Untitled Short Story

Darkness. 

Silence broken only by the occasional sound of dripping water falling from a great height. 

Something bad had happened. She knew it. Felt it. The ragged breathing she could hear gradually getting louder and louder confirmed it. Then with a jolt she realised that it was her. She was the one breathing raggedly. With another jolt she realised that it was dark because her eyes were closed. She wasn't surprised that she was lying in a pool of ice cold water. For some reason that made sense to her. Even if she couldn't remember why. 

She opened her eyes. It was still dark. She was inside some sort of cavern. For a moment a sense of overwhelming despair and claustrophobia threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to curl up into a ball and wish everything away. But she knew that wouldn't work. It almost never did, and the few times it had, things had turned very ugly. If she wanted to get out of this she would have to do more than wish to do so. She held up her hands. Good. The worzt hazn't happened. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing in pain. At leazt I don't think the worzt haz happened. 

She looked around the cavern, hoping to remember what she was doing in there. Her vision was a little blurry, and she had a splitting headache. She suspected that someone had struck her on the head at some point. That blow iz probably why I waz unconzciouz. Or maybe thiz contributed. She had an arrow sticking out of her right shoulder, which had been bleeding heavily, although it had stopped now. She really wanted to remove the arrow, but knew that it would be wiser to wait until there was a healer present just in case the wound continued to bleed heavily. 

There were two long knives lying in the pool of water next to her. She picked one of them up, her eye straying to the edge of the pool as she did so. Oh shit! She scooped up the second knife and tried leaping to her feet. But she was too beaten up for that. Instead she gasped as pain shot through her body and she crouched down, knives held expertly at the ready as she looked around the cavern again. This time she saw the bodies strewn everywhere. She drummed her fingers nervously on the hilt of the knives, surveying the scene. There was a number of large blue furred creatures she knew to be vicious, blood thirsty monsters. But there were also a number of human bodies strewn throughout the chamber. Which side am I on?

She looked down at her hands again. They looked unmarked. Looked unshackled. But she knew through past experience that this wasn't always an indicator. Tezt? Or ... She looked around at the bodies of the blue furred creatures again. Do they know how to kill thoze thingz? She straightened up, bouncing anxiously on the balls of her feet. They've got to know how to kill thoze thingz. Otherwize the war would be over! She looked a little more closely at the human bodies. None of them appeared to be Fredono or The Guard. She looked down at her clothes. She wasn't in uniform. But again, past experience told her that this wasn't an indicator. She noticed for the first time she noticed that she was wearing a dark grey cloak with a jade dragon pinning it around her throat. She instantly recognised the cloak as one of the family heirlooms. Guezz that anzwerz that. 

She looked around the cavern again. Butbutbutbut. She squeezed her eyes shut and tapped the side of her head. Something wasn't adding up. She looked down at the jade dragon pendant, tapping the side of her head harder and harder. No! Thiz izn't right. The air was starting to get thick, making breathing difficult. I have to get out of here!

She was just about to turn to look for an escape when she heard people approaching from behind. She gasped involuntarily, and bounded across the pool and ducked behind a rocky outcrop, this time prepared for the pain caused from her movement. Her mind racing, she peered out from behind the rock. Hopefully I'll recognize them. Then I can figure out which side I'm on bazed on how they react. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the best she could come up with. Her headache was starting to get really bad, that it was starting to distract her. 

Urgh! I can't fight like thiz! She bounded up onto the rock she'd been hiding behind just as five figures entered the cavern.

"There!"

 Shit! She half jumped, half toppled off the rock. She rolled, forgetting about the arrow sticking out of her shoulder until it snagged on the ground. Growling in pain and annoyance, she sprang to her feet. Her hand subconsciously rising to her injured shoulder. She was alarmed to feel warm blood seeping through her fingers. There was a blinding flash of light. Her other hand rose to shield her eyes against the sudden glare. I've lozt. 

"What happened here?" A voice she recognised as her former fiery mentor asked in a hushed voice. 

"Ummm ..." Her eyes now accustomed to the brightness of the glowing ball of flames hovering a couple of meters above the pool of light, she looked around at the carnage. The blue fur of the monsters appeared to be glowing in the light. "Do, d'ya know how to kill thoze thingz?"

"Perziztanze and a whole lot of luck. Why?" This was asked with a lot of suspicion. 

They don't truzt me. But why? She mulled over the possible reasons, completely forgetting about the others in the cavern until a soft voice brought her back to reality. 

"She appearz to be muddled."

That doezn't sound like good news for me. "No. Why. Ya wanted to know why, right?" She smiled nervously at the group. "There'z an eazy way to kill thoze beaztz that you guys don't seem to know about." She staggered slightly, and only prevented herself from falling over by catching at the rock she'd just fallen off. The cavern span dizzingly around her, and she struggled to fight against the darkness that was threatening to overtake her again. 

"We don't have time to put up with gamez." A broad man with a heavily scarred face snapped. "What happened here, Skip?"

"Well, um." She stopped leaning against the rock and scratched at her head, stalling for time while she tried to find a suitable answer to the question. The problem was, she still wasn't sure what a suitable answer was, or even what had happened. She was certain that telling them that she couldn't remember what had happened was wise. It would most likely end with her being captured and interrogated further in one of their bases. She was dimly aware of the cavern swirling gradually into darkness and a sharp pain in her knee as the nothingness that she'd been trying to keep at bay finally overtook her. She had one last, bleary glimpse of five people hurrying towards her as she blacked out completely. 

Planning My Story

Ok so this is what I know about this damn story that has taken control of my mind;

It focuses on one big event that quite possibly destroys the world. It is told from the points of view of different people. Each chapter will be a story dedicated to a different person, because I get bored with the same characters and abandon the story.

So hopefully a new character each chapter will prevent me from getting bored and actually allow me to complete this damn story.

Not sure what the event is just yet. So I really need to figure that out beyond someone getting hit by a car and dying.

Thinking that I can incorporate some of my other attempts at writing a novel into this, since I never really get beyond the first chapter of each novel writing attempt. This means that some of my old characters get a second chance at life (unless I decide to kill them), which should please everyone.

The story takes place in the present or the near future, except for the first chapter, which is yet to be placed somewhere in time.

But I really do need to figure out what the consequences of my space man being hit and killed by the car are. His death is what triggers the events that follow.

So this is what happens so far;

• Zita meets the dragon
• Dean meets the spaceman and has a night out with him
• The spaceman is hit and killed by a car (whether he is with Dean when this happens remains to be seen).

And that is far as I can see.

Hopefully the rest of the story will make itself clear to me as I write about Dean and the spaceman (who may need to be named).

About Writing Tips for Writers

I haven't been able to go to sleep tonight. So I've given up hope of that, and kept myself busy blogs on writing tips for writers (as opposed to writing tips for mathematicians), and I have to say that most of it seems like common sense to me.

Most of the stuff I've read has been about basic grammar and believable characters and dialogue.

Ok, I'll admit creating believable characters is hard, and takes real skill. That's why most of my characters are horrible people. I hope their horribleness will make them more believable.

But grammar and believable dialogue?

Those two things should really be second nature to any writer, since I assume that most writers are also massive readers. So naturally, writers should pick up necessary grammar and believable dialogue creating skills from the books they've read. So by the time they get around to writing, these things should come instinctively to them.

Having to explain the importance of something like the comma and the full stop to a person who wants to be a writer is like explaining the difference between upper and lower case to them. And having to explain to them what is wrong with the following dialogue shouldn't be necessary unless they're like five;

"Good morning, John." Said Sally.

"Good morning. How are you, Sally?" Asked John.

"I am good, John. How are you?" Asked Sally.

"I am well, thank you." Said John.

"How is your daughter, Kimmy?" Asked Sally.

"Kimmy is also well." Said John.

They should already know this.

Or they really need to rethink their dreams (as horrible as that is to say)

I Haven't Written for Awhile

Well, as the title clearly states, I haven't written anything for awhile now. And it's actually really bumming me out that I haven't.

So the whole point of this entry is to look at why I haven't written anything.

Although, I don't know why I chose to write it right now, since it's meant to be some kind of stream of consciousness thingy, with all of my attention on this. That's not going to happen, because I'm keeping an eye on the time so that come 5pm I can turn the TV on and watch Avatar: The Last Air Bender (I'm not sure if it's meant to be Air Bender or Airbender, but whatever). And then after that I'll be enjoying some all new iCarly.

So clearly, my attention isn't really going to be 100% on this blog.

But back to the point;

Why I haven't written anything for such a long time;

Ah, well, laziness, I guess.

I just haven't been bothered to actually get around to writing anything. I mean, I'll turn on my computer with the intention of actually writing about something, but I never do. I just procrastinate until I finally come to terms with the fact that I have no intention whatsoever of writing anything.

And yet, I always promise myself that nect time I'll actually write something ... I don't know why I do that. It seems like a complete waste of time and effort on my behalf.

But I think another reason why I haven't written anything for such a long time is because I just haven't had anything to write about.

Again, this ties into the whole laziness reason.

I blame the sudden heat on this though. Because it's been so cold, and then suddenly we're facing temperatures in the high 30's or low 40's, it's a bit of a shock to the old system. Even for somebody who doesn't mind the heat. All I've done on these last few hot days is just sit in the darkened house trying to stay cool and watching TV.

I guess I could sit here and try to think up a whole lot more reasons why I haven't written anything for so long, but it all probably ties back to the whole leaziness thing.

I mean, I could totally use the fact that I'm completely broke as a reason. But not having money doesn't stop me from going out for a walk and observing the world and the idiots who inhabit it.

So I think I'm going to end this post now. I'm happy with the reason I've come up with ... well, I'm not happy that I'm so lazy. But I'm happy that I have found out why I haven't been doing anything constructive lately. And if i just keep on continuing trying to find reasons, then I'll just be in denial about the whole laziness thing.

So not looking for anymore excuses.

Although is laziness really an excuse?

Has saying "I was too lazy to do that," ever worked and gotten people out of trouble for not doing something like homework?

I seriously doubt that it has.

Teacher; Why haven't you done your homework, Jimmy?
Jimmy: I was too lazy.
Teacher; Well, that's alright then. No detention for you, Jimmy.

Ok!

Stopping that now. I've clearly had too much coffee and need to get out of the house. But I have established that laziness isn't an excuse. It's a reason.

And on that note, I'm leaving now.

With five minutes to spare until Avatar; The Last Air Bender starts!

Writing

So apparently it doesn’t really matter what room I’m in when I’m writing. I’ve just got to warm up before jumping into my stories.
I guess that’s why I keep this journal.
That. And some of the shit I write goes into my blog as well.
But after my previous entry, I was able to write a fair bit on my story I was complaining about. Admittedly, I’m stuck now and probably haven’t written as much as I would’ve liked. But it’s an improvement on the previous week.
And I did also spend a fair bit of time looking for short story competitions.
Which, as it turns out, there’s quite a few if you know where to look … actually, it’s all about knowing where to look, I think. I found a really helpful site that tells me about competitions for each month. So I’m definitely going to keep that tab open and keep an eye on competitions. Even if it doesn’t actually mention The Age Short Story competition. But that may because that comp is already closed *sigh* But there’s always next year for that one.
But the best thing about finding all these competitions is that I’m once again enthused about writing, and can actually see some hope of being a successful fiction writer.
My writing future is looking bright once more.

Writing

Ok, suffering from serious writer’s block at the moment. It’s so uncool. I just want to get on and continue with my story I’m currently writing. I know where I want to take it. I’m not entirely sure.
But that’s not really the point.
I don’t believe in planning stories like that. It’s very restrictive, and stunts character development, which I already know what I want to do, and how.
The problem is that while I have all these plans on how the characters will develop, and the vague outline of the story, I don’t really know how to get there.
The nuts and bolts of the story are what’s giving me the issues so to speak.
At the moment, my two main characters are stuck at the airport buying coffee, and I want to at least get them to the hotel before starting on a short story or two to enter into a couple of competitions.
But at the rate I’m going with this story, I’m not sure I’m going to get them to the hotel anytime soon.
Actually it’s just occurred to me it might be the room that I’m sitting while I’m trying to write. I don’t think I’ve ever successfully written more than a couple of paragraphs when I’ve been in the lounge room. I’ve always been more successful when I’ve written in the so called dining room (it’s supposed to be the dining room, but we don’t use it for that).
I guess I’ve just come to associate the lounge room with procrastination and the like.
So maybe I should just change my location.
Although as it is, this was just a writing exercise to help me get into the flow of writing in the hopes that it would help me with my story that I’m stuck on at the moment.

The Alternative to Centre Link

Well, now I’m super excited about a job.
This is rare. Since the sole reason why I want a job is so I no longer have to rely on fucking Centre Link. That is it.
I mean, if I could get paid and not work I’d be happy.
Well, I guess that’s how I am now. But I have to put up with Centre Link’s shit, and jump through hoops for my money.
I don’t want to jump through hoops for my money!
I’d rather work for my money!
Yeah, that’s right. I said it. I said that I’d rather work for my money instead of relying on Centre Link.
Shocking, ain’t it?
No. Not really actually.
Most of Australia would agree with me on this.
But the job that has got me all excited?
It’s with Westfield, and combines two of my biggest loves to create my dream job; a Westfield insider. That is basically someone who gets paid to go shopping at Westfield shops, and then write about it online. I think I have to inform the masses about some good deals I found and where I found them.
Too easy!
I just hope that I impress the Westfield people with my application.