Me:  What are you doing here, Daegan?

Daegan: Well…I just thought your NaNoWriMo novel could use some improvement, that’s all.

Me: Fine. But do you really have to steal the show like this?

Daegan: You know, you are the writer here, not me…

Me: Yeah, but I never intended for you to be in this book. I mean, I still haven’t decided if you survive WoSWoL yet. What am I gonna do if I decide to kill you off in your original book?

Daegan: *shrugs* Then don’t kill me off. I’m fine with that. I rather like being alive.

Me: Get out of my book.

Daegan: But I’m improving it.

Me: Get out! You don’t belong in this one.

Daegan: Oh, come now…it’s basically a sequel to the first one, anyway.

Me: Not really. At best, it’s loosely connected.

Daegan: Well, now the connection is a little tighter, that’s all.

Me: …Come on, now. You’ve had your fun. Leave.

Daegan: You need me.

Me: N-no…no I don’t…

Daegan: You know you do. *puts on his most charming smile* Your word count would still be stuck in the 30K range without me.

Me: I would’ve figured something out…

Daegan: Perhaps. But how long would you have taken to do so?

Me: I…I…

Daegan: You know you love me. Admit it. I’m just too magnificent a character to not love.

Me: Don’t get full of yourself.

Daegan: Am I wrong? If I am, then why did you try so hard to save me in your last book? Why did you write me into this one? It was your decision, after all, not mine.

Me: I…grr! Fine. It seems that…perhaps…I do have a slight attachment to your character.

Daegan: *grins* So I can stay in your WriMo book, right?

Me: For now. At least in this draft, anyway. But only if you promise to behave yourself and let the other characters have their story.

Daegan: Can I have a love interest in this story, too? You know, Sarah is relatively attractive…

Me: Whoa whoa whoa, hey, no, don’t push your luck, buddy. Sarah belongs with Kip. You go after her, and so help me, I swear I’ll revise WoSWoL right now so that you do die after all.

Daegan: Haha…okay, okay, fair enough. I’ll settle for this then.

Me: Good. Now, go back into my head where you belong for now. I need sleep.

Those are the words I shall be saying quite often this month. That’s right, folks:  National Novel Writing Month has finally arrived.

It’s the morning of the third day, and I’m already 8,391 words into my novel, Voices of Penance. (Sad thing is that I know people who have several thousand words more already!) It’s awful, of course — the characters are poorly developed thus far, the pacing of the plot is horrendously off, and there are already several large, gaping holes in the overall storyline. But! I’ve been a good little NaNo’er and have been completely disregarding all of this.

It amazes me how much it helps to have family/friends participating, though. My sister is taking part, of course. I have a few friends here at college doing it this year, too…and I’ve sort of stumbled into (so far) friendly competition with at least one of them.

It also amazes me how much spare time I can actually find in a day…I mean, 8K…on top of homework, work, and other responsibilities that people like to give me. Granted, it’s only the third day, and I may very well end up feeling overwhelmed at some point this month. But so far, I’ve been keeping up pretty well.

At any rate, I ought to end this and get going…I have some stuff that I want to get done, and since I can’t work on my novel any more today until I finish this list…I must finish it as quickly as possible.

…Is almost upon us!

First of all — sheesh — it’s been a long time since I updated this. That’s sad.

Anyway, moving on to the topic at hand…I’ve finally decided what novel to work on for NaNoWriMo this year! Woot! I shall be writing Voices of Penance, come this November. I will have no time for it, seeing as how I hardly even have time to update my blog this semester, but…meh. Don’t care. Doing it anyway.

And I WILL reach the 50,000 word count goal, too.

Wish me luck! (I’m gonna need it…)

Look!

Thanks to my sister for alerting me to the 2009 NaNo badges, which can be found on the official NaNoWriMo site.

Ah…I can hardly wait for November…

No.  I still haven’t decided which idea to go with for NaNo.  Nor have I done any brag-worthy amounts of world-building for WoSWoL.  In fact, there are many other things, writing-related and non-writing-related, that I should be doing, but have yet to do and/or begin doing.  So, what exactly have I been doing, you ask?

…Sketching.

Meh, so I decided that I wanted to sketch out the female protagonists for my different story ideas (only the girls so far since, whenever I sketch out guys, they always end up looking almost exactly identical to one another).  They’re nothing grand, mind you, and some of the character designs need work still, but it’s good enough for now to get a vague picture in my head (and procrastinate for a bit).

So without further ado, allow me to introduce:

Penance, from Voices of Penance

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Sola, from Lonely Miracle

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Estel, from Teardrop Knight

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Ruby, from Journey to the Gray Lands (accompanied by Soto, who is a fox, in spite of the fact that he doesn’t look much like one…)

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And, just for added fun and procrastination…

Lorna, also from Journey to the Gray Lands

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And, Maria Clairmont, from my last Excerpt Monday post (and the MC of a few other short stories…)

Well now…that was lovely.  Anywho, as I mentioned before, these really aren’t set character sketches…with each one, there’s at least one thing that isn’t “quite right” or that I’m not entirely satisfied with.  But still.  It was fun to work on these, at the very least.

I will say, at least, that I may be close to narrowing it down to two…Voices of Penance being one of them, mainly because most people I talk to seem really drawn to that idea, and partially because it has the most direct connection to WoSWoL.  The other being Journey to the Gray Lands, even in spite of the fact that nobody I’ve asked has picked that one out, because its characters are being the most talkative with me right now.  I still like Lonely Miracle and Teardrop Knight, though, so I’m not 100% ready to completely take them off the list, but…unless they do something soon to really draw attention to themselves, they’ll probably drop off in the near future.

At any rate, I really ought to go and do something more productive now.  Or, sleep.  Sleeping is productive, right?

I’m still having difficulties deciding on a project for this upcoming NaNoWriMo. I originally had five ideas that I was torn between…then that exploded into ten ideas…and now it’s back down to four. This is when being such an indecisive person is a really, really bad thing.

I’ve already asked my sister and mother for their opinions. I’ve also made mock book trailers for myself, to get a feel for which story I could get the most excited about.

…All to no avail.

I am desperate. So, in my desperation, I shall now post the brief summaries I shared with my family, in the hopes that someone might come across this blog post and offer me their opinion.

Enjoy:

Journey to the Gray Lands
Genres: Epic Fantasy (with a secondary Romantic Fantasy twist)
{see Bridge to the Gray Lands for a sneak peek)
A young woman befriends a mysterious girl from a strange village within the Gray Lands. But when her friend’s village is destroyed, she sets out on an adventure to determine what happened, if her friend is still alive, and why so many people seem wary of traveling to the Gray Lands…

Teardrop Knight
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Estel always knew she was different, but when a mysterious woman told her that she was half-elf, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. Even more difficult was finding out it was true. Now Estel must bridge the gap between two separate worlds — the human world and that of the elves. But there are dark evils lying in wait just beyond the walls of this new world, and only Estel has the power to stop them. With so much to learn, though, will she be able to manage? Even with the help of some new friends, will she be able to master the Sword of the Teardrop Knight?

Voices of Penance
Genre: Epic Fantasy
A mysterious girl rises from out of the lake, dazed and mute. There are only two people who notice her arrival, and it is up to them to protect her and keep her safely hidden from those who might harm her. This is no easy task, yet the two can’t help but feel drawn to discover her purpose here. When they discover an ancient legend of tragedy and betrayal, they wonder how the girl — dubbed “Penance” due to the strange brand she bears on her right arm — plays into it all…and are awed by how they, too, might play into things as well.

Lonely Miracle
Genres: Romantic Fantasy / Epic Fantasy
A young man cursed to become weak whenever he physically touches someone…A young lady cursed to stay emotionally distant, or else, face dire consequences for herself and those she loves…When these two star-crossed travelers meet, neither holds much hope for rescue. But in the end, could they be exactly what each other need?

Once again, Excerpt Monday has arrived! Due to slightly unforeseen circumstances, I don’t have another snippet from my novel, Wings of Shadow, Wings of Light, to post.  (World-building is taking me longer than I anticipated, and I haven’t been able to press forward with more revisions since…well…since last Excerpt Monday.)  So instead, here’s a short story I wrote recently. I’ve written another story with this particular character since then, and will most likely continue writing about her in short stories to come.

So, without further ado…

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“Collision”

“Gracious,” Maria exhaled as she watched the steam-powered locomotive slowly come to a rest at the station. “I never realized it would be so large.”

She continued watching as people of all shapes and sizes stepped out. Children clinging to the hands of smiling parents, serious and straight-faced elders, women dressed in the latest fashions, and eager young men with the glint of hopeful expectation in their eyes…all were present and accounted for.

“Yes…yes, this must be the way,” Maria thought, taking a few more deep breaths. “I’ll escape for sure this time.” Now all that was left was to figure out how to obtain passage on it. She knew it would cost money, but thankfully, she had managed to save a few coins. She prayed they would be enough.

Looking around, she tried to determine the procedure for getting on board, but to no avail. Too many previous passengers were still getting off, greeting loved ones and hustling about, and soon she lost track of who had gotten off and who was looking to get on next. Confusion gave way to impatience, and impatience gave way to panic, until, finally, she decided to ask someone.

“After all,” she mused, “it’ll only be one person. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She swallowed hard before calling out to the nearest person, “Excuse me! Ma’am! I have a question…”

The woman either did not hear her, however, or chose to act as though she didn’t. Maria tried a few others, but each responded in the same manner.

“Well!” she cried, stamping her foot on the ground. “People nowadays sure have gotten rude!”

It was then that she heard a chuckle from behind her. “That’s an odd way for a young miss like yourself to speak,” said a man who appeared to be in his late thirties. “You sound as though you’re an old woman.”

She turned red and looked down. “I wasn’t aware that anyone could hear me,” she mumbled.

“It certainly doesn’t seem as though anyone is listening, I’ll grant you that. But try not to hold it against them; I’m sure they’re just eager to get back to their friends and family,” he replied, his eyes becoming glassy as he finished. “Speaking of which, I really must be getting back to mine. Good day, miss.”

Maria stiffened as he began walking away. “Wait!” she called after him. “Please! I need to ask a question, and you’re the only one who has even acknowledged me so far.”

The man paused, then hesitantly turned back towards her. “Very well,” he answered. “What is it?”

“How do I…” she trailed off, suddenly unable to find the right wording. “Well,” she began again, stumbling. “I need to go…on…uh, that…” She pointed to the train, mentally scolding herself for forgetting what it was called. “Uh…how…that is, what do I need to do…”

He laughed again, in a similar manner as before. “Are you sure it’s a wise idea for you to take the train when you don’t even know how to buy a ticket?”

“Please, sir,” she said earnestly. “It’s important.”

The man sighed as if in understanding. “Ah, I see. Well then, see that man over there?” He pointed towards a uniformed gentleman standing behind a counter. “He will sell you a ticket. Furthermore, he should be able to answer any other questions you have about riding the train.”

Maria beamed at him in response. “Thank you, sir!”

He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “My pleasure,” he returned. “Good luck to you now, and stay safe.”

But as he released her and walked away, a sudden shock passed through her body. “No,” she thought, pleadingly, “not again.”

The images started to develop before she could stop them, however. A rapidly moving carriage. The man standing in the middle of the road, paused, distracted. Dazed? The startled horse.

Collision.

The dark pool of red…spreading out…the only thing moving at a moment when time seemed to cease.

Strangers, dressed in black. A fragile woman, shaking, her eyes swollen and red. Two small children in her embrace, weeping. A family. A broken family. His broken family.

The future. His future. And his end.

Maria blinked furiously as the images subsided, their intensity still seared into her rapidly beating heart. She looked around; the man had already disappeared from sight. Without thinking, Maria chased after him, not even sparing a backwards glance at the ticket counter.

The crowd was huge—had there always been this many people here? Her eyes frantically searched for the doomed man. It seemed nearly impossible. She eventually broke out into the street, and her heart nearly stopped: there he was, just standing, the same dazed look on his face as he had in the vision. She could hear the quickening –clop–clop– approaching. Her feet moved with its rhythm, and her arms extended until, finally, they made contact with the man, who stumbled out of the carriage’s path. His widened eyes were the last thing she could recall before the sudden pain shot through her and she plunged into darkness.

When Maria opened her eyes, it was a different sort of darkness that wrapped around her—that of night. She looked around at the unfamiliar room of the unfamiliar house, made even stranger to her in the dim candlelight. Voices murmured from a neighboring room. She strained to listen.

“Rest, darling,” said a woman. “I can keep watch.”

“No, I can’t sleep.” A man’s voice. Familiar…of course! The man from earlier. “It’s my fault she’s like that, after all. It’s my life she saved.”

“And it’s a favor we all owe her; we would have been lost without you.” The woman’s voice shook, obviously filled with emotion. “I’m sure she’ll wake up soon; I’ll fetch you when she does. But you need your rest, too. You’ve been up and around all day, and it’s nearly midnight.”

A surge of panic welled inside Maria. Midnight. She shot out of the bed and bolted for the door, ignoring the spinning room and willing her uncertain feet to move steadily in the dark. Without stopping to greet the hospitable strangers, she left, running in the direction she thought the train station might be in.

Truth be told, she didn’t have a clue where she was going, and she knew it. Just as she knew she’d never make it there in time, nor would she even find a train available to her even if she did. Yet, she ran, fast as she could until the midnight bell tolled and the air around her chilled significantly. Her feet stopped, against her own will; she was frozen in place.

“Well,” came the smooth, mocking voice of a woman, “another failed attempt, I see.”

From the shadows emerged a tall, thin woman with porcelain skin and ornamental dress. “Celene…” Maria muttered.

The other woman smiled. “It’s midnight, Maria. Your day is up.” Celene let out a short, shrill laugh. “It’s all a part of our bargain, remember? You have one day a year to escape from me. If, at the end of that day, I cannot find you, then you’re free for good. Otherwise…” she waved her long fingernails and chains appeared around Maria’s hands, feet, and neck.

“Yes,” Maria choked out, “of course.”

“Pity…” Celene laughed. “Did you even get his name this time? Or did you just sacrifice your chance at freedom for some nameless stranger?”

Maria averted her gaze as the chains tightened and started to glow. “He had a family. I couldn’t…”

“For all you know, he could die within the month.” The witch came closer. “That would almost be as tragic as how things turned out with the first person you sacrificed freedom for.”

Maria made no reply. By this time, she, too, had begun glowing faintly.

“I remember it perfectly. Oh, you were so in love with him. Then one day, you foresaw his death.” Celene grabbed Maria’s face and forced her too look her in the eye. Maria fought her own emotions, refusing to weep. “‘Please, please, save him!’ you cried. ‘I’ll do anything!’ And so we made our little pact: in exchange for his life, you would only be allowed to live one day a year.”

Maria let out a cry, but not in sadness. And then, as before, she felt a sudden burst of pain followed by a deep darkness. But before she fell into numbness, she heard the witch’s voice finish the story.

“I’ll never forget your face when you found out, that following year, that your beloved married only shortly after your disappearance. It was wonderfully wretched…”

Moments later, Celene began the walk back to her home, carrying a small doll with sad eyes securely in her grip.

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Thanks for reading! Look forward to another excerpt from WoSWoL next month (hopefully)!

In the meantime, be sure to check out more posts from other Excerpt Monday participants:
Dara Sorensen, Historical Paranormal (PG 13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
AJ O’Donovan, Poetry (PG13)
Stephanie Draven, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
RF Long, YA Paranormal (PG13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG 13)

…And the complete list at: Excerpt Monday

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

August just started, yet I already find myself wondering about the novel I’ll be working on in November — for National Novel Writing Month. Is that crazy?

Last year, I worked on a sci-fi book, only to discover that I’m not very good at writing sci-fi…lol. So I’m leaning towards another fantasy novel this time around. That seems easier to manage. The only problem is that there are three or four different ideas that are bouncing back and forth in my head. Three months should, in theory, give me plenty of time to narrow it down. Either that, or several more ideas will pop up to further confuse me. Who knows…

Of course, with all the craziness going on in the realm of politics, a nice, timely sci-fi book would be amazingness. If only I could just figure out how to write a more effective sci-fi book. Hmm………

A short time ago, I decided to commission SilentReaper @ deviantART for a sketch of Riona, my MC in WoSWoL. Earlier tonight I received an email with the final result, which I loved so much that I had to show it off:

If anyone has a character they need sketched and an extra $10, I would highly recommend considering this artist. Again, the link to her site is http://silentreaper.deviantart.com/.

Now all I need are pictures of Aidan and Daegan…haha, but I probably won’t consider commissioning anyone for those for a little while. My justification for getting this sketch done was that I managed to finish the second draft of my novel, and I needed a reward (as well as some encouragement/motivation to push me onward towards world-building and my next revision). Until I reach another similar achievement with my novel, I think I’ll hold off on treating myself again.

After much deliberation, I have decided upon the names for the two folks in my background legend. (See previous post.) The winners are:

Meris, “Of the Sea,” Latin, male
Celestyn, “Heavenly,” Polish, female

The guy’s name was fairly easy to decide on; when I actually thought about it, Meris was the only name I really liked out of the ones I found. The girl’s name…well…I like it, and I think I like it slightly better than the rest, but…it was a little harder for me to narrow it down. Overall, however, I think I’m content with both names. For now, anyway.

I’ve also decided on names for the continents in my little fantasy world. Took me long enough, too. For a while, I was just calling them “Northern Continent,” “Eastern Continent,” etc., but I finally decided to give them actual names, instead. They are as follows:

Northern Continent / Zima
Eastern Continent / Wiosna
Southern Continent / Lato
Western Continent / Jesienią

There’s a bit of a theme connecting the names, so bonus points and a gold star if you’re able to figure out what they correspond to.

I’ve also been working on some other world-building fun, such as histories and legends, creatures and animals, plant life, and — my absolute least favorite — geography. It’s a slow process, but it’s starting to come together.