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This is a place to post a little info and/or the first 13 lines of our current WIP. Hopefully, instead of being buried several weeks back in the NSG thread, it will be here and easy to find when new members join the NSG. That's the idea, anyway.
I'll start off.
MAGE STORM Epic fantasy. WIP
First thirteen (rough draft):
quote:
Mastan closed his fist to cut off the trickle of red magic he’d been using to fuse the latest boulder to the top of the dam. Closing his eyes, he could picture what this had been like before that rogue mage, Grevin, had blasted this gap between the cliffs. A towering waterfall had cascaded from above like a gigantic, braided strand of pearls and diamonds, with a roar like the ocean during a storm. The white of the foaming water contrasted against the dark rock in an ever-changing, ever-fascinating column. Now, even standing at the top of what little he’d managed to rebuild, he could feel the height of the remaining cliffs towering above him to either side. Even with the addition of this boulder, he hadn’t raised the dam a tenth of the height of those cliffs. It’d take much longer than the remainder of his lifetime to repair the damage and restore the waterfall and the lake beyond.
BECOME: BROTHERS Epic fantasy. Prequel to BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING. Approximately 26,000 words. Indie published in 2017.
First thirteen:
quote:Gaian stood on the edge of the warrior’s circle with the other noble boys who had turned ten years old between the Longest Day and the Autumn Equinox. That included Benar, of course. Benar was just a day younger than Gaian, almost Gaian’s twin. Gaian would have liked to consider him a friend, but Benar quite clearly didn’t want to be Gaian’s friend. What he wanted, as far as Gaian had ever been able to figure out, was to prove he was better than Gaian, just because Benar was the queen’s son. And failing at that goal—as he always did—just made Benar more frustrated and angry. So Gaian mostly avoided him when he could.
None of that mattered today, anyway. This was much more important and exciting. Today their real training would begin.
BECOME: TO CATCH THE LIGHTNING Epic fantasy. Book One of the Become Series. Approximately 97,000 words. Indie published in May 2018.
First thirteen:
quote: Gaian rode at a ground-eating trot ahead of his small group of scouts. One hand steadied Shadow in front of him, though the cat had never yet fallen from her perch, even at the wildest gallop. Over the thudding of his horse’s hooves, he heard a shout and the unmistakable sounds of battle. Just over that next rise. Shadow stood with her front paws on his saddle horn, straining in that direction. She’d never done that before. Gaian wanted to gallop straight over the hill to the rescue, but he’d learned the hard way not to run blind into possible danger. Not that he was afraid for himself, but not everyone who followed him had his strength—or healed as quickly. He’d gotten men killed that way once. Never again. Gritting his teeth, Gaian reined his horse to a walk and signaled to his command to do the same.
BECOME: TO RIDE THE STORM Epic fantasy. Book Two and conclusion of the Become Series. Indie published January 2019. 116,000 words.
First thirteen:
quote:
Mariel stared out the arched window of her third-floor room in the Palace, idly scratching Luna’s ears while the cat purred. With the added elevation granted by the central hill on which the Palace stood, Mariel could easily look beyond the bustling city below and its walls to the greening plains beyond. And farther away to the mountains called the Spine of the World. She’d been here, in Khatar, almost half her life, now, and still she felt that her home was on the other side of those mountains, in Versenna. Her lips twitched up. According to the letters she’d received over the years, they called her the Lost Princess in Versenna, now, and wove all sorts of tragic-romantic tales about her. None of them touching the real truth, of course. Still, it was easier to think about the silly stories than about what else was in those letters.
Metzgerhund Empire Young Adult - approx. 70K words Stand-alone novel...although I've got plenty of ideas for sequels
quote: Excerpt from the query letter:
...Billy---and an increasing number of fans---had little doubt that he would lead Metzgerhund to his ideal musical utopia.
Except, the closer Billy inched towards that utopia, the more he became his own doomsday weapon. He neglected his commitments to play small-scale concerts in order to spend time scouting larger opportunities. An adrenaline-induced jam session inspired him to recruit his Algebra tutor to take over the band's rhythm guitar duties, leaving the friend he promised an audition to hanging out to dry. His single-minded pursuits caused him to miss every piano recital his girlfriend played, leaving him to watch her jump into a relationship with a member of a rival band.
Billy fought back against the setbacks. When concert opportunities became scarce, he 'stole' another band's spot in a show at a rec center Metzgerhund was banned from. When interference from home became too unbearable for everyone in the band, he got all of them hired at a summer park thirty miles away, for a boss who encouraged them to practice after their work shift....
Agents of the Fourth Wind Science fiction – approx 90K words Stand-alone novel...in progress
quote: Excerpt from the synopsis:
Nevvias is the only known Earther who has seen glimpses of a higher spatial dimension than the one on which his species resides. Nobody else believes him.
Jacoby Billis is the only Earther to have discovered how to traverse that higher dimension. Nobody else can follow him.
Ehldur is the only one of his species who believes that three-dimension-bound beings have every right to enter their higher dimension. Nobody else from his species will allow this affront to go by unpunished.
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Current WIPs that I've probably mentioned and/or will be mentioning on NSG. These are all "adult" works in that I'm not writing them for a YA audience, but I don't think any of them would garner even a PG-13 movie rating... unless, maybe it was for language... :-)
THE GOOD SAMARITAN - 85K science fantasy, currently in the revising stage. And yes, I do mean science fantasy. Invading aliens with psychic powers fight amongst themselves about whether or not they can stay, after they realize humans are intelligent life forms.
STORMBORN - second world fantasy about a world devastated by psychic storms and a girl who develops the power to control those storms, about 2/3 complete
MUDLARKS - historical fantasy set in Jacobean England, expansion of a novella I'm shopping around, about 1/3 complete
KINDLED SHADOW - urban fantasy, expansion of a novella I wrote for WotF, this one's in the extended brainstorming phase
I have two projects that I am "working" on at the moment.
The first (Project: Hero) is a rewrite from a project I finished well over a decade ago. This one has changed so much from the initial version that it has very little left from what I wrote long ago. This project is currently on hold as I had difficulty finalizing the final 25% of the book. Project: Hero started out as a basic quest that I have tried to expand into something more.
My second project (Project: Life), which I started about a month or so ago, is another quest of sorts but this one I started from scratch. It has some aspects to it that will certainly stretch my skills. It is somewhat of a quest but I often think of it as a love story. My intention is to make it more character driven and have the quest be more of a back drop to the characters.
Right now I have not been as active with my writing as I would like. I hope to change this soon, someday, maybe. Yes, soon.
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Dragon Fate YA fantasy 62,000 words. First draft complete, second draft keeps getting distracted.
Joi and her friends try to find a cure before they turn into dragons. Spoiler alert. They do!
Joi waited in the dark for the dragons to attack her village. Her leg trembled against the long tablecloth that hid her and her brothers underneath the family’s table, like the fort she used to play in as a child, when dragons were a myth only half-believed. Not creatures that stalked the night and took her father. The village was silent, waiting for the signal from the guards that the dragons were within the walls. Joi laid her head back against the wooden table leg in the dark, and listened to her mother sing Caleb’s lullaby and the wind rage outside.
Closing the door (lame title) LDS Chick lit. 27,000 words unfinished
Whitney was born to be a bride. Kelsie was born to be a star. Yet when Kelsie finds love, and Whitney’s love goes horribly wrong, each finds their own path to happiness going in a different direction than either of them planned. As they shut the doors to their dreams, they find open windows to blessings beyond what they could imagine. Closing the door explores friendship, love, youthful exuberance, and the downtown streets of Ogden Utah.
Dragon Beginnings 7,000 words YA Fantasy This prequel to dragon Fate shows how the dragon threat started. Hopefully.
Sweat dropped down Queen Elsa’s face as she clung to the thick leather strips in the birthing room. Her sweat mingled with her tears, for she had such hopes for this one. It was month’s too early, she had barely begun showing, when the clenching pains came and the blood appeared on her white gown. It was tradition for the queen to wear white until the first child was born, but never before had a queen stayed in the white for seventeen years as she had. The pains came again, clenching up her stomach like a fist around a barb.
Book of Moons ( Nano project unfinished, and unedited) 11,000 words and counting.
Fourteen year old Will Shakespeare finds a demon book that taints everything it touches and leads him on his lost three years.
In the shadows, we hide. Fliting watching, like the flames from a candle. Our master is on the stage, and we watch him perform. His face is distorted in the flickering of a candle. His voice is loud, and full. Every eye is caught in the spell of his speaking. He speaks of death and we see it. He speaks of Ceasar and we wept. We are one with the audience, one in weeping. Except for the boy, a boy, who is… laughing. We are weeping, our souls are weeping from the masters words, and a boy dares to laugh.
[This message has been edited by shimiqua (edited November 11, 2009).]
Motes & Meddles - A contemporary fantasy where 'guardian angels' are really humans working in behalf of the 'Planners' who are passed spirits working for what I don't know yet. This story ends up being a secular treatise on the nuts and bolts of miracles and may extend into the afterlife. I'm about 30K in. I wrote this in the early spring when I was just starting out writing and shelved it until my skill level increased. I wrote it 1st person and just converted it to third.
First 13 (which is admittedly awful):
Life was taking some awful turns for Larry Randolph. His latest girl friend, the one he really felt might be the one, jilted him. Trying to rationalize, Larry felt that was all to the good, because lately, he began to receive some bad vibes from her. His only commercial client decided they needed a DC law firm to represent them, depriving him of a third of his income as a rural Virginia lawyer. A number of his private clients had left for dubious reasons. Halitosis? Body Odor? He didn’t know. In his mind he was at the top of a professional and personal death spiral.
To add insult to injury, Larry's father lay on his deathbed. Hank Randolph refused to go to a doctor when his weight started plummet and it just kept plummeting.
Panix - a nearly steampunk fantasy set in a world where all magic (which is centered around the manipulation of materials) is of limited range. The hero comes to terms with his talents as cultures deal with combining nascent technology with magic. This is currently complete at 90K and is steeping while rewrites are contemplated.
First 13 (which is part of the prologue):
Dawn brushed the high clouds of the Plain of Morven with a brilliant red. The battle lines of the Royal Korvannan Army and the Second Army of Mella still grew as the men ran to their positions.
Mellans employed triangles for their battle arrays, the Korvannans used rectangles, but only the Generals sitting high enough above the plain could appreciate the grandeur of advancing armies. Down below men's eyes were wide with fear and trepidation, their breaths bellowing mists as thoughts of the conflict to come raised a primal fear of death. Would this be their last day on the world of Dornna? Could they dare think they would see the sun set that night?
Bellian's Journey- a heroic fantasy morphing into an epic fantasy. This is my NaNo novel and the first draft currently sits at 57K and rising. My goal is to finish this by the end of the month. Estimated word count is 110K. Will be first volume of a trilogy. UPDATE: First Draft finished 11/20 at 105K words.
First 13 (due to the nature of NaNo, this has not been touched since I wrote it Nov. 1st.):
Bellian sat on the edge of the porch, dangling his legs. He gazed out at the vast almond-colored hills of endless sand spread out below out to the sea, merely a darker blue line separating the dunes from the sky.
"Bellian, you know I don't like you sitting on the edge. Get in here." His father stood behind the shimmer of the air curtain with one hand on his hip and another clutching one of his thousands of scrolls. When his father pulled his reading spectacles down to talk to him, Bellian knew it was time to obey.
"Is Mom going shopping today?" he said as he moved from the hot air of the desert into the enchanted coolness of the House.
"I am. Perhaps you would like to come along?" she said with a crooked smile.
Writing Plans:
My plans are to finish Bellian by Nov 30th. In Dec., do a clean up edit and set it aside.
Jan will be a major rewrite for Panix.
In between, I need to develop a new outline for the story arc for Motes and Meddles. It was written totally from the seat of my pants and I'm to the point where I have to decide where this one is going to go.
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 11, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 21, 2009).]
quote:I glanced out of the plasma-shield windows. It was a hot summer day, the snow almost melted through to the ground. Dad had decided to make the trip to Crater Town, and I quivered with anticipation. It wasn't every day we went to town, and I got tired of tending his hydroponic gardens and maintaining equipment. At the end of summer, I'd be sixteen, and old enough to make the journey on my own--old enough to begin training as a ranger. A fact I kept to myself for fear of Dad's temper.
Dad didn't like leaving the cave and he stalled over every detail he could find. Was the generator burning fuel at an economic pace? Would the melt-off aqueducts perform efficiently with no one to tend them? Were the traps set? His herb garden, a massive underground complex, was everything to him. It was the
[This message has been edited by InarticulateBabbler (edited November 11, 2009).]
I'm nowhere near comfortable enough to post my first 13, so I'll just put a couple lines about mine.
BISHOP: Currently only 10K words, long-suffering fantasy project. An bishop grappling with ambition and love, fascinated with the idea of resurrection. A merchant-caste man from the East Asian-like country of Kojuu trying to find his place in life outside his cloistered upbringing. A wealthy, retired professor, haunted by the spectres of his father's magical experiments, trying to keep his children from his ex-wife. One event sparks a chain of poor choices that send their lives into downward spirals that ultimately intertwines their fates.
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Great idea Meredith. I am always curious about what everyone is working on.
Here is mine.
I am on a rewrite of a fantasy novel with romantic elements.
Here is my first thirteen.
When she saw Petri enter the bakery, Caylen slowed. The cold spring air filled her lungs as she tried to catch her breath. She did not want Petri to know how desperate she was, how she battled the festival crowd in a panic to get to him. But she was desperate. She needed to hire someone she could trust, who would respect her authority despite her age and gender, but mostly she needed someone who had worked with father before since mother opposed hiring outside help. If she brought home someone mother knew and liked, mother might not kill her.
As she passed the bakery, she glanced in through the large window. Petri stood third in line rolling a coin over his fingers to the delight of a small child peering at him from behind her mother’s skirt.
Working Title: RITN A descendant of space aliens living in rural Pennsylvania must leave behind the young woman he loves to return to his ancestral planet for the defense of humanity.
Young Adult Science Fiction. Almost all of the rough draft was in longhand, but my sister graciously typed up 200 pages. I'm now reading through the typed/electronic version, changing aspects that my sister didn't know to change, and noting what I still need to write and rework.
What I occasionally work on...
Working Title: DeCo In a covert U.S. military program, a teenager battles with his teammates for an unexpected objective: control of his mind.
Science Fiction currently between 37,000 and 50,000 words (depending on which subplots I keep). Writing scenes out of order allowed me to explore concepts but left me with no idea of how well they will fit in the complete draft.
What I will work on someday...
Working Title: DrWa Although prominent military and religious leaders regard him as a blessing, the boy who the gods transported to their world could undermine their most cherished beliefs.
Fantasy, existing only as an incomplete synopsis and a few pages of world building notes and character design. This would be perfect for NaNoWriMo if I could squeeze out enough time to research and fill in the background.
Working Title: Dragons' Will
Fantasy set in the same universe as DrWa. A plot outline and a few incomplete scenes is all I have so far for this story about a woman caught up in a war between societies she knows little about.
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From A Path to War (which I'm pushing through an editing pass on):
quote: Thunder growled and rain pattered on Nicholas Storm's tricorn hat, as he followed Rachael Church into the barn. He counted himself fortunate to have drawn her affection, for she was an ideal beauty--a buxom brunette with a lascivious smile--known for ruining her suitors' self esteem with expertly wielded verbal razors. But, her fearlessness had been as much part of the attraction as her beauty.
Nicholas pulled his hat off and shook the rain from it. Rachael bit her lower lip and giggled. She toyed with the hay stall's corner post, and then turned and fled behind the heap of straw. Nicholas gave chase, and Rachael let out a playful scream as he caught her by the waist and dragged her down into the hay mound.
Re-draft of an old novel with new skills and a better plan. Also, theoretically, the first of a seven book series.
First 13:
quote:Mage Lydia Firesky stared at the human heads hanging on the wall across from where she sat chained in her cell with a sense of dread. Their skin was dark and taut, blackened from the smoking process the grackors used to preserve them. Jack’s head was not among them. But she knew these people. They had all been mages more powerful than herself and even though she hadn’t been fighting beside them, she heard when they had been lost. Jack was not a mage, he was her partner. While it was her mistake that led to her capture, the action also allowed Jack to get away.
[This message has been edited by genevive42 (edited May 04, 2010).]
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Mine are all junior/young adult fantasy - set in a world at the heart of the universe, where people can transform into birds, the indigenous people only start to die when they reproduce and a bunch of other stuff lol - The main idea is that fantasy happens to or around a very ordinary group of people.
Someone Else's Life
quote: 'Angus!' My Father's angry holler disturbs my late afternoon nap, damn he must have discovered I wasn't at school. Pretending not to be in my room, I place a pillow over my head. 'Angus, either you come out here or I will come in there and drag you out!' This shout is even louder than the last one. The pillow is useless. I am six foot ten and built like a behemoth, doubt he can drag me. Then panic sets in, he can't come in my room. This is my sanctuary, my area of control. 'Alright, Dad just chill. I'll get dressed and come out or shall we do this with me in the raw?' I holler back. He doesn't give me the satisfaction of a response. Slowly stretching, I stand up and brush my long unwashed blonde hair out of my eyes. My hair is a major source of contention between my Dad and I.
What About Us is in first draft form.
quote:'Angus!! Behave now!.' The brat has been making trouble for the whole class all day. Thank goodness the last day of term is here. My boys are helping me set up the Royal Academy's auditorium, putting chairs out, printing off and placing programmes. One final performance from the school ensemble, and we can all go home. My partner Nate is home from his latest secret service mission, and I am hoping we could go out to celebrate the end of the winter term tonight. I have my suit and shirt all picked out for the occasion.
'Angus!! Jack!!!' My brother and Jack have a volatile relationship, if I don't separate them now, the Abbot will be here with local dignitaries, and I'll be in as much trouble as the boys. Discipline for the Masters here is as stiff as for
Bad Romance is just having it's plot formed, want to write couple of paragraphs this week though.
quote:'Check!' I move the knight bringing my dad's king into check.
He grins, 'Not bad Nate. Now you have been trying to avoid talking to me all night, time to spit it out.'
'Not sure I want to Dad.'
'Nate, you are the best poker face I know. If I can read the misery on your face it must be bad.' I study the chess pieces, he has managed to move his king behind a pawn. I am about to move when
He pushes the board aside, 'Do I have to beat it out of you?'
[This message has been edited by Kimlin (edited September 03, 2010).]
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Title - Sandfishing Genre - Science Fiction/Space Opera Est.Length - 75,000 words (give or take 10,000) Finish Date Goal - February 14th, 2011
The story I wrote during Boot Camp was called Sandfishing. OSC, and most of the room, thought is was a great title but with one drawback - the story wasn't really about sandfishing. That was only the frame story. Well, some ideas got batted around and I have figured out an entirely different storyline based on those and other thoughts. I really just wanted to write a fun adventure, though it's already heading toward having some socially conscious overtones. Layers are a good thing, right?
Here's the first thirteen:
quote:Kaya pulled her hover-skiff laden with product up to Marcelon's Antique and Salvage. The problem was it wasn't Marcelon's anymore. The quaint, friendly shop run by old man Worther was now a shiny, new MightyCorp recycling center. The white monolithic structure contrasted sharply with the surrounding grunge. Shininess wouldn't last long here. She sighed. Nothing good could come from this.
It had only been a month since she had last been there. This side of the city was disgruntled at best, riotous at worst. Her tinker toys sold here distinctly because they were low tech. Besides, the old man was one of the few people that would do business with an Orker like her. Most didn't want to be associated.
quote:Nekane should have died at birth. Everyone thought it, even if most were too polite to actually say it aloud. Some days she even managed to forget--but never on birthing days.
A knot of people rounded the corner and broke into secretive whispers when they spotted her. Nekane lifted her chin, even as Esti stiffened beside her. She could feel the tension vibrating from the girl. Alone, Esti could have gone unnoticed, but everyone knew Nekane.
She glanced down at her, intending to tuck a comforting arm around Esti’s small frame, and realized her mistake. Esti wasn’t shrinking in fear. Her hands were fisted, and her face wore the fiercely righteous expression she usually reserved for bawling out one of her siblings.
THE NULL PROPHET: Epic fantasy, approx. 115k words, currently querying.
First thirteen:
quote:The loom clacked, setting the coarse brown wool vibrating, and Sidika tossed the shuttle through. Sweat beaded on her forehead and dripped down her aching back, but she ignored it, catching the shuttle deftly at the other side. The beater jabbed at the new thread, compressing it into the cloth, and the warp shifted for another pass. She threw the shuttle again. Her whole body throbbed with the rhythm of a hundred looms in tandem, as though the elemental magic controlled not just the machines, but her very heartbeat.
A sharp crunch came from the next row over, and Sidika winced. Asli again. The girl frantically disengaged her loom, but the damage was done. The threads would be hopelessly tangled, and it sounded like the shuttle had cracked.
quote:Shouldn't that last post be for Fragments and Feedback for Books? It can get confusing around here at times ...I know I have forgotten a few details here and there.
Depends, LDWriter2. This topic was started for people participating in the NSG, so we could all have a feel for what we're working on. And the first 13 is usually part of the post.
Now, nobody's going to critique it, here. This is just so we all can see what the others are doing without having to type it into NSG every week.
If you want a critique of the first 13 lines, then it should also be posted in F&F for Books.
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Yeah, I think its more useful just kind of a 'status' update, my WIP isn't ready for crit...especially since my new WIP is only about 20 pages long so far =)
Evangeline: A science fiction space adventure about a daughter who is shoved into the position of Emperess after the suddent death of her Father and shortly following assasination of her brother. While forces behind the scenes attempt to turn the imperial sovereign into a puppet, she fights for her family's ideals but finds herself surrounded by false friends and unstable allies. Except for a clone slave, whose only purpose in life is her protection and who worships her with deific devotion. As She tries to undo the damage of his training, he acts to protect her against her enemies within the court.
First 13, <Quote>A woman, young trim and elegant, stood looking into the glass that kept her from the starry vacuum of space, its concave shape curtaining down and under the ships deck. Isn’t it like sailing on a clear night? Her mother had asked her when she was a child. Evangeline Fleur Everard did not remember her own reply, but she remembered that she never felt that way. Her eyes fell to her feet, seeing where a pair of black shoes paused on the edge with endless light-years beneath. The void seemed to tug at her. Space travel did not feel like sailing. It wasn’t the same as looking up into the sky with Earth beneath your feet. It was more like falling. “Are you ready?” Evangeline saw a man to her left, lanky and silhouetted by...
Journey to the Lost Universe Science Fantasy- Aiming at 50K words Draft #4 or 5 (can't remember). First in a series of 6 novels. In progress
quote:Shadow Master trembled while sitting on a wooden chair in his father’s office. He was going to meet the Emperor today and he wanted to make sure he looked just right. His father, Commander Drognan Difini, told him that he didn’t have anything to worry about and that the outcome of the meeting wasn’t going to be judged by how well he looked, but he just couldn’t help it.
The meeting wasn’t an ordinary meeting. He graduated into the special forces at the top of class. He got to pick his first mission and his crew, all of which were rare. Being the commander’s son probably influenced that.
Epoch Orb Child of Time Fantasy- Aiming at 70k Words First Draft. No clue if there will be any sequels.
quote:Iniko woke to a sore body, and it wasn’t from training. Yesterday he suffered punishment of the three fold rule of Akari Village. For his punishment everyone in the village got a chance to beat him until they were finished, and he couldn’t fight back.
What Iniko did to receive such punishment was simply fighting with the guards. He got what he deserved, but so did the guards. Nevertheless, he’d do it again.
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Illusions of the Crystal Souls Fantasy- Aiming at 70k words First in an off series of Journey to the Lost Universe
General Synopsis (can change)- It's a day of tests for Lazeris. His first test is to survive an encounter with a creature known as the blue wolf. When Lazeris witnesses the blue wolf's son get killed and skinned by the empires soldiers, he and the blue wolf easily defeat the soldiers.
Later on that night, the village gets completely leveled by the empire's soldiers and only lazeris, the blue wolf, and the village chief survive. That's as much as I know so far, as far as anything being set in stone.
[This message has been edited by JohnColgrove (edited April 18, 2011).]
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So, if it's not published, it's in progress, right?
These aren't official synopsis, just rattling them off the top of my head.
Humanity's Return Adult Sci-Fi Only Martin VanAlst survives a massive alien attack by hiding deep underground in his bomb shelter. Four thousand years later, his remains are found and he is resurrected by a race of scientists whose aim is to study lost cultures. Martin decides his culture isn't lost and brings back enough humans to take the fight into space, and get revenge.
The Runewarden: Book one: Merlin's Revenge YA Urban Fantasy Lindsay Peterson's eighteenth birthday brings an unexpected gift, a castle in Wales willed to her by her deceased parents. This gift hides an ancient secret. Merlin's final prophecy was designed to resurrect him and set him free. Lindsay's arrival sets the prophecy in motion.
The Sunday Killer Adult Thriller (Current WIP) When Robert Argyle's spiritual companion suddenly falls silent, he moves through life disconnected. He's a detective, but helpless to solve the serial murder case happening around him. Lisa Abernathy, a psychology student, weeks from graduation, is brought in to help. She just begins to crack his emotional exterior when he becomes the prime suspect. The problem is, she's not so sure it isn't him.
Portals: Book one: The Dark Riders Middle Grade Adventure Only three children per world may enter the portals, and one of them, the president's daughter, has gone missing inside. Sawyer, a boy who can see six seconds into the future, and Mouse, the luckiest girl on Earth are sent to find Nina. Almost immediately they encounter the Dark Riders, who they soon learn have captured Nina. It seems force is necessary, but instead, Sawyer offers himself in trade.
Well, that's it for now. If I win the lotto I'll be able to add to this list at a faster pace than 4 in 5 years.
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axeminister, Your first two books sound interesting, I wouldn't mind at least taking a second look at them if they were in a store.
The others sound okay too.
Hmmm, Once I understood this I thought I had decided to place my 13-s here but evidently never got to it. So:
Bright Lights and Chaos--book is done and in the process of being critted by one of the groups here. A Half Fey- half human young woman finds her place in the world when she has to start being a Hero.
quote: Who would have thought that three Fates would be party animals. All of that recent danger in my life and now this. The prophecy from that seer, or whoever he was, now made some sense. I looked over the dance floor and the bar. They had suggested to go the RoosterÕs Red Ring, the the newest nightclub in town, for a night off. At first I wondered how they knew about it how they heard of it where they live in that cave. But I remembered their profession. They would know everything, probably knew where the best chocolate was made too. As I watched them I rolled my eyes. They looked too distracted I called them back. Chrissy had a forthy drink, Missy came from the bar where she was flirting with the barteneder, and Sissy came from the dance floor.
"New Mage On The Block"--still working on the book. Need a chapter and half to two and three fourths chapters.
A young female Mage in modern Boulder Colorado helps those who need help, especially woman with abusive boyfriends, even though that last wasn't planned. She gets invloved with a strange sickness that is harming Users and Mages. She has figure out who is doing it and why. And learn more about herself in the process.
quote: I turned to glare at the guy who wanted to sit with me. Someone needed my help to escape her brother, I didnÕt want to hook up with anyone. I resisted the impulse to run my hand over my short, mostly purple hair. Not only is it a habit IÕm trying to break but it would ruin my stare. On a second thought I decided not to blast him, or freeze him. I couldnÕt catch him on fire, the question, the flames could spread to other tables. He really wasnÕt that bad of an annoyance. I assumed he thought I wanted to party. He couldnÕt see the scars on my arms but that probably wouldnÕt have bothered him. But how I got them would have scared him. Thinking about it still scared me. I could actually freeze him for I am one of a very rare group of people
More later This may be why I didn't do it earlier, it takes a while.
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 08, 2011).]
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 08, 2011).]
posted
Okay, two WIP (and many half-formed sniglets).
Between Darkness & Light, Fantasy, in final re-write/crit stage before hopefully getting sent out this year.
quote:Lack of control has always been Brina's biggest problem. Not control over the quiet, steady earth magic that was a supposed gift of the Goddess. Using that was almost as simple as breathing. It was the wilder, ancient power she possessed that rose up with her emotions and took over. The one that terrified any that knew of it. That was what had gotten her sent to her aunt's after her mother's death and was now getting her sent to the Goddess' own sisterhood on the morning after her aunt's death.
Except that Brina has already cursed the Goddess to a thousand different hells and is not about to go meekly off to her embrace. When her emotions take over again, nearly killing Bolin, the man her aunt had arranged to escort her to the
As of yet unnamed Urban Fantasy with a little bit of romance and some mystery. Seven chapters in and going strong. Even better now that I found my plot notes. LOL
quote:Being a werewolf has made it hard for Jezra to land a decent guy, even among her own kind. That was before Aaron McCarthy, history professor, wandered into the back room of the coffee shop. But it turns out Aaron is harboring a bigger secret than she is. A secret that could get him killed or worse, and puts Jezra in a the uncomfortable position of choosing between her pack and her heart. To make matters worse, their meeting may not have been entirely an act fate. Someone might be playing games with their lives.
[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited July 09, 2011).]
posted
Since there's another post after mine already I'll add another two openings here.
"Storm Born"
A young man investigates a young woman's murder using a special ability he is born with -- he can see invisible beings and items and see through magical disguises. Very soon he discovers that instead of this death being an ordinary murder it was a cover up for a wizard's attempt to call a war god back into our dimension. Along the way he is sidetracked by misinterruptions of dreams which causes a huge misunderstanding with his fiance and in the end he learns things about himself.
13 lines:
quote: I can see things that most people can't. In my case that means I can not only see through most glamours but beings who can turn invisible. It's a talent I've had all my life. As I squat down next to a dead girl's body I think it will come in handy. My fiancŽ thinks I should use it to investigate supernatural crimes. Regen believes it along with my bulldog tenacity will serve me well as an investigator. As I look the body over I sense I'll need all that tenacty to catch her killer. Even though I'm even tempered, I can get stubborn and dangerous when I need to. As I begin to study her body, I figured there's a need. She died elsewhere then dumped in this alley. It takes a moment to perpare myself to look more closely at the stab wound.
A fourth novel I started a couple of years ago but haven't finished because I got sidetracked. "Master Mage Kyle Stormbringer" is a working title.
Even though it wasn't done on purpose this one takes place in the same world as New Mage. But different city, different people and a different level of ability. In this one Kyle is the youngest Master Mage to be put over a city. He is responsible for protecting the city from magical - Vibration attacks, training new Mages, investigating strange happenings etc.. Kyle has the additional problem of dealing with problems with his marriage also. In this tale he comes under attack from an unknown assailant who wants to get Kyle out of the way so he can call forth a being who will give him great power.
quote: A moment ago I shrugged off a minor magical, or vibration, assault and relaxed. But as I continued to walk down the street I should have known better. As the youngest Master Mage given the responsible for a city I have been attacked many times. This time I thought it seemed to be someone out for fun. Half a block later though I came under a major Vibrational attack. The attack probably came from one of the gangs someone was teaching Vibration use to. As it hit I realized it wasnÕt someone having what they think of as fun by making a victim paranoid for a moment, a mugger trying to draw someone into a dark alley, someone after information. I easily created a feedback line that sent the energy back to its creator.
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 09, 2011).]
[This message has been edited by LDWriter2 (edited July 09, 2011).]
I have one finished novel in the LDS specialty market. It is a romance along the lines of a Jack Weyland (for those who know the genre) about 97k words. edit(not that I have been published)
The second book I have finished is called the Pea's Curse. I am trying to workshop with it now. It is only about 49k words so I will probably be adding to it. It is a YA retelling of the Princess and the Pea. I am a sucker for romance.
I have about 10k words on a story called the Healers. It is an unlikely romance between two people from very different cultures. Selena comes from a race of Healers who are loosing their gift to heal. She herself is not gifted. Gable is a scholar turned spy who has a deep respect for Selena's people.
Glory Springs is about 15k so far. Carson is from a very small town. A town with a secret. Glory springs is named for the spring that feeds the town's water supply.This spring has mystical properties. Carson is now leaving home for the first time. In his 18 years of life he has never been able to lie. Consequently, he has also never had anyone trust him.
I have a couple more YA that I am working on but they are at the idea stages mostly. I have stopped writing for a brief time so that I can prepare my house for my parents to move in. But I am itching to get back into it.
[This message has been edited by MDBHarlan (edited July 13, 2011).]
posted
My WIP is in beginning stages, but I did manage to draft a first chapter along with a whole load of completely unconnected blurbs from various parts of what I hope will be a YA trilogy someday soon.
The genre is Fantasy and the Working Title is Offbeat Rhythm. Here are the First thirteen:
Of all the places for Gwen to have a wizard's tower, the idiot magician had to choose the center of the Forbidden Forest.
And, Jared mused dryly, whatever imbecile named it the Forbidden Forest was high on fairy dust. The massive expanse of wooded land wasn't all that forbidden per say. Just a bit wild. Exactly the type of place for which he had an innate affinity that drove his mother batty.
Come to think of it; MUM might very well have named it to keep me from going out and getting myself tusked by a wild boar or gutted by a unicorn pissed off about my intemperance. He chuckled and hacked his way through a few low hanging branches on a gnarled apple tree that dripped ominously with a bright green substance. His sword would need a thorough cleaning and a
[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited August 15, 2011).]
posted
Hi! New and excited about NSG. I'm currently working on my first novel (which makes me feel pretty shabby next to all of you prolific people at the top of this thread). I'm just calling it "Practice Fantasy Novel" so that I don't get overly attached to it. It's about 20,000 words. I'm trying to finish the draft (I'm shooting for 100,000 words) by September 20, 2011. Pretty optimistic I know but I've got a lot of free time. Here are the first 13 lines:
Shanra wished that she were wearing more practical shoes as she sprinted through the burning palace, and immediately burst out laughing at the ridiculous direction her thoughts were taking. Her laughter was cut short by the smoke, but in her eyes her fellow refuges could still see the spark of laughter. Most mistook it for madness. Her husband knew that his wife could simply never stop laughing, and he smiled, causing flecks of blue to appear in his Aura, dark red on both sides from trauma. He hoped that his newborn daughter would be just as light hearted, though ideally a little less scatterbrained. A ceiling beam fell in front of them. Shanra heard screams as legs and arms were crushed under the wood. She stopped running. Her husband immediately took off down a set of stairs.
I'll post this in the fragment section (and also with an intro on the group page? I don't want to spam but it seems like people get pretty specific about what goes where) so that I can get critiques as well.
So, that's my project! Here's to Practice Fantasy Novel Can't wait to meet everyone.
posted
This is my first attempt at writing a complete novel. Other than a few a short stories, my only WIP is a high fantasy novel. I’m up to 34,000 words and growing. My target is to have a complete first draft by the end of November at the latest. I’m not putting a target word count on it simply because I’m following the story where it takes me and then I’ll take the pruning shears to it.
Here are my first 13.
She shivered as she stood in the corner and peered out into the gloom. He stood but a few feet from her, within arms reach if she wished to strike. The cool metallic handle of the dagger she clutched at her chest almost burned in anticipation. As it was she could hardly breath, dared not. Her throat was swollen shut and her limbs were frozen in terror. The shadowy room in which she stood was small and personal. The only light came from the two wooden torches that illuminated the entrance of the little chamber. There was an oak desk across from the arched doorway which was strewn with papers and a tiny crystal ink pot. The sizeable wooden chair sat askew as if someone had pushed it back in haste.
posted
I guess I never posted my novels. Here's what I've got going on.
War of the Wolves fantasy When the Ilarian army invades her mountain realm, Gwineth, the princess of Kenar, must rally her people to defend their nation. But her husband undermines her, choosing instead to strike a treaty with the Ilarian emperor. Left on her own, she musters a force to go to war. But she has no idea what she must face -- a massive empire whose leader believes he cannot fail.
Soldiers of Fate fantasy Even as the empire of Ilaria prepares for war, the emperor must face a battle within his own walls, as his advisors, and even his closest friend, betray him. Only the captive queen of Kenar seems to say what she means and mean what she says.
Le Loup Garou (working title) historical fiction When the Viscount of Gevaudan proposes to Etienne's twin sister, Etienne fears she is doomed to a life of disgrace, solitude, and sorrow with this man whom the King himself has rejected. To protect her, he decides to accompany her to her new home in the south. As mysterious animal attacks plague the villagers, who whisper of a curse, Etienne investigates. But the more he learns, the more he comes to suspect that the viscount, a brooding figure whose past follows him like a shadow, is at fault. In his search for the truth, Etienne becomes convinced the answer lies within a locked cellar. What he finds behind the door forces him to question his religion and his humanity.
Tarot (working title) urban fantasy, YA Sally's best friend dismisses the new boy in class as a troubled loser. But Sally has to talk to him -- she had a dream about him before she'd ever met him. As their friendship grows, he confesses he has powers he can't control. To help him, they must first discover his true identity, but will they succeed before he accidentally destroys everything he loves?
(No working title) fantasy Anunda doesn't know much about the world outside the forest; as a ward of the Red Witch, she's learned to stay hidden or risk death by fire. But when the witch threatens to kill a man, she exposes herself to help him. With nowhere else to go, Anunda returns with him to the monastery, where a kindly monk offers to take her in. There's just one catch -- she has to pretend to be an acolyte. And meanwhile, the powers that she always wished she'd had but never could muster, have finally developed.
Vision (working title) sci fi When his platoon is sacrificed in a political ploy, Jon quits the military and joins a mercenary group, vowing never again to become involved in government affairs. His big assignment: to break into a facility and steal cargo. But that cargo includes an alien. And rather than help her, the merc company plans to sell her off in a plot to start an interstellar war. Not knowing what else to do, he runs away with her. Now, he must evade themerc company, the government, and the aliens. But something strange is happening to his vision, which makes him question all that it means to be human.
posted
Weelll So yes I'm a newby, I focus on fantasy, and love it. I have just finished a short story and am getting geared up to start the actual series. Here's itthe short story's thirteen:
The Fop and the Ferret
Almark, Head Muse of the Nation’s Music Council, stood on the balcony overlooking the Nation’s Conservatory of Music. It was a dark night, with only a pale wash of light stabbing its way in through the cloud cover. It illuminated the Muse, giving his already stern features an added brush of menace.
The soldier stood facing the Muse’s back, waiting to be recognized. “Have you found any sign of the one who broke into the Vault?” The voice was light and airy, not at all the voice one would expect from the most powerful man in the realm. “No sir. Muses Rass and Vit have searched the premises thoroughly but could not find a trace they can follow. They said that they could trace the spell if it was used again, but…” “But the chances of that are highly improbable.” Almark sighed, his head bowed. “Please inform Rass and Vit that I expect them here in the half hour.” The man saluted curtly and left the terrace. Almark had returned to his view of the city and so did not see the man leave. His thoughts swirled, agitated and sharp.
This does get faster paced...like twenty lines in. I might have to look more at the thirteen lines thing...
So here's to my goal to actually getting this monster done!
I am really lost. I haven't written on my novels for weeks (months?). I have two works in progress
An epic fantasy novel about a country torn by civil war and a boy that finds out he has powers that threaten both sides. (108k words right now)
and...
A young adult novel about a young elf who becomes stranded in the human world. (7k words right now).
Even though I have the ending layed out in my mind for the first one... it seems like I got lost in the "Great Swampy Middle".
Second novel I'm having trouble getting into the teenage mindset. Gatta go watch more episodes of Teen Wolf on MTV
Plus I have no one to read my stories except my mom. Makes me start to wonder if they are even worth the space on the hard drive.
Any advice?
Wrong place. This belongs either in Open Discussions or in the weekly NSG topic which will go up tomorrow. This topic is a reference for NSG and probably won't get you much attention.
The "Great Swampy Middle" can be a problem for everyone, especially us discovery writers (aka pantsers). As far as getting readers--post in NSG and/or F&F for Books and ask for someone who's willing to start up a chapter exchange.
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posted
I'm new here as well, currently working on one project. It's a speculative fiction (I think) novel, about a woman who dies and then gets hired by a seedy organization in the hereafter. I'm just before the halfway point and hoping to finish it by the end of September--we'll see^^
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Warrior Mage- Sword of Spells novel where the hero, Brull is the only Warrior Mage in a world without wars. He is a bounty hunter of errant magicians using his remarkable sword of spells. In the novel, a new warrior mage is raised and war does come, but it's man (and woman) against a rogue god.
Status: Ready to publish (one final edit in publish process) Having the cover tweaked.
War Stone Quartet- Four book series (might end up as three. I'm running out of story for one of them) about four ancient communication stones, each imbued with unique powers. As a dark wizard-lord rises on a western continent, war stirs. Heroes and heroines arise as the stories of how each stone gets involved in the fight are told. The last stone, the Darkstone is in the possession of the dark lord. He wants the other three so he can turn the Darkstone back into the Purestone and rule the world.
posted
Ok – here goes nothing. Beginning work on an idea that I started mulling over early this year. First novel. Not sci-fi or fantasy per se, but with fantasy-like elements interleaved in the forms of dreams.
Whether or not the book will find a home is moot at this stage. I want to learn how to develop something this complex… And if it goes the way of so many first novels (i.e. so gauche or self-involved as to be nauseating) at least I’ll know my own limitations a bit better and, no doubt, learn a lot in the process. (Plus, everything on Amazon sells at least a few copies – even if only to the author and their obligated friends and family! )
Working title: The Book of Dreams
Length: 90 000-100 000 words. (Projected based on current rough structure, covering a 7-8 month period with 2 chapter clusters per month. But this too remains to be seen).
MC1: Joyce, a recently bereaved therapist. 45. Lost her son and husband in a car accident 6 months ago. She is trying to rebuild her life and practice – beginning with one client. Who is…
MC2: James (wow… I just realised that together, they’re James Joyce; ah well, early days; and perhaps there’s some way to capitalise on this unconscious choice). Anyway, James is 23, was at university, but became increasingly withdrawn – slipping into his own world. Referred to Joyce by a Student Counselor friend who thinks they might be good for each another (and wants rid of James).
The novel’s current structure is built around their shared sessions, the dreams James shares, Joyce’s reflections on these and on her own experience, and vignettes from their (rather minimal, to begin with) lives outside of the therapy room and James’ dream-world.
I’m still at the outline and character development stage (began last week) – working out some of the details of the narrative arc for the whole book and each of the characters, and also digging into the interior narratives and backstory of each. The dreams drive the narrative forward, so those might come first in terms of actual writing. (I have a bunch of possibilities and one or two already roughed out. But they need to find their place in the larger whole before I get too attached to them – evocative, dream-like images are easy enough, but making them sing and resonate within a short narrative, within a larger narrative, not so much.)
In terms of themes, I want to explore the grieving process; the small question of what it means to be human; the ‘dream’ metaphor itself; and the connection between different levels of personal narrative (explicit, tacit, subconscious, unconscious) and the maturation/life/healing process.
In a nutshell, the book is about coming back to life – or perhaps meeting life in a new way – and the importance of relationships to that process. Ultimately hopeful, I think, though there is a lot of lot of quite dark material to be worked through to get there. I’m using some of my own more intense and challenging dreams as starter material – some of which are frankly alarming.
As for research, I know a few therapists I could talk to if need be. And I have access to plenty of literature, as well as my own experience of Jungian and Gestalt therapy (not that recent, but useable nonetheless). However, I am not trying to write genre fiction (if therapy’s a genre, like crime) – complete verisimilitude isn’t the point. This just seemed a workable setting for the stories and themes that I want (and maybe need) to work and play with.
Will post occasional updates to the Novel Support Group… Probably not weekly, but at least monthly. My goal for rough first draft: end-June 2019. That's if I stick to the schedule and life complies... I certainly want to be in the redrafting stage by the end of next year.
I might also use the fragments and short works board for feedback on the dream chapters – though I’m not sure about that yet…. They’re not likely to read well as traditional short stories, since they’ll be embedded in something larger that gives some context and meaning.
But enough already. Commitment to self (and this forum) made. And apologies if I’m oversharing: a side-effect of beginning to work stuff out, probably. Or maybe it was all that therapy.
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posted
Most people probably know the project but, as Meredith's note on Novel Support Group requests it, I'll post a summary here.
If anyone wants to read I am always willing to read and be read: itsjack2017@yandex.com
The New Little Princess traces the life of a 9- year old British expat, named Mary Elizabeth "Mimi" MacAlistair-Castleton, living with her family in Guatemala, in 2025-2027. It begins with Anthony Robertson, a reporter with TopZine, Britain's top-selling entertainment zine (all print media died out in the early 2020s) seeing the video of the Princess' 9th birthday party on the ICT, in June 2025, and saying (Chapter 1 Title) "What the hell is that?" Anthony becomes the 3rd person narrator of the story.
The Princess' father, Bob Castleton, put the video of the birthday party on the International Computer Telecommunications Corporation (ICT) (created by the United Nations under the International Convention On Equality Of Access To Technology 2024 to "internationalise" the internet) without telling the Princess. He entitles the videopackage of 5 songs "Princess Party". That, plus her superreflective zirconium-steel tiara, and the name of the company which Bob forms to post the video and receive payments, "SR Little Princess", give her the new name.
Her original songs, in English and Spanish, plus one cover of a Japanese song, plus her outlandish costume, her "supersonic" piano playing, her strange Manc-Scots accent in English but fluent Guatemalan Spanish, and her cute personality, make the video go viral: with 13,000,000 views or downloads of the top English song in the package: "Can't You Hear Me?"
"And the story goes . . . and the story goes on . . . and on and on and on" (lyrics from the Princess' song "Two Muppets In Love" (2026))
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posted
What's whomever's, everyone who's an active contestant, motives and stakes? Fame and fortune and ignominy and poverty?
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Yes, soon.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
