being down to do this with me. I've got to say - the guy can write! Not only is he wicked quick (and once nearly got two posts out in the time it took me to write one), he also has an awesome attitude, comes up with great material, and has a character consistency that I admire like no other. Sometimes all you need is the initial encouragement to get started, and a partner who's got your back. This is an open invitation to anyone interested in word wars, post battles, and post marathons in the immediate future to add me on AIM and send me a message anytime you feel like you need a some friendly competition or a good kick in the ass to get some writing done. Incidentally, NaNoWriMo (Miz-style) is coming up soon. I'm planning to enter, despite a hectic schedule that month, and I'd really like to hit the 50k words. These little contests help me practice writing quicker and focusing faster, and they're a lovely prelude to November. I hope they end up helping you, as well. To quote the lovely Cheryl Strayed: "Writing is hard for every last one of us. ... Coal mining is harder. Do you think miners stand around all day talking about how hard it is to mine for coal? They do not. They simply dig."

[Naeya]

Fiction is one of the few experiences where loneliness can be both confronted and relieved. Drugs, movies where stuff blows up, loud parties — all these chase away loneliness by making me forget my name’s Dave and I live in a one-by-one box of bone no other party can penetrate or know. Fiction, poetry, music, really deep serious sex, and, in various ways, religion — these are the places (for me) where loneliness is countenanced, stared down, transfigured, treated. David Foster Wallace.

[Naeya]

Every time I read this quote, I conjure up hilarious imagery. And then I spend the next 10 minutes laughing. "A dangerous man on the dance floor from plank like arms and unpredictable movements, if he could channel his dance into combat, none could stand before him." -Orion Michaels, Hurricane Drunk.

[Duvalyon Hellebore]

Had to say, I found that paragraph endlessly entertaining. Kudos to Mr. Orion.

[Naeya]

Duv - I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did, haha. --- In case it wasn't incredibly obvious, I'm pretty big on lists. They're a great guide for me, and, yes, I do take a lot of satisfaction in crossing things off. Since I've worked my way through quite a bit of my last thread list, I thought it would be a good time to repost with updates to keep myself on track. [PC] Threads To Reply To: Fate or Coincidence? (Sybel) [Reply #2] [Reply #3] [Reply #4] [Reply #5] Fighting Dirty (Rhy) Come Away To The Water (Gianne) Dreamscape (Duvalyon Hellebore) The Night Starts Here (Serrif) The Serpent and The Seer (Savitaire) [Reply #2] [Reply #3] [Reply #4] Drink Up (L'orlei) Hurricane Drunk (Orion, Rothyr) A Tower of Cards (Blythe) Dreamscape (Anton) [Reply #2] [Reply #3] Strength In Numbers (Imass) Some of my threads have quieted a bit, so I've decided to take advantage of this time and begin to write up some solos specifically for character development. I often have trouble jumping from two-player mode to one-player storyteller, so hopefully writing out a bunch of solos will help me get past that! A number of these threads only exist vaguely within my head, so their description may not make much sense. [Solo] Mura Character Development Mura Family: First Meeting [placeholder made] Mura vs. Riverfall* Divination: Formal Instruction, Part i. (An Expected Mentor) [placeholder made] Divination: Meditation Divination: Wrenmae's Vision* [placeholder made] Divination: Prayer To Avalis [placeholder made] Divination: Formal Instruction, Part ii. (An Unexpected Mentor) [placeholder made] *Would prefer to write with a thread partner [Solo] Training/Job I Stand Corrected (Dagger Training) Steel Yourself (Dagger Training) Prove It (Dagger Training) Job Thread #1 (Jewelcrafter) [placeholder made] Job Thread #2 (Jewelcrafter) [placeholder made] Miscellaneous Write up Mura family NPCs & submit to HD Write up detailed family info in CS/scrap Peer review Kirvan Deepseeker's lore of Persuasion Peer review Amelia Cross's lore of Fortune Telling Riverfall holiday write-ups Festival of Love Remembrance Day Don’t just plan to write — write. It is only by writing, not by dreaming about it, that we develop our own style. P.D. James.

[Evalin]

OH you so remind me that I should make some more lists too. I keep finding things I forgot to write or reply too ^.^;

[Naeya]

Ev - I'm glad I could be some help! I'm constantly forgetting unless I have it all written down in front of me. --- There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou. Recently, my headspace has been all about development. My flighty, whimsical muse has moved on from creating stories through threads (for the time being), and has become fascinated with the creation of stories through lore and locations. It happens. I'm enjoying it while I can. My guess is that it has to do with my growing offline stress in terms of post-grad job hunting, classes, and everyday upkeep. I've got a pile of life to catch up on & I need to make time for it so I can create a balance that I'm happy with. In terms of my writing, I've found that this state of mind tends to spawn a more intense focus on non-fiction (or "fictional non-fiction," in Miz's case). I'm going to be rolling with it for the next little while, so I'm very sorry if I'm slower than usual in terms of responding to threads. I'll still be writing replies, but it won't be my sole focus. This is just where I'm at right now, and I'm happy to settle in for the creative ride. Hopefully it'll be rejuvenating and will help me tell Naeya's story with a fresh perspective.