z

Young Writers Society


NaNo '18: The Hybrid Sun



User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:25 pm
View Likes
mellifera says...



This was a pretty last minute decision to hop into NaNo as I only decided...last week...haha.

I ended up settling on this project because it had a very solid beginning and a pretty stable ending. The other story I considered had very little actual plot, and even though I had given it a little at the beginning of the week, I ended up going with this one.

This was actually going to my LMS until I changed my mind (again last minute rip :') ) and went with the one I'm working on now.

I'll probably end up updating this thread with word counts, some notes for myself, updates on how things are going, and maybe some snippets? Honestly, this is my first year doing NaNo and I'm not expecting much, especially since I still have LMS running, but I'm going to shoot for 50k because I'm kinda an absolute Fool. But I have a lot of motivation, an almost completed outline, and determination, plus I sorta did this back in August with my other novel, so! Here's to hoping!
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Tue Oct 30, 2018 10:48 pm
View Likes
mellifera says...



Project Talk!


The Hybrid Sun is actually a little more of a "save the world" plot, which I normally stray away from because I'm not a big fan of that (or stories about a "chosen one"), but I guess I'd like to try stretching my wings for this one...pun fully intended because that, folks, is what the story is based around ;)

It's about three main characters, another new thing for me since I haven't really dedicated effort into trying to write a novel with multiple povs (my LMS doesn't count yet). I'm planning this as a trilogy with each one focusing on each character's storylines but honestly, later books are for a later time.

It's fantasy setting, and sorta mixed between modern and medieval setting. It's not set in our world, not really, so I'm going to play around with how everything is set up (the worldbuilding is pretty unfortunate right now, sadly). But it centres around Wisps (which is a very tentative name right now), a race of winged people who live on what they call the Wandering Isle or Wiisha.

The return of their long time enemies, what they call Shadows who are supposed to be nearly extinct (and are definitely not), is ultimately what pushes Arien, Ronni, and Jasper together. After Ronni's people - an army of warriors trained to fight the Shadows - are all destroyed in an ambush, she's forced to seek out help. Along the way, she finds Jasper, who has no idea how to control his power (essentially magic), and Arien, who is on the run from a part of his past that he was forced into after the father he never knew died.

It's kind of an experiment for me, and I'm really shooting myself in the foot for choosing another blank slate for a worldbuild rather than choosing my modern magic story but here we are. We'll see how it goes I suppose!
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
414 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 31420
Reviews: 414
Tue Oct 30, 2018 11:37 pm
View Likes
keystrings says...



This sounds interesting! Good luck :)
name: key/string/perks
pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs


novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24)
poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Wed Oct 31, 2018 12:48 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



Thank you! And the same to you :D
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:42 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



Day One


Word Count: 3,280/1,667
Total NaNo Word Count: 3,280/50,000


So today actually went really well for writing (and as of right now, I got myself down to 1,558 a day to finish)! I was expecting a lot of delays today, because we had the whole day full of stuff to do and I had polo practise, but everything ended up getting cleared up, so I got to sit down at two different intervals and write for a while.

I'm aware I don't want to burn out, and I know I have motivation now, but we'll see how far it takes me. I wanted to get more done in the first week (or really, today and tomorrow), or as much as I could, because I have a polo game over the weekend and I have to write another LMS chapter sometime next week.

I never did end up finishing the outline, but I think I have more than enough to get me to 50k (plus there's only a few chapters left for the outline, which I may or may not try to finish anyway).

I will say this as a note for myself: I need to allow it to be bad. It wasn't a problem for me today, since I got plenty of worth from the time I spent doing this, but I was still obsessing over things I shouldn't have. I'm not a rigid perfectionist (or at least, I don't allow myself to be for a first draft), but I'm definitely more fussy than I should be. I sat for several minutes too long trying to think of a good beginning and what one of the characters would say.


Otherwise! That's all I have for today. The noveling begins! <3

Today's chapter is Arien (albeit, very small Arien)! You can meet him in a little snippet of today's writing exploits below.
Spoiler! :
But it couldn’t hurt to try again, right? Maybe the Talon was too high to jump from – Arien wanted motivation to learn how to fly but death seemed like an awfully dramatic motivator – but he knew a smaller formation of rocks he could at least get momentum from. It wasn’t too high, and he’d only sprained his ankle twice. And broken his wrist. But it was all in good fun.

Well, for him anyway. His mother hadn’t been quite so entertained.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Sat Nov 03, 2018 2:49 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY TWO


Word Count: 3,659/1,558
Total NaNo Word Count: 6,939/50,000

I wanted this to be one of my more productive days because I'm going to be busy this weekend and then I've got LMS again, but I had zero motivation when I got up this morning. Still, I got out about 2.5k and called it quits. But! Then I got back to our house tonight and managed to get another 1k out, so here we are! I'm now down to 1,485 a day, and hopefully I can keep that number under control.

Chapter 1 is finished and Chapter 2 has been started! took way too long to get a beginning again though rip


I didn't have a particular snippet from the rest of Arien's chapter I was thrilled with, so have some Ronni and sibling bonding time.
Spoiler! :
At least one of them had to be relatively normal. She sent a glance towards Rhys, who shook off his wondrously bright wings and bounced energetically on his feet.

With his wings outstretched, the tail tendril feathers trailing behind him, and each colour glittering in the sunlight with an almost metallic shine, Rhys looked like the perfect picture of a Sentinel. The brilliant, rainbow winged warriors of legend.

Rhys caught her watching him and grinned. “Admiring the view?” he asked, his tone heavily sarcastic.

She shook out her own feathers and pretended like she didn’t see the flash of grey behind her. Ronni could at least pretend she didn’t look like a wooden stool sat next to a golden throne. “I had plenty of it in the womb,” she retorted, folding her wings against her back.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:16 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY THREE


Word Count:1,883/1,485
Total NaNo Word Count: 8,822/50,000

Today was a little slower, but I also expected it to be. Of course, if I'd gotten a meagre 200 words more (approximately), I could have gotten to both 9k total and 2k written. Alas, I ended up looking at my later chapter of my other novel, HoHW, and Not Writing 200 words more. I'm down to only 1,471 words a day, which isn't quite the leap as before, but that's okay! I knew today would be slower anyway.

Partway through Chapter 2 now. I wasn't feeling like writing but I made myself do it and I wrote, like I said, slower than I probably should have. ALAS.

Today we had some sweet sibling bonding and because I'm an Angsty Girl, you bet it's not gonna last (; my plots are so predictable rip
Spoiler! :
“Rhys,” she murmured. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” she assured him, putting her hand over his. “Save your own strength-”

He used his other hand to pinch her in the thigh. “Shut up, it’s our strength. We’re a package deal, remember? You can’t have one of us without the other.”
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Mon Nov 05, 2018 1:56 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY FOUR


Word Count: 1,668/1,471
Total NaNo Word Count: 10,490/50,000

I really really didn't want to write today because I was exhausted after the game this weekend, but somehow? I did it? yay! Down to 1,464 words daily.

Still on Chapter 2, of course! Not too much to update on. I'm tired, it's time for me to sleep haha.

Instead of character-oriented, here's what my speed-writing, exhausted brain conjures for description! rip
Spoiler! :
Surrounding the entire mouth of the cave, was the blighted land they had seen earlier. It looked stranger than the patch her and Rhys had encountered earlier. There was concaves in the ground, like it had been burned away by acid, but they were dull and chalky looking. But there were still some streaks that still look shiny, and more yet that were still bubbling and pulsing like the gash before.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:53 pm
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY FIVE


Word Count: 1,688/1,464
Total NaNo Word Count: 12,178/50,000

I actually forgot to update this yesterday, but here we are! I don't remember the number of words I would've had to do daily since I didn't write it down (today it says 1,513 but I know that's because I haven't gotten around to it today). It was around the same as before though.

I had heard about websites like Write or Die, and Fighter's Block, but I had never tried them myself because I didn't think it would work? But it actually really helped me yesterday. I tried both out, I absolutely adore Fighter's Block, but Write or Die did actually help me get out 1k in 22 minutes, which is kinda crazy? The words are all pretty trash but I GOT THEM OUT yay!

Just got around to starting Chapter 3, not very far in, but I'll get into that one today!

Since I got a little into Chapter 3, we can finally meet the last protagonist! Not a great line, but at this point, it's getting the words out that matter, right? right??
Spoiler! :
It was at least the fifteenth dance Jasper had refused that night. It had to be.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Wed Nov 07, 2018 3:42 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY SIX


Word Count: 1,057/eh
Total NaNo Word Count: 13,235/50,000

And here's today's update! I actually didn't meet the word count, I'm back up to 1,471, but that's okay! I already wrote 2k for my lms and was feeling kinda drained after that, so I feel like it was an okay day regardless.

Still on Chapter 3! Not much to say about today.

Jasper, being grumpy as ever (and more sibling bonding! yay!)
Spoiler! :
"You could at least not look so downright miserable. It's rude."

He turned a hot glare on the speaker. "No, thank you," he said automatically, before realising that his sister, Marina, was standing beside him. She gave him an odd look and Jasper sighed. "Sorry, I thought you were someone asking for a dance. And I don't look miserable. It's just...hot in here. And this outfit is awful."
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Thu Nov 08, 2018 4:05 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY SEVEN


Word Count: 1,672/1,471
Total NaNo Word Count: 14,907/50,000

I didn't forget today! And we're back down to 1,463, which isn't even 10 words different but lET ME HAVE THIS.

I'm so glad that I'm utilising Fighter's Block because if I was feeling bad about the start of this novel, it's an absolute dumpster fire now. But the important thing! is that! I'm getting! my words out!

Still on Chapter 3! rip if I had done just less than 100 words I could've gotten to 15k. ALAS.

And we're still at Jasper. After you've gone a bit of a power rampage, you complain (to yourself) about whoever designed the infirmaries and their priorities.
Spoiler! :
Glancing around, he judged that this must be some sort of infirmary. There were several other beds lining the walls, and each was separated by a thick, grey sheet to give the occupant some idea of privacy.

Honestly, the dividers looked warmer than the blankets.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:09 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY EIGHT


Word Count: 1,745/1,463
Total NaNo Word Count: 16,652/50,000

Got it down another ten-ish to 1,450 a day!

I'm starting to get a little unhappy about where I am, considering I'm 16k in and I'm barely on Chapter 4 now. I know that I go overboard when it comes to word count (hohw? we don't talk about that.) and I'm worried this is going to end up way over what I want it to be at. I'm going to try to cut back a little and pace myself, so I guess we'll see how that goes. I'd like to finish this first draft before the New Year, and by how it's going, I'm like, 99.8% sure this won't end at 50k. :/

BUT we'll see how it goes!


I felt a little better about this part, probably cause there's sibling angst. (this is odd, because I wrote the 1.7k in about 35 minutes on write or die? so, in reality, it's probably pretty awful)
Spoiler! :
"Killed me?" she finished, rolling her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I'm not a porcelain doll. Seriously, I'm okay. I was worried about you- you've been asleep for almost two days."
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:07 pm
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY NINE


Word Count: 2,001/1,450
Total NaNo Word Count: 18,653/50,000

I forgot to write down what I had gotten down to again lol (and y'know, update this thread).

Yesterday was really dragging, and I wasn't having much fun with what I was writing, but after I checked and realised I was at almost 1.9k, I kept going and managed to get all the way to 2k and then called it quits.

Back to Arien!
Spoiler! :
he supposed nonthreatening was hard when you were wielding a sharp, pointy object designed to stab people with.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
351 Reviews



Gender: None specified
Points: 14090
Reviews: 351
Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:42 am
View Likes
mellifera says...



DAY TEN


Word Count: 1,967/????
Total NaNo Word Count: 20,620/50,000

I'm at exactly 1,400 a day now! whee! And I updated this today instead of forgetting! And I only need 5k more until I'm halfway to 50k! :D

I felt better about writing today then I did yesterday! I didn't write quite as much, but I finished the chapter and I didn't feel like writing only a little for the next one. Still, it felt better and I felt a little more motivated today, so I'm hoping that'll carry into tomorrow.

I honestly don't know what'll happen, but if, by some chance, I reach 50k before the 30th, I'm probably going to keep going? I don't think this novel will be finished at 50k, and I'd like to get as close to the end as I can. I guess we'll see how everything works out though first.


More of the Mr. Golden Boy. It was either this or angsting about his deceased father and I thought this was the better of the two.
Spoiler! :
Just as long as it didn’t cost to be paranoid, Arien would be happy.
I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people that do.

You and I, we are matter, and it matters.

they/them
  





User avatar
1162 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 32055
Reviews: 1162
Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:42 pm
View Likes
Carlito says...



Whoa you're doing awesome!! :D
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
  








I was never insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.
— Edgar Allan Poe