So tonight, instead of translating my Old English passage, as I should have been doing (or having any sort of life, really), I decided to read my favorite book, Sabriel by Garth Nix. This was probably the book that made me love books forever. Before this book, I loved reading. After this book, there’s absolutely no description for my love of the written word. Reading this book at 20, I’m not sure how I managed to read it at 12 or 13, or however old I was (perhaps even younger, I don’t remember the exact age) and fall so deeply in love with it. Out of all of the books I’ve ever read, these are the most genius characters, and the world that I somehow relate to. I remember thinking to myself “I could live in this world and feel completely at home, because I understand it.” (I know, go read the description for the book, then begin to understand how dark and twisty I truly am.)
Anyway, I don’t like reading and then writing because I think it alters my style towards whatever I’ve been reading, but there are certain things that I came across tonight in Sabriel that gave me (as Oprah would say) “Aha” moments towards Skyfall and Equilibrium.
For instance, in Skyfall, I’ve been trying to find a way to bring Charlie’s previous combat training and elements of the violence he’s faced in the past into it, when suddenly I thought “Well duh, he has twin swords.” And then I decided that perhaps these came from the sea, to fit into another (secret) plot point, but then I realized that was a tad Lady-of-the-Lake-y, and that Equilibrium is the one that deals with more of the King Arthur-esque style. But I guess the point is that I was thinking about it and actively solving problems, because 99% of my time, I think, is spent wishing I could write these worlds in my head, but I’m either too picky to put it down on paper (something I need to fix) or I have gotten to the point where everything is just too complicated to simply sort out, and therefore the EUREKA! moments are very rare.
I’m also adjusting to the fact that I have two books in my head now, instead of one. I thought one for three years was awful, and now suddenly I have a second set of people in my head, and I’m trying to figure that out, yet not cross it with Skyfall. I also feel a bit like I’m cheating on Charlie and Olivia, since I’m putting them aside to spend all of November with Aric, Alienor, Caelon and Gemma. (And now I sound like even more of a crazy person). But Equilibrium (which I somehow came up with a title that PERFECTLY encapsulates the entire plot so far, I’m in awe…) is something that I can write quickly, or try to, without being so concerned that all of my work for the past three years will be bogged down by quantity, over quality. I think Skyfall will always be my baby, my perfectly crafted masterpiece where every jigsaw will eventually fit into place, which sometimes I even marvel at how my brain somehow thought of these things, because I doubt I could figure it out again if it wasn’t already so.
Also, while creeping on Garth Nix’s website for the millionth time, it has made me want a Waterman’s fountain pen even more. Yes, they’re expensive. Oh, but I could write in my notebook like Garth, and my handwriting would be absolutely beautiful. And I could have an ink bottle and sort of feel like Jane Austen when I have to refill my pen. Maybe? I know, I know. Perhaps a simple pen from Office Max could do, but I think it just displays yet another part of my strange personality that I’m actually considering shelling out for a $100+ pen, or asking for it for Christmas. But if I ask for it for Christmas, I can’t use it during NaNoWriMo to write Equilibrium. Do I really need it? No. Do I want it? Yes. Just look at it.
On another note, although it does annoy me that the new James Bond film shares my book title, and that I’ll probably eventually have to change that although it was called Skyfall before I knew about the Bond Movie (around 2010) I do love the Adele song, it somehow fits my book as well.
