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Daydreamer's Paradise
Posted 14 years ago"I am going to Paradise," Emmy announced as she unfurled a poster-sized Rand McNally atlas on the table for everyone to see.
Ian quickly swiped away empty plates, silverware, and cups to accommodate Shelly's road-map.
"Hey, watch it!" he warned her, but it was too late. His own arm clipped a tall plastic cup and it tipped over, spilling water and ice onto the table and into his lap.
"And where's that?" Shelly leaned over from across the booth and stared at the upside-down map of the United States.
Beside Shelly, a cool-gray wolf let out a huff.
"Oh shut it, Reid," Shelly slapped backwards blindly until she made contact with him.
Reid pulled a handful of white, paper napkins from the dispenser beside him and handed them to Ian who was busy picking melted ice cubes from his lap and depositing them on a red, food-encrusted plate.
"Oregon," Emmy set her finger on the map to her left, Shelly and Reid's right. She looked up to the faces of her boyfriend beside her and her best friends across from her, ready to gauge their reaction, surprise, and - she hoped - eagerness.
Ian dabbed away at his wet crotch unashamedly. Shelly's eyes darted from the place on the map Emmy's finger was touching to the Eastern seaboard of the map, to Emmy, and back.
Reid stayed sitting back instead of leaning forward like his girlfriend. Emmy could see the wheels turning in his mind.
"Well that's," he gathered his thoughts, "An ambitious spring break trip."
Emmy felt her grand unveiling slipping into anti-climactic confusion as she willed some sort of excitement to bubble up in her friends.
"Why Oregon?" Ian asked, dabbing the last bit of moisture from his pants with damp napkins.
"Because," Emmy drew her finger along the Western seaboard, "None of us have been out of New England much less seen the West Coast. It'd be an adventure!"
"Then why not California?" Shelly looked up at Emmy.
"Or Washington - Seattle?" Reid offered.
"Ooh, they have coffee," Shelly beamed.
"And techy stuff," Ian added.
"And gloomy weather," Emmy finished, "My idea, my destination. Besides, where are your guys' ideas on what to do on break?"
"I vote we do what we always do!" Reid grinned and raised his hand.
Shelly slapped him again.
"Ian?" Emmy turned to her right and looked at the lanky labrador.
"How are we getting there? Flying? Rail?"
"Car!" Emmy announced in her big-reveal voice.
"Road trip?" Reid sat up.
"Do you have a car?" Shelly asked.
"Do you have a license?" Ian peered over the top of his glasses at Emmy.
"Yes, yes, and yes," Emmy dutifully nodded to each questioner. "I'm borrowing my mom's. Come on, guys! I've planned this whole thing out; how long we'll drive each day, where we are going, how much it's going to cost, best places to stay - all that!"
"It's like, three-thousand miles," Reid looked up from his phone, "Huh; we could probably make it in two days."
"Exactly!" Emmy felt the excitement swell back up in her, "One-and-a-half, I'm sure, but two days traveling, three when we get there, and a couple more days on our way back. No problem! So what do you all think?"
"Why Oregon?" Reid slid his finger over his phone, moving the map on its screen.
Shelly reached back and slapped him.
Ian quickly swiped away empty plates, silverware, and cups to accommodate Shelly's road-map.
"Hey, watch it!" he warned her, but it was too late. His own arm clipped a tall plastic cup and it tipped over, spilling water and ice onto the table and into his lap.
"And where's that?" Shelly leaned over from across the booth and stared at the upside-down map of the United States.
Beside Shelly, a cool-gray wolf let out a huff.
"Oh shut it, Reid," Shelly slapped backwards blindly until she made contact with him.
Reid pulled a handful of white, paper napkins from the dispenser beside him and handed them to Ian who was busy picking melted ice cubes from his lap and depositing them on a red, food-encrusted plate.
"Oregon," Emmy set her finger on the map to her left, Shelly and Reid's right. She looked up to the faces of her boyfriend beside her and her best friends across from her, ready to gauge their reaction, surprise, and - she hoped - eagerness.
Ian dabbed away at his wet crotch unashamedly. Shelly's eyes darted from the place on the map Emmy's finger was touching to the Eastern seaboard of the map, to Emmy, and back.
Reid stayed sitting back instead of leaning forward like his girlfriend. Emmy could see the wheels turning in his mind.
"Well that's," he gathered his thoughts, "An ambitious spring break trip."
Emmy felt her grand unveiling slipping into anti-climactic confusion as she willed some sort of excitement to bubble up in her friends.
"Why Oregon?" Ian asked, dabbing the last bit of moisture from his pants with damp napkins.
"Because," Emmy drew her finger along the Western seaboard, "None of us have been out of New England much less seen the West Coast. It'd be an adventure!"
"Then why not California?" Shelly looked up at Emmy.
"Or Washington - Seattle?" Reid offered.
"Ooh, they have coffee," Shelly beamed.
"And techy stuff," Ian added.
"And gloomy weather," Emmy finished, "My idea, my destination. Besides, where are your guys' ideas on what to do on break?"
"I vote we do what we always do!" Reid grinned and raised his hand.
Shelly slapped him again.
"Ian?" Emmy turned to her right and looked at the lanky labrador.
"How are we getting there? Flying? Rail?"
"Car!" Emmy announced in her big-reveal voice.
"Road trip?" Reid sat up.
"Do you have a car?" Shelly asked.
"Do you have a license?" Ian peered over the top of his glasses at Emmy.
"Yes, yes, and yes," Emmy dutifully nodded to each questioner. "I'm borrowing my mom's. Come on, guys! I've planned this whole thing out; how long we'll drive each day, where we are going, how much it's going to cost, best places to stay - all that!"
"It's like, three-thousand miles," Reid looked up from his phone, "Huh; we could probably make it in two days."
"Exactly!" Emmy felt the excitement swell back up in her, "One-and-a-half, I'm sure, but two days traveling, three when we get there, and a couple more days on our way back. No problem! So what do you all think?"
"Why Oregon?" Reid slid his finger over his phone, moving the map on its screen.
Shelly reached back and slapped him.
A Bound Dog-Star
Posted 14 years agoI uploaded 3 pictures in my Scraps section that show what Dog-Star would look as a bound hardcopy. Not too shabby, if I say so myself!
The bound hardcopy includes the edits, epilogue, and short story that aren't included in the .pdf file on this site.
The bound hardcopy includes the edits, epilogue, and short story that aren't included in the .pdf file on this site.
Word-Count
Posted 14 years agoScratch that.
Current tally after edit: 44,500. Though I did add the epilogue in with that count.
Current tally after edit: 44,500. Though I did add the epilogue in with that count.
Micropublishing and book binding
Posted 14 years agoI just found an awesome way to bind my own books!
When I get the final draft completed (messing around with a few concepts I may insert into the story) I think I'm gonna print and try binding at least one copy.
When I get the final draft completed (messing around with a few concepts I may insert into the story) I think I'm gonna print and try binding at least one copy.
The End.
Posted 14 years ago"Those Bygone Dog-Star Days" is completed.
37 Chapters
43,800 words
Started early 2007, first draft finished February 2011.
37 Chapters
43,800 words
Started early 2007, first draft finished February 2011.
Chapter 35
Posted 14 years agoOnly two chapters left. 41,000 words so far.
Two for the price of one!
Posted 14 years agoI uploaded chapters 33 & 34. Both of them combined are shorter than 32.
Of those that I care about
Posted 14 years ago4 chapters left for me to write.
Already I can tell when I write the final two I'm gonna be crying. You may not, though, and that's fine.
Already I can tell when I write the final two I'm gonna be crying. You may not, though, and that's fine.
Chapter 31
Posted 14 years agoChapter 31 - in which it all comes together. 6 chapters left!
Chapter 29
Posted 14 years agois up.
A Good Sign
Posted 14 years agoI just dreamt about Dog-Star. More precise, I dreamt that someone noted me with a critique. Dream advice so it was wishy-washy, but I take it as a good sign - especially with all the weird dreams I've been having lately.
Chapter 26
Posted 14 years agoI hate my writing. I hate my writing. I hate my writing....
Chapter 25
Posted 14 years agoChapter 25 added.
Formatting the page size
Posted 14 years agoMy previous page count of 63 was based on the paper dimensions of 8.5 x 11.
I looked up "Bridges" on Amazon and took its dimensions of 5.3 x 8.5. My story is now 144 pages. Holy fuck.
And to think, I have 10 more chapters to write! That's about an additional 60 pages, average. Am I really writing a 200-page story?
I looked up "Bridges" on Amazon and took its dimensions of 5.3 x 8.5. My story is now 144 pages. Holy fuck.
And to think, I have 10 more chapters to write! That's about an additional 60 pages, average. Am I really writing a 200-page story?
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days: stats so far
Posted 14 years ago23 chapters (out of a planned 32-ish)
63 pages
24,900 words
Started early 2007
Edit: Still workin' on the title.
63 pages
24,900 words
Started early 2007
Edit: Still workin' on the title.
