Darlene's Digest

        The tavern in Nassau had no name or sign outside the door, but everyone knew it. Almost everyone. It was a shame the place wasn’t known to any decent brewers, Oliver thought, as he tried to drink some lackluster ale. “I told you to get the rum.” “I don’t have your tolerance for that beverage yet, Captain.” He shifted uncomfortably as she sipped from her own mug. “You keep doing that and he may relieve himself on you out of spite.” “I’m not used to wearing a live animal,” Oliver protested, as the parrot preened on his shoulder. St. Armand looked at Turnbull. “‘Bring him along’, you said, ‘It’ll be good for him to get out and about.’” “I meant Woodruff, not the pa—not Roscoe!” She snickered. “Well, Woodruff, are you enjoying being out and about?” He took another sip of the ale, worried that if he tried to respond he’d break out into a huge grin. He was sitting in a disreputable tavern in the Caribbean, with two dangerous pirates, and a parrot on hi...

Oliver returned to the endless piles of vegetables, turnips today. They were thicker skinned than the potatoes, and after a few swipes at the uncooperative produce, Holt sighed and took the knife from him. “Watch, Beaumains, while I show you how it’s done so you don’t waste half of it!” Oliver raised his eyebrows. “Shall I serve you then as Gareth served Sir Kay the Seneschal?” Holt’s hand pause from where it was neatly skinning the vegetable, and his dark face broke into a grin so wide it threatened to displace his ears. “You’ve read Le Morte d’Arthur ? Welcome aboard, friend, welcome aboard!” For the next two hours the cook stumped around the galley, discussing his favorite points of Mallory’s classic while Oliver plied his knife. When the cook announced work was done for the morning, Oliver stood, flexing his hand, then sucked on a nick on his thumb where the knife slipped when he wasn’t prepared for the ship to roll through a trough. --[working title] WHAT THE PARROT SAW It...

I've mentioned once or twice that my favorite writing music is epic soundtracks without vocals-- Game of Thrones , Hans Zimmer music, Klaus Badelt, that sort of thing. Where once I depended on film or TV soundtracks, I'm finding now that some of the best epic music is being composed for games. It may set the mood for gamers to score points against their opponents, but for me these pieces trigger a little switch in my brain that says, "Time to write!" It may be a chicken/egg deal: When I hear the music, it sets off a response. Or I may have picked the music deliberately to create that response. Regardless, it helps keep me focused and on task. I use Pandora's Epic Soundtracks station, or when I want to go offline, I use my personal playlists. So on that note, I'm cranking up my  #4 Writing Music playlist of Game of Thrones (Season 1) , Braveheart, Pirates of the Caribbean 1 and Gladiator. Time to write!