A Good Omen

Irish, queerish, 40s. Contemporary Fantasy Writer. Fangirl. Casual Gamer. Massive Nerd. I talk to myself and shitpost a lot.

[edenjacobs]

My Current WIP

is a novel called The Rook of Crooked Wood. I've been working on this novel for FOREVER on and off and I might actually be able to give it an ending I don't hate this time.

This is the cover I made in Canva and photoshop for nanowrimo. I'm currently at ~28k with it, hoping for 30k before the end of the weekend.

I guess I'll just copy and paste the blurb I made for nano as well.

There has always been a Rook in The Crooked Woods. It’s said that without her, the custodian of the Rifts within the Woods, the known realms will collapse without her. Emma Rook is the latest, albeit reluctant, custodian. For generations, a woman bearing the name Rook has been gifted with the power to open and close rifts in the veil between Realms, a rare and dangerous talent for those who wield it. Emma’s grandmother’s dead at over a hundred and fifty something means she has to leave behind the life she loved, her best friend Sage and their thriving hair salon. If she didn’t, the rifts will open and Riftwealds, the realm The Crooked Woods leads into would collapse. Our world and the others beyond will be overrun by those who might do them harm. It sounds like hard, boring and lonely work. Emma knows for a fact it is, she spent summers with her granny Peg in the wealds helping her do her riftwork. Emma didn’t want to be a Rook. She even took her mother’s maiden name when she left for at eighteen and much to Peg’s bitter disappointment. She was Emma Madden, hair stylist and party girl. She loved her life, every minute of it… But something always called her back to The Crooked Woods. Or should that be someone? She dreamed of him every night, the boy with the wintry eyes and green skin. The one who showed her the way home when she got lost, the first time she ventured into Riftwealds on her own, chasing a cat-sith kitten. He gave her a kiss, and she promised to find him again. A promise that wasn’t kept. She was eleven years old, and the same day she found the love of her life, she lost her family. Emma was never told the full details of their death, nor did she want to know. Moving to the city was a fresh start, a new life. Leaving their tragic legacy behind was one Emma fought hard for. There was no escaping fate, no matter how hard to ran, was there? Grieving both Peg & the life she left behind, Emma is woken by someone knocking on her door. She opens it and faces someone she never thought she’d see again. The boy in her dreams. The boy—now a rather handsome and tall aelf is looking for her grandmother. He needs the Rook Witch, he tells her. Someone is killing his people, the native aelves of Riftwealds, The Court of Ferns. Turning them into monsters and burning their sacred tree groves. When he storms out, after realising she is now The Rook Witch and the girl who never returned for him, Emma is faced with the knowledge that the boy in her dream is real, and so are the monsters her grandmother warned her about. She is reluctant to step into her Peg's shoes as well as truly step into her new life. But people rely on the Rook to keep the realm safe, she already feels bad enough without that on her conscious too. She’s attacked by a bunch of white skinned, red eyed feral vampires and rescues a toddler with green skin, orange hair and red eyes. He looks like a princeling of the Court of Ferns, and as Rook it’s up to her to return him home, whether she wants to face Fhion or not. She is Rook whether she likes it or not. It's a burden she just has to bear. A duty she and no other can fulfill. Her first adventure as The Rook of The Crooked Woods will teach her things about herself she never thought possibly true, as well as discovering devastating truths about her family’s deaths and Peg’s past. And one fact: Not only can you not escape destiny, sometimes the past kicks your arse too.

So far there is plenty of magic and stuff but no romance and my lead seems to be leading me around in circles because we're both too scared to approach the end because it means trouble for the both of us: She sort of dies and I sort of have to write the next sequel!!

But I do love it, I'm writing in first POV for the first time in a full length project. It's hard considering how I love to head hop. And it's also hard not making Emma a know-it-all overpowered god-mode type character since I know (sort of, I'm totally pantsing this draft) what happens so she does too?

So I'm trying my hardest not to do that, and to start making Emma make things happen instead making things happen to her. It's absolutely chaos trying to mix a cosy, foresty witchy story with a vampire apocalypse story with a goddess from Ancient Egypt mixed it. Chaos, but mostly fun lol.

[writingdotcoffee]

“Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else.”

— C. S. Lewis

[edenjacobs]

My yay-I've-Won-Nanowrimo present to myself is Bookshops and Bonedust, since I loved Legends and Lattes so much. I've high hopes for this book, I hope it doesn't let me down like Day of Fallen Night did lol

Off to read it now a bit before bed!

[edenjacobs]

I WON I WON!!

Draft still isn't finished, but it will be. Soon. I needed this win. It means so much.

[edenjacobs]

I'm two and half thousand words away from a nanowrimo win and for some reason writing tonight it like pulling teeth! ugh lol

[edenjacobs]

Nano Day 21--44k!

Am loving what I'm writing today. I hopefully will have a win tomorrow! And I won't have a finished first draft like I hoped, but I don't care. I think I'm nearly there.... I think!!

[edenjacobs]

43k! WOot

Am finally writing. Hoping to make it to 45k before going to bed. Nearly there. Emma is still angsting so I'm having a great time 8D

[micahabram]

Saw this advice on Twitter today, and I think it's going to end up being useful for me. 🥹 Thought I'd share it with y'all, too.

[luna-azzurra]

Types of side characters

1. Foil Characters: These side characters are designed to contrast with the main character, highlighting their qualities or flaws. Foil characters can provide a different perspective and challenge the main character's beliefs or actions.

2. Mentors or Guides: These side characters serve as mentors or guides to the main character, providing wisdom, guidance, and support. They often have more experience or knowledge in a specific area and help the main character navigate challenges or learn important lessons.

3. Comic Relief Characters: These side characters bring humor and levity to the story. They provide comedic relief during intense or serious moments and can help balance the overall tone of the narrative. Their wit, clumsiness, or unique personality traits make them enjoyable and entertaining.

4. Love Interests: Love interests are side characters who are romantically involved with the main character. They add a romantic subplot to the story and can contribute to the main character's personal growth and development. Love interests can be supportive, challenging, or even create conflict within the narrative.

5. Antagonists or Villains: Side characters can also take on the role of antagonists or villains. They oppose the main character's goals and create conflict and tension in the story. Antagonists can have their own motivations, complexities, and backstories, making them more than just one-dimensional obstacles.

6. Friends or Allies: These side characters are the main character's companions, friends, or allies. They provide emotional support, camaraderie, and assistance throughout the story. Friends or allies often share common goals and values, and their relationships can help showcase the main character's growth and strengths.

7. Family Members: Side characters who are family members of the main character can play significant roles in shaping their identity and backstory. They can provide emotional connections, conflict, and a sense of history within the narrative.

8. Background Characters: While not all side characters have to be highly developed, background characters help create a sense of realism and immersion in the story. They populate the world and add depth to the setting, even if they have minimal impact on the main plot.

9. Rivals or Competitors: These side characters compete with the main character, pushing them to improve, overcome obstacles, or achieve their goals. Rivals or competitors can be a source of conflict, motivation, and personal growth for the main character.

10. Witnesses or Observers: These side characters serve as witnesses or observers of the main events in the story. They may provide insights, commentary, or serve as a narrative device to convey information to the reader.

[edenjacobs]

Have no energy today to write. Brain is mush and just looking at my Scrivener file is making me even more tired. So I guess I'll take it easy and write later? I "only" have 10k to write for a win so one afternoon off won't kill me.

[edenjacobs]

Srsly, angst is my favourite thing to write. 😅

I showered and decided to search for fresh clothes in Peg’s room, not wanting to disturb Fhion who looked so peaceful in his sleep. He had an arm thrown across his face, half hiding it in shadow. I always envied the afterglow of a satisfied man. Plus looking at him made my heart hurt, like it was expanding beyond the restrictions of my rib cage. It rattled me, made me feel vulnerable and strange. I don’t like feeling vulnerable, so I decided to stay mad at him instead. But it was getting harder to find the energy to be furious at him. Especially now I knew how generous and considerate a lover he was. Most of the time I found once with a person was enough, leading me to a decade or more of one night stands. I wanted more from him, to know every inch of him, for him to know every inch of me. The thought of it was both thrilling and terrifying. Hence why I’m not cuddling him right now, and instead standing naked in front of Peg’s wardrobe.

[edenjacobs]

Eeeeee, I'm over 40k!!

I'm so happy with what I'm writing. It's still raw AF and needs so much work but I'm within sight of the end of my first draft! The next chapter is going to be full of angst and romance and eee I can't wait to write it tomorrow lol

[kavohh707]

Crow portrait

[edenjacobs]

It's actually amazing how much I miss the nanowrimo forums, it was always such a big part of the month for me :( Seeing it all frozen is so weird.

[heywriters]

write for yourself. put your fantasies on paper. no one knows what you are writing. no one knows what's in your head. no one is going to write it for you. if you don't write down your ideas they will disappear. if you are too scared to write your thoughts then don't write, try something different. if writing is the only way, get to writing. no one else's opinion matters. no one else's opinion will ever matter

[heywriters]

this isn't about sharing or posting your work, btw. this is just about writing it at all. BUT for things you want to share....someone is waiting for your story. your rarepair. your bizarre self-insert oc. your ""cringe"" obsessions. someone out there wants to find it and go "yyeeesssssssss thissssssss! finally!"

even if your thing is so niche it's only that one person, you just made their day? they will replay your story in their head for years. stories i didn't even like come back to me at random times because i learned something from them or they evoked an important emotion. sometimes they just used a word in a way that stood out to me, so now i use it that way too.

you never know! you cannot imagine how much someone might want to read your ideas! hell, they don't even know until they read it!

[edenjacobs]

My first draft is chaotic and nonsensical but oh, how I love these characters. (My favourite bit from tonight's chapter)

“Fall back to the second barrier!” Cliod bellowed, holding his sword aloft. I ignored him, instead opening a rift under five feral vampires who were attacking one of the warriors, having pinned him against the barrier. They fell into the void, and I reached across the trunk of the fallen ash tree to grab the boy’s arm and haul him over. He was injured and shaking but alive. Blood poured from bite wounds on his arms and hands, his tunic shredded by the ferals claws. I handed him off to Fhion. “We have to fall back!” he shouted, propping the boy up with an arm around his shoulder. “Emma, please! You can’t take them on alone!” I threw a fireball at the head of the nearest feral vampire and then a lightning bolt to the clump currently trying to tear their way through on the other side of the road. Both defensive spells exploded several heads and rent the air with the smell of offal and cooked meat. “I’m not on my own. I have Kai. And oh, look, Molly!” Molly appeared behind two ferals who were climbing over the barrier. Her hands sunk into their backs, tearing their hearts out. The ferals ashed out, the organs in Molly’s hands disintegrating too. “Ha!” I clapped my hands and whooped, forgetting momentarily we were in a life or death situation. “That was awesome!” Molly grinned, taking two more out in a row. “Isn’t it? Almost makes up for being dead!” she tore a third out as she spoke.

[edenjacobs]

Nanowrimo Day 19

36.5k/50k!!! woohooooo

I love what I wrote today, even managed to shove in half a sex scene at the end of the chapter I just finished xD It came out of nowhere and was really just a test to see if my pair have chemistry and I think they do. I'm just really rusty at writing romance! It literally wasn't them, it's me haha.