NaNoWriMo

[Jetthebinturong]

As some of you may know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The aim of NaNoWriMo is to complete a 50000 word draft of a novel over the month of November. When I first heard it, that sounded like an impossible goal but you'll never know if you don't try, right? So this year I'm participating in NaNoWriMo with a story I do not yet have a name for but a very good idea of the plot (I've already done the outline for the first 13 chapters). So does anyone else want to participate? You do need to give your email but you don't have to tell them your age or anything personal. Well, you are given the option to set a timezone but you could just leave it.

If anyone wants to participate, here's a link: http://nanowrimo.org/dashboard
And if anyone wants to know about my story, here's a link to my page: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/verdethenameless/novels

[Cornflower MM]

I won't lie, this sounds pretty cool, and I'd love to try it, but for one thing: Knowing me, I probably won't commit. I'll just be the one on the sidelines cheering everyone on.

[Blaggut]

I might do the younger version.

[Lily]

NaNo is hard work, but a lot of fun. I won in 2012 but only made it half way last year. I have yet to think up an idea for this year, but I still have a couple of days left!

[The Mask]

I did it last year. I don't think I have enough time to do it this year

[Rusvul]

I have plenty of time, but I'm not really someone who can stick to something for 50,000 words...

Good luck to all who enter!

[Jetthebinturong]

Here's the first chapter of my story for whoever's interested

Spoiler

Before you go into this however
READ THIS, IT IS IMPORTANT

1. There is swearing in this story, of course, they'll be buzzed out but it'll probably be easy to tell what it said originally, don't like, don't read
2. There is also gayness, like seriously, the main protagonists are two men who are romantically involved and there's kissing and cuddling and sleeping in the same bed, don't like, don't read. But, and this is the most important bit, you don't like it, you keep your mouth shut on the topic, you tell me you think it shouldn't be here because of THIS reason (sure, the swearing, go for it, I'll take your words into consideration) then I ignore you for the rest of my time on this forum, I'm not kidding and I won't forget. I've had a few less than friendly conversations on this topic before, this time I'm stopping it before it starts

Spoiler

NaNoWriMo Novel

An Overview

The city of Belphehill, a giant, sprawling city in the country of Englesha. Here, as it is throughout the world, the magical and non-magical peoples mingle to form one big community. Underneath Belphehill is the Undersea, a vast expanse of water filled with numerous deadly sea monsters. It is advised that if you sail on the Undersea, you take extreme caution, lest you fall in and get eaten by the merpeople.
  The magical community consists of several different species including human mages, goblins, dwarves and dragons.
  Humans are the species that have the greatest capacity for magic (aside from dragons), not all humans are magical but it is not at all rare for them to be. Magic is genetic and cannot be learned.
  Goblins are inventors and scholars of the highest calibre, they are just above a third of the height of an average human. They have leathery green skin, three-fingered hands and pointed ears. Most goblins have no hair but it is possible for them to.
  Dwarves are miners and blacksmiths with a love of fine ales, dwarves are inventors to rival the goblins. They are about a third of the height of the average human, they are very stocky and always have thick facial hair (except the women, though it is not uncommon for them to have some as well)
  Dragons are winged lizards that breathe fire, dragons all have some level of magical potential. They grow up to the size of large dogs and are usually incredibly intelligent.
  Humans can be effected by a number of diseases which have a magical origin, these are lycanthropy, gatanthropy, ropanthropy, arcanthropy and vampirism, all of these are passed on through bite and all except vampirism can be passed on through breeding (Vampires cannot breed, they are dead). Lycanthropes are forced to turn into wolves every night of the full moon, gatanthropes are forced to turn into cats every night of the new moon, ropanthropes are forced to turn into bats every night of the full moon and arcanthropes are forced to turn into bears every night of the new moon. Vampires must feed on blood to keep their second lives, it is illegal for a vampire to drink the blood of a human unless the human gives consent or they do not drink it directly from the human themselves (blood dealers sell bottled and bagged human blood to vampires. It is not illegal to be a blood dealer but all blood they sell must be obtained through legitimate means). Sunlight burns a vampire's skin, if they stay out in the sun long enough, they will turn to ash unless they are covered up.
  Lycanthropes, gatanthropes, ropanthropes and arcanthropes are colloquially referred to as werewolves, werecats, werebats and werebears. All of the werecreatures can also control their transformations other than on the nights previously mentioned. It is also possible for them to retain animalistic traits when in human form, this is also down to the will of the being itself. An insulting term for a vampire is leech.
  As they have distinct advantages over the non-magical humans, all magical species must adhere to a set of laws set out by the Magical Law Enforcement Unit of the government (colloquially referred to as the Magic Police). The job of the Magic Police is to hunt down and apprehend those magical creatures that break the law.
  The Bones Collective is a vigilante group formed by the admirers of the great detective Karlock Bones after the death of he and his partner, Alice Greyson. The Bones Collective solve crimes worthy of their namesake and often help the Magic Police with cases. Many among the Collective have detective abilities similar to those of the original Karlock Bones and they have enough brawn among them to back up their brains. Several of the greatest victories of the Magical Law Enforcement Unit can be attributed to the Collective including the busts of several Undersea smugglers, a mage kidnapping ring and an organisation that served as a source of illegally obtained magical weaponry. Some notable members of the Collective include Fergus J. Samson who singlehandedly solved the smuggling ring case and the Lex twins who proved the Collective innocent when it was falsely accused of heinous crimes.
  The city of Belphehill is in turmoil, the rate of magical crime is on a rise and the Magical Law Enforcement Unit are run ragged trying to keep up with it all, civilians of the magical and non-magical communities alike are caught in the crossfire and there are those that would take advantage of the chaos lurking in the shadows, using the criminals to further their own goals.

Chapter 1: Rent and Grill

“James, why is the landlord insisting we move out by midday tomorrow?” Michael Smith, the tall blond werecat, leaned against the wall next to the door, his different coloured eyes, one a luminous yellow-green, the other a calm sea blue, narrowed in suspicion behind his rectangular-framed spectacles.
James Clark, the green-haired, yellow-eyed mage, shrugged “Beats me”
Michael frowned “When did you last talk to him?”
“Must have been earlier today”
Michael raised an eyebrow “Oh yeah? What happened?”
“He came around asking for the rent, I told him to go to hell and slammed the door in his face”
Michael smashed his head against the wall “I left the rent on your desk, why didn’t you just give it to him?”
“I felt like shouting at someone”
“And you chose the landlord?” There was a knocked at the door, Michael turned and opened it to reveal a man dressed in the black and white uniform of the Bones Collective
“Are you James Clark?”
“Jaaaaames” Michael whined “what have you done this time?”
James did not look up from his computer “What makes you think I’ve done anything?”
“There’s a man from the Collective at the door and I doubt he’s here to offer you a job”
“Rude”
“James!”
“A woman spilled coffee on me at lunch, I may have set a giant snake on her”
“Jaaaaaaames”
The man from the Collective spoke “Sir, we’re going to have to bring your friend down to the station”
“I’ll go with you. James we’re leaving, bring the rent”
“Why?”
“You are not getting us arrested and evicted in the same day”
James shrugged “Whatever you say, I’ll get my hoodie” he left the room. The Collective agent looked at Michael “Are you sure you want to come sir?”
“Absolutely, he won’t offer any defence and then he’ll badmouth anyone who angers him”
“You realise it could be counted as aiding a criminal if you help him?”
“I do”
“And you’re willing to risk getting a criminal record for that jerk?”
“Of course I am, that jerk is my boyfriend, I owe him my support”
It was at this moment that James re-entered the room “Do we have to go? I got enough outside time at lunch”
“We do have to go, the Collective want to speak to you”
“The Collective can go **** themselves”
“Excuse me?” Michael put his head in his hands
James looked at Michael in an accusatory fashion “Michael, why didn’t you tell me he was here?”
Michael groaned “I did”
“Ah yes, so you did” James frowned “Didn’t you say he was here to offer me a job?”
“No, he’s here because you set a giant snake on a woman”
“Oh yeah”
“Did you at least remember to grab the rent?”
“I knew I was forgetting something!”
*                                     *                                     *
The inspector was a tall, thin woman with bright blue eyes, she wore an elegant grey suit and walked with her head held high. She held out a hand for Michael to shake, the agent who had brought them had thought it best that he remain with James, “Good afternoon” she said “my name is Detective Inspector White” before the werecat could reply, James interrupted
“No offence but nobody cares. Also, the only part of that that was your name was ‘White’, ‘detective inspector’ is a title” Michael swore under his breath
White raised an eyebrow at the mage “I take it you are James Clark?”
“Must you state the obvious?”
The inspector’s voice was icy cold “I see what Gregory meant when he said you had an unpleasant personality”
“Because you’re a right basket of roses yourself”
“What?”
“Well it’s obvious that you’re a deceitful, manipulative *****” at her confused expression James elaborated “You act like you’re all sunshine and smiles but you can turn cold in an instant, like just now. Let me guess, you’re job is to lull suspects into a false sense of security and then when they’re all nice and docile, you turn into a monster and scare the truth out of them”
A stunned silence hung over the room, it was White who broke it “Your mind is as sharp as your tongue, you’d go far in the Collective”
James looked at Michael in confusion “I thought you said they weren’t offering me a job”
“I wasn’t offering you a job, I was stating a fact”
“Oh”
“Please, take a seat” James sat on the far side of the metal table, Michael sat next to him and White sat across from them both
“You set a giant snake on Catherine Adams, why?”
James shrugged “She spilt coffee on me, it hurt”
Michael sighed “Just because you don’t care what happens to you doesn’t mean you can be reckless with the lives of others”
“I wasn’t going to let it hurt her, I just wanted to scare her a bit, show her that even though she was better than me, I was more powerful than her” Michael’s head hit the desk
“How did you figure out she was ‘better’ than you?”
“Don’t bother asking him th-” Michael began but his boyfriend was already replying
“She walked so gracefully, with her head held high, like a queen, as if-” he stopped abruptly, took a notebook and pen out of his pocket and began writing
“What’s he doing?” asked White, Michael went red
“Taking character notes” he replied, leaning back in his chair to look at James’ notes “He’s writing about her walk” he frowned and looked under the table “and your shoes”
James finished writing and put down his book “Sorry, where was I? Ah yes: as if nothing could bring her down. Of course, it only takes one small thing to bring someone like that down but for the time being she is better than me” the mage’s voice was unusually bitter, Michael noticed
“What happened to you was not a small thing”
“Of course it was, it was but half an hour out of twenty-seven years of life”
“And yet it turned you into a sociopath” James flipped him the bird, Michael sighed
“What are you talking about?” White asked
“That is unimportant” James’ voice was cold “Have you anymore questions pertaining to the subject at hand?”
“No. Luckily for you, no one was harmed and miss Adams does not wish to press charges however you still broke the law, you’ll have to spend a night in a cell. Before you go however, could you do something for me?”
“And what is that?”
“Give me your autograph”
James chuckled “I think you must have me confused with a different James Clark”
“You are the author of Tyflos, King of the Dead, correct?” She pulled the book from her bag and set it on the table
“No” James’ voice was quiet “no that doesn’t make any sense. That’s like asking a five year-old to sign their painting”
Michael was grinning like a Cheshire cat “Just take the bloody compliment and sign it”
“Alright” James said hesitantly, drawing the book towards him “I take it you don’t want this addressed to ‘Detective Inspector White’?”
“Isabelle” she replied “it’s Isabelle” James scrawled out a message, wrote his signature underneath, handed the book back to White, gave a small smile and walked away. Michael waited until he left the room before he spoke “Thank you”
White gave him a puzzled look “What for?”
“Asking for his autograph, I think you may have made his year”
“I was happy to, he’s an amazing author”
“He is that. May I ask you a question?”
“If I may ask you one”
“Of course”
“Why did you tell me not to bother asking why he thought miss Adams was better than him?”
Michael sighed “James suffers from an inferiority complex the size of the Undersea, he’ll find a reason why that one-eyed homeless beggar with cancer that lives in the park on a bench is better than him”
“I see. What is your question?”
“Since when was it the job of the Collective to arrest petty criminals?”
White sighed “The MLEU are stretched thin trying to stop all the rogues who have sprung up recently, the Collective stepped in to help”
“I see. Can I ask one final question?”
“Go on?”
“Where are the cells?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because if James is staying the night then I am too”
“That’s loyalty you can’t buy”
Michael smiled “If your loyalty is bought, it’s really not loyalty at all, is it?”
*                                     *                                     *
James was lying on the prison bed, staring up at the ceiling, it bothered Michael to see James so troubled and the werecat knew that he would not be able to sleep until his boyfriend was and so he lay awake too. After about five minutes, Michael could bear the silence no more “What’s the matter James?”
There was a pause before the mage replied “I’ve been an author for six years and that is the first book I’ve ever signed, what does that say about my writing?”
“Nothing” James snorted in derision “It’s true, it says nothing about how well you write but it says everything about how well you publicize”
“********”
“No really, you write better than so many famous authors”
“Name three”
“Alright, Joseph King, Samuel Owens and Derek Murray”
“Any more?”
“J. R. Moore, Rachel Adams, Cassie Scott, Alexander Smith-”
James cut him off “Alex is a way better author than me, don’t even try to deny it”
“I deny it, Alex’s work is mediocre at best”
James frowned “What have you got against your brother’s writing?”
“None of the characters are his own creations! He just slaps names on my paintings!” Michael was a digital artist, he was by no means a professional, he’d taken a few commissions sure, but mostly he just did it for fun “He steals my backgrounds for his settings too and come on that twist at the end of Voyage of Kings?”
James nodded “That was pretty awful”
“Did I tell you he almost stole Aralius?”
James was outraged “What?”
Michael nodded “Tormelia too. I caught him at my computer taking notes on them, when I told him it was fanart he admitted he’d never read a single one of your books”
“Not even Prince of Aldera? That’s the closest I’ve ever come to being remotely famous”
“Not even that”
“That son of a *****!” James spat “He said he’d read them all!”
“He lied”
“No ****”
“Your stuff is all original and you don’t make ****** twist endings”
“While we’re on the subject can we talk about that ending?”
“Sure”
“Okay so Sazela makes no appearance, nevermind that he’s been the main threat for all five of the previous books. Instead, god puts the entire land into a deep sleep except for all the kings and sends them all a letter claiming to be Sazela and they have to come and meet him to get their people back even though Sazela has never shown ANY magical skill and that isn’t even his style. HOW THE HELL ARE THE KINGS SUPPOSED TO GET THERE IF EVERYONE ELSE IS ASLEEP? Mysteriously an entire ship’s crew escaped the spell. HOW ******* CONVENIENT! So when they finally arrive on the island ‘Lol I’m god, Sazela’s asleep back home lol, now imma need yo blood for a ritual, kewl rite?’ He’s OMNIPOTENT! Why the hell does he need their blood to do anything? Why didn’t he just teleport them there instead of coming up with the convoluted sleep plot? Why is there a ******* NUKE? Why does god need a nuke to destroy something? And, perhaps the most baffling thing of all, why is there another book coming out? What could possibly happen to top that stupidity?”
“I think ‘why do people try and defend this bad stuff?’ is the real question here”
“Did Alex give you any hints about the end?”
“Not after I told him I wasn’t going to touch Rain of Fire with a ten-foot pole”
James chuckled “How did he react to that?”
“He said I just didn’t appreciate his work, I said ‘No but James does and he’s not going to touch it either’ at which point he hung up on me”
“Shame”
“Why?”
“Because you were wrong”
“WHAT?” Michael was incredulous “You’re actually going to read that garbage?”
“Of course, I can’t stand not knowing the end”
“And you’re willing to torture your brain to find it out?”
“Yes”
“You’re insane”
“Yeah but you love me”
Michael smiled fondly “Your insanity is one of your many attractive qualities”
“I’m glad the man I fell in love with  has such low standards”
Michael frowned “Your self-hatred is one of your few unattractive qualities”
“I think you got the quantities mixed up there”
Michael sighed “Can we please have a conversation without you turning it into an excuse for self-criticism?”
“Sorry” the room was quiet for a while “Michael?”
“M-hm?”
“Am I really a good author?”
Michael smiled softly “Yes, I’ve never read a single book of yours that I haven’t liked”
James chuckled “Thanks”
  Michael and James lay awake for a about ten more minutes and James showed no signs that he would be able to sleep any time soon, it both puzzled and annoyed the werecat “James?”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you still awake?”
James hesitated “What do you mean?”
“You seemed upset by something but I thought I had helped when I told you you were a good author but you still seem upset”
“I don’t want the nightmares to come back” James’ voice sounded small and was tinged with fear “Before we started living together, every night I had these awful nightmares, always different but always terrifying. Sleeping with you makes me feel safe, I haven’t had a single nightmare since we started sleeping in the same bed, I’m afraid that if I fall asleep without you, they’ll come back”
“You think you could get some sleep if we were in the same bed?”
“Yeah but these beds are tiny, it wouldn’t be comfortable” he felt Michael climb in next to him
“We’ll make do”
James turned to face his boyfriend “Okay”
Michael threaded his fingers through his boyfriend’s green hair and pressed their lips together in a soft, slow kiss. When they broke apart, James smiled and curled up into a ball, his face nuzzling into Michael’s chest. The werecat stroked his boyfriend’s hair and wrapped his limbs around him protectively, soon they were both asleep.

[close]

[close]

I'm 2000 words behind already, I don't think I'll be winning NaNoWriMo this year

[The Mask]

That's really good! I especially like the world you've created. Y'know, the smart goblins and all the thropes