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Post by Athaia on Aug 24, 2017 21:46:02 GMT
Wordcount: 954 - perhaps I'll still reach my minimal wc of 1k for today...
Overview: Galen has sent word to Melvin (who I introduced in Marooned Pt. 2, so none of you will remember him, but that's okay) to help them get into the city via Melvin's cousin who is a monk; and that cousin Ango has thought of the perfect way to smuggle Galen and Virdon into the city: they'll pose as priest and sacrifice. (Zana has to find a way to get into the city on her own; those monks aren't overly concerned with wimmin...)
Of course, Alan is ecstatic about that idea... but my snippet for today is about Galen.
Excerpt:
[Galen] sat down in the shade of a jasmine bush to read Melvin’s note again.
So... „Yuma“
of course I’d be happy to meet you for talking about that splendid business opportunity you spoke of. Don’t worry about your lodgings, I’ll take care of everything. Spill a little blood for me, I’ve set eyes on this cute (and very rich) lady, and I could use some luck!
Best regards
Melvin
Galen fought the urge to roll his eyes - he half expected to find „nudge, wink“ scribbled in the margins. Of all his acquaintances, Melvin was the least suited to clandestine meetings and secret missions.
Well, always do the unexpected. Maybe Urko wouldn’t even consider Melvin, either.
He glanced across the yard to where Zana was leading Alan into one of the basins for the ritual bath for the... the sacrifices. Not that he had approved of the practice before... well, to be honest, not that he had wasted a single thought on the practice before. But seeing their human - their friend step into the water, with Ango swinging an incense burner over him, suddenly made him feel profoundly uneasy, and out of step with the rest of apekind.
I don’t belong to them anymore, he realized as he looked at that scene. But it didn’t make him feel closer to the human, either.
He just felt lonely.
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Post by Chiefy on Aug 26, 2017 16:08:30 GMT
Wordcount: 1360 (mostly editing in a scene I wrote earlier) Overview: Let's see...we got slightly inappropriate last night and today Val's been mentally assaulted by Satan. Music: So I thought it was rather fitting that I was listening to You Will Count Your Dead by TSFH when I wrote the excerpt below. When the next song came up, I listened to it whilst reading back through and MY GOD it gave me chills. Here's Forces of Destiny, also by TSFH. Excerpt: (I'm just gonna throw in a warning for graphic material) Bodies were laid out at his feet. Captain Fuller, the first officer he served under, lying in a pool of blood. The front of his shirt was soaked through with it too, a dark stain across his body. Further down he recognised Jack Spade, Healy’s best friend, almost torn apart by demon hounds. Kazrak, his brother, riddled with bullet holes. His father’s lifeless body, neck and limbs twisted at odd angles. William Clark, the sniper. He lay in another pool of blood with a gaping gunshot wound in his chest. The kid had been too young. Bridges, in yet another pool of blood, though the medic had a sword protruding from his chest rather than a hole. And then there was Shadow, right in front of him, bright red blood coming out of her neck in pulses, pooling underneath. Valatrak felt something sticky on his hands and looked down, discovering that they were covered in blood too. “You killed them all, Tyson.” Satan was beside him suddenly, whispering into his ear. Valatrak’s hand tightened around his silver knife as he slashed it at the Devil’s neck. Kill him. Make him pay. His hand jerked aside. The knife lodged itself somewhere and stuck, and Valatrak’s eyes flashed open. He was…no. He was in bed. He was… Shadow was on top of him, keeping his arm pinned with most of her body weight. She looked…worried? His gaze travelled down his arm, to his hand, and he discovered that he was still gripping the knife, which had sunk halfway into the wood of the nightstand. Reality came crashing back, and he loosened his grip, wishing he could sink further into the pillow. Shadow must have tried to wake him up. Satan was manipulating his thoughts, trying to get him to attack. If it had been anyone else on top of him, his swing would’ve slit their throat. Shadow’s reactions, thankfully, were fast enough to force his hand aside. “I…” he began. Shadow shook her head. “Get changed. We’re going to see Gavin. Now.”
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Post by Athaia on Aug 26, 2017 21:37:19 GMT
Forces of Destiny is really, really good. Has a slightly depressing vibe. But the next one - Iron Will - holy moly, that's so Urko!
As for your snippet - could be Satan, but could also be plain old PTSD... in any case, chilling. How does Shadow sleep at all at night??? Memo to Shadow: remove all weapons from the bedroom.
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Post by Jendora on Aug 27, 2017 3:54:09 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 2,217 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to): The new heir is announced! It is Prince Erick, Princess Catharina's younger brother and third-born. Princess Catharina is pretty miffed by the announcement and contemplates why the council chose her brother over her even though she is now the oldest. She skips the evening feast and mopes in her room, kinda going back and forth between sad and angry. Finally, she begins concocting a plan to leave Norbury and begin a journey to the rival kingdom of Saxtondale. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): "Runaway" by Linkin Park Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
Erick is the new heir? That’s not fair! Why did the Council choose Erick, the third-born? Was it simply because she, Princess Catharina, the second-born was female? Why was the Council so reluctant to break from tradition?
Prince Erick hesitantly stepped forward. To Princess Catharina, it seemed that he had been blindsided too. How many others had expected the Council to declare Princess Catharina the new heir? Regardless, everyone eagerly watched as Prince Erick approached Lord Versperius so that the Council Leader could bestow the Crown of the Heir upon Prince Erick’s head.
Princess Catharina clenched her fists. She knew that she should be ecstatic for her younger brother, but she couldn’t just push aside her jealousy. The title should rightfully have been hers. It shouldn’t matter that she was not male; she was now the oldest.
When the Crown of the Heir sat firmly upon Prince Erick’s head, Lord Vesperius gently turned the boy to face the waiting crowd. The Council Leader set his hands upon the boy’s shoulders. “Tonight, a feast will be held to honor our new heir, Prince Erick!”
Princess Catharina felt herself cringe again. These words were like a shot to the heart, a reminder that she had just been denied a position that should rightfully have been hers…all because she was not born a boy like her younger brother. What if Prince Erick were to also pass, like Prince Azorius, before he could ascend to the throne? Would the Council choose Prince Kiano over her too? Surely they would, Princess Catharina sadly knew. It did not matter that she was older and wiser about the workings of the kingdom. All the Council seemed to care about was upholding traditions and placing only males in positions of power.
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Post by hollyash85 on Aug 28, 2017 2:33:07 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 1761 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to) : Zoe runs into Ian who is trying to steal archived files from the lab she works at. She reports him to security and end up getting herself kidnapped at gun point. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): I haven't found any songs for this story yet so I've just been listening to my playlist for the Journey series. Nothing really stands out though. Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
She was half way to her car when she felt his presence behind her. She was about to make a run for it when he grabbed her arm and pressed what she could only assume was a gun to her back. She didn’t need to look to know that it was the same man she had run into before. Why hadn’t she let George walk her to her car?
“Don’t do anything stupid and I won’t have to hurt you,” he whispered in her ear.
Zoe’s muscles tightened. Her instincts were screaming at her to run, but her legs weren’t cooperating. “You can have whatever you want. Please, I don’t want any trouble.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“It’s too late for that. You are going to get me out of here and we can figure out how you are going to repay me for losing my files later.”
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Post by Jendora on Aug 30, 2017 4:58:55 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 1,581 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to): Princess Catharina finalizes her plans for escape and begins to enact them. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): "Wind in my Hair"--Mandy Moore Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
“Very well, Princess. If you need anything, please let me know.”
Princess Catharina nodded. “Thank you, Lady Ariana, for everything.” Her voice softened and the end of the sentence came out just barely above a whisper, which was probably for the better. She did not want Lady Ariana questioning her about what she meant by those words.
Once Lady Ariana had left the chambers once again, Princess Catharina turned back to the plate of food and the utensils that she had set down beside it. Before she could even think about eating, there were things that she had to do, pieces to the plan that she needed to accomplish. The first task was the dress. There was no way that she could wear this long dress outside of the castle grounds. Not only would she be recognized as a princess (for only nobles would wear such an esteemed gown) but it was far too long and would definitely hinder her mobility. However, not only did the dress need to go; so did the corset underneath it. Talk about hindering mobility! She could barely breathe in that thing. Removing that corset would be the true first task.
With unpracticed clumsiness, Princess Catharina removed the gold dress, revealing the corset. Removing the corset turned out to be a much more complicated task than she had imagined. Never before had she been the one to put the corset on herself which made it even harder to take off. Princess Catharina had no idea what she needed to do to get the horrible contraption off. Maybe she should have taken Lady Ariana up on her offer for help. No! Lady Ariana would’ve helped, but then she would have required Princess Catharina to put on her nightdress. This was a task that Princess Catharina would have to do on her own.
Princess Catharina fumbled with the contraption for a while until, somehow, she managed to release its hold on her chest. She removed the corset and breathed deeply, relishing the unhindered airflow into her body. After a few moments she slipped back into the gold dress and fastened it to secure it onto her body. It felt strange to wear the dress without the corset, but it was a welcoming feeling. Without the corset, Princess Catharina felt one step closer to freedom.
Okay, now for the dress. Slowly, Princess Catharina reached to grab the knife from her bedside stand. This was the true reason why she had requested the knife; not to cut food, but to cut her dress. Her hand shook and she feared that she would drop the knife as she sought out a spot to cut that would give the dress a perfect length for maneuverability. After a series of trials and errors, she found a spot that, when cut, would bring the dress to fall at the spot where her upper legs met her lower legs.
Princess Catharina pulled the dress out away from her body and brought the knife to the edge. Her hand shook again out of nervousness. There would be no going back once she began this task. Was this really something she wanted to do?
Yes! she decided as she slid the knife across the dress. The sharp edge of the knife loosened a few of the fibers, creating a little cut into the fabric. This blade is too small! Princess Catharina realized as she saw the minuscule cut the knife had made into the fabric. If I continue using this knife, it will take forever just to get this dress cut. To finish this task, I need…a sword. No, wait! Maybe not a sword. Sneaking a sword back in from the armory was too risky. A dagger, though. That was something that Princess Catharina could easily bring back to her chamber.
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Post by hollyash85 on Sept 4, 2017 1:37:55 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 1070 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to) : Zoe attempts to get away from her kidnappers. It doesn't go well and she ends up tied up in the trunk of their car. Meanwhile back at Green Tech, Cole is moping in a dark conference room feeling useless and responsible for Zoe getting kidnapped. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): Inner Demons by Julia Brennan It doesn't really have anything to do with what's going on with my story but I just heard it this week and I'm obsessed with it. It has that sad desperation I go for in writing songs. Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
“Mom said you need to eat something.” Jackson set a take-out container down in front of him.
“I’m not hungry.” Cole continued to stare at the wall.
“I told her you would say that, but she insisted. I think it makes her feel useful.” Jackson sat down next to Cole. “We’re going to find her,” he said after a few minutes of silence had passed between him.
“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her.” Cole pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes. He couldn’t break down here. It wouldn’t do anyone any good.
“Nothing is going to happen to her.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but I know Zoe. She’s smart and she’s tough. She’ll figure a way out of this, probably before we even have the chance to find her.”
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Post by naynish on Sept 4, 2017 13:06:44 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 2,091 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to): Ashe discovers where she'll be staying for the rest of the book...and who is overseeing this hell hole. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): The Ben-Hur Soundtrack (Marco Beltrami) Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
“Why don’t we make this a bet?” Ashe challenged him. “If you win, I’ll submit to your backwards, nomadic training.”
He raised a dark brow. “And if you win?”
“I get first pick of all the meals,” Ashe said. “And I have your name, so that I can call you like a slave whenever I have a use for you.”
It was one of the first tactics Lord Rion had ever taught her: the battle was never against enemy forces, but against enemy commanders. If you had the throat of the leader, you had the throats of those under his command.
Single out. Subdue. Succeed.
“A wager I’ll gladly make,” the man said, “because there is no hope you’ll defeat me.”
“I take it you’ve never fought a woman before,” Ashe said.
“In the arena, plenty of times,” he said. “Outside of it, the matches tend to be of a more…horizontal nature.”
Ashe scoffed. “Don’t insult me. I’d never stoop that low. I can bring you to your knees with my clothes on.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” His voice was guttural—a challenge.
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Post by naynish on Nov 25, 2017 13:40:07 GMT
Why in the hell did we let this thread die. Someone help me revive it.
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Post by Athaia on Nov 26, 2017 11:23:40 GMT
My pleasure!
I just realized that I'm exactly at the midpoint of The Cure, and 2/3 through my first cycle/season/series/whatever you wanna call this. That means I've written eight novellas in one year. I'm at 320k all in all now, and will probably end up around 350k by the end of December!
Yup. Feeling accomplished right now.
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Post by Chiefy on Dec 1, 2017 8:28:24 GMT
DANG SON THATS AWESOME
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Post by joyrachsis6 on Dec 1, 2017 19:10:15 GMT
Word Count of the Day: Maybe 100 or so? I wrote at like 1-2am this morning, so I'm not entirely sure. Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to): The twins, Elaine, and Drew go and rescue Command Scalson from an eastern Tarnian camp. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): Nothing that's really a thing...I pretty much just watched Outsidexbox YouTube videos the entire time I was writing... Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!): “How’s Nat?” “Still having trouble with his breathing, but he’s still fine.” Camryn’s gaze swung to the captain. “And how are you feeling?” The captain attempted to avoid his friend’s gaze, but Camryn simply moved closer. “I’m fine, Cam. Yeah, I’m still sore, but I’ve been sore for a while. Worry about Nat healing, not me.” “Nat is healing,” Jendrome replied, turning slightly to face the trio. “You’re not completely healed either, you moron.” From the other side of the bed, her brother chuckled. “You’d better get some rest, then, Drew-if all five of us agree, you know you’re told.” “All five?” “I know for a fact that Nathaniel would agree with us.”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2017 6:11:59 GMT
Word Count of the Day: 2,091 Overview of the Day (a snapshot of what your cast was up to): Working on a science fiction short story. MC discovers what really happens on a deadship after everyone's been put under cryosleep. Song of the Day (any piece of music that inspired today's scene(s): Never Again by Breaking Benjamin Excerpt of the Day (can be as short as one line or as long as a few!):
He was almost at the point of taking the somagen. This was it. Here was a safe harbor from regret.
He paused. What was there to regret?
A lifetime of ineptitude.
Perhaps he would dream. No.
Perhaps he would remember.
Then the cry ripped through the ear like a tear in the night of his mind, clearer and stronger than it had ever been. A woman was screaming.
Before he even started thinking, his feet were moving.
The door slammed shut behind him in his blind terror.
The canister of somagen fell to the floor, forgotten.
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Post by Athaia on Dec 10, 2017 9:23:35 GMT
Dead ships in space are a horror all of their own. I'd really like to know what he'll discover... or maybe not... I'm really easily frightened, which is why I avoid horror, heh.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2017 18:06:28 GMT
This isn't horror, actually. It's just called a deadship because everyone's in dreamless cryosleep for the duration of the journey, and at one time everyone died or something, and it was a major scandal. Also, while a deadship should really be quiet, because everyone's asleep, there have always been rumors about people who claimed to dream, and rumors about a secret generation cultures who live on the ship secretly through generations because they are fanatically opposed to cryosleep, but don't mind waiting.
But yeah, I totally get avoiding horror. I avoid it because I just don't like things jumping out at me, being scared gratuitously, or gore for gore's sake. I also don't have a very strong stomach for anything more gory than blood.
Actually, the only horror I like is the Lovecraftian doom type - sheer terror in the face of a cold, unknowable universe in which you are less than a grain of sand.
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