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Back in the Saddle Again

With not a lot of paying work on my plate so far this week, I decided to set aside today to finally break through my weeks-long writer’s block (well, and to finish doing the laundry. Writing is glamorous, yo). Today was the first time since I said I was going to get back to work on Radium Town that I actually added words to it. 494 of them, to be exact, and let me tell you, getting that first hundred down was like pulling teeth, but I’m glad I did it. As Stephen King said in On Writing, a reread of which I just finished yesterday, the scariest thing is the moment just before you start. So I’m glad that’s out of the way.

It took hours to get done, most of which were spent reading what I already had and trying to get my head back into the story, and then figuring out how to end the scene where I’d left off in the middle. I also had to do some research and fact-checking, although I really should have saved that for the second draft. At any rate, here’s a rough, non-spoilery snapshot of today’s output: (more…)

By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Song Lyrics: Untouchable

I enjoy writing song lyrics and poetry, although I don’t do nearly enough of it. To date, I’ve got two songs under my belt (not counting a slew of Buffy the Vampire Slayer filk I contributed to the Mighty Big TV forums back in the day). This here is the first song I wrote, back in 2011. Parts of it are a little trite and cliche, but it came from the heart.

This past Tuesday was the fourth anniversary of the occasion that prompted it — my second miscarriage. I don’t feel the need to talk about those as much as I used to, but it didn’t strike me until last night that the anniversary had come and gone, and I don’t know how to feel about that. I still have sadness around due dates that might have been birthdays, but I don’t know what it means that I forgot to remember this anniversary. I guess it’s a healthy sign that I’m moving on, but there’s also guilt in moving on from something like that.

But forgetting the date doesn’t mean I forgot the life whose passing it marked. So here’s the song I wrote to make sure I would never forget. As if I ever could.

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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago

Sneak Peek: Intruder

Intruder, my followup to Restless Spirits (I really need to come up with a name for this series), is still coming along, veeeeeerry slowly. My word count’s still not up to the 10K mark yet. The slowness is frustrating, but at least slow progress is still progress.

Anyway, here’s a rough draft of the synopsis, and the first chapter to whet your appetite.

The synopsis:

Susan Daly’s abusive marriage ended the night she shot and killed her husband Reggie. A year later, just as she’s settling comfortably into her new life as a single mom, she’s once again assaulted by someone she trusts and cares about. But as the police and Susan’s family struggle to understand why Susan’s neighbor, Alan Doyle, would do such a thing, Susan knows Alan is innocent. She knows because she saw his face as he tried to strangle the life out of her, saw the rage and hatred in his eyes, and the smile on his face. Reggie’s smile. Her husband is back, and he wants her dead, and he’ll use everyone in her life like puppets to accomplish that goal if somebody doesn’t stop him. But how do you stop that kind of evil?

 

Now onto…

The Intruder: Chapter One

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By Jean Marie Bauhaus, ago