What's Up...Friday?

What's Up...Friday?

Posted by Raven M on 11:45 AM in college, inspiration, penn state, reading, teaser, the girl of fire and thorns, unfair, update, what's up wednesday, wip, worldbuilding, writing,

Since I didn't get a chance to post an update on Wednesday, here's my What's Up Wednesday post two days late.


WHAT I'M READING

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. I am LOVING this book. Elisa is one of the first realistic female MCs that I've read in a very long time. I love that she likes food and is smart. I love that she has morals and that even though she grew up sheltered, she is not using her upringing to stop her from fulfilling her potential. The writing is great and even though I am not very religious, I like the religious undertones that the story has. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a YA Fantasy that doesn't 'sugarcoat' the harshness of living in a fantasy world and has a main character who grows from a sheltered princess to a hero.

WHAT I'M WRITING

My writing has been put on hold for a few days because I was out of town* but I wrote 2, 834 words last week which brought my word count up to 24, 431. I am so close to the 25K mark that I can taste it and it's hard to believe that I didn't have any idea what I wanted to write when the summer started.


        The alto nascidos (highborns) didn’t share our superstitions. They would want to cut out their tongues if they found out that they were eating pigeons, but we’d never let them find out. Working in the kitchen wouldn’t be fun, if we were no longer able to have a good laugh at their expense.

“Did something happen in Artao?” Wynn asked.

I tried to keep my voice measured. There was no use in lying, especially since it wasn’t my strong suit. Wynn would be able to tell I was hiding something if I answered his question falsely, so I asked him a question instead. “Why do you ask?”

His shoulders rose, then fell. Strands of his hair blew into his eyes. It was more gold than red. I suspect the sun was to blame for that. He’s changed since we were kids. Then he was a pale boy with clear eyes, and hair that was almost as red as his cheeks. Now his skin is tanned from the Southern sun, and his eyes are muddied with memories of war. “That man, the crippled one…” He stopped, thinking over his words. “He looked at you in a strange way.”

I smiled but it didn’t feel genuine.“Maybe he’s never seen a girl wearing pants before.”

“Maybe.” He looked up at me from underneath his long, thick eyelashes. “Those men wanted to kill us. If I didn’t take down that archer in time, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“They were Calyans. They live for a good brawl.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know they were from Calyo?”

I searched around for an answer, not wanting him to call me on my lie. “One of the archer’s arrows hit Shadow. When I pulled it out of his thigh, I noticed that it was made of wood. They don’t believe in fighting with weapons but when they do use them they’re always made out of wood.”

Wynn turned to look at Shadow; his eyes moving over him, as if he were trying to figure out how he could be walking upright with an injured leg. I wondered the same thing. Shira’s words still echoed in my ear. But he isn’t just a horse.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

The worldbuilding in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. As I have mentioned before,  Unfair is set (partly)in a 'country' called Solterra (which is a combination of the Portuguese words for 'sun' and 'land') and Solterra is inspired by Cape Verde, an island country off the coast of West Africa. I am still trying to figure out how I can make the language unique to my story but for now I have been trying to teach myself Portuguese (it's the official language of Cape Verde), and throwing a few Portuguese words in every now and then. It helps that I know a little Spanish because some of the words are similar. But...I kept debating about whether I should keep everything strictly in English, then I started reading TGoFaT and it inspired me to give incorporating another language a try. I hope that I can somehow make it my own later on but for now I think it helps add to the setting of the story.

*WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO

I was at a leadership conference in State College, PA which is why I wasn't able to put up a What's Up Wednesday post. Since I am an orientation leader and the newly appointed Student Affairs Director for my campus, I had to go to a leadership conference to prepare for both positions, and while I had loads of fun meeting people from other Penn State campuses, I also learned a lot about being a leader, and came up with a few ideas for what I would like to achieve during my term as the new Student Affairs Director.

It's my last year at my current campus (I'll be transferring to University Park next Fall), so I really want to make a difference while I'm still there, and hopefully inspire the newcoming freshmen to get involved in clubs and be active in the collegiate community.

While I was away, I found out that 'Glass House', a story I wrote for a teen writing contest is a finalist! This news seriously made my week and I'm happy that, even if my story doesn't win, I at least got this far.


Thanks for reading!

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What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Posted by Raven M on 1:08 AM in inspiration, reading, ready. set. write!, siege and storm, teaser, unfair, what's up wednesday, writing,

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go here.

WHAT I'M READING 

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo! FINALLY. I have been waiting to read this book for a very long time, and boy was the wait worth it. I'm not too far in but I am enjoying it. Also, Sturmhond is my new favorite character.






WHAT I'M WRITING

I reached (and surpassed) 20K!!! Last week Unfair was at 18, 560 words, this week I was able to bump that up to 21, 597 words. That's 3,037 words written for those of you who like numbers. Since I didn't share a teaser last week, I'll post one today. Keep in mind that this is the first draft.

Background: Camellia (my MC) is on a ship that appears out of thin air and carries goods collected from different parts of the kingdom. The Queen gave the merchants who sail the ship reign over the sea, but no one knows where they came from. In this scene, Camellia is talking to one of the merchants. (Spoiler: The merchants are sirens. Also, her sword is made out of pure gold. A strange woman gave it to her in an earlier scene.)


         “You have a sharp tongue,” he said, and I could hear a semblance of a smile in his voice. Only I couldn’t be sure. One look and he’ll drive me mad. The chuckle that resonates in his throat sounds empty, as if he had pulled it out of a soul that hadn’t been there for many years.

“My tongue isn’t the only thing that's sharp.” I held up my sword. “What could I buy with this?”

“Half of this ship if you wanted.”

“I need iron.”

“I tell you that you can buy half of this ship, and you want to waste this gold on iron?”

I turn to face him, staring at his chest to keep from meeting his cerulean gaze. “Don’t question what I came here to buy. It’s none of your concern.”

His hand moved up to touch my chin. Fingers grazed the skin there, ever so gently. I would’ve cut each one of them off, if a wave of calm didn’t wash over me in that moment. “Look into my eyes.” That is when I could hear it. The voices. The singing. It replaced every thought that I ever had. It was both beautiful and horrible. It shook me to my core, and it would’ve driven me to madness if there wasn’t something inside of me fighting back.When I finally met his blue-green gaze, his power had no affect on me.

The merchant withdrew his hand. “Impossible,” he whispered.

My Ready. Set. Write! goals for the week? I'm going to keep it small. I want to see if I can write around 1-2K. Will try for more but we'll see.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

I have been writing for more than a decade (started writing when I was five) and I don't necessarily worry about ever being published. One day I would love to query and share my stories with other people but for now I am content with writing for me. There are a lot of people who write because they want to be bestselling authors one day, and while it's okay to have dreams, don't let that dream be the only reason you want to write.

I think it's good to remember that you're always going to be a writer. If you don't have an agent or a book deal it doesn't make you less of a writer, and even if you do have those things, it doesn't make you more of a writer. Once you commit yourself to writing a story; once you write that first word and never stop then, from that moment on, you are a writer for life. It doesn't matter if you get paid to do it or not. As long as you're writing for yourself first, nothing else matters.

I don't want to ramble but just having the ability to think up stories, build worlds, and create different characters inspires me every day. Storytelling is what has gotten me through childhood, high school, and my approaching adulthood. Being a writer is awesome, so whenever you're feeling down, remember that. Always remember that.


WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO

I'm an Executive Scholar for a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh that gives out scholarships to kids who do well in high school and attend Pittsburgh public schools from kindgergarten up.

To celebrate getting through the first year of college, the organization gave me and other Executive Scholars free tickets to the game and we got to meet the players, hang out in the VIP suite, and to make a long story short, I had a blast, and the Pirates won!!!! They beat the Cardinals 9 - 1.  It was a great game and an AMAZING day overall. I'm really glad I went.



Top Left: View from the suite, Top Right: A really cute bowl shaped like a baseball cap (I kept it), Bottom Left: View from the Roberto Clemente bridge (that boat just happened to be passing by), Bottom Right: Me walking across the Roberto Clemente bridge after the game (it's a little blurry but I like it).

 I hope everyone had a great writing week!

Thanks for reading. :)



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What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Posted by Raven M on 3:51 AM in doctor who, eyre house, goals, inspiration, jane eyre, north & south, reading, ready. set. write!, siege and storm, teaser, things left unsaid, unfair, what's up wednesday, writing,

 

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go here.

WHAT I'M READING

I finished The 5th Wave a couple of days ago and it blew my mind in so many ways. I've read a lot of good books, but this one it's more than good. It's just...I can't put it into words right now. I tried when I reviewed on Goodreads (don't think I did the book justice), but just know that The 5th Wave is what everyone says it is and more.



I'm supposed to be reading Siege & Storm right now. I've been waiting for that book for awhile now, seeing as though I couldn't buy it until I reached 10K (which I did) but then another book caught my eye.

Eyre House is a New Adult retelling of Jane Eyre and if you don't know this already Jane Eyre is my favorite novel. I read it for the first time when I was eleven, and have read it at least a hundred times (this is not an exaggeration) since. It's the book that inspired me to write. It's the book that got me through stormy nights, and made me fall in love with the idea of storytelling/becoming more serious about writing. Jane Eyre could never be redone in my eyes. I'm even picky when it comes to movie adaptations (the one with William Hurt is terrible and I have a strong dislike for it). But when I heard about this book, I couldn't help myself. NA? Male POV? Modern retelling of Jane Eyre?!

I bought it last night and I have not regretted my choice so far.  Eyre House is set in a 'haunted' Bed & Breakfast in an island in South Carolina and the writing is perfect. It's modern and it has charm and a darkness that pulls you in. I'm nowhere near finished with this book, but if the first few chapters is how the rest of the book is going to be, then I think I'm going to love this one in the end. I might even read Jane Eyre again when I'm finished (sorry Siege & Storm).


WHAT I'M WRITING

So, as I mentioned, I reached 10K! This was my goal because every wip since I've started since I finished writing my first novel has never surpassed 10K. It's like, as soon as I hit 9.5K I run into a wall, and then the story just never goes anywhere from there. My current word count is 12, 406 which means I wrote about 3, 263 words last week. It probably would've been more if I didn't cave and finish that last couple of sections of The 5th Wave in one setting. But progress is progress and the fact that I passed 10K means a lot to me. It means that I can finish this. One word in front of the other.

I wrote a Next Big Thing post yesterday talking a little more about Unfair, if you guys want to check out.

I couldn't decide on what to share from my wip, so here are two short paragraphs:

I do know that people still talk about that night, about the things they had seen. In the darkness, in the shadow of the fire that swallowed the city. There is talk that there was something there. Something dark, something that once was. There aren’t that many documents from the Dark Ages but the ones that have been preserved talk about creatures made from the absence of light, they move in the darkness, and some would even argue that they are darkness.

And

Malodyra used to be the capital of this kingdom, now it was just a skeleton, what was left of the kingdom once the fire ate through the skin, and burned away the flesh. The king once said that the Sun would never set on us, but it had, and now that it has, it doesn’t seem like it will ever rise again. Not completely. Though it may hang in the sky from time to time, we will always be submerged in a perpetual darkness.


My Ready. Set. Write! goal for this week is to finish this chapter because it's dragging on longer than I thought it would. I also want to try to add another 5,000 words this week. I'm also doing a good job ignoring SNIs which is something that I have hard time doing. Like a good writer, I've been writing them down, and leaving them alone. No shiny idea is going to take me away from Unfair. I am really determined to finish this.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

A lot of quotes. Sometimes I find quotes that explain my book better than I can, and so I make sure to put them on my Pinterest board, to remind myself that this isn't just some random idea. I do know what I want the book to look like (even though I am pantsing at the moment hehe). But, yeah. Loads of quotes, especially this one:

"I believe I have seen hell and it's white, it's snow-white.” 
― Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

This is the line that sticks out every time I watch the North & South miniseries (I have the book now *squee*) but it took on a different meaning this time because of my wip and it just has so much meaning. It's one sentence but it means so much to my story, to the characters, and it's just perfect.

Doctor Who is also a huge inspiration right now. I'm falling in love with David Tennant's Doctor all over again (and I feel like I'm cheating because the Ninth Doctor will always be my favorite) but I think it's amazing how they can take one character, who is essentially the same man, and make him different every single time. I meant to write a post about this but what I learned from Doctor Who is that it's okay for your character to change. It's okay for them to be...different (if it fits the story). The Doctor in the first series is completely different in the second, and it's not because he's played by a different man and has a different face. He just changed internally and that's okay. Don't know if this makes sense but I have been thinking a lot about characters, everything from their beliefs to their motives, changing.

WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

Another thing  that is inspiring me right now is the proof copies for my first novel. Those of you who participate in NaNo know that the reward for winning is a coupon for free proofs from Createspace. I finally used mine so I could have copies of my 'first' (It's more like my third but I don't count the first two...for reasons haha) novel and if I wanted to, one day, go through one of the proofs with a red pen. Though after they arrived, I haven't had the heart to write in them. They're just so pretty and shiny. I have used Createspace to order proofs before, and they do a fantastic job.

My mom (and a few other people) have asked to read it and they all get upset when I tell them no. This is a first draft, and there are a lot of holes in it. My last chapter? It's only two pages long! I was reading it yesterday, and there are a few passages/chapters that I am especially proud of but...it's not ready for anyone to read. One day.

Thanks for reading guys!

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What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Posted by Raven M on 5:33 AM in goals, inspiration, reading, teaser, the 5th wave, unfair, what's up wednesday, wip, worldbuilding, writing,

 

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go here.


WHAT I'M READING 

I am still reading The 5th Wave. If I wasn't trying to get a novel written this summer, I would have finished reading this by now but because it's SO GOOD and I can't seem to get anything done when I read...I'm going try my best not to read more than I write this week. This is actually easier said than done but...baby steps.


WHAT I'M WRITING

I am still plowing through Unfair. I didn't get a lot written last week, mainly because the weather has been extremely dry/hot lately and it's driving me insane. But I played catch-up yesterday/this morning. My current word count is  9,143. I hope to reach 10K before the day is over, and then I can buy Siege & Storm!

I'm so glad you guys liked the teaser I shared last week. Maybe my first-draft writing isn't so bad after all? Anyways, here's another one. It's a little long (and rough):


“I can handle myself,” I tell him.

He wipes at his mouth with a cloth but the red fabric does nothing to hide his smile. He finds me amusing. I can see in it is bright green eyes. Lord Beck was laughing at me inside his fat head. “You are an interesting woman, Miss…”

“Just call me Thorne, my lord.”

His shoulders rise and fall all in one breath. “It suits you,” he said. “You have a sharp edge to you. I’m sure you’d be lovely if you dressed like a woman.”

“No one takes me seriously when I wear a dress. Now what is this errand you speak of?”

Lord Beck held out his meaty fingers, gesturing to the untouched food on my side of the table. “I will tell you after you have had something to eat."

I chose one of the green fruits, and picked at the skin for a few moments before holding it up to my nose. It smelled earthy and sweet, different from what I was used to but the hunger didn’t care. It forced me to sink my teeth into the flesh, and let the pinkish-red juices drip down my chin. A bittersweet flavor filled my mouth.

 It tasted like guilt.

And it was. I shouldn't be here, dining on fine food. Not when people in the village are waiting for night to bring them their only meal of the day.

I set the half-eaten fruit down on the table, and repeated my question, only instead of words, Lord Beck answered me with another smile. One he didn't make an effort to hide. But I wish that he had. His crooked teeth, and wine-stained lips made my skin crawl. "Now I see it," he said, slamming a hand down on the table. The dishes clattered at the impact. "You're the coffinmaker's daughter."

There was a playfulness in his tone, and a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at me.  The coffinmaker. Does he forget who my father used to be? The title he once had? I want to remind him but the words don't come. Not the right ones, anyway. “Yes, I am."

“How is old Efar these days?”

“The suns have blessed him." 

Lord Beck nodded, “Some time has passed since we last spoke to each other. I hope that he will stop by so that we can reminisce on old times.”

It hurt to  return his smile. He called it old times, though I’m certain my father would have used other words to describe their friendship. Or maybe he would say that they didn't have a friendship at all. What was left of it was destroyed years ago by Lord Beck's betrayal.

“Please be sure to pass along an invitation to your father. I would very much like to speak with him about some important matters.”

My patience was wearing thin. “And I would very much like to speak with you on the important matters you wanted to discuss. My time is precious, Lord Beck.”

He smiled, yet again. I’m starting to think that this is the only thing this man knows how to do. Maybe he can’t help it. Maybe his smile isn’t a smile but a crease in his bloated pink face. But then I see it. The fire. The flame. Sondra told me that my mouth would get me in trouble one day, only I didn’t think that today would be that day. Not when I had a dagger on my person, and could slit Lord Beck's throat before the guards managed to get to the room.  

“You’d take care to watch your tone with me, Camellia.”

So he did remember who I was.

“I beg your pardon.” The words tasted like ashes. “Sometimes I forget that I am no longer a highborn, and that my father is no longer Lord of Malodyra.”

“It would do you some good to remember. Now,” he said, taking a sip of his wine. “Let us discuss these important matters. I don’t want to waste any more of your precious time.”

Goals for the week:

• Finish Chapter Two
• Start working on Chapter Three
• Draw a map: My MC is going to be travelling pretty soon and I think it would be helpful if I had some kind of map to keep all of the locations straight. I also just want to have an excuse to use my mom's good colored pencils.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

• "The power of fantasy is that you can do anything. Anything at all. You start with that core of reality and from there you’re allowed to grow anything from that fertile seed-bed. And yet, so much fantasy looks like so much other fantasy. Stop that. Embrace the wide open openness of the genre. The power of magic is that it’s motherfucking magic. You are beholden only to that which you yourself create. Go big. Dream weird. Be original. Why do what everyone else has already done?" - Chuck Wendig  I ran across this quote on Tumblr this morning and while I was reading it, I couldn't stop myself from nodding. I haven't read a lot of fantasy novels but the ones I have read are too safe. They don't really explore different parts of the world, and I want to do this with my book. I want to let my imagination run wild and see where it takes me.

This post is getting to be really long (I think) and since I don't have anything going on right now, let me just say to all my fellow Americans: enjoy tomorrow! I'm not looking forward to all of the fireworks (it's the one thing about the 4th of July I can't stand) but I hope everyone has a happy/safe holiday. Also, this is a little late but Happy Canada Day! I hope everyone who is from Canada had a good one. :)

Thanks for reading!

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What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Posted by Raven M on 1:06 AM in birthday, goals, inspiration, reading, ready. set. write!, shadow & bone, teaser, the 5th wave, unfair, what's up wednesday, writing,

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme started by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk where writers post about what's up by answering four questions. If you want to participate go here.

WHAT I'M READING

 

I finished Shadow & Bone a few days ago (if you want to know what I thought about it, you can read my review here), and that was perfect timing because The 5th Wave arrived in the mail. I won a copy from Jaime and since a lot of people were saying how good it was, I immediately started reading it and so far this book IS as good as everyone says it is. It's really hard to put down, and if I didn't force myself to, I don't think I would've gotten any writing done.


WHAT I'M WRITING

If you  read my last WUW post, then you know that I wasn't feeling too good about my writing. I was upset about not being able to get anywhere with any of my projects, and for a few days I just felt horrible about it. Then I read the comments in my WUW post and it made me feel better. I can't thank you guys enough for all the encouragement. Your support truly means a lot to me.

I am happy to report that I have written a little over 7K since last Wednesday. I'm writing Unfair without any kind of outline, and with only a general sense of the plot. I love my main character Camellia and I'm learning so much about this world through her eyes. I'm also learning a lot about her in the process. I might have to scrap everything in the next draft, and start from scratch but I'll cross that road when I get to it. Right now I'm just enjoying being able to write and more importantly - write freely.

I was debating over whether I should share a snippet but then I remembered that I said I would post one once I reached 4K. I apologize in advance for the sucky first draft writing but here's the opening:

I knew the soldier would come for me.

I just didn’t know when.

Sondra was staring out the window when she saw him. She had been standing there for what seemed like hours, face pressed against the glass, eyes stuck between here and somewhere else. The glare of the morning sun lit up her face, illuminating the curiosity that gleamed in her eyes and the disappointment that hid beneath it.

Had she been expecting someone else?

It would make sense if she was. Sondra didn’t long for the sea of wood and dirt that made up our village. No – the longing that colored her face the moment she first stood in front of that window was caused by something else. Someone else. My sister wanted to get out of this village more than anything. She wanted to see the world beyond the trees and the charred remains of a castle that meant nothing now that its king was dead. The person she was waiting for was supposed to come and whisk her away from all of this.

Only her knight in shining armor didn’t come, and the heavy sigh that shook her tiny frame was proof that she had given up on ever being rescued.

I'm having so much fun writing this, and I really hope I can get a big chunk of this written this summer. My goals for this week is to finish Chapter Two. If I finish it early, then I'll start working on Chapter Three. I'm really excited about writing the next scene because I get to introduce the Huntsman! I had fun figuring out his background/making him different from the one introduced in the original story, so we'll see how this goes.


WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

• Research: I'm doing a lot of research on Snow White to see how I can use some of the little elements in the story in my retelling. So far burning shoes (the original version deals with this), poisoned apples, and glass coffins are really important to the plot. I also have read a few interesting articles about what messages Snow White (the original fairytale and all of the adaptations) sends about beauty.
• Ready. Set. Write!: I know I keep saying this but it's so true. Everyone participating in this is so supportive and helpful and reading tweets about progress inspires me to write even when I don't feel like it.
• Henry Cavill:

This is his 'Shouldn't you be writing?' face

            I have really considered putting a character in my wip that looks exactly like him so if (by some miracle) my book gets published and made into a movie, he can be in it and...yeah. A girl can dream, can't she?


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

My friends and I are trying to figure out where we want to go for Spring Break next year. We can't seem to agree on anything at the moment. Everyone wants to go to California and I want to go to Florida. Hopefully we agree on something/have everything planned out before next year.

And thanks for the birthday wishes!




As you can see, pink is the best color in the world my favorite color

I got an Amazon gift card which is about the only thing I ask for every year. My mom still is surprised that I don't ask for something else but I'm a really simple kid. Give me money for books and you'll make me the happiest person alive. I'm going to buy Siege & Storm once I reach 10K (bribery works people) because I need to find out what happens next.

Also, this is my LAST year as a teenager. I know it's too early to start freaking out but...just thinking about it makes me wonder where the time has gone.

Well, enough about me. What's up with you guys? Anyone meet their goals for the week or have something exciting going on?

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When stories sneak up on you

When stories sneak up on you

Posted by Raven M on 1:26 PM in elementary, new adult, new ideas, teaser, the deduction of shana nichols, writing,

So while I was plotting my NA Science Fiction idea, Starfall, another set of characters fought their way into my head and demanded I give them attention. I would've just pushed them aside, if the voice wasn't so strong. It has been months since I've been able to write ANYTHING. I had hoped plotting Starfall would help me get me back into the groove of things, but the truth is...I can't hear the MC for that story yet. I could hear this one though. And so I let her tell me her story, now I'm almost at 2K and it feels so good. My goal is to finish this wip before my birthday (June 21st) so I am speed writing like nobody's business. I'm going to try my best not to edit as I write. I'm going to let the writing be raw, and just hope that something can come out of it when I'm finished writing.

I like the story a lot. It's called The Deduction of Shana Nichols and it's a NA Mystery inspired by one of my new favorite shows: Elementary. I loved the dynamics between Johnny Lee Miller's Sherlock and Lucy Liu's Watson so much that it helped me come up with a story of my own. Shana isn't in any way Sherlock, but she does think logically about things and she does deduce things just as easily as she breathes. My MC is super intelligent and I hope I can make her seem that way without it feeling forced.

Here's a snippet (WARNING: Rough Writing Ahead):

Soon isn’t today, but its one day. I just have to keep providing my services to people. Thanks to Morgan, that’s not going to be a problem. The text she sent me was about another friend of hers who needed an essay written. That was the beauty of having a best friend who went to a gigantic university. Not only did she know a lot of people, but the people she knew had a lot of friends as well. Once I help out one person other people find out about me through them. I’m not sure why they trust me – a girl who isn’t in college – to do their work but they do. And I’m glad they do because working at Benny’s isn’t enough. Minimum wage will never be enough.

Today I will be eight hundred dollars closer to my goal.

I'm super excited about this story, and I hope by the end of next month I have a first draft ready. I have always wanted to write a mystery so I hope I can do it justice. So, yeah. When another story sneaks up on you and the voice is strong and it's something you really really want to write don't be afraid to put the project you're plotting or drafting (only if it's not going anywhere but if it's going somewhere then...you know the drill...WRITE) aside and write something else. If you want to get more of an idea of what the story is about, check out the TDoSN Pinterest board.

So...what are you guys working on? Has any stories taken you by surprise lately?

Thanks for reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday

Posted by Raven M on 1:08 PM in of stone and ice, teaser, writing,

OF STONE AND ICE is still only around 7,000 words. I haven't really had a lot of time to write but I have been taking notes here and there, writing down plot points, information about important characters, and things like that.

The actual storyline is coming along nicely. It's more developed and fleshed out than it was when I first thought of it...which makes me happy because I really feel like I can tell my main character, Lora's story.

I don't really have an official summary to share with you guys but OSAI is about a girl named Lora Anders who, ever since it was revealed that she isn't really the king's daughter, becomes an enemy in her own home. She doesn't know who her real father is but it is believed that her mother had an affair with a Magus (magical race) which is a crime that is punishable by death. Even after King Everett had her mother executed, Lora has remained loyal to the throne. But things...I won't tell you what...happen to test her loyalty. There is a lot of sword fighting, kissing, and a love square. I know, I know. But I swear...there's a reason why I'm calling it a square and not a triangle.

I'm so excited for this project!

***

The crowd is hungry for blood.

My blood.

They want to see it spill all over the arena floor. King Everett is standing on the platform, waiting for all of the cheering to die down. Krispin enters the room, clad in the traditional armor of a future king - all of which is made out of iron. His hair is pulled back into a pony tail and his sword is brandished.

Lady Waverley told me not worry. She told me I was going to be fine but I didn't feel fine. I didn't feel like I was going to make it out alive. Instead, I felt like the crowd was going to get what they wanted. They were going to see my blood, all of it, spilling out on to the ground in pools.

I was going to die and everyone was going to cheer.

My father was talking, his voice louder than a clap of thunder, but I couldn't hear what he was saying over the pounding of my heart. It was only when he looked in my direction, his eyes cloudier than I have ever seen them in my entire life, that I began to listen to what he was saying. "Tonight, one man will slay this beast. Tonight, we will have a champion!"

Beast.

So that's what he thought of me. I was a beast. Not a girl. Not his daughter. Not a human being.

Beast.


Thanks for reading! <3

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here's another small teaser from my wip

here's another small teaser from my wip

Posted by Raven M on 11:44 PM in teaser, things left unsaid, writing,

I didn't want to completely erase him out of my life especially since I still had so much to learn about my sister. Denise used to talk about you so much. Though he was clearly speaking English, those words sounded so foreign to me. Not like French or Spanish, those languages were easier to understand than this.

Alex was speaking Pig Latin an old, forgotten and dead language that I just couldn't seem to understand.

Maybe I didn't hear him right.

It just didn't make any sense. Why would Denise talk about me to him?

She didn't even know me.

- from THINGS LEFT UNSAID

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Teaser Monday

Teaser Monday

Posted by Raven M on 6:37 PM in teaser, things left unsaid,

So I'm 64 words away from reaching 34k in my wip whose new title is THINGS LEFT UNSAID. Though there will be some plot changes in the next draft the story centers around a girl whose "perfect" sister commits suicide. There's more to the story, but once things get sorted I'll reveal more m'kay? : D

So before I post the teaser, here's the set up:

My main character Claire is seventeen and will be eighteen in a month, she works at her uncle Pierre's restaurant where she meets Sam, a twenty-two year old cook who seems to understand her and all that other good stuff.

I know some people grow weary when there is an age difference, but I don't think I can make Sam any younger without messing with the plot.

Okay, here you go....

I don't feel anything but the thump thump thump of his heart against my chest, the butterfly kisses he lands on my jaw, on my ear, and everywhere that isn't covered by my clothes.

"Sam..." I say his name like a prayer.

He answers it.

"Am I doing anything wrong?" he asked, and I don't know how to answer that seeing as though this is a script I've never read before.

Even though the lines are sketchy, I improvise. "No...it's not that. It's just...I'm..." The words still a virgin are lost on my lips but he understands and then he is pulling away but not completely. His hand is still on my stomach.

The heat of his skin seeps through my shirt.

Sam lies down beside me.

"Forgive me," he breathed. "I should have...I guess I got too carried away."

"No." I turn my head to look at him. He's looking back at me. The world standing is still. "You were perfect. I should have said something...earlier. Maybe next time we..." I stopped talking because there might not be a next time. Sam might not want there to be a next time.

So there you go! The scene before it has a lot more kissing but I'll tease the good stuff some other time. Keep in mind that this is a first draft, so it's little...meh but I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading. :D

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