Killing off a Character..In just under 61,600 words!

That is correct!   I have crossed two mile stones today.   First:   I wrote over 60,000 words!   YEAH!   and second:   I killed off a main character.

First let's talk about the words.   Over 60,000 words...there...done.   Ok, that was easy!

Second,  The killing off of a character.   Murder is so fun to write about....I guess.   I mean,  it seems like lots of authors do it.   Why?   Not sure.  Maybe they really really hate that character and wait for the perfect moment to off them.

Case in point:   Sara.  One of 4 characters in the book.  And really one of the top two!   She is more of an antagonist in that she influences the way the narrator thinks and acts.   She was the reason he got hooked on the dragon eggs,  gave up his job,   sold his body, and began working for the dragons.  He ( the narrator)  did it all for her.  And since love is blind...(and a drug induced love is addictive, blind and DEAF!)....It makes sense that she is the major motivation  for the narrator to continue to make bad decisions.

Cheryl has been waiting forever for me to kill her off.   I guess bad women make good women hate them.   If this is the case, and the readers hate her; then I will have done my job.   I love movies where someone gets killed and the crowd CHEERS!   No one should cheer at another's misfortune...unless they deserve it.

So there it is.....Sara is dead.   Bye Sara!   Sayonara!  ( That is Japanese for "good bye forever!"  Which  apparently spell check does not know)   I liked Sara.   She was the culmination of ever bad girlfriend I have ever had.   (Which is really only one.   I was never the ladies man my brother is.)  And a whole bunch of other people I have read about or watched on TV.   She was very handy to have around whenever the narrator was about to make a "good" decision.

Perspective is everything!

Just as evil never sleeps,   Bad women doing bad things will never truly be gone forever.   I'll keep a small piece of Sara's character locked away in my character library for future reference.  Her death was satisfying.....And kind of bloody for those gore hounds out there.    ( Psst..She gets Eaten by a Dragon.....How cool is that!?! Eh?)     Perhaps I should reign it in a bit.  Being pumped about a scene of death is possibly a mark of a disturbed childhood.   And there were "moments".....My mom was crazy after all.   But Cheryl has informed me that she wanted Sara dead too...and Cheryl would not harm a fly!  (but she will kill spiders....so scary!)

This must be what Cheryl feels when she runs a 14 mile long run.   A feeling of accomplishment.   I wrote  a little over 1700 words today and I'm still feeling the buzz!  Time to unwind and maybe veg out a bit.

  I have to think about my next move for the main character.   What does he do now that the "bad influence" has been killed off?   Will he finally make a good decision or continue down that road of doom?   And how will it all work out?   OH!  So much to think about I'm getting excited.  Best to leave a little water in the well for tomorrow.    We shall see.

Writing! A Physically Risky Profession.

As I finish a productive day of writing,  I was made painfully  aware of the health hazards associated with writing.  I'm not talking about muscle atrophy or cardiovascular risk associated with a sedentary lifestyle.   I'm talking about physical disability that could cause you mental distress because you  are staking your entire future on your ability to use your fingers.

Piano players must know what I'm talking about.  Your very LIFE is based on your ability to manipulate your fingers to punch certain keys.   And so, any seemingly trivial  hand injury could cause your career to be in jeopardy.   How did I come to realize this?   Let me explain...

As a welcome distraction from writing for long periods,  I often play with the cat.   Today,  Hiro's  claw found it's way into the tendon of my index finger's knuckle.   The pain....was almost unbearable!  But the shock that my life as a writer could be over was the truly terrifying part.   If I could not write...What else could I possibly do?   Manual labor is out.  Any physical demands on the rest of my body would be unthinkable.

I could use my brain.   I DO have a rather expensive education that I'm STILL paying for.   But until someone can find a use for a Fisheries Biologist with an additional degree in  Elementary Education,  I'd be stuck teaching aquarium  maintenance to children at Petco  for $7.50 an hour.
My brain is worth more than that....Even as a case study for neurosurgeons.

Luckily,  they did not have to amputate the finger.   And I could get back to my writing after a few bouts of physical therapy and finger stretches.  I could go on and live a fruitless life as a working, unpublished author.  Cheryl knows the feeling as well.  She just got back to running, but we are back to 9 minute miles over 4 miles.  ( We added an extra mile!)   At one time we may have thought that anything sub-ten minute and any distance over 3 miles was heroic!  But now, Cheryl looks at her life as a grand culmination of wasted effort and tedium.  Ah what to do....?

On a brighter note:  I'm up to 54,929 words.   I guess I have been a writing machine as of late.  Possibly because I have neglected the blogs and focused on the story.  Maybe my newly healed finger has developed a super power.   Like Spiderman!
Only instead of clinging to buildings and shooting webs, I grow an extra hairy pair of fingers and type really, really fast.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.   The weather is supposed to be warmer over the next couple of days.  

 Cheryl will probably want to run farther and hurt herself again.   As for me,  I'll continue my pointless endeavor to chip away at a carving that will never find a home.   And learn to wear heavy leather gloves next time I play with a cat.

50,000 words! Break Out the Champagne, Or Sake in this Case.

Finally!   only 4 months late...

So,  why have I not been blogging lately?   Because I have been focused on the novel...which has finally crossed over the 50,000 words mark.  YEAH!   Does this mean I've met my goal?  Well, One of them...  Does this mean I'm done?
 Hardly.   The story has a ways to go and the entire story currently tops out at 148 pages....single spaced!  Hardly Literature length.   I'm sure I have to add at least 10,000 more words if I choose to rival Shakespeare!

Move over Will!   The Great Ethan Allen Cometh!

Ok, maybe that is a bit ambitious.   I'd settle for a publisher liking it enough to make a Twilight type series out of it.   Or Harry Potter....But let's not get too greedy.




So what is there to say?   Cheryl does not want me to read it to her and I would feel weird if I did anyway.   The story makes no sense to anyone who has not read it from the beginning, so there is no reason to try to explain it on this blog.  The only thing to note about the 50,000 word mark is the celebration over the milestone!  (Too bad I couldn't complete that number during November.)

Sushi on black?

Tuna and Salmon for me.

Finding a gift has never been easier!

And what better way to celebrate than with Sake!   Sake is great with Sushi, and Cheryl has been making all of the sushi lately...now that she has developed a certain level of expertise.   She has even purchased new plates and Origami Chopstick rests...to show off the pretty colors.   Black plates?  Sounds like the kind of wedding gift you buy for a Mortician.   (Do Morticians even get married?)  It may be odd, but it works for sushi..and that is why Cheryl loves to do the sushi making.

Fruit and salmon for Cheryl

As for me,  I still have to battle the cat while writing.   Instead of the big screen,

Check out the Origami Crane at the end!

  sometimes he watches videos on my computer directly.   I give up typing after a while because he is too close to my elbow,  but watching birds and squirrels scurry about is entertaining and a welcome break for me.

Cat attention span is short.

So it is a cold day here in Iowa.   Temps dropped from 60's back down to 20's yesterday and today.   However,  the eagles are all but gone now and we even saw a groundhog in the middle of a field.  I guess it was possible that he would come out earlier than usual.  now that the eagles have left.

But so is mine. 

Cheryl is back to running and I'm back to biking.   I'll have to see if I can keep up my contributions to the other blog as well.  Sometimes the water in the creative well is not as deep.   So I should focus on what comes naturally.

We'll run over those eagles and claim what is ours!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.   Heute ist Mittwock already?  Times sure flies when you are writing.

How to Distract/Entertain a Cat

Sunshine and Warm in Iowa

The weather outside has become increasingly awesome lately.  Today it is currently 60 degrees out!   The warms temps and sunshine pose a threat to me in several ways.  

First:  I want to be outside!   This causes me great distress when I'm supposed to be inside working on my novel.   Seeing and feeling the pleasant weather makes my comfortable writing set up feel more like a prison.  It requires all of my will power  (and lots and lots of chocolate snacks!) to not cave to the temptation.    

Cheryl plans her Distraction

Second:  Cheryl wants to be outside!    How is this a problem for me?   Well,   She wants to be outside...with me!    I can't blame her.  I want to be with myself all the time...and I am!   It's a Great feeling.   However,  I can't be in more than three places at once. Partitioning out a section of my life  for her can be a distraction when it is not the designated time.

Forget night,  what about during novel time?

Now you may be asking about the cat.   It is true that Hiro tends to bug me as much as Cheryl...sometimes even more.   However,  recently I have discovered a way to keep him occupied that does not require sacrificing a small rodent.   Behold!   The YouTube Videos  FOR cats!  

The Answer!  Cats love videos..in HD

Did you know they make videos simply to entertain your cats?    Just when I thought YouTube only made videos OF cats FOR people!  Hiro loves these things.   Now he can sit and become the couch potato  Cheryl always wanted without bothering me.  We can finally eat a peaceful dinner without Hiro meowing like a crazy person.   The down side is that I have to have the Television plugged into my computer for the videos to work. 

They also love birds...mostly live ones. 

  And thus,  I can't type on the same computer while Hiro is catching up on his latest bird videos.   So,  Hiro's video time is limited to any time I am not on the computer...which is seldom.   Luckily,   the nice weather has also brought the birds back to the bird feeder in the front window...so he can watch them while I punch away at the novel.  

Even with the time,  Writing can be a challenge.

Before I forget,  I'm almost to 45000 words!   I have been trying to average at least 1000 words a day.   I had a pretty good day Thursday,  But yesterday was slower.    I'm thinking the novel is going to go  a ways above the minimum of 50000 words....and that is not so bad.   I feel like it s a race against time with the scoring season ramping back up soon.   I wanted to make some serious strides before I have to dedicate 40+ hours to a scoring project.  We shall see

February in Minnesota...Yikes!

Hope it is a warm and awesome February day in your part of the world.   One of the perks of living in Iowa, ( also a possible disadvantage as well) is that you have such varied weather this early in the year.   Previous years were bitterly cold,  but now it is warm and wonderful.   In Michigan, Minnesota, and Alaska....you could pretty much guarantee sub freezing temps  up until April or May.

Being this far south seems to be growing on me.   And most old people end up migrating to Florida anyway.  Guess that seems logical.  Enjoy the day! 

Cheryl's New Tokyo Racers.

Brooks Launch Three Dragon...RAAAR!

Being confined  to a wheelchair causes runners to lash out occasionally.   For Cheryl,   the reality of being unable to run out her problems is dealt with by purchasing new shoes.    And today....they came.

Green Scales!

Brooks Shoes paired up with the Tokyo Marathon to kick out these green, scaly monsters:.   The Brooks Launch Three Dragon!   Cheryl loves them already....

Can't read Kanji, But looks COOL!

Dragons on the tongue

Note the green ( OK, chartreuse.... The perfect shade in between yellow and green.)  scales and Red Kanji on the toe;  The Dragon in the tongue and in-sole;

Aglets with Words written on them....

Dragon pictures INSIDE!

the Words on the shoe lace binder;  ( called: Aglets....Note that next time you play Trivial Pursuit.) And the way  Cheryl and the Cat both react to the new item and you will understand how Japan is able to make things that shoppers find irresistible.


With my story being about dragons,  I was bound to note the irony.  How could the price of a shoe possibly matter when it has the theme of a Dragon?  I love all things dragon,  And all things Japanese.  Cheryl's method of distraction and slight of hand worked!   I'm now  bedazzled and enchanted by the colors and embroidery, rather than the empty bank account.  Well played Cheryl...well played.

Who Wouldn't Want this?

Looks a lot like Love to ME. 

Brooks shoes do tend to be on the higher end for focused running shoes.  And although I may pretend to be dubious about the cost of quality shoes,  I have run in "cheap" shoes enough times to understand where the money goes.  It is difficult to put a price tag on comfortable running.    Running with blisters or shin splints is no matter to chuckle over.   Add in the fact that Cheryl is trying to recover from a hamstring pull and having good shoes becomes very important.

So that is all today.   I'm having a difficult time trying to write this afternoon,  so I'm procrastinating with this blog post.   Even now, I'm having difficulty trying to make the words sound right.   Maybe I should take a little break until my mind becomes unclouded.    Perhaps I can work out something on the other blog.   We shall see.

Breaking the 40000 Word Barrier!

Cheryl says I should celebrate after I pass 40,000 words.   I decided with beer!   Tonight is beer night and we are trying some new brews to see if the craft brewing industry is worthy of all the legislation that is being undone.   But before I make this posting about political intrigue....Lets talk about the good stuff....ME!

Ok,   so 40,559 words total.   I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting close.   I was just happy I was able to squeeze out 2000 words over the last two days.  Hiro,  When not bothering me with his constant "Play with Me!" meowing,  sometimes actually provides moral support in the form of a soft and cuddle cushion.

I have been contributing to the other blog.   Probably anyone who is not a runner would find it boring.   Heck!  Maybe even runners will find it boring.   I really do not say anything that is ground breaking.   And if you read this blog,  you will probably recognize several topics and discussions that sound familiar.  There was bound to be a little overlap and redundancies.

So there it is....   Over 40,000 words on the novel and I'm finding a certain level of material in the well each day.  Tonight is Beer night with some fun new flavors.    We enjoyed some Sake that was infused with Fuji Apples.   The addition of fruit flavors is intriguing,  so we decided to see how it will work with beer.   I'm sure we will at least find it interesting, if not addicting.  We shall see if we end up sampling them all.   It is a Monday, after all.   Hope everyone has a great week!

Warmer Weather Brings Out the Running Shorts in Iowa!

 45 degrees?  Break out the shorts!

All of the snow and ice is GONE!

As in Attire...not people of short stature.   The weather is topping out at 54 degrees currently here in Wellman, Iowa.   Weather like this brings out those feelings of an early spring...and what better way to celebrate than to wear your shorts on a run.

Wearing the Des Moine Marathon shirt.

Cheryl wasted no time in rummaging through her summer gear and dusting off a suitable pair of shorts.   She also saw a guy a few weeks ago who was sporting his Des Moines Marathon 13.1 Half marathon shirt...and she became so jealous.   What better way to show off her achievement than to wear the same shirt on her run this morning.

Finally!  Sunshine AND warm weather.

So we only ran a little over 3 miles.   We had a long run of 7 miles a couple of days ago,   when the weather was still pretty cold.   Cheryl felt great  about that, but later felt the old injury pain flair up again.   As a precaution,  we walked yesterday and backed off the running for today.  The problem will arise tomorrow when the awesome weather will continue and she will be forced to run another easy day.   We shall see how it goes.

Mango Banana Sushi?

Victory!  3.5 miles

In other news,   Cheryl's scoring project wrapped up an entire week earlier than expected;  giving her additional time to sit around a mope about her physical disability. I only hope that she does not bother me with her depression.   It's bad enough she is letting team Allenbrite down by not working.  But add in that she may disturb my "Ethan time" and things could get ugly.  It's bad enough that the cat refuses to leave me alone.  What do all these people want from me anyway?

Mango Raspberry?

Is this her secret to weight loss?

Luckily,  she had found a bit of an outlet in her "Sushi Experiments."   Like a Mad Scientist,  she tries to think 'outside the wrapper' to create various Sushi creations that look pretty....but may be inedible.  Case in point:  The Fruit Sushi.    Cheryl recently discovered Mango... and now the bright yellow fruit has to be on everything. Hey!  I'm just happy she did not break the Shun Knife again trying to cut through the inner pit!

Looks good,  Right?

But how do they taste?

After Mango,  She has been exploring the possibilities for Chocolate.   Now I personally feel Chocolate tastes great on EVERYTHING!   ( Even Mashed Potatoes!)

Too Much Temptation!

 But I was disappointed in just how awesome it is on a fruit-filled Sushi rice ball.  I say "disappointed" because I will ultimately end up eating ALL OF THEM!   This form of temptation is not a welcome addition to my diet struggles.  Cheryl, on the other hand,  is at an all time low of 99 lbs!  She even had ICE CREAM today!   I guess you can get away with it if you run and only eat fruit and drink tea all day long.

So that is all.   Wish me luck as I attempt to continue my writing with an annoying Cat and Wife that demand play time and affection from me.   What about ME?   What about MY needs?  Perhaps I can buy a live mouse and a treadmill to distract them for a few hours while I work out the kinks in the story...or blog....I forgot about the other blog!   Better hop too!