The Other Side of Starlight

Happy news first: I completed NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words of an original novel in 30 days. Even more impressive, so did Katya. She wrote a short novel (25,000 words), also within the 30 day time frame of NaNoWriMo. We are both winners! For everyone who participated, I would like to say, "What the heck are we thinking?" and also "Wooohoo! Congratulations, all."

More happy news: On Saturday, I made one of my year's goals in completing 200 work-outs at Curves. I've met my reading goal and my fitness goal, all with a month left in the year.

Less happy news third: Due to an error on one of the pages of the 80-chapter third installment of my Buffy fanfiction trilogy, I had to un-post all of Anywhere Out of This World in order to continue updating The Chambered Heart. It's heartbreaking to me because of the hours and hours of love and labor put into that very, very long installment, but in the end, I decided it had to be done. The site must go on even though it was founded originally as a home for my Buffy fanfiction.

I'm fairly certain that everyone who was reading or was going to read Anywhere Out of This World has already done so. I know there wasn't any uproar when I unposted it, thankfully, so I'm hoping that Mercy Claremont has finished reading the last three chapters and epilogue.

Right now, I have no plans of reposting Anywhere Out of This World. Unlike Wishes and Regrets, it was never edited as a whole, and it requires far too much work to warrant a re-post, especially since I have all but entirely left the Buffy fandom. That said, the Buffyverse will always hold a special spot in my heart. It has made me the writer I am today, and even as I sit typing in this post, I am wearing my Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirt. Long live Spuffy.

I won! I won, too.

I'm not finished with the novel, by any means. But I won!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Miss y'all!

Love and peace.

Tonight's total: 13,250. Still about 500 short of my goal, but almost there. 

NaNoWriMo: 6,105 words.

Next goal: 8,000.

Total goal: 60,000.

Bless you, Matt, for the lovely fire in the fireplace!  

Last night's post didnt' post, so I'm posting again.

NaNoWriMo for Monday - 4,017.

More later... 

Total for today: 2,116 

Is anyone participating this year?

My daughter and I are going to do it. It's our first time. We're newbies! 

Tentative title: Reprieve, or Back to Levine

Chapter One: 3,468
Chapter Two: 2,600
Chapter Three: 3,368
Chapter Four: 5,265
Chapter Five: 4,012
Chapter Six: 5,134
Chapter Seven: 3,827
Chapter Eight: 4,805
Chapter Nine: 3,951
Chapter Ten: 6,082
Chapter Eleven: 5,162
Chapter Twelve: 3,137
Chapter Thirteen: 4,560
Chapter Fourteen: 4,624
Chapter Fifteen: 3,490
Chapter Sixteen: 12
Chapter Seventeen: 4,110
Chapter Eighteen: 4,005
Chapter Nineteen: 4,537
Chapter Twenty: 5,512
Chapter Twenty-One: 4,975
Chapter Twenty-Two: 5,472
Chapter Twenty-Three: 23
Chapter Twenty-Four: 3,655
Chaper Twenty-Five: 4,272
Chapter Twenty-Six: 1,928
Chapter Twenty-Seven: 4,472
Chapter Twenty-Eight: 4,710
Chapter Twenty-Nine: 6,104
Chapter Thirty: 2,980
Chapter Thirty-One: 4,620
Chapter Thirty-Two: 3,875
Chapter Thirty-Three: 6,056
Chapter Thirty-Four: 6,200
Chapter Thirty-Five: 5,395
Chapter Thirty-Six: 3,912

Total for Chapters 1-36: 153,528
or 302 pages.
  

Today, the best students I've ever had the good fortune to teach have graduated from eighth grade to ninth.

The high schools are blessed to have them. I will miss them dearly. My heart hurts and I'm melancholy, but in a good way.

I've yet to fully process their absence. It's difficult for me to comprehend that these wonderful, exuberant young people who have been a part of my daily life for two years have now moved on. We won't see them every day in the halls. We won't get the play by play account of their lives, nor will we see their performances in band, or choir, or theater, or in the talent show. This is the hardest part of being a teacher, I think. I've never been good at letting go. I worry, and I wonder. A comfort for me is that we'll have the familiar faces of our current students to keep us nattering away. Next year, we'll marvel about how much they are growing, and how mature, and how interesting.

It is as it should be, of course. Time moves along, and their lives grow and gain momentum as they propel forward through life's resplendent journey. Each one is a brilliant star, full of hope, full of potential. I really believe they will one day light the way. Many of them have already begun.

And my seventh graders who are now moving to eighth: we survived the year, stronger now, and smarter. You've proven yourselves able and more. You made it, and I'm both proud and impressed.

Love and peace,
Ms. H

x-posted to myspace and livejournal.


Also, now that the school year is officially over... I might get some of my life back. We teachers live half-lives during the year.

Much happiness today, as I've learned that one of my poems, Porter Middle School, has been pulished in Issue Magazine. The editor said he will also publish another one in the June isse of Issue, but he has not yet made his decision about which. I'm thrilled because I've submitted six poems in recent months, so to have two of them placed after so long with nothing published is encouragement to keep submitting. Here is a link to the website for Issue Magazine, where you read find the poem.

I've also updated my Book List to include The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, one of the grimmest books I've read, as well as Pride and Prejudice, the classic by Jane Austen.

Happy Good Friday, everyone!
Today's post contains a newly-updated Book List, now with the links to each book added in from Amazon.com. My reading goal for this year is 34 books; I've just finished the tenth.

I'm also finally getting around to posting the essay I wrote for my brother for his birthday. Titled
The Story of My Childhood, this essay is part of a series of stories I'm writing as a Christmas gift to my famil. Since I've been teaching Seventh Grade, I've had a lot of practice in the form of essay writing. This is just one of the finished ones I have to offer right now.

In other writing news, I am still tinkering with the untitled Connor/Faith one-shot, which was promised to my beta and roommate, Mattallica, as his birthday gift. However, I must admit the passion has gone out of it since I have finished Anywhere Out of This World. My focus has shifted to the novel project I've been working on for the last decade. Over Spring Break, my daughter and I took a research trip to my hometown, which rekindled my desire to finally get this story written. Thanks to the fandom, I know I can write something start to finish. Before Buffy, I never knew I had it in me to follow-through.

With the school year in full fever, and the TAKS test hovering over us like an enormous storm cloud, I feel painfully out of touch with the LJ community. But I wanted everyone to know that I miss you and long for the summer, where I can fully indulge myself in your wonderfulness.

Wow, it has been a while since I've posted anything of substance. However, today, I am updating my Book List and adding one small Andrew and Dawn desktop. I am still working on a Connor/Faith one-shot, which began as a birthday gift for my beta, Mattallica. Yeah... his birthday was January 5th; I'm still a little behind.

Here is the link to the new desktop image, titled Watchers.

And here is the updated Book List 2009.

I hope to post more soon, especially since we are traveling to my hometown during spring break to begin research on a true-life novel. This makes my Mom very happy. She still grumbles at every minor mention of fanfiction. I also have a short essay titled The Story of My Childhood, which I wrote for my brother's birthday in February. Once I have the final edit ready, I'll be posting that here as well.


And, just for the sake of posterity, I think that Ozymandias from Watchmen was unexpected hotness. I mean, I fully intended to watch and enjoy the movie... but Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt was an added bonus.

It's cold outside today, and I've remained snuggled on my living room floor in front of the Lappy, toying with the last sections of the epilogue to Anywhere Out of This World. Katya is still in her night gown, the cats are sprawled lazily on the couches, and all of the housework remains piled up, as it has since Christmas break. Katya has almost watched the entire series of Friends in the time it's taken me to write the final 10,000 words of this story.

I have twice submitted the epilogue to my beta, but he's very gently and sagely suggested that I hadn't tied up all of the loose ends yet. He was right, of course. I was pushing to finish, but I wasn't done.

Here's the final part:
Answered Prayers, the Epilogue to Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 9,500
Pairings: Buffy/William, Dawn/Andrew, Faith/Connor, and Helli/Oz
Rating: PG-13 for graphic violence and some sexual situations.
Summary: I tried to leave everyone in a good place. That doesn't mean that they all have a happy endings. Some end up in very lonely situations, which I know they will have to work through later. I'm saddest for Faith and Connor because I tried to write them a happy ending. Every revision that wasn't the final copy rang false for them.

I have lived with and loved these characters for so long, it seems strange to me to have typed the final words of the story. I'll miss them all so much.

To the people who read and encouraged me, who stayed with me even though at times I thought for sure I had gone crazy - thank you dearly. This experience has enriched my life beyond words.

I just returned from a walk around the neighorhood with my daughter. It's dusk and the sky was a frosted blue, with a Cheshire cat moon smiling down on us. We were visiting one of her friends whose family had just moved in to one of the new houses that have been built in my Mom's and Dad's neighborhood. As we strolled along the freshly-minted sidewalks, listening to the birds and the breeze in the cedars, I remembered walking through this area before the streets were paved, dreaming of the night that Buffy made a wish to bring William to her.

It's unbelievable to me that after so long, I have finally reached the end of this story. Last night, while sitting at my writing desk, typing up the rough draft of Chapter 71, I got teary-eyed more than once. Not only because the characters had been through such a life-altering ordeal, but because I am going to miss them. For four years, these characters have taken up residence in my head - and I mean that in the non-crazy sense - and made my life somehow more special.

I also have been blessed to meet many new and lasting friends through the Buffyverse. So many people have fostered and encouraged this story into existence, and I am grateful to you for helping me keep my sanity through the last four years.

The epilogue remains, still, but tonight I'm posting the final chapter of Anywhere Out of This World. I can't believe it. It's done.

Here's the latest:
The Angels Sing, Chapter 71 of Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 2,770
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character Death
Summary: The world ends. Kinda.

Here is the next chapter of Anywhere Out of This World. This is the second to last chapter, which for me is really hard to believe. The last chapter is also written, and I'm in the process of editing. After it's done, I'll write the epilogue, and the whole story - representing four years of writin! - will be complete.

More very soon...

Here's the latest:
Run, Chapter 70 of Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 2,400
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character Death
Summary: In Sunnydale, Dawn has leapt into the portal, which has closed the gateways between worlds, which foils Ripper's plan for summoning the Old One, but effectively traps Buffy there. With the help of Jonathan and Andrew, Buffy takes down Ripper and the Coven, but with TriadCorp in the process of imploding, getting out requires an even bigger cost.

Author's Note: This one actually has some Spuffy!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

I have a new chapter to post, to ring in the New Year. My goal was to finish this story before the end of Christmas break, which means I will have to keep working at this pace to complete it by Sunday. But it will be done! I have a bit of creative tunnel vision right now. For the past four days, I have done little else but write.

Here's the latest:
This Is How the World Will End, Chapter 69 of Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 3,190
Rating: PG-13 for more blood and graphic violence.
Warnings: Character death.
Summary: Faith battles Luxe, who explains his role in the present Apocalypse. Triumvirate is still overrun with destruction-bent demons, but the Slayers arrive to help level the field. Giles and Rachel pay a high price for trying to help Andrew.

Author's Note: Special gratitude for my daughter, Katya, to my roomie, Matt, and to spikes_heart and kimrae1977  for being patient, supporting and encouraging. You've helped me keep my head, especially in this last week!

To everyone - I wish you a healthy, safe, and prosperous year in 2009

*Hugs f-list*

Many blessings! 

So okay, moving right along now, I have the next chapter in Anywhere Out of This World. This will be a to-the-point post, as I'm in the middle of working on the next one. The pressure to finish is still on since I only have until this weekend to get it written.

Here's the latest:
Hopeless, Chapter 68 of Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 3,100
Rating: PG-13 for more blood and graphic violence.
Warnings: Character death
Summary: Willow completes the ritual, letting in all manner of demonkind, including Luxe, who commands his army right into what's left of Triumvirate. Meanwhile, three events occur simultaneously that close the portals Dawn has opened.

Almost there. I'm figuratively panting right now. I've written and re-written this one, but it's ready and the end is nigh, both for the story and for the characters. More very soon, too. Promise.

Here's the latest:
Primal, Chapter 67 of Anywhere Out of This World
Word Count: 2,775
Rating: PG-13, for lots of blood
Summary: All Hell breaks loose as Willow gets stabby on Dawn. William tries to her, but the portal is growing out of control. As Connor and Faith continue to fight, Connor tips his hand but not before someone gets killed.
Warning: Character death. Sorry!