Monday, February 22, 2010

Still More Novel in a Paragraph


A word of explanation: I am writing a novel where short snippets will hopefully tell a story all by themselves but will also combine with other short snippets to reveal a deeper story. Here in my blog, perhaps once a week, I will share a few snippets, but in no sequence or logical order. That part comes much later.
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Missing
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Casey was insatiable.
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”I know you don’t have a lot of time, but I could come say, on a Friday night and leave Sunday morning. A few times a year. And maybe every so often we could meet halfway somewhere.”
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“No!” Catherine laughed. “Once a year!”
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Casey didn’t know she meant it.
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.“Can we compromise?” she asked.
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“No. Come to think of it, maybe just every other year,” Catherine said.
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As the months progressed, there would be a predictable point when Casey cried. She could not understand and she failed to accept that Catherine meant business. She cried more with Catherine than with any other person she had ever known.
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“But Catherine, don't you miss me? If it were up to me I’d want to see you once a month. Why can’t we compromise?”
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“No! I don’t even see my sisters once a year and I love them as much as I love you. You’re too demanding,” she said.
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Somewhere in the halls of ancient history and in the secret land where reality recreates itself, when Catherine told the story fresh, this is how a few times a year became once a month became selfish and finally became never.

Here and There

Throughout the flight Casey turned Catherine’s words over and around, “I miss you already. You are welcome to come here any time,” she’d said.
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The how often and where and why and when they would see one another had finally closed. Casey would come a weekend here, another there, and perhaps once a year they would meet just the two of them. There was no way on that plane heading home that day that Casey could have known this would be the last time they would see one another, that that six months later, these two women knee deep in love for one another would be painted over by a sunlight yellow that according to Catherine would let their toxic ooze escape, once and for all.

23 comments:

  1. That Catherine broad is pissing me off now! What's wrong with her anyway!

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  2. What I'm not liking about Catherine is her blatant disregard for Casey's feelings. She's too non-chalant and cold. Love isn't disposable when you're 'done with it.' Can't there be a tenderness when it's over?
    Passive-agressive ice queen, disposer of hearts, incapable of love unless it's superficial.
    This is what your character reveals to me.

    Great paragraph! keep em' coming.

    Hey, I love you! See you soon ;)

    xoxox
    Lo

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  3. KJ,
    Another amazing installment....this one gave me such shivers..... YOU KNOW how I can sadly relate to this.

    I am proud of you for writing such an emotional story.... no matter how painful, it has to be cathartic to put it down on paper and release it like the butterflies on top of your post.

    My candle burns for Renee.....

    Sending you love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  4. I agree with Robin and lolo and Barbara, Catherine is pissing me off too, and I can relate so much with this I almost let the tears come. I loved the last paragraph in the first part, great writing Kj.
    Any word on Renee?
    xoxoxoxo

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  5. HMMMMM...Im with Barbera on that one..Catherine is pissing around too much.

    Lolo also summed it up very well....

    Catherine needs a kick in the britches.

    Hugging the stuffing out of ya.
    xoxoxoxoox

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  6. love your words and the way they paint pictures for me.

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  7. I do believe that Catherine is the female twin of someone I know. Don't you think so? :{

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  8. This was really intriguing! I had never read your blog before. Nice to meet you!

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  9. Kj, the photo of Renee is stunning.
    Sp perfect for her. It made me choke up, but with the beauty and radiance!

    Bless you Karen!

    Hugs!

    Julie

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  10. I agree w/Julie about Renee's photo. I think of her every day.

    It is good you are keeping on writing the story stories. Two characters with very different takes on life, for sure. Contrast, something very important to a story, eh?

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  11. 'toxic ooze'... I once did a painting titled that during my art student years.

    These woman seem to be carrying a lot of baggage... they need to lighten their load.

    ;) xx ribbon

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  12. i agree with ribbon, makes me want to go for a run outside in the rain.
    powerful writing kj.


    lori

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  13. barbara, HAHAHA! what a great comment! thank you!

    lo, all true enough, but it does take two to tango...♥

    robin, once a writer gets going, and is in love with the story, cathesis and characters wiggle their way out :)

    annie, thanks about that last paragraph. i wrote that a couple of times before i liked it. no new word on renee, just more and more people "discovering" and falling in love with her. xoxo

    sonia, well then i'm hugging the stuffing out of you too! catherine is a tough character. that's for sure.

    thank you soul, ♥

    cs, HEEHEEHAHA, yes... :)

    hello lisa, nice to meet you too. i visited your blog earlier and enjoyed it very much.

    bless you too julie. renee is our senior angel, don't you think?

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  14. suki, contrasting characters to say the least!! xoxo

    ribbon, easy for you to say!! :)

    lori, a run in the rain? i understand exactly! ♥

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  15. And what would you be?

    Sadness is like a second skin these days. Today instead of the promised sunshine there was rain and of course my SAD came back in full force. Since the lights are only in my atelier and I am in bed with ice on my back, I tried to read and that didn't get me very far.

    So I wrote in answer to someone who sent me that little thing on the blog weeks ago but that for some reason we both know I just couldn't answer then. I miss her too in more ways than I could even begin to say. Go read her emails, it helped me to pretend. Like a child afraid of the dark I just didn't look under the bed, and held on tight to whatever I have left of my security blanket.

    Good night, dear. Sleep well.

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  16. to me Catherine sounds like maybe she started something that she didn't know how to finish. that she got in too deep and was scared. she sounds rather like she has one of those syndromes where she can't relate to other's feelings. so sad.

    Casey on the other hand, is honest and open - maybe a bit dense about seeing the writing on the wall, but that's what I like about her.
    :)

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  17. Oh kj - I love the way Catherine is making my stomach twist into a little nervous knot. Great writing! :) xox Pam

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  18. This is a bridge piece taking us from a past to knowing the present.

    I like the succinct though insightful way Casey's emotional need is put in perspective. That in trying to control it Catherine also exposes her own emotional deficit until the line “I miss you already. You are welcome to come here any time”

    That line taken in the context is really a head turner and a good intro to the next section.

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  19. allegra, i am so sorry. while we each will grieve in our own way, i think you more than anyone else will suffer most. i know what you mean to renee, she to you. you are soul-mates in this life and the next and while we both know you will hear renee's har har har again, i know the wait cannot replace the loss. i was thinking last night: imagine if a miracle were to occur and renee returned to us to read our mournful grief?
    she would understand, but i think she would also laugh her head off. ♥

    mim, very interesting assessment. i think you are correct on all counts. my task as a writer is to also make catherine likable and human because otherwise, how could anyone accept casey loving her in the first place? ♥

    pam, you've made my little writer heart swell. thank you xoxoxo

    mark, OMG, your comments are awesome. i can't believe how much you pick up on, and that is wind for my sails. xoxo

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  20. Hmm. I'm having trouble seeing how Catherine's flame burned so bright as to elicit an insatiable response.

    She seems to be a legend in her own mind, reinventing herself through someone else eyes. Sounds like quicksand,

    Great word pictures! I see her - I don't like her.

    ;>
    Linda

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  21. linda, you too are so insightful. that is my challenge, to explain this relationship so it is believable and understandable. you comment has made me chuckle. quicksand. yup. ♥

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  22. Hi KJ, thanks for your wonderful comments (via Emily vv Rabbit)! Your book sounds fascinating, over the next few days I will go back and read some previous snippets you've posted. As I've commented on so many other blogs, I never knew Renee, but have gotten to know so many of her friends just this week - it's been an amazing insight to a wonderful woman. I truly wished I had known her. It seems she has truly left the world a better place.

    Great to meet you, Susan (& Cosmo)

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  23. hi susan (and cosmo), welcome. i've seen your animal drawings on your blog--fantastic.

    if want to read previous snippets, you search under 'novel in a paragraph'. thanks for your kind words! i'll be back and hope you will too, :)

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