Incommunicado: Part 2

 The username was 'scar22' was somewhat ambiguous, much to Tina's frustration. She resorted to entitling her message 'To a person in need' and merely addressed the mystery person as 'friend'. She kept the message short and simple, not wanting to impose upon a delicate issue;

Dear Friend,

I noticed your profile and wondered if you fancied a chat?

From Tina.

 Tina hit send and silently prayed for a reply. Of course, it would be nice to help in any way she could, but part of her now regretted getting herself involved. I'm in no way qualified! What if I just make things worse? Sighing, she checked her inbox for an early response, but finding it empty, she resigned herself to log off and power down the laptop. She got up to stretch her legs and rub her back; that was the downside to computers, the achiness from sitting in one place for so long. Technically, she should be used to being in the same place all of the time, but Tina liked to keep herself active and busy. Her parents had, quite sympathetically, installed a 'home gym' in the loft; there was a treadmill, crosstrainer and a couple of weight sets; all of which she used daily. I'm not using my fear as an excuse to become unfit. Her bedroom was filled with shelf after shelf of books and educational material- she had been home-schooled- and DVDs, which she watched on her laptop. Her film tastes were very particular; she would only watch those that involved little outdoor scenes or small casts. If she had to name her favourite it would have to be Panic Room, though she was partial to any Sci-Fi that was set on a spaceship. I would in my element on a spaceship. I wouldn't be 'weird' for staying indoors. . .because there's no outdoors. Though, I suppose I would be paranoid about getting sucked out into space in some freak accident. 

 "Tina! Lucy!" Her mum shouted up the stairs. "Your dinner's ready!"

 Is it that time already?!

"Coming, Mum!"

 Tina slouched down the staircase and into the dining room, the aroma of slow-roasted beef and vegetables filled her nostrils and made her stomach growl in hunger. Her dad was already at the table, hidden behind todays newspaper; but she could tell it was him by the rolled up shirt sleeves and the knock-off watch. "Hi, Dad."

 "Hmmm-hmm." Was his reply, lost in some article about another person's life. Nice to see you too, Dad, she thought at him. He seemed to her, as he shut the paper and looked straight at her, "Sorry, T. Hello. How was your day?"

"Same as. Yours?"

"Same as, T, same as. . ."

"Will you two cheer up! You both sound as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders!" Her mum scolded, as she carried the plates through from the kitchen. "Tina, help me with these, will you? Where's Lucy?"

 Tina leapt forward and took the plates, setting them down on the table, one in front of each place, and set the cutlery accordingly around them. Lucy flounced into the room; casting Tina a wary look, and took a seat opposite her. Dinner was exactly how it smelt; a juicy roast beef joint with all the trimmings. As usual, Tina's mother had cooked enough to feed a small army, even after second helping from all four of them, so tomorrow's lunch was bound to be beef sandwiches. Again. What a surprise.

 Feeling her mood darken, Tina excused herself, thanking her mum for the meal and leaving Lucy to help with the dishes- afterall, she had set the table. Reaching her bedroom, she opened the door and shut it behind her, the relief of privacy rushing over her. I must be getting worse if I'm getting this way with my family. This must of been how her agoraphobia had started; the desparate urge to be completely alone, then the fear of strangers- how they looked at her, how they towered over her- and then how small and vunerable the outdoors made her feel. The palms of her hands begun to feel clamy, so she turned her laptop back on to clear her head. Other people's problems are a welcome distraction. 

 Tina typed in the web address for 'CompromiseChat' and waited for the page to load. Logging in, she felt her heart leap to see she had a new inbox message and hurriedly clicked into it.

Tina,

Thanks for your message. I don't know what to chat about.

Zac

Tina read the message a couple of times, trying to pick up on any underlying emotion. So his name is Zac. Hi Zac. . .I'm going to fix you. Or at least try.

 She hit 'reply' and typed.

Dear Zac,

Messaging is too slow. I'm online everyday between 2pm and 5pm and then 6pm while 9pm. Catch me?

Tina.

Pleased, Tina moved onto browse the forums, commenting on a few and reflecting on her own issues. I suppose I'm not as bad as some people are. She was just about to log out again and get ready for bed when the Instant Chat pinged and a window popped up:

scar22:- Hi Tina. What do you want?

Jamie's Poem, The Couple!

Here's a poem I wrote for my fiance, Jamie's birthday. Sorry if it's a bit personal, but I hope you enjoy! Mily.

The Couple

A cradle dear,
Of warm allure,
Comfort in his arms.
A haven here,
Most safe and secure.
To forget all my qualms.

Burnt umber pools,
In which I swim,
Sleeping in the ink.
A soft whisper,
Upon my ear,
That pleasure to which I sink.

Forever his,
And he mine,
Our love, it holds us close.
A true man,
And a lucky girl.
The thistle and the rose.

Short Story: Incommunicado, Part 1

So I'm starting a short story to break up writing the trilogy. I think I'm gunna post a bit now and again online, so watch out for the next part! :)




The rain poured down onto the village of Garton. It pattered off the roofs of the brick houses, giving the grey tiles a wet sheen. Tina sighed and watched the droplets run down her bedroom window, longing to be outside. It was days like today that Tina hated her life the most; at heart she was a fun-loving, adventurous, normal teenager. . .but her mind held her heart a prisoner. When the weather was glorious and the sun beat down in a hot yellow hue, she could at least imagine herself as a sociable person, taking trips to the beach with friends that didn't really exist or going shopping with her sister.
 Sadly, Tina could never make her fantasies happen. She suffered terribly from acute agoraphobia, and had therefore been house-bound for most of her life. Never did a foot cross the threshold of her parent's semi-detached house, not even for all the treasures in the world could she be coaxed. Tina had no idea why she had this problem, all she knew was the thought of abandoning the safety of her home and entering so much openness made her sick to the stomach; and any attempt left her in a sweaty, shaking mess. This had not always been the case, as she could remember, vaguely, shopping on Garton high street with her mother when she was little, skipping freely alongside her sister's pram. Then the fear came, and memories turned into nightmares; twisted faces of strange people and burning buildings.
 Tina shuddered and turned away from the window, forcing the image out of her head. She slumped onto her bed, pulling her laptop in front of her crossed legs and powered it up. As the fans begun to whir, she heard the front door open and slam shut, then the rapid sound of footsteps on the staircase. Here we go again. Her little sister, Lucy, burst through her bedroom door, panting from running and soaking wet. Her long blonde hair was plastered to her cheeks, which were a rosy red, and water dripped from her body onto the carpet.
 "It's crazy out there!" Lucy puffed, "I'm drenched!"
 Tina snorted, "Crazy like me, you mean." She hated the term 'crazy'.
 "Oh." Lucy rolled her eyes, "You're in one of those moods." She spun on her heel and squelched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
 I suppose that was a bit too mean.
 Tina shrugged to herself and went back to her laptop, which was now flashing software update advice at her. Ignoring it, she opened an internet browser and went about her daily rounds of the online phobia forums. Her favourite was 'CompromiseChat'. The people on there were the least judgmental and were always so welcoming in a non-condescending way. Other forums were littered with wannabe therapists and immature 'normal' people throwing abuse about for their idea of fun.
 She responded to a couple of posts; one was a girl who must of been about her own age, who was terrified of being touched by strangers; and an older gentleman who hated crowds. Their fears were different to her own, but she could certainly sympathise. Tina told them both to start a diary, and write down every moment their phobias kicked in and how they felt. It was probably rubbish advice, but that's what her therapist had told her to do. Tina looked over at her diary, sat smugly between Little Women and Great Expectations on her bookshelf. It was empty. Since she hadn't tried to go outside recently, she hadn't felt scared, so didn't have anything to write in it.
 She clicked into the forum menu. There was a new post from a username she didn't recognise. Selecting the 'read' tab, Tina waited for the page to load. Nothing. The post was blank. Well that's a bit pointless. She clicked on the user avatar, taking her to the profile. It was rather plain, no picture, no details. Just a short description, under where the profile picture should be. The font was small, and it simply read: I want to die.
 Astonished, Tina hit the option to send a private message. Never had she seen such a drastic sentence on this forum, and she felt it wasn't just a cry for attention.

Synopsis

So, I think I've come up with the synopsis for the first book; let me know what you think!. . . .

"Laelin and Sarla earn the chance to change their lives, to receive an education and gain the utmost respect. But, when the two young girls accidently explore past The Restriction, and into the land beyond, their lives are turned into turmoil. . .and secrets are unveiled. Now, as women, they must fight for the truth, but will their friendship survive the battle?"



Of course, this could change a bit as the book develops, but it's what I'm aiming for right now.

Update!

Hi everyone!
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I suppose I didn't want to start being repetitive.
So I'm on chapter 3, taking my time, but it's surprising how many mistakes I still make.
I've had the first 2 chapters edited by the lovely Hazel West, who is herself a wonderful writer. You can check her works out here -->
http://hazelwest.blogspot.co.uk/
She has an upcoming book tour, so keep your eyes peeled!

I've been figuring out my world today; I realised I have plunged into everything without planning too much what's beyond the town my characters are currently in. A newbie's error I guess, but that's how I will learn!

I think the hardest part right now is names. I'm trying to invent names- people, places and other bits and bobs- so I always think what I come up with either sounds silly or stolen from other authors.

Also, in other news, I've joined Wattpad. It's pretty cool, for both readers and writers alike. Very handy for discovering new authors and hidden talent. http://www.wattpad.com/home Check it out!

That's all for now I guess :)
Stay cool!
Mily

Chatter

Hellooooo!
Ok, so I have (most likely to a lot of people's relief) run out of things to post that are book related for now. I haven't wrote a synopsis yet because I'd like to do that when I'm done writing. The synopsis that's in my head right now is jumbled and probably wouldn't make sense to anyone else!

Anyway, this is just a general post of chit chat and meaningless jabber!
Yesterday (as you may know) was the end of the olympics! I must say I'm overwhelmed with relief. They have been rammed down my throat for far too long and I became sick to the ears hearing about them. I'm not a good spectator so they were kinda my idea of hell.
Tonight (for the UK readers) is the final of Big Brother and I'm equally elated about it's finishing. . . only the celebrity version is to start the day after tomorrow! (booo) I just don't see the fascination with watching people live together for a few months. It's about the same as window peeking from someones garden bushes. There's enough conflicts in my life without having to see other people argue for the cameras.

My other peeve is 50 Shades of Grey manifesting itself into society, and how all of these poor women who have been brainwashed into thinking it's the best book to have been written! I mean, come on?! If the story was just a "men's movie" (shall we say) on the internet women would be calling out left, right and center about how it's demoralising and an exploitation of the female population! Young women (and may be hopefully not GIRLS) will read it and get an untrue impression of sex and come to the conclusion that men are this mysterious, heart-throb being and (let's be honest) there's not many like that!
. . . that sounded sexist. I'm not like that really so I do apologise. I don't think all men are *bad word*, but the one's who are overshadow the nice ones. There are women who are total *bad word* too.
Anyway, I digress. It just annoys me how the world seems to have gone down the drain.


This has turned out to be a negative post! Oops!
Here's a mood lightener:

TTFN!
Mily

P.S. . . . if anyone would like a book review/proof-read done I'm always available! :)

The Study House

What's on the menu for today? Well...here's my first sketch (I say sketch, but it's all done with the amazing help of my laptop) of The Study House. Probably needs vamping up a bit but I'm proud of it so far!
The Study House is basically school, college and university all rolled up into one. Studies (Students) Enroll when they're 10 and graduate at 21. They must live here while they complete their Study.
Hope you like!

Mily

Another Sneak Peek...

  Laelin consulted her Study Schedule and nervously approached the door marked “School Room 4” for her first Language class. She was looking forward to this class, as she loved reading and writing and was eager to learn more.

  Outside the School Room, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and turned the smooth black handle with a shaky hand. The door opened to reveal a cosy space, filled with comfy chairs, an assortment of mix-matched tables of varying heights and several large cushions which were strewn across the floor. The walls were completely covered by huge bookshelves, packed full of books that gave the room a pleasant, old paper, smell. At the far end of the School Room was a large wooden desk piled high with teetering stacks of papers and yet more books. Peering over the books were the nose and eyes of a man, topped with messy strands of greying hair.

   A soothing, gentle voice came from somewhere below the nose, behind the pile of paper, “Take a seat, Miss Laelin”. The eyes seemed to smile at her, giving an impression of kindness.

  Only about half of the Studies had arrived so there were plenty of seats available. Laelin chose a chair that had a cushion covered with deep green velvet and pulled over a table that would suit the height of the chair. Just as she had settled the door opened again and she sensed a presence at her shoulder. Looking up, Laelin found herself staring into familiar rich-honey eyes and a mass of wild, jet black hair. Sarla!  She smiled up at the girl hopefully, but before she could say anything Sarla spoke.

   “You’re in my seat!”

Let's Meet Laelin!

Character Bio: Laelin.

As the story begins, we are introduced to Laelin; a determined ten year old (or tenth Cycle, if you live in Terrsa!) girl who is on the brink of a life changing situation. She is mature for her age and has a passion for books, knowledge and her clarsach; a harp like instrument.
Laelin ages through the book, and by the end of the first book we are left with a nearly-twenty, well established young woman.
  Her best friend is Sarla, and together they learn the importance of friendships, the responsibilities of adulthood and develop a curious obsession for exploring.

Laelin has two older brothers- Mak and Sorn, who she rarely sees due to the fact that they are both completing apprenticeships. Her father is a Miller and her mother makes and sells special breads and delicious fruit preserves.

                                                  ******************************

As promised, a character bio! Obviously not fully developed yet as I'm still working out the niggles. As you might of guessed, I have named the world I'm creating (or, at least, trying to create) 'Terrsa'.
Any questions or suggestions are welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Mily

Attempts at Art and Obsessions

Ok...so I can't draw! My attempt at sketching a character resulted only in a hilarious, out-of-proportion THING. I might as well do stick figures, but that wouldn't paint a very detailed picture.
My map was ok...though maybe a ruler for next time.
I read on Trudi Canavan's website that she used clay and molded it into mountains and land structures then poured water over it to get a natural idea of rivers and seas/oceans. I quite like that idea; might have to get some clay.....

Meanwhile, my word count is gradually growing. Sentences are seeping from my ears and I'm dreaming about my story! Obsessed much? Methinks so.....
I'm even annoying myself.  =p

I'm planning on writing a character bio for my main tomorrow...so watch this space!



Mily

Trawling the Internet!

Hello all! How is everyone today? We've been enjoying some well needed sunshine here in Scotland!
Anyway...
I've been browsing the wonderful world of the internet for images to inspire and places to visit for ideas.
I came across this beautiful image on Flickr by 'pirate red'

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarahlw/3592315756/

(permission for use acquired from the lovely 'pirate red', who reserves Copy Right)

This is perfect for a scene I have in mind! Details are to come...teehee! *wink*

The Pendant

Here's a little something I wrote the other day, called The Pendant. Hope you enjoy!...

The crooked clock ticked,
Its cogs a-work,
Old, strong and sure.
All time passed by,
As it seemed,
While she waited by the door.

A true candle lit,
Against the dark,
Bright, soft and warm.
The wax, it pooled,
While she waited in frozen form.

As gently as the clock did tick,
As the candle burned its last,
A pale pearl light crept its way
Across the window pane.
Here at last,
The coming dawn, the new born day.

At its presence, she did but sigh,
A feeble hand rose a-breast,
A simple pendant hung a-chain,
Did her fingers clasp.
The cool smooth metal on her skin,
The lover lost, the memories found,
The secrets held within.
Its touch was full, her breath became a rasp.

But as a tear caught in her eye,
A glimpse of sorrow wetting her cheek
And the day now at the door,
A lonely smile played upon her lips.
And the clock ticked once more.

Inspiration

It's not unknown that all authors must draw inspiration from somewhere. Whether it be their environment, friends, experiences or events it will probably be reflected somewhere in the text.

My inspiration, of course, would be Scotland! Where else? :p The beautiful rolling hills, the legends and traditions and epic landscapes of all varieties.
My close friends may find aspects of themselves between the lines too!

I'd say my biggest inspiration to actually write in the first place would be from reading the epic works of Trudi Canavan. Her books are, without a doubt, the best I've yet read. If you want a peek for yourself, here's her website ----> http://www.trudicanavan.com/



Mily

A Jumble of Ideas

So I'm hard at work again today, fingers clattering away at the keyboard!
As I write, I'm finding a gush of many different ideas at once, not all for the part I'm writing now. I write them in my notepad as fast as I can, but it annoyingly interrupts my train of thought. I'm sure it'll calm down the further I get, but for now it can be confusing.

The other thing is my characters and setting. I have in my head a rough idea of appearance but haven't yet described the main character. I think I might create an Appendices while I write, to help me develop the characters, and also the settings.
I'm setting my books in another world; not as in outer space, but maybe as Earth would of once been eras ago or maybe how it would be now had things not developed to what they are. But with added spice, like magic!

Anyway, I feel as thought I'm starting to ramble, so I shall get back to writing!


Mily

A Wee Peek

Here's a little extract for a taste. Probably not too exciting as its the beginning so mainly consists of introducing. But here goes...feedback welcome!

The corridor opened up into the biggest hall Laelin had ever seen, filled with a mass of children shuffling around in attempt to find their place in the many rows of desks. The hall hummed with hundreds of muffled voices, and the few louder sounds of the adults trying to organise the children into their seats. The hall itself was breath-taking, the rich mahogany wood polished to a glisten, and the perfect walls were as white as fresh snow. Along each length of the hall, glinting golden candle holders were set at intervals midway up the wall. They looked very expensive, and were probably unique to the Study House; the gold was the finest quality, and delicately twisted into a vine-like masterpiece, spiralling around thick creamy candles. Each spiral ended at the top and turned into a big golden leaf, which lipped out and fell to below the candle itself, the detail in the leaves must have taken an age to complete; the veins criss-crossing in an elegant tangle. The ceiling was so high, Laelin had to crane her neck to see it all, and it almost entirely consisted of a huge domed skylight filled with a mosaic of pale stained glass.


Thanks for reading!


Mily 

Getting Started

Hello All!

I'm not sure if any will stumble upon this blog, but I shall write it anyway.

Firstly here's a bit about me; I'm currently 21 and I live in bonny Scotland, though I'm originally from England. I think I've always been a Scot at heart, after all, it is a beautiful country!

I'm engaged to my wonderful boyfriend, who is actually Scottish.

Mily Cannon is not my real name, it's a pen name as my actual name is quite common and I believe there's already an author using it.

I've always LOVED reading, especially fantasy/adventure. I started at a young age with Enid Blyton- Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Naughtiest Girl, you name it! After that it was the Heartland Series by Lauren Brooke and then the Wicca Series by Cate Tiernan (which introduced me to magic). There were, of course, many in between but these are the major series. At the moment I'm in love with the works of Trudi Canavan- The Black Magician Trilogy, The Age of Five, The Magician's Apprentice and The Traitor Spy Trilogy. I think these books are my inspiration (but I'm not trying to copy!).

So, I'm putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and attempting my own trilogy. Right now, it's called The Keeper's Kingdom, but that could change- it is afterall, early days!

I guess the aim of this blog is to connect to other budding and successful authors, to help eachother, offer advice and tips and maybe review eachother's drafts. Who knows.

Anyway, that's all for now...

Mily