Saturday, October 24, 2009

No good news is good news... we hope!

Gwenna Project: Lost and Found (Mark and Josh)- at this point I've heard nothing from Samhain. Sooooo, I'm going with that old saying of no news is good news. After all, even though I haven't been accepted yet, nor have I been rejected. I'll be a glass "half full" kinda girl about this. LOL.

Gwenna Project: VN2- I'm back to working on this project again. I'm picking up at the scene where I left off with some changes in mind from my original notes and vision. I like it better. I'm also printing off the material I have so I can mark up where I have problems and what needs to be seriously overwritten. That's all part of to do list for tomorrow.

Gwenna Project: Melody Blue- Now this one I'm getting excited about. for one thing, I can use the research I was doing for Daisy Mae and put it all to good use here. That puts me ahead of the research game. Also, I've got a solid plot in mind and some smaller plot threads to run through it to add some realism and depth to the entire thing. I've got my two main characters set too: Captain Dennis Baxter and Staff Sergeant Theodore "Holly" Hollenbeck.

My main overall background on Holly comes from a real life ground crew chief I was told about- who was in Japan and worked on B-29s. That he came from money and could and should have been an officer, but he didn't want that. He loved working on the ships. Using that, I've built out Holly, a man who was expected to marry well and take up the family name but instead decided that was not going to be him and joins the Army instead to avoid an arranged marriage. He is the head ground crew chief that is assigned to take care of the Melody Blue.

Holly is going to be about 5 years older than Dennis, but no more.

Dennis comes from the Chesapeake Bay area, his family owns a cannery and he loves all things boats. He is the captain of the Melody Blue. Back in those days, young officers were expected to marry, and so Dennis has a young beautiful wife who is sweet and patient. But he can't love her and the more he tries, the more frustrated and confused he is. Something happens that tips his world upside down and he runs, joining the USAAF, hoping this will make a man out of him.

These two men, despite their rank and circumstances, form a friendship when they realize how much they do have in common. After a rough mission where Dennis manages to get the Melody Blue back to the base. Holly is so relieved to have his "lady" back, but even more so that Dennis is back, a bit worse for wear but okay otherwise. But Melody Blue lost her youngest crew member and Dennis is distraught. He goes to Holly for drinks and understanding and it leads to something else entirely, the two men discovering each other. Holly has some experience but it's a whole new world for Dennis. Now Dennis has to figure out what this is he has with Holly and continue to fly Melody Blue. Left behind each time she goes out, Holly can only wait and pray she brings Dennis back to him. Then the unspeakable happens and the Melody Blue, badly shot up, most of her crew injured or dead, doesn't make it back to the base. And no one knows if Dennis was even able to get her out of France and back across the channel. Or if he is even alive.

I've still got another idea I've got at the back of my head but can't label a Gwenna Project yet- of two Marines in Vietnam and the backdrop is the batlle of Hue. But I'm leaving that alone for now, my plate is full enough!

So that's where I am right now. I'm really pleased with the projects so far. Finding time to work on them is something else entirely as I've got two regular jobs that actually pay the bills. *rolls eyes.* I am, however, going over to my good friend's place for a long weekend next weekend. There I will be writing and enjoying and fleshing out more of the Melody Blue. Definitely will be working on VN2.

2 comments:

  1. This sounds like some pretty good stuff!!

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  2. Thanks sweetie- I'm pretty excited about this one. I've got a lot of stuff in mind and will be working out a more detailed outline this long weekend. But my focus for now is VN2 of course.

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