Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010 in Review



The time has come once again to reflect on the goals I had for 2010 and soon I'll be setting official goals for 2011. Hard to believe the year is almost over already but I did accomplish a thing or two this year, so that's a plus.


Goals for 2010 (Posted in April)

Tattle Tell - Finish rewrite and perform at least one edit. Prepare to query by 2011.
First Drafts - Try to finish first drafts of Fallen (rename) and Against All Evidence.
November - Take part in National Novel Writing Month with either sequel to Tattle Tell, sequel to Standing Ground, or write first book in Blood Prophesy.
Write in novels every month/week.
Prepare queries and/or synopsis of different novels for practice and for real.



Results for 2010

Tattle Tell - Not quite. I'm on the last 5 chapters, which were the hardest to write and there is a section I still have to figure out because in the first draft I pretty much put "stuff happens here" for over half of a chapter. Will finish it in January.
First Drafts - Fallen is renamed but not finished yet. It's almost half way done. Against All Evidence is on the back burner.
November - Success except I used a different novel. I wrote 50k of an epic fantasy in 13 days but haven't finished the first draft.
Standing Ground - finished the first draft back in April. Sequel won't happen for a little while.
Write in novels - not quite. Did write often but the last few weeks have been little to no writing over all.
Queries - Did one practice query letter so far but haven't done any more.


Coming Soon: 2011 Official Goals

Friday, December 24, 2010

Holiday Wishes



Hope everyone has a good holiday or two. And I look forward to what 2011 will bring in life and this blog.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Novels for 2011


Hard to believe it's almost here but I can see it coming. 2011, the big year. Or, I hope it's going to be a big year for me. 2010 went by so fast it's hard to imagine that I'm already planning what to write in the next year. Course, in 2009 I thought by the start of 2011 I'd have a job but I never imagined I'd do a publishing internship either, so never know how things will look a year from now. I'm looking forward to what may come this year and plan to make the effort needed.

While I don't really do new year's resolutions, I do like to make goals. I won't make them yet but I have figured out what I plan to work on and a couple that I may work on but haven't decided yet. Here are the three different categories of novel work I am considering for 2011.

Novels to Edit (and or rewrite):
Tattle Tell 2nd draft and beyond
Standing Ground
Hellenic Distractions

Novels to Finish:
Gathered at Dawn (nano epic fantasy series book 1)
Angel/Demon
Thomas/Kyle Novella

Novels to Start (maybe):
YA mutant book 2
Steampunk/Fantasy
Dystopian
YA contemp Intersex novel
Or other ideas


Are you ready for 2011?

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Query Blogfest



Okay. Despite searching for blogfests on a few different occasions, I almost missed this one. Jodi Henry at jodilhenry.blogspot.com is the hostess of this great sounding blog and is kind enough to have it last for a few days so everyone can enter on comment on other people's entries. The query should be less than 300 words for this blogfest. It's best to do a completed novel but I'm going to post one that I'm working on the draft right now because the YA novel is the first I'm going to send out after it does the beta reader and edits route. Why post a draft of a query when the novel isn't ready? Why not? Have to start somewhere and it takes a few tries to get the query down. I did have the query started already, which helps. Be glad I'm not posting the synopsis I wrote for novel writing class on this book because trust me, it's awful.

Posts will go up between Dec. 12th and 18th. My apologies for not making it the first couple of days as this task has been much harder than I expected.

The host has a few links for those that need help in the blog announcement post. Aside from that, I have a post from the workshop I went to with Kristin Nelson over at my other blog. Here is the link to that, which discusses the pitch paragraph of the query: http://dawnembers.blogspot.com/2010/09/query-tips-i-learned-from-kristin.html

Posting to a dream agent is an awesome idea, except for the fact that I don't have one picked out yet. Well, I sort of had one I put as number one until she got an awesome offer elsewhere in publishing and is no longer an agent. So, my query has an imaginary agent for now. And if it's awful, it's okay to let me know. I promise. :-) Okay, I've rambled enough. Time to actually post the query.

*-Are subject to change.

The Query


Dear Superstar Dream Agent:

Based upon the superstar presence you have on both your well-written blog and the educating, as well as amusing, posts on twitter I have been a fan. Based on the works you currently represent, I think you would enjoy my Young Adult novel, Tattle Tell.*

Life as a teenager hasn’t been easy for Ephram Gram. A time meant for having friends and going to school instead has the cloud of secrets and a home life often met with solitude. Hiding a genetic mutation, marked by a metal identification band clamped to one wrist is bad enough, but having to report to a government agency that monitors mutants just makes life difficult.

Over the years, reporting about random strangers that show signs of mutation was never a problem. When one of Ephram’s friends, one of the two that he ever had, must be told on and learning what happens afterwards, he begins to regret his role as a tattle to the government agency. Stuck with limited options, he must decide between avoiding outside contact whenever possible or to attempt to be normal and face the consequences that come with life as a tattletale.

Tattle Tell is a 53,000 work of a YA science fiction.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Dawn Embers

Thursday, December 9, 2010

I Found Religion...

...for my epic fantasy series, that is.

(Image source: www.post-gazette.com)


I'm not a world builder and even though I've had this novel idea as an epic fantasy one for over 5 years I had not put any form of religion into the story. Sounds odd right? No religion at all in an epic fantasy that contains humans, elves, dwarves, dragons and maybe even griffins. Yeah. I wasn't sure what to put exactly and it wasn't something I'd really given much thought as I don't often discuss religion in a novel unless it's very important to the plot.

Then I was about to think over my steampunk/fantasy idea, which is still the first to be in world building stage before a first draft is even started, when all of a sudden I had a great epiphany. It was about religion but didn't fit for the steampunk novel. It does work very nicely with the epic fantasy. I took notes so that I wouldn't forget.

I came up with a few things so far. Not enough to get pages of notes from but it's a start. Some segments of the populations are going to go with a one God system. Others are going to go with a 3 God and 3 Goddess system. Dwarves are going to be more agnostic though they'll agree with whoever they are talking to just to not bother anyone. One of the rare topics they do that with, lol. The multi-belief has 3 couples and there are 6 overall, which means the numbers 3 and 6 will be important. In fact, the "group" of good guys includes six people that can easily be divided in 3 sets of 2. Nice huh? And while 6 is good, I'm thinking 3 of them is going to be bad, which the villain can use to his advantage later. I'm excited about the new discovery and can't wait to add little bits of it into the overall story in book 1.

Yay!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

WIP Wednesday

Well, it's more of a blogs in progress then novels at the moment. Novel writing is very minimal still even though I have the high goals up for December. Better get to work on them asap. Blogs on the other hand are very busy. So, this is a Blog work in progress report.


New blog: which is the one I posted about for Muse Monday. My first post will be next week and I'm really excited. I haven't quite figured out which characters to introduce because we have two days to do introductions. I'm splitting up the angel from the demon just because the stage I'm at in their novel is one where they don't know much about each other and certainly not those important facts. Sure, the angel should have figured it out but there are good reasons he didn't so now is determined that he is just a not saved human. While the demon is a new demon, so he had never met an angel before and knows nothing about that factor so he really doesn't think he almost slept with an angel the night the two met at the club. Complicated for sure. So, they don't chat together right now in these character conversations. I'll probably keep the YA mutants together because it would come out better for them to speak in the same post. Just need to figure out how to split the characters for the two days.


Guest posting: What started off as one post has already gone to another being asked for by a different friend blogger. Not that I mind. In fact, it's kind of exciting that other people want me to be guests on their blogs. My first guest post is found at Ashelynn's blog where she'd asked me to write something based upon my experience taking part in NaNoWriMo this year. Here is the guest post link.  My next guest post isn't even written yet but I have one that I'm going to do based on a previous topic from my other blog. A friend remembered a post I did all the way from like February and wanted me to expand on it for her blog so I'm going to write a guest post about anti-heroes and anti-villains. Should be fun.

Own blogs: Yep, still posting here and my other blog. Not sure what all to post here since there aren't any blogfests until the one at the beginning of January but I'll figure something out. Have to work on this month's goals and start getting ready for 2011. On my writing topic blog, I have posts up soon about marketing and brand. Plan to interview the wonderful Kristie Cook who not only is a great author but is her own publisher so she has a lot to say about the marketing of oneself as an author.  Can't wait for 2011. It's going to be an epic year for me and my novels. I can just feel it.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Monday's Muse is Character Blog



That's right. I've joined a group blog, or well my novel characters have. It's for a blog that was started a little bit ago but back then I posted as a guest. Now there are going to be six of us posting. It's my first group blog that has actually invited me to be a part of the fun and I'm excited.  The blog page is here: http://thecharactercafe.blogspot.com/. And my personal author page is this one: http://thecharactercafe.blogspot.com/p/dawn-embers.html.

Yay!

For those that don't want to click the link to figure out exactly how it works, basically each writer (there are six of us atm) will have blog posts written from the point of view of one of their characters. For example, my guest post in the original blog was from a mutant character, Noah. He wrote an introduction (me writing from his viewpoint) and then there was a chat where the other two had a character and we all chatted as ourselves and our characters. So, on the new blog I will be posting a blog post from my characters' point of view every other monday.

Check out the blog and follow us because trust me, it's going to be awesome in hilarious proportions.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

WIP Wednesday December Goals

(Image Source www.bszonnedorp.be)


December goal-making time. 


1. Finish the second draft of Tattle Tell with around 25,000 words for the month needed.
2. Read a couple of books. (Finish Shiver asap)
3. Work on finishing nano 2010 novel, Gathered at Dawn.
4. Prep work for 2011 novels. (Currently have 6 to start and/or finish.)


Non-writing or reading goals.
1. exercise 30+ minutes a day
2. eat a little healthier (minus christmas day)
3. Get more followers on both blogs and prepare for book review blog to come out in January.



What are your goals for December?

Monday, November 29, 2010

10k In A Day Challenge

Hello. Yes, I didn't forget about posting from yesterdays challenge. While the goal was to write 10,000 words in one day, I didn't get very far. I did finish the section I'd started back on the 13th but I didn't get close to the goal for the day. My total word count was just over 1200. Some is better than none so I'm at least happy to have the scene finished and my novel now has 51,500 words in it. Only 49k to go.

Here is the scene from what I wrote yesterday (no editing): 

A knock on the door caused them all to twitch. The voice of the innkeeper through the door, "Is everything alright in there?"

Feyn almost spoke but caught himself just in time. He'd forgotten in that first second the innkeeper was expecting only female voices since the one male he knew was in the room had remained downstairs. He looked at Daemahn for what to do next and was given a signal to remain quiet.

Daemahn looked to the two humans, a slight moment of desperation followed as he tried to indicate one of them should say something but it couldn't expose the two elves. Luckily for them both, the smaller human gave in and responded.

"Everything is fine. Please give us our privacy as requested."

They waited a few moments in silence to ensure that he was gone. Daemahn rested his back against the door and listened during that time while the others in the room looked around in awkward moments barely holding any glances with the uncomfortable nature of the current situation. Once they were certain they could speak again, the conversation continued.

Gretchen spoke again, taking over the humans side of the conversation as Feyn almost expected. "Why should we trust you elves?"

It was a question that confused Feyn. He didn't understand where the new found animosity came from between the humans and the elves. While most of his travels had been uneventful even though he rarely received a very warm welcome, there were a few times when he'd been asked to leave or even chased from a location because of this insecurity that had developed. And he had no idea why it even existed. If his people had rarely ever left the forest then why would the humans have this idea that all elves were out to get them? And why did the village have a sense of danger for the elves as well? It was uncomfortable along with confusing that he hoped to one day figure out.

"Considering where we are and the situation," Daemahn spoke again, his voice still in that unnerving calm tone. "The real question is why should we trust you? You up and walked into our room, trespassed and are a threat to our safety. Why are you here and why should we believe you?"

Monday, November 22, 2010

Monday's Muse is Distracted



It's Monday yet again and over the past week I've been very distracted by... well, laziness. I haven't written more than 500 words since November 14th. After hitting the 50k mark I snagged and became distracted by a variety of things. Which sometimes happens. Distraction is easy. Look a shiny! *points*


Wednesday, November 17, 2010

NaNoWriMo WIP Wednesday

Hello wonderful readers! Since I made it to 50k a few days ago, it seems fitting to post an entry from the portion of the novel near that wonderful 50,000 word mark. This is a section that includes the 56 words that brought my word count total up and over 50k. Woot! Enjoy the mess that is a nanowrimo first draft.



Excerpt from the NaNoWriMo novel: Gathered at Dawn


Once he had washed off his face, Daemahrath left the water indicating that Feyn could use it to get the powder from his face too. He moved over to a small table and began to flip through a stack of papers adding to the ones already there with a few items that Jateau had managed to pilfer that night over dinner, which increased the amount gained from the earlier journey the short human had made through the village. When Feyn finished washing his own face, Daemahrath handed him a paper and indicated for him to sit down on one of the beds. Daemahn also sat down on the bed as he asked, "Can you look this one over and see if you can interpret what it says?"

"Sure." Feyn took the paper and sat on the bed next to but not too close to Daemahn. He spent a few moments looking at the signs and written script on the page he'd been given. It looked familiar but it wasn't easy for him to recall among the few languages he'd learned before leaving the woodlands on his quest. But there didn't take much longer of time passing for him to recognize a few key terms and one of them happened to be the groups planned destination. "It mentions the Fort here," he said pointing to the word. "But there isn't too much on this one. I think it's logistic information about the fort: the strengths and potential weaknesses. I think this one over here is an estimate of the forts population. It's a bit small though."

Daemahrath took a break from his own papers to look it over. "The Fort doesn't have a large population and even fewer of them will be capable of fighting. They are known for handling a much larger attack compared to their military because of their location and the build of the fort." After taking another couple of minutes to examine his own page he took the one out of Feyn's hand and tossed it on to the bed. He moved a little closer so that their arms were touching and the page that was in his hand then was displayed in front of them both. "Do you see what I'm seeing? Or am I reading this wrong?"

A little uncomfortable at the warmth that he felt when Daemahn settled up against him, Feyn had a slight distraction before he could focus on the paper and question being asked. The script was a little different than the one he'd just looked over and the numbers on the one in front of him were very different. These numbers were larger, much much larger and it wasn't until he got to the end that he realized why Daemahn had sounded concerned and asked for a second opinion. He took a deep breath before giving his opinion. "I don't know exactly what you see but I'm guessing that you are probably right. I think these are army numbers for the overlord and he is planning to have that number of them attack the fort."

"I was afraid of that." Daemahn said. He fell silent, still staring at the paper and not moving away from Feyn's side.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Retold: a blogfest entry

I almost forgot about this blogfest in the mix of NaNoWriMo but thankfully seeing the host's post reminded me and there is plenty of time to get an entry in even though I'm also trying to write 10k in my nano novel today. And I slept too much when I should have finished it before going to bed. So, this won't be an overly long piece. But I am once again posting a blogfest entry from Cinder Story for those that miss hearing about Jack and the rest of my version of a Cinderella story.

Blogfest Details
The Blogfest, Retold is hosted by "Just Another Sarah" over at her blog, The Wit and Wisdom of Another Sarah. She is a fan of story retellings and wants people to post blogfest entries that retells a story from a different characters point of view. It can be a retelling from a fairytale, myth, history, own novels/stories or anything really and the character point of view doesn't matter either. Just has to tell what is being retold and link if possible.

I actually retold a scene in a different point of view in my nano novel to get a better insight into a dwarf character but I'm going to limit my nano posts (one should be up tomorrow anyways) and found a section of my Cinder Story to retell.



About the Entry
This is going to be a retelling of a scene I wrote for a different blogfest. The first version of the scene was posted on October 7th for a blogfest known as At First Sight. It was the first appearance of the Prince character. Since this is a retelling, I get to do the scene over again from Prince's point of view. While it wouldn't be in the actual book, it is always fun to see things from a different character. The fact that he has attraction to males too is a secret until the very end from the main character, Jack's point of view.
 First Sight scene link


The Actual Entry

Staring down at the touch screen smart phone in his hand, Prince frowned noticing the time of the text message versus the actual time in the top right corner of the phone. He was already late and the predetermined coffee shop for the scheduled meeting was still a few blocks away.

"Remind me why we ended the basketball game early again?" The tall shaggy blonde in red and black gym clothes asked as he followed Prince and their other two friends.

"I'm late for a meeting and it's not going to make a very good first impression if I ditch it for a basketball game with some loser friends of mine."

The thinly veiled insult was ignored by his friend who continued his own jabs as they walked.  "You really ended the game so you could go meet some guy? I thought you were trying to date that one chick."

Prince wished he'd chosen to go alone but couldn't take back the offer of coffee for the rest. Not that he regretted ending the game because there was no way he was going to lose since his team had been up twenty points when they quit early so he could try to make the meeting. "I am. This is a meeting with her father's personal assistant."

Conversations over the topic ended as they reached their destination. He was only twenty minutes late but that was enough to make him feel bad. While the other guys stepped into line, joking and checking out the coffee baristas that were working there that day, Prince returned his focus to his phone. In the text he'd been sent the assistant had listed his coordinates so he would be able to find him in the somewhat busy coffee shop. Despite the enticement of coffee, he looked around the room instead of at the order board in search of the person he was supposed to be meeting.

Based on the information in the text about table placement, paintings on walls and an odd sculpture near a wall, he looked over to the logical spot for his meeting. There was a table with a well dressed young male. He assumed that was who he was meeting and was pleasantly surprised. He'd assumed it would be  an older man judging whether he was good enough for the tycoon's daughter but this guy was young, well-built and rather attractive. Not moving, Prince spent a couple of minutes looking the assistant over before making his approach without even ordering a coffee.

"Are you," Prince said as he made it close enough to the table to garner the dark haired males attention, "Jack?"

"Yes." The man looked at him seeming a bit confused at first. "Oh. Are you..."

Before the question was even asked, he interjected. "Prince. That's me." He smiled, trying not to make it obvious that he was checking out the assistant as he pulled out a chair to sit in at the table.

"So, you really think you're cool enough for a name like that?"

It was an odd question but amused Prince enough that he chuckled. While unorthodox the question was enough to ease the slight awkwardness of first meeting by bringing humor to the table. He smirked and then gave his response with a shrug. "Not really but it's what people call me."

Sunday, November 14, 2010

100th blog post



I started this blog back in March. Hard to believe I've had it less than a year and I'm close to having almost as many blog posts and followers as my first blog. I know that blogfests are a big part of both numbers, which is one of the few reasons I try my hardest to take part in them. But why start a second blog?

It really started when I decided to test on WordPress as a potential blogging source. Even though I didn't have problems with blogger I figured I'd give it a try and in doing so came up for the fun title "it's in the book" even though I know i"m not the only one to think of it since "itsinthebook.blogspot" was already taken. While I love having the "Dawn Embers" blog, which is just my pen name cause I haven't thought of anything better or clever to call it, I wanted to have a place for my personal writing. So, I separated the two. I didn't like WordPress as I couldn't even figure out how to get a background on there and that led to me having two blogs on blogger.


March 17th 2010 - First post made. It is a boring introduction post but the first none the less.
http://itsinthebookde.blogspot.com/2010/03/introduction.html

The next two posts jumped right into the topic of my writing as I posted about why I have two series involving genetic mutation and then discussed some of the novels I was or planned to work on. Maybe in a post in December I'll go back and compare the progress I've made on the novels discussed back then and the new ones I've started over the year. Later on, in the next month, I have a 2010 goal post so that should be interesting to reflect on in a future post as well.

Among those posts there also was a plethora of blogfest entries. Although my first blogfest entry was posted on my other blog, the majority has been here and most are well received. The ones that aren't well, it's hard to tell because they are ones with limited comments but that's okay. I still enjoy sharing my work and enjoy all forms of comments when they are left behind for me to view.


August 5th - Post 50, Change Blogfest
(It's post 50 if I'm counting correctly.)
Evidence of the impact blogfests have had on my personal writing blog is the fact that post number 50 was the Change blogfest. Hard to believe that 50 posts ago I was already using Cinder Story for blogfests (then again the nanowrimo prep added a lot of posts in one short month).
http://itsinthebookde.blogspot.com/2010/08/change-blogfest.html


Speaking of October. I had 28 blog posts in that month alone, which is even more than I had in my other blog but that's partly because I posted individual prep work here while the assignments were posted once a week on the other one.


The 100 Posts at quick glance:
During these 100 posts I've shown different excerpts from a few different novels and the occasional short story attempt. There have been a few character introductions that even included images found online. I made a confession or two. For a little while, I even had a slight schedule going where I posted "monday muse" topics on mondays and "work in progress" reports on wednesdays. October showed the method I've come to use every year in preparation for NaNoWriMo and now we're at December and the wonderful 100th post. It has been quite fun sharing my writing and knowing that others are reading, even for the times that no comments are received. I am glad I came up with this second blog and don't mind the work it takes to do more than one at a time. And considering I've had this blog less than a year (whereas the other blog I've had up for almost a year and a half now) it almost has as many followers and blog posts as the other one.


The future of the blog:
Don't worry. There won't be many changes yet for this blog. I may try to find a new template to use because I have had this one in particular for a rather long time. Maybe I'll get someone to teach me how to make some links work on the page so I can have a few pages instead of just the one blog page. Maybe if I ever get a book picked up by an agent or publisher, then the blog will have to make a few changes but for now, things will stay the same. I look forward to the year anniversary in March. And if I get 200 followers, another giveaway.

But for now... Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Snack Bar

I have a small trove of snack and quick fix food items that I've hoarded away in the computer room where I've been doing most of my NaNoWriMo writing. Thought it would make a good post to share some of the snacks with you all, so you can see what bad food I eat while writing this crazy epic fantasy novel.



No, most of the candy and stuff in that picture is not what I snack on but I liked the picture when I did a google search for snacks. But my food isn't really healthier by any means. So... here is a list of the top snacks I am using to fuel me through 100k in NaNoWriMo 2010.

1. Fruit Snacks

Gushers ("sour" kind is the best)
Fruit Roll Ups
Fruit by the Foot
Mario and My Little Pony gummies









2. Coffee and Creamers

regular coffee
caramel starbucks coffee
white chocolate caramel mocha creamer
gingerbread creamer
chocolate creamer
any other kind I buy




3. Ramen type stuff


top ramen
cup of noodles
yaki soba (haven't tried yet)





4. Microwaveable food


bean&cheese burritos with 
cheese & ketchup (yes i'm weird)

easy mac
instant rice
Other stuff like that.




5. Soda



Pepsi
Coke
Pepsi Max
Coke Zero
Diet Pepsi
Diet Coke

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Excerpt aka How Bad First Draft Is



That's right. I'm going to share an excerpt from my NaNoWriMo novel with anyone that reads this blog post. Yes, it's going to be pretty bad and unedited. But that's part of the fun. It's a first draft and if writing a bunch of words that suck is what it takes in order to get something that can be developed into an amazing piece of literature then why not write the bad words first. Because it's hard to tell based on a blank page which words are going to be great beforehand.

This is from a scene that will most likely not make it in the next draft but I wanted to write it anyways. It's from the first main character's point of view and takes place before he meets the other characters but after he has decided to leave home in his quest that he planned to do with his brother before he passed away. It's only 800 some odd words long, so it's one of the shortest scenes I've written so far in the novel. But for anyone who is interested, this is an example of what my nanowrimo first draft looks like.


The Excerpt

A twig snapped as fear tensed through the young elf's muscles as he clung to the branches of the tree he had climbed only a moment prior to the interruption of the silent throne of early night. Holding still, Feynethom listened for the distinctive shuffle of the patrol that will have walked by on the expected route. Darkness had settled throughout the forest as the moon provided enough of a glow through the dense woodlands to provide just enough light to make out shapes when the appeared a couple of feet from trio of trees he nestled within, hidden from those that might soon cross the path. Once they made it by, the coast would be clear and then he could make his move.


A cough indicated they had arrived, though they seemed to be taking their sweet time on the warm spring evening. The expected noise of leaves crunching until the sounds faded as the two guards were leaving didn't occur right away as expected.

Uncertain, Feynethom peeked down through the limbs making certain not to shake the branches. It was frustrating for him to see the patrol had paused for a break but soon they made their way along the designated route and he could breathe a sigh of relief. It was a surprising notion: the patrol that was set up to keep invaders from making it into the elven city deep within the woodlands, but it wasn't doing a very good job keeping him from leaving.

Hard as it was for him to stay still on the tree branch, his right foot had begun to cramp, he managed to wait another ten minutes to ensure the guard would be far enough away for when he did finally make a little noise. Climbing up the tree had been smooth but the getting back down always failed to be kept silent. The slight crash of leaved when his still slightly cramped foot hit the ground proved the point and he froze at once, holding onto the tree as if it could somehow save him if anyone heard. But silence followed and soon he was able to limp away, darting through the forest line at a quick but steady pace as the light of the moon gave him just enough sight to not trip, except for a couple of times. It would take a few hours for him to be clear from any of the patrols but so far things were going in his favor and he could only hope that he would make it to the forest edge by morning. Considering the closeness of one nights travel, he couldn't help but wonder why no one ever made it very far. It wasn't like there village was that far away, depending on speed of travel and baggage, but he'd never seen anyone make it past the initial border patrol, let alone the emergency ones that kept close eye on the very edges of the city just in case.

The topic was hard to find an answer to but it kept his mind away from his real concerns of what would happen upon morning when his mother and father would discover his bed empty and the short note stuck to the surface of the kitchen table. They were going to be angry with him but at this point he didn't care.

Things wouldn't have ended this way if his father had stood up for him during the hearing when he had requested to leave the city on his quest. Then he would have gotten permission, maybe, and been able to leave with a decent supply of food and the sun to guide him through the trees instead of sneaking out at night. But that's not what happened. Instead, the counsel had all laughed at his request while some down right mocked him before they banned him from taking on the quest for the ancient city, stating he would be wise to abandon his foolish dream and instead make due with his home in the woodlands. They didn't know about the promise he'd made; the one he intended to keep even at the risk of death.

He didn't care how long it took for he was going to prove the history books wrong. Magick couldn't be beat by sheer brute of weapons, it was impossible. He refused to believe that an entire race of elves, the strongest that ever existed in the realm, had been annihilated to the point of extinction and he was going to find them. First, stop would be the city no one had been able to find according to the history scrolls since the slaughter had finished with the land supposedly becoming cursed. Some had tried to find it and most had never returned. But that wouldn't stop him. He would make his brother proud that he had kept his promise and that thought alone kept his feet moving towards the unknown world outside the sheltered home of the woodlands.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Promise and Tristan's B-Day

So, I've been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks but it wasn't easy for me to accomplish with homework, procrastination and now nanowrimo. Sorry Kristie and thanks so much for extending the contest deadline cause it's an awesome contest.


First, Promise in the wild. I held up the book with the field that exists in front of my parents' house in the background. The picture is of the book Promise in the wild that is Wyoming. The direction is east so it's really really flat looking as the mountains are located to the west. Can you imagine the town was named after wheat? lol  It is also way to nice outside for November here. Usually we have some snow and definitely cold weather. This year is a bit odd since it's supposed to be in the 70's this weekend.



Next is the birthday bash post which umm, took me way longer than it should have because I am a major procrastinator. That and I got the really awesome (or so I thought) idea to make it a comic since I have a MacBook Pro and it comes with Comic Life. But it was actually harder than I thought to come up with something for the characters to say after I managed to divide the picture I use for my own two main characters from my Angel/Demon novel. For that that haven't figured out from my post that showed the original picture I used for the angel and demon, the one wearing the coat is the demon. ;-) And yes, part of me can't believe I've sharing how much of a dork I can be. But here is the promised entry anyways. *hides after posting*





If looking for me after this post, I'm hiding under a blanket trying to write my epic fantasy novel.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday's Muse NaNoWriMo

It wasn't easy but I've found some pictures to use as inspiration for NaNoWriMo. Of course, this is after commenting on a blog that I wish I had some. Oops.



The novel as described on my nanowrimo page:

A young elf leaves the safety of his forest village in search for a lost race of elves.
When he finds the lost city of elves, instead of finding the actual race of elves in the rotting city, he runs into a different type of elf. The new one is from a village of dreamers that left the woodlands in protest of the annihilation of the magic race of elves that had once ruled the lands. That encounter brings him into a battle agains a villain who is currently against the humans but may come after the elves in the future.


First are landscape, village, and other setting pictures. All found either on google or weheartit.






















Then there is a battle near the end.



A couple of attempts at character, though they aren't very accurate. It's hard to find elf pictures that I like, then add the female dwarf and argh...


























Lookie. I has a temp cover and a banner that someone made for me on the nanowrimo web site. Yay! It's not very epic/high fantasy speaking but it's way better than anything I could ever do. I like having an image for it at least.




Saturday, October 30, 2010

Procrastination List

I haven't posted all of my prep work but figured this is a good one to post for all to see.

The List


1. Internet in general
2. Twitter
3. Blogger - My Blogs & Others
4. Boyfriend
5. Sleep
6. Homework
7. Work (if I get a job)
8. Other Novels
9. NaNoWriMo web site and forums
10. TV & Movies
11. Family
12. Thanksgiving


Schedule


Some procrastination in morning/mid day as a form to wake up. Some allowed if it helps me write. The rest is for after daily goal has been exceeded. I write better at night, so may stay up late for most of the month if need be, most likely. Doing the writing in the office, away from the computer to avoid TV/Movies. Week before Thanksgiving week parents will be gone so can do whatever I want at home. May have to clean cupboards but can also write a lot. Try to get done early.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

NaNo Prep - Monday's Letter to Me

(Note: blogfest entries are located below.) This is my letter to myself about how awesome I am and that I'll win this year for NaNoWriMo.

Dear Me,

I am awesome; and shall not forget that! Don't listen to the naysayer's that suggest skipping nano and taking a break from writing because I know better. I am a writer and I shall prevail past those pesky 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month and win for a second year. But more importantly, I will prevail in finally writing the elven epic fantasy novel for me. It is one of my first most epic ideas ever. It will be great to set my insecurities aside about the genre, my capabilities, and the task at writing such a non-standalone first novel to a series.

Just remember: while the internet can be useful for writing, and the music helps to get those words flowing, don't allow the web sites and twitter to distract from the task at hand. It's okay to sometimes check email and work on things that need to get done but don't get sucked into the Internet for hours on ends when you could be writing. It's a long month but not that long and there are 50,000+ words to accomplish to read the goal and a win. Maybe use the distraction demon as a reward for great amounts of writing that gets accomplished.

What will this years method be to succeed? I can't do the same as 2008 since I'm no longer living on my own in Utah, but I can change the in house office room in order to get away from the television set. There might be a couple write ins, either in Laramie or Casper, but remember to only go to a few because the method to write a lot is not to travel since it's hard to write and drive at the same time. Remember to take some practices from March since that was the most successful writing month thus far. Even challenge yourself to do better this month. Because now you know you're capable of writing more and that knowledge should give the confidence needed to fight through the month of writing. Granted, it's not an excuse for ignoring the real world but it's possible to write and still have a life off the computer and that we're going to prove this month. Pshaw to anyone who says you should be taking a break from writing. That's crazy and instead I can enjoy the fun insanity of nanowrimo and writing a typical but different version of an epic fantasy.

Now to talk about celebration because this year you are going to celebrate success. Didn't celebrate in 2010 much, and didn't celebrate aside from talking about it online after writing 67,000 words in March. So, think of some reward once you make it past 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo 2010. Get a nanowrimo winner t-shirt, donate to the cause and maybe get another special prize like a trip to Barnes and Noble. Yay. Oh, and get a cookie from the special cookie place in Cheyenne (the type with the special frosting).

Have fun and Write!
Sincerely,
Me

Merry Halloween Blogfest

Yeah. So, I was going to write for this blogfest last night but got distracted. Also, I couldn't decide between writing Cinder with Halloween costumes or writing a horror-ish story. Fail on my part cause I'm not good at horror and I didn't write anything last night. The Cinder idea is a bit colorful in language, so I think I'm going to post something else (sorry Cinder fans).




Blogfest
The lovely Mia is hosting the blogfest, so go check out her blog of awesomeness at literary jam and toast.  We're supposed to post something ghoulish since Halloween is coming up. I just posted the serial killer flash fiction I wrote on WDC a long time ago. Enjoy and sorry for taking so long to post.


Entry - Not So Funny


"Almost done." Budders the Clown set aside his ink needle before backing away to look at his handy work. He took a minute to wipe off the sweat from his forehead and then went over to his vanity stand. After a fresh application of white make-up he returned to his project.

"What do you think Celia?" He waited for her answer and then nodded in agreement. "You're right, as usual. The black hair with the purple and green dress will look gorgeous."

Budders went to get the dress and then began the process of setting up his new mannequin so that he could prepare her for the new wardrobe. There still were a couple of pressing matters that needed to happen before the dressing stage. He wasn't one to rush into things but this doll excited him more than most of the others. He hadn't felt this in a long time; the energy and desire.

"I really need to clean up around here. This place is such a mess and not suitable for the company of a refined woman." Budders muttered half to himself and half to his lovely blonde Celia.

He went to the work of spraying the important sealant over the ivory skin of his new model. Didn't want the skin to get damaged or have traces of dirt or any other material. With the coat on he could then affix the luscious black wig. The hair felt as soft as silk and had the sweet smell of island flowers.

"Perfect." Budders nodded as he finished with the dress.

Cleaning up took him a lot longer than he liked but it was a necessary hassle when it came to mannequin making. If the shop wasn't spotless and all evidence properly disposed he would have big problems.

Budders winked. "Can't have evidence just lying around."

Once the area was clean and everything stowed away, he broke out the champagne. With a full glass he toasted his new woman, or the new version of the woman he'd met in the grocery store. "Here's to you. My beautiful Savannah."

Monday, October 25, 2010

Never-Ending Blogfest, aka Cliffhanger

This is a pretty cool blogfest, not only for the topic but also the prize. Sure, I don't enter blogfests with the purpose of trying to win something but it's hard not to mention how cool it was that the host has a prize C.A Marshall (whom people should follow her blog too). Check out the blogpost about the blogfest for more details at Brenda Drake's blog.



The Blogfest Details
Post a scene that is 500 words or less, which has a "rocking cliffhanger." Any genre is allowed. Just has to leave the reader hanging (wanting more). They have to be posted on the 25th, by 8am eastern.

My Story
Yep. For those that have had to suffer through the past couple of blogfests I've written scenes for can breathe a sigh of relief. I'm posting something from Cinder Story for this one.

Entry (491 words)


The freezing cold air existed in sweet relief, contrasting to the stiff, overheated existence of the stuffy elitist people in the somewhat crowded ballroom where Jack had spent the last two hours trying not to pull at his uncomfortable black tuxedo and bow tie. Feeling out of place had long ago become a normal existence for the evening and all he could do was hope the night would end soon because being out at an event with his boss' wife had received enough gossip to cause some discomfort.

"There you are." Mrs. Mann appeared on the balcony, small sections of her dress not clinging to her body fluttered in the light breeze. "Would hate for people to think my date had left me or found someone else." She laughed before putting her hand on his arm. "I need to showcase you a little more, and then we can leave. First to leave is tacky but last to leave is terribly undesired."

"Yes, ma'am." Jack nodded and then bit his lip. He forgot again. "I mean, Corinne." He allowed himself to be led back to the uncomfortable evening with a few drinks to blur the edge of discomfort of dealing with women he didn't know.

Things went smooth, with the gossip remaining based off mere assumptions, until the last moments of the night. Jack kept his hands to himself and did the expected acts of a gentlemen, receiving only the expected looks of intrigue as people tried to figure out his connection to Corrine. Leaving after a long goodnight to the hostess, Jack kept his professional approach up to the very end, even walking her to her bedroom.

"Such a sweet gentleman, you are," Corrine laughed, a warm blush still existing in her face from drinking champagne. "I thank you, sir, for escorting me tonight." All of a sudden, she grabbed Jack by the collar of his rented tux and pulled him in, planting her enhanced lips onto his for a brief second before letting him go. Then she went into the master bedroom, shutting the double doors behind her.

It took Jack a few seconds of constant blinking to recover. Unable to do anything about the incident, he stumbled down to his small room to crash onto his bed with the hope of nothing bad coming from the awkward night he'd been subjected to in the name of keeping his job.

The next morning arrived with the memory of the night combined with a dull ache that existed within his temples. A loud knocking didn't help the pain either. Stumbling out of bed, he made sure he was relieved to have fallen asleep in pants and a worn t-shirt, so he could answer the door in a timely fashion and not indecent. His boss stood at the door, already dressed in a business suit.

He entered the room, not waiting for Jack to offer, as he said, "We need to talk."

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Monster Mash Blogfest

Don't worry. I didn't forget that I'd signed up for the blogfest, I just didn't write my entry beforehand because I was sick. So, my entry is being written and posted as soon as I can get it done. To check out other entries in today's festival of ghoulish fun, go to www.rohmorgon.com/blog.



Blogfest Details
Story should contain at least one, if not more, supernatural (monster) creature. I put in the monster part cause it's called a monster mash but technically the rules just call for supernatural creatures. Having more than one kind of creature is preferred cause it's a mash so that's more fun than having one kind.
999 words limit is also recommended and I second this rule because posts that are super long are ones I tend to skip over when reading.

Story
Since this blogfest involves supernatural creatures, it was either write a halloween costume segment for Cinder Story or to write something else with actual supernatural creatures. So, fans of Cinder, you'll have to wait for the next blogfest but I promise the cliffhanger one will feature Jack. Instead I'm going to write from a story that has a cult type setting. It's in first person, currently, with a male main character that I haven't actually figured out his real name yet. The story is one that people tend to either like or not like at all, but I love the idea still. The entry may get long because I wrote it here in blogger and didn't do a word count. (Also, I had to write half of it twice cause blogger didn't save like it usually does and when I tried to publish it said I wasn't signed in so I lost half of what I wrote and had to redo it.)

Entry

The world is full of dark, scary things. Monsters troll the night with ever haunting to cause fright and it is only those who find their light can fight the dark they find within. And yet, I find nothing but voices. Voices that squack, grown and never shut up.

"Boy!"

I shake from the trance I had staring out across the one glimpse of open space provided in this jungle of a private so-called zoo. "Yes?" I hate when he calls me boy, such a demeaning term, but I can't snap at him unless I want a beating. Ridiculous to be almost thirty and at the whim of some other man, no matter his kindness of keeping me alive. At least he could say it in that foreign language the others seem to speak, that way I wouldn't know for sure he was being a condescending putz.

"We don't have all day for this tour. Let's keep moving."

"Yes, Master." Stupid, self-centered, son of a...

"This way, boy." His distinguished stature never changed, not even amidst the muck filled lands that existed in the middle of his zoo. He walked with confident strides, probably from the knowledge that every creature, every bit of land belonged to him. Doesn't even look down walking across a pathway covered in poisonous creepy crawly things.

Not even sure what they are but they have similar annoying voices that insects and spiders have inside my head, but they move out of the way for him. For me it's a different story. They cover the walkway again so I can't even see the ground. Could you clear some space to let me through, please. I ask them, inside my head. With some snickering and mass voices talking at the same time, they give enough space for me to tiptoe across. I get a look from Master but he doesn't say anything again until we get to another long section of overgrown cages.

We pass the path I took my first night in this strange land, the night I met him. At the end of that path is the huge gorilla couple. They aren't quite King Kong size but definitely larger than normal. Most would consider them to be scary cause of that but seeing the one share his food with his mate made it hard to view them that way anymore.

"Do you know the difference between man and monster?" Master asks me, but doesn't give much than a couple of seconds before he speaks again. He never gives me time to answer questions but he doesn't care if I have an answer either. "Fear. The monster doesn't have anything to fear. Man thinks he is the ruler over all the lands but he is afraid, and that weakness is what will cause his downfall."

He talks about man as if he isn't one and that is creepy. I don't know what to say, so instead look into the cage we are standing near.

Seeing my distraction, he steps over to some machine, pressing a few buttons. From the depths of the mechanical odd monstrosity tossed a bloody steak that didn't even have the chance to hit the ground. With a flash of black, it was gone. The sign on the cage says "were-jaguar"but the animal moved too fast for me to tell exactly what it looked like.

"Seriously, boy," this time he snaps his fingers towards Master's side as he'd gotten ahead of me again. "Do I need to put a damn leash on you just so you'll keep up?"

I ignore the next few cages, not bothering to look for any animals as I catch up to him. Then he stops again, staring at me in that glare that makes me uncomfortable because he's trying to decide something about me and I never know what it is that he gets when he looks at me. So, I look at the cage were are standing near. The clearing is empty but I can sense something lurking in the shadows of the brush that exist on the edges of the cage. Then it jumps out against the wire of the cage, claws sinking in and teeth exposed in a deep growl. Well, the noise that hits my ear is a growl. What I hear in my head is more of a Boo! and then it giggles.

"There is one question you need to consider, if you are to survive here." Master is speaking to me again so I ignore the creature that is trying to garner a little attention. Then he gives the question he has been building up to this whole conversation. "Are you afraid?"

Friday, October 22, 2010

NaNo Prep - Object Described

Here is more of a flash fiction showing Daemahrath and the Prince he fell in love with, eventually causing him to be forced to leave the city. But the object is in it, so it counts.



The grass shoots waved under a light breeze, bringing with it a calming sense of solitude. Daemahrath, rolled from his back onto his left side, facing the prince as they both rested in the empty field. A yawn escapes from the lazy rest of an empty afternoon soaking in the warm spring sun.

Kaselon pushed closer, until his body rested against Daemahrath's. Their lips brushed together in a brief kiss. "Have a good nap?" He joked when they were apart again.

"Did I nap?" He tried to pretend it didn't happen, not that it mattered. It had been a week since they'd managed to sneak off together and it felt almost a waste to spend part of that time asleep, but he couldn't help it. The last four days had been busy at the healer's hut to the point of getting no sleep most nights.

"I don't mind watching you sleep. You've been busy as of late." Kaselon sat up, moving over to a bag he'd brought with them on their hike. It contained a few snacks, an animal skin with water, and something else. "I have something I want to give you."

This was enough to get Daemahrath to push himself into an upright position. They'd made sure not to give any physical gifts in case they would get questioned about the objects by someone. So, he couldn't imagine what Kaselon would want to give him. He watched as a covered object, bigger than the size of Kaselon's hand, was pulled from the bag and placed on the ground. After a second of dramatic bravado, the edges of the high quality cloth were moved to expose the gift: a special dagger.

Before it could even be officially offered, Daemahrath tried to turn it down. "I can't accept that. The blade was made for royalty and you earned it from the last formal battle show. It belongs to you, not me."

"Daemah. The only reason I won is because you weren't allowed to compete and I'm pretty sure a few of them let me beat them on purpose. Besides, I have plenty of nice daggers and swords that are all specially crafted just for me. I want you to have this one." Kaselon took the blade in its sheath and formally handed it over.

He let his fingers drift over the dagger, admiring the details. The case and handle were onyx black with gold etchings laid in intricate patterns and script. A pull of the handle exposed a shining blade that also contained the gold intertwined over the surface of the metal near the handle and down the sides of the blade. The edge reflected light from the sun, showing off its sharpness from the slight angle it was held. He couldn't deny, it was magnificent and a tempting offer. Pushing the blade back into the sheath, he shook his head. "No, I can't."

"You have to because I am not taking it back." Kaselon put the cloth back in his bag, closing it. "I'm giving it to you and no more arguing cause I'll pull rank if I have to." With a flash of a smile, he planted another kiss on Daemahrath and settled back down on the grass.

Sighing, Daemahrath gave in and settled back to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

NaNo Prep - political background

Politics of Book 1

The Woodlands: There is one main ruler over the land with a counsel(senate) that helps make decisions. The decisions are enforced by guard (as police official types) that follow the rules given by their superiors. There is also a set of public displays that works for enforcement, because what other people think in the community is considered to be of value.


Mixed City: Two ruler system, queen and queen (lesbian couple) that rule the city though there is some question as to how effective a monarch type rule is on the city dwellers. The system is a bit fractured and the people in the city don't get along as much as outsiders think they do. Within the city, it is a struggle and groups constantly are at battle with no concern of the laws.


Human villages: (taken over by villain) Under the control of the antagonist, though from afar. He has some of his creatures there to guarantee control. The original leaders are mostly still in tact, with a few exceptions, but they all must answer to him. Laws are heavily enforced. (not taken over yet) Own rulers, depending on location and the size of the city. Villages tend to not have a single, ruling over all, type of leader. Law enforcement is a little more lax.


Human fort: One ruler with a counsel of knights (or similar types, the fighters). Down to earth ruler who is very close to everyone in the fort's walls, which holds a small village. Everyone takes their roles in the community seriously, with many helping each other.


Dwarven society: Communal type society with a help each other attitude and no main ruler. Laws aren't as important though there are a few codes that those who violate are scorned for a few days. Then they shrug things off and move on.


Starsatti: similar to woodlands. Some of them came from there so it's a reflection of the old ways but with a few changes made to keep things up with the times. Different views are believed. Before Daem left, things were stricter but it turns out after things left a change was eventually made. The prince becomes king and the rules get fixed that caused him to be banned in the first place.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

NaNo Prep - minor character 2 story

Not much of a story this time, but a little bit of dialogue with some story to it.


Dwarf backstory


The constant drip drip of water echoing throughout the inner regions of the quartz filled caves beat a rhythm into the two dwarves as their breathing began to labor from the arduous hike.

"Remind me, why did we do this again?" The yellow haired male huffed as he grabbed a slab of rock to support himself, taking another break.

Crystal paused, looking back with a slight huff. Her long red hair was contained by some segments of string but it felt chaotic, so she spent a moment fixing it. "Cause it's fun. I'm tired of sitting around watching the others drink. I want adventure."

He quickly responded. "It's work and that's not fun."

"Maybe it takes a little work sometimes, but it'll be worth the effort to see the cave waterfall."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, pushing off from the rock as they continued onward. "I still don't get why you want to adventure so much, but as long as you keep it in the mountain."

Sighing, Crystal shook her head. "You'll see. Someday I'll be the greatest dwarf explorer that ever existed. I'll go to strange lands and meet all kinds of beings. Maybe I'll meet the elves or spend my days among the humans. Either way, I am going to do something besides rot in the ground."

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

NaNo Prep - minor character 2

Dwarf Profile



The Basic Facts
Name: Krystal (needs a last name, or second part of name)
Pronunciation: k-ris-t-al
Age: old enough to leave for adventure, young enough to foolishly do it
City or Area of Birth: in the mountains where the dwarves live
Sex: female
Height: obviously short. 3'2" (maybe)
Weight: not much
Hair: red, no beard
Eyes: green
Clothes: green and brown. decent material for travel.
Marriage Status: single
Sexual Orientation: straight
Occupation: unknown at this time
Fighting Ability: decent. Short/small battle ax, dagger
Magikal Ability: none currently
Character Description: Krystal is one of the friendliest characters. She is used to partying, doing work only when it needs to be done, and was tired of the sitting around not going anywhere aspect of mountain life. She is an adventure seeker, ready to take on any battle that will make her life more interesting.

Familial Relations
Father: name unknown
Living/Deceased: living
Occupation of Father: Has skills to build but mostly makes furniture and drinks
Mother: name unknown
Living/Deceased: living
Parental Marriage Status: together
Occupation of Mother:
Sister(s): 1 younger
Age(s): kid-ish age, almost teen-ish
Living/Deceased: living
Marriage Status: too young
Brother(s): 2 brothers
Age(s): one slightly older, one much older
Living/Deceased: living
Marriage Status: one single and one is married
Aunt(s), Uncle(s), Cousin(s), etc: several, not discussed
Other Family Occupations: unknown

Relationships with Others
Current Lover/Spouse: none
Best Friend(s): Makes new ones on the trip. Old best friends were class mates and would play together often
Other Friends: ^
Past Love(s)/Spouse(s): Had one guy interested in her but she wanted to leave and explore the world
Worst Enemy: boredom
Allies: food and drink, lol
Ability to Make New Friends: easily makes friends, sometimes whether the person wants to talk to her or not
Other People of Note in Character's Life: none, though the thief may be in a later book
Reason Why They are Noteworthy: hint is in the wink

Background
Where Raised: in the mountain (inside it, really)
Family Background: umm, all dwarves

Psych Profile
Greatest Joy: new experiences
Greatest Trauma: don't know yet
Morals: decent morals. doesn't mind drinking at all, but prefers not to kill unless it's her life or theirs
Ambitions: adventure
Positive Personality Traits: friendly, seeks new things, strong willed
Negative Personality Traits: doesn't always take a hint well, not always aware of consequences, talks a lot
Mannerisms: ummm
Fears, Anxieties: not sure
Temperament: friendly, happy, talkative
Ambitions: to adventure, experience new things and meet new people
How Character Displays Emotions: visibly, she doesn't try to hide them
Leader/Follower: follower
Perception of Others: intriqued to learn about them, tries to start with clean slate for each one she meets
Perception of Self: happy for the most part though isn't sure of where she wants to be in life
Memories: fond
Dreams/Plans: adventure and find herself, not be stuck in a mountain all her life
How Character Handles Crisises: pretty well, depending on the type, but can panic for a moment or ten
Personality Type: ummm *points to previous details*
Most Meaningful Life Experience: no idea
Attitude Toward Others: friendly
Feelings Toward Family: loves them for the most part
Feelings Toward Friends: enjoys all friends, past and present
Feelings Toward Strangers of the Same Sex: no problems, intrigued by how they act
Feelings Toward Strangers of the Opposite Sex: intrigued as well, unsure too
Feelings Towards Enemies: not used to having any

Monday, October 18, 2010

NaNo Prep - Setting 2 Described

A small amount of setting described. The goal is to write for 15 minutes on average, so I didn't try to make this really long. It's the lost elven city, and it's lost for a reason.


Thai-noren

Nestled deep within the sea of trees, far beyond any travelers sense of direction, lay the forgotten city. Bands of magic laced through the trees, sinking deep into the soil, combined with the lack of stars and variance of plant growth made it almost impossible to find as those seeking the city would easily get turned around and never truly reach the center where the city once radiated. Somehow, the trees will seem to blend and repeat themselves in patters that would tickle the travelers sense of deja vu without ever making it known that they were backtracking or changing directions from their original intent. Since there were no longer maps that held the secret details of the vast forest, it was impossible to find. Not that it was much of a prize for the rare individual that may stumble upon the once hallowed grounds.

Once a magnificent city of rock, wood and metal embellished architecture, now it is a long a rubble and decay. The tall building have long since crashed to the ground. Walls no longer support upper levels or ceilings and they no longer keep the outside from getting in.

Weeds coat the ground with small patches of grass mixing in across land that once had a purpose. Growth is limited, held down by the waning coat of magick left behind. Standing in the net of the cursed land leaves one in a bubble of silence. No animals have nested in the city, nor can any be heard even on the edge of the civilization marked land. It is an oasis of what once was and what will never be.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Outline #3

Main character #1 Feynethom - a male woodland elf, left the woodlands on a crazy quest
#2 Daemahrath - a different kind of male elf from Starsatti (or however I spell it), banished from his city where he was raised by a healer
#3 - a short male human that tends to acquire items (yes, the typical thief character) a friendly companion for the dwarf in their middle book
#4 - female dwarf, red hair but no beard. A strong spirit, has no problem with elves and is one of the first to travel out of the mountain recently
#5 & #6 - female humans. Strong and capable of handling things on their own. Some issues against elves but is expected.


1. Feynethom meets Thief (needs a name still) at small village inn.
characters: feyn, thief, random humans in dining area including hunters and cocky noisy guys
Feyn is on his quest to the lost city of Thai-noren, but isn't having much success. It's very difficult to find and not many go looking for it because it's considered evil ground, possibly under a spell. Feyn stops in a human village to break where he meets #3 in a village inn. He doesn't keep his mission to find an ancient city where magical elves once lived in hopes that they hadn't been annihilated as the history books claimed a secret. The people of the inn are a bit weary because he is an elf. There is one group of men that have a bunch of old maps. There is another human that sits along with Feyn, who is shorter than most. Someone accuses that man of theft. There is an eventual squabble and the two have to run. The short human, #3, joins him on his quest after acquiring an ancient map that might have the location of the ancient city. So, they head in that direction.

2. Daemahrath meets Dwarf (needs name still) at treetop tavern.
Characters: Daem, Dwarf, bartender, other humans
It's a special location, designed in a way that it is hoisted up by trees. The setting is described in the first setting exercise in how the tree is very large, and the bar is thus far above ground. Daem has his ears covered so no one knows that he's an elf. He just seems like an odd stranger in for a drink who has little interactions for first part of the scene with anyone except for the bartender. Dwarf is there, having left her home for an adventure but hadn't found one yet. A group of humans come in with one mistaking the dwarf for an elf but his pals correct him. The group spends some time talking with the dwarf, now amused by her presence. The one human says he met an elf who was trying to find the ancient elven city. There is some discussion of the ruler that is taking over different villages. This leads to an argument where they find out that Daem is an elf and hell breaks loose. Daem is able to escape after a short skirmish and takes a short cut off the tall bar location. The dwarf follows, getting away too.

Daem decides to find the lost city, to make sure the ones mentioned by the humans aren't taken by the cursed city. Dwarf insists on going with him, and befriends him even though he is a bit reluctant.

3. on the outskirts
Characters: Daem and Dwarf
Shorter scene. They are close to the lost city and Daem discusses a few things with the dwarf. After some argument part way into the trees, the dwarf stays behind with instructions on what to do given certain possible outcomes. Daem leaves, pursuing the actual city alone.

4. Finding Thai-noren
Characters: Feyn, Thief, Daem and Dwarf
Feyn and Thief find their way to the ancient city despite the fact that the rooms are very creepy with an air of foreboding. It is abanonded with no signs of life, which is a disappointment for Feyn. They try to search the grounds that are overgrown and decaying. There is a question as to if they should leave but Feyn is reluctant to give up hope yet. As their nerves start to get to them, Daem shows up. When he first sees him, Feyn almost has the idea that he might be an actual Thailean elf. But that gets shattered. Daem directs them away from the city, though the two are a little reluctant to leave at first. A danger occurs, shadow monster or something like that, which makes them more than happy to run.

5. Safe again
Characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief
The two find Dwarf, who was waiting for them per the orders of Daem. They move a little further away and then wait, in hopes that Daem will make it out of the city alive. He does eventually and the group as a whole makes it further before resting.
Daem had plans to go to a fort that was being threatened by the antagonist. Those plans were only slightly put off by the distraction of the ancient city. The fort is important because it is a human fort that has a long history of never losing a battle and if it were to fall to the enemy then hope may be lost. At least the rest of the human settlements not conquered would probably give up. The other three decide to join him for their own reasons. Some are looking for adventure and others just aren't ready to return home because they left for a silly quest.

6. On the road - camping
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief
The character get to know each other a little more on the slow journey. Spend many nights sleeping on the ground. Feyn tries to get to know the other elf a little more but doesn't have much luck.

7. Travel and finding a bed
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief, other humans
In order to get to the fort they must travel through a number of small to medium size towns full of humans, many of which are occupied by the enemy. Most are not friendly to elves and so, for them to go in they have to use disguises. They prefer to go around some of the occupied villages but the group gets tired of sleeping on the ground. So, in a village that is located near the woodlands, the group goes into a small-medium sized village where they decide to try staying at an inn for one night. The two elves disguise using women's clothing.

8. Evening at the Inn
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, two humans that get introduced, others
Have dinner in the main hall, where they meet the two women characters who are there having left their farm villages. Some hints as to possible anti-evil-ruler get tossed into conversation. The two elves leave dinner early, tired of the disguises and not wanting to push their luck, so they head up to the one room the four managed to get in the inn. Feyn and Daem go over a few maps and discuss a couple of documents, at least one that the thief managed to procure during the visit in town.
Later that night, the two females go up to the room the group has, where only the elves are currently as the other two are still downstairs. They enter the room to discover the women they saw downstairs were in fact male elves and cause a slight camotion but that gets covered up when the other two soon return. After some coaxing, they listen to the group and don't report the elves.

9. Morning trouble
characters: daem, feyn, dwarf, thief, humans, enemy creatures, woodland elf patrol
The ext morning, the group prepares to leave with a goal of heading further through the route of villages that exist on the outskirts of the forest. One of the enemy guardsmen takes an interest in Feyn, who is dressed as a woman, and tries to take advantage of him. Daem saves Feyn right after the guard figures out he's not a female human, but the elves cover is blown. After running away and finding the rest of their group they have no choice but to run into the woodlands, which they were trying to avoid. Even though they are in the woodlands, the ones running after them don't stop as was expected, so the group stops and prepares to face them. But they don't have to as the enemy gets shot down by someone else. They are saved by woodland elves, who don't seem happy to see them.

10. Woodland elf city/village
characters: daem, feyn, (dwarf, thief, humans not as much) other elves, feyn's mom, leader's advisor
The elves that save them lead the group into the village, though it's questionable at first because humans are usually not allowed in. Even with Feyn, they almost don't get in because he wasn't supposed to leave the village when he did. But everyone except the actual elves are allowed in most of the village as the others are placed in a special set aside area with little huts created just in case. Feyn and Daem are allowed time at Feyn's old home for a little while before they are to meet with the King/Emperor type to explain their mission over dinner. Aside from meeting Feyn's mother, his promised one shows up and he talks with her while Daem ends up talking to his mom and one younger sister.

11. Dinner with leader
characters: Feyn, Daem, elf leader, the advisor, a couple elf guards
The dinner starts to go very well. He doesn't agree to send any elves to help but he does allow the whole group to live and carry on with their mission. Counsel advisor isn't happy about it when there seems like a point where the King might agree with them, so he stirs up trouble. Daem's secret gets revealed and he leaves the dinner early. Feyn has to go talk with him and there is a small attack, which is a shock since no one has ever gotten that close before.

12. Night in woodlands
characters: feyn, daem, feyn's father, (thief, humans, dwarf at the end)
Daem is taken to a different area than even the non-elves, as the advisor doesn't trust him. Feyn decides to go spend the night with him, even though that might look bad to anyone that found out. He figures as long as they aren't in the same bed ti won't matter. After some talk they go to sleep. Next morning starts with someone entering the hut, and Daem pulling a knife on the intruder. Turns out to be Feyn's father and things don't go well. Daem goes to get the rest while Feyn deals with his dad. The group eventually leaves for the fort.

13. The fort
The elves use the disguises to get into the fort. Once in the thief and dwarf check out the common areas of the village inside the fort while the others try to see the King/Leader. Once in front of the King/Leader, with very few else in the room, they remove the disguise and share the news they have about the impending attack. The King has them then share some of the news with the whole village.

14. Preparations
characters: fort people, feyn, daem, humans, dwarf, thief
At first, the warriors of the fort are uncertain about the news the members bring, especially with two elves in the group but the King/Leader of the fort doesn't have a problem with elves. They believe them after awhile and begin to prepare for battle with Daem put in charge. Near the time of the battle, as bit of the population is taken to a safe location. Daem teaches Feyn how to use a sword better in battle, in case he has to do such.

15. A secret
characters: feyn, daem, fort warriors, humans, thief, dwarf
Daem has another secret that he personally reveals to a group after the leader refuses to give in to the anatagonist's demands. But first, he offers to allow the fort to give in to the antagonist, to offer him as a gesture that could spare the fort but the fort would never do such a thing. So, he then shows them what he is actually able to do.

16. Battle
characters: feyn, daem (but not at end), humans, thief, dwarf, fort people
Battle at fort occurs against difficult odds. They seems to struggle at first but as the battle ensues they lose very few people and appear to be winning. Daem gets knocked off when saving Feyn and gets carried away by the enemy. The battle ends with the fort seeming victorious but they lost something/someone valuable.

Plans are made for what to do next.

The end of book 1.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

NaNo Prep - Minor #1 Backstory

This is a backstory for a nanowrimo character. It's supposed to be a minor character, but I have a group of important characters, with varying levels of their importance in the different books. So, this is the second main character elf and a section of story from before he was banned from his home city.




Sweet smells of cinnamon, hops and flowers filled the air in an odd, magical mixture. It was a tedious chore to grind each individual leaf, flower and stem from the variety of plants that were used for their healing abilities. It was mindless work, the type that allowed Daemahrath to remain deep in thought while he went through the motions. Lady Lilathel would be gone all day, attending to a few patients, and so he had the hut to himself.

Daemahrath paused, putting his tool down to give his hand a break. The table top was covered with the plants that needed worked on, and along the bar by the window hung more plants drying. He wanted to get all the work on the table done for Lilathel but didn't know if he could make it.

He didn't mind the work. He would do anything for Lilathel, since she'd raised him after he had been abandoned as a baby. Working for the city healer had its perks, as well as many drawbacks.

As descendants of the Woodland Elves, the elves of Thailea were still weary of anything close to magic. They were part of the group that had protested the slaughter of another Elven race and eventually left to form their own city. Thus came Thailea, located in the lush green mountains far away from any other type of civilization. Even though there were all from the same group, there was a huge difference between Daemahrath and the rest of the city.

They all had the same light features, blonde or light brown hair combined with either green or blue eyes. Daemahrath's hair was black and short as to not get in any of the pills or potions he had to make. He had eyes that were as gray as the clouds before a midnight storm. It was because of this difference that he spent his days alone. He had the same classes that all boys his age were required to take part in, but he had no friends. Everyone avoided him as much as they possibly could. He felt like an outsider.

Taking a break from the herb crushing, Daemahrath moved over to the cauldron to check the temperature of the dark brew. It had cooled down enough to bottle. Using a strainer, he poured liquid down through the hole of a glass bottle.

He had just gotten the cork on his fifth bottle when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." He wiped his hands clean as a messenger came into the main room of the hut. "How may I help you?"

It was one of the royal family's servants. He had the nice, yet simple dress of a messenger but the look on his face was one of panic. "Lady Lilathal is needed at once. The prince is injured and losing blood fast. Where is she?"

"She's away with a different client." Daemahrath had to think fast. He wasn't supposed to do any healing because they didn't want anyone to know the amount of his abilities. But he didn't have much of a choice. Grabbing some herbs and wraps, he prepared a bag in a hurry. "Take me to the prince."

Fun

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Mark Twain

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