Category Archives: Vignette

UPDATE: NaNoWriMo Day 21

Wow, this was a rather strong writing day. Didn’t expect that. I kind of just sat down, reworked a few scenes, redistributed a bunch of lines and expanded on Scene Six. Now I am done with Scene Six and am looking into my research to see what I have to do next…

Total Word Count: 6,010

Yup, that is a pretty decent jump.

Granted I have been doing a little bit of editing other stuff… so really is this any surprise? I also added an Afterword to the script to gives additional information about inspiration and how the idea came about… which added to the over all word count.

When looking at the “research” for the series of vignettes… I ended up breaking down approximately how many other scenes I most likely have and I counted at minimum around eight and at most? Ha I don’t want to think about that yet… yeeeeaaaah I am not even halfway done. Go figure.

So what else do I have in the queue should I be so lucky as to finish writing the vignettes? Well there is the first ten-minute play formally named “Cycles”, I also have another ten-minute that is going to undergo heavy revisions if not a full out rewrite called “Moments”. Another script that needs to go through heavy revisions is based off of Ray Bradbury’s “The Rocket Man”.

Then of course there is the full show that I have to streamline called “Arrangements”… if I do this right I would be able to whittle the character list from ten to six and possibly even five… but I am unsure if I could even do that! Ugh.

Of course I have all these prose projects that have been on back burner… in the end I am just glad to have gotten started on anything at all… hopefully this motivation lasts into the next month or so. We’ll see.

UPDATE: NaNoWriMo Day 19

So I finally got around to completing a couple more scenes from the series of vignettes stage play that I have been working on being my word total up to 5,019-ish… Well more or less. I am sure I am off by a few words give or take.

From here on out the series will be new material compiled from previous stories… And as thus a kind of “starting from fresh” kind of mentality. Not a bad thing mind you but it may or may not make plowing along easier.

But really…
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UPDATE: NaNoWriMo Days 18 and 19

So during a rehearsal line read through over the weekend I went through a couple of ten minute plays of mine and reworked and continued to edit them. I have completed the editing process for one and once I have implemented the changes will go through it again one more time before sending it off to a couple of close friends for their opinions on the changes.

As for the other? Well it needs work. I like the concept and the idea and the whys, but since a lot of the dialogue is based off of conversations I had many moons ago what works in real life doesn’t necessarily work on stage. So I have two choices I could rework from the script what I want or I could scrap the whole thing and just start from scratch. Now that I have a better idea of what I want to do and how to shape it, the latter might be more to my liking, who knows.

What is on the agenda? Other than the above I still have the series of vignettes to continue working on. I am tempted to just go back and start formatting the sucker for my sanity and so others could start reading (or I could start editing) but I don’t know if that would help or hinder the process… Meh, does it really matter? I am getting stuff done… that’s all that counts. 😉

Overall I have gotten… or have been getting a lot more done editing-wise than I had initially anticipated, and it is a good feeling. Moreso now that I have a couple half an hour or so just sitting down and focusing on editing during rehearsals. Multi-tasking is a beautiful thing.

UPDATE NaNoWriMo Days 4 and 15

Yup, you read that right… I didn’t do any writing between days 4 and 15… and it is rather depressing, but what can one do?

So why am I updating? Because I have managed to go through and reproduce three of the five scenes that I lost in the deletion of one script… so that word count is up to around 5,000… but not only that I started expanding and adding in pieces here and there to fill out the scenes already written.

Needless to say I am a bit excited because the next two scenes aren’t not aspects just thrown together, but rather actual events with lots of information that could stand alone. Once I have these last two scenes rewritten I would be golden and after that it is all new material… in the matter of speaking.

Take that a step further and I spent some time earlier today editing the first ten-minute play I ever wrote. I purposely placed the piece on back burner because I wanted a fair amount of time to pass before looking at it again and most likely heavily editing it. Which is what ended up happening.

I deleted a character… rearranged a few lines… changed the mentality of one of the characters so there is more of a punch / conflict and I am happy with what I have.

With some time over the weekend… in between everything else going on, mayhaps I will find time for additional writing?

UPDATE: NaNoWriMo Day 1 and Day 2

As mentioned on my primary blog: Dancing Through the Universe… I am going to make an honest attempt to get something done during the month of November for NaNoWriMo. After all I have who knows how many projects in the pipeline that needs editing, reviewing, rewriting, etc?

So what did I decide to start on? A script… or more accurately a series of scenes (or vignettes as I would call them) that revolve around a singular theme. Unfortunately it is a script where I accidentally deleted the original digital copy of but still have a hard copy with a whole bunch of red-marks on it that I have yet to apply on the digital copy anyway. So I thought that it would be best to work on a script that I know what to expect, but am forced to redo from scratch.

Since this is a script… formatting on its own takes up a lot of time, so I am going to wait until NaNoWriMo is over before I actually go through the work and format it to the correct designations.

In the meantime I am just chugging along… but how did I do? Well Day One was a loss on so many levels.

As for Day Two, I actually got 824 words down during lunch time and then another 792 after I decided to stop working. Ironically enough, this is the completion of one scene or vignette in the series and as thus a decent breaking point.

Current word count: 1616

So what am I writing about?
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Vignette: Silver Moonlight (Story 1)

AUTHOR NOTE: This was written as a part of a compilation series at the Silver Moonlight website in 2001. What happened is that someone starts the story and another picks up a story and continues for a little bit and stops then another picks it up, etc. Silver Moonlight was a Sailor Moon fansite back in the day, so obviously the following is Sailor Moon based.

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Mamoru felt the blood drain from his head as those three words escaped Rei’s lips.  Realizing that they are going to need a private room, “Ryoko, please take Ms. Minako Aino to a hospital bed, I will be there is a few minutes. And make sure that her friends are there with her.”

Ryoko protested, “But sir, Ms. Aino should be tested for…”

“I know what Ms. Aino has, just take them to a hospital room, and I will be there shortly.” With a slight nod the secretary called upon a nurse to take the quartet to an empty hospital room.

As the four were being ushered away, Rei looked back towards Mamoru’s direction, within, she knew that Mamoru is tearing himself apart for not being there to protect Usagi. At the same time he was trying to pull himself together so find the next course of action.

Mamoru for his part was beating himself up for not being there to protect Usagi. He did feel her transform, but that faded rather soon.  Walking away from the waiting room, Mamoru went directly to his office to gather his bearings, <if Usagi is not here then where is she?>  Mamoru felt for their bond and realized that Usagi is no where in this dimension, but another. <Then how to get to her?> Mamoru reached his office and fell onto the chair. His hand combed through his jet black hair. After going through his hair, his hand was full of perspiration.

He took a deep breath, he has to stay strong, not just for his sake, but for the sake of the other senshi, of his Usako. After a few short moments Mamoru walked to the hospital room where the four girls resided.

After he was sure that no one was within hearing distance, he placed his hand upon Minako head and concentrated his aura to heal her wound. Much to the shock of the other senshi a golden aura surrounded Mamoru’s hand and soon surrounded the Senshi of Love. After a few moments, Minako’s wounds were healed, though with a headache from her concussion.

“Mamoru, how did you?” Ami stammered, there were no words that could describe what she felt.

Mamoru shook his head, “There is no time, we have to find Usako and soon. Mamoru walked towards the hospital phone, intent on telling the receptionist that he was going to take the rest of the week off due to a personal emergency when a black portal opened in the room.

The senshi were readying themselves for a possible battle when a young girl of about twelve walked through the portal. Her hair was of the darkest purples, her eyes a darker shade of purple, were cold, and unyielding. She wore a sailor fuku of violet with black bows, she wore purple boots that laced up to her knees. In her hand was a glaive that stood more than a foot taller than her.

Much to the shock of the people in the room, “I am Sailor Saturn, and now,” she pointed her now glowing glaive towards the portal, “you have to leave here if you wish to secure the future of Crystal Tokyo.”

Vignette: Silver Moonlight (Story 2)

AUTHOR NOTE: This was written as a part of a compilation series at the Silver Moonlight website in 2002. What happened is that someone starts the story and another picks up a story and continues for a little bit and stops then another picks it up, etc. Silver Moonlight was a Sailor Moon fansite back in the day, so obviously the following is Sailor Moon based.

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Queen Serenity closed her eyes as a soft breeze coaxed her to rest. Her mind drifted to the nothingness that became quite common during those times when she wanted nothing more than to relax. As her mind continued to slip further into the comforting abyss… it started to wander to the times of long ago. Times that were once free and not quite as chaotic, to a time where there was no destiny nor fate taking a hand in her future…

After what seemed to be just mere seconds she felt the warmth of the sunlight against her skin. Children laughter was heard far in the distance and she felt the afternoon breeze tickle her from her temporary reverie.

“Usagi-chan! Usagi wake up!”

A voice yelled to her, instantly Queen Serenity woke up. The picture she saw around her was not of the palace, nor was there the crystalline glow of her beloved city. What she saw before her was greener and more beautiful than she remembered the park in Tokyo to be.

“Usagi! Over here odango-atama!”

Serenity looked to the distance and saw Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus rushing over to her, <Usagi? But does that mean…> She lowered her head and gazed at her clothing, sure enough she was wearing the high school uniform. Looking back at Mars and Venus it would seem that they too were wearing their respective high school garments. <How in the… where is everyone?> She wondered.

Instinctively she rushed to her best friend and gave her a hug, “Hello Mars-chan,” seeing her other close friend she nodded, “Venus-chan.” However the reception was taken to a sudden jolt.

“What are you talking about odango atama? Mars? Venus? Did you eat more odango’s than you could think with?” The raven haired girl let go of Usagi and looked at her quizzitively. Looking to her golden-haired companion, “I knew she didn’t have anything in her head.”

Usagi’s heart pumped harder as her blood boiled quickly, <nothing? How could she? I’m the heir to the Moon Kingdom, Queen of Crystal Tokyo. I…> then she realized that her closest friends did not answer to their respective planets… in fact they seemed to be oblivious to… well… everything.

Forcing a slight smile and not really understanding what is going on with her friends, Usagi joined them in park never noticing a shadow of a tall young man looking at her with confused eyes.

Vignette: Finding the Soulmate within a Knight / Prince

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

… he would be everything I need a man to be and more …

The knight and the prince, very different in definition yet very similar in ideals. This man that is both handsome and wise, intelligent and strong. A messenger from above he is one with strong morals, discipline, and Godly convictions. Within his heart he would have a nobility and goodness that is would command respect and admiration from those around him no matter where he goes.

As a Knight he would be unafraid of challenges as well as competent and able with strong confidence and ambition to succeed in life and love. He would be aggressive though gentle; kind and compassionate yet stern and just. His realistic views upon the world would not overshadows his idealistic dreams, but rather enforce and strengthen his beliefs allowing him to live life with a lighter note of humor and laughter.

As a Prince he would grow to become a leader, a man to look up and follow because it is his judgement that I would trust above all others. He would be a man of my church, and of my culture and heritage – he would believe and follow our values though not blindly but with an open mind and heart. He would love me and treat me as his Princess – his future Queen, and would consult to me when it is necessary.

Like all other men he would not be without his quirks – his eccentricities. He would be playful, passionate, walking with me through life with a smile and together we would enjoy the beauty that life has given us. On days when the clouds threaten our happiness we would be there to comfort the other.

This is the man that I would marry… A Knight and Prince in every sense of the word.

.: a love like no other – the love of a soulmate :.

The kind of love that is lasting and strong, the love that dreams are based from, the love that would surpass everything: distance, space, time and the normal everyday obstacles. This kind of love – true love – does not always happen easily, for some it takes time and effort, for others it just seems to happen.

Vignette: Reincarnation

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

REINCARNATION

Before I could say anything about me, let me make something clear. Marianya is a name that I had adopted years ago. It is the name that I am known in the online world. My given name at birth will never be divulged.

I don’t really remember how my life was like without all the friends I have made or rather reacquainted myself with since my Reawakening. I too am of oriental descent, mistakenly for Chinese or Philippino. I was and still am a dreamer in every sense of the word. I always dream of a better life in the future, one where pain does not exist, happiness and joy reign supreme. I dream of a world that does not know of wars, that does not know of hatred. But alas at the time, the dreams were just that, dreams.

I grew up, most of my young life from birth until high school, pretty much alone. Sure I had friends, some that I talk to, but no one, I felt, really understood me. They were already in their own little group, in their own little world. I did not mind the loneliness, I grew accustomed to it, it became the center of my being. Sure there were times when I was in pain, and depressed, but I thought that perhaps everyone goes through this once in a while…

However that pain became a daily dose of reality for me, something that became a constant, that became me. Once in a while I would find a small corner of my home and cry, knowing quite well that I was alone in the world.

I went through accidents that I should have died from, but something, someone was preventing that from happening. Each day became another day through obstacles, another day through life, through pain. Thus how my poetry began. There were times when I found a focus, another purpose to keep me out of trouble, to forget about my worries and my life.

But I knew that these were not last, they would never last.

High school came to an end for me, though most were not thrilled of leaving the ‘Four Best Years’ of their lives behind them. I for one was extremely happy. I never wanted to go through those torturous corridors another day of my life. I wanted to start my life anew, take another chance of becoming happy. Thus the university.

My university life, started out reasonably the same as in high school, I was still very much alone, not knowing as to where I fit in or to whom I was friends with. I knew however that it was only the first year and that I still had three plus years left to go. So came summer school.

During summer school a friendship grew between myself and another person. Also during that time in my life I met the most outgoing and happiest person in the world, another Usagi if you will. For with out her, I may never have gone through my university life happier, and intact.

It was during the summer that I started to learn about the Japanese animation, Sailor Moon. One thing led to another and I was hooked. I loved the story line, and enjoyed reading about her. For without my sudden interest in Sailor Moon I would never have found that chance to find a strong bond and friendship between myself and others of like mind.

Vignette: Reawakening

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

REAWAKENING

In this present life, it had taken me quite a bit of time to fully understand the past that I had once lived. In fact it was all just a bit of imagination, until the dreams I have been receiving were far more detailed than I had originally thought.

My first dream, what did I first think about above all else? Peace, it was my dream to live in a world where peace was everlasting. So imagine my surprise when I dreamt of a shining kingdom upon the Moon. The subsequent dreams after that included my life in the Elysion Kingdom, better known as Earth. That was the beginning of everything.

Each night brought on a different dream, each night brought more questions than answers, and what do this all mean? I needed answer but were at a lost as to how to go about getting them.

It was a pleasant surprise indeed when I took a chance one day and started talking to the Crystal Guard. By this point in time I believed that the dreams were just that, dreams, and my original intention was to use them in the form of stories. Considering these dreams were so detailed in my mind’s eye it seemed justified that I should involve them in my story writing.

Over time, I had come to believe and understood my past as I remembered it, and the many parts that were still foreign to me. Particularly my family and my lover from the Silver Millennium. (Please read Gardens of Elysion for more details.)

Many months past, and I had become reacquainted with my brother in my past, Prince Endymion, now known as Chiba Mamoru. As well as the Generals of Elysion and the Senshi. But a part of me was still missing, and that part came to me upon a Midnight Dream…

One night I had recently found a new mode of travel through ones dreams, and I used this to the utmost advantage, going to the moon in particular. It was the third trip to the moon that I met him, the ‘man of my dreams’. Apolline.

Which brings me to now, there is still a very long a tedious description as to my first meeting with Apolline in this lifetime, but that is another story for another time. And now I have the obligation of keeping my past life away from the people I loved and have known in this life.

Vignette: Gardens of Elysion

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

GARDENS OF ELYSION

“I awoke one night and was overwhelmed by the bed of blue and lavender rosepetals that I found myself in, with him by my side. It was right then when a flash came to me… a flash from my past, not the past of now…. but the past of yesteryear. The past that I had only begun to remember…”

Strange is it not? How sometimes it is the little things that trigger the hidden memories, the ones from your past. Not the past you have lived not that long ago, but the past of another life, another time. In my case it was upon this very planet, this star planet, what was once known as the Elysion Kingdom, now known as simply Earth.

One of my earliest memories, and still is, are the times I spent with my family, my father, my mother, and my brother – Endymion. I remember when I was still so very young, my brother and I would go to a special part of the palace gardens, this was our own little ‘special area’ where we were able to roam free and enjoy that little part of our lives where we are not swept into the holds of royal duties.

Amongst the rose beds were my personal favorite blue and lavender roses. Once in a while a perfect rose would be in bloom and Endymion would go and pluck that perfect rose and tease me with it, but in the end he would decorate it in my partially pulled back hair making sure that there no thorns upon it, say how one day I would be ‘as pretty as mommy’.

Endymion and I very were close since we were so young and as we grew older we still kept that youth within us for a time. We were never afraid to act young once in a while, just as long as we would continue to be that way for years to come.

Mother was precious to me, I hardly ever saw her during the day, for it were the generals and the nursemaids that I had for company, but every night, before I would go to sleep she would come to my room and sing me a special lullaby, one that the both of us would know. Even now, I could still hear her voice, soft and gentle as the cool spring breeze, that is how I know, that even now, thousand years later she is there watching over me with a smile upon her face, the same soft smile I remember from so many years ago…

Father was the one that taught me the intricacies of the sword. He knew how I would watch the generals and my brother many times alone, and once in a while with the Lords from the Moon Kingdom, and my clear longing to train with them. Though I was happy with the element of dance, it was not the same. No clear competition, no where to go but down, for I was already at the top and showed no signs of faltering.

And so begins my life at Elysion, no knowledge of the kingdom from whence I came, for the family I was with, was my family and always will be.

‘What is a name? A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet’ – Shakespeare

So would it really matter if I were not from Elysion? I would still be same child by any other way, would I not?

Vignette: Forgotten Kingdom

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

FORGOTTEN KINGDOM

As I opened my eyes I soon realized that I was no longer in my bed at home asleep, instead I stood in the center of a long passageway. Everywhere I turned I saw doors to my left and right, reaching far ahead and behind of me. As I was standing there wondering what I am suppose to do, a soft voice whispered behind my ear… “Maia through all of these doors are different visions of your past, present and future as they may have been or occur. Each door will lead you to that alternate reality of your life, but you are to choose one door, and one door alone. Choose wisely my child…”, the voice disappeared as silently as it came.

One door? How could I possibly choose one door, I wanted to know more of my past life in the Silver Millennium, when I was with Endymion, Apolline and my Elysion family. I knew that those memories would someday come around eventually, so that would have been a waste.

I couldn’t very well choose the future, for that is forever in motion, ask Pluto-sama yourself she’d say the same thing, that although there is a particular way that the timeline should flow that may not always be the case.

So I set out walking down the seemingly unending corridor, various sounds from other doors tempted me to enter them, but I could not, would not. For those doors would not answer the questions I seek. What answers do I seek?

After what seem like hours I finally reached the end of the long passage, that voice from the beginning of my journey came again, “Child you have little timeleft, choose your destination and choose wisely for if you do not choose then you will never receive this chance again…” it disappeared for the lasttime.

Choose? How could I possibly choose a door when I do not even know which door leads to where. Finally I faced the door in front of me. Out of all the doors this one was the same in physical appearance, but there was a strange silvery-golden aura emanating from the door frame.

I took a deep breath and reach for the knob knowing quite well that what I do now would determine what I do and do not know after the conclusion of my journey. Opening the door, the hallway flooded with the silver-gold light… finally taking one last breath I walked into the light. Hoping that the decision that I had made was the right one.

More to come as I slowly remember the kingdom from whence I came… the Syth Kingdom.

Vignette: The Story

Originally I created the below series of vignettes as a way to create the world that “Marianya” knew. Building up her background and past life as you will and bringing her into the modern world. So below is a series of vignettes that gave snapshots of what “Marianya” the character knew.

AUTHOR NOTES: I wrote this back in 2003 for my original website. I am just reposting for prosperity.

THE STORY
I remember… I remember the sunbeams flying from the ground tickling my skin as I sit upon mother’s lap. I remember… the golden rays of light that disappeared as war ravaged through the Forgotten Kingdom.

I remember… the greens and blues of the marble Elysion, the kingdom I would call home… and the one place that I would seek sanctuary deep within the Gardens of Elysion.

However those times of pease have long since disappeared, forgotten within the rubble of Mare Serenitatis upon the Moon Kingdom, while all that fought in the epic battle were reincarnated, and later reawakened upon the soft meadows of the future Elysion – Earth.

Through these past many years, those of us from the legendary ~ Silver Millennium ~ were plagued with mystical visions. Visions that could open the doors to our pasts, presents and futures upon this blue-green planet.

Would this golden age of Crystal Tokyo come to pass… or would our more realistic dreams take over our mind and blind us from out true destiny?

You have read the story of Sailor Moon and her friends. You have read how Endymion and Serenity found that love can overcome all barriers including time. Now read another legend, the legend of Maia as she escapes from her birthright, and finds sanctuary in the world of Elysion.