Novel and books and words, oh my!

Hello, hello. Phar here with plenty to report!

...First off, I have no finished products to report. I'll get that out of the way right now. Been a little sporadic with my projects as of late.

The dystopian slave novel (which still doesn't have a title - actually, let's also get this out of the way: none of these projects currently have titles) is still in the works, though slow going. I plan to finish the first draft before the end of summer, though fingers crossed that it's sooner! I'm just giving myself a long deadline for my sanity's sake, just in case.

I've also made a bit of headway in a novel exploring a dysfunctional father-daughter relationship, the factors that caused the relationship to be that way, and the effects it had on the futures of both parties. A lot of psychology will be in this one, so enthusiasts, be on the lookout! No current timeline on this one.

I've rediscovered my fantasy novel and am determined to make sure it doesn't get put so far on the back burner again. This one is going to be incredibly in depth (you know, the type of book with a map and family tree at the beginning), with a variety of races and deities and histories. Very exciting, but very intimidating. No current timeline here either, sorry.

A storyboard now exists for a novel about soul mates and past lives, inspired greatly by Plato's Symposium. The plan is to follow two souls through lifetimes - not necessarily as lovers, as soul mates are typically viewed, but in a variety of circumstances that guarantee their paths crossing. History and relationships are obviously going to be the key features here. This may be my National Novel Writing Month project this year.

The fifth novel on the table is the least formed - a story about a man who enters the dreams of others whenever he falls asleep, influencing and exploring their psyches and subsequently impacting the real world. This is the other NaNoWriMo option, though I have far less planned at the moment. I guess you'll have to wait until November to see!

On top of that, I'm also beginning to compile a second poetry volume due to an incredibly fruitful Poetry Month, which I hope to have finished before November. Furthermore, I'm currently working on a short story about mermaids and another about the hierarchy of angels, both of which will be included in a future and distant short story volume.

Focusing on one thing? Who's ever heard of such a thing?

Stay tuned!

The Mermaid and the Sailor

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight,
And what a dull night it had been.
His work wouldn’t end until morning light,
But through fair weather sloth was his sin.

Haphazardly he stared to the sea,
Dreaming of some distant shore –
The comfort of friends, love, and family,
A place he could live that much more.

“Oh, sorrow’s not a good look for you,”
A voice sang from outside of the boat.
The shock almost tripped him into the blue
Where he saw a young woman float.

Her hair was red as a flickering flame,
And her fair skin glowed bright ‘neath the stars.
Her eyes were seductive, her smile the same,
And he guessed that she’d traveled far.

“Why’s a girl like you in a place like this?”
He questioned, tongue sharp as a sword.
She laughed, in a tone that mirrored his,
“Won’t you help a young lady aboard?”

Without thinking he extended his hand;
One pull from her, he was spiraling down.
Gone were the sailor’s chances of land,
And his body would never be found.

The last thing he saw as his vision did fade
Was face and fin of that devious girl,
But strangely he couldn’t feel too dismayed –
Now he belonged to her world.

Poetry Month highlights (part 2)

I think I met you once within my dreams
When I was young and hoped I'd find my knight,
But illusion is more real than it seems -
Now here you are, existing in plain sight!
I think I met you in another life,
In some distant and unknown time and space.
Maybe I was destined to be your wife,
And something brought us home within this place.
I think your side is where I'm meant to be,
And your hand's the one that I am meant to hold.
With you, I've never lived so happily;
Together we could face the coldest cold.
My love, the strings of Fate pulled me to you,
A bond hellfire itself could not undo.

*

Why can't I write about
Anything but you?
My head's usually flooded
With ideas and thoughts immense,
But they don't matter now -
It's all you, you, you
Floating around my skull,
Your name passing my lips,
Pen pouring love onto a page.
How much do stories mean
When real life had a happy ending,
For once, all its own?
Once upon a time I fell in love
With a king, a prince, a knight,
And he made me so much happier
Than any princess, angel, queen
Could ever hope to be,
And we lived happily ever after.

Poetry Month highlights (Part 1)

How jealous I am of the tumultuous sea
That holds you deep within its grasp -
A corporeal spirit that keeps you from me,
Mocking with the waves' crashing and gasps.

A glimpse of the sparkling surface of bays
Reminds me how long we must wait
For lips to meet, for that glorious day
When we're brought back together by fate.

But I cannot burden the water with spite,
For someday it shall bear your return,
But that doesn't mean I don't miss you tonight,
And it doesn't allay how I yearn.

*

The docks are growing colder,
The bay is turning dark,
The mountains fade behind the clouds,
But that won't shake me from this spot.
I just want to stare at oceans,
Pretend I'm watching you,
Pretend the waves are whispers -
"Stay strong, I love you, be home soon."
Even if all that is true,
Even if I must wait weeks,
Nothing will shake me from this spot
Upon the docks on this cold bay.
In sunshine or foul weather,
I swear you'll find me here,
Begging the water to release you,
Awaiting waves to bring you home.

*

How many ways can I say I love you?
You're the blazing sun that brightens my sky.
Your voice sends my heart racing right on cue,
And just a kiss can give me wings to fly.
My lips can't help but echo when you smile;
My hands feel empty when they can't feel yours.
Worth more to me than gold or private isle,
You're the real treasure I'd always wish for.
Before us, I see life with love and joy,
Decades for us to make those memories.
No trickery the Fates could dare employ
Would be strong enough to take you from me.
How much I love? With words it's hard to say -
But I promise I'll show you every day.

 

*

They say the moon is brilliant,
With her beauty in her shine -
Fair as she softly smiles
And brightens the darkest night.
But with no light from her sun
That she so lovingly reflects,
The moon would lose her luster,
Be a rock like any other.
Sun and moon, day and night -
Until the end of time they're bound.
Without her, his eves are lonely.
Without him, she's nothing special.

Where has Phar been lately?

She and her husband have moved home to Washington, and the whole social network thing got away from her.

So, in the couple months I've been away from my blog, here's what I've been up to in the world of the written word:

• I did not finish NaNoWriMo this last year. I got about 30,000 words in before moving, and that's where it left off. I'm still working on it though, I promise!
• I still have those two other novels I don't talk about on the back burner, and on top of that I've discovered I have two more novel ideas I'm fleshing out. I'm going to be busy this year.
• I've finished my poetry volume's first draft and have now moved on to editing. That means you should be seeing it published in the near future.
• Statements about royalties arrived the other day for tax purposes. Even if it wasn't much, it was still so satisfying to see anything coming from my work!
• I've been doing more free writes to keep myself from getting rusty, and that's led to all sorts of story ideas as well. 

I may be up to a lot, and I may be biting off more than I can chew, but I'm incredibly excited about all of it. And that's not even including the real world stuff that's been happening! Anyways, stay tuned! 

Roads Divergent

Five years ago

I envisioned now –

A career beginning,

Writing best-sellers,

Living somewhere dazzling

With no strings attached,

But those fleeting dreams

Were idly made in bed,

My captor and my comfort –

I feared the consuming dark;

I dreaded the looming dawn.

Today

I’m somewhere else –

Career paths changing,

Writing for my sake,

Moving place to place

With a sudden husband,

And though fleeting dreams

Were pushed aside by time,

My heart chose a better road –

Last night, I gazed at stars;

I woke to watch the sunrise.