Writing Progress - Tumblr Posts
18 days ago I said I was going to start a mystery novel. What have I done since then?
I made a list of characters
We got Chinwe, the college student who went missing. Rachel, her girlfriend who is trying to find her. Alyanna, Chinwe's best friend who was also the last known person to see her. Yejin, Chinwe's toxic ex who goes to a different school than the rest of them. Ms. Jones, Chinwe's mom who is also very close to Rachel.
2. I outlined a plot
Because the police aren't investigated Chinwe's disappearance, Rachel decides to do it herself. Chinwe is a photographer and loves to post on instagram, so that's the first place Rachel goes for clues. She finds incriminating evidence against Alyanna and a possible connection between Alyanna and Yejin, who she has never met in person. Yejin and Rachel end up teaming up to find the girl they both love, which leads to Rachel having to cross state borders to get to her.
3. I wrote some quotes
I don't want to completely write it yet because I'm focused on another wip right now, so I just wrote some basic quotes. Because I'm a hopeless romantic, I wrote Rachel's first conversation with Chinwe and their interactions together that will eventually be memories Rachel is reliving while driving to where she thinks Chinwe is being held.
4. I came up with a title
I cycled through a lot of options for the title and landed on We Faceless Folk. It's supposed to represent how the police (at least here in the US) don't see marginalized people as people. I will use it as a tag when I post about this story from now on.
Side Note: During this time I also finished writing a labor-heavy chapter for my main wip. This took me nearly a month to complete.
Side Side Note: It's going to take me years to finish We Faceless Few, but I have a google doc with the second draft of my main wip, Spiritwalker, open to other writers/readers to read and offer feedback. If that sounds interesting, send me a message and I'll send you the link!
And that's on productivity!
LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY FIRST AND SECOND DRAFT I'M SO PROUD OF MY PROGRESS!!
Here's the last section of my first chapter in my first draft
The coachman opened the door to the carriage and offered a hand to help me inside. I have ridden in carriages before, but never had the luxuriousness to myself. The seats were made out of velvet and the floor was polished hardwood. The wheels were so smooth that I barely felt movement as the horses sped down the cobblestone roads. I looked out the window for a while, silently watching my home fade away and the shopping district come into view. I watched my people go about their lives until the shopping district became the residential area and the residential area dissolved into the forests that led into Herbneivorous territory. We still had a long way to go and I needed to conserve my energy so I closed my eyes and drifted away into sleep.
And here it is in my second draft
The coachman opened the door to the carriage and offered a hand to help me inside. As I entered and sat myself on velvet cushions so soft they partly swallowed me, I did not take even a single glance back at the black-brick mansion. My path had already been laid out, and it led away from Spiritwalker Mansion. I would not be able to keep moving forward if my head was turned back, even for a second. As we began to move on wheels so smooth I barely felt movement, I silently watched the small buildings of the shopping district come into view. A few witches milled about, going into shops with purses in their hands and coming out with baked goods or home appliances. I thought it funny how I had kept watch over these people my whole life through the meticulously written words of the mistresses—I knew how well their businesses ran, when a new witch was born, when one died, and many more details—yet this was one of the few times I had ever seen my people go about their lives. Sadly, I did not get to see more of what my people do when politics are not involved because the shopping district melted into the residential area, and the residential area dissolved into the forests that led into Herbneivorous territory. We still had a long way to go and I needed to conserve my energy so I closed my eyes and drifted away into sleep.
I know I still have a long way to go but it's so much better right?
I’M ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE SECOND DRAFT OF MY WIP LETS GOOOOO
I just made it to chapter 19 of my wip and am astonished by how terrible it is compared to the rest of my first draft. It’s filled with dialogue that has no purpose and characters that never come back. I literally groaned when I saw wrote interactions that already happen in previous chapters several times over. I’m only about halfway through the chapter and already cut about a quarter of it.
It’s officially been a year since I finished my first draft!! 🥳🥳🥳
I realized today that I wrote 199 pages
Spiritwalker Second Draft Completed!
Words: 74,820
Pages: 241
Chapters: 33 + epilogue
Time to complete: ~One year and four months
Spiritwalker taglist (ask to be added or removed) @the-golden-comet @pixies-love-envy @mthollowell-writes
Excerpt from Sundial (wip)
"Well. when your dead feelings disappear all together, theres nothing left. No fear. No pain." Ammielia weaved her hands through the prickly grass they lay upon. A daisy was nestled in her dark locks, petals white and tinted pink at the tips.
Colin lazily twirled green stems between his fingers, his stilted movements reminded Ammielia of a clumsy child. Still innocent to most things.
He reached for a new stem. "I can't help but disagree with that."
Looking for NEW writing exercises to help writers get in the mood to write.
I've done the following exercises before:
six word sentences
5 headed hydra
free write for 5mins
Please comment with your writing exercises and how you use them. 😊
Finished Guen II scene 5. In a reversal of the usual trend, scene 5 turned out to be simpler and more linear than I expected. It's a bit of an info-dump scene, so the linearity isn't super-surprising. Scene 6 is going to have to do more work to make up for it, though.
This feels like less of a victory than when I've finished previous scenes, just because scene 5 itself isn't that elaborate. The completion of scene 6, on the other hand, may call for every happy gif I have. It's going to be a challenge.
What's it about...
A blog dedicated to posting snippets of what I write along the way.
Because I write a lot, but only ever show whatever has been written, marinated, edited, aged, allowed to breathe, and finally served delicately like a fine wine. I've tried being more impulsive, but I cringe at the typos and $#&@!
So I thought it could be nice to post something I've written/edited daily (or almost) to show you (and me!) that I've come far and that everything is a work in progress.
Ask me questions (just no spoilers) and share your favorite quotes from my stories with me too 💜
Alright, let's get started 🚀
Code:
🚀 = writing 💜 = finished work ⚡ = outline of a story
Masterlist | Scroll my stories on Tumblr | Schedule and WIPs |
Coming up:
Stellar Behavior - Complete 💜
Officer!Yoongi x Mafia!Reader
Where you can read my stories for free: ao3 | wattpad
Network: @bangtanwritershq and my recommendations from them here
Also joined @thebtswritersclub recently 💜
here are all my Recommendations 💎
I don't allow my work to be repurposed, copied, reposted, modified or translated ©
SX Seoul series | Jimin entry 🚀
“Woah,” he breathed, bewildered.
“Is that okay?” You asked, winded.
“That’s fucking okay,” he rasped, at a loss for words. He had never seen that before and you didn't give him time to think about it.
Your hypnotizing hips kept going as you raised his chin to kiss him. “That’s how good you feel,” you moaned, out of breath. “That’s how hot you are. Fuck, that’s how much I wanted to ride your cock.”
Finished it 🍾
SX Seoul series | Namjoon entry 🚀
His lips pressed lightly atop your cheekbone and your breath caught. His nose had tapped against your glasses and you instinctively squinted though you couldn’t see. None of it bothered you though, on the contrary. Your lips parted in surprise, his thumb dragging across your jawline as if to make sure of where you were in the dark.
You forgot about the world around you. You were suspended in the air, in a trance, waiting for what would happen next, and it happened unexpectedly. His forehead touched yours and you closed your eyes, letting him cradle you sweetly. Little did he know that you could feel no anxiousness, you were a blank page waiting to be written on.
Gosh, he's so cute
SX Seoul series | Namjoon entry 🚀
“What… does that mean?”
Your voice was a thread and he swore he became dizzy, “You. I—” His lips twitched as he found words, “I want to be with you.”
He settled on that simple fact and shushed his racing heart. It was too soon to confess how long he had been thinking about this, how far he had fallen, and how deeply sure he was that there was no one else he wanted. Nowhere else he wanted to go, no other person who could be home, no other soul he wanted to share his time with. Shit, this was not the time for a love confession.
I have this sweet Namjoon in my mind and it's impossible not to fall in love
Finally, he moved from the crook of your neck and faced you. A single drop of sweat dripped along his nose to the tip and you caught it with your fingertip. He nuzzled you then, recovering his breath with a tender smile, and you smiled back.
Finished ✨ See you tomorrow?
SX Seoul series | Namjoon entry 🚀
“What… does that mean?”
Your voice was a thread and he swore he became dizzy, “You. I—” His lips twitched as he found words, “I want to be with you.”
He settled on that simple fact and shushed his racing heart. It was too soon to confess how long he had been thinking about this, how far he had fallen, and how deeply sure he was that there was no one else he wanted. Nowhere else he wanted to go, no other person who could be home, no other soul he wanted to share his time with. Shit, this was not the time for a love confession.
I have this sweet Namjoon in my mind and it's impossible not to fall in love
My Love In The Sea
The captain walked near the side of the ship. The rest of the crew were asleep, note a single light was on. The captain looked across the vast and endless ocean and looked for something. Any splash or small gleam in the darkness on the night. The call however stayed, calling the captain to jump into the waters below and to return again into the arms of the ocean, to return again into the arms of her beloved. She smiled at the memories of walking to a hidden part of the bridge under a cliff where she and her beloved would meet every evening before she started sailing. They would spend hours together, talking, singing, giving each other gifts and kisses all over. Exchanging gifts was something they loved to do. Her love always enjoyed giving her rings and shells while she gave her dearest small flowers and necklaces.
The captain reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a locket. It was silver and had flower and ocean themed carvings all over. She ran her fingers over the design, feeling every lovely engraving of the locket. The inside part of the locket and her beloved, engraved into the metal. Forever together in some sort of way. One of the last things her love ever gifted to her. The last thing her dearest had done with her the last time they ever spoke. Before that darn ship decided to cast her dearest out on the sea.
Every day that passed without her love made her want to tear through the entire ocean floor apart so she could simply see her love one last time. Oh how she wished she could claw open the throats of those who dared to blame the storm on her love and cast her over the boat and into the ocean. Well, she supposes blasting their ship and leaving them to drown was a good enough punishment. Their fear filled faces and cries for help were almost as wonderful as her beloved’s singing.
Her fingers still moved over the engraving of the necklace, she wondered what the water below would feel like, if they would feel as warm and comforting as her love was no matter how cold they both were in the winter. She wondered if her love would smile at her again even after all the things she had done.
She had bathed villages in blood, she burned down villages and ships, drowned helpless victims, tricked all those who dared to challenge her into giving up their lives for a failed attempt to gain riches. All their screams were a wonderful melody in her ears. She had explored almost every piece of land and ocean that the world had to offer. Gained almost every piece of treasure and gold that she could get her hands on.
She heard her love call out for her again. She saw the way the water moved towards her. Her beloved was calling for her again. She promised her love that she would travel the world for her and then she would come and return to her. Her love seemed to have missed her. What a silly thing her dearest was. She knew her love had followed her around on every trip and venture.
She knew they were always there with her. But she couldn’t say the same. She wasn’t truly with her beloved yet. But she was about to be.
She looked down into the waters below. The locket around her neck. She stared into the ocean and heard the final calling of her love. Her love was waiting underneath the waters for her. Her love had been waiting every day. Her beloved was calling out for her so that they could be together again. Oh how she was ready to return to her beloved's arms. To see her smile and laughter again.
The captain looked behind the ship once more. She saw her first mate standing behind her. Her first mate didn’t need her to speak to know what she was about to do and where she was about to go. A silent nod and they returned back inside the ship.
She smiled. She stood off at the edge of the ship. And she jumped.
Right into the waters below.
Deep into the ocean where you can never be found.
And there she saw her once more. Her beloved’s long hair and tail practically curled around her. Arms wrapped around her as she felt every sense of drowning leave and felt herself breathing under the surface. Her beloved’s voice happily laughed right into her ears and she felt her body slowly seem to change in some way, apparently her love couldn’t wait anymore.
The siren was ecstatic to see her dearest again. She waited so long and so patiently for them to be together again. She felt arms return the hug as her darling’s transformation continued on. She giggled as she removed parts of the needless complicated fabric so that her love’s changing could be as painless and comfortable as possible.
Death never came to both on the nights they fell into the ocean. Supposed death couldn’t keep them apart forever. Because here they were together in the ocean once more.
When Death's Due
When I first made it up it was meant to be the concept for a musical. Its a story of a teen girl who attempted suicide finding herself being haunted by ghosts of people who died too young (aka teens and young children) who had died tragically. They attempt to improve her life but are horrible at it so they end up making a deal with the girl, if she does certain tasks for each ghost then they'll leave her alone and cue the rest of the story.
Guide To Ghostwork
My pride and joy among all the unfinished writing projects I own. A story about a tired journalist who can see ghosts named Lillian as she gets partnered up with an awkward photographer college student named Lavender and a teen named Melanie she found trapped in a doll (who somehow becomes her adopted daughter and intern). They end up going on adventures regarding all sorts of paranormal and dead people all around. Other characters include a witch named Lucy, two undead cafe owners named Myla and Trevor, a vegan vampire named Karim, a siren named Alyssa, a forest elf musician named Harper, and a cavern elf named Debbie and a bunch of others. I just really like the idea of this series.
Papers Out!
The thriller/comedy series I'm writing featuring character stereotypes that I either change completely or improve/expand details on. It focuses on a newspaper club filled with some of the main stereotypes you see in teen movies as they get dragged into a mystery involving human experimentation and the paranormal going on within their up tight private boarding school. My main cast includes an anxious nerd with a strange obsession with perfection, his sheltered catholic best friend who also embodies the gay best friend troupe, a mute theater kid who has definitely got arrested for arson at some point, a jock who acts as the groups overprotective older brother who is a bit far too caring, and the school's popular girl who definitely does not have a strange obsession with her image and has crippling insecurities.
Behold, characters and vague background of a story that I'm writing
So I'm writing a story about a group of children that are students at a prestigious private boarding school and run the school's newspaper club that accidentally summoned a demon and the rest of hell (You can ask). The characters and their shenanigans are based around common cliché's and troupes but my way and slightly better. I'm in the (painful) process of writing the story and when I finish it I will post it on AO3 and share it here.
Anyways, these are my precious babies that I'm about to traumatize. These are just the main characters (meaning they are the heads of the newspaper club) because I have far too many for this one post...
Lilith Arondottir (She/Her)
Based around the Nerd Girl, main protagonist, head of the club's student submission's section
A sarcastic and intelligent Neurodivergent with a love for forensic science, guns, video games and fanfiction. She's a little sassy but mostly blunt and doesn't sugar coat and has severe social anxiety. She hates people and is mostly just tired. She is also very petty and fueled with spite. Will start throwing hands if frustrated enough. Hates swearing. She tends to be a tad self-sacrificing and almost deathly loyal. She's Indonesian but was adopted by an Icelandic gay couple and spent about half her life in Iceland. She's also a lesbian who falls in love with her academic rival.
Reads fanfiction. Mainly fluff, some dark shit, and smut (but like a good fanfiction reader, will never admit that)
The school is a school filled with rich people. Lilith is a scholarship student so while the others are rich as fuck, she is a lowly commoner
She is described to have an unsettling looking smile
She once built a huge glitter bomb when she was 8 and gave her two dads a heart attack
Quotes Ugh people…what a horrible thing to interact with I have never wanted to shoot myself in the foot to get a good excuse to avoid a situation as much as I want to write now If this man doesn’t shut up I’m cutting his stick off him body so the world is safe from his spawn
Lucas Estefan Escarra (He/Him)
Based around the theater kid and 'quirky' best friend cliché, protagonist's best friend, club president and management (manages expenses, advertisements, and printing)
The dramatic and over the top theater kid that Lilith calls her best friend. He is sassy and he loves music (especially Broadway musicals). He is also very petty and very competitive in all that he does. He is much more social and charming. He was neglected in favor of his Mary Sue sister whom he despises and wants to out do her. He's Mexican and is very open about the fact he's aro/ace.
Quotes Broadway musicals and other songs during conversations
He once started a fight in the hallways just to annoy a teacher that was bothering him
Can play guitar, piano, and trumpet and is a very good singing
Loves side scroller games and hates horror (but Lilith makes him play unless he is greatly disturbed)
Quotes “Congratulations! You’re a furry!” “Oh you little miss perfect wouldn’t it be a perfect day for her to just drop dead on a stage and feel the overwhelming sense of failure take over her like it has for years and years and-” “Are you ok Lucas?” “NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED YOU BITCH”
Carina Oclair (She/They)
Based around the rebellious goth characters, club's vice president and head of documentation and design
The rebellious little goth girl. She's short and violent with major anger issues and tends to be an asshole. Reckless and an adrenaline junky who just wants to have fun and chaotic. She's the violent and angry little sister but definitely has a soft side underneath all the black. She's a French demi-girl who is bisexual. She's also deaf and communicates through lip-reading, text-to-speech device, writing in her notebook, and sign language.
Very good and fighting and she loves getting into fights in general
She is very good at street art and skate-boarding
Has four overprotective older siblings (Clarkson, Cherisse, Charlie, Charlize)
Casually has a baseball bat and pepper spray hidden in her dorm room
Quotes I can’t hear shit you, you dumbass bitch stop talking slower I physically can’t hear you Take a step closer pretty boy, I swear this bat is just for decoration, I promise your balls will still be intact Oh good they’re making out now good for the- shit I owe Lucas $50 FUCK YOU AND HORNY ASS LILITH
Evelyn Mai (She/Her)
Based around the popular girl troupe, the head of student run columns and runs her own column (gossip).
She is one of the most popular girls in school. She's pretty and she's threatening but is very kind and sweet. She is sassy and adores gossip and rumors but is also very caring and protective and very responsible. She is a perfectionist. Loves fashion design, jewelry, dresses, shoes, and make-up. She is a Vietnamese who is also a closeted pansexual.
Is very good at sewing and loves making dresses and other types of clothing
Likes cooking and baking and the club loves her food
Was taught self-defense so she is actually very good at using a dagger
Does spend a lot of time on social media but always finds something funny to make the others laugh
Quotes “Make-up can hide my scars but it cannot hide my trauma” “I see we skipped the shower as usual huh Hasaphis?” “Garner take off the trash jacket”
Koen Garner (He/Him)
Based around the jock troupe, head of announcements and advertisements.
He is a strong and athletic guy who is super super tall. He is on the basketball team and is very good at the game and is described to be good looking. He is a complete sweetheart and kind and always wants to make his friends happy. He's not the smartest but does his best and has a huge collection of plushies that the club likes to steal from. He is an Aboriginal Australian guy and is an openly gay guy.
Is an amputee and has a prosthetic leg
He is on the school wrestling team
Pigeons and other animals are terrifying (I'd like to remind that he is Australian so it seems fair that he'd be scared)
He's strong enough to pick the other club members up, and usually has to pull Carina away before she gets into a fight
Quotes “Please calm down Carina we’re supposed to be making good terms with them- Where's Lucas” “Maybe I should get the cat one… but this Cerberus plush is so soft… but it's a cute cat plush…but three headed-dog that's also cute… but cat… but dog…” “I punched him in the face and he started crying then I panicked and started crying and so I tried to hug him but I moved my arms too fast and punched him again and then we were both just crying on the ground” “...Gardner…what”
These are just 5 of my children and I love them all dearly and I just really wanted to show someone other then my best friend.