Archive for the 'Sunday Scribblings' Category

March 22, 2011 | Draven Atreides,Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. My chosen theme is “It Must Be”. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: free

I mentioned in a previous post that I live by myself. I like that kind of freedom. My friends know a different story, of course. They think my parents are archeologists and are on some dig in Egypt and that a friend of the family checks in on me on the daily. If they knew the truth (which can never happen), they would both think it was totally siiiiick. LOL. And then my place would become par-tay central.

The more I think about it, though, I could be free of this gig. Any time I say, I could be free. Me or the agency could cancel the deal for whatever reason and I would be just a typical teenage girl. Going to school. Living a semi-normal life.

I remember the life I had before.

I look at the life I’m living now.

And I think…I’m free of “before”, so I can freely enjoy “now.”

So I do.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library

February 7, 2011 | Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. My chosen theme is “It Must Be”. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: story

Well, now. This one’s going to be easy. So, my name name is Draven Atreides, I’m 16-yrs-old. And I’m a spy. Yeah, okay, not really. I’m more of a snitch. I mean, I don’t travel to exotic places, I don’t handle or carry weapons (does a pen, a notebook and a digital camera count?), and I don’t work for a government agency. Well, one out of three isn’t bad. Let me explain.

You see, I was abandoned by my biological parents as a baby and I’ve spent all my life in the foster care system. At 16, I ended up with the Foster Couple From Hell. I discovered their dirty little secret–the bastards–so I ratted them out to the local authorities. Lucky me, when I decided to play tattletale, an agency with three letters had been investigating The FCFH for years. So, being the good citizen that I am, I decided to help them out. The agency with the three letters, that is. I cashed in my Get Out of Hell Free card. Three months later, I got a new name, a new life…and a paying gig in the Youth Informant Division. Of course, the real story are the assignments. I am not a genetically enhanced super-soldier or a government-trained agent. But you’re going down. I’m going to expose you for who and what you are—and you will never even see me coming.

Watch your back.

I’ve got my eye on you.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library

February 1, 2011 | Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. My chosen theme is “It Must Be”. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: safe

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes safe as:

: free from harm or risk : unhurt
2a : secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss b : successful at getting to a base in baseball without being put out
3: affording safety or security from danger, risk, or difficulty
4 obsolete of mental or moral faculties: healthy, sound
5a : not threatening danger : harmless b : unlikely to produce controversy or contradiction
6a : not likely to take risks : cautious b : trustworthy, reliable

I was in the foster care system at birth. I was swooped up by a wonderful couple and had it pretty good on a farm until I was 7 yrs old. Then that wonderful couple was snatched away from me and I ended up in the system again. Bounced around a bit until the FCFH (Foster Couple From Hell) practically lunged towards me and took me to live with them in Manhattan.

For a few years, that life was all right until it eventually didn’t end up being all right. At that point I stopped believing in safe. At least when it comes to other people.

When the Feds came to me with the Y.I.D. deal, I haggled. I negotiated. Didn’t know you could do that with the Feds, did you? Ahem. I wouldn’t advise it doing that all the time. I mean, what you get is what you get. But originally, I didn’t want what they had to offer. But I’m only 16 and the only way they would let me live by myself is if I had a guardian. So, basically, my handler is also is my guardian.

Tykota Blackhawk is cool. His wife, Shannon, is pretty cool, too. Those two really need to be on the cover of a romance novel. Seriously. They’re that good looking. And have wanted me to live with them from the beginning.

But I can’t.

I know Ty would do anything to protect me, and I would thank him for it, but…

Most people feel that having roots, a family, whatever…that’s safe.

But safe to me is, well, me. Just me.

I know, cynical much? Very. At least, for now.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library

January 23, 2011 | Draven Atreides,Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: eternity

I can tell you a lot about eternity…

~ The time it takes to gather evidence against your foster parents and turn it over to the Feds. (not really. It only took a few months)

~ The time it takes to negotiate a deal with said Feds to let you ditch the system, ditch parental unit control, and live by yourself at the “tender age” of 16. (Tender age, my ass. Whoever came up with that phrase needs to live my life for a day).

~ The time it takes to adjust to a new life, a new school…and a new job (which you can’t tell your new friends about. Or else….you’re out of the Division. They don’t kill you, if that’s what you were thinking).

~ The time it takes to learn how to pick a lock in 3 seconds flat. O. M. Gosh. Now that was hard. Although, listening to the High School Musical soundtracks gave me quite the clarity moments. I’m particularly partial to “Bet on Me”.

~ The time it takes to get my story told. Any day now, Celise. Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. I’m sure people are going to get sick of seeing my name and not knowing a damn thing about me.

Note to Draven: I’m penciling you in. We need to have a come-to-Jesus talk, girlfren’.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library, High School Musical

January 17, 2011 | Draven Atreides,Sunday Scribblings,The Fiction Project

I’m participating in the The Fiction Project. This project is sponsored by The Art House Co-op and is an opportunity to tell stories in a different way by fusing text and visual art. After traveling across the country, the Fiction Project will enter into the Brooklyn Art Library‘s narrative collection, archiving my story to share with the public. In light of this project, I’m allowing Draven Atreides, the MC from my YA series, to take the lead each week via word prompts from Sunday Scribblings.

This week’s topic: Invisible

I thought I might add a picture of me this week for two reasons:

1) In this post, someone thought I sounded “cool”. I thought you might want to see what this cool person looks like. LOL. And

2) This week’s topic is about invisibility. I have a point. Stick around, people. You might learn something. Really.

As a Y.I.D. informant, I’m required to take classes. Yes, in addition to school, I have to take more classes. To be honest, they’re fun and not something that would be taught in school. Not too long ago, I took Daring Disguises taught by Agent Gwen. Gwen isn’t even her real name, it’s the nickname I gave her (long story, you’ll find out in Book 2. I think). Like a spy, I sometimes may have to blend in and not attract attention. I have to be invisible. My disguise has to look natural and may have to come on or off in under a minute. I know! The pressure! What happens if I’m changing quickly and have a wardrobe malfunction? Gah! During the class, I had to pull my hair back, sit in front of a mirror and fill out a checklist. The goal was to identify the features that make me unique and to discover what might be too memorable to the target: from face shape to skin color.

Not to toot my own horn, but as you can see, I’m pretty memorable. Go ahead. Click on the pick to make it bigger. I have green eyes. I’m fair-skinned. I’ve got full lips, a wide, flat nose…and I wear my hair in braids, not dreads (if that’s what you were thinking). I was told by my foster parental units that my biological parents were an interracial couple. But I’m rambling now. The point is to figure out what features can be disguised and downplayed.

Ahem. I might’ve gone a little overboard. Click on the pic to take a closer look. That’s not exactly natural, and would probably make me even more memorable, but you caught the point I was hurling at you, right? I learned a lot of things from Agent Gwen during that class. With a little make-up, you can disguise yourself to look:

~ Tired (bags under the eyes) with dark shading from your pencil under your eyes.

~ Older (wrinkled around forehead and mouth) by creating and blending lines with a makeup pencil.

~ Sunburned by using pink/red blush

~ Like you have a light beard growth by using brown pencil or stipple sponge in brown cream eyeshadow.

I’ve also created my own Quick Change Kit that includes the following goodies:

~ Hat, scarf and a bandana

~ Accessories – hair bands, barrettes, jewelry and belts

~ A couple of reversible clothing items

~ A grocery bag

~ Small pebbles – slows your walk or creates a limp

~ Ace bandage – fake an injured limb

~ Cotton balls (aka “plumpers”) – you wet them and place between cheek and gum. It creates a new jawline shape and a new way of talking.

~ Heel lifts – to make myself grow an inch taller

~ Fake mustache (seriously)

~ Makeup – I normally skimp on this stuff and just do bare bones, but I’ve added a stipple sponge, brown cream shadow, blush, and foundation to my meager collection.

And that, peoples, is how Y.I.D. rolls when it comes to being invisible. I hope you learned something new today.

Technorati Tags: The Fiction Project, Brooklyn Art Library, Sunday Scribblings