Writing Progress - Blog Posts

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Papers Out!

The thriller/comedy series I'm writing featuring character stereotypes that I either change completely or improve/expand details on. It focuses on a newspaper club filled with some of the main stereotypes you see in teen movies as they get dragged into a mystery involving human experimentation and the paranormal going on within their up tight private boarding school. My main cast includes an anxious nerd with a strange obsession with perfection, his sheltered catholic best friend who also embodies the gay best friend troupe, a mute theater kid who has definitely got arrested for arson at some point, a jock who acts as the groups overprotective older brother who is a bit far too caring, and the school's popular girl who definitely does not have a strange obsession with her image and has crippling insecurities.

When Death's Due

When I first made it up it was meant to be the concept for a musical. Its a story of a teen girl who attempted suicide finding herself being haunted by ghosts of people who died too young (aka teens and young children) who had died tragically. They attempt to improve her life but are horrible at it so they end up making a deal with the girl, if she does certain tasks for each ghost then they'll leave her alone and cue the rest of the story.

My Love In The Sea

The captain walked near the side of the ship. The rest of the crew were asleep, note a single light was on. The captain looked across the vast and endless ocean and looked for something. Any splash or small gleam in the darkness on the night. The call however stayed, calling the captain to jump into the waters below and to return again into the arms of the ocean, to return again into the arms of her beloved. She smiled at the memories of walking to a hidden part of the bridge under a cliff where she and her beloved would meet every evening before she started sailing. They would spend hours together, talking, singing, giving each other gifts and kisses all over. Exchanging gifts was something they loved to do. Her love always enjoyed giving her rings and shells while she gave her dearest small flowers and necklaces.

The captain reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a locket. It was silver and had flower and ocean themed carvings all over. She ran her fingers over the design, feeling every lovely engraving of the locket. The inside part of the locket and her beloved, engraved into the metal. Forever together in some sort of way. One of the last things her love ever gifted to her. The last thing her dearest had done with her the last time they ever spoke. Before that darn ship decided to cast her dearest out on the sea.

Every day that passed without her love made her want to tear through the entire ocean floor apart so she could simply see her love one last time. Oh how she wished she could claw open the throats of those who dared to blame the storm on her love and cast her over the boat and into the ocean. Well, she supposes blasting their ship and leaving them to drown was a good enough punishment. Their fear filled faces and cries for help were almost as wonderful as her beloved’s singing.

Her fingers still moved over the engraving of the necklace, she wondered what the water below would feel like, if they would feel as warm and comforting as her love was no matter how cold they both were in the winter. She wondered if her love would smile at her again even after all the things she had done.

She had bathed villages in blood, she burned down villages and ships, drowned helpless victims, tricked all those who dared to challenge her into giving up their lives for a failed attempt to gain riches. All their screams were a wonderful melody in her ears. She had explored almost every piece of land and ocean that the world had to offer. Gained almost every piece of treasure and gold that she could get her hands on.

She heard her love call out for her again. She saw the way the water moved towards her. Her beloved was calling for her again. She promised her love that she would travel the world for her and then she would come and return to her. Her love seemed to have missed her. What a silly thing her dearest was. She knew her love had followed her around on every trip and venture.

She knew they were always there with her. But she couldn’t say the same. She wasn’t truly with her beloved yet. But she was about to be.

She looked down into the waters below. The locket around her neck. She stared into the ocean and heard the final calling of her love. Her love was waiting underneath the waters for her. Her love had been waiting every day. Her beloved was calling out for her so that they could be together again. Oh how she was ready to return to her beloved's arms. To see her smile and laughter again.

The captain looked behind the ship once more. She saw her first mate standing behind her. Her first mate didn’t need her to speak to know what she was about to do and where she was about to go. A silent nod and they returned back inside the ship.

She smiled. She stood off at the edge of the ship. And she jumped.

Right into the waters below.

Deep into the ocean where you can never be found.

And there she saw her once more. Her beloved’s long hair and tail practically curled around her. Arms wrapped around her as she felt every sense of drowning leave and felt herself breathing under the surface. Her beloved’s voice happily laughed right into her ears and she felt her body slowly seem to change in some way, apparently her love couldn’t wait anymore.

The siren was ecstatic to see her dearest again. She waited so long and so patiently for them to be together again. She felt arms return the hug as her darling’s transformation continued on. She giggled as she removed parts of the needless complicated fabric so that her love’s changing could be as painless and comfortable as possible. 

Death never came to both on the nights they fell into the ocean. Supposed death couldn’t keep them apart forever. Because here they were together in the ocean once more.

Nine Lines, Nine Tags

A tag game from @authorcoledipalo (that I totally didn’t forget about, sorry!)

The rules: Post nine lines of dialogue, and then tag nine people. (I will tag less because 9 is too many.)

1. “You two [Izi and Hota] are cute,” Tagif chuckled, sitting on the extra bed, undoing her gauntlets.

2. “Hang on, let me get my foreign relations advisor on the phone with you.” I waved for Tagif who leaned in while I held the phone out.

3. “That was the last [syringe]. I shattered the other two.”

4. “You already took away our only chances at saving our world. Why come back to rub it in our faces?”

5. “Goddammit!” She stomped her foot, throwing her fists down. “Do you think I wanted to do that? I’m here to get her back, too.”

6. “No. Mistake is too light a word. Try murder?”

7. “It doesn’t kill magic, it just makes it unusable. Happy?”

8. “She already brainwashed everyone,” I hissed, “what more does she want.”

9. “All I want to do now is help you. All I want to do is retake Ir Nouzonif and stick it in President Sluwfa’s face.”

Tags:

@foxgloves-garden @ominous-feychild @theothersideofthewoods @moonsbetween @oldfashionedidiot +open tag!

Day 43 (1:16) of rewriting my novel

Today, Part 3 cracked 20,000 words!

Part 3 is finishing up nicely as I bridge the gap between the New Heroes leaving Tolftorrijv behind and the scene where Lozerief comes to them in Obizoe.

I'm not convinced that the ending to Part 3 is my best work, but for now, it just needs to exist until the novel is done.

Plus, there's a lot of Part 5 planning that I need to do before this whole thing is complete. And even then, I don't know how far into post-novel canon I'm willing to go before I deem the story complete. This is just a thought that's been on my mind as Part Three (hopefully) comes to a close, soon.

Worldbuilding has my brain ping-ponging around with ideas. I've gone from space pirates, to monarchies, to fleet creation. 14-year-old me would be so proud.

character design is hard because I want it to be complex but simple - why so hard

Make your own galaxy, I said. It'll be fun, I said.

aka I've been numbering sectors and solar systems for a couple days now

writing sprint #1: Don't Go

goal: write without stopping for 10 minutes world: Atelis

Cori ran through the hall, ignoring his father's shout behind him, and sprinted towards the front door. Surely he had misheard or not understood. Memories flashed through his mind, each tender spent with Geod slipping through his fingers as sand on the shore. Without thinking, he shifted. Leaping into the air, Cori landed on his paws with his tail swishing to keep his balance. The front door was being slowly closed by a servant, but he managed to skirt through the servant's feet. She shrieked but Cori kept running.

He had to catch Geod. How could he leave without saying goodbye? Surely Geod wouldn't leave him, not without saying anything. Cori's heart beat rapidly in his chest, his eyes stinging with tears even though he knew they wouldn't fall in this form. His paws slapped against the paved ground as he took off down the driveway.

There. Just in view, Cori could see the large figure of Geod slowly walking into the countryside, a small pack in his hand. Cori yipped and ran faster, tripping over his paws as he tried to catch up. He must have made enough noise, however, because Geod paused and his ear twitched.

Cori shifted again, stumbling as he adjusted from running with four feet to two. "Geod! Geod, wait!"

Geod hadn't moved, and the closer Cori got, the more he could see the sadness etched in his face. Cori inhaled sharply before skidding to a stop. Gasping for breath, he leaned over and tried to slow his breathing.

"You--you were going to leave," he gasped, tears finally spilling out of his eyes. "Father said--said you--Geod, you can't--"

Large arms wrapped around him and Cori clung to Geod's shirt, loud sobs finally escaping him. He always wondered when his father would snap. His father threatened more than he did anything else, and Cori knew it was only a matter of time until the other shoe dropped. But on Geod? His Geod? His world was crumbling underneath him.

"What am I supposed to do without you?" he sobbed.

Geod gently patted his back, rubbing in a circular motion. "The same thing you did with me," he said slowly. "I think we both knew this wouldn't last forever."

Cori only shook his head. Maybe if he refused the truth, it would disappear. "I--I can convince him! Just come back, please. I can get--get him to take you back, and--"

Stepping back, Geod placed his large hands on Cori's shoulders. He smiled sadly. "No, Zen. Nothing you say will change his mind."

And wasn't that the horrible truth of it all? With all his power and influence, it didn't matter under the thumb of Cori's father.

Create a fantasy language, they said. It'll be fun, they said

Sometimes writing is a crappy google doc with no chapter headings and 100 comments