So it has started my month of novel writing.  I started right at 12 midnight (being an insomniac could help me in this case).  I’ve had the ideas floating around that I popped out 5,022 words in my first night.  Will probably duplicate that this evening.  10,000 words not bad for first day!   I am going to be doing less blogging in the month of November but I will have some guest bloggers that have kindly agreed to step in and I will be introducing them later.

For now I thought it would be fun to give you a feel for what I am working on.  The character is me in 2007 when I hated my job and wasn’t happy with life.  She starts having dreams of flying or being light and free.   Wanting to change her life but not know how her life becomes increasingly anxious and frustrating, yet God can give her the strength to take the big leap.  Plus, there is a new guy in the office who keeps looking at her….

I start off the story with a dream and it seemed like a good idea to share that dream with you so it will give you a feel for my style and what the eventual novel might be like.  I’m not asking for critique here.  That will come later.  Just enjoy the overall tone and my first attempt at writing fiction. I  don’t know how much else I will share with you as I’d like it to be a bit of a surprise but how much would you like to see?

Here goes-

I’ve seen this ledge many times before.  It is the top of my office building where I work and I often come up here to take a break and breath.  Today the air is cold and wet and I know it will make me sick but I don’t care.  A sick day doesn’t sound so bad.  Looking at the ledge I touch the cold concrete.  In a way I am jealous of its carefree existence.  Jealous of concrete- what is wrong with me!

For the first time in my life I climb on the ledge.  The wind sweeps right through me and my body feels a jolt of fear and exhilaration.   The ledge is slick and rough but very narrow.  Woosh!  A gust comes unexpectantly and I slip, hands flailing, knees locked.  For a second I imagine a super hero move I can do to grab ahold of the wall with one arm and pull myself up but I know a pull up is about as likely as winning the lottery so I close my eyes and feel the air.  It is light, yet heavy, just as I would wish to be.

Then I reach my hands out in front of me and it occurs to me that I’m not falling.  The air feels like a board I could walk on and like an anxious toddler I push upwards and to my shock I move higher.  Then another burst and I am above the building.  How could this be?  At the moment I don’t care, just glad to not a heap on the ground below so I push again.  Wow!  Higher I go until my momentum is interrupted by a cloud.  It is thick and gooey like an underdone pancake.  I almost want to eat it but instead I push more.

So this is what everyone was always talking about  with endorphins?  This is great!  My body feels powerful and yet light as a down pillow.  I let out a  long sigh as if to rid my heart from all its burdens and then I smile, air pelting my face from all angles I have the most glorious facial of my life.  I smile and keep climbing.

I look down at the small figures and think ‘suckers’ moving around with their legs when they could be flying like me.  It never occurs to me that I seem to be the only one who has figured out how to do it.  In fact, I’m glad they’ve never learned because I’m tired of feeling cluttered and crowded and for once I am free.  Completely free- like swimming in air.

A loud ‘ka ka ka’ interrupts my reverie and I see a large crow on top of a neighboring cloud.  Normally I would be afraid of such an animal but after flying, my spirits are fortified for anything.

‘ka, ka, ka’ it cries and winks at me with its midnight eyes.  It is about 2 feet tall with large wings and a bright orange beak.  Quite magnificent actually.  It waves its wing to me as if to say follow me, so I head in his direction.

Building distance from the ground I see more crows and each ‘ka,ka,ka’ gets louder and louder like a trumpeter in my ear.   Still, I press onward until a set of dark lumpy clouds surrounds me with thousands of crows.  Everywhere I look is black and orange.  Suddenly the air grows quiet and I feel a rush of nerves through my spine, but what can I do.

“Ouch” a beak has just pricked my foot.  Then I feel another and one more.  Next a large King lands on my arm and one on my neck, back and leg.  They grow heavy and I begin to sink.

“ka, ka, ka” I hear blasting through my brain as the ground gets closer and I realize I can’t fly anymore.  What do I do, my mind whirls around?  Why did I ever try to fly?  Why did I ever try to do something different?  It could never work!

“ka, ka ,ka”.  With a jolt my eyes pop open.  I can hear the crows nesting outside my window ‘ka,ka,ka’ing away.  They have woken me up again.  Stupid birds.  They are even infiltrating my lovely dreams.  Sigh…It seems that everyone else loves birds but me.  I think they are stupid, loud and dirty.  Especially these crows.  They wake me up year round, mess on my car and swoop down terrifying me as I get to my car.