My First Character Journal Entry for Nano 2010:

I wrote a new character journal entry today. It’s almost seven pages, and it sits at 3,111 words. It’s my first character journal entry for my 2010 Nanowrimo novel, The Bow of Ildirin. 

 

This entry is from the viewpoint of the master villain, and it’s one of my best, so far (and I’ve written more than a few).

Here’s a very brief excerpt:

…I have yet to see this child, yet I fear her. I don’t know why I should feel such dread at the prospect of seeing one so fair, as she is a child of the woman I loved so long ago. A thought comes to mind, and it is an unsettling one. I hope I am wrong in my thinking. Could this latest daughter be the one traveling with the Son of Ildirin? Could she be the one who teaches him about life, love, and sacrifice? Could she be instrumental in helping him become the destroyer he is prophesied to become?

I am really loving this villain. He’s not so villainous, yet he is very villainous at the same time. He’s been forced to live the life of a vampire for a very long time, and he’s suffered because of it. He’s made decisions that were very unwise, but really has no way to change things.

What will become of him? Will he see the light before it’s too late? Will he kill the hero or be killed by him? What will happen when he encounters a young woman who looks exactly like the lover he lost so long ago?

So many questions, so little time.


Have a good one!

Lois

Julnowrimo 2010: Writing Progress for Day 5

I did a lot of editing today, but I edited in about 2,269 new words! :D Not bad, if I do say so myself. ;) And I got a really, really late start, since I had to babysit Josiah for about 45 minutes.

Using the notes a friend sent me, I made some small fixes, then moved on to the bigger issues...the largest being that in several days, Arjun hadn't "eaten." Well, I couldn't have that, so I edited in a scene where he went savage and could no longer go without feeding. I think I did a good job, but I won't know for sure until M. reads it.

I also added in some other new material, little things scattered in here and there, leading up to his feeding, then adding in his remorse afterward, and Claire's acceptance of him, even after seeing what he'd done.

I'm including an excerpt here, so you can get an idea of some of the dialog between Arjun (the young vampire) and Malachai (the Archangel). My friend told me she really loved this exchange, and I have to admit to some sense of accomplishment with this. I've always wanted to write some great dialog. I think dialog is one of my strengths, but in some ways, I haven't really attained what I'd like through my dialog. In this excerpt, I think I've actually done what I've rarely been able to do, and I hope you'll like it.

As a side note, I am fully aware that Malachai is not a realistic archangel. I'm using a lot of creative license here, as the story is dark fantasy, so please don't let my portrayal of Malachai offend you.

Without further ado, here is the excerpt:

Arjun woke up confused as hell. There was a light shining so brightly, he thought it was daylight. His eyes hurt, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open so they would adjust to it.

“You're awfully reckless for someone who claims to love that woman, Arjun. What were you thinking? Or were you thinking at all?”

“What do you want, Malachai?” Arjun groused.

“I came because I've been ordered to help you.”

Arjun sat straight up and stared at the Archangel.

“Yeah, I couldn't believe it either,” Malachai shrugged. “But here I am.”

“You're not supposed to...”

“Interfere? Yeah, I know. I guess it's pretty important, or I wouldn't be cursed to help the likes of you.”

“What have you got against me, anyway?” Arjun asked. “I've never done anything to you.”

“It's not what you've done,” Malachai said, his voice flat as he shrugged his broad shoulders. “It's what you are. For centuries, I've been protecting humans from your kind. Don't take it personal. I don't like any of you. You're an abomination.”

“You know, Malachai, I didn't ask for this. It was forced on me against my will.”

“Still, you are what you are. You have impulses,” Malachai slid a glance toward Claire, who still slept soundly beside Arjun. “And you don't even attempt to control them.”

“How would you know that?” Arjun asked, perturbed.

“Look at yourself, Arj. Just look at yourself. You've been in contact with her for, what—sixteen hours, give or take a few minutes—and you've already bedded her twice. If that's control, I'd hate to see your lack of restraint.” The Archangel rolled his eyes and sighed, as if speaking to a child who'd done something mildly wrong. “Really, when you asked her if she wanted a ride home, what did you think would happen? Did you think she'd bake you a cake and send you on your way? Really, Arj, you're prone to these kinds of things. It couldn't have surprised you when things started getting hot and heavy.”

“You wouldn't understand any of this. As far as I know, your kind don't know anything about romantic love or sex.”

“You would be surprised what I know,” Malachai said, his eyes glowing white hot.

“Yeah? So, what do you know about it? Tell me.” Arjun taunted.

Malachai didn't take the bait.

“We don't have time for this, Arj. There's a band of twelve Hunters heading this way. They'll be here within half an hour. We've got to get you and the girl out of here.”

I would have liked to include the new scene I wrote today, but I think I'll pass for now. Who knows? Maybe someday. ;)

Have a great afternoon and evening!

Lois

My Personal 10K Day Progress- Day Two, Part II:

I reached my goal! I reached my goal! I reached my goal! :D

A lot of what I wrote is romance, but there is also danger, action, and important conversation. Claire is learning to trust Arjun, in spite of what she's been through in the past. She has finally opened up to him about her background since her family moved away when she was sixteen (back when they knew each other in their youth). If it's changed anything about his feelings for her, it's made him admire her courage to make it through the hell she's had to endure.

They are closer than ever now, but he still feels irredeemable. He hates himself for getting her involved in his life. He doesn't believe he's good enough for her, and nothing she says convinces him otherwise. Still, the fact that she's opened up and is beginning to trust him gives him hope.

My progress for the day, and my grand total for both days:

This session: 5,181 words
Total for Today: 7,767 words
GRAND TOTAL FOR BOTH DAYS: 13,181 words! :D

Here's an excerpt (beware of one profanity):

Claire was asleep on top of the covers, and he sat down beside her. Unwilling to disturb her, he sat still, watching her sleep.

He hated himself for dragging her into his messed up life. He wished he could go back in time and change things. If he could, he never would have stopped in the diner where she'd worked. That one little decision changed both their lives forever.

“Shit,” he muttered.

Claire stirred and looked up at him.

“When did you get back?” she asked.

“About three minutes ago,” he answered, picking up the bag of food and setting it beside her. He handed her a cup of coffee, and she took it gratefully.

“You know, you give me caffeine at this hour, and I won't be able to sleep,” she smiled.

“So, what's new? We don't sleep much, anyway.”

“True,” she grinned, leaning over to kiss him.

“Look, I've been thinking,” he said, changing the subject.

“About what?”

“A friend of mine mentioned having a cabin in Montana. I think he said it was outside Butte, near Deer Lodge Pass. I'm sure he wouldn't mind it if we stay there for a while.”

“Cool,” Claire said, taking a bite from her burger. “How long would it take us to get there?”

“If we leave at nightfall tomorrow night, we should be there by sunrise,” he said thoughtfully. He looked at her. “That's assuming we don't run into trouble along the way.”

“If we do, we'll make it through,” she said, displaying a trust in his abilities that he didn't share.

“I hope you're right,” he said.

“I am,” she said with conviction.

“Well, we're stuck here for the night, so we might as well make the most of it,” he said. “We'll hit the road again tomorrow night.”

I had so much fun during this writing session that I couldn't stop to post until Jeff came home! :P

Well, that's not entirely true. I had a phone call, and talked for a while, then put my mom on to talk. That break aside, I wrote straight through. :)

Current Music for Inspiration: My Arjun Dhaval playlist- currently "Carry Me," by Luna Halo, and "Better Off," by Pete Stewart

Current Snack for Energy: Ozarka water, a few Tostitos Blue Corn chips

This is my last update for the day. Tomorrow, I'll be working on home stuff. If I can get some writing in, I definitely want to. It will depend on how much weeding out I can get done.

Lois

My Personal 10K Day Progress, Part IV:

I've come to a scene that's "the calm before the storm," and I'm really anxious to write more, but it's time for me to take a shower and start dinner, so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

My progress, so far: My most recent session just garnered me a good 1,277 words, bringing my total word count for the day to 5,414.


Here's another excerpt:

Claire sank onto the bed and laid back. “I'll be glad when this is all over,” she murmured.

“I'm sorry I got you into this,” Arjun said, sitting down beside her. He ran a hand along her hair and face. “It's my fault you're miserable.”

Claire rose herself up on one elbow and looked at him. “Did I say I'm miserable?”

“I just assumed...” Arjun began, completely taken aback.

“Never assume, Arjun. I feel more alive than I've felt in a long time. I'm just tired. I'm sleepy. It's a normal thing for humans to be sleepy, you know.”

“Yes, I remember,” he said, running a finger along her neck to her collar bone. “We Vampires need sleep, but not much. I can live on an hour or two.”

“Well, I need eight hours or I'm no good to anyone,” she said, getting up and heading for the bathroom..."

This is a lighter scene, and there's no imminent danger, as far as they know. However, something bad will happen soon. As I said, this is the calm before the storm. :)

Current Music for Inspiration: Spoken's Last Chance To Breathe CD
Current Snack for Energy: A few Tostitos Blue Corn chips and Ozarka water

This is my final update for today. I'm going to make tomorrow another writing day with the hopes of writing 10K over the course of two days. I'll likely be working on this story. I'll work on my screenplay and the storm story later.

Lois

My Personal 10K Day Progress, Part III:

I'm making good progress, but it's going to end up being a 5K Day, which I don't mind. It's 5K words I didn't have before, right? ;)

My progress, so far: My most recent session garnered 1,941 words, bringing my subtotal for the day to 4,137.

Here's another excerpt:

“Wait!” [Arjun] cried out. “You didn't answer my question.”

The man turned back and sneered. “Nor did you answer mine, but I'm in a bit of a charitable mood tonight. I'll tell you who killed your sister, then I will have my fun with your strumpet.” He smiled evilly and moved closer to Arjun so that he could whisper in his ear. “The Archdemon, Xephan, killed your sister. He has asked that I hold you here for him so he can kill you himself.”

“Why?” Arjun demanded.

The man tsked, waving a finger in Arjun's face. “I didn't say I'd answer more than one question.”

“What happened to that charitable mood you claimed to be in?” Arjun spat.

“That will depend on how good your girlfriend is.” The man turned to go again.

“Wait!” Arjun called after him.

The stranger turned to look back. “Yes?”

“Who are you?”

“I am the Archhunter, Lascue. I have been after you for some time now, but it seems I am not the one destined to kill you. That is Xephan's good fortune. I wish you all the pain and anguish Xephan can put you through.”

“Why? What do you have against me?”

“No more questions. Good night, Mr. Dhaval.”

With that, Lascue turned and walked away, leaving Arjun alone with his horrified thoughts of the agony the Archhunter would soon put Claire through..."

Admittedly, this is some dark subject matter, but I'm really pushing my character. I want to see what he's capable of. You see, he's out for revenge. He's redeemable, but doesn't know it. He won't know it until the end, but I can tell you that love is what redeems him.

Current Music for Inspiration: Last Chance To Breathe CD, by Spoken
Current Snack for Energy: Nothing but refreshing, sweet Ozarka water

I'll try to check in again between 4:30 and 5:00, then I'll be done for the day.

Lois

My Personal 10K Day Progress, Part II:

I've been writing, but with having to do other things too, it's slow going.


My progress, so far: 875 words, bringing my subtotal for the day to 2,196.


Here's a very brief excerpt:

“How did you...?” [Arjun] began. “Don't tell me. All in a day's work, right?”

Malachai grinned broadly. “Something like that.” He walked to his own bike and mounted it. When he turned back to Arjun, his face held an expression of grave seriousness. “We'd best be moving if we don't want to be caught out here after nightfall..."

I'm loving this, so far. I just wish I didn't have other stuff to do, too. I'd get a lot more writing done. ;)

Current Music for Inspiration: Atreyu
Current Snack for Energy: Baby carrots

I'll try to check in again between 2:30 and 3:30.

Lois

Writing Progress:

Previous Word Count: 5,378
Saturday's Word Count: 420
Today's Word Count: 867
New Total Word Count: 6,665

Today, I've got my characters taking shelter at a motel off the main highway. Another storm is moving in, and it's not pretty.

Next time, I'll reveal who survives, who doesn't, and maybe add some other stuff.

For reference, here are the characters in this very brief excerpt:

Karan Malhotra: My main character, the young photographer
Samanyu Malhotra: Karan's older brother
Aesha Malhotra: Karan and Samanyu's mother
Avanti Chandekar: Karan's love interest (his ex-girlfriend, at this point)

Samanyu sighed. “I hope you know what you're doing.”

“I'll do whatever it takes to keep mom safe,” Karan said. He looked at Aesha and saw that she was watching him, a mixture of pride and sadness written on her face. “I mean it, Mom. Whatever it takes, I'll do it.”

“I know, Karan,” she said sadly. “That's what worries me.”

Karan glanced over at Avanti and saw her looking at Aesha with a look of concern mixed with pity. He watched her until she looked toward him, then he averted his eyes, unable to stop the surge of emotions he felt at the knowledge that she cared about his mother.

Opening of The Snapshot:

I've had the idea for a story for a few days now, and I've begun fleshing it out a bit. This, I just wrote for the heck of it, as part of Karan Malhotra's background. Karan is a young photographer, and this piece gives just a glimpse at his story. It doesn't really explore his character much, as I just wanted to hint at what's to come in his young life.

THE SNAPSHOT

The ocean was more still than it had been in a very long time. The water barely lapped at the shore. The moon illuminated every shimmer, every slight movement, every detail on the beach — including the young man seated alone, gazing out toward the horizon.

Karan Jai Malhotra used to be a photographer. Photographing people, animals, nature — life — was in his blood. From the age of nine, when he'd snapped his first shot, he knew he could do nothing else if he was to be truly happy. He worked hard, sacrificing most of the following ten years in order to perfect his craft. For a time, he was very successful — and truly happy.

Then something happened to change his life for the worse. Something so horrific, he swore never to pick up a camera again. His zest for life and capturing it on film were great, but what they did to him was much greater. They almost broke him, and for a time, he wanted to stop living.

“They” were a wealthy couple, ex-patriots from somewhere in Iowa in the United States. “They” were Ivan and Charlotte Wade, wealthy business people, patrons of the arts, well-liked celebrities in their own rite — with a very dark secret.

Karan had read about them in the news, but never in his worst nightmare would he ever have suspected them to be harboring such a deep, dark secret as the one he would unwittingly uncover with just one casual snapshot. That one snapshot would turn his life upside down.

Text copyright © 2010 by Lois Eighmy

My Poor MCs!

I've finally reached 70K! :D Right now, my word count is 70,269. :)

I've been putting Zane and Xander through a lot today!  I didn't overdo the violence, but I had to make it clear that Zane has gone through hell.

So, the question now is...will Xander live? ;)

Writing Is Love! :)

Just thought I would post an excerpt from my short story. I've been working on it, but it still seems far from finished. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be a novella instead of a short story!

Fox and Amabil (his niece by marriage) live a short distance from a Cheyenne village. The Cheyenne recently returned from their winter camp and Broken Wing, Fox's Cheyenne friend, took them to spend some time with his people during a celebration of spring. In this excerpt, they're on their way back to the peaceful valley, where Fox and Amabil live in a hogan Fox built by a lake surrounded by mountains and hills.

Fox and Amabil stayed with their Cheyenne neighbors for several days. Fox took every chance he could get to spend time with Olivia. He respected their customs and never tried to see her secretly. They always remained in the open where others could see them. He never touched her or kissed her, though he wanted to, and when he and Amabil finally began their journey back to their hogan in the valley, it was with sad hearts that they departed.

Broken Wing traveled with them and he saw the sadness in Fox's eyes as they talked.

“You miss my sister?”

“Yeah, I do,” Fox sighed.

“My father likes you. I think you have won him over,” Broken Wing grinned.

“What do I do now?” Fox asked.

“How many horses do you have?”

“What?” Fox asked in surprise.

“How many horses do you have?” Broken Wing repeated.

“Twelve,” Fox answered.

“Hmmm,” Broken Wing murmured. “You could offer ten of them. That might convince him.”

“What are you talkin' 'bout?” Fox asked, frustrated.

“It is customary among my people to offer horses to the family of the girl you wish to marry.”

“You're serious?” Fox asked.

Broken Wing nodded. “My opinion will carry much weight, but since I no longer live in my father's house, and there are no more brothers, the final word will be my father's.”

“So, what do I do?”

“You and Amabil should gather ten of your horses and ready them for the trip. Once you arrive in our village, Amabil will lead the horses to my father's tipi and leave them there. By the following day, if the horses are gone, you will know he has accepted.”

“And what do I do while I'm waitin'?”

“You will stay with me, of course!” Broken Wing grinned.

Fox looked at his friend, studying him. “You're not pullin' my leg, are you?”

“Pulling your leg?” Broken Wing asked, a puzzled expression on his handsome face.

“You know, jokin'.”

“Oh, no, I am not pulling your leg. This is the way it is done among my people. The Lakota and other tribes have similar traditions.”

2,474 words written so far today!

Now I'm off to work on some feedback, then I'll start on the outline. :)

Have a great afternoon!

Lois

My Writing Progress for Today:

My word count today is 2,576.

As far as the actual writing of my novels, I'm now only working on Cottage.  I need to figure out what's missing from my other novels and how to add those elements before I can resume writing them.  I've had a breakthrough, thanks to The Screenwriting Formula, and I want to do things right.  I'm happy about it.  I don't feel so pressed for time anymore, either.  :)

That said, here's a tiny excerpt.  Orly's best (male) friend, Mark, is speaking to her:

“If you're not happy, I'm not happy and I won't stand for that. I want you to love me, but that's obviously not going to happen.  If he loves you and you love him, let him know.  If you're so worried about your past, tell him about it.   If he's half the man you seem to think he is, he'll accept you in spite of it."

-- From Cottage on Crystal Bay

Copyright © 2009 by Lois Eighmy

I never worked on the character journal entries, but that's alright.  There's always tomorrow.  :)

Have a great afternoon and evening,

Lois

Today's Writing Progress:

Woohoo! I wrote 4,187 words today...all of them in Cottage! :D

I doubt I'll get to the character journal entries, but I might try to start them while I'm making dinner.

Here's a short excerpt from today's writing:

He bent to kiss me one last time. “Think about what I said,” he whispered in my ear. “I will wait as long as it takes and I will never hurt you.”

“I promise,” I answered. “I'll think about it.”

Gabriel turned away and walked to his car. When he opened the door, he stopped to look at me and our eyes met and held again for several moments before he got in and pulled away.

Slowly, I turned and unlocked the front door. I went inside and it felt as if I had walked in on someone's funeral. The air was heavy with a sadness so thick it was almost palpable. Unable to control the rush of emotions, I ran into the living room, threw myself onto the sofa and cried with reckless abandon.

See, Orly has had her heart broken many times in the past and she is unable to trust anyone with her heart, even Gabriel, who has been nothing but kind and helpful and understanding. She is torn by her feelings for him and her past experiences.

Also, her cottage is haunted by the spirit of a man who once loved a woman as deeply as Gabriel loves her. When she walked into her house, she was sensing this spirit's presence. The sadness compounded her already raw emotions, thus sending her into a fit of tears.

Lois

Another Day of Writing:

So on the same subject I'm sure many of you find boring, today will be another writing day for me. I'm going to attempt to beat yesterday's word count, just for fun. I'm not pressuring myself. As you know, I wrote over 15K in one day before, so beating 6,702 isn't out of the question. The most important thing is to work on Sons of the Wild Frontier. Then I'll work on some ideas for Cutter's Revenge and the western fantasy screenplay. I'm thinking of working on that other project, too...the one I'm working on with my friend, Patti.

By the way, here's an excerpt from Cottage:

“Orly,” I heard Gabriel call out.

I took the steps two at a time, worried that something might have happened to him. My heart and mind were racing as I ran into the house. I looked around but didn't see him.

“In here,” he called from the living room.

I went into the living room, afraid of what I would find. Gabriel was alright, but he was standing on the far side of the room staring at the furniture. The sofa and loveseat, the coffee table and end tables and the bookcases all sat in the middle of the room. Someone had moved them while I was at Gabriel's house.

Anger shoved fear aside as I stared up at the ceiling and clenched my hands into fists at my sides. “Alright!” I shouted. “This has gone far enough!”

“What are you doing?” Gabriel asked, puzzled, stepping around the furniture to stand beside me.

“I'm tired of this!” I shouted without looking at him. Angrily, I raised a fist into the air. “I want everything back where it's supposed to be by morning!”

Gabriel looked at me with a mixture of admiration and doubt. “Are you sure anyone's listening?” he asked.

“I don't know, but I'm not going to stand for this in my own house,” I muttered.

“Good for you, Orly. Take control. Let 'em have it!” he laughed, then more quietly, he murmured, “I hope you know what you're doing.”

“How could I possibly know what I'm doing?” I asked just as quietly. “I've never lived in a haunted house before. I'm just getting tired of these antics. I've got to let this spirit know that I won't tolerate his shenanigans.”

“That's the spirit,” Gabriel smiled. He turned to me and pushed my hair back over my shoulder, a look of concern replacing the smile. “If anything happens, you'll let me know?”

I nodded, letting my gaze meet his, then he touched my face. I didn't know what to do. I was more afraid of him than of the spirit that haunted my cottage, but I couldn't let him know that. I needed to be strong.

I turned away.

“Orly?” he asked.

“It's getting late. I still want to read some of the diary, some of the letters,” I said quietly.

“Alright,” he said quietly, not pushing the issue, but clearly wondering about my abruptness. “You'll call me if anything happens?”

“I said I would,” I said.

“Yes, you did,” he nodded. “I just want to make sure you won't change your mind.”

“I won't,” I assured him, walking him to the door.

“Alright, then I guess I'd better be going. I'll see you soon?”

“Of course,” I said, wanting both to see him as soon as possible and to run away and never see his handsome face again. I was quite torn by my emotions at that moment. I didn't know if I should keep him at bay or take a chance and let him into my heart. All I knew was that I'd been hurt horribly before and I didn't want to go through that kind of torment again. I was afraid to take the chance that he would break my heart. “Good night.”

“Good night, Orly,” he said quietly, lingering at the door. He touched my face, reluctant to go. “I don't know what happened to you in the past, but I'm not him. You can trust me,” he said, then he turned to go, giving me no chance to respond.

I went back inside and closed the door before he'd even started his car. I couldn't watch him leave. I was in danger of letting myself be vulnerable to him and I didn't want him to know it. I had no doubt that I would run after him and beg him to stay, but I forced myself to turn away and head back inside. Once I closed the door, I leaned against it, fighting the tears that welled up in my eyes. I reminded myself that I had to be strong, then I walked to the stairway leading up to my room.

It's not great, I'll admit, but it was fun to write! :D

Anyway, I've already got a pot of beans going in the slow cooker. I got the veggies ready last night so I wouldn't have to worry about them this morning. I've also cooked the fajita chicken so I won't have to worry about that for the next couple of days. I've eaten breakfast, even had about a quarter cup of coffee. Now I just need to finish up online, then I can get to work! :)

Have a great day! :D

Lois

My Writing Progress for Today:

I wrote 1,621 words in the Cottage novel. I haven't written in it for a while, so it was good to get back in touch with it after all this time. :)

Then I wrote 3,638 words in From the Ashes, my Zane Greywolf novel. I've still got a ways to go with this one and I'm loving the process. I love this story! :D

I finished my writing day by adding 3,114 words to Sons of the Wild Frontier: Phoenix Rising, bringing my grand total for the day to 8,373. Today's SotWF writing was about Fox. He's having a tough time of it right now, but he refuses to give in to his circumstances. He won't let things get him down.

And that's it for today. Tomorrow will be a reading day.

Have a great afternoon and evening! :D

Lois

My Personal 10K Day Update:

So far, I've written 2,257 words in From the Ashes (Zane Greywolf).

I don't think I'll reach 10K today, but my goal isn't really to reach 10K. My goal is to work on two of my novels. I've been working since 10:00 this morning. I'm about to have lunch, then I'll work on Sons of the Wild Frontier until about 2:00. Hopefully, I can post more results then. Then I'll start work on the Mira screenplay.

Remember, Zane is twenty-five and Xander is thirty-five. Zane is young, but he's no child. Anyway, this is where they're getting ready to say goodbye for the time being:

“Call it what you will, but my gut tells me everything will work out.”

“I'll take your word for it, Zane,” Xander smiled. “I hope your optimism is catching. I could sure use a good dose of it right about now.”

“Why? What's wrong?”

“I'm about to let my little brother leave and go back to civilization where they'll likely corrupt his young mind. What's positive about that?”

“Thanks to you and your savage Indian ways, I'm already corrupt,” I grinned. Then, as I climbed onto the snowmobile behind him, I grew a bit more serious. “We'll see each other again. I promise.”

“I believe you,” he said...

Catch you later! :D

Lois

10K Day, July 16, 2009:

Well, I've gotten off to a slow start. I've been working on my "Cottage" novel, the romance/ paranormal. My current word count for today is 3,079. Not too bad, but I expect it to speed up now that I'll be switching to Zane Greywolf. :)

Here's a very short excerpt from "Cottage":

I don't know what time it was when I woke up. At first, I was a bit disoriented, but as I lay there listening, I began to hear voices, hushed voices, as if there were people in the room with me and they were keeping their voices down trying not to awaken me. I couldn't distinguish what they were saying, but I knew it was voices I was hearing.

I reached for my cell phone where it sat on the floor beside the bed and the voices stopped.

I sat up and turned on the small lamp sitting on the floor beside me. I looked around the room, but no one was there. I got up and walked over to the window, expecting to see people walking around outside. There was no one out there.

~*~*~*~

Update: I'm now at 7,727 words. I worked on my Zane Greywolf novel, wrote up Fox's second post and am now in the middle of Sawyer's second post. After I finish this post, I have another scene or two in mind for Fox and/ or Sawyer, so it should be fun. :)

I'll be back later to update again! :D



~*~*~*~

Update: I've done it! :D My final word count for today is 10,773! *happy dance*

I finished Sawyer's second journal entry, then I worked on the scene I wanted to write. Here's a short excerpt:

Suddenly, Burns, Ramsey, Travis and Giles pulled their bandannas up 'round their faces and waved their guns around, tellin' everyone to get down.

I began to sink to my knees, but Giles pulled me to my feet.

“Not you. You've gotta get the cash.”

“I what?” I exclaimed, starin' at him.

“You heard me,” he said. “Get back in there and fill up these bags.”

“And if I don't?”

Giles touched the tip of his gun's barrel to my forehead.

“Bang!”

He laughed and I failed to see the humor in his joke...

...We mounted our horses and hightailed it out of there as fast as we could, sprayin' dust and gravel everywhere. My heart was pumpin' faster than ever. I loved action, but this kind of action I could do without. I was gonna be in a lot of trouble thanks to these guys.

Needless to say that Fox is in a heap of trouble. ;) But he's just found his brother. Sawyer is a drunk, at this point, and Fox doesn't know if he'll be much help, but his brother is his only hope of escape right now.

So, the day got off to a slow start, but I finally did it. I reached 10K+ by about 8:00 p.m. I'm a happy camper. :)