new year's writing resolutions NOT

Officially, I didn't make any resolutions this year. But one thing I have tried to do is write at least 100 words a day. So far I have kept to that. For me, this is what I needed to do all along - write every day. I needed to turn the writing into a habit.

I try not to think about what I am going to write. I either open up a document I've been working on, like the vintage resale shop idea, or I start something new, like I did last night. Here is part of what I wrote:

The park was silent this time of night. Mothers and their children were safely tucked inside their homes, safe from the monsters. I watched one particular child sitting in her bedroom, reading a book. She thought of me as her protector. Was I? Or was I one of the monsters I kept warning her about?

I am what is known as a grotesque, or sometimes called a gargoyle. Since I do not funnel water away from a building I am not a “real” gargoyle. Whatever you call me, I am a monster. Children should run screaming from me, yet this one doesn’t. She is happy to be around me. Does she see me differently than adults do? Does she believe I am some sort of magical creature who will save her?

Her name was Anna. She had two older sisters, Daphne and Valentina, who knew of me also, but they stayed away. They were getting older, and as older children do, they tended to not believe in the same things as the younger children do. Which was fine with me. I had Anna all to myself.

The resale shop has kinda hit a a brick wall. I know what I need to change, but I need to think about it some more. I hate to delete whole sections, but I seem to have written myself into a hole and I desperately need a way out so I can continue the story. I have no clue where I'm going with the story, but I know I want to work on it badly enough to keep thinking about it and making notes on scenes to eventually add.

I am also finding myself writing in first person. I HATE to read first person stories, though I loved reading Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. I think from reading the four novels of the series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) from Bella's point of view has somehow changed how I write, at least for these 100 word exercises. I just discovered her last summer. 

Another series I've been reading in the first person is the Alex Cooper books by Linda Fairstein. If you like Law & Order: SVU you will love these books. Her books are an automatic pre-order from Amazon when I find the book available to order.

A note to fans of L&O:SVU - Stephanie March is returning for six episodes, beginning February 17th. I loved her character, Alex Cabot. I haven't been watching lately, but I will definitely be turning in for these new episodes.