Countdown to NaNoWriMo
30 days to National Novel Writing Month!
This will be my third attempt. Last year, I had an idea, but not much plot, and nearly stalled out several times. This year, I'm hoping to have more plot and background done before November 1st. My goal is to spend at least half an hour every day writing down ideas for the plot and necessary background.
The novel is fantasy (of course), but this year will be more in the Young Adult genre, with a coming of age story. Here's a fragment I just finished writing, that takes place about five years before the main story. Mara, the main character, is about 13...
Worry
Mara walked out of the building, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the blazing sunlight. "There you are!" called Perrin. "Did old Snaggletooth decide to let you pass?"
The slighter girl gave her foster sister a sour look. "How would I know?" she asked. "Even for an oral exam, they don't tell you what the score was." She grimaced, hitching the bag--which was obviously too small to contain books, higher on her shoulder. "I wish I could read well enough to take the regular exams--I'll bet they were a lot easier than mine."
The laughter was general, mostly sympathetic, some of it not. "Ah, there goes little miss special, whining again," jeered one of the taller girls, standing in what little shadow was available at sun high. "Little teacher's pet whining because they didn't make it even easier for her..."
"I'm not whining!" snapped Mara, hands clenching, glaring at the girl. "I was just... just..." She whirled away, unable to come up with a good riposte. "And I'm not a 'teacher's pet!'"
"No, you're just the poor little, orphaned mountain-blood that everyone feels soooo sorry for," retorted the other. "Got to be nice to her, got to give her the benefit of the doubt, no matter how much she screws up--"
"That's enough, Carly." Perrin's voice was icy. "Just 'cause Mara has to learn differently from us, doesn't mean anyone's made it easy for her. Or that she's stupid. And if she screws up so much, then why did she trounce you in the debate contest three weeks ago?"
"The judges gave it--"
"Phooey on that!" interrupted one of the boys. "You lost fair and square, and everyone knows it!" A chorus of yeahs echoed him. Mara peered over her shoulder, and saw that it was Carly's turn to look embarrased, her face reddening and her eyes looking away.
"Anyway, school's over, so what are we doing standing around here?" demanded Perrin, bouncing on her toes a little, grinning, green eyes sparkling. Who wants to go to Donnie's to celebrate? Me and Mara are buying!"
Almost everyone broke into cheers and yelps of agreement. Mara could have sighed at her foster-sister's assumption, but she only nodded. Perrin was always generous with her allowance, and, after all, the extra bit her foster father had given them both that morning had been intended for celebrating after the end of their finals.
They trooped out to the street in a single mass. Mara tried not to mind that Carly and the girl's closes friends stayed with the group. After all, the sixteen girls and boys in their class had been together since primary schooling had begun seven years ago. Now, in only days, they would scattering to their respective apprenticeships, and would see less and less of each other.
Mara walked in silence as they moved downhill towards the neighborhood shopping square, feeling just a bit unhappy. She didn't want to think about what the next few days would bring. She didn't--
She started as a hand slipped into her own. "Hey, you're not worried about passing the finals, are you?" asked Amera.
Mara turned her head and smiled shyly at girl who was her best friend after Perrin. "Not really," she admitted. "You and Perrin spent so much time tutoring me … I think I did pretty well."
Amera grinned, her hazel eyes dancing behind her glasses. "What was the hardest question on the civics exam?"
Thinking a moment, Mara wrinkled her nose. "He asked me to recite the 12th amendment of the Settlement Constitution, and list three ways it impacts the city government."
Pumping her free hand, Amara crowed in delight. "I knew it! Mr. Walker has to come up with different questions for the regular exams every year, but I just knew he'd go back through the old exams to find the hardest questions for you! I told you he would, didn't I?"
"Mm hmm."
"That old meanie. Well, at least we're done with him." Amara squeezed her hand, then looked a bit more serious. "So, why were you looking so--glum? I mean, we're through with primary school, I know everyone passed, it's time to celebrate!"
Mara sighed. "I was--just thinking...we --all of us--we won't be together much, any more. You're obviously going to University, Perrin's certain she'll get into the Mage Guild, and me …"
"So where do you think you're going?"
Mara looked down at the sidewalk. "I think … I'll probably apply to Forestry, and maybe Enforcement. I like being outside … "
"But, could you qualify for Enforcement? I mean, your dad's pretty high up in that Guild, but you're so short…"
"I know. But, papa's been training me in unarmed fighting almost since I was adopted," Mara said. "And Sargeant de Delca, she thinks I could get in--not everything needs big people."
"Well, I hope you get what you want--whoops--hey, we need to catch up! We don't want to be the last into Donnie's, or we'll end up with the worst seats at the table! Come on!"
Mara looked and saw that the rest of the group were ahead of them, and picked up her pace to match Amara. They merged with their classmates, and Mara tried to smile, to chatter--and tried not to think about the looming decision that would decide her future.
Which guilds would offer her an apprenticeship?
This will be my third attempt. Last year, I had an idea, but not much plot, and nearly stalled out several times. This year, I'm hoping to have more plot and background done before November 1st. My goal is to spend at least half an hour every day writing down ideas for the plot and necessary background.
The novel is fantasy (of course), but this year will be more in the Young Adult genre, with a coming of age story. Here's a fragment I just finished writing, that takes place about five years before the main story. Mara, the main character, is about 13...
Worry
Mara walked out of the building, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the blazing sunlight. "There you are!" called Perrin. "Did old Snaggletooth decide to let you pass?"
The slighter girl gave her foster sister a sour look. "How would I know?" she asked. "Even for an oral exam, they don't tell you what the score was." She grimaced, hitching the bag--which was obviously too small to contain books, higher on her shoulder. "I wish I could read well enough to take the regular exams--I'll bet they were a lot easier than mine."
The laughter was general, mostly sympathetic, some of it not. "Ah, there goes little miss special, whining again," jeered one of the taller girls, standing in what little shadow was available at sun high. "Little teacher's pet whining because they didn't make it even easier for her..."
"I'm not whining!" snapped Mara, hands clenching, glaring at the girl. "I was just... just..." She whirled away, unable to come up with a good riposte. "And I'm not a 'teacher's pet!'"
"No, you're just the poor little, orphaned mountain-blood that everyone feels soooo sorry for," retorted the other. "Got to be nice to her, got to give her the benefit of the doubt, no matter how much she screws up--"
"That's enough, Carly." Perrin's voice was icy. "Just 'cause Mara has to learn differently from us, doesn't mean anyone's made it easy for her. Or that she's stupid. And if she screws up so much, then why did she trounce you in the debate contest three weeks ago?"
"The judges gave it--"
"Phooey on that!" interrupted one of the boys. "You lost fair and square, and everyone knows it!" A chorus of yeahs echoed him. Mara peered over her shoulder, and saw that it was Carly's turn to look embarrased, her face reddening and her eyes looking away.
"Anyway, school's over, so what are we doing standing around here?" demanded Perrin, bouncing on her toes a little, grinning, green eyes sparkling. Who wants to go to Donnie's to celebrate? Me and Mara are buying!"
Almost everyone broke into cheers and yelps of agreement. Mara could have sighed at her foster-sister's assumption, but she only nodded. Perrin was always generous with her allowance, and, after all, the extra bit her foster father had given them both that morning had been intended for celebrating after the end of their finals.
They trooped out to the street in a single mass. Mara tried not to mind that Carly and the girl's closes friends stayed with the group. After all, the sixteen girls and boys in their class had been together since primary schooling had begun seven years ago. Now, in only days, they would scattering to their respective apprenticeships, and would see less and less of each other.
Mara walked in silence as they moved downhill towards the neighborhood shopping square, feeling just a bit unhappy. She didn't want to think about what the next few days would bring. She didn't--
She started as a hand slipped into her own. "Hey, you're not worried about passing the finals, are you?" asked Amera.
Mara turned her head and smiled shyly at girl who was her best friend after Perrin. "Not really," she admitted. "You and Perrin spent so much time tutoring me … I think I did pretty well."
Amera grinned, her hazel eyes dancing behind her glasses. "What was the hardest question on the civics exam?"
Thinking a moment, Mara wrinkled her nose. "He asked me to recite the 12th amendment of the Settlement Constitution, and list three ways it impacts the city government."
Pumping her free hand, Amara crowed in delight. "I knew it! Mr. Walker has to come up with different questions for the regular exams every year, but I just knew he'd go back through the old exams to find the hardest questions for you! I told you he would, didn't I?"
"Mm hmm."
"That old meanie. Well, at least we're done with him." Amara squeezed her hand, then looked a bit more serious. "So, why were you looking so--glum? I mean, we're through with primary school, I know everyone passed, it's time to celebrate!"
Mara sighed. "I was--just thinking...we --all of us--we won't be together much, any more. You're obviously going to University, Perrin's certain she'll get into the Mage Guild, and me …"
"So where do you think you're going?"
Mara looked down at the sidewalk. "I think … I'll probably apply to Forestry, and maybe Enforcement. I like being outside … "
"But, could you qualify for Enforcement? I mean, your dad's pretty high up in that Guild, but you're so short…"
"I know. But, papa's been training me in unarmed fighting almost since I was adopted," Mara said. "And Sargeant de Delca, she thinks I could get in--not everything needs big people."
"Well, I hope you get what you want--whoops--hey, we need to catch up! We don't want to be the last into Donnie's, or we'll end up with the worst seats at the table! Come on!"
Mara looked and saw that the rest of the group were ahead of them, and picked up her pace to match Amara. They merged with their classmates, and Mara tried to smile, to chatter--and tried not to think about the looming decision that would decide her future.
Which guilds would offer her an apprenticeship?