Spring Cleaning Writers Tag // in August

So while I was busy dashing about doing the bidding of various professors earlier this year, Skye @ Ink Calamities tagged me for a tag. I'm grateful for it. It's nice to realize I was thought of while I was drowning in the higher education system.

If you wish to know the rules of the game, refer to her post because I haven't time for them. [You should read her blog if you don't already. In fact, she is getting PUBLISHED soon! I want to scream it from the top of Mt. Everest, but I'll have to settle for the peak of my tbr.]

1) Dust Bunnies and Plot Bunnies: Reorganize your goals or make new ones

My goals have undergone recent renovation. I've been writing a novel for my last class, so it needs a place on the list.

-- properly combine the original material of Zuezak with the new material

-- finish writing the first draft of Zuezak

-- edit Oddball the First

-- while editing, maybe write or brainstorm for something else

-- edit Zuezak, while continuing above

-- edit Oddball the Second?

-- who knows

-- I don't plan this far ahead

-- but serious? probably take a dragon nap

2) Which stage are you at?

a. Planning a story

b. Writing

c. Editing

d. Combining all the above

Definitely d. Always d. I used to hop from story to story too often. Recently, I've learned how to have one story as my main focus while I occasionally divert to the others [totally disregard the goals list described above]. 

Sometimes when I work on only one for too long, I'm just smashing my imagination into brick wall A without finding any solutions that'll make it phase through smoothly. So if I smash my imagination against brick wall B, sometimes I find the solution to phasing through wall A even if wall B remains unconquered.

I didn't make the rules to The Funny Way Creativity Works, so don't expect me to explain them properly.

3) Treasure from the Back of the Closet: Share 1-3 snippets.

Sure. How about

"Bay needed to stretch her legs with nice wrong."

People, that's supposed to be "'with a nice run.'" XD My typos are the worst! It's cracks me up.

Ok. Here's some serious ones. They've not been edited, so excuse the mess.

“Damon!” Zuezak dashed after him. “Damon! Get over here! Don’t go near—Aaahmmf. . . .”

A hand jerked him against a wall as another covered his mouth.

“Not so loud,” Damon whispered. “they’ll hear you.”

He pulled Zuezak down to crouch behind some barrels. They peered around. Boxed into the dead end alley, two kids shivering against a wall with a gargan snapping at them.

Swell. He knew exactly what Damon was thinking.

“Look, you don’t have your sword,” Zuezak pointed out.

“And you didn’t bring your bag of science tricks, I see. So we use our own brain and brawn.”

“Damon, this is madness.”

“They’re just kids. You think they’re going to get out of there alive?”

“I won’t let you go in there.” Zuezak tried to keep his voice to a whisper.

“Why?” Damon rolled his eyes. “Because I’m the prince.”

“What? No. Because you’re—”

“Get the kids away once it’s clear.” Damon dashed off.

“—my brother.” Zuezak clenched his teeth. “My insufferable ninny of a brother!” he yelled.

---

“You can’t make me leave.” Tyke crossed his arms. “And I’m not going to, you and I, we’re in the same boat.”

Zuezak rolled his eyes. So they should stick together like pals for the remainder of their lives? Whoop-de-doo. “No, we’re not.”

“Sure. Damon was kind to both of us even though nobody else likes us. He always stood up for me and never laughed at me when everyone else did.”

“You’re a jester.” 

---

“And you make magic weed killer for a living? And in your spare time . . . save princes from imminent doom?”

---

I'm still wrestling with this beast of a sentence. Not sure if I like it or not. 

Everyone he encountered so far, Zuezak, the Seeker, even Cassie looked at him with surprised hollow eyes that held the relief that he was here and alive but the bewilderment of not knowing what would come next as if his return was something that they had anticipated in the despair of believing their anticipation would be disappointed.

4) Show some actual spring cleaner of your writing life.

I don't quite understand what I'm supposed to do here. But my bedroom, where I regularly write has changed since I got a new mattress. A new mattress that's too small for the box frame . . . oops. I'm glad for it though as it has allowed me to use the extra space well.

How blurry.

Also, I take my coffee in the living room, thus, here's where I write with coffee in hand.

What are some of your writing goals? Do you tend to write in the same place or will anywhere do?

[ps: in case you cared, I'm currently working on the rough draft of something that is not Oddball. aka Zuezak. Give me any questions you want answered in the comments, and I'll answer them in a proper post.]