A Rambling Dead Darling Addition

I have been hard at work late at night. In preparation for the little thing squirming in my bride’s belly, I have taken a summer job. I love it, and am grateful for it, and exhausted by it, and as a result I’ve been writing until I fall asleep at my computer. Nearly every night. These, and other excuses, are finally getting worked through and currently I’m deep into my manuscript. I’ve employed the writerly coaching of Katherine Fawcett, who has given me deadlines I’ve been late for, and wordcount requirements I have yet to meet, and I am immensely grateful for her help, because I’ve hit my stride now. Thanks, in large part, to her motivation and feedback. I’ve found my pace. I’ve also learned that a quick writing exercise helps get me going. That, in fact, is what this post itself is – a little warmup. Welcome to my process.

Now to get to the point (or not, stream of consciousness is part of the process). With increased writing comes increased editing, which further leads to increased dead darlings. They’re coming thick and heavy, and I’ve forgotten to save so many. It’s hard, I edit as I go and don’t want to get out of my headspace, so I’ve vowed to plunder my edit history to mine for gold after the fact.

BEHOLD!

This one is not from The Foundling’s Tale, it’s from a little flash piece I threw together about a superhero, F-Bomb, whose power comes from the F-Bombs she forces down deep inside her so they won’t erupt from her mouth. She creates an F-Bomb black hole that lives at the base of her skull and gives her telekinetic powers that she can sort of control. It also talks to her. I doubt I’ll ever finish this story, it was another warm up from a couple of days ago. I remembered how funny I found this image and thought to go back for it. It’s ironic, though, that this piece I cut will likely be the only thing anyone ever sees of it. Why edit something I hardly intend to finish, you may ask? I certainly don’t ask that, so I can’t answer.

Now that I think of it, though, F-Bomb would make a great character in a graphic

novel idea I’m a-cookin’.

ABC – Always Be Cookin.

I like this particular darling, and wish it well on it’s way to the graveyard:

“This time his nose flattened against the rectangle of his cheek. It seemed like I had a fish’s view of this dickhead squishing his face against an aquarium. I stifled a laugh, but not well.”