PAWW! (Fr + En)

Dans mon dernier article, j'ai mentionné un projet d'écriture que je voulais faire portant sur 52 semaines. J'ai créé un nouveau blog sur Wordpress pour le publier, et aussi commencer à neuf un blog d'écrivain. J'ai créé Pensées d'une Folle/Morue quand j'avais 14 ans, je n'avais pas les mêmes intérêts à l'époque.

Je vous invite donc à visiter Conatus, mon nouveau bloye, pour plus d'informations sur PAWW. :)

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In my last article, I mentionned a writing project I wanted to do for a whole year. I created a new blog on Wordpress to publish it, and also to start a new writing blog. I created this one when I was 14, I didn't have the same interests at that time.

I invite you to visit Conatus, my new baby, for more informations on PAWW. :)

2014's end is nigh (En)

Here we are again. The end of another year. We can't say that this year wasn't uneventful, a lot happened, and sadly it seems it was more negative than positive things. Wars, protests, murders; some went public, some others went unnoticed, at least by Canadian media. If you follow the K-Pop industry, lots of shit went down too, lots of bands were disbanded, members left and SM Entertainment still is having the good end of the bargain(s). Anyway I'm not gonna start on the bad news, because I prefer to be optimistic and see the good side of things. So on with what good things that happened to me in 2014.

It seems to me the first half of 2014 was a long series of sighs and waiting and school and work. Then in April I decided to do the 100 Theme Challenge. It was a lot of work, of swearing and mind struggle, but in the end, I succeeded and did a hundred stories in a bit more than 100 days. I'm still working on my major story Teardrops Burn, but I wasn't able to do much before I decided to enter the NaNoWriMo contest. In October I began the outline of what would be my book Fountain of Life (title might change), and November was cray-cray with school, work and this. More than once I had to write 3k words in a day, and sleep was optional.

I wrote a post in mid-November whining about how the contest worked, but I admit I was weary and frustrated at myself for not being able to put up as many words as I wished I could. My story came out brilliant, however, and I'm in the process of editing and polishing it. One of the NaNoWriMo's goodies for the winners were two copies of a paperprint version of my book, so it shall be done once I'm satisfied with my work, and then I'll embark on a journey to send my book to publishing houses. It's thrilling yet nerve-wrecking.

*Googles search some houses* oh god

On another note, as I do watch a lot of shows, I wish to point out 2014's TV Shows that I liked enough to remember as I write this post.

I watched Hannibal's Season 2 as it aired back in the first semester of this year. It was freaking good and ended as usual with me laying on the floor begging for mercy. Not only the plot is absolutely brilliant, inspired by the books but not dictated by them, but the scenes are beautifully put and the music creates the right atmosphere to tie everything together in that gory masterpiece.

Outlander was also aired this year, and I never actually knew what it was before I checked the show's plot. I remember seeing the serie's books in the wardrobe when I was younger, but I never knew how Le Chardon et le Tartan (French's title which has no connection with its original title, thus the reason I never understood what it was all about) would be this good and filled with a sweet ginger hottie. After watching the three first episodes, I was hooked and began to read the book. I love Claire's feminist point of view!

Penny Dreadful was also a big crush of mine. I'd heard of it before it began airing and thought it was all I needed for a show : science-fiction, classic literature's characters and Eva Green. Billie Pepper is also in it, so it's a double! Bonus: the plot is excellent and the character development very well done.

The Leftovers is another mystery/science-fiction show I've watched and loved, I thought nothing of it when I began to watch it, but the way this show keeps you guessing at the events made me wait for it every week. There's a season 2 coming up, which gives me time to watch the first season again, because I'm sure there's plenty of stuff I didn't see the first time I've watch it.

There's also comic TV Shows like Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and DC's The Flash I've enjoyed. The second season of AoS is a lot better than the first one, probably because Joss Whedon doesn't need to drag main plotlines because of the movies coming out, so there's a lot more action and awesomeness. The Flash is a show I'm actually surprised I enjoy this much, since I'm not that much of a fan of Arrow, and when I saw the main actor, I was like "wait isn't that the gay dude in Glee?", but the role fortunately didn't stick with him (unlike his tight fitting suit).

How To Get Away With Murder is a show I usually wouldn't enjoy, but the scenario is well paced and the cast is brilliant. It might also be because there's majorly only gay sex scenes, but that's just me.

Orphan Black is another really good show I've watched this year, It's Canadian, isn't it a good enough reason to watch it? Also there's only about 2 actors in the cast, because the main actress does all the characters.

HBO series The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are a classic that everyone loves, so I'm not going to talk about them, but if you're not already watching those, do it already.

Vikings and Da Vinci's Demons are worth mentioning as well!

I might do the same for video games I've enjoyed in 2014, but I'll do that on my gamer's blog. I know I watch a lot of shows, but it's not that much when I watch them as it airs.

For 2015, I never really have resolutions because I know I won't keep up to them anyway, but I wish I'll continue writing as much as I did in 2014, I'm working too on another writing prompt that'd last a whole year, but let's begin by finishing my other projects I have.

Happy New Year!

Ask-Meme for Writers! (EN)

So I've found a writer quiz!! I really like some questions, so I decided do it. ^_^

01:When did you first start writing?
About ten years ago, so when I was 12 years old. It was a Harry Potter fanfiction that I never got to publish, sadly. :P

02:What was your favorite book growing up?
I read hundreds of books during my teen years, I'm not even kidding. I used to contest with a friend for the one who'd read the most books in a year. I won, of course. You can only imagine that I didn't have a favorite book, but I've always loved the Vampires Chronicle by Anne Rice, I read it growing up and Lestat was always on the back of my mind ever since, that elegant ruthless child of the night.

03:Are you an avid reader?
See the previous question. I do read less than before, but I still do - whether it's fanfictions, original books on Wattpad, etc.. I'm currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and the latest book of Anne Rice, Prince Lestat.

04:Have you ever thrown a book across the room?
Not really, perhaps when I was younger. 

05:Did you take writing courses in school/college?
Other than the obligated ones, no. I learnt all of my tricks by myself!

06:Have you read any writing-advice books?
Not books, no, but articles on the internet about specific scenes. Kissing, smut, how to write a good ending, that kind of stuff.

07:Have you ever been part of a critique group?
No, but I was a beta writer for a few authors once.

08:What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
A lot of feedback that I receive is positive, to tell the truth, but what I really enjoy is when someone tells me that my story keeps them on edge all the way through. This is what a writer lives for.

09:What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten?
A feedback is never bad, it's always constructive, unless it's someone along the lines of "Your story sucks balls!" I think I once received a review about how I didn't follow a character's personality, but that's about it.

10:What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?

Writer specific pet-peeves? I hate when they write "it's" instead of "its", even though it's a common mistake. Other than that, I can't really think of any, except for mine. I know I tend to write long sentences with many coordinators, and I hate it. I like to diversify as much as possible, even if I'm probably the only one looking at that stuff.

11:What’s your favorite book cover?

The latest one I really enjoyed was Anne Rice's Prince Lestat. It's really neat, red on black, and the cover is made of that velvety paper that can get scratched easily but is really soft and superb otherwise.

12:Who is your favorite author?

Dean Koontz and Anne Rice in ratio of the number of their books I've read.

13:What’s your favorite writing quote?

"The Beautiful is always strange", by Baudelaire. He's my all-time favorite poet, but other than that, we share a lot of common opinions (he disliked children as well). In my opinion, his quote means that what is beautiful may not appeal right away to the common eye. Too many "bad" features; a crooked nose or wide jaw, yet the whole face is still beautiful. That originality, singularity is what makes a person or a piece of art beautiful. Also the fact that many artists' works are sometimes too early for their time and they become famous only after their death.

14:What’s your favorite writing blog? c;

Mine, of course. Look at that layout!

15:What would you say has inspired you the most?

All the books I've ever read. I've always had that need to write though.

16:How do you feel about movies based on books?It depends, but usually they're not that good. Some are good when taken on their own because the universe is just too big. but some rarities are good, like Clockwork Orange, Fight Club, Trainspotting and the whole Hannibal serie of movies.

17:Would you like your books to be turned into TV shows, movies, video games, or none?

I'd love to! I couldn't be happier to witness an universe taken from my little brain brought in some other people's hands for them to examine and convert for other people to see. Imagine a video game with my characters, that'd be awesome! (Gays everywhere!)

18:How do you feel about love triangles?

I think they're overused, especially when in the end it comes to the one caught between the other two to choose who gets rejected and who "wins". It's stupid for me to even think about waiting for someone, I guess, so that must be why I think the whole concept is useless.

19:Do you prefer writing on a computer or longhand?

Both! I feel like I lose less time when I'm writing on paper, or longhand (whatever that means), but I go more quickly when I'm on computer if I'm actually focused for it. I have some concentration problems, and I actually write better when it's dark outside - not easy when you have a day schedule!

20:What’s your favorite writing program?

ZenWriter for Windows or WriteRoom and Bean for Mac to really focus, but also the good old Microsoft Word. The thing when I used ZenWriter was that I was customizing my background and stuff and not focusing on my writing. You see my problem now.

21:Do you outline?

I do! At first I thought it wasn't necessary, but I found it very useful when I wrote Teardrops Burn, which was my first try at a mystery thriller/film noir story. Even though I don't necessary follow it while I write, it helps me to know where I'm going and what elements I have to include in order to reach the ending I want. Other people might think it's a waste of time, I also did at first, but it's not, because the time you take to write your outline down, you'd waste even more trying to figure out what comes next in your story or adding parts because you need to want a new element in your story for the plot to develop. I guess it also depends why you write the story, whether it's a long-processed idea you want to put down or just something spontaneous during a sleepless night. I'll just say that my outline for my NaNoWriMo is 3,5k words.

22:Do you start with characters or plot?

Once again, it depends on what kind of story I'm going for and the idea that creates the whole story. I usually think of a situation rather than a character, but they quickly come together, because for me the personality of the persons influences the story. If I do a pairing, for instance, I rarely do two cheerful characters together, it doesn't fit the mood I'm looking for. TL;DR I start with whatever I feel inspired by.

23:What’s your favorite and least favorite part of making characters?

Nothing really. The characters are the essential part of your story, so if you don't take the time to create a realistic personality for them, a background and even some ridiculous details about them to make them more credible, it doesn't give that human feeling to your story, if I can say. A character has to have weaknesses and problems, otherwise people can't relate to them. I feel like this ask-meme is me telling my opinion on main points of any story instead of really answering the questions, my bad!

24:What’s your favorite and least favorite part of plotting?

The transition between two main events for big stories. I want everything to move smoothly, but sometimes my mind just doesn't know what to write to make it happen.

25:What advice would you give to young writers?

Write for yourself, and not for the others. Writing what you want is what matters most, and if people likes it, then it's a plus. Also, there's always room for improvements, so don't compare to the others' writing, because nobody writes the same way. Instead, compare your current stories to your old works, notice the improvements. I've always been really hard on myself, but I realize that things I dislike in my writing isn't noticeable by my readers, and writing your best is what's important.

26:Which do you enjoy reading the most: physical, ebook, or both?
Both. Nothing will ever beat the smell of paper and the weight of a book in my hands, but reading a good story on my cellphone doesn't bother me either. Words are words, whichever way you read them with.

27:Which is your favorite genre to write?
Science-fiction! I rarely write non-fiction. (Wow I didn't write a whole paragraph for this answer)

28:Which do you find hardest: the beginning, the middle, or the end?
The end. Where to finish exactly to give the most feelings.

29:Which do you find easiest: writing or editing?
Editing for sure.

30:Have you ever written fan-fiction?
Of course, I've written like 80 or something. You can find me on FFN and AO3.

31:Have you ever been published?
Sadly no, but I'm planning on it!

32:How do you feel about friends and close relatives reading your work?
I really like it, I think it's more awkward for me to show my work to acquaintances instead. What I write represents a lot of my thoughts and opinions, so it's like baring a part of me right from the start when I usually prefer to stay secret when I meet someone new. For friends and family, I don't mind, for I know what I write is good stuff  anyway. *brush imaginary dust off my shoulder*

33:Are you interested in having your work published?
Yes! I know it's a lot of work, but I'm slowly putting it together. Participating in the NaNoWriMo helps me a lot.

34:Describe your writing space.
Messy, to say the least. I'm working with a MacBook Pro, but I have a 23" display and an USB keyboard because my other one doesn't work anymore. It's actually a miracle my laptop even works still after I dropped water twice on it.
I also have coffee with me, always. When I'm writing on paper, however, I can write about anywhere.

35:What’s your favorite time of day for writing?
When there's no sun left to distract me.

36:Do you listen to music when you write?
I do, with my good old pal 8tracks.

37:What’s your oldest WIP?
Back in 2008, I began a book about a witch of some backwater village who could see the future and had to prevent the death of the Prince. Basic plot, right? I still wrote 14 chapters before leaving it in the depths of my folders.

38:What’s your current WIP?
I have a lot of WIPs: Teardrops Burn (that I first published during my 100 Theme Challenge), The Sadler Contract that I'm publishing on Wattpad, and The Fountain of Urd, which is my NaNoWriMo book. 

39:What’s the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had?
A remake of the Red Riding Hood involving a ginger gay boy who had sex with the wolf... I was 15. I was young and wild.

40:Which is your favorite original character, and why?
... D: I love them all! They're my babies, how could I love one more than another? 

41:What do you do when characters don’t follow the outline?
I make the story still works. 

42:Do you enjoy making your characters suffer?
I do, actually. Life isn't all smiles and happy endings, mistakes and flaws are what makes people more human. Their suffering is what makes them stronger... except when they die.

43:Have you ever killed a main character?
... :D

44:What’s the weirdest character concept you’ve ever come up with?
The main character of a zombie story I was working on that never saw the rays of light. His name was Elwin, son of crazy scientists who'd built a zombie-proof house. He was emotionless yet felt that his mission was to save humanity? I don't even know.

45:What’s your favorite character name?
Probably Eibhilín from one of my 100TC's stories.

46:Describe your perfect writing space.

A calm place with calm music, with no window because it could distract me, and a beverage with me, be it water, tea or coffee.

47:If you could steal one character from another author and make them yours, who would it be and why?
Probably Jamie from Outlander, because he's just clueless about some things but so damn smart about other things, and he's just a sweet muscular cuddly guy with dimples and ginger hair. Who wouldn't love him?

48:If you could write the next book of any series, which one would it be, and what would you make the book about?
I think I'd write a book based on one of the stories I wrote for my 100TC, even if it's not a serie. I got so many ideas, and I'd love to expand some of them.

49:If you could write a collaboration with another author, who would it be and what would you write about?
I'd like to write something with one of my sisters, a suspense story would be interesting with people dying. Let's see if one of them take on my bait. :P

50:If you could live in any fictional world, which would it be?
What's up with the difficult questions... It's not a book but I'd live in Final Fantasy VII's world, 'cause materia and Cloud.

I hoped you enjoyed this Ask-Meme! I know I did. 

How do I not like NaNoWriMo 2014 so far (A ramble by yours truly) (En)

I'm writing this illegally. I should be working on my NaNoWriMo cause I'm a day late - oops. I absolutely love my story so far, but it's really hard for me to balance quantity and quality. In fact, I don't, thus the reason I'm late. I don't want to write shitty plot just for the sake of my words count, which I believe some people do. It never was my intention, through participating in this contest, to butch my story because I was late of a day or two, and for that, I think it sucks. I see a lot of writers are almost done with their 50k words, and I think it's great for them, but I wonder how's the quality in that work? Writers don't write the same, I'm aware of that, but say you need to write someone's feelings about a certain situation. Do you babble nonsense until you're satisfied and think you've said enough on the matter? Personnaly, this is not how I work, the feelings' developement has to make a sense in order to flow smoothly.

What I'm trying to tell is that I don't like certain points of NaNoWriMo. It probably wasn't like that at its beginning (back in 1999 :O), but now, I receive lots of messages to donate to receive a halo on top of my image (um, hello, I write horror and homoerotism, do I look like I want to get an angelic symbol on my profile? If only we could get the choice of the symbol.), and they keep pushing us to write, write, write. Like, last saturday, there was this Double Count Challenge or something, you had to try to double your words count... I was like, sorry but I work? (And I need to do my daily tasks as well, you know, like eat and stuff...) Beside, I'm about able to puke 2000 words a day max, don't expect me to write 15000... I can't imagine people with 40k words already. I'm kind of angry about that, because I DESPISE being pushed around to do something, and in fact, I usually do the opposite. Yes, this was me whining about the contest, but I still like it... kinda. I already write 1,7k words a day, which is alrerady a miracle, don't expect me to do 5k when I work and go to school.

The positive thing that I like is the stats and how they help you keep track of how many words a day you need to write in order to be done by November, 30th. Hopefully, I'll stick to myself and continue to write with quality over quantity without being late (best lucks tbh). I divided my book in three parts, and the first one is done. It's freaking awesome so far!

Don't tell me what to do

Anxiety and I (Fr + Eng)

Je me suis découvert une nouvelle passion depuis août dernier, on est vraiment très proches l'un de l'autre. Cette passion s'appelle l'anxiété, et elle n'est pas tant passionnante que passionée par moi. Bref, lorsque je me couche et que mes pensées commencent à tournoyer dans ma tête sans que je puisse les éteindre, j'écris. J'écris parfois sur mes sentiments par rapport à ma présente situation, mais parfois j'écris une courte histoire auquelle l'idée principale me trottait dans la tête. Celle que je vous présente est super cheesy, mais j'ai toujours aimé reprendre des mythes et les placer dans un environnement moderne.

La première chose qu'il remarqua fut sa bouche invitante, rose et charnue, dans le brouillard de sa barbe de quelques jours. Elle s'ouvra, et James força un sourire par habitude, continuant sa quête à une paire de yeux ensorcelants.

Plusieurs proclament que l'âme peut être vu au travers les yeux des gens, eh bien l'âme de l'étranger était une tempête sur l'océan, avec des teintes de bleu et de gris et de jaune et de vert. Zeus avait tiré un éclair à Poséidon qui était atterri dans les Champs Élysées, d’où l'étranger était né. James cligna des yeux avec étonnement lorsqu'une main chaude pressa son bras au-travers son manteau.

"Pardon?" Il demanda stupidement, et à sa surprise, les joues de l'étranger rougirent.

"Tu me dévisageais." Sa voix était profonde, assorti au reste de sa magnifique personne.

"Qui ne le ferait pas, tu es magnifique," Il répliqua sans hésitation. "À quelle famille appartiens-tu?" 

Il n'était habituellement pas aussi direct, mais il devait savoir. Son cœur était tombé directement dans l'étau de l'amour à la vue de cet étranger.

L'homme émit un bruit de moquerie, mais son froncement de sourcils s'effaça lorsqu'il remarqua que James était sérieux.

"Jamais personne ne m'a dit que j'étais magnifique auparavant, et toi non plus si tu savais que je suis un Hades."

James sourit et fit un pas en avant. Il était plus petit que l'étranger et dut lever la tête pour que leur regard garde contact.

"Et savoir cela n'empêche pas ma tête de tourner depuis que mon regard est tombé sur toi."

Il leva sa main au-dessus de celle de l'autre. "Puis-je?" Il pouvait déjà sentir l'attraction émaner de l'étranger, quelque chose qu'il n'avait jamais vécu auparavant.

L'étranger hésita, puis prit sa main dans la sienne, presque trop chaude en cette journée fraiche. 

Immédiatement, ils sentirent une chaleur se répandre en eux. Ils se regardèrent avec émerveillement.

"Tu es un Aphrodite," dit-il à James, qui hocha la tête.

"Il semble que nous étions condamnés à croiser le chemin de l'autre."

J'utilise Hadès et Aphrodite comme étant des familles prédisposant certains trains de personnalité, pour ceux qui pourraient être confus.

--

I discovered myself a new hobby since last august, we're so close together now. It's called anxiety, and I'm not as addicted to it as it's addicted to me. When I go to sleep and thoughts begin to swirl around in my head without me being able to stop them, I write. I often write about my feelings on my current situation, but I also sometimes simply write a short story with a plotline I had in the head for a while. The one I'm showing to you is super cheesy, but I always liked to take myths and put them in modern settings.

The first thing he noticed was his soft-looking mouth, pink and full, in the mist of his dark stubble. It opened to say something, and James forced a smile out of habit, pursuing his quest up to a mesmerizing set of eyes.

Some said you could see the soul through someone’s eyes, well the stranger’s soul was a tempest on the ocean, with hues of blue and grey and yellow and green. Zeus had thrown a lightning at Poseidon who landed on the Elysian Fields, and from the event the stranger was born. James blinked in astonishment when a warm hand gently landed on his clothed arm.

"Sorry what?" He stupidly asked, and to his surprise, he saw the stranger’s face redden.

"You were staring at me." His voice was deep, matching the rest of his beautiful self.

"Who wouldn't, you’re gorgeous," he replied without hesitation. "Which family do you belong to?" 

He usually wouldn’t be this direct, but he had to know. His heart had fallen right in love’s grasp at the sight of him.

The man scoffed, but his scowl melted after a few seconds when he realized James was serious.

"No one called me gorgeous before, and you wouldn’t either if you knew I’m a Hades."

James smiled and took a step forward. He was shorter than the stranger, and so he had to look up to keep visual contact.

"Yet knowing this doesn't stop my head from spinning since my gaze fell on you."

James raised his hand above the other’s. “May I?” He could already feel the pull of attraction lure him closer, something he never felt before.

The beautiful stranger hesitated, but finally accepted his hand, firmly clasping it in his, almost too hot for such a chilly day. Instantly, they both felt warmth grow inside of them. They stared at each other in wonder.

"You’re an Aphrodite," he said to James, who nodded.

"It seems like we were doomed to cross each other’s path."

I used here Hades and Aphrodite as families who has a certain type of personality, for those who were confused.

Also I found this. :)

100 Theme Challenge Conclusion and Thoughts - A Ramble

I did it. I wrote a hundred stories in more or less a hundred days. I began on April 19th and finished on July 11st, so it's not that bad, right? At first, I was writing two themes in advance, meaning that I was publishing #1 but already working on #3. It worked well until I went to Montreal for my birthday, at the end of May. I wasn't able to keep up and was even late some days. I hate to be late, and my procrastination skills don't help in the matter. I had to focus and force myself to write each day, and it was worse when I reached a thousand words per day. I often finished around 3 or 4 AM a story, so of course most of my stories aren't polished or sometimes not even double-checked. I'm that lazy, what can I say. It's a bit of a wonder how I managed to do it, but like I said, sleep was optional at some point. My inspiration comes a lot more easily at night, so when I was working early in the morning, it sucked. Self-motivation is really important when trying to complete this kind of challenges, because few people will encourage you and even fewer will read your stories along the way. It's just how things are, I guess. Do this for yourself, not for the others. That's what I learned a while ago, and if people congratulates you for your devotion, then gently pat your shoulder and have a drink while writing. Don't get yourself drunk though, because you might not like the results of your story (true story).

Anyway, there was a lot of work involved in that challenge, let me tell you, and I'm glad it's over to be quite honest. I feel a bit empty-handed, with no more obligation to write, but I have my list of future projects. I already published a new chapter of one of my fanfictions, I have to polish Teardrops Burn and finish the sequel of The Veredas Contract, among other things. I'm also building up a new project from scratch, but this one will be extended on a whole year. Crazy, you say? Wait 'til you read what I have in mind, but I'll take a break before starting it, don't worry.

So, I wrote around 60 000 words for that challenge. It's kind of a lot, for me at least, considering I've been working on something for six months and it's only 10 000 words. The genres of these 100 themes were also quite diverse, even though I'm not the best to classify a story, I think I wrote non-fiction, suspense, horror, science-fiction, fantasy and drama. I must forget some genres, but I'm satisfied with that list. I liked to touch as many genres as possible, it was refreshing and kept me on my toes, if I can say, because I kept experiencing. I wrote on witches, zombies, werewolves, pirates, detectives, vampires, princess warriors, mythical creatures, desperate people, lonely ones and lots of gay men, to name only these ones. I am satisfied of myself.

Last thing I wanted to mention is how much research I put into many of these stories. I don't know how many times I found myself on weird sites because I was looking up something. The FBI site is really informative (and intimidating, I mean, it's the FBI). I now know too much about Chicago's gambling situation of 1959 and read all about the differences of false and real opium. I'm not sure if that'll ever come in handy in my life, but at least I know a pirate translator exists out there and I'm aware of what kinds of sorcery is practiced today...  Yeh scurvy rats!

Sorry for the ramble. I haven't even talked of the most important thing: my improvement with dealing with plots. The whole point of starting this was for me to be able to rapidly establish a start, a main action and a conclusion to any kind of story. Of course, with 1000 words, the main action was longer and more detailed, and the ending cut short, but I'm happy with what I did. The first stories were glimpses of a situation, really to tease the reader and to rapidly create an environment and a situation or to build up a feeling, and that's why I sometimes used them to write sequels for the longer stories, to expand its universe and write something a bit more satisfying; to put meat around the bones.

I also enjoyed connecting some of the stories together, I love putting references a bit everywhere. For example, when I wrote #25, Broken Pieces, I used the term 'Underworld' without realizing that #85's theme was that, so from there I had the genius idea that I could link universes together. Some of the stories are really cool and personal achievements for me, some less, but for the amount of time I had for each of them, I feel awesome.

The complete list is available here!

Shall I tell you my TOP 10? Hell yeah! The list is in no particular order, mind you.

1. #99. Ocean : Of course it's in my top 10, simply for my genius idea to add pirate slangs to the story. You can't imagine the fun I had with that, even though I'm not sure if my story is believable. I read that potatoes don't have enough vitamin C so they couldn't heal the scurvy, but Jacob was in an early stage, so why not? The pirate was never sick because he kept drinking his potato wine (if you didn't already understand).

2. #65. Princess : I knew I wouldn't write something traditional when I saw that theme. My princess would kick ass à la Xena, and she did. The sequel took another direction, but I loved the fact she goes in and kills a dragon by herself.

3. The Dive Under multiple stories: I wasn't satisfied with the ending of it, but I loved the concept, especially #23. Magic Imagine working and a beast just crashes in and someone throws fireballs at it, how quick you'd probably faint. I don't know what I would do, to be honest. I saw the concept of #25. Broken Pieces more like a version of the BBC Sherlock, with his assistant having a crush on him and not pretending not being gay (or whatever is supposed to be true in that serie). I wish their relationship was a bit more like in the manga Do you know my detective? in which both of the detectives are badass and in a twisted relationship, but oh well, I can't satisfy all my fantasies in one story.

4. 57. Bones: An evil necromancer! Do I need to add anything?

5. 49. Alcohol:  I love mythology, and I always wanted to try to write a modern version of one. One of my favorite Greek gods is Hades, because I love broody bad men, so it was the perfect opportunity.

6. 45. Need: I love reversing stereotypes, and I asked myself what it would be if heterosexuals were persecuted and killed instead of the LGBT community.

7. 27. Words: A man loved his wife dearly and her writing keeps him alive, so of course he wants her heritage to be shared to everyone. Perhaps she wasn't interested in being published, but he loved her so much he wants everyone to know how much of a beautiful person she was. It's a beautiful love story, I adore it.

8. 34. Solitude: I wrote this in one go, in about ten minutes, and I was crying at the end. I love that story, the sentences are so simple yet exhales of solitude, loneliness and melancholy. It's meant to be read between the lines.

9. 12. Tears: I was inspired by a conversation I overheard on the bus. Sometimes the real meaning of a conversation is not in the words themselves, but in the way they are pronounced, the breath's rhythm, the silence, the double meanings, the struggle of the voice. Sometimes people prefer not to listen to these signs, they pretend everything is fine.

10. Teardrops Burn, of course. You can't imagine the amount of work I put in that story. I was working on the plot months before I started writing it. It was my first time writing a Film Noir story, so I wanted to be sure where I was going with this before attempting anything. I love Jack, and if you hadn't notice before, Kenneth is the Homme Fatal. ;) I'll still need some more time to finish it completely, and then I'll publish it on Wattpad. It's 11k words on its own, after all.

It was a bit hard to narrow down 100 stories to only 10, since I put so much time and effort in each of them, but I think those ones are the ones I'm most proud of. I probably have some other things to add, but I'll stop here, otherwise I won't ever go to sleep... it's 4 AM. Old habits die hard.

100 Theme Challenge #100

100. Forever

Mister Thompson never had the chance to meet any of the Collins family members, but he did hear a lot about them. He had moved in this town a few years ago, and that tall, mansion on the hill always intrigued him. It was inhabited even though not once had he seen anyone come in or out. The yard around wasn’t kept clean, and much junk laid around too many frightful tombstones.

Mister Thompson wasn’t disturbed by that, but he wished he could go there and clean up for them. It was fortunate they posted an announce that they were looking for a new butler. A lot of people scoffed at that, but Mister Thompson didn’t. He called the Collins Family.

“Hello, this is Margareth speaking,” a soft feminine voice greeted on the other line.

“Hello, Ms. Collins. I’m Mister Thompson and I call about the butler offer.”

“Ah yes, would you be interested in taking the job?”

“I am indeed, Ms. Collins.”

“Then please come by in the afternoon, I’ll be waiting for you.”

And she hung up. Mister Thompson was a bit surprised it went that well, and he began to prepare himself for this afternoon.

His friend looked at him in dismay when he announced him he was to go to the Collins mansion for an interview.

“You might never come back,” he said, and Mr. Thompson scoffed.

“Nonsense, the lady I spoke with didn’t seem like a killer. They need a butler, and I’m in need of a job.

“Fine, but be careful.”

He went to the Collins mansion in the afternoon like it was asked of him, and he pushed open the portal leading in. The grass was so high he wouldn’t have been surprised if wild animals were living through. He climbed the unstable stairs and knocked on the door. He hadn’t waited two seconds that it opened to reveal a young girl with a pale face and big eyes which pierced intelligence and cleverness.

“Mister Thompson?” she asked, and he could only nod. “My mother is waiting for you. Come in.”

He followed her inside and almost fumbled on his own feet once he took in the decorations. Dark, dreadful statues and paintings everywhere, even with a skeleton hanged above the chimney. Mister Thompson took a long breath and sped up to keep up with the young girl. She led him to an old office, where a bear carped and stuffed own and birds greeted him.

“Good afternoon, Mister Thompson. You’ve already met my daughter, Evangeline. Isn’t she quite lovely?”

Evangeline looked at him without blinking, and he cleared his throat in discomfort. A girl her age shouldn’t look at people with such a serious, almost cruel expression.

“Ah, yes, charming,” he politely smiled. “Would you like to look at my résumé?”

“That won’t be necessary, mon cher. You look like the role already. Let me take you on a tour of our beautiful house instead.”

Mr. Thompson refrained from replying and nodded. Mrs. Collins seemed excited to have a guest and he didn’t want to disappoint her. He’d simply have to keep his surprise to himself. They returned to the hall to go to the dinner room, and Mr. Thomspson had to grit his teeth together not to grimace. Skeletons were seated at the table, placed a way so they were imitating the act of eating and drinking.

“Isn’t that exquisite,” Mrs. Collins exclaimed in that sing-song voice of her. She approached one corpse and placed her spider-like hand on its skull, stroking it. “This is Uncle Ralph Collins. He died two years ago of an heart attack, and he’s been eating here ever since. Her wife comes to visit him once in a while.”

She didn’t mention if she was died or alive, and Mr. Thompson didn’t ask. She pointed another one. “This is Samantha Collins. She was burnt for sorcery in the 19^th Century.” She smiled with fondness. “We take good care of her.”

Mrs. Collins didn’t seem to notice the stiffness of Mr. Thompson’s shoulders as she arranged the crown of dead flowers on another skull. “You see, family is very important for you, we like to stay close.”

“Indeed, I noticed that well, Mrs. Collins,” Mr. Thompson replied with a small voice, smile tight.

“Let’s continue, dear.”

The kitchen wasn’t visited, but he almost was glad. Who knew what could possibly lay in there. They climbed the stairs to visit the bedrooms. They were gruesome, dark and filled with spiderwebs.

“Am I to clean up as well?” He asked, eyeing the numerous dead bugs on the floor.

“Oh no, it’s part of the decoration,” Mrs. Collins winked at him and twirled her dress around as she seemed to float across the hall towards a closed door.

“This leads up to Adam’s room, please don’t go up there under any circumstance. He can be grumpy and doesn't like to be bothered with his experiments.” Mr. Thompson wondered for a second what experiment exactly he was performing up there, but he preferred to once again stay silent, for the sake of his sanity.

“I’m keeping that in mind,” he nodded at once and continued to follow her. Evangeline seemed to appear from nowhere, carrying a doll with her. It took Mr. Thompson a second to realize that it had no head anymore and its clothes were all burnt.

“Oh, I see you brought Samantha with you, darling. Could you be a sweetheart and go get your little brother?”

With a glare at her mother, Evangeline walked away, muttering something about not being a sweetheart.

“All right, Mrs. Collins-“

“Please, call me Margareth. No one calls me that since the death of my husband. Would you like to meet him, by the way, he’s usually in the garden...”

“No need to, I assure you. I already have an impression of this job. I have a few other appointments, but I’ll call you back,” Mr. Thompson said, clapping his hands together. With that, he willed himself not to run out of this house and simply walked quickly away, breathing deeply once he reached the fresh air of the outside.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Evangeline asked to her mother as they watched him leave. “I liked him.”

“We’re such a lovely family, I could only wonder why he wouldn't,” Mrs. Collins replied.

(What is 100TC?)

So here I am done with this challenge!! Of course the 100th had to be an Addams family tribute, this couldn't have ended any way better. I'll soon make a conclusion of this challenge in the days to come, but for now I think I deserve a small break.

100 Theme Challenge #99

99. Ocean

His men were sick. Some even died already. They first claimed they were tired all the time, even if they'd sleep all day, and then they began to bleed from their nose and mouth, with dark spots appearing on their body. Some would lose their teeth, others would simply fall and never get up. It was frightening for the captain who didn't know what to do or how to cure the disease. Even the doctor on the ship had gotten infected. He at first thought this might be because they hadn't been on Earth for so long that the ocean had caused them or made them ill, but then he remembered some pirate's journeys were longer than that, so it couldn't be. Was all of his crew doomed to Death's claws? He thought it could be the food as well, but everybody was eating the same thing, and yet only some was infected.

He couldn't endure that, the penicillin they had left did nothing, and to do a bloodletting was useless because they were all bleeding on their own. He set the ship on the nearest port's direction, but it'd take at least a week to get there, and he wasn't sure his crew would last until then. He kept drinking to dampen his worries and to stay focused on not getting the same disease. He made sure to keep his mouth hidden with a scarf when he was pushing the corpses off the bridge and tending to his amorphous men. What would happen if the captain was to die, he'd rather not dwell on that thought.

One day his Quartermaster didn't show up to help him, and he rushed to his room.

"Why ye not up, pirate?"

"I be not feelin' very well, cap'n," a tired voice came from the bed in the dark room. The captain approached, leaned towards his mate. He had than same wax-like complexion than the rest of them, with feverish eyes.

"Ye scurvy dog," he cursed under his breath. He hurried outside and came back quickly with a bottle in hand, uncorking it with his teeth. "Drink me spiced grog, that gunna help ye devil's henchman." He helped his quartermaster to take a few sips. "It'll wake ye up, matey."

Once the sick man took his fill, coughing only a bit, the captain tucked him back under his covers. He pushed aside the hair from his face, watching him fall back into an uneasy sleep.

"I won't let th' devil take ye away from me," he muttered under his breath before he took off to his other duties.

"Avast ye bulge rats! Set up th' sails and someone climb the crow's nest, we need a new lookout after th' last one went in Davy Jones' Locker!"

The day went on, but even the captain had to help cleaning. The infection was killing the sailors in quite a bloody way, and wood soaked up any liquid where the varnish had been scratched away, so it had to be cleaned fast. He was moving things around in the cargo when he found a sack of potatoes lost through the other boxes. They hadn't eaten any potatoes for a while, now that he thought of it. Luckily the cook wasn't dead. He took the sack and transported it to the kitchen. He noticed his quartermaster already there, eating some stew (which was more like a broth with meat and no vegetables)

"Ye're awake, Jacob. How ye're feelin'?"

"Better, cap'n. What was th' grog ye gave me?"

The captain produced the bottle from his many pockets and sat with his quartermaster.

"I got robbed once. I was supposed to get some spiced rum, but instead it was only tis' odd-colored 'n tastin' piss. I be drinkin' it because I drank all 'o th' rum," he explained. He offered it to him. "Want another taste?"

"Aye. It sure woke me up, cap'n, whatever 'tis is." He slowly drank some before taking another mouthful of stew, and the captain was glad to see some colors back on his cheeks.

"Yo ho ho, Cook, put some potatoes in the stew, I brought ye some," he yelled at the cook once he came back from wherever he had been. He was starving and seeing Jacob up and about only awoke his hunger, now that he wasn't worried for him anymore. The old man grumbled under his breath, but set himself to work. He knew better than to search for the captain's wrath.

"So how many jacks did we lose so far, cap'n?"

"A pair 'tis mornin'. We cleaned up the ship, made her all shiny 'n pretty again, so it keeps th' crew occupied."

"Aye. I thought I was in fer Davy Jones' treasure chest, but I be predictin' spiced grog be better fer ye health than I first thought."

The captain clapped him on the shoulder in a brotherly way, grinning.

"'Tis piss tastes so bad than even th' disease didn't want any 'n ran out 'o ye body. Anyway we be headin' to New Providence 'n be thar in a few days. Wit' a wee bit 'o faith, a doctor gunna be knowin' what 'tis disease be 'bout."

Jacob nodded and kept eating. He seemed famished, and the captain let him eat. After a short while, the cook grunted that the stew was ready, and they both took a bowl of it. The potatoes weren't completely cooked, but nobody complained and munched and drank while the other sailors were working outside.

"Cap'n, what do ye think caused 'tis?" Jacob asked after a while. The captain tightened his lips in a line.

"I fear it be th' lack 'o fresh fruits, we prob'ly need them to live or somethin'."

Jacob shrugged. "I never thought not eatin' somethin' could murder ye. Blast them green vegetables." The captain laughed and offered him another sip of his bottle, without telling him he never usually shared his grog.

(What is 100TC?)

Arrr, matey! 99th story and I just did a pirate story, I feel accomplished. I used a pirate translator, and I have absolutely no shame in it. 'Tis was full 'o awe. The captain's alcohol is actually potato wine, which I'm not sure how it could have landed in his hands, but whatever. That's what helped him not to get scurvy and what refrained Jacob from having further symptoms. 

100 Theme Challenge #98

98. Grandparents

The sun was bright in the sky and the air hot and humid, almost stuffy. It was hard to even breathe and move around, and I could feel drops of sweat run down my back. I continued to chop off the tree though, because this weather meant slower zombies as well, and less danger for me. I knew I could get too hot and still be in danger, but I kept myself hydrated, and I had sunscreen on, so it was as good as it could get. The tree fell down with a muffled thud since I'd put stuff to keep it as quiet as possible. I worked on cutting it in parts to bring them back more easily, even though it'd take me most of the day. I brought them all back at the house one by one, and I was exhausted once I was done. I still worked on preparing them for replacing the fence's broken pickets that were destroyed after the last attack. It was done just before dusk, and I returned inside. I did place some empty cans and small metal objects on a cord, so I'd hear it if any zombie would attempt to sneak on me though. 

The house I found wasn't out of the ordinary, but it was comfortable with plenty of dry food and cans to last at least a few months. It probably belonged to a big family. I would sometimes kill a small animal, and it almost would be considered a gourmet dinner, rabbit and peas. I was in for a few weeks now, and beside a few zombie surprises, I seemed to be alone in this small city. A forest was nearby the backyard, a river ran through the middle of the city, it was almost perfect. I could climb on the roof to survey the surroundings, but not once had I seen light anywhere to tell me there were other survivors. I kept on the fences up during the first few days that I arrived at that house, killing the too many zombies lingering around. After cleaning the backyard, I found the remains of a small garden and seed inside the attic. This would be sufficient to grow a small army of plants, and hopefully they wouldn't be eaten by wild animals.

I'd already found the corpse of a dog inside, starved to death, and buried it outside. That had not been pleasant. I knew I couldn't stay in here for that long, but then the plants would ripen and be useful to someone else's belly. I might not even survive for that long.

Sleep came easily to me that night, my muscles sore from all the exercise. I was more muscled than I ever had been, but yet my body still had its limits. The next morning, I was sore as hell, which only meant I was still alive. I'd have to explore a bit, find some new weapons because I only had a screwdriver and a kitchen knife, which were too dangerous to use in my opinion. I stretched to lessen the pain, ate, and put on a backpack before heading outside, screwdriver in hand. Nothing had disturbed my defenses. I unhooked the cord, climbed the fence before attaching it again. I chose the house on the edge of the city, so I could escape if there was any trouble, while hoping for no roaming hordes. So far I had been lucky.

The first house I encountered was mostly empty, probably by the owners before they took off. There was no sign of intrusion and no zombie inside. There was canned food in the drawers, and I brought some just in case. There was never enough food. The second house was about the same, and the armory was empty as well. Perhaps my luck was running dry.

In the third house, I had to be a lot quieter, because at least four zombies were roaming on the first floor with the entrance door left wide open. I had to take the chance. I took the first one by surprise with a hit in the temple, but my screwdriver got stuck, and I struggled to get it out. First thing I knew they were coming towards me, and I discovered there was a lot more than I first thought. They managed to corner me in the living room, and I threw a chair at one of them to try to slow them down. I ran for the basement door, locking it behind myself. It was pitch black, and I calmed myself down before I attempted to find the light switch. Of course it wouldn't work, so I retrieved my flashlight from my backpack. I was slowly climbing down the stairs when I heard some growls nearby. 

I froze, turned the light towards the sound, but I couldn't see anything, the basement was quite wild. I realized with a silent curse I had left my screwdriver on the floor, I probably lost it as I was escaping the zombies. I explored a bit and found the workshop, with screwdrivers again laying around. I took the longest and turned around when I heard another growl. Nothing was coming closer though, but I could hear chains clinking as well… I slowly approached, light forward, and was met with the glossy eyes of two zombies. I gasped, screwdriver clutched in my hand, when I noticed the chains attached around their neck. They had been leashed down here.

They had been old people when they had died, perhaps grandparents, and I shivered in concern. Who could have done such a thing? I took a deep breath (by the mouth, mind you, because the stench was quite disgusting) and killed them one by one. I crouched down and looked at the name tags they had on. Captain America and Wonder Woman. I scoffed, not knowing if I was to cry or laugh. Superheroes were dead.

(What is 100TC?)

100 Theme Challenge #97

Sequel of #50, #51, #52, #54, #60, #68,  #69, #70, #73, #74, #76, #79, #81, #88 and #91.

97. Courage

Part XVI - Epilogue

"I thought you'd be happier celebrating the end of your case with your wife," Kenneth told Jack, eyes unblinking and Jack gulped down his gin and tonic, eager to feel the burn as it slid down his throat. Kenneth chuckled.

"Barbara and I have a simple, yet complicated relationship, Jack replied.

"Aren't all the relationships the same?"

"Perphaps, but all are unique as well. Barbara always has her way of telling me when she's uspet and I can tell she's mad at me, but I couldn't tell you why."

"At least you know she's mad. I could never tell when James was mad…" At that his face fell, and he looked away for a second. "I can't believe I won't ever see him again."

"Well, some say you see your loved ones after you die, if that's any comfort." It was a bit lame, but Jack never knew what to say to people who lost someone. The only person he'd lost was his father, and that was years ago. The only thing he achieved with his son had been to make him know the taste of his own blood.

"Want one?" He offered Kenneth a cigarette, and the other accepted.

"Thanks. I'm never craving these except when I'm with you. I'm afraid you're creating me a new dependence, Mister Byrnes."

"You can call me Jack."

"So we're out with the formalities, now?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm not fancy enough for you to continue to call me Mister."

Kenneth scoffed. "Then call me Kenneth, because I'm not either. So what about that cigarette?"

Jack took one of his pack and lit it before he gave it to the other. "You're such a gentleman." Kenneth chuckled and thanked him.

"You were talking about you and your wife. You don't love her anymore?"

Jack looked at Kenneth and wondered what gave him away. Kenneth was more talented at perceiving others than he first thought.

"What makes you think that?" He asked, and Kenneth slowly exhaled smoke before he answered.

"Well, first you wouldn't be brooding this much in here, and secondly, you wouldn't want to hang with me." He smirked and offered back the smoking stick.

"Why wouldn't I want to?" Jack asked, and yet he already knew the answer.

Kenneth leaned towards him, cigarette still in hand, and put it himself between Jack's lips, brushing his digits against his bottom lip as he retreated them. "Because I'm a homosexual. You've been talking me about that waiting sensation is the reason you drink, but you never talked to me about your wife. I was wondering, why is he talking to me about this stuff, why is he talking to me period, even after you knew what I was. Tell me, Jack, did you ever discuss of your feelings with your wife?"

Jack was surprised, because no, he never talked of this with Barbara. Nowadays it was more about the weather and his cases than anything else. He took a long drag of the cigarette, eager for the drug to calm him. "She wouldn't understand."

"Or maybe you're not confident enough to let her know all of your secrets." Now Kenneth was pushing his buttons, and he glared at him.

"And you think you know everything of me? Tell me, Kenneth, what do you know of my secrets?" He gritted between his teeth, trying really hard not to yell at that smirking face. Kenneth didn't reply but drank what remained in his glass before he stood up. He went to leave before he turned around.

"Return to your wife, Mister Byrnes. Tell her you love her, and try to stop missing opportunities."

Kenneth disappeared through the door, and Jack made no attempt to follow him. He sighed and asked for another drink. He lit up another cigarette and finished it without noticing. He tried to distract himself with the boxing championship presented at the small television of the bar, to no avail. Kenneth's words swirled around and brought a bitter taste to his mouth even gin couldn't wash away.

"Hey there, Mister Byrnes. So how's the investigation going?" Sharon Porter asked him beside him. Jack hadn't even noticed she was here, and guilt filled him. He had been too engulfed by Kenneth's presence.

"It's finished, we found the culprit."

"Oh thank God. I thought the killer would return for me, or for the new bartender. He's quite talented, you see, maybe even more than that poor James, God have his soul. Now if only that damn waitress Ada could present herself on due time, that'd be fantastic. Say, do you want another drink, it'll be on the house," she debited faster than he thought could be possible, and he wondered if she breathed through at all. He once again compared her to a mouse, and for her to be able to keep steady a tray was beyond him.

"No, I think it's time I'm heading home, but thanks for the offer," he carefully answered as he rose up, putting on his coat. The wound on his side stung a bit as he moved, but nothing he couldn't endure, and alcohol dulled the pain.

"All right then, have a good night," she winked at him and took off. He dusted off his hat and placed it on his head. The wind flicked his duster coat around, and he picked another cigarette on the way to his car. He took the time to turn on the radio before he began the way back to his house. He would have to begin his report of the case first thing in the morning, but for now he would return to his wife, and maybe someday they would discuss seriously about having a kid. That was the right thing to do.

On the radio, that damn song was playing again.

I wish you joy, though teardrops burn

But if some day you should want to return

Please hurry back and we'll make a new start

Till then you're breaking my heart

(What is 100TC?)

The song is yet again You're breaking my heart, by Vic Damone. So it's the end of an epic journey, both for Jack and I. This is not the final version, of course, I planned to add and twitch up a few scenes before I release this story on Wattpad.