(Guys. I open this up to write a post and instead of the thing that usually says, “Type / to choose a block”, it says, “What are your feelings on eating meat?”
*burst out laughing*)
Ahem. I digress.
November (and NaNoWriMo) is officially over. *flops backward onto bed* I could not make words work for me on December 1st. XD Seriously. But the important thing is…
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*whispers*
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I got 50,018 words.
I still can’t believe how much I’ve written over one month. Twelve chapters, started the thirteenth, 50K words, and so many changes. ATOTB is at 84,229 words now, making it the biggest book I’ve written to date. And it’s not even done yet.
I’m so happy. ^_^
BUT! In honor of that, I’m going to share an ATOTB sneek peak – a scene that I wrote during NaNo. ‘Tis unedited and has a bit of work on Amalek’s part (the newsletter today has more details on that), but I like it. Have fun guessing what’s happening. >:)
Introducing… (well, that would be giving things away)
I don’t know how long I was out, but I didn’t bother trying to get up again when I woke. My limbs felt heavy, my head sluggish. And I didn’t have the heart.
Time passed as I lay there, the snow seeping in through my layers of clothing and somehow acting as a balm to my misery. Wind nipped at my ears, but I didn’t bother pulling my hood up.
Amalek came. He hurt me. He took my mother’s sword. I repeated the words to myself over and over again as if they would make the events somehow less true.
I didn’t acknowledge that Irad had gone away with him. I couldn’t.
I probably would have laid there until nightfall, lost in my pity party, were it not for the bootsteps that were suddenly crunched towards me. Amalek, my mind warned, and I shoved myself to my feet, swaying unsteadily and wincing at the pain in my abdomen. I had to run back home. Get Ma. Or maybe Da was home by now…
“Are you ok?”
I spun towards the definitely-not-Amalek voice, lost my delicate balance, and toppled headfirst into a drift like a rag doll. The footsteps quickened, then hands were on my shoulders and waist and I was being heaved out of the drift and sat down and the snow was being brushed from my face and hair as I sputtered and tried to regain my sense of direction. Which way was up again?
“I don’t think she’s ok, Anah,” said a new voice. This one was male, unlike the first, and though the words were teasing, it was softly spoken.
“No,” the female voice replied, and the hands left my shoulders. Snow crunched as I fluttered my eyelashes, trying to clear the snow from my vision as I stumbled to my feet again. “She must be lost if she’s trying to find a home in a snow drift.”
“I wasn’t,” I muttered, the snow finally clearing away enough for me to see the newcomers.
The first was a girl, Zoarish, with blond hair cropped to her shoulders held back with a daring red band around her forehead. She was dressed in bright colors – a loosely wrapped blue tunic over a white shirt and dark trousers, with another red band cinched around the waist. Her cloak fell around her shoulders in soft folds as she settled back, surveying me up and down with mock seriousness on her freckled face. “Then why did you fall into that drift?”
I sneaked a peek at the boy. His sandy brown hair was blown every-which-way by the wind, his dark eyes pointed thoughtfully at the sky. He had a typical Zoarish build, making me wonder if these two were siblings.
“I… you startled me,” I finally answered.
The girl’s serious mask broke, revealing a sunny smile. “She speaks! We thought you were dead at first. Then you bounced up like a cricket and proceeded to keel over into that drift like a drunken woman.” She laughed, but I winced at her words.
“Sorry.” The word came out more terse than I had intended. “I have things to do.” I turned on my heel and, shaking the remaining snow from my hair, took a few teetering steps toward my home.
Snow crunched. I shot a glance backward to see the girl, her hand on the boy’s arm, following me. “Where are you from?” she called after me. “What’s your name? We didn’t know anybody our age lived around here or we would have started making friends a lot sooner.”
I paused.
They caught up, the boy’s eyes now focused on a point just to the right of my shoulder. The girl grinned at me, waiting for an answer.
I shook my head at my own foolishness. I had to find Irad and find out why he left and bring Da or Resen with me this time. I didn’t have time for friends. No matter how much my heart suddenly ached for one.
“I’m Anah,” the girl offered when I didn’t respond nor walked away. “Anah Amor. This is my brother, Gilead.” She poked his shoulder. “He’s too quiet.”
I slowly turned back around to face them, my eyes falling on Gilead as he smiled and replied, “Are you sure you’re not too loud?”
“Never!” The volume of Anah’s shout startled me. I fell back a step as she laughed and punched her brother’s shoulder in the friendly Zoarish way. “One can never be too loud!”
Sighing, I edged backward. Maybe I did want a friend, but Gilead was right. Anah was way too loud.
“So!” Anah bounced closer. “Do you want us to guess?”
“Where I live?”
“No, silly, your name. Is it Sarai?”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s a Shilonite name.”
Anah elbowed Gilead and grinned. “She’s paying at least half attention.”
Some. I winced as I fingered my stomach. The bruise would rival a war wound.
War.
Da.
I have to get home.
The sun was drifting towards the horizon. It would be dark before I reached my house. We’d have to find Irad again tomorrow.
I sighed. There’s no way we’re getting to Kadesh on time.
It’s useless.
*snickers* Anah is fun to write.
So what about you? Did you do NaNoWriMo? How did it go? Who is your favorite character to write from your WIP? Why did WordPress suddenly become so interested in my views on meat (and should I be concerned)? What are your views on eating meat?
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! *flings snow in your face and dashes away*
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