NaNo Update

I’ve set a goal for myself to try and hit 80k this year (the NaNo “win” is 50,000).  Maybe it’s because I’m insane, or maybe it’s because I figure it will take about that much to finish the story that’s unraveling in my head.  The good news is, I’m on track to hit 80k!  I crossed the 25k line yesterday and finished today just short of 28k. 

I love the way the stories unravel in my mind.  I will admit that, after working so much on my last novel, it was hard to get into this one.  It’s like waking up in the morning and trying to put on someone else’s jeans.  It felt funny to dive into the life of a whole new character, and since I write fantasy, a whole new world.  I spent the first 5-10k just feeling it out and getting to know my way around.  I’m writing this novel in first person, so the first few chapters are stunted and awkward while I struggled to find her voice.  But that’s okay.  I can fix that later.  The point of NaNo is to get it on paper and to give yourself something to work with.

While it’s true that writing a whole novel in a month makes for a VERY rough draft, there are a few shining moments I’ve stumbled across.  I’m not going to bother with backstory, but in case you’re interested, here’s a bit of my favorite scene so far.  Enjoy!

It made me mad.

I looked down at the group of kids in front of me. There was the smallest space between them and some tittering boys. I knew what I wanted to do, what I thought was the right thing to do, but it took every ounce of willpower in my body to force myself forward.

"Do what you have to do," I murmured under my breath. "One step at a time."

First I put my hand on the shoulder of the girl in front of me. I nudged her gently and slid out from behind her. Then I stepped forward. Once. Twice. Three strides until I stood between Teon and Elona. I looked at Elona and tried to give her a small smile before turning to Teon. He stared at me as if I were an unicorn … or maybe a troll. Something that should not have been there, but inexplicably was.

Teon's ocean eyes stared back at me, and suddenly I had another reason to be mad at him. If he thought his nymph magic made him better than these other people, gave him a right to treat them like this, he was wrong. A sudden realization hit me, brought to my attention by the swelling pressure of the situation. Nymph magic was only ever used to protect Ao'Ha and its citizens. If that was the case, I was a guardian, too.

I threw back my shoulders and lifted my chin. I could still remember the way his lips felt on mine last night. Maybe that was why he didn't intimidate me anymore.

"Just who do you think you are?" I said. My voice rumbled up from my chest. "Elona's right. If you needed help with your college essays, you could have asked her. She's a nice person, and you two are friends. She would have helped you."

I didn't take my eyes off Teon, and he seemed transfixed by me. "Isn't that right Elona?"

She sniffed and gasped behind me, but she didn't contradict me.

"But you knew that you're so sexy and so popular, and you thought it would be fun to toy with her, just because you can!" I let my tone lift and mock him. Even as I stood there, in the midst of my rant, I surprised myself. Only three days ago, I'd cowered from him. I could see he was just as shocked as I was. But I wasn't finished, yet.

"Teon, you are an insult to your namesake. Teon'Atel the wise …" somehow that didn't seem enough, so I elaborated, remembering the tale of Teon'Atel and Aaia, "… and lover of nymphs, you are not. You'd have been better named Ulron!"

My voice echoed down the hallway, joined by a few gasps. Ulron, the god of misfortune, was blamed for anything that went wrong on the island. While you could attribute happenings to him, no one ever crossed the line and compared him to a person. That was just too low.

Too low, maybe, but if I was the only one to say it, there were others who agreed.

"Tell 'im, Ulee!" Leagh called. I didn't know she even knew my name. She walked over and put her arm around Elona. Murmurs of agreement rose from the crowd. Teon was still the star polo player, and no one was willing to bring his ire down on themselves, but it was quickly obvious whose side they were on.

Teon's eyes scanned the crowd and then focused on me. They narrowed.

"Crazy orphan," he chuckled. "Who even cares what you think?"