NovMo 2024: Something About Monsters

WeepingWisteria

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Tue Oct 08, 2024 12:43 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 12:43 am

Themes
Monsters
Fantasy
Horror
All-Knowing Narrator
Monster-of-the-Week
Origins of the Universe

Goals
Finish my first novel
Edit my first novel
Publish my first novel
FINISH MY FIRST NOVEL

They/he

“the wist i knew would never allow a straight boy in their stories” ~Omni
“Hi Omni can I request wist get the role mom friend :]" ~winter
“ah yes, fear Wist's smile :) <- speaks of layers and layers of secrets” ~mint

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WeepingWisteria

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Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:05 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:05 am

They/he

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WeepingWisteria

Gender

Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:12 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:12 am

A mysterious writer only known as the Narrator is here to teach mortals about the hidden dangers of the world they live in, from immortal beings to ghosts to freaky creatures. Each chapter follows a different story, telling the habits of the being, how people fall prey to it, and, if you're unlucky, how you can kill it.

The Narrator uses their unending knowledge and no shortage of sass to make sure you walk away with the ability to survive a little longer in this harsh world, and maybe you find some hope along the way too.

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WeepingWisteria

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Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:14 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:14 am

Existence: Oldest being in the universe and the previous ruler. Gave the keys to Life once Earth was inhabited. In love with cherry blossoms.

Death: Came before Life due to the first supernova creating the possibility of life. Life argues that this is unfair since if stars died, that means they were living and therefore he should've come first. Death doesn't have the energy to argue. They can't make any noise and therefore speak using sign language which is sort of a mix of all dialects. They can shapeshift, create pocket dimensions, and operate outside of time.

Life: Younger sibling to Death and current ruler of the universe. Spiteful, cruel, and quick to violence. He can shapeshift and influence people's minds. The more mentally strained they are, the more she can control them.

Fate: Chance's twin. He sees the universe as one grand tale and has many plans for what the perfect story would be. He can manipulate fate and set the course of people's lies.

Chance: Fate's twin. She sees herself as mostly separate from the universe on a grander scale and more of a force of nature, operating on pure chance. She can manipulate probability and determine the outcomes of chance encounters.

The Narrator: A largely unknown being who is all-knowing. They seem to operate largely separate from the other celestials, except for Death who they mention frequently. Powers unknown.

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WeepingWisteria

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Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:15 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:15 am

Mallory Pechman

Spoiler

Mallory never expected much from life. He has extremely low self-esteem and struggles with talking to people. His parents fought frequently and the kids at school never seemed to like him, leading to a very insecure and shy adult. He tried to go to college, but he was immediately overwhelmed. so he elected to work instead. He became a line cook at a local burger chain. His life changed when he met Sarah. Sarah would often run in during her lunch breaks, dressed to the nines in her office attire. She was always very sweet to Mallory and he was smitten. He gave her his number with her order and they've been together ever since.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Marshall

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Betsy is nothing if not an optimist. She's bright, usually smiling, and tries to keep situations light. However, this comes with the cost of feeling horrible when life does not go irreparably wrong. She has so much love to give and she gives it easily. She met Ollie in college at a Gardening Club Meeting. Betsy was a prominent figure there and decided to tutor Ollie, who was an utter disaster. This tutoring soon turned into coffee dates and before they even talked about a romantic relationship, they were kissing. It just worked. The two of them are now looking at purchasing a house together, which Betsy is ecstatic for.

Ollie Ketcher

Spoiler

Ollie is a chronic worrywart, but that hasn't stopped them from having big dreams. They've always dreamt of corporate life and climbing the ranks of the ladder until they had a corner office. And they've recently started that dream by getting an office job! Too bad is the most boring, mind-numbing job in the entire universe. Ollie's coming to grips with the idea that their dream might actually be a nightmare and moving further in their relationship with Betsy. They're scared of the future and what it could bring.

Patrol Officer Elsa Hoffman

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Elsa is a dedicated worker whose only goal is to help everyone she can. She's incredibly self-critical and holds herself to a very high standard. She's very dedicated to her family: her wife Serilda and her adopted children Cade and Mira. She met her partner, Timothy Russel, in the police academy. They bonded almost instantly and have been inseparable ever since. She met her wife at an open house for this one-bedroom rental. They were racing to see who could get the paperwork in first and soon it became more of a game than an actual competition. It ground to a halt when Serilda won and became the next tenant, but she felt bad so she invited Elsa to be her roommate. For the first few months, Elsa slept on a futon. But then they realized they were both useless pining lesbians and got together.

Patrol Officer Timothy Randall[//b]

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Timothy is light-hearted and fun. He tends to dislike tense situations and often uses humor as his coping mechanism, even if it's slightly inappropriate. He's someone who used to struggle badly with his mental health and dealt with nicotine addiction for years, but with the push of Elsa and his girlfriend Idalia, he managed to quit and has started chewing gum to keep clean. He met Idalia during a traffic stop. She had been speeding because her dad was sick and she was worried he wouldn't make it. He escorted her to the ER and stayed with her while he was being watched. They got along well and decided to exchange numbers. Even when her dad recovered, they stayed good friends and eventually got together. They recently got engaged and plan to have a winter wedding.

[b]Canine Officer Briar Henderson

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Briar is a bit of a loner, tending to stick to themself. They tend to come off as very sarcastic and tense, but it's never their intention. They just struggle with connecting to people and tend to overthink what to say. They're an angel to their dog, Ash, and they seem to be able to read his mind. They hadn't met Elsa or Tim until they were called to work on their latest case, exploring the strange disappearance and stranger reappearance of baby Deshna Chatterjee-Sharma.

Ash

Spoiler

Ash is a Dutch Shepherd who works closely with Briar, as they are his first-ever handler. He lives with them and considers them family. He's a very protective boy and tends to be very needy when he's off-duty, sprawling across Briar as soon as they're sitting down.

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WeepingWisteria

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Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:16 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:16 am

Christine Miller

Spoiler

Christine is a tired working mom who loves her kids but resents the mundane of the lie she feels trapped in. Her husband has dumped all of the responsibilities of the house on her, so she feels burnt out and never has a moment of rest. She tells herself that once her kids are eighteen, she'll find the life she wants to live. She dearly misses her mother, who died of cancer when Christine was a teenager. Her mother was always so happy and she expected to find a similar happiness in marriage and motherhood, but she feels like she's completely lost herself.

Richard Jones

Spoiler

Richard is your average teen boy who has a desperate crush on his new neighbor, Jennifer. He's not the best at school and is much more interested in athletics, but he was to keep his grades up to stay on the football team. He's a hard worker, he just struggles with remembering things. However, he finds it embarrassing to ask for help since most teachers and tutors just tell him to try harder. He works a part-time job to help his mom with the bills since his dad walked out on them when he was younger. She has the only car, so he has to walk everywhere. But he never complains.

Lucille "Lucy" Ebony

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Lucy was a kind, loving woman. She was gentle, a little shy, but earnest in everything she did. That was until she was killed by her husband, Jackson while she was pregnant with their child. The brutality and injustice of her death caused her to haunt the world as a vengeful spirit, hungry for blood and revenge. She wanders the Earth, looking for her abuser and waiting to give him the pain he inflicted on her.

Jackson Ebony

Spoiler

Jackon is nothing short of a terrible person. He's a drunk, quick to anger and slow to reason. He's incredibly defensive and violent. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife and was let out pretty early despite the years of torment Lucy went through. He's already moved on, finding a new apartment and spending any excess money from his paycheck on his choice vice of cheap gas station beer. He feels no remorse for what he did and would probably go through the same cycle again if given the opportunity.

Andrea O'Connell

Spoiler

Andrea, a freshman in high school, was looking forward to achieving great things. She was a middle school prodigy who was known for her quick wit and perfect grades. However, the transition to high school proved too much for her and her grades started tanking. She's been struggling under the weight of the pressure to perform and school work no longer being effortless She just wants a place where she feels safe from expectation and can breathe.

Aditi Sharma

Spoiler

Aditi is a first-time mother with a precious baby girl named Deshna. She got an amicable divorce from her husband Karan while she was pregnant. The two of them co-parent well and only want what's best for Deshna. While she regrets marrying young, she doesn't regret having Deshna. She looks forward to exploring herself as a mother and as an individual. However, all of that hope dried up after the disappearance of Deshna. It felt like her entire life was crumbling, but it didn't get better once Deshna reappeared. Despite no doctor finding anything wrong, her personality has completely changed. She hopes that finding the kidnapper will solve this mystery and she can have her baby back.

Henry Bettencourt

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Henry is the CEO of a large tech business. His father gave him the job when he retired and he has strived to have record profits ever since. He wants to teach his son Kit the world of business so he can take over the company one day. His wife often tries to give him advice, but he usually ignores her and listens to the Stockholders. He chases their approval over all else and it's made him a very wealthy man. He knows that despite some issues with the recession, their advice will keep the money spilling.

Malik Griffin

Spoiler

Malik is just a guy down on his luck. He put his dream on pause to care for his sick and aging father and thus, never got his political science degree. So, he's trying to pick up the pieces after the death of his father. He's exploring his identity by weaving his hair and piercing his ears. Call it a quarter-life crisis or bad coping, Malik calls it finding himself after realizing he abandoned his future and needs to either change paths or go back to school as someone who's almost thirty. He just needs a push to focus on himself for a while, then he'll be okay.

Naomi Onaona

Spoiler

Naomi is a college student who is finally getting the taste of freedom she's always craved. She's taken the time to explore herself and has found an identity outside of her overbearing family. However, she wants to include her family in the new her because she hopes that being an adult will give her more respect. So, she's planning on coming out to them as aro/ace this summer break to offer that branch. She's nervous but hopeful.

[cemter]

[/center]

John Ezra

[spoiler]John is someone who takes the law very seriously. He thinks the ends justify the means and public safety is more important than freedom. He doesn't trust the trial system, but he plays his role as a police officer anyway, hoping that at least a few of the criminals he locks up stay locked up. He's often described as "boyish" in that he likes football, beer, elbowing people, and laughing at inappropriate comments.

Aaron Washington

Spoiler

Aaron is a genuinely sweet kid. He doesn't like conflict and often hides in jackets and beanies to get the attention off of him. However, he's fascinated with the alternative style, so he's gotten several piercings since turning sixteen. He misses his brother but has always been very uneasy around his dad. His softer nature got him teased a lot in elementary school. but he's since found his people in high school, letting him feel more at ease with himself.

Ekon Washington

Spoiler

Ekon is a rough kid, heavily influenced by his dad. He's dabbled in smoking and now finds it hard to stop when he's home. He idolizes his dad and resents his mom for taking away his twin. He misses the days when they were just a happy family and he felt happy. He keeps looking for someone to fill the void his brother left, but none have come close so he's become a loner, pushing people away before they disappoint him.

Remy Harris

Spoiler

Remy was recently kicked out due to being nonbinary. With all of the cash they managed to take from their bank account before their parents closed it and all of the clothes they could carry in a carry-on, they've turned their sights to New York to try and make a life there. Unfortunately, they need a job for that and it's very hard to hire a homeless stray from off the street.

Reginald Acker

Spoiler

Reginald is what one would best describe as "kooky." He talks to seagulls and makes his jewelry out of twine and seashells. However, despite this and the fact that he doesn't seem to have a job, he owns a beautiful beachfront house that he loves to host in. He's very social and wants to be friends with every person who doesn't immediately cringe at his appearance.

Bonnie Jensen

Spoiler

Bonnie is a traditional wife. She stays home all day, cooks, and cleans. She never earned income until deciding to be a family vlogger. She found a few moms within an hour or so of her and decided to meet up with them every other week. So now they exchange tips for looking young, keeping on top of household duties, and making great content. She's become much happier since, but her children seem to be tired-looking.

Alejandro Santos

Spoiler

Alejandro has just gotten over a four-year relationship and he's ready to get back into the dating scene. As a recently reformed partyer, he wants to find a more chill relationship that lets him act more like an adult. He still has a lot of evidence from this time, mainly the piercings he's still rather fond of. But, he's working hard on being sober and getting a master's degree to pursue his dream of education. He's mostly looking for a partner to share good times with on the days he has off.

Elias Lee

Spoiler

Elias is usually a quiet kid, timid and easily startled. But, when he gets upset, he gets furious. All gnashing teeth and snarling. He lashes out like his life is in danger. He's restless and often tries to hide in very small spaces. He hates his parents but is terrified of strangers.

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WeepingWisteria

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Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:17 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:17 am

They/he

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WeepingWisteria

Gender

Points 15018

Reviews 109

Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:18 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Tue Oct 08, 2024 1:18 am

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Carlito

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Points 33076

Reviews 1167

Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:01 am

Carlito says... · Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:01 am

Yay for trying to finish your first novel!! You got this!!
I'm obsessed that the picture is light and cute and then the themes are monsters/horror. 10/10
Super cool idea! Love the all knowing narrator. Have you read the Series of Unfortunate Events? There's an all knowing narrator with an excellent voice in that if you're in need of any inspiration!

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!

Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3

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WeepingWisteria

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Points 15018

Reviews 109

Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:06 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:06 am

@Carlito, I love A Series of Unfortunate Events and it played a big role in trying this style of narrator!! I’m also glad you appreciate the seeming innocence of the cover. I was worried people would find it confusing. Thank you so much for the encouragement <33

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Carlito

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Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:10 am

Carlito says... · Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:10 am

You're so welcome!! And actually the cover makes sense with the typewriter -- the all knowing narrator is telling the story on the cute typewriter

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.

Ask a Therapist!
I want to beta read your novel!

Ask me anything. Talk to me about anything. Seriously. My PM box is always open <3

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WeepingWisteria

Gender

Points 15018

Reviews 109

Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:26 am

WeepingWisteria says... · Thu Oct 10, 2024 2:26 am

It definitely looks cute XDD

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