so much writing

Me write like crazy woman.  Yep.  I guess I'm unblocked.  I think the stress of big project deadlines looming was causing the blockage.  And the fact that I was stuck on the sg1friendathon  story for so long.  Once I got that sorted out I was able to start writing again.  I also decided to just not do het_bigbang .  I like the story idea I have but since it took so long to figure it out I won't have time to write it (9k words are do tomorrow and I still have zero).  I mean I could probably write the story if I really pushed myself but not in the mood now.  Sad.  Maybe I can expand it and use it for NaNo but then I had that Easter Island adventure that I wanted to use.  It needs research, though.  I'll have to think about that one.

Anyway, the last few nights I've been writing, writing, writing.  I even got some writing done during the day with the radio playing AND the kids going crazy.  That's unusual.  I really have to be in a zone to write with all the noise.  I love that.  

I've finished several projects including one where I had to cut words out of an already written story.  If you read my journal you know I HATE cutting.  And this particular story was one I had issues with when I originally wrote it.  My 1st draft was like 800 words but according to the challenge it had to be within 10 words of 500.  It took me forever to cut it down to 508 (I think it was, something like that) words.  I felt like I cut so much good stuff out of it, mostly describing Jack's feelings about the situation and some set up stuff.  But the story worked as it was and still got the point across with some angst.  This time I had to cut it to 240-260 words.  Oy.  The challenge from hell, lol.  But actually it ended up being fairly easy and I learned a valuable lesson about less being more.  I think I'm going to use that with one of the stories I'm working on that's gotten kind of wordy.  Snip, snip, snip, it's going to get cut down.

So, the big stories I'm working on (because there's always a few going at once in case I get bored) right now are going pretty good.  I have like a bajillion challenges due but I'm not stressing anymore.  I'm just doing what I can, writing what my muse finds interesting.  She's not too happy with the browbeating from last week so I'm letting her have her way for awhile.  Things tend to work better that way.

One story is from the Seven Deadly Sins challenge at fictionland .  It's supposed to be like 7 little drabbles about the sins.  You know like 700-1000 words for the entire challenge.  But nooooo, I can't do that.  The story that popped into my head was much more involved than that.  I started writing it the other night and typed up what I had yesterday.  It was already over 2000 words and I didn't even get to the part about the sins, lol.  That I started writing last night in my notebook.  I hand wrote 13 more pages.  I'm not on the third sin of the story and moving quickly to the 4th.  Since this part flows more quickly I've decided to use those cutting skills on the beginning because it's the end part of this story that's important not the beginning.  Hoping to get it done tonight because it's due on Tuesday.  Yikes.  If I can't finish it in time it's not the end of the world (it's worth like 50pts, though).  It will get done and posted by the end of this week whether I make the deadline or not.  :)

The other story I worked on last night was for another fictionland  challenge.  Way back at the beginning of the phase we got this mega prompt table.  Okay, it was only 15 prompts but each story has to be 1000 words.  Prompts can be combined (up to 3 in a story) but still have to have the 1000 words per prompt.  We've had months to work on this and I'm just starting now.  Well, actually I started one last month (for the same prompt) but it turned into another adventure story that would have been too long to finish for the challenge.  So I transferred it to my "in progress, hopefully I can finish some day" pile (yes, there are actual piles).  The one I started yesterday was flowing much quicker and full of angst and Sam/Jack goodness.  Stranded fic is so easy to write.  It's done, using two prompts and I hope it's over 2000 words.  It's 1 1/2 pages typed and 3 1/2 pages written right now.  If not I'll pad it as I type it up later.

I like the set up of this story so much I'm thinking of using some of the other prompts to write a sequel because I know people will ask.  There's actually an AU challenge at stargateland  due on Saturday and I'm thinking I could use this.  Originally I was going to finish a story for my alt!reality series (the one where Jack's a major and Sam's the man, lol) but this would work and it's more fresh in my head.

All in all I wrote (by hand, mind you... running one pen completely dry) almost 17 pages last night.  That doesn't include what I wrote during the day at the computer.  Nice.  Thank you muse for cooperating.  Now it's time to type.  And edit.  Still have to edit the sg1friendathon  story.  I needed a break from it so I could see it with fresh eyes.  Can't wait to have it done and posted.  

Tonight I'm going to finish up the 7 deadly sins story, work on one of the Homesick stories for fictionland  (might be one of the sequels to the fic I just wrote), start hopefully the AU fic (another sequel) and hopefully get to 1 or 2 of the prompts from the table.  I won't finish all that but I hope to at least start them so I have an idea of where I'm going.  All of this stuff is due this week, lol.  It won't all get done but all these story ideas are knocking around in my head and need to be written.

Somehow I'm maintaining the house in a somewhat tidy fashion.  And I managed to do all the laundry (just have 1 more load of my clothes and the towels to do).

( real life family stuff... you don't have to read )

In conclusion: expect to see a bunch of stories from me in the next couple of weeks because I'm on a roll now.

recipe: chicken alfredo with red bell peppers

So last night I had to come up with something for dinner for me and hubby.  Well, mostly for me.  I made boxed mac & cheese for the kids but I'm watching what I eat and even made with light margarine and skim milk it's too fattening for me.  So I rummaged through our limited supplies (fridge/freezer is looking kind of empty again) and came up with this:

( the recipe and more rambling )

six sentences on sunday

Wow, just realized I haven't done a six sentences on Sunday since early July.  I haven't done much writing so I just didn't feel like posting it with just one story.  So this one will have everything I've published/worked on since in the last month.

~*~Each Sunday, post six sentences from a writing project -- published, submitted, in progress, for your cat -- whatever.~*~

Finished:
(from Deepest Desires)

Jack swallows hard. His shallow breathing is loud in his ears. In the mirror the reflected Carter slides off his jacket and begins to work at his shirt. The bizarreness of the situation makes his head spin but he can't seem to tear his eyes from them.

Jack very clearly sees Carter mouth, "I love you," and his heart stops. He can't move—can't breathe—as he watches his reflection sweep the woman into his arms and nuzzle her neck.

(from To Carry On)

"What purpose will it serve if you also do not survive this attack?"

"Jack, SG-3 is pinned down on the other ridge. We have to go help them."

"We must continue to fight." Teal'c rises. Daniel follows.

(from Seeing Past the Red)

Carter takes a deep breath. "Sir, what you did in the past... is in the past. That's not who you are; it's what you did."

"Is there really a difference?"

"I think so. In the time I've known you you've never done anything to hurt anyone if you could help it."

(from Don't Drink the Wine)

"That's what she said."

Sam busted out laughing again, Vala and Mitchell joining her after a few seconds. Even Teal'c chuckled. Daniel was sure of it. "How long have you been waiting to use that line?" Sam asked Mitchell.

(from There's a Reason)

"Oh boy, time to go."

"Remember this is why you continued General Hammond's ban on prank wars—there's always payback."

"Indeed."

"Yeah, but I'll be in Washington in the next few hours."

"I don't doubt Sam could pull something off before you leave. This is Sam Carter we're talking about."

"Awhile."

(from In the Dark)

"Carter? That was a joke. It was a line from some dumb TV show I watched last night."

"…"

"Carter? Come on, I'm sorry.

(from Because)

"I'm just saying, think of how you would feel if something happened and you never told him."

"Daniel-"

"Think about it."

"I already have... too many times."

"Then tell him. He needs to know and you need to say it."

(from Ashes of Tulsa--not published yet)

The wind suddenly shifts, a cool breeze blowing in from the north. Daniel shivers but then he feels the warming rays of the sun on his back. He cups a hand over his eyes and peers up at his first glimpse of blue sky in weeks. The air around them clears as the wind pushes the ash in the other direction. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, his face turned up to the sun.

Jack looks around with a huge grin plastered on his dirt streaked face.

(from Making the Best of It--not published yet)

She pulled a face then rolled her eyes.  "There's only one bed."

Jack felt his own face flush.  "You noticed that, too."  He turned to stare at the crumbling chimney on the rear of the house.  "Well, since I am a colonel..."

In Progress:
(from untitled Jack/Sam, Daniel/Vala fic)

Jack turned his glare at Teal'c saving Daniel from having to wipe the growing smirk from his face. Teal'c was quite observant.

"What he said."

After a moment Jack seemed to deflate. He sighed, turning his bottle around and around in his hands. "I really didn't think it would be this hard."

(from untitled Jack/Sam story)

Daniel sighs. "About Sam. And Pete. The wedding."

"What about it." Another gulp and the bottle is tossed into the pile next to his him, other empties rolling with a clinking sound under the chair and across the deck.

(from untitled apoca!fic)

"She is well, O'Neill."

"Well, she was last we saw her." Teal'c frowns at Daniel who quickly adds, "I mean we dropped her off just after we rescued her. They had some technical thing for her to look at."

"Who?"

"The Tok'ra," says a familiar voice from the doorway.

(from untitled teamy fic)

Jack clapped his hands and pointed at Sam.  "I like her, she has good ideas."  He pushed past Daniel into the hall and headed for his bedroom.  "And she doesn't nag," he called from behind the door.

Daniel rubbed at his eyes.  "You're not helping."