Year-long NaNo discussion

Sooo, the working title is Rose's Ruin. Which I really love!

For all of you who read Rose's Wrath, you know about Pan. He's an... interesting character. I'm super excited to get into his head and share some cool history in his backstory! The rough blurb...

"Once there was a boy who never grew up..."

Pan is general to all of Queen Viren's armies. Trained since he was a child, there are none to compare with his skill in both speech and battle.

"And each night he stole the shadows of the innocent."

He'd give his life to protect his land and queen--no questions asked. Until he is betrayed.

"Mothers feared a visit from the red-headed demon, knowing they'd lose their children forever."

Now he is trapped, fighting a war he can't hope to win but can't afford to lose.

"Beware the boy, Pan. Beware of Neverland."

*all the heart eyes* I LOVE IT! And it's a great title!! eep, I'm excited

Merie wrote: "*all the heart eyes* I LOVE IT! And it's a great title!! eep, I'm excited"

Ahhh, thanks!!! There will be quite a few revelations that will... er, bring some things to light for book two and Madame Rose ;)

Love the description!!!

Elizabeth wrote: "Love the description!!!"

Thanks!!! I do too :)

Oceane wrote: "Sooo, the working title is Rose's Ruin. Which I really love!

For all of you who read Rose's Wrath, you know about Pan. He's an... interesting character. I'm super excited to get into his head and ..."

THIS LOOKS SOOO GOOD!!! I can't wait to see more of Pan! I think that the title is perfect!

Grace wrote: "Oceane wrote: "Sooo, the working title is Rose's Ruin. Which I really love!

For all of you who read Rose's Wrath, you know about Pan. He's an... interesting character. I'm super excited to get int..."

Haha, thanks! The novella is set during the war between Queen Viren and Dorthea, so I think Rose's Ruin is fitting

Finally, a new update! I'm starting to really love writing this story! I'm aiming for around 16 chapters and a little over 20K, and I'm on chapter three now!

An excerpt: The genuine smile on her face brought one to his own. “It’s been so long since someone truly asked that. I have not. This war, well, I’m so overwhelmed. What if I’m not good enough? What if I cannot save my people? Pan, I will lose myself if I lose them.” Gone was the poised, confident queen. Here in front of him was the girl who he used to share secrets and sword fights with. The girl who he had teleported to Evanscene to see their sparkling ocean. The girl who had stolen pastries from the kitchen for them, because no one was going to reprimand the princess.

Yay you! love the snippet!!

Thanks! You learn of some interesting history between Madame Rose and Pan in this book

Oceane wrote: "Thanks! You learn of some interesting history between Madame Rose and Pan in this book"

Well, I'm looking forward to it! :D

Merie wrote: "Oceane wrote: "Thanks! You learn of some interesting history between Madame Rose and Pan in this book"

Well, I'm looking forward to it! :D"

I hope to enlist some beta readers sometime in the near future, so be on the lookout ;)

*sits up* YES

SHINE wrote: "THIS LOOKS SO GOOD AND SO INTENSE!
I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!"

Haha, thanks, Shine!

Merie wrote: "*sits up* YES"

I "hope" to have the first draft done by the end of June. And then I'll wrangle together some first round beta readers. I'm assuming you'd like first dibs? XD

Another dramatic little snippet! I'm making good progress and love getting to delve into Pan's personality!

After a second of pondering, Viren rose, her loose black blouse blending with her equally black pants. Standing there, mouth red as blood, eyes cold as fire, and hands white as they clasped her sword, Pan knew this would end in chaos before it even began.

Yes, that would be amazing! I hope I'll have time! Great snippet, btw.

Haha, then you're both on the list ;)

And thanks! It's part of one of my favorite scenes

We're nearly done with chapter three, and let me just say, Madame Rose is insanely fun to write!

And another excerpt for you all...

Pan felt nothing. No pain. No anger. No sorrow. He was empty, and it brought overwhelming relief. Glancing over at Viren, he caught a weak smile. For once, he was glad she controlled him. Now he didn’t have to feel the storm that should be raging deep in his bones.

Working on chapter five! It's slow going, but this story is heartwrenching and challenging to write, so I'm okay with it

The smell of blood wouldn’t leave his nostrils, wouldn’t leave his clothes. It saturated his pores and filled his mind. It fed his nightmares. There was nothing pretty about carnage.

oh nooooo. it's gonna be painful for all of us, isn't it?

Merie wrote: "oh nooooo. it's gonna be painful for all of us, isn't it?"

Yup, so get ready!

And Shine, agreed ;)

On chapter six of Rose's Ruin, and it's coming along nicely! Here's a rather intense snippet for you all... is it bad that I love my own villain? XD

“I would be a loving queen,” she hissed, withdrawing. “I would be a just queen. I would be a loyal queen! I am fighting a war against children. Children! I have to be the villain of this story, because otherwise there wouldn’t be a story at all. We’d all be dead. You’d burn the world to the ground just to save your precious Maera. Your darling Alae. You’d abandon the many for the few simply because of love. I do not have such luxury. I must bring the pain, the logic, the unfairness of it all. You’re lucky, Pan. You have the freedom to love. To make decisions simply because it feels good. I cannot. And if I must lose their loyalty to keep us all alive, so be it. I will play the monster if that’s what is needed.” Viren locked eyes with him, all the pain and agony and guilt rolling in the depths of her vivid eyes. But there was also determination. She would not waver again.

Oceane wrote: "On chapter six of Rose's Ruin, and it's coming along nicely! Here's a rather intense snippet for you all... is it bad that I love my own villain? XD

“I would be a loving queen,” she hissed, withdr..."

:oooooo That's scary...

Merie wrote: "Oceane wrote: "On chapter six of Rose's Ruin, and it's coming along nicely! Here's a rather intense snippet for you all... is it bad that I love my own villain? XD

“I would be a loving queen,” she..."

Haha, yup! She's rather intense XD

SHINE wrote: "No, it’s not bad if you love your villains!"

Good! Because I love her XD

Hitting some roadblocks because the story isn't progressing the way I wanted it to, but I'm pushing forward! And a snippet for your time, of course ;)

“We march immediately. Leave the dead where they are. There is no time to mourn what we have lost, only move forward to what we can save.” Pan turned his head, willing the motion to push away the carnage that filled his mind. Weren’t his nightmares tortured and deadly enough?

Ah, that's never fun. But you'll find your way around it and it will be even more wonderful!

*shivers* Reading that was not fun. But in a good way. You know?

Merie wrote: "Ah, that's never fun. But you'll find your way around it and it will be even more wonderful!

*shivers* Reading that was not fun. But in a good way. You know?"

Yep, totally get it! XD This story is much darker and more gruesome than the first, but still clean! Just expect quite a bit of violence and the dark reality of war

Definitely expecting that from a story about Pan... but it will be worth it. War is depressing but there is plenty to be learned from it

Merie wrote: "Definitely expecting that from a story about Pan... but it will be worth it. War is depressing but there is plenty to be learned from it"

I hope it meets your expectations! What are your thoughts on the messy first draft so far? XD

I haven't read it yet! I'm an awfully forgetful person... but now I'll download it first chance I get. (I KNEW I was forgetting something...)

Merie wrote: "I haven't read it yet! I'm an awfully forgetful person... but now I'll download it first chance I get. (I KNEW I was forgetting something...)"

Haha, no worries!

Almost halfway in Rose's Ruin! Pan is such a raw, wonderful character to write about, and I love it!

Rolling on his side, Pan retched, any liquids the healers had forced into his stomach now on the floor. Muscles trembling, he lay there, refusing to move. Guilt ate away at him in a way fire never could. This kind of pain couldn’t be fixed by any healer. It couldn’t even be fixed by himself. He was broken, and he deserved it.

Oceane wrote: "Finally, a new update! I'm starting to really love writing this story! I'm aiming for around 16 chapters and a little over 20K, and I'm on chapter three now!

An excerpt: The genuine smile on her f..."

I love how this excerpt shows a little of Rose's personality and a little more of her and Pan's relationship. Love it. =D

Oceane wrote: "Another dramatic little snippet! I'm making good progress and love getting to delve into Pan's personality!

After a second of pondering, Viren rose, her loose black blouse blending with her equall..."

And as we all know Madam Rose always has a way to getting things done.

Oceane wrote: "We're nearly done with chapter three, and let me just say, Madame Rose is insanely fun to write!

And another excerpt for you all...

Pan felt nothing. No pain. No anger. No sorrow. He was empty, a..."

=0

Oceane wrote: "Working on chapter five! It's slow going, but this story is heartwrenching and challenging to write, so I'm okay with it

The smell of blood wouldn’t leave his nostrils, wouldn’t leave his clothes...."

I love how this scene shows us Pan's personality and how he doesn't enjoy the horrors of this scene. It is written in a way that shows us how painful it is for him which makes me love this scene even more.

Oceane wrote: "On chapter six of Rose's Ruin, and it's coming along nicely! Here's a rather intense snippet for you all... is it bad that I love my own villain? XD

“I would be a loving queen,” she hissed, withdr..."

Scary 0_0

Oceane wrote: "Hitting some roadblocks because the story isn't progressing the way I wanted it to, but I'm pushing forward! And a snippet for your time, of course ;)

“We march immediately. Leave the dead where t..."

Ahh! This was good in a horrible kind of way! Emotionally written.

Oceane wrote: "Almost halfway in Rose's Ruin! Pan is such a raw, wonderful character to write about, and I love it!

Rolling on his side, Pan retched, any liquids the healers had forced into his stomach now on th..."

Ahh, poor Pan.

Grace wrote: "Oceane wrote: "Finally, a new update! I'm starting to really love writing this story! I'm aiming for around 16 chapters and a little over 20K, and I'm on chapter three now!

An excerpt: The genuine..."

Yeah, this story has been so much fun! Pan's inner turmoil has been so much fun to explore

Oceane wrote: "Grace wrote: "Oceane wrote: "Finally, a new update! I'm starting to really love writing this story! I'm aiming for around 16 chapters and a little over 20K, and I'm on chapter three now!

An excerp..."

I bet, he's just an interesting character ;)

Back with another snippet. I'm on chapter eight, so eight more to go! For whatever reason, this story is taking far longer to write, though roughly half the length. Still, I'm making slow but sure progress. My goal is to start looking for beta readers in October!

Quiet companionship and strong moonberry tea did much to heal and soothe a restless soul, but Pan was itching to join the fight again. Morta had sparked something in him that he had been missing for months: hope. And now it burned inside him--a small flame; nothing more. But it was much better than the stagnant bitterness that had made its home in his bones.

Great job, Oceane! That's a good snippet!

On Chapter Nine! I'm thinking of grabbing one or possibly two superrr early Alpha readers (meaning you're reading as I'm writing) basically, you'd just give me super generalized plot suggestions to adjust as I go (it's mostly to give you guys a taste of the story before everyone else, if I'm being honest ;)

“Indeed.” The gentleness in Viren’s voice startled him. Glancing up, he noted the regret in her eyes, and he hated her for it. It was easier to pretend that she was made of ice--cold to the touch and void of emotion. But there was still a heart in her somewhere, and yet, despite it, she still chose to follow this path of carnage.

SHINE wrote: "(Awesome!)

This is so intense! I must know what happens next!"

Glad to hear it!

Starting chapter ten now! Only six more to go! Here's an extremely short snippet to whet your appetites ;)

“Let this fuel your nightmares,” she hissed, as her slippers glowed once...

Oh dear xD

This novella is truly a wild ride XD

Oceane wrote: "Back with another snippet. I'm on chapter eight, so eight more to go! For whatever reason, this story is taking far longer to write, though roughly half the length. Still, I'm making slow but sure ..."

Ooo moonberry tea, sounds good. XD Love the snippet by the way. ;)

Oceane wrote: "On Chapter Nine! I'm thinking of grabbing one or possibly two superrr early Alpha readers (meaning you're reading as I'm writing) basically, you'd just give me super generalized plot suggestions to..."

This scene is really emotional. I love how Pan's relationship is with Viren. He still sees the good in her, but he struggles with her because of some of her decisions. Really well written.

Oceane wrote: "Starting chapter ten now! Only six more to go! Here's an extremely short snippet to whet your appetites ;)

“Let this fuel your nightmares,” she hissed, as her slippers glowed once..."

Oh my XD

Thanks, Grace!

I've been busy with school this past week, plus I moved out, so I haven't written much. BUT, I have a small snippet for you all ;)

Pan was tired of the death. Of the blood. Of the agonizing screams that filled his nightmares. But they were a part of the demon called war, and to win meant to suffer.

I really like that you add this to fantasy war. A lot of times this part of war is skimmed over. It makes the characters feel more real and more vulnerable, too-- not as invincible.

Oceane wrote: "I've been busy with school this past week, plus I moved out, so I haven't written much. BUT, I have a small snippet for you all ;)

Pan was tired of the death. Of the blood. Of the agonizing scream..."

I really liked how you capture Pan's suffering and the horrors of war. Merie is right, adding this stuff really makes your characters feel more real.

I feel like fantasy wars are definitely over-glorified so that you become desensitized to the death actually in it. I like to write about the raw and real, even if that deals with a magical world filled with dragons, so thank you both!

Back with another update! I'm getting sooo close to 15K words, which means only 5-9K more to go! I don't know why this novel is taking me so long to write, BUT, the goal is to be done with it by October because I want to focus on the sequel for NaNoWriMo in November

Four sentries. Pitiful, really. Pan tightened his grip on his swords. The sentries bore no mage markings, but that didn’t mean they weren’t deadly. He’d have to be cautious. But, he also wasn’t known as Viren’s blade for nothing.