Peeks Out From Trenches

"...The only exception was the Hartford Maple Butter Sundae. It was made with local churned ice cream and a maple butter sauce made fresh by a friend of the owner.

- UL3 

 Lile and I started sharing bits of our WIPs in her last comment section, so I'm attempting see if I can get Q&C out of her line by line.

Lile, what's good  ?

 
Updates
I've been a little AWOL and it's because I have finished writing Compulsion !

Now I just need to edit it

Compulsion 29
Alan kills three men on motorcycles who are trying to kill Dr. Markov. Alan reports on it to the Rektor--who is a woman !  But while at the meeting Alan notices...something and he think he may know how to find Sara and Rayne's missing baby.
In other news, Rayne rewards Minnow's killing of Mjollner by making her a full member of the cartel.

Playlist
Chapter 29
-1- Leave Your Love by Sam Smith
-2- Anchor by Novo Amor
-3- Energy by Keri Hilson

Relevant To Interests

So...I  looked at my outline and I only have four more chapters of Compulsion I need to write

  But I've hit some pretty bad writer's block

I think I'll be able to work my way through the writer's block, but it's super frustrating. I'm hoping posting some chapters will light a fire under me. As for UL, I'm about 9 chapters in which seems like a lot but a lot of them are short and I'm still editing. I actually posted a snippet on Lile's blog that I was debating on whether to keep or not. By the way it's funny in context.

 I've never been this far ahead of myself before and it's making my brain spin so I'm not going to blog too much about the chapters.

Relevant to My Interests

I saw this picture of Kay Scoldoria and  she looks so much like I imagine Rin in HMLIS. Well, except Rin has shorter, straighter hair but her face is perfect.

Also, I feel like this is relevant to Lile's interest

SHMuse: Get of Tumblr !!!
SH: What ? It's the number 1 cure for writer's block and I'm getting inspiration

SHMuse: You mean like the YouTube, Pinterest,baby name websites and re-reading  your old serials ?

SH:....Yes ?
SHMuse: So...writer's block over ?

*stares at Word Doc*

Recap
Alan is still undercover and has become a Mjollner Street Samauri. His job is to protect Dr. Markov,  a scientist who has been hired by the Mjollner to create a new drug. Alan goes under surgery and when he comes out he has blades embedded into his arms. When three men on motorcycles attack Dr. Markov Alan gets his first kill and now he's been asked to attend a meeting with the Rektor to report on his kill.

So, I'm going to do some small retconning here. In the last chapter when Alan tells Ilena and Bishop about who he killed Ilena calls them Cavalcante. I'm changing that to Cavalcotti. For reasons.


 Chapter 28 (it's a shortie but the next two are long so i couldn't break it up)

Playlist
Chapter 28

-1- Together by The XX 

UL3 Snippet !

This image is relevant to Compulsion things

UL Snippet

It's Valentine's Day(ish) so I thought I'd share a UL3 snippet. So, here were go:

“From bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammy's The O's to opposite, orphan Annie. You gotta pardon Jay, for sellin' out the Garden in a day I’m like Marvin in his day--,” I mouth along to the song

He stares at me with his eyebrows raised.

“What the hell ?,” he smiles.

“I listen to the radio,” I tell him turning the sound up. He bumps his shoulder playfully into mine

“Got some, dirt on my shoulder, could you brush it off for me?,” we sing together. “If you feelin' like a pimp , go and brush your shoulders off.”

He points to me.

“Ladies is pimps too, go on brush your shoulders off!,” we sing louder together

 

SH: Well ?

You: Ummmm...SH that seems less like a snippet of UL3 and more like the lyrics to Jay-Z's Dirt off Your Shoulder.

SH: Oh...hmmm?  I see that.

SHMuse: I told you we should have gone with Nelly's Grillz

SH: Well, it's a thought...

SHMuse: Come on, SH. We've done some great work together on UL3. Let's show them that scene where Raleigh--

SH: Too late, time to do some more Compulsion !

You: Wait, who is the he in this snippet ? Who is the narrator ? Juliana, right ? Right ? Damn you pronouns!

In other UL news I told Lile I'd share my favorite song from the UL3 playlist in the last comment section  and it's currently Sink or Swim by Lewis Watson

Recap
Maxwell kept Haley's handkerchief from when they first met and when Haley sees it it triggers him into remembering meeting Maxwell. He takes it as a sign to ask for Maxwell's help in some legal trouble he had when Harlow kill their brother-in-law. Maxwell can't provide legal help, but agrees to keep Haley's secret in exchange for continuing their relationship under his terms.

Meanwhile, Minnow and El team up to cause some mayhem for the Mjollner in secret.

Compulsion 26 +27
These chapters are both unintentionally kind of.... raunch heavy. I originally didn't write them to be this close together but here we are.

PLAYLIST

Compulsion 26
-1- One Last Time by Jaymes Young
-2- I Can Almost See You by Hammock

Compulsion 27
-1- I Walk the Line by Halsey

Digging into the Trenches

Quick Writing Updates in GIFs

Writing UL3 and V2 has basically been like

And I've Spent A Lot of Time Like This

Followed By This

I've been kind of AWOLBetween all the POVs in Compulsion and writing UL3 I've basically been in the trenches writing 4 serials and I'm just trying to bring it all in. I should give UL3 a break until I finish Compulsion, but I really love the playlist!

 UL3 Update

I'm still going along and making some decisions about what happens with these characters. I am so nervous to share this with you guys because it just feels so indulg-y right now. I'm still looking for a line  I can share.

I will say I have been doing a lot more research for this than I should. I sometimes go down rabbit holes. I've also been looking for picspirations along the way and it is really hard for me to find them for any of these characters.

Compulsion 24 & 25
Minnie takes a job at the Luxor--which has been empty since all of the waitresses were attacked by Mjollner--with intentions to get the owner El, involved in her revenge scheme.

Alan is undercover in the Mjollner and is assigned to protect one of their scientist named Dr. Markov. Before he can get to the job he has to have some surgeries and become a street samuri. He only hopes he doesn't come out with a machine gun for a leg.

Chapter 24
Playlist
-1-   Closer by FKA Twigs
- 2 - Work by Rihanna

 Chapter 25
- 1- Burn by Ellie Goulding
-2-  I Can Almost See You by Hammock

https://disqus.com/home/discussion/shawnaharrison/shawna_harrisons_blog_digging_into_the_trenches/

What is this feeling so sudden and new ?

“When a condition or a problem becomes too great, humans have the protection of not thinking about it. But it goes inward and minces up with a lot of other things already there and what comes out is discontent and uneasiness, guilt and a compulsion to get something--anything--before it is all gone.”

 - John Steinbeck, Winter of Our Discontent 

So, a few of you have asked about where the title comes from and it comes from this quote. I was looking for quotes with good wording about grief and loss to use for a title inspirtation and I found this one. When I started this story it was mostly about Sara losing her baby and how they go to all kinds of lengths to bring him back. You could argue the same for Maxwell who lost a lot and is scrambling to hold on to what he has.

Compulsion and UL3 Update

So, Ive done something...different. I've known how Compulsion ends since word one (that said I still have to retcon a couple of things), but I was starting to feel hopeless getting there so I got rid of my old hodge podge notes and  made a brand new outline where I  break the rest of the story  down into chapters...and we have about 10 more to go. This is such a new feeling for me to know exactly what I'm writing next.  It's like a little guide I can refer to.

I'd tried to do the same for UL3, but it was pretty hard because that story is going to be in two parts and part I isn't very linear. I'm still 7 chapters in and I've kind of hit some really bad writer's block with how to move a scene forward....which is probably what led to the previously mentioned V2 outline.

Compulsion 23

Recap:So, Maxwell goes out with Haley and they get super wasted. Haley finds out Maxwell has been holding on to a handerkerchief that belonged to him and is freaked out...but not as freaked out as Maxwell is that Haley doesn't remember meeting him in the hospital.

Compulsion 23

Playlist

-1- Wait by M83

-2- Crazy by Daniela Andrade

-3- Silhouettes by Of Monsters and Men'

https://disqus.com/home/discussion/shawnaharrison/shawna_harrisons_blog_what_is_this_feeling_so_sudden_and_new/

#SerialAesthetic

Muse: Hey Guys ! Here is the recipe to write your very own SHV (and incidentally....LiLe) character in 4 easy steps:

I actually saw this on Tumblr describing  fandom crushes....and I realized I may have found my peeps.




There was a hashtag going around called #novelaesthetics where writers showed images that fit the aesthetics for their novels. So, I decided to do one for a couple of my serials with the few images I don't think I've used. 

Vice 2: Compulsion

UL3

 

You Belong In A Story

These are images I've collected and would love to write a story for.

Compulsion 22

Recap: Things are changing at Camp Harmony. Maxwell has been forced into a 7 year contract by his bosses and has decided it's a good idea to ask for sexual favors from his subordinate,

Playlist (It's a longer one for me)
Compulsion22
-1- Carry Me Home by SOHN 
-2- The Devil's TEars  by Angus and Julia Stone
-3- Ghost by Halsey
-4-Inside my Love by Delilah
-5- Holes in The Sky by M83, HAIM 

SIDENOTE: I may be switching commenting systems soon-ish. It's hard for me to tell who I've responded to with this one. 

Meet My Muse !

I've always loved LiLe's posts with her muse and it wasn't until I commented on her post a while back that  I realized something...I have a new muse. I think she's been on leave since UL, but she's back and I thought I'd do an interview !




SHV: So, tell us a little bit about yourself.

SHV Muse: Well, I like drinking tea or coffee on a nice computer-lit evening.  I'm into unhealthy relationships, problematic behavior, dysfunctional families, substance abuse and antiheroes.

SHV:Um--

SHV Muse: Also, blondes...apparently--,

SHV Muse: Huh, I never realized how many of my main characters are blonde--

SHV Muse: Oh and I am also forgetful as hell

SHV: ...You are ?

Muse: Well, yeah. You ever notice how we use a lot of names twice by mistake.

SVH: Right....we do. So, Muse where have you been ? I haven't felt like I had another voice in my head since UL

Muse: Well, like I said Shawna you pretty much do the same story; virgin blonde gets in over their head and then saves the day...I mean I'm only assuming that is where Compulsion is going since that is where Vice and UL went. Anyway when you started re-reading UL for UL3 I was like I have to get in on this, if we want the experience to be the same.

SHV: Um...right. Well, I think the readers would want to know about UL3. What do you think you can tell us ? Maybe a line or--

Muse: Well, if we keep the first chapter of the serial the same they are either going to love us or or kill you with fire.

SVH: Uh, okay, well---wait. Why wouldn't they  kill you with fire ?

Muse: Look, I don't really want to talk UL. I have some ideas for Compulsion we need to add.

SHV: Add ? I've finally convinced myself to condense the story down--

Muse: Yeah, yeah whatever. Look, you know how in each version of the Vice/Veritas world you mention people donating organs ? Well--

SHV: Wait.

Muse: Mmmhmm....

SHV: That's brilliant and it ties up the---

Muse: MMMHMMM

SHV: Well, I have some writing to do. Muse, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

The End

UL Update
I am writing the sixth chapter. I have never been this far ahead of anything ever and it's pretty exhilarating. I've actually been able to go back and add new things. There is also a lot on the chopping block.

Compulsion 20 + 21
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Playlist

I'm doing double chapter because some of these are really short

Recap
Alan has gone undercover in the Mjollner to find out what happened to Rias. He meets a man named Bishop who is in charge of the new recruits. He tells them he ran away from Rayne and gives them the 7 million dollars he stole for their protection.

Maxwell goes to Ft. Perch and is told by his ex-girlfriend (who is a high ranking official) that he can either sign a 7 year contract that will keep him in Camp Harmony or be court matrialed for his role in a bad military operation. He signs the contract.

Also, Minnie gets a job at the Luxor for reasons...

Chapter 20
-1- Arsonists Lullaby by Hozier

Chapter 21
-1- Another Day by The Album Leaf
-2- My Body is A Cage by Arcade Fire