Year-long NaNo discussion

So... just a few weeks ago I threw all caution to the wind and started working on a new writing project. This is one of my relatively newer story ideas, an epic fantasy trilogy, currently called "Pax ah'Liba and the Faithless Empire" (though that may be shortened to "The Faithless Empire." The "Pax ah'Liba" part seems to give a more middle-grade-feel to it, and this is definitely not middle-grade).

Do I have a blurb yet? Of course not. I have, however, been writing it by hand-- and enjoying it more than if I'd typed it-- and I'm making good progress! I'll just drop in with the occasional snippet and maybe a marker of where I am in the planned story. (No word count worries = no stress!!)

I know I still owe y'all a basic description of what the heck this story is about. Basically, this is set in a storyworld (I have two other stories planned in this universe) with all your epic fantasy royalty and strange worldbuilding and fairy godmothers/fathers and allegorical religions (?) and knights and all that jazz. Each of the characters have a backstory based off some fairytale ;) but very subtly. And only their backstories.

Here's the formula: adventure + grand quest + character crew + fairy godparent gifts + evil emperor + secret indentities = Pax ah'Liba and the Faithless Empire.

And just for fun, later I'm gonna post a list of the fairytales I used to form their backstories, but without the characters themselves. It's up to y'all to figure out who is whom ;)

Merie wrote: "So... just a few weeks ago I threw all caution to the wind and started working on a new writing project. This is one of my relatively newer story ideas, an epic fantasy trilogy, currently called "P..."

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THIS LOOKS FANTASTIC MERIE!!! I'm all for unique world building and I love the fact that you plan on having a fairytale element in your characters backstories. I think that will give you some really well-crafted characters as well as a lot of room to write the story anyway you want to write it. =D I could go on saying how much I love knights and evil emperors and secret identities! This sounds so cool!

Quick question, is Pax ah'Liba a character in your story or a saying?

Can't wait to see your list of fairytales that your characters are based off of! =D

eeeeeep you have no idea how much your support means to me!! (okay you might, but you're amazing Grace!! haha see what I did there *I'm tired*)

thank youuuu!! I'm planning to use mostly very obscure fairytales but there are some better-known legends thrown in as well ;) can't wait to share them with y'all! and THAT'S GREAT. I kinda want to share spoilers with some peeps about some of the secret identities/reveals going around buuuuuut we'll wait about that lol

Pax ah'Liba is the name of my main character ;)

Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Merie, even with the vaguest details you've given us, (already I want more XD) I'm all in! Great name, btw. And glad to see another person using fairytales ;)

LOVE THIS GIRL. CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR MORE.

Also ... you and fairytales... *dies*

thanks you two ❤️

haha.haha. no matter what, I just can't help but draw inspiration from fairytales, can I? Hannah, you can blame the duology I'm planning as a prequel to this series.

Fairytales I Drew Inspiration from

"The Six Servants"
"Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp"
"Puss in Boots"
"The Lady, or the Tiger?" (not technically a fairytale, but is a classic short story)
"Iron-Henry" (which is more popularly known as "The Frog Prince," but Iron-Henry is more pertinent to this story ;) )
"Sinbad and the Seven Voyages"
"Riquet with the Tuft"
"The Boy Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was"
"The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" (again, not a fairytale, but it's a legend which counts!)
"Jack and the Beanstalk"
"Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
"Toads and Diamonds"

OMW

I'M SORRY IT'S SUCH A LONG LIST

But there are not that many characters

and the fairytales are a very-- VERY-- small part of the story

I'm overwhelmed. lol I can't guess what's what! ^.^

but these are all really fun fairytales, so these characters have fun backstories

OH MY. I love the ones you chose! *rethinks all the ones I used myself* Now you got me wanting to both read this AND go write a whole new novel based on fairytales *facepalms*

Aw, thanks Oceane! lol these aren't retellings though, so the fairytales only make brief appearances (but if you read them, you'll know when they pop up). I think there's no end to all the fairytales we can write about!

Merie wrote: "Aw, thanks Oceane! lol these aren't retellings though, so the fairytales only make brief appearances (but if you read them, you'll know when they pop up). I think there's no end to all the fairytal..."

Yeah, it doesn't always have to be a retelling. But I can't wait to eventually see these play out in the story ;)

Oceane wrote: "Merie wrote: "Aw, thanks Oceane! lol these aren't retellings though, so the fairytales only make brief appearances (but if you read them, you'll know when they pop up). I think there's no end to al..."

Yep! And who knows what the snippets will reveal....?

Primary Players

Pax: young Amaderni man of Fidelian descent with a destructive fairy gift that renders him essentially sightless
Ikado Jarushi Vhani: the emperor of the Fidelis Empire (Ikado is the Amaderni term for emperor)
Lehar: a talking ruma (Siberian) tiger with a bloody past
Chimen: a fugitive who may have stolen something that caught the attention of the Ikado himself
Della: Chimen's mysteriously ladylike companion
Faëll: a gruff martial artist who didn't ask to be dragged along on this adventure
Anahera: a five-year-old mute orphan from the tundras who harbors a strange gift; Faëll's adopted daughter
Serena: a merchant's daughter/aspiring healer struck with a gift that's more like a curse; her family has ties to the currently-unnamed rebel movement
Rizon: a... former-pirate-turned-sailor (*wink, wink*)
Nesrin: the crown princess of one of the Empire's most powerful neighbors; has the gift of immeasurable beauty and a humiliating curse to go along with it
Numair: a playful, endearing jester; nobody knows why he would want to join in their adventure but he sure makes it crazier

... this was yet another long list. *fans self* my apologies

Those names though... Is it too early to say I'm obsessed?!

I have a friend named Serena

How long did it take you to come up with these names? XD

thank you, Oceane :D And no, it's never early lol your support means a LOT to me

@Hannah random much xD I have so many characters I know people who share their names (but on this list, only a Serena)

Not very long, actually? name-picking doesn't take too long for me-- some of these names were reused from abandoned projects, and others just randomly popped in. I didn't make up all of these names. I have sources. xD

Definitely Random. This is my life. xD

*nods* I've got sources too. An author needs sources. >.<

Merie wrote: "thank you, Oceane :D And no, it's never early lol your support means a LOT to me

@Hannah random much xD I have so many characters I know people who share their names (but on this list, only a Sere..."

Aw, yay! I'm glad :)

Time to share a snippet! This is from the prologue:

He jerked his booted foot back a step.

"Kill them," he said.

"For tripping, sir?" The soldier he had commanded looked down at them in confusion.

"The child," the cold-eyed one said. "He is Fidelian."

Or two. Here's one from a much more recent chapter.

"You mentioned something about the Ikado and his arena games," Della said while Lehar was thinking of a way to begin.

He glared at her, his fur bristling. "Are you telling this story, or am I?"

Her cheeks colored, and she dipped her chin. "My apologies. I didn't mean to prod."

Chimen looked up and gave Lehar a hard stare of his own.

Merie wrote: "eeeeeep you have no idea how much your support means to me!! (okay you might, but you're amazing Grace!! haha see what I did there *I'm tired*)

thank youuuu!! I'm planning to use mostly very obsc..."

Aww, you're very much welcome, I am really enjoying reading what your sharing. Fairytales and kingdoms are always favorites of mine in stories. =D

Using some of the lesser known fairytales are always fun since it gives you something fresh to work with. But, I always love better known stuff as well, because fariytales are fun no matter what. ;) I love how you are going to have a mix of both though. ;)

Ahh, I know the feeling! But yes, let's wait until I can read the book before spoilers, lol.

That's so cool! I love Pax's name and how he is going to be one of your main characters. I was only curious about the name as I know that Pax means peace in Latin. I also love how he has invisibility? He sounds so cool! =D

Merie wrote: "Fairytales I Drew Inspiration from

"The Six Servants"
"Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp"
"Puss in Boots"
"The Lady, or the Tiger?" (not technically a fairytale, but is a classic short story)
"Iron-..."

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Wow! That's a big list! I love it though! You have some really good ones on there ("Puss in Boots" is one of my favorites. ;) I know about seven of the ones you have listed (eight if you count "The Frog Prince", I'm not too familiar with "Iron-Henry" though), I'm going to have to read the other ones (I love fairytales!) And of course you can add in legends, because they're awesome!

Merie wrote: "Primary Players

Pax: young Amaderni man of Fidelian descent with a destructive fairy gift that renders him essentially sightless
Ikado Jarushi Vhani: the emperor of the Fidelis Empire (Ikado is th..."

*Eyes widen* I LOVE THIS!!! Merie! Those names and characteristics are fantastic! And I can really see how the fairytales are in these characters backstories. AHHH I'm so excited!!!

Also can I just say how I like Faëll introduced of how he didn't ask to be dragged to go on the adventure. XD

And you have a TALKING TIGER AND A FORMER PIRATE AND A JESTER!!! YES!!! PLUS A FUGITIVE!!! Like all my favorite things rolled into one book!!!

Merie wrote: "Time to share a snippet! This is from the prologue:

He jerked his booted foot back a step.

"Kill them," he said.

"For tripping, sir?" The soldier he had commanded looked down at them in confusio..."

First Snippet Thoughts:

I'm not sure if I like this guy who wants to kill a child just because he is a Fidelian, that's just mean. I DO Love the suspense though. ;)

Second Snippet Thoughts:

*Heart eyes* I like Lehar already! Plus Della and Chimen!

Yep, Pax means peace-- I thought it fit his personality, and the idea of peaceful freedom and all that xD (Also he's not invisible-- he can't see) Thanks!

"Iron-Henry" is just "The Frog Prince," but most adaptations don't mention the Iron-Henry character. ;)

Thank you! These characters were so fun to come up with and I can't wait to share more about them :P

No, Faëll was not a willing accomplice, but what can I say? xD Imo, every character crew nEEDS a talking animal, a sailor, a jester, and an outlaw. Wouldn't you agree? xP

No, this guy isn't a very nice character. It is very mean to kill a child because of his ancestry. But thanks, that's what I was going for! And those three are really fun to write xD

Some intense snippets you got going on there, Merie!

Just made the maybe-stupid decision to extend this trilogy into a quartet.

As one does ;)

But seriously, what a mood 😂

Yeah lol

Here's one of the main reasons why (up to you to interpret what I mean):

Sir Izerik leaned toward the bushes, reins gathered in one hand.

Pax's gaze met his, and he silently doomed himself.

Izerik's eyes, luminous green in the scant moonlight, widened a fraction of an inch. there lit in his face a spark of recognition.

Holding his breath, Pax watched, stunned, as the knight leaned back into his saddle and thundered into the night.

o_O hmm!!

Merie Shen ... ever the mysterious writer.

I pride myself on that

also add "12 Dancing Princesses" to the list of fairytales even though they don't really do anything

Merie wrote: "Yeah lol

Here's one of the main reasons why (up to you to interpret what I mean):

Sir Izerik leaned toward the bushes, reins gathered in one hand.

Pax's gaze met his, and he silently doomed hims..."

Okay, that really IS mysterious. Merieeee!

it also flows sort of weird since I chopped off some sentences from the paragraphs they belong in and that's the only thing I can think about... hmm, what, Oceane? xD

Merie wrote: "it also flows sort of weird since I chopped off some sentences from the paragraphs they belong in and that's the only thing I can think about... hmm, what, Oceane? xD"

Ugh, fine. Be mysterious. I definitely "don't" need answers ;)

Merie wrote: "Yeah lol

Here's one of the main reasons why (up to you to interpret what I mean):

Sir Izerik leaned toward the bushes, reins gathered in one hand.

Pax's gaze met his, and he silently doomed hims..."

I agree with Oceane and Elizabeth, THIS is mysterious! Now I'm curious at what is happening.

And four books? GO FOR IT!!! XD Adding a few extra books is never a mistake if you're enjoying it. ;)

haha, thanks, Grace! xD

I'm so excited to have finally reached this part in this story...

He drew back. The Something followed. He took a risk and flung the katar up, shoving it into what might be its right eye. This deterred it for only a few seconds.

Chimen ducked back behind it, drawing out two more daggers. "Belle, Aisling, don't fail me now!"

Merie wrote: "I'm so excited to have finally reached this part in this story...

He drew back. The Something followed. He took a risk and flung the katar up, shoving it into what might be its right eye. This det..."

The Something is so much more ominous when you capitalize the S!

:DDD

ughhhh so I've gotten to the part of the story where several characters from another story in this world appear, and I'm just annoyed with myself with how I'm handling it lol

Is anyone doing Camp NaNo this April?

Merie wrote: "ughhhh so I've gotten to the part of the story where several characters from another story in this world appear, and I'm just annoyed with myself with how I'm handling it lol

Is anyone doing Camp ..."

I've never done something like that, so I can't relate. But you can do this!

And I'm "considering" it. I have two stories that I need to write, and one that I want to write XD

That's always a difficult decision to make :(

Lehar had a little table all to himself, which discomfited both the officials seated nearby and the jester that was entertaining them.

I literally circled the word "jester" and put a red-pen note next to it saying "AAAHHH"

Merie wrote: "That's always a difficult decision to make :(

Lehar had a little table all to himself, which discomfited both the officials seated nearby and the jester that was entertaining them.

I literally c..."

Jester is a great word XD

indeed it is. although the character is great, too, if I do say so myself. xD

Merie wrote: "indeed it is. although the character is great, too, if I do say so myself. xD"

Characters that go by the name of Jester usually are!

Oceane wrote: "Merie wrote: "indeed it is. although the character is great, too, if I do say so myself. xD"

Characters that go by the name of Jester usually are!"

i love jesters, what can i say?

so I started a blog serial thing-- not one of my WIPs-- but I guess this counts as one now: https://imperialscribis.wordpress.com...

Merie wrote: "I'm so excited to have finally reached this part in this story...

He drew back. The Something followed. He took a risk and flung the katar up, shoving it into what might be its right eye. This det..."

LOVE THIS!!! Then again, I'm always here for a monster, or a Something. ;)

Merie wrote: "ughhhh so I've gotten to the part of the story where several characters from another story in this world appear, and I'm just annoyed with myself with how I'm handling it lol

Is anyone doing Camp ..."

That sounds really interesting. I personally have never done a crossover series, but I have always been intrigued with the idea. Wishing you luck.

I'm thinking about doing Camp NaNo. Is it the same thing as NaNo in November but in April?

Merie wrote: "That's always a difficult decision to make :(

Lehar had a little table all to himself, which discomfited both the officials seated nearby and the jester that was entertaining them.

I literally c..."

Now I really can't wait to see more of this Jester guy. If you have him circled it most mean you like him or something. =D

Merie wrote: "Oceane wrote: "Merie wrote: "indeed it is. although the character is great, too, if I do say so myself. xD"

Characters that go by the name of Jester usually are!"

i love jesters, what can i say?
..."

So I just went to your website and read your prologue of "The Four Winds Saga" and LOVED IT!!! No seriously, I really enjoyed the letter written to Teddy. It is obvious how much Edain loves him and I enjoyed reading how she lied about loving fishing just to be with him and the thing about the library was wonderful!

Thank you, Grace! Camp NaNo is a smaller, less intense version of NaNo in April and July. I probably won't do it this year because they changed a lot of things on the website and it won't let me count handwritten pages anymore.

Like the jester? o_O

Yayyy thank you!! I'm SO glad you liked the letter (no one has actually given me feedback on the letter itself, and referring to the characters themselves always makes me happy!). That's what I was trying to portray! Your comments are making me smile so hard right now xD

Ooooohhh Suspense. Also Merie I will go check out that blog post today!! :)

Hmm what, suspense? me? :P

yay xD