Collaboration is GOOD!

Today I had a writing session with Enscribe partner, Stuart. He asked me to write a series of shorts (or, as we're calling them for this project, episodes) based around a broad plot involving a male assassin and an "intriguing female character". While I enjoy writing from plots others give me, I was having a lot of trouble with this one, as action-based plots (meaning fights, etc.) are things I rarely-scratch that, never- write on. He, on the other hand, has written a fair amount of action, so I asked for some assistance.

The two-hour session was actually quite successful. We established some of the finer parts of the conflict, which is another bit I was having trouble with, as well as working out the relationship between the two main characters, Jack and Alexis. It was cool to get his take on the latter- the exchange of ideas was rapid and we got a lot out of both of our takes on the characters. We're going to shoot these episodes over the summer. I'll most likely be directing the first one, since I'm playng Alexis and she doesn't show up until episode two, and she's only in about three minutes of that one. So I guess the next month and a half of school will be pretty busy, what with school work and writing at least 10 episodes of this plot!

Tomorrow we're going to shoot a trailer for the above project and a short that I wrote awhile ago, about a brother and sister on a killing spree (although the audience doesn't know what they've been doing until a reveal at the very end.) It'll be easy to shoot, especially since we're setting it my kitchen, which is a little bigger than the one we usually use. It'll be a really fun day- great crew, hopefully a good script, and as a bonus, it's supposed to be nice out, so shooting outside won't be something to dread (the last time we filmed outside, it was about 28 degrees and we also almost got arrested for trespassing.)

But this is a writing blog, so I will talk no more of my acting ventures.

I said yesterday that I hoped to put up some excerpts from a work in progress, and I'm going to live up to that promise. I have also decided to make it a weekly thing. A lot of people do "WIP Wednesdays", and I think I might jump on that bandwagon. It'll be really hard for me, mostly due to lack of confidence in my creations. However, I am hoping to have recieved my NaNo novel revisions in the mail when I return to school, and so I will at least be working on something consistently. I also hope that perhaps by forcing myself to post something every week, I will get braver. Constructive criticism is welcome! And without further ado, here is this week's WIP excerpt, from The Other Side of Light.


Aunt Kelly leads me into the front room and asks me to sit. Before she takes a place next to me, she walks the few steps to the table that holds the lamps and adjusts the height of the flame. Then she sits down and looks at me seriously.

“Lyddie. Your sister is getting married.”

“I know. It’s awful, right? She’s known the guy for three seconds and suddenly they’re ready to tie the knot.”

Aunt Kelly sighs. “I do agree that it seems a little fast. But she does seem happy, and I think Julie is the type who can marry young.” Her gaze becomes sharper. “Do you know what this means?”

I’m a little put off by her stare. “What what means?”

“That your sister is getting married.”

I’m confused. “It means that… she’ll be married.”

“Right.”

“Okay…” I am so not getting where this conversation is going besides in circles. “Is there some reason she shouldn’t be? I mean, besides the ten thousand obvious reasons?”

Aunt Kelly hesitates. “Well, no, Julie is free to make her own decisions, but unfortunately, she did not take everyone into account when she made this decision.”

“Like who?”

She looks at me steadily. “You.”

What? “Me? What does her marriage have to do with me?”

“Well…” Why does she look so nervous? “In our family, as you know, there is a duty that falls to one woman. Because it is so demanding, that woman does not work or get married.” She looks at me as if she’s hoping I’ve caught on. I have, in a way. I know she’s talking about the Lantern Keeper. But I still have no idea what that has to do with -

Then it dawns on me, slowly but surely. “Oh, no.” I shake my head. “No way. That’s so unfair!”
“I’m afraid that’s how it works, Lyddie. Julie has too many distractions now, in addition to her being a little flighty in the first place. The honor now transfers to the next woman in line.”

“Stop. Wait. No.” I am not just going to let this be thrust upon me. “So just because Julie decides she’s in love, I have to take over her pre-destined job? What about any plans I’ve already made? College? A job? Marriage of my own? I just have to let all of those things go because Julie’s got other plans?”

“I wish it could be otherwise, but that’s -”

“Then make it otherwise! You’re the reigning keeper-person-- can’t you change the rules?”

“No,” Aunt Kelly says. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“But this is my future we’re talking about here. Don’t you see what a big deal this is for me? All those college applications I’ve been filling out are completely pointless because I can’t go to a university anymore.”

“You could do a correspondence course,” Aunt Kelly offers, but I’m hardly listening anymore.
“What am I supposed to tell people now? ‘Oh, no, I’m not going to college anymore. I’ve decided to spend the rest of my life holed up in my house as a double-major in lantern keeping and boredom’?”

And with that, I turn on my heel and run out of the room.