Writing revelations

[annathepiper]

Carbon Leaf's "Life Less Ordinary", which is fast promising to be my initial favorite off Indian Summer, is striking me as a hugely appropriate song for when I'm working on Faerie Blood--because this book's all about Kendis' life getting a lot less ordinary very quickly. I can almost hear Christopher singing these lyrics to Kendis:

Live a life less ordinary, live a life extraordinary with me
Live a life less sedentary, live a life evolutionary with me
Well I hate to be a bother, but it's you and there's no other, I do believe
You can call me naive, but...
I know me very well (at least as far as I can tell)
And I know what I need

And especially most of the chorus, which I really like both rhythmically and lyrically:

The night you came into my life
Well it took the bones of me, took the bones of me
You blew away my storm and strife
And it shook the bones of me, shook the bones of me...

If Faerie Blood has a soundtrack in my head, this song is definitely on it.

Also, just as a general point of reference, fight scenes are HARD. Even magical ones. Going through the beginning of Chapter 15 tonight, I find myself reworking the opening pages in great detail, scrutinizing every single word for proper pacing to make damn sure it's a word I want in there. It's amazing what being on the third pass through a book and being hugely anxious to get it done so I can fire it off for an editor's inspection is doing to my word choices. ;)

But GAH, I need to make it through this. Tonight's progress has been slower than I like, and I'm almost trying too hard, I think. I'm stressing, and it's getting in the way of the words that need to come out of my brain. I had some tea, though, and hopefully that'll help. I expect to be up a while tonight yet, just because I'm too awake to go to bed. Maybe by the time I do I'll have more of this chapter out of my system.

Comments

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity... is that a gospel message or a love song message? It's often hard to tell the difference, and I'm having trouble here.

[annathepiper]

Love song as near as I can tell. :)

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i saw carbon leaf when they opened for GBS a couple of years ago. they're pretty spiffy.

[annathepiper]

I really grooved on seeing them play with GBS, too. :) It was the last show of the tour, and they were CLEARLY having a pile of fun touring together. Seeing all the members of GBS and Carbon Leaf belting out the lyrics to "General Taylor" in honor of Séan McCann's birthday was especially fine. :)

They've definitely gotten onto my list of favorite bands, now that Echo Echo has gotten into heavy rotation on my iPod and Indian Summer may well do the same.

But GBS still does a way better version of "Mari-Mac". ;)

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Fight scenes are absolutely the hardest. For extra bonus headaches, try fight scenes with horses and fight scenes with ships.

[annathepiper]

Thinking about the various things I have written both recently and in the past, I can say with confidence that I have never attempted a fight scene involving ships.

Horses... hrmm. I have written combat scenes where a horse was present, but damned if I can remember ever writing something in which the horse was actively participating in the fight! I am not sure yet whether any such scenario may arise in The Dove, the Rook, and the Hawk. But if it does, I expect I shall have to be hassling all my friends with horse-related clues. :)