Highmoon's Ponderings

My travel dreams are soaring today, so here’s a very nice slideshow on bella Italia.

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=9826987,9741926&pg=10

Of note:

• Picture 1 – Check out the beautiful lights they placed above the streets.
• Picture 3 – The Duomo in Milan has reopened (it was closed during 2004-2005 for rennovations). Check out also about Carless Day. We should do that here in the States as well.
• Picture 5 – Awesome view of Pompeii, ancient and modern.
• Picture 8 – Check out that most interesting tidbit about the Mole Antonelliana dome! Seems Torino was a lot more Jew-friendly than I knew.
• Picture 10 – Imagine waking up to that in the morning.

On the NaNoWriMo front, my total word count stands at 3031 as of this post. I am trying to squeeze in some writing time today, but work keeps stealing my precious time away. As it is, I am a little behind schedule, but not by much.

The same songs keep driving the story forward. It seems that what I really want to write is the story of a relationship, but I am looking to wrap it in a dark modern fantasy blanket. I am also trying to keep the story contained to a relatively small area (Miami), but already there has been a murder in Brooklyn, so there goes that. Don’t know if the main characters will travel to NYC, but I do feel like they should travel at some point. We’ll see what they tell me.

There are two songs that are currently driving the forming story in my mind, though don’t ask me why precisely these two, cause I don’t know.

One is Damien Rice’s “I Remember,” though more the part sung by Laura Hannigan (below) than the part sung by Damien Rice (complete lyrics here).

I remember it well the first time that I saw
your head ‘round the door ’cause mine stopped working
I remember it well there was wet in your hair
you were stood in the stair and time stopped moving
I want you here tonight I want you here
’cause i can’t believe what I found
I want you here tonight want you here
nothing is taking me down
I remember it well taxied out of a storm
to watch you perform and my ships were sailing
I remember it well I was stood in your line
and your mouth your mouth your mouth your mind
I want you here tonight I want you here
’cause i can’t believe what I found
I want you here tonight want you
‘cause nothing is taking me down
‘cept you my love…

The other song is U2′s “Bad,” and this one is tied to a very traumatic death.

If you twist and turn away.
It you tear yourself in two again.
If I could, yes I would
If I could, I would let it go.
Surrender, dislocate.

If I could throw this lifeless life-line to the wind.
Leave this heart of clay, see you walk, walk away
Into the night, and through the rain
Into the half light and through the flame.

If I could, through myself, set your spirit free
I’d lead your heart away, see you break, break away
Into the light and to the day.

To let it go and so to find away.
To let it go and so find away.
I’m wide awake.
I’m wide awake, wide awake.
I’m not sleeping.

If you should ask, then maybe
They’d tell you what I would say
True colours fly in blue and black
Blue silken sky and burning flag.
Colours crash, collide in blood-shot eyes.

If I could, you know I would
If I could, I would let it go.

This desperation, dislocation
Separation, condemnation
Revelation, in temptation
Isolation, desolation
Let it go and so to find away
To let it go and so to find away
To let it go and so to find away

I’m wide awake, I’m wide awake, wide awake
I’m not sleeping
Oh no, no, no.

I have decided to participate in this year’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

My wife participated last year and ended up with a complete novel which we hope to eventually self-publish via Highmoon Media Productions. I can’t say that I have a very solid idea of what I’ll be writing, but I do have a germ of a story born from a daily writing excercise a couple months ago. As a bonus, the story idea ties into a product HMP will be releasing in the near future.

50,000 words in 30 days. Let’s see what happens.

I am horrible with journals, and it seems with blogs, too.

First of all, happy new year to everyone. So far so good, though I can’t believe it’s almost February already.

Mostly I’ve been busy with Highmoon Media, setting up new projects for freelancers to work on, and finally finishing my own project, Liber Sodalitas: Scions of the Holy Triad. Drop by the website for more info.

Helping my wife now edit and rewrite her NaNoWriMo novel, Songbird. It’s certainly an experience, nothing she or I have any idea how to do. But still, it should be fun, and the result will be worth it.

Gonna finish some stuff and head out. Feeling a bit under the weather today.