I'm baaaack.
Well, ish. I haven't done much editing in the past month, but I did promise previews, and I haven't updated you all in the past month, so I figured it was time to actually get going and post something. But first, a story :)
I went in about a month ago to have a meeting with one of the higher-ups at my school. Well, not necessarily in the entire school, but someone important for my career. She is the head of the Pediatrics residency program at my school. Anyway, she agreed to write me a letter of recommendation, and wanted to have a meeting to get to know me a little better outside of the clinical setting. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went in, but at some point during this grilling exercise, I mentioned that I wrote. And then proceeded to tell her about the two novels I've written since medical school started, Hidden Souls and Found. She was so impressed that I think they're going to be talked about in my letter of recommendation. Which means I should really figure out what I'm going to say about my novels before I start interviews in October...
Anywho, here's today's excerpt:
~*~
The overlook was empty, and the city below was just starting to come alive, the sounds of traffic becoming progressively louder in the distance. She sat down, dangling her feet over the edge of the cliff.
“Would you be careful!?” Michael demanded behind her.
“Afraid of heights? It's not like I can fall and die in this form.”
“You don't know that. You haven't exactly tested the limits of your abilities, have you?”
Sophia rolled her eyes and stood. “I supposed not. And that's one experiment I really don't care to try.” She walked over and sat on an exposed tree root a little further away the cliff.
~*~
A short teaser, I admit, but I don't want to give away too much about the plot, especially when I haven't exactly figured out how I want to edit the ending of this monster.
Still hoping to be done by the end of September. I'm on a really easy rotation next month, so here's hoping :)
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Keep on Keeping On
I have not dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm actually quite busy from a writing perspective. I'm working on editing Hidden Souls, which is proving to be even more difficult than I anticipated. But, I'm currently 80 pages into it, which I think is the furthest I've gotten really doing editing. I mean, I made it all the way through Meira's Journey, but that wasn't fixing the story, just doing writing edits.
But I've changed the direction of the story so much that the rest of the manuscript is going to be a bear to get through. I have to figure out which scenes to cut, and which to just modify. With any luck, I'll be done by the end of September. I'm currently without Internet, else I'd pose teasers, but that's a bit more difficult when my edits don't sync up to Dropbox. I should be getting it within the next couple weeks, though, so look forward to that.
Wish me luck!
But I've changed the direction of the story so much that the rest of the manuscript is going to be a bear to get through. I have to figure out which scenes to cut, and which to just modify. With any luck, I'll be done by the end of September. I'm currently without Internet, else I'd pose teasers, but that's a bit more difficult when my edits don't sync up to Dropbox. I should be getting it within the next couple weeks, though, so look forward to that.
Wish me luck!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Free Write
In an effort to get back to writing, I'm starting a new feature. We'll see how long this one lasts. Essentially, it's a challenge piece. Find a picture on Flickr, and write about it. No editing, no saving, nothing. Just free writing in the blog itself. It shall be tagged 'Unscripted'. This was the challenge for many of the challenges I took part in, and I always found it interesting. Plus, it brings interest to some awesome photography.
Today's image
A picture taken in the 'Rain Room' of the Museum of Modern Art. Might just have to visit it someday.
A drop fell on the edge of the windowsill, signalling the start of the storm. The sky flashed, then let out a low rumble. The girl sighed, glancing up from the cradle of her arms. Another day stuck inside. She thought there might have been a reprieve this morning, when the clouds briefly broke and the sun shone onto the hard asphalt. But, sure enough, by lunchtime, the clouds had canvased the sky once again and darkened to an eerie gray.
It had been like this for days. Cabin fever was starting to set in, especially now that school was out for the summer, but it was a strange sort of fever. Not just restless, but dreary. As if their souls were slowly being sucked out, and they couldn't figure out what was happening. Even the delinquents had taken to their homes. The girl shook her head. Or perhaps it was just her imagination getting to her again.
She blew her bangs out of her eyes and straightened, turning her neck to work out the tension that had developed there. Another drop fell onto the windowsill, then another, and another, until the sky opened up and rain fell in sheets over the rows of apartment buildings. Sighing, she gripped the window pane and leaned forward to push the paint crusted window closed. Just as she was about to unstick it, she noted a figure on the street below. Frowning, she stuck her head out the window to get a better look. The streetlight reflected off the streams forming in the street, casting a strange glow around the figure. She squinted to try to make out the figures features and two more figures appeared, as if out of thin air. They stood unmoving, getting drenched in the pouring rain. The girl pursed her lips and shimmied her way out of the window onto the fire escape, then slowly made her way down the rusty ladders, always keeping her eye on the figures. As she got closer, the figures turned towards her. She slowed her pace, gripping the iron so tightly her knuckled paled under the strain.
"Who are you?"
One of the figures cocked her head to the side, and two more stepped out of the shadows to join the ranks. "There is no need to be afraid."
"You didn't answer my question."
The figure tilted her face towards the streetlight, allowing the girl a glimpse of her features. The girl gasped and slid down the rest of the ladder, paying no need to the flecks of old paint that scratched her skin.
"Julia!" The girl exclaimed, running and engulfing the figure in a bear hug. "Where have you been? What are you doing out here? You're no safe out here... the storm's only going to get worse!"
Julia patted her friend on the back and pushed her out to arm's length. "Don't worry. The storm won't affect us. You should get back inside now."
The girl shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I'm not leaving you again."
Julia sighed and grasped the girl's shoulders with both hands. "Kandace, it is not safe here for you. You must--"
Her words were cut off by a flash of lightening, followed almost immediately by a boom of thunder, so loud it nearly knocked Kandace over. "Go! Now!" Julia ordered, facing the length of the street.
Kandace shook her head and looked down the street. Another group was forming, but instead of nearly blending into the downpour, they stood out like neon signs, glowing an unworldly orange. Kandace opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. Taking a deep breath, she swiped the water from her eyes and watched as the orange group got larger.
"Kandace, now. Get back inside your home."
"Whatever you've gotten yourself into now, Julia, I'm not leaving."
"Let the girl stay. It's clear she isn't going to shut up until she does," a man called from behind them.
Julia pressed her lips into a thin line, her fist clenching in anger. "Fine, you can stay," she muttered through clenched teeth. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
@~`~~
That'll do for tonight, methinks. Got some interesting ideas floating around now. Who knows, maybe this will be my next NaNo project :)
Today's image
A picture taken in the 'Rain Room' of the Museum of Modern Art. Might just have to visit it someday.
A drop fell on the edge of the windowsill, signalling the start of the storm. The sky flashed, then let out a low rumble. The girl sighed, glancing up from the cradle of her arms. Another day stuck inside. She thought there might have been a reprieve this morning, when the clouds briefly broke and the sun shone onto the hard asphalt. But, sure enough, by lunchtime, the clouds had canvased the sky once again and darkened to an eerie gray.
It had been like this for days. Cabin fever was starting to set in, especially now that school was out for the summer, but it was a strange sort of fever. Not just restless, but dreary. As if their souls were slowly being sucked out, and they couldn't figure out what was happening. Even the delinquents had taken to their homes. The girl shook her head. Or perhaps it was just her imagination getting to her again.
She blew her bangs out of her eyes and straightened, turning her neck to work out the tension that had developed there. Another drop fell onto the windowsill, then another, and another, until the sky opened up and rain fell in sheets over the rows of apartment buildings. Sighing, she gripped the window pane and leaned forward to push the paint crusted window closed. Just as she was about to unstick it, she noted a figure on the street below. Frowning, she stuck her head out the window to get a better look. The streetlight reflected off the streams forming in the street, casting a strange glow around the figure. She squinted to try to make out the figures features and two more figures appeared, as if out of thin air. They stood unmoving, getting drenched in the pouring rain. The girl pursed her lips and shimmied her way out of the window onto the fire escape, then slowly made her way down the rusty ladders, always keeping her eye on the figures. As she got closer, the figures turned towards her. She slowed her pace, gripping the iron so tightly her knuckled paled under the strain.
"Who are you?"
One of the figures cocked her head to the side, and two more stepped out of the shadows to join the ranks. "There is no need to be afraid."
"You didn't answer my question."
The figure tilted her face towards the streetlight, allowing the girl a glimpse of her features. The girl gasped and slid down the rest of the ladder, paying no need to the flecks of old paint that scratched her skin.
"Julia!" The girl exclaimed, running and engulfing the figure in a bear hug. "Where have you been? What are you doing out here? You're no safe out here... the storm's only going to get worse!"
Julia patted her friend on the back and pushed her out to arm's length. "Don't worry. The storm won't affect us. You should get back inside now."
The girl shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I'm not leaving you again."
Julia sighed and grasped the girl's shoulders with both hands. "Kandace, it is not safe here for you. You must--"
Her words were cut off by a flash of lightening, followed almost immediately by a boom of thunder, so loud it nearly knocked Kandace over. "Go! Now!" Julia ordered, facing the length of the street.
Kandace shook her head and looked down the street. Another group was forming, but instead of nearly blending into the downpour, they stood out like neon signs, glowing an unworldly orange. Kandace opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. Taking a deep breath, she swiped the water from her eyes and watched as the orange group got larger.
"Kandace, now. Get back inside your home."
"Whatever you've gotten yourself into now, Julia, I'm not leaving."
"Let the girl stay. It's clear she isn't going to shut up until she does," a man called from behind them.
Julia pressed her lips into a thin line, her fist clenching in anger. "Fine, you can stay," she muttered through clenched teeth. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
@~`~~
That'll do for tonight, methinks. Got some interesting ideas floating around now. Who knows, maybe this will be my next NaNo project :)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Personal Statement
This, I'm sorry to say, has absolutely nothing to do with fiction. I know I'm way behind on doing anything remotely related to my creative writing, but I blame school. I've had more time recently to do stuff, but I've also been trying to study for the second biggest exam of medical school. Only a couple more of these things and I'll actually be able to practice medicine.
Anyway, I'm working on my application for residency. Getting letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement...
Stop there for a moment. Personal statements. The free-flowing words that's supposed to describe absolutely everything you want to convey to an admissions committee. Or in my case, a residency director. For medical school, the whole point of the essay was to describe why I wanted to be a physician. Easy enough, once I got started. Now, I'm going to be a physician regardless. Maybe not licensed, if I can't land a residency, but a doctor none-the-less. So I have to start from scratch. And describe why I want to go into my specialty of choice.
It's hard. Because it's not good enough to say that I feel at home, or I'm just happier when I'm in my specialty of choice. No, I have to explain why. This essay has seriously taken up probably 30 hours of my life so far. I've written three drafts. Hopefully I'm close to the finished product now. I've submitted the most recent draft to my advisor for feedback. We'll see what she says.
A couple of my friends have said that since I'm a writer, this should be an easy task for me. Let me tell you... writing fiction and writing about yourself are two completely different things. I suck at writing about myself. I'm not too great at writing fiction either, because my language isn't very flowery, but I at least manage to get my thoughts down on the page and do a fairly good job at describing what I see in my mind's eye. Editing is what is used to refine something, not the initial writing. I'm awesome at writing rough drafts. I suck at editing.
In a couple weeks, I should have all the stuff I need for residency taken care of. At least for a little while. So when I have a week off and then head off to camp for a few weeks, I'm either going to write or edit. I'm determined to finish at least one book before I finish med school. Heaven knows I probably won't have time to write, let alone edit, one after med school's over.
Anyway, I'm working on my application for residency. Getting letters of recommendation, writing a personal statement...
Stop there for a moment. Personal statements. The free-flowing words that's supposed to describe absolutely everything you want to convey to an admissions committee. Or in my case, a residency director. For medical school, the whole point of the essay was to describe why I wanted to be a physician. Easy enough, once I got started. Now, I'm going to be a physician regardless. Maybe not licensed, if I can't land a residency, but a doctor none-the-less. So I have to start from scratch. And describe why I want to go into my specialty of choice.
It's hard. Because it's not good enough to say that I feel at home, or I'm just happier when I'm in my specialty of choice. No, I have to explain why. This essay has seriously taken up probably 30 hours of my life so far. I've written three drafts. Hopefully I'm close to the finished product now. I've submitted the most recent draft to my advisor for feedback. We'll see what she says.
A couple of my friends have said that since I'm a writer, this should be an easy task for me. Let me tell you... writing fiction and writing about yourself are two completely different things. I suck at writing about myself. I'm not too great at writing fiction either, because my language isn't very flowery, but I at least manage to get my thoughts down on the page and do a fairly good job at describing what I see in my mind's eye. Editing is what is used to refine something, not the initial writing. I'm awesome at writing rough drafts. I suck at editing.
In a couple weeks, I should have all the stuff I need for residency taken care of. At least for a little while. So when I have a week off and then head off to camp for a few weeks, I'm either going to write or edit. I'm determined to finish at least one book before I finish med school. Heaven knows I probably won't have time to write, let alone edit, one after med school's over.
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