Growing in Writing and Blogging

I started writing my novel about four months ago, my blog about 3 months. In this short time I have grown immensely, learned a lot, meant new people who have helped me become better at writing and blogging. I thank you all for helping me grow on this path, to take the right steps, and encoring me. Recently I was nominated for The Kreativ Blogger award by another blogger. I haven’t gotten it, but the fact that another blogger nominated me, and so many told me I really deserved it (even bloggers that had never been to my page, but now follow me). It is encouraging and inspiring to me. If you had asked me six months ago “Would you ever blog?” I would have said “No way, I can’t do that. I’m not good enough for that, I don’t even have the skills.” But here I am blogging away.

My journey to becoming a write has not exactly been an easy one, but I knew it wouldn’t be. Going into this I knew I had a lot to learn, to discover, and that I would grow. I have come much further then I though I would in just four months. When I started my first chapter was an information dump, I thought the reader needed to know what I wrote down and needed it fast so I could get to the real story. Not that it was bad, just the wrong approach. I was wrong, plain and simple. After some very good advice I completely scraped the chapter and started my novel from the begining. Every time I learned something new I went back and made changes, making my work that much better. In tern this knowledge I gained in writing changed the way I blogged, I would say even the way I think a bit as well. So in just four months through online searches, online writers groups, and my blog I have become a different person in a seance, a different writer. I am not a conceded person, but I am proud of my self, of my progress in such a limited time. I know there is more out there for me to discover, learn, and adapt, when you stop learning you have stopped completely. My point being, there is always something out there to encounter, a new way of thinking, of doing, of growing. There is no limit to personal growth, take advantage of the immense amount of information out there, the connections that can be made.

To further share what I have learned I would like to share part of my new first chapter. I have spent a lot of time going over it again and again, but I still have three more chapters to fix with my new found knowledge.

An excerpt from chapter one of Helix (The war begins):

“You are right Jessie, as usual. What do you want to do when this joke is over?” Just as I say the words I am interrupted by something familiar feeling. A rough and hard signature, like its owner. “Jessie, it’s Rex.”

“I could tell by that look. Where is he?” Jessie asked me as she spins around to see if he is near. But I haven’t pinpointed him yet.

In silence and darkness I search for him. Rex is a trouble maker. A bully using his powers to pick on normal people and weaker mutants. He and I don’t get along very well to say the least. He wants me to be with him, but I don’t get it. Rex is one of my uncle‘s pets, but he has trouble controlling him. He is definitely my uncle’s most powerful and unpredictable fighter.

“I found him, He is about seventy feet back and to the left of me. Give or take… In between two buildings I think… There are two other guys with him, and two girls… The girls are human Jessie. We have to stop him.” Close to her ear, as quiet as I can I whisper all this. No need to alarm any one when I can handle it quietly. Rex really should know better by now though.

“Ready?” Jessie whispers so softly I didn’t even hear her, but her lips said it for her.

“Lets go.” we walk slowly in his direction. The closer I get to him the stronger his signal. Turning the corner he can see us coming down the darkened ally way. My hands glowing hot with anger. His palms are pressed flat on the building in front of him, trapping one of the human girls. The other two are shoving the petite one back and forth, taking terns groping her body. Her clothing tares as she struggles against them. Rex looks right at me, locking his eyes to mine. A smile slowly spreads on his face as he raps one hand around the girl’s neck. I push a wave of energy in there direction, but he ignores my warning. The other two freeze and the girl stumbles back from her attackers. She just stands there awkwardly waiting for her friend. Watching with tears in her eyes. Rex squeezes tighter on the teen’s fragile flesh, his smile growing ever wider. Pounding my feet against the pavement gaining momentum I land on his back with a jolting thud.

The flesh of his chest gives and then hardens resisting the press of my legs. His skin is rough against my arm, scraping on its way around his neck, pulling his head back. I slide my right hand on to his face, letting the heat flow from every pore of my palm. Struggling to control the heat of my body, concentrating on just that one point.

“You want to tell me what you think you are doing. Let go of the girl.”

“Do you know what you are doing, you aren’t commander yet. Maybe you never will be.”

I jerk my arm that’s rapped tightly around his neck, with little effect. His rock hard exterior won’t give to my feminine stature. My blazing core pores out my body, heat rising from every inch of skin. Slowly he lets go of the girl. I won’t let go of him just yet, I’m not through with him.

“So you think you can threaten me. You don’t stand a chance against me. Now answer. what gives you the right to pick on humans?” His skin is turning red under my hot flesh. His muscles tense, jaw locking in his cry of pain.

The heat in my body is pulsing, wavering. I can’t keep it up much longer. Fire is one of the harder powers to control, it’s different for each individual. Now that I can manifest it I can learn to control it. But that’s not helping me now. “There will be a time for this my beautiful and deadly woman, but today is not the day.” He said with such lust in is voice, a chill ran down my spine in disgust.

I propel my self off his back to stand in front of him. To close, close enough to smell his rancid breath. “I suggest you and you’re scum lackeys go back to you’re master and leave the humans alone.”

“One day sexy, you and I will see who is stronger. When that day comes you will change your mind and be with me.” I barley have time to move as he leans in to kiss me.

Planting his face in the cement wall clutching a handful of his long greasy black hair, I whisper in his ear. “Don’t think for one moment you can touch me in passion. The only way you will feel my skin is as I burn yours. I will never love you.”

I toss his head as I release him. His nose drips red from the force of my blow. Yet lust covers his face, eyes aflame with passion. As much as I hate the thought I would rather have him lust after me then want to kill me. Even if my uncle where to order him to, I don’t think he would have the hart.

The girls are long gone by this point. I saunter in Jessie’s direction, snatching up my bag I dropped when I bounded toward Rex. He is still just standing there, blood dripping to the ground. His lackeys shake as they reach to help him. The air cracks with his fist and they fall. He watches me leave in silence.

“Always impressive Sora. I can’t believe you can move like that, you have been training very hard. After you give a demonstration for the council your position will be written in stone. Not even your uncle will be able to sway there minds. Are you sure Rex hasn’t told him of your strengths?” she gives me a uneasy smile, she fears for me, for my plans.

“He may have, but I don’t think so. My uncle hasn’t shown any sines of knowing. Rex wants me for himself, he wouldn’t jeopardize his courting me for even my uncle. It plays in our favor. After tomorrow it won’t mater any way.” Stuffing my hands in my pockets we walk out of the narrow space. My skin still cooling.

It was once told that a war would come lead by a man of grate strength and evil, he will seek to destroy all humans and any mutants that dare appose him. He would spread his evil over the new world. As commander it will be me standing in his way, as soon as we find out the who, and when part. This grate evil could be Rex, but there are several other people in Helix that it could be, not to mention all the other colonies. But for now my training must continue, I have to get stronger.

Full of possibilities

So today I will talk about my book. After I joined this cool site for writers http://www.mywriterscircle.com/ , I posted my first chapter to get feedback from other writers. After that it was apparent I needed to change my first chapter completely. Don’t get me wrong, it had some really good parts in it, parts I will add in here and there. I find the feed back helps me look at my work with a different perspective, and I love that. My first chapter was all tell and no show and no dialogue at all. Now it is much better, I like my new first chapter, and the new direction it is taking my novel. Now I’m fixing my next three chapters and tossing most of my 5th chapter. Before I was stuck, not able to write a single thing. Now I can write as I see all the possibilities for my character unfold.  I am inspired to create, my muse has returned and she is pushing me full speed ahead. I have a great idea for my next painting to, after my commission. I may use this painting as the cover for my book. The painting is going to be a fallen angle, and I was thinking that in my book after taping into her full power she gets wings but only when she taps into this power. It is a ruff idea but I think a good one. I thought I would share my new chapter with all my readers and friends so heir we go. please excuse my spelling and grammar problems, I have someone to fix that when I am all done. I would love to hear what all of you think of my new chapter.

Chapter one

My name is Sora, I was born the day the doors opened. My birthday goes unnoticed every year except by one person, my best friend Jessie, which is fine with me. I have a hard time understanding the importance of birthday celebrations, it’s only the passing of another year. This year I turn 18, no matter what happens I know I have a job to do. Take  my father’s place and lead our kind into battle for the future of all.  my uncle has kept my position until now, but he will pay for everything he has done.

A light tap on my shoulder, its Jessie. She raps her arms around my waist, I’m a lot taller then she is, she knows I’m in a bad mood. Jessie is a healer, a empath, she can read me like an open book. “Whats wrong, today is a happy day you should be smiling.”

“Thinking about my birthday, I’ll be taking over Helix from my uncle, it should have bin my father.”  My stomach terns as the music starts, and the leader of our fine city starts his speech.

This week is the festival that is thrown every year in celebration of the day the door opened, the day our thousand year imprisonment underground ended, The day I was born.   Washington city square is packed, we call it Washington city because Washington is the name on the door, the only word at all on the door. The door was everything for a long time to the people of this city. Jessie and I are siting on the stachu in the middle of the square, “with hard work and hope in our hearts we will make it through the darkness to the light.” these very words are carved in the base of the statue. Its a large willow tree, sleeping beneath its branches is a family and their two pets. The children are somber, looking more dead then sleeping, unaware of their fates. The mother and father hold them tight as they gaze into each other’s eyes, scared and yet sad. Maybe for the uncertain life ahead, knowing they would never see the sun again. The cat is curled up on the little girls lap, her hand gently laid on it’s back. The dog is curled up at his masters feet, but his head is up and ears perked, he is alert waiting for something coming out of the shadows. most people love the statue “its a cymbal of hope” they would say. To me its like a grave marker, dedicated to the world they killed. I find it to be sad, a reminder of how human kind drove themselves underground and shattered the world as they knew it.

“You have that look in your eyes again.” Jessie, she knows me all to well.

“Sorry Jessie, thinking, you know.” she knows everything, she is the only one I have trusted seance my fathers death.

“Was it about you’re uncle? We have time for that, lets just have a good time today.”

“You are right Jessie, what do you want to do when this is over?” At this point I feel a fourmilier feeling. “Rex, what is he up to now.”

“where is he?” Jessie asked me, but I haven’t pinpointed him yet.

Rex is a trouble maker, being mutants there are people who still don’t except us and he is a prime example why. He is a bully, uses his powers to pick on normal people and weaker mutants. He and I don’t get along, he doesn’t think I deserve the title of commander, but wants me to be with him, I don’t get it. My father held the position until his death, my uncle has held it until I could take over on my 18th birthday. Rex, my uncle’s pet, what are you up to?

“I found him, He is about seventy feet back and to the left of me. There are two other guys with him, and two girls. The girls are human.” I whisper all of this to Jessie. I’m taking just a moment to build up energy, just in case. He should know better by now.

“Ready?” Jessie whispers even softer then I had.

“Lets go.” we walk in his direction.

He can see us coming, looking right at me he smiles and raps his hand around one of the girl’s neck. I send out a pulse of energy as a warning and he tightened his grip. Picking up my pace I slip behind him one arm around his throat and my legs constricting his chest. I’m lighter therefore faster, and flexible two.   I take my right hand and place it on his face, I start to tern up the heat.

“You want to tell me what you think you are doing. Let go of the girl.”

“Do you know what you are doing, you aren’t commander yet, maybe never will be.” I make my grip a little tighter and he lets go of the girl, I won’t let go yet though.

“So you think you can threaten me. You don’t stand a chance against me.” His skin is turning red under my hand, soon I will burn his flesh to the point of scaring, right now it’s like a sun burn.

“There will be a time for that my beautiful and deadly woman.” He said with such lust in is voice a chill ran down my spine in disgust.   Removing my hand I flip off of his back with my hands on his shoulders to stand in front of him.

“I suggest you and you’re scum lackeys go back to you’re master and leave the humans alone.”

“One day sexy, you and I will see who is stronger.”

The girls are long gone by this point. That Rex is disgusting and a pig, He hates humans. I can’t stand to be around him, and I swear he picks some of these fights with me. I have never done a thing to make him think I feel any thing but contempt for him, still he thinks we have some kind of chemistry.

“Always impressive Sora. I can’t believe you can move like that, you must be our most skilled and capable leader. I will be proud to serve under you.” I hug her tight, she makes me feel better when I’m down. But at moments like this I know I can do it, I am capable, and I will win the war that’s coming. It was my three times grate grandfather that had a vision about the future, and formed Helix in response. It has bin told that a war would come lead by a man of grate strength and evil, he will seek to destroy all humans and any mutants that dare appose him. He will spread his evil over the new world. As commander it will be me standing in his way, as soon as we find out the who, what, and when part.

“Still want to go and do something Jessie?”

“Yeah. What do you have in mind”

“Dinner maybe.” We walk off before the gathering is over, but I have had enough, to tell the truth I don’t care and I’m ready to eat.   As we walk I feel something strange, someone I don’t know. What is that, I don’t recognize that energy signicher, its out of place here. It’s gone, just like that? Did they hide their energy, no one has bin able to do that with me. All I got was the person is strong, very strong. I will have to keep a look out for who ever that was.