Random, Unedited Poems Written in a Sick Haze

Hey there,


Would you believe me if I told you I'm still sick?

Because... I am still sick.

Just as I was getting over the first illness, I caught the flu. Wonderful.
This would be the main reason I've not written anything for weeks. My brain is a disgusting pile of mush that not even the best wordsmith could build up, at the moment.

So, instead of doing something informative and entertaining, here's a dump of some random poems I wrote (they are for the most part unedited);


A Dream

What good is a dream that you do not chase?
I have a dream that I hold dear
I keep it on a shelf, so that it's always near
I look at it when I'm dissatisfied
And wish that it was my life
I keep it there, where I can always see
Where it can always whisper, "come find me"
But I cannot, for I lack the will
And how risky it sounds, my chances are slim
What if I follow it and live a discontent life, still?
What if that dream won't bring me what I wanted?
I keep it there, upon my shelf, to look at when I've lost hope
So what do I look to when I've completed it?
And besides, I can't look at it if I'm living it
So no, I'll leave it be
It can stay upon that shelf,
A comfort and torture to me



Bow (incredibly creative title, I know)
Bow
Bow
Bow
To the consuming flame
To the freezing rain
To the harsh stone
Bow
Bow
Bow
You are all alone
Kneel before my throne
Let the beauty of my terror show
Bow
Bow
Bow
I am darkness 
I am light
I am the monster in the night
I am the beauty that flies by day
You can't run, run away

Bow
Bow
Bow
I am your queen
Bow to me
There is no escape
From me this day
Bow
Bow
Bow
By blade, by arrow
Bow
Bow
Bow
Every dove and every sparrow
Bow
Bow
Bow
Winter's chill and summer's heat
Bow, bow to me

Bow before your queen

I hope you enjoyed these messy poems. I will (hopefully) see you next week.
Until then,


                         Edna Pellen

The Rising Author Tag

Hello friends!

As said in my previous post, I'm sick and don't feel like being super creative right now.
So, when I saw Ariel from Scribes & Archers did the Rising Author Tag and left a open invitation for anyone to join in, I snagged the chance to avoid writing something original.

There's only ten questions, so let's get right in.


1. What is the weirdest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

My brother has been a great help with my current novel, but he has the gift of making absolutely anything seem hilarious and nonsensical.
In one instance, he was asking me any number of questions about the world to help me build it up. The questions started off making sense, he asked things like what is the process for dealing with garbage, what's the currency like, what happens to people when they die, etc.
And then, he started asking weird questions, one of which was, "Do they wear underwear?" When I laughed and said "Of course," he asked, "What brand? What's it made out of? Why do they wear it? Is it just a loin cloth?" I was red in the face from laughing so hard as the questions began getting worse and worse.


2. What is the worst thing you've ever written?

Oh dear. I don't want to answer this one... It was a horrendous "novel" called "The Rainbow" that I began when I was eleven. It was basically about a flood that covered the entire earth and caused the entire sky to turn into a rainbow. This led the characters to travel across the world in attempt to understand why it happened (I guess they didn't know basic science in this world).
I hate thinking about it, but it was technically my first "serious" story and I have since taken the characters and a few plot points and woven them into a different, better story that I am writing with my sister.


3. What is the most awkward scene you've ever written?

Hm... I'm not sure. I have a character who is designed to be awkward, and she brings quite a few embarrassing moments with her. Nothing really stands out, except for once when she nearly boarded the wrong ship and was confronted by a stranger.


4. On a scale from 1 to 10, how often do you end up writing more than 3 chapters of the stories you start?

I had to reread that a few times before I understood the question.
I'd say about five. I typically write a new side story for as long as the inspiration lasts and balance it with my current stories. It usually runs out within five chapters, and then I put it on hold and return to it sometime later.


5. What is the hardest thing for you to write?

Scenes involving lots of movement and action, such as dances or fight scenes, are very hard for me to write. I see them very clearly, but can never seem to grasp putting swift movements into words.


6. When you look back at your previous writing pieces, what's one thing you can see you've improved in?

Spelling. As I said in my post about dyslexia, writing has helped me improve my spelling immensely. Story wise, I'd say that my writing makes a lot more sense now.
Oh, and for poetry, my rhyming and word choice has improved.


7. How do you name characters?

That varies from character to character. Sometimes the names just click in my head and fit the character perfectly. Other times, I have to strain myself to invent a name or consult my list of favorite names. And, as morbid as it sounds, graveyards are a great way to come up with names too.


8. If you had to pick one genre to write in forever, what would it be?

Fantasy, by far. It doesn't have to follow the roads of reason and reality, it can be whatever you want. And it has dragons, unicorns, mermaids, and whatever else this wild brain of mine can come up with.


9. Which of your characters do you feel most guilty about?

Michael and Clare from my current novel. I've put those two through so much in such a short amount of time. They don't deserve it, but what can you do? Pain is a part of life.


10. Which of your characters deserve everything you've given them?

"Given" as in inflicted, or "given" as in "blessed"?
For blessed, it might be Mallie from my novella. She is innocent, imaginative, free thinking, and young. She still looks at the world with the understanding of a child. Her dreams come true, both the the sweet and the bitter.
For inflicted... I guess my only real option is Shayla Deen from a novel I've put on hold. She isn't a evil character, but she's rash and rude and has quite a bit coming to her in terms of infliction.


And that's the end of the tag!
Thank you Ariel for the tag (even though I technically stole it). She recently released her story The Mirror-Hunter Chronicles. Go check it out here!

Until next time!


                                 
                                     Edna

Update #2

Dear friends,


I'm afraid that I have caught a nasty cold. This cold has prevented me from writing new material, so that's why I haven't posted in so long.
Because I don't feel like writing anything in-depth, here's another list of updates.


Current Novel:

Characters are injured, full of regret and fear, the weight of the world is resting on the shoulders of a single man, and to top it all off I'm about to wreck a ship.
So, in short, it is going very well.
Though it did turn out that a injury I gave to one of my leading characters was more vital then I intended, and she almost died of blood loss... Oops. But she's going to be okay now that I found a loop hole.


Bleeding Ink:

I am considering adding a page for my Works In Progress (or WIP). This would include a brief synopsis, possibly a cover, word count, and deadline for each piece included on it. Though, I do terribly with deadlines. So maybe I won't include that.


Currently Reading:

I'm currently reading a bunch of different books at once, but I just began a new one; The Moon over High Street by Natalie Babbitt (author of Tuck Everlasting).
I'm only in the first chapter, so there isn't much for me to say yet. Perhaps I'll give a full review when I finish.


Alright, that's all my groggy mind could come up with today. Best of luck to you in your writing/reading ventures, and may your adventures in the physical be exiting and grand.
Now I'm off to attempt writing more in my novel, and maybe work on another blog post for next week. No promises though.


  Yours,


                       Enda

Tips for Dyslexic Writers

Hello friends!


Dyslexia is a huge pain in the rear-end, especially when you're a writer. I should know, seeing as I am a dyslexic writer. From this far into the post, I've already respelled "dyslexia" once and "especially" at least three times.

Indeed, dyslexia is a treacherous thing!

I have overcome it for the most part. I still struggle with it from time to time, but that does little to stop me from writing.
And sense I have the experience, I thought I would compose a list of tips for writers like me. So I did! Here it is:

1. Use a computer

I figured you probably already do this, but typing as opposed to writing by hand was revolutionary for me. It's like my hands remembered where each letter was on the keyboard, and memorized the pattern of each individual word as apposed to making scribbles on paper (not that scribbles on paper are bad, as I've said before, I love them).
Even now, I'm much better at typing then I am at writing by hand.



2. Change your document's color to yellow

I have not personally tried this, but it has been recommended many times. Changing your paper or your document to yellow supposedly helps with focusing, specifically when reading.
Again, I have not tried this, so I can neither confirm or deny it.

3. Change your font

You may find that different fonts are easier to read. Below are three fonts I have used, the last two are the ones I prefer.

Find the right font, time yourself to see how easy one is to read compared to another if you want. This makes proof reading and editing so much easier.And don't forget, if you don't want your completed document to be written with the font that is easiest for you to read, you can always change it to a different font later.

4. Don't just use spell check; rewrite the words you've miss spelled

It's super easy to let spell check handle everything. Write, see the red line, and select the proper spelling. But this won't help you memorize how to actually spell the word.
So instead, look at the proper spelling and rewrite the word yourself. Even if you already know the spelling, and just got mixed up. It's a good exercise and will build your word generating powers.


5. Practice your hand writing

Keep a journal. Write poetry, short stories, and writing exercises down by hand. Make sure to use the neatest hand writing you can, paying close attention to what you are doing. Messy handwriting is one of the factors of dyslexia, and practicing it as neatly as possible as often as possible will train your hand and mind.
Just make sure that you aren't straining yourself.

6. Find your weaknesses and spell them out (out loud)

This one is similar to number 4. Write for a while without editing anything (keeping a journal would help with this), then look back at your spelling. Pick out words that you've repeatedly miss spelled, and keep them in a list.
Find the proper spelling, and repeat it out loud instead of writing it.

Some of my most common miss spelled words are 'especially', 'lightning', 'nauseous', and 'similar'.

7. Read, read, read!

Focus on the spelling and order of words. You probably won't be getting much out of the story, so reading something you've already read would be best.
This should help with memorizing and understanding grammar, even if you already know it. Then when you're writing a phrase similar to the ones you've read, your brain can recall the proper order and spelling.

8. Keep your eyes down

This has transformed writing for me. Don't look at the screen, look at your keyboard. Look at you hands, and just type. I know it's really tempting to look back up at the screen, but resist the urge!
Looking down has helped me get so many more words out in much less time, because I'm not focusing on the spelling or what I've already written.

I especially do this during NaNoWriMo, when I need to get words out faster. Now that I think about it, maybe I should try writing blind folded sometime...

9.  Don't sweat it

As cliche as this final tip is, it's true. I'm not saying don't fix your spelling when you can, but sometimes you just can't. Sometimes you spell a word so wrong that even spellcheck can't help you, and you really don't want to take the time to find the proper spelling.

So don't. Just keep going, maybe make a note describing the word so you'll understand later (I've had many typos that I couldn't understand when I came back to them), and come back when you've finished the chapter, or maybe even the whole story.


I hate to leave this list on a odd number like this, but that's all of my tips.
Of course, none of these are fool proof and might not work for you. These are just my ideas and methods.
Are you dyslexic? Have you tried any of these tips before? If you have, which ones helped you the most?

Please feel free to respond to these questions, and maybe ask some of your own. I'd love to hear your thoughts!


Yours truly, 


                                       Edna

~~~~~Welcome, Spring!~~~~~
By Edna Pellen

At last, Spring has come!

She comes out, sprinkling the earth with rain to melt the snow

And blows her sweet breath to send away the cold

She wakes the animals and leads the birds back home

She pats the wet earth, telling the flowers to grow

She whispers with a grin to the trees

Telling them it's time to awaken from their winter sleep

She tells the sun where to shine, so that it may melt the ice

She teaches the birds a new song to sing

And she colors in the sky while waving to Winter as he passes by

With the new season a promise is fulfilled

Life has begun again, reborn after Winter's chill

Colors will bloom, gardens will be woven

And the way prepared for Summer with her sun so golden