rai_ryu

Ah, I started writing again today after being on haiatus for around 2 weeks (Anime north fever had set in, you see). And god does it ever feel good to be at this again. By the end of that hiatus I was craving it so badly.
I just needed the words, you know? I needed desperatly to see more of their story unfold. Even if I should know it by heart at this point, it still flows out in ways that are so pleasing to me it is as though I have heard it for the first time. My heart rings in tune with these characters and I cannot wait to carry on.
And, adding to my excitement are the other stories I will have the opportunity to tell when finished with this one.
I want so badly to be a writer. I realized THAT is what I want to do with my life - goodness though, didn't I pick a difficult career? I waited so long for something to be passionate about. Well, I found it. Now I just need the courage to sieze it and embrace it for all its worth.

(A small pleasure today is when I picked a name off the top of my head, went to look it up online and found out it originated in the exact region I had imagined my story taking place)

All that gushing aside, here is some more gushing.
I finally went out and got The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan. I bought both it and The Demon's Lexicon (because I can imagine it being a book I will want to read over and over). However, I told myself I couldn't start it until I was done the dreaded M. Rene.....the horrifying "old man love story" that has plagued my shelves for years, waiting to be drudged through. Well, it is over! And I can enjoy the loveliness that is The Demon's Covenant. Every so often, I have to stop reading and swoon just over the fact that I am reading it. I swoon over its every word.
And when it is done I will probably have to wait a whole other YEAR until the next volume comes out! Woe is me! What will I do? *cries in anticipation*

I should PROBABLY go, since I told myself I would finish this scene tonight - who knows if that will actually happen, but I will certainly do all that I can.

Everyone, tell me your dreams, your favourite books...well, tell me anything! I want to have conversations with people.

Anyway, I started writing more of FMM today (need to revise title), which pleases me because I haven't worked on it in a while but I seem to be on a roll. Ish. Sometimes when I write it feels strange and almost as if its not written "in my style", which is weird because I'm the one writing it. Anyway, I suppose once the whole thing is done, I'll have to go back and read it to see. And I'll have others review it and say if they think its consistant.

I was thinking about what I want to do with the characters in the rewrite. The first copy focused more on just getting the story out and was pretty bare-minimum with everything. Now, the characters and story are a lot more fleshed out in my head. Well, sort of. I've begun to think about them more and I realized the story will have more plot points.

Something I want to show through subtext is how Jeice and his companions are really just young guys. Back in that time people did fall into grown up roles a lot earlier (Jeice was married at 16/17 and in the story is the commander of the rebel forces at 18. Zack is a year younger than he is and serves as a soldier for them). I won't go as far as to say "they're just kids" because they really aren't, but I want to show more of the fact that they still haven't fully matured, even though in most ways they're very mature for their ages. I kind of got the idea whilst watching Fullmetal Alchemist. Because, although Ed is mature for his age and has been through a lot and dealt with it like an adult, you can still see his 15 year old self coming through. For instance, covering everything with skulls because he "thinks its cool", and he chose his red coat because "its such a manly colour". This kind of came through in the first version of the story, as when the three joked around it was much in the way that highschool boys do. So I'm keeping that in mind now when I write scenes with them together.
On a side note, I'm trying not to make Jeice seem like a sexist douchbag. While by today's standards he would be considered sexist, its more in a kind hearted way. And I'm sure he would still hate Minh even if she were male. Its just that back then it was not uncommon to believe a woman wouldn't do well in fighting a war (and lets face it, Minh pretty much proved that stereotype). Jeice also wouldn't want to risk a woman getting hurt, especially not Leah. Its less of a concious effort on his part to see women as not having a place in "a man's world" and more of a case of "that's just the way it is".

Another thing I decided is that I want to send Enre into darker places. While in the first one, sure she kills a bunch of people, only really realizing the gravity of it when the war is over, but that's all done in the context of war, so it wasn't really played out to be bad at the time she was doing it. That's the way I felt, at least. When you get to the end and she starts feeling guilty, it kinda goes through your mind that "Well duh you were a soldier, so of course that would happen". I think I will write more specific instances of her killing people, and not have all those instances take place on the battlefield. Its easy to say she swung her sword around and people died, but its harder if its a concious decision to kill someone. If I can pull it off, I also want to have it look as though from her point of view, she's still a war hero (at the time she's doing the actions), while the reader is horrified of her point of view. Afterwards, when those around her end up sharing that point of view, she will realize she was wrong after all.

I want to write the later scenes really badly, which always happens to me when writing :P I tend to gloss over the stuff in between the really dramatic scenes I have an itch to write. Which may be the reason for the style inconsistancies. But I'll have to keep trucking through because every part of it is important.

Anyway, that was long, and I applaud you if you ended up reading the whole thing

((Trying to get more into character for a story I might write. Idea from a long time ago. Also using her as a RP character to help as well. Just some writing from "her" livejournal. I might post more from her and other characters later.))

Kipper Oleander, Grade 11, 16
5’5”, Black hair, Golden hazel eyes
Rebellious, hot-tempered, normal, Popular with “outcasts”, punk/goth/skater, emo music, loyal, immature, violent, weak, tomboy, heterosexual, smart, bad student, reformed.

Livejournal: xwhite.flowersx
Mood: Disappointed
Music: I'm With You - Avril Lavigne

Tonight was Trisha Elmwood’s big party down by the lake. I wish I’d gotten so drunk I couldn’t remember it but there wasn’t time before it happened.
I went with Toby and Rachel, but Rachel wandered off to give us some time alone. It was misty out, everyone was saying how lucky we were it wasn’t raining. Not like Trisha’s parents hadn’t bought her some tents for the party. Must be nice to be rich.
So Toby and I were fooling around, trying to dance and find some drinks, but the place was totally packed. Toby said there’s no place to talk here, he kinda had to shout it just so I could hear him. I agreed and asked him if he wanted to down by water at all. Wait here, he said, and went to get us some drinks before we left. I was happy with him that night. He was cute for a preppy boy, and nice at that. He wasn’t a jerk, which surprised me, and I didn’t expect him to pull any asshole moves on me.
But for some reason he never came back. I waited half an hour and eventually figured maybe he went to the lake. I walked down there but it was dark, empty. Not even any couples making out like there should’ve been. The mist was thicker there but I could see the lights from the party reflecting on the water. It figures Toby would’ve gone off with some other girl. Probably damn Trisha Elmwood with her rich daddy and mainstream clothes. So much for him not being the typical preppy guy. But you know I wanted him to be different so badly that I cried. Its stupid cause we’re not dating we were just hanging out but I didn’t want to be let down.
After that I went up and found Rachel again. She was kinda buzzed but she got my drift and we went home early. She offered to stay the night but I said no, I want to be alone so she left.
Now I’m here typing this out. My parents didn’t ask about the party but I bet they wonder why I’m up here with all the lights out.
School tomorrow won’t be fun and I’m thinking of skipping. But what will Toby think if I hide my face from him tomorrow? Just cause he’s an asshole I’m not gonna give him the satisfaction. I’m gonna go to school and let him know just how much of a jerk he is.

xxKip