Spelunking

It’s time for me to take you into that magical cave of my creativity. It might look scary but it’s layered with mosaics, beautiful gems, ancient carvings, and the occasional crack where light shines through and everything seems possible. That’s my writing process in a nutshell, or a cave, as it were.

Recently I was fortunate to take a 12 week workshop with one of my authoress heroes, Carolyn Turgeon. I can’t say enough about how special this woman is. She writes lush, imaginative stories; she is open-minded and generous with aspiring writers and also fans. I got to know her because she actually came to our book club to answer our questions about her book, Mermaid. Isn’t that amazing? She sat down and we got to ask stuff like, Why did she do that? How did you think of that?

And then, she gave a talk at our local Writer’s Network. She described a low residency MFA program in Alaska where she is a professor and spoke about her own path to publication. The workshop I took
with her was a three hour session where you read 7-10 pages aloud and then your peers comment on it. It was very helpful but …talk about nerves!   

The feedback I received inspired me to change the ending of LUPA. The small press who offered me a contract for LUPA mentioned they preferred a less “dark ending”. I did not end up signing with that press but when the critique group agreed with the suggestion, I took it as a challenge. And now I have polished LUPA back to a *new* dazzling sparkle.

No worries, the old ending is still on file.  And now the new ending is too. It is lighter, deeper, and better fitting for a sequel. Booya!

I am even entering it in a contest. I have sent the first 200 words to The Guide for Literary Agents Blog at Writer’s Digest. I like this blog because it shows you actual query letters, the agent’s initial thoughts, and then if chosen, the covers of the published books. It’s a cool peek into the before,
middle, and after stages of a book once submitted. Here’s the link http://tinyurl.com/a8msdw2.
 
Cross your fingers, gregorific is pressing send. Just putting it out there is winning for me. I loved writing it, I loved rereading it, rewriting it, and now I pin a blue ribbon on myself (cue trumpets). 

For you, dear readers, here is a peek. 

YA Novel LUPA
Logline:
Two nerdtastic boys blackmail a stunning girl for popularity when they discover that she lives part of her life in the form of a mythic she-wolf.

The Prey (Lucas)            
     
I have nothing left. 
            
The beast’s eyes sear into mine. It crouches down, curling a lip and baring teeth meant for business. 
             
I already threw everything within reach including my Physics notebook and a half-eaten Eggo. Now it’s just me and the creature pinning my best friend to the ground. No, I’m not dreaming. In a dream I'd have a better breakfast. Or at least a more lethal one. 
             
Tim is knocked out. This is not good. Not good. Not good. Black Falls doesn’t have wolves. Dude, we don’t even have a Walmart yet. Worst. Monday. Ever.   
             
The wolf snarls. Warmth spreads down my front. Shit, I’m pissing my pants. I hope it dries before our bodies are found. Even dead, I can only take so much humiliation. I’m gonna die a virgin… Is that my last thought? 
            
Tim bugs the hell out of me and smokes up way too much-- but he’s the Mario to my Luigi. A hysterical giggle bubbles in my throat but I swallow it down and lower myself into starting position. 
             
I’m going out in a blaze. 
             
Clench fists.
            
Charge.                  

~gregorific

So, we all know what life is about, right? Fun. Meaning. Love. In any order. And how often does art imitate life in each of these three categories? For gregorific to feel fulfilled reading a book, watching a movie, play, YouTube spoof, whatever it may be, I hope to be laughing, pondering, and forever changed. All three please. Thank you.

As you might guess, I am often disappointed by entertainment. And it's a rough standard to hold as a writer. But aim high, right people?  

You might be a shark in the grass incredibly hoping for water. Don't give up. Sometimes the faucet turns in your favor. 

While surfing the net, I stumbled upon just such an artist. Slinkachu places small figurines in provoking poses around cities. Then Slinkachu takes a picture and leaves the art to affect the random viewer. Luckily, the pictures are captured as collections in books and doled out one at a time on Slinkachu's blog. As a fan, I will gift you with the link: http://slinkachu.com/bio.

I love that this is art and an experience. Kind of a diorama/performance art/child's dream, all combined into a powerful hybrid. This type of art makes me think. It makes me want to live better, notice more, push change. And it makes me smile. And sometimes laugh. And sometimes gasp. Slinkachu's work embodies everything I aspire towards. Aim high again, people. 

So after clicking through some Slinkachu pictures on the blog, I decided to have some fun and try to create my own type of art in Slinkachu style. This is just a fun try. My photography skills are undeveloped and my ideas are just barely buds yet. I wanted to share it with gregorific readers because I am not sure when I'll get to honing my Slinkachu perspective and I don't want you to miss out on the real deal. So, if you want to see the master, check out the blog.{http://little-people.blogspot.com/}

Little Engine ain't got nothin' on me. - Small wooden elephant

Life. Baby Steps. Elephant Steps. It's all in the eye of the beholder. 

Even dolls want to dance.

The mail fairy. How many times have you wished wished wished for something to arrive? If you believe in the magic of the mail fairy, you will be rewarded.

I always blame the dirty dish pile up in my sink on the evil merwitch who likes to hang out there.

I can't believe how much dog food I buy for a small dog.  I wonder if something else is going on.

My dog, oblivious, keeps a sharp eye out. 

Have fun gregorific readers, maybe even some Slinkachu fun.
~gregorific

    One side is a tranquil paradise. The other side is a dangerous jungle. I'm in the middle, standing over a chasm on a bridge spun out of dreams and bluster, held together with elbow grease. One side unfetters. Do I run and jump to reach
paradise -risking probable death- or swing with the falling bridge and climb up the dangling pieces into the unpredictable jungle? 
    Risk bliss or trust what is known? You guessed it. Gregorific's laptop broke. 
    The pain is  unbearable. I Must. Fight. To. Keep. Breathing. 

    I went through the stages of grief. I denied it was broken for weeks, despite the visible crack. And the chunk of metal missing near the touch pad. Then I got angry. No, it would not quit on me. We'd been through too much! How could it leave me?

  I taped the cord in place because it kept slipping out or disconnecting from power. I bargained. Give me until Christmas at least. Let Santa work his magic and it will all be well. It did not last until Christmas. One day I pirouetted in to my work station-also known as my couch- and pressed the button. Pressed the. Pressed. Pre

    Nothing happened. No power. The outlet for the cord to charge was broken. 
    No juice, people. It will not even acknowledge me with a flashing light, or a beep, or a click. It's gone!
   *I did not take it well.* 
    My neighbor called to ask about the wailing. The President texted me his condolences. Oprah emailed me to live my best life even without my best laptop. BUT I COULDN'T OPEN THE EMAIL BECAUSE MY LAPTOP IS BROKEN. Oh, Oprah. Only you. Later she hired a skywriter to do the job right. 
    So now I have to buy a new computer. It just seems so sudden. Too soon. Before its time.

    So now I must go into a room of strangers and pick a new best friend. It's so weird to put your fingers on a new keyboard. Or weirder to try out several in an aisle of Geekdom. I analyze the stats of each and try to decide what I value most. Memory? Speed? Size? Price? It's all so tawdry. I can't put into words what I need. 
   My best bet is to take in my old laptop, with the hole in its body and the tape trailing off the side.
   This is what it takes to be my laptop!
   Any takers?
   And I'll just see who steps up. Who will take the challenge?

    Once I have my new best friend, we will mend my bridge to the side of life that I love. The side where I get to make the rules and cross the great divide between reality and creativity.
    Here's hopin' people. Gregorific's gonna buy a new laptop.

~gregorific