Archive | December 2014

While kelkyag gave me a bunch more pick-a-day-prompts, I’d been thinking about this, so I wrote it 🙂

Today I’ve been thinking about Farmville (big surprise there) – as well as Civ, Sim City, and Carcassonne, and how they relate to my writing.

The thought first came to me a week or two after I’d gotten enmeshed in Farmville, which really can devour quite a bit of time. I was running Addergoole scenarios in my head (like ya do) and I realized that the character was sort of playing Farmville IRL.

My first thought was “I’ve been playing this so much that it’s leeching into my characters.”

But THEN I thought about the backstory for Elle and Reynard: rebuilding Buffalo, complete with farms. I thought about the backstory for the Planners: (they started out as) hippy survivalists, with farming, including urban farming. Dig far enough into many of my settings (not, say, Dragons next Door), and you find gardens, farms,and rebuilding buildings: reclaiming, generally, unused or underused land.

The thing is, for all that games like Farmville and Civ, Sim City and Carcasoone are immensely engrossing games, part of why I play them so intensely has to do with how they speak to me. They’re world-building games, creating something out of nothing and making it work to your own plan.

Brb, my electronic cows need feeding.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/859078.html. You can comment here or there.

When the Time Comes Around (turn, turn, turn)

Dec3

I asked for Non-Addergoole Prompts here; this is to rix_scaedu‘s prompt mashed up with ankewehner‘s

Stranded World has a landing page here.

🕯️

It was the season for candles. Autumn settled in her van/RV, approximately eight thousand miles from anyone she knew, and lit a candle on her table.

Just one candle, and hers was red. This was how this thing was done. She sat down on her beanbag, and studied the flame.

🕯️

It was the time for the flame. Winter excused himself from the quiet social obligations of the party to set a glass candleholder in the North-facing window.

He pulled up a chair in front of the window, and settled in before lighting the candle. Just one, and his was white. There was an order to this, as in all things.

🕯️

It was just about that time. Spring kissed New Boy deeply, did something somewhat obscene to Slightly Less New Boy, and left the two of them to entertain each other or complain about video games.

She dug the candle – spring green – out of her underwear drawer and stuck it in a metal can in her East-facing window. There was a way to do things, but she was the tangler, so she added two birthday candles for contrast.

She lit all three and stared into the flame.

🕯️

Everything happened when it had to, and in its own time. This just happened to be the right time to light a candle.

Summer was alone, tonight; she had arranged it that way. She lit the orange-yellow pillar candle and set it, carefully, on the plate from home. Things went the way they needed to, and this way needed one light, and no more.

Summer stared into the flame and thought of home.

Icons all by the wonderful djinni

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/858731.html. You can comment here or there.

December Meme – Day Three

Dec3

The Meme

aoifes_isle asked: Snow, love it or loathe, and why.

That is actually an immensely complicated question!

Okay, so I grew up in the Snow Belt. Snow is a major feature in my life, anywhere from October through April (average year: November through March). I took Driver’s Ed in the snow. My city twice lost power for a week in March. (Once may have been April). That was ice, though. Snow is a fact of life for me.

That being said: I hate driving in snow, though not as badly as I hate driving in freezing rain, ice, sleet, or hail (or driving rain). I don’t particularly enjoy shovelling snow, and I don’t really like slogging through snow to the garage (Woodshed) or compost bin.

But I love snow days, when the road is impassible and I can sit at home guilt-free. I love the look of the snow, bright and crisp and blanketing everything – snow, like love, covers a multitude of sins. I still like playing in snow, even if I don’t really enjoy shovelling it. I like putting Oli ((one of)my norwegian forest cat mutt(s)) out in the snow and watching him play. And I love winter clothes and a chance for layers on layers on layers.

And, I admit, I love the no-yardwork nature of winter, when one can sit back and, well, write more words.

What about you?

~~~

Tomorrow’s topic is still open! Leave me a suggestion?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/858550.html. You can comment here or there.

December Meme – Day Two

Dec2

The Meme

kelkyag asked: Garden Plans?

Garden!

Well, at this time of year, I need to get some cardboard and more mulch over the carrots to overwinter them, and come up with something to do with the last of the kale.

Over the winter, I am contemplating a three-bay compost bin. Our current compost bins are about as simple as can be made: a circle of chicken wire (or the plastic version, in one case) held up with three sticks.

What I’m thinking of doing, probably from scrap wood, are three boxes each sharing a side (Something like this: http://www.besthorsestalls.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/compost-bin-01.jpg, but less large all around), with the front of each box being fold-down or screw-off, and the three back sides being lined with chicken wire or the like. This gives me two bins to rotate every year, and then a third “slow burn” for things like bones & kitty litter.

As for next year? Only one tomato plant, probably only one pepper. Giving the ground a chance to recover from the tomato blight.

Lots of brassicas! Those did really well this year.

And I’m going to mound the squash next year, and hope that does me better.

That’s enough garden planning for early December in the North, I think. <3

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/858214.html. You can comment here or there.

Warm Visions and Warm Family, a ficlet of the Aunt Family

Dec2

I asked for Non-Addergoole Prompts here; this is to kelkyag‘s prompt.

The Aunt Family has a landing page here.

The day before Thanksgiving was, by family tradition, a day spent at the Aunt’s house, cleaning, prepping food, and getting everything ready for the feast the next day.

It was two things notably: It was a day where the family chose to ignore all gender distinctions, and work as if everyone was one, and it was a day in which the Aunt of the family was expected to sit back and not do any heavy lifting, metaphorically, metaphysically, or literally.

Eva was, thus, hiding out in her kitchen, with Beryl and Stone, who were ostensibly sorting the cocoas to help Beatrix & Janelle make cookies. But, since they were sorting cocoa – and since Everyone Knew either Beryl was going to be the next Aunt, or they were going to have to throw everything on its head and let Stone be an Uncle, they were making cocoa, and talking to their Aunt Eva about scrying.

“So, there’s a whole bunch of things going on.” Eva swirled her cocoa and finished the last of the milk, leaving a long ring of grit at the bottom. “The first is simply focusing the Sight in a convenient medium – the cocoa. The second is the feelings you’ve got about doing something. So.” She focused on the swirl, and smiled as she saw a cozy family scene around the big fireplace in her living room. “Cocoa tends to tell you warm, happy things. See?”

She passed the mug to the brother-and-sister team, and watched their faces light up as each of them sent their Sight into the grit. This was going to be a generation to watch, indeed.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/858048.html. You can comment here or there.

“Hey, Lyn, Why Don’t You Write More ____?” Here’s your chance(s)!

Dec2

Ever want to poke me to write something in specific?

This thread gives you a chance to suggest a blog topic sometime in December,

and

this thread is for prompts for anything non-Addergoole (is there a desire for an Addergoole/Fae Apoc/Doomsday prompt thread?)

and

this thread is to help me narrow down the “more please” tag to a few stories.

😀

Go, tell me what to write!

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/857835.html. You can comment here or there.

Dollar bill y’all

Dec1

After Put me on a dollar cause I’m who they trust in.

Luca=Luke (Luca was what he was called when younger)

Mike/Michelle/VanderLinden/Meckil are all the same person.

Akatil Yixox teaches tinkering and “unutu,” worked objects (artifacts?) at Addergoole.

It was just too tempting. Mike left the 3-clover bill on his desk for a week, turning it over and over.

Regine refused to acknowledge that Cloverleaf or Doomsday Academy were anything but the pitiful games of angry children; when DJ had suggested trading with them for goods, the Director had actually thrown the Procurer (and the school’s buying agent; DJ was good at the job) out of her office.

But the currency sitting on Mike’s desk spoke far more loudly than Regine’s chill, snipped answers. It was well-done, for one, with at least three Workings embedded it in. Akatil Yixox had raised both eyebrows, and then said, with some consternation, “this is not the work of my Students. But it’s not the work of yours either, is it?”

It was a good question, and not one Luca had been thinking of, clearly. Luca, bless the bird-brain’s heart, had been too busy flailing his hands and wondering how the children grew up so big.

Considering his wife was the daughter of one of those children, Mike thought perhaps Luca needed to think out his reactions a little bit better. Then again, Luca had a bit of a thing for those far too young for him.

That was far, far beside the point, maddening as it was. The point was, the currency was fascinating. Having a bill with one’s own face on it was absolutely delicious. And having a fifty with Luca‘s face on it… Mike slept with that bill under his pillow, but only when he slept alone.

He had to do it. He had to see this city.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/857503.html. You can comment here or there.

December Meme – Day One

Dec1

inventrix asked: What have you been watching lately?

Well, we were watching Dr. Who, but then its ridiculously short season came to an end (dun-dun-DUN). I was really enjoying it, right up to the finale, in which I believe the actors did the best with awful dialogue writing.

I watch the news. 😉 ABC World News with David Muir. We also watch the Daily Show, which isn’t news, but is often informative.

And T. & I watch Cutthroat Kitchen rather religiously. It’s a Food Network food competition show, hosted by Alton Brown.

We’re very slowly re-watching Picket Fences and Torchwood on days when we don’t have anything else to watch.

I didn’t marathon anything in November, or watch anything, really, on my own. I might track down something, but all my previous shows are sort of leaving a funny taste in my mouth. Anything to suggest?

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/857285.html. You can comment here or there.

December Meme – Tell me what to talk about

Dec1

Stolen from aoifes_isle who stole it from theladyscribe: Pick a date in December and give me something to talk about. TV, books, movies, fandom, writing, science, publishing, food, travel, fictional characters and all of their feelings, cuddly animals, whatever.

@dahob, days of my choice – -Angel Fight! -snow -sexy eyes

kelkyag, days of choice – Art — your tastes, a favorite piece you or one you’ve been inspired by, art to go with your writing;Mud. (Says the potter, but interpret in your own choice of contexts.); Cooking, recipes, something you want to make; Something you want to learn, or learn about; Language or color choices; Collections; Mythology (or mythological beasts, or places, or …); Getting lost; Meeting people; Cycles; ~~Fire.~~

1 – inventrix: What have you been watching lately? – 1
2 – kelkyag: Garden Plans – 2
3 – aoifes_isle: Snow, love it or loathe, and why. – 3
4 – me – Farmville (really) – 4
5 – lilfluff: Plotting methods that have worked for you, or that have intrigued you. – 5
6 – kelkyag: Fire – 6
7 – Wyste, budgeting – 7
8 – aoifes_isle: Obscure factoid that everyone should know. – 8
9 – rix_scaedu: Doug – 9
10
11 – thnidu: Rolling the dice.
12 – kay_brooke: How about fictional characters and your feelings? Who do you like the most? Who do you enjoy writing the most? Who do you frequently want to knock some sense into? – 12
13 – lilfluff: Your favorite games – 13
14 – http://www.denisedrespling.com/7-books-that-shaped-my-life/ – 14
15 – eseme: Favorite places to shop for the late shoppers – 15
1 [16] – thnidu: oops! Something’s missing! – 16
17 – inventrix: the cats – 17
18 – lilfluff: What shows/movies would you like to see rebooted? – 18
19 – kelkyag: Knitting – 19
20 – thnidu: what’s the score?
21 – inventrix: Christmas plans! – 21
22 – lilfluff: Comfort foods – 22
23 – @dahob – Why do you like apocalypses so much? – 23
24 – thnidu: the dozens
25 – thnidu: Square, perfectly square
26 – thnidu: From A to Z
27
28
29
30 – aoifes_isle: New Year’s traditions (in a fic ‘verse or real life)
31 – lilfluff: A writing tip or prompt for people to take into the new year.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/856919.html. You can comment here or there.

Reunited, a story bit of Planners (@lilfluff)

Dec1

I asked for Non-Addergoole Prompts here; this is to lilfluff‘s prompt.

235 words, ‘Planners verse 5 years post-Collapse.

The Far Northeast branch of the Family had done everything by the book, and then improvised where there was no book. They had gotten their Ark Library secure before the first murmurs of trouble, and had been all safe inside, with an equal number of non-Family experts and friends as Family, when the worst troubles hit. They had sat tight, letting in a select handful of wandering refugees only as they could safely feed and shelter, and had immediately begun classes in which everyone taught and everyone learned. Their food supplies exceeded book suggestions. Their heating plans were on par for the northern Maine winters. They were completely, totally prepared.

The problem was, they had also been, for five long years, completely, totally isolated from the rest of the world. Communications lines had not survived the collapse, which had been anticipated.

What hadn’t been anticipated, or at least not considered relevant, was the strange flailing feeling of a continent-sprawling organization in constant contact with one another suddenly finding itself cut into component pieces.

The day the Family scouts finally found the Far Northeast Ark Library, the Northers broke into every reserve stock for their party. Alcohol flowed. Chocolate was baked. Rich foods were served, and loud music boomed.

Of course, while five years was not all that long in terms of the Family’s long view, it was certainly long enough to drift away from Plan…

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/856755.html. You can comment here or there.

Alder's Grove Fiction

The Worlds of Lyn Thorne-Alder

Archive | December 2014

December Meme – Day Four

When the Time Comes Around (turn, turn, turn)

December Meme – Day Three

December Meme – Day Two

Warm Visions and Warm Family, a ficlet of the Aunt Family

“Hey, Lyn, Why Don’t You Write More ____?” Here’s your chance(s)!

Dollar bill y’all

December Meme – Day One

December Meme – Tell me what to talk about

Reunited, a story bit of Planners (@lilfluff)