CAMP NANOWRIMO: JULY 2018 (involving snippets [yay!] and lessons learned)
But then this book happened...and there was no hiding from the emotion anymore. Ask my cabinmates...I may or may not have made myself cry writing my own story.
My creative well needed salvaging, so I stopped first drafting on the 26th. I probably could have finished the book and kept going, but I honestly didn't want to. I didn't want to force out something mediocre that I'd have to turn around and get rid of later on. So I stopped, and it all worked out alright. It was what needed to happen.
But enough of this....let me give you all some idea of what this story is about (without really saying anything because haha SPOILERS), some aesthetics, and some snippets. ;)
Blurb
Shifting loyalties have torn Esma from one of her allies right when she needs every person possible on her side. She has lost some of the people she loves most in the world, and a chill she'd hoped never to feel again has settled on her bones. Winter looms over her, cutting her off from her city. And Lord Dauthang himself, dissatisfied with the abilities of his servants, has determined to hunt her down himself.
But Esma is not entirely alone. She and her companions stand together against the winter, even as bitterness and distrust threaten to tear them apart. They flee east away from the pursuit, their only goal to survive. Darkness chases them down, seeking Esma's blood. If there's a way out, she doesn't see it.
And soon, she may have to face the darkness head on.
Snippets
When he was able to open his eyes again, a girl stood before him.
A beautiful, absolutely breathtaking girl. A girl in a torn and rather dirty grey dress that fell to her glorious knees, with huge eyes that stared at him with an expression that was equal parts agony and fury. She stared at him, her head slowly shaking, her shoulders hunched together as if to conceal her cold.
Derek found himself quite unable to look away from her.
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| This character may or may not be my husband...I'm not even sorry (via Pinterest) |
“I’m—I’m okay.” Was she? She was no longer in her body. She floated somewhere beyond this place, above the forest, above them all, where she could see a boy and two girls, one of whom wore her face. But that couldn’t possibly be her. She was far away, soaring on wings like a bird’s into the forest. Grief and pain could not touch her; they no longer existed.
Maybe she no longer existed.
That didn’t sound so bad.
Because if he was gone—
It was because of her.
There were plenty of women she knew who subscribed to that archaic theory, of men being untrustworthy, and who believed that the only way to survive in a man’s world was to always hold back a piece of yourself, a single piece that you defended with your life from his treachery.
Anna, much though she hated to admit it, believed that it was never right to trust a man. Why would she? No man had ever given her anything besides pain.
But she took it a step further. There wasn’t a single piece of her that she held back from the men; not in the least.
No, she simply showed them one of her masks, and she made them feel what it was to be in their world. For she too could be treacherous, and she was not to be trusted. Men who trusted her found out the hard way that she would turn on them.
The whispers outside the cave of falling snow had ceased. Rishatta shut his eyes and tried to hear the snow breathe. Winter had always been his favorite season, because the cold and he connected with an inhuman bond that he couldn’t exactly explain. The chill settled in his bones next to the native one that lived there, and feeling that cold worked the same as a very hot fire did for most people.
He was one with the cold, inexplicably, beautifully, and the voice of the snow drifted to his ears as familiar as his own.
So...what do you think of my snippets? Am I torturing y'all with all my vague and nonspecific writing updates? XD What's a lesson you've learned in your writing recently? Chat with me in the comments!
30 comments
Great post!
ReplyDelete-Brooklyne
Thanks!
DeleteI NEED MOOOOORRRREEEEE!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited for this!
Oh my goodness...I’m so glad you like hearing about it! I get so nervous about sharing my writing... XD but this is super encouraging Ivie!
DeleteAhhh, okay, wow, this book sounds epic and amazing and SO COLD I DONT LIKE WINTER AND IM SHIVERING ALREADY JUST READING THOSE SNIPPETS
ReplyDeleteLike, please, when can I read it???
And I feel ya...I've sobbed through my own writing...namely, the last book in my trilogy and while writing a number of parts in Rauladin.
And I also cried in Words of Song when one of the older horses died. So yeah...
I DON'T LIKE WINTER EITHER AND IT MAKES ME SO COLD TO WRITE THIS ONE. XD Which is kind of hilarious, since I wrote most of this in July...but we are writers and so things get awkward. XD
DeleteSoon, I hope! Very soon! <3
My hope is that if WE cry while /writing/ it, the readers will cry while reading it...so I'm hopeful. Very. ;)
OH MY WORD THIS SOUNDS SO AMAZING, I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE!!!!
ReplyDeleteI DON'T EVEN TYPICALLY LIKE FANTASY ANYMORE, BUT THIS MIGHT BRING MY FAITH IN THE WHOLE GENRE BACK IT SOUNDS THAT GOOD.
AND THOSE SNIPPETS !!! *takes a breath* *flails forever*
Girl.
Girl.
Girlllllllll, I NEED THESE BOOKS IN MY LIFE.
This comment has made my day, Gray. Thank you thank you thank you. I cried with happiness when I read this the first time. <3 I can’t wait for you to read it either.
DeleteLove these snippets SO much!! I can't wait to see your trilogy in a book store!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kara! <3
DeleteThere is nothing, nothing, nothiiiing wrong with stopping writing for a bit. Sometimes our minds have to scream at us to STOOOOP, and we should listen. And GIRL. You wrote 58k words in 26 days!!!!!! THAT IS A RIDICULOUSLY GINORMOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT. Honestly, you blow me away with how fast you're getting these books written. I also think it's beautiful how you DO put so much of your own emotion in your stories. AND IT SHOWS. These snippets. *clutches heart* WOW WOW WOW!!! They are so raw and beautiful and utterly full of heart. I AM IN LOVE!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing AMAZING, girl! Congrats on your huge accomplishment! <333
I'm so glad I decided to listen! I think trying to fit first-drafting into my day right now would be hugely problematic :P And I'm so glad you like the snippets! This one was actually easier than most to find spoiler-free stuff for XD
DeleteTHANK YOU!!!!!!
I NEED THIS SERIES YESTERDAY. IT SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Faith! I literally have no words.
THANK YOU NICOLE! I can't wait for you to read it someday! <3
DeleteGoodness gracious, girl. The MOMENT your books become available to buy, LET ME KNOW. cuz I'm lowkey dying over here.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...thank you so much. <3 I absolutely will.
DeleteEEEEEEEEEEE!!! YOUR STORY SOUNDS AMAZING!!! I MUST READ MORE!!! Esma sounds awesome and hahaha...I totally know what you mean by your character being your husband...XD
ReplyDeleteAnd um, that was Mem. My computer is acting up and not letting me comment under my own name. XD
DeleteTHANK YOU MEM! And haha, he's kind of...one of those people....
Delete(totally understand ;)) Thanks for commenting!
I love those snippets! The characters sound awesome and I just...need to read this now?? Also, congratulations on getting to the third book! I'm up to the third book in my trilogy and it...it's really hard to plot in a way that ties up all the loose ends and is satisfying and lives up to everyone's expectations. Whew! Way to go! I hope you go back to your novel refreshed!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Chelsea! I have one more book to wrap everything up, but there's still so much going on and I definitely agree that finales can get overwhelming. Thank you!
DeleteDerek... <3
ReplyDelete"She has lost some of the people she loves most in the world" <<< EXCUSE ME??? WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN??? *runs and hides*
58k words is just incredible.
I know. My precious. <3
DeleteUmmm....*awkward chuckle* *ducks under bed* NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL...
Thanks <3
These are so good Faith! I can feel the emotions.
ReplyDeleteI am captivated by these characters!
Thank you Skye! I'm so happy to hear that <3
DeleteThis is amazing! I like the characters. I'll look forward to more of these.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteMay I just say that ALL OF YOUR FACE CLAIMS FOR YOUR CHARACTERS ARE AMAAAAZING. :D
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU SO MUCH, I KIND OF ADORE THEM. <3
DeleteARGGH! ARE YOU TRYING TO HURT ME WITH THESE?! It sounds so good, but really heart-wrenching. I can see you making yourself cry with the emotion behind the snippets I read... and I'm kinda worried I'll cry on that glorious day when I'm able to read it. But I also get the feeling it'll be worth it though. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post!
Alexa
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Hello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)