The Joys of RL

Real Life has definitely taken a hit on me this week. Put in 60 hours at work already (and it's only Thursday), and will be working both late tonight and early morning tomorrow. Such is the life of IT support. :)

Combine work with family obligations for the weekend, and I'm sorry to say,that probably means no UC update this week. I will have a couple CBWR? chapters posted up (since they are short), but that will probably be it.

Sorry all, but such is the way of things.

UC - No teaser today :(

Sorry - I just don't have enough ready. I've only got about a fourth of the chapter done at this point, even though it was never going to be a particularly long chapter. Work is killing me the past couple of days, and will probably continue.

I will get a teaser out as soon as I have something with which to tease you! I kind of doubt the chapter is going to be ready for Friday, but hopefully it will post sometime this weekend.

Writing Lessons For Me!

Raumtweet out in Twitterland asked the following question (paraphrased):

How is writing [short chapters, updating frequently in CBWR?] changing your writing process?

A couple of different ways. For one, it is forcing me to make sure I write something every day. If you write, you know it was to be in the front of your mind at least some of the time. If you make yourself write daily, you'll always be in practice.

Writing in little bits and pieces, and then publishing them on FFN, is also making me fix my own mistakes! I don't mean typos and such, but if I write something in chapter 3 and publish it, I can't go back and change it in chapter 12. Like Edward, I'm stuck with my choices, and it's made me have to be a bit more creative. In retrospect (this is a silly example), I shouldn't have given Edward a 9 inch cock, for instance. (Where's that pringles can???) Now, I'm stuck with it! So I thought of an amusing way to bring that up again later! You'll just have to wait and see...I'm not telling.

I also really love the instant feedback I get from posting every day. With a 7000 word chapter (UC average), there's a lot to get through and a lot can happen. Getting feedback on 1000 word chapters does actually have some impact on the next 1000 words. It's like having 500 betas for every chapter! Only they're not correcting the current one, they are helping out with future ones.

More than anything, it's just a different way of writing for me. Any time you make yourself get out of your comfort zone you are going to grow. So I hope this exercise will end up helping me be an all around better writer - for CBWR, UC, and anything else I write in the future!

Thanks a lot for the question!


P.S.
I have to say this one more time - you people have got to be the best group of fans in existence. Seriously. I can't even begin to count all the emails, PMs, reviews, comments, etc. that have been sent, posted and tweeted offering me your support and general warm fuzzies. I truly, truly appreciate it. Hopefully everything is all calmed down now. It seems to be. :)

Some Clarifications and Thanks

So let’s talk about Surviving Bella, shall we? When you read the summary and the first couple of chapters, you might think “Oh! It’s a story about survival at sea!”

Well, it’s not.

It’s about an alcoholic dealing with his absolutely horrific past trying to find a reason to go on, and the woman who helps him rediscover his soul.

Along the same lines, on the surface you might think Could Be Worse, Right? is about human trafficking and sexual slavery.

Well, it’s not.

It’s about a man with some pretty fucked up views on what he’s entitled to have in life, and how he is going to deal with the consequences of his actions.

There will be some messed up thoughts in this guy’s head, and he’s going to make a lot of mistakes. Some are comical, some are scary as hell. There is going to be angst and there is going to be romance, there is going to be sex and there is going to be (at least, in my mind), redemption. Eventually.

That said, this still isn’t for everyone.

For those who have left polite, adult PMs and reviews concerned about the subject matter – I really, really appreciate your comments. Some of them have made me think and even adapt a bit of the story line. Regardless, they are your opinions and you are entitled to them. No harm, no foul.

For those who trust me and are along for the ride, it’s going to be bumpy – just like everything else of mine you have read. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me, my writing and this story.

I Love Florida Weather!

I just love being able to hang outside with my coffee and netbook in the beautiful Florida sunshine! I really ought to just move here, but I guess I will just have to take it when I can get it. Having an awesome time hanging out with friends and checking out the new costumes and such at Megacon in Orlando.

Don't worry though - I haven't forgotten UC or CBWR? while I'm here. I got a little writing done on the plane and I'm doing a bit now while I wait for housekeeping to fix up my room. I read through a lot of reviews and you guys and all your theories about what's coming up next always thrill me. I'm very flattered that people spend so much time thinking about what is to come! I think some of you put more thought into your reviews and forum posts than I put into the chapters! :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

I Gots Banner! Woot!

Thank you Ikeagoddess for the very first banner for Could Be Worse, Right?

LOVES IT!!!

Teaser Tuesday - UC Chapter 18

By sort of popular demand, this is a tense Tuesday teaser! Still don't know if I'll get this chapter done before I go out of town - it seems rather unlikely at this point. We'll see. Enjoy the teaser in the meantime!

***
“Alice, would you accompany Isabella to the stables? I would rather not have her wandering around alone. I shall be there shortly.”

“Of course,” Alice said with a smile. Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek before taking his leave of us. Alice and I made our way through the crowd and down the platform’s wooden stairs.

“Oh! My pennant!” Alice suddenly exclaimed. “I left it on the bench.”

“Go ahead and retrieve it before it is lost,” I said. “We can meet in the stables.”

“Are you sure? You could come with me.”

“I would rather not go back through the crowds,” I explained. “I can already see the stable door from here, and I will be perfectly fine for a few minutes.”

“I will be quick,” she promised, and then disappeared back into the crowd.

I walked into the barn and was immediately assaulted by the intense smells surrounding the horses. I had entered the opposite side of the building this time, and Volvo's stall was at the end closest to me. I could not help but smile at his impatient nicker when he saw my approach. I reached out and stroked his nose as he gobbled the carrots out of my hand.

As Volvo enjoyed his treat, I became aware of a group of three men at the far end of the barn. There were so many stalls and the barn was so long, I could not hear what they were saying, but I could see the three of them tilting back tankards of – presumably – ale and laughing loudly. One tall man with short cropped blond hair seemed to be directing the others in conversation, and laughing the loudest. He leaned against the side wall of the stall, facing my direction. The other two had dark hair and were older than the first. They were likely all competing knights, though I could not see them well enough to identify them. I assumed they were celebrating the outcome of today’s games. They quaffed their drinks and looked inside the very last stall on the same side of the barn as Volvo’s abode. As they peered inside the stall, they would laugh heartily and often.

I tried to ignore them, though I did notice they seemed to glance over at me frequently. I tried to keep my focus on Volvo as I fed him his snack, and wondered what was taking Alice so long to join me. The knights were speaking to each other as they stood near the opening to the last stall in the row, but I could not make out any of their words. Their laughter grew suddenly louder, and I let myself look over to them.
***

Can't be good....you can almost hear the Psycho music.

CBWR? - FAQs

OK - I can't possibly respond to all these reviews! It is a problem I love to have! Here are the answers to a lot of the questions. Once I get a page up for CBWR? on the blog, I'll copy these over there.

Could Be Worse, Right? FAQ:

Are you abandoning UC because of writer’s block?

Heck no! Writing this has actually helping me get through some of the places I have had difficulty writing in UC. UC will continue to be on-schedule, with regular updates. This week is iffy, since I’m going out of town, but I’m working on it now, and it’s getting close. I’ll still have a teaser today.

Do you condone non-consensual slavery?

Of course not! This is fiction, and please read it as such. I didn’t condone kidnapping in H&D, death matches in SB or anything else illegal/illicit. It is the means to tell a story, nothing more. Consensual slavery is a whole other topic. If you like it, have at it. ;)

Are you ever going to write a sequel to SB or more of JB?

Yes, someday for SB, maybe for JB. I don’t know when. Not for a while.

Have you read story XYZ that’s also about BDSM/Slavery?

Probably. I like these kinds of stories, and have read many of them. Some I liked, some I didn’t. Though there are no truly original story lines out there (look up the seven story types – that’s all there really are), there are original STORIES, if you see the difference there. This is not going to be like any of the other stories I have read, at least. Elements will remain the same, of course (it’s still going to have twilight characters in it, for instance). I still appreciate fic recs, so continue to pass those along!

Will you get tired of this and never finish it?

Absolutely not. Once I get going on it, I would never totally abandon a story. It will be in the back seat compared to UC as far as my priorities go, but I will see it through to the end. With the kind of response I got from the first chapter, how could I not? You guys are an awesome reason to continue!

I’m not sure if I like this whole premise! What if this story isn’t for me?

Quite all right – I’m not going to be hurt/offended if this story isn’t for you. I think I’ve mentioned in most every story that I’ve written that I’m surprised that so many people enjoy some of the more harsh subject matter I write. Good to know I’m not alone in my depravity. Ha! If this isn’t a topic you are going to enjoy, feel free to bow out and wait for UC to update instead. I swear I won’t hold it against you!

Are you going to change POV?

No. I don’t change POV in stories. For me, it is a distraction and takes away from really understanding a person’s motives and thoughts. You will only know what the character knows.

Is this Edward going to be redeemable?

I’ve been asked this question at some point in every single story I’ve written. The answer isn’t simple, since we all have different ideals and morals guiding what actions make a person “redeemable” or not in our eyes. Was H&D Edward redeemable? For many readers, he was not. SB’s Edward? Lots of people bailed when he went through DTs and slapped Bella. Like all the others, whether or not he can be “saved” is completely up to how you view it. I’m not making any promises, but chances are if you forgave those other Edwards, you would probably forgive this one.

What do you have against vegetarians?

I am a vegetarian. :)

Are you going to make me wait 15 chapters for the full-on smut?

Well…the chapters are going to be short… ;)

Probably not. Maybe. I don’t’ know yet!!! 24 hours ago, the very idea didn’t even exist. Now I have 3/4^th of an outline in my head…

Are you going to give them an HEA?

I never promise anything when it comes to an ending. As with any story, the fun is getting there. If you are a “must have HEA” kind of person, wait until it’s done, then read the last chapter and decide if you want to read the rest. That goes for anything I write. I’m not giving away plot.

I hope that answers most of the questions you have thus far. I am going to post some more tonight, as well as a UC Teaser. It is Tuesday after all!

Could Be Worse, Right?

As some of you have already noticed, I just posted the prologue to a new story. I have NO idea where it's going. I just needed to write a little EPOV and this came out. I have no plot outline, no direction, nothing. Just a bit of a lot bunny. I can see this kind of working in a similar way to The Plan, though I don't think I'll update multiple times a day or anything. Just extremely short chapters. I don't know. It's still buzzing around in my head. Damn...I'm gonna go write some more.

Could Be Worse, Right?

I am NOT abandoning Unexpected Circumstances in any way, shape or form. I'm being generally pissed off at the next chapter, but I think that's because I was trying to get it done before I headed out of town and blocking myself. That's why I took a step back and wrote something else. UC isn't going anywhere - I promise!

Isabella's Bowl

For those who have asked - here's what Isabella's bowl looks like. I see these at craft shows all the time, and they are gorgeous. All hand made, too. At least, they claim to be! :)